forestry Archive

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  Launching the Illegal Logging Petition! - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  This week I launched the Green petition to ban the import and trade of illegal logging outside the “ForestWood” Conference at Te Papa. The conference was organised by the Forest owners Association and Woodco. The Forest owners have been strong supporters of the call for a ban on the import and trade of illegal and [...] read more
  October 15, 2010 10:38 am - 5 Comments
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  The Forestry NES: Robert Guyton thumbs up, Nick Smith rotten - by frog

  
  
  
  Congratulations to one of our regular commenters, Robert Guyton, on his election to Environment Southland last weekend. I really hope Robert can make a difference in stopping the “Double Dipton” plan to double Southland’s dairy herd numbers, and stopping Gerry Brownlee’s Lignitemare. I was pondering a post on Nick Smith’s proposed National Environment Standard on forestry. read more
  October 12, 2010 7:03 pm - 13 Comments
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  Illegal logging – Will our Government ever step up? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Last week the Australian Labour Party launched a detailed commitment to banning the import and trade in illegally logged rainforest timber. Of course they have to get re-elected to make this law, but the work has been done and they are planning to join the global consensus to legislate and enforce penalties on traders who [...] read more
  August 16, 2010 9:51 am - 3 Comments
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  Clear Fell Damage – We can do better! - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  This weekend I visited an area of the Coromandel where recent storms highlighted an ongoing problem with pine forestry in the wrong place. The Green Party strongly supports diverse and sustainable forestry, but this is not it! The steep hillsides of the Whangapoua and Waiau catchments are bleeding sediment into the Whangapoua and Coromandel harbours [...] read more
  August 9, 2010 2:59 pm - 5 Comments
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  Cuts to Afforestation Scheme a bad signal - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Afforestation Grants Scheme (AGS), which was first announced in 2007, was created to encourage carbon capture by small forests planted by farmers and other landowners whose entry into the Emissions Trading Scheme can not be guaranteed. Now it has been cut back just when we need more trees planted. Under this scheme the Government [...] read more
  July 15, 2010 9:19 am - 2 Comments
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  Men and trees - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  I spent yesterday at the Farm Forestry Association Conference in Invercargill and I can confidently report that what those people don’t know about eucalypts and acacias and redwoods is not worth knowing. I was there to promote the Green New Deal on forestry and to learn about the sector from a group of very experienced [...] read more
  April 9, 2010 9:36 am - 20 Comments
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  Hugging trees: with a spade, trap and chainsaw - by frog

  
  
  
  A Wellington couple, entreprenuerial tree-huggers if you wish, criticise Fed Farmer’s head-in-the-sand attitude on climate change in the Nelson Mail today. They’ve invested in carbon farming a 47ha block of marginal land in Golden Bay. Jonathan Kennett and Bronwen Wall aren’t wringing their hands or seeking emissions subsidy handouts; they’re getting their hands dirty planting [...] read more
  December 2, 2009 1:16 pm - No Comments
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  Timber report shows need for ‘good wood’ Bill - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry released a fascinating new report today. The research project, Environmental Impacts of Multi-Story Buildings Using Different Construction Materials, modelled the life cycle energy use and carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions of four similar office building designs that used different materials as their main structural element: concrete, steel, timber and [...] read more
  July 24, 2009 4:00 pm - 28 Comments
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  Prince Charles, Kevin Rudd and frogs - by frog

  
  
  
  Check out this great little jam of HRH Prince Charles’ recent appeal to save the world’s rainforests (‘The Prince and the Frog’). It’s made by Tasmanian forest campaigners. To join in the campaign go here . read more
  July 22, 2009 3:50 pm - 14 Comments
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  2 out of 2 – the Member’s Ballot goes Green - by frog

  
  
  
  Out of a random draw of two - two Green Party Member’s Bills where drawn out of the member’s bill ballot at twelve today. This means they will now be voted on by Parliament! The first one is the Sustainable Biofuel Bill that will make sure that  NZ’s use of biofuels is sustainable (as opposed to the current regime which [...] read more
  June 18, 2009 12:51 pm - 97 Comments
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  Seeing the forest and the trees - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  RadioNZ reported this morning that forest plantings in NZ are at their lowest level since World War II. The report shows that just 1000 hectares of new forest was established during 2008 – down from 2400ha in 2007. New planting peaked at 100,000ha in 1992. Deforestation (not replanting forest after harvesting or converting forest to [...] read more
  May 21, 2009 3:30 pm - 5 Comments
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  Greens don suits, and gumboots - by frog

  
  
  
  Today the Green Co-leaders launched our Green New Deal stimulus package to “to save the economy and the environment at the same time”. Launching it, Jeanette said: We’re engaging on economic issues on a new scale. The Greens’ package is costed with the best available published figures, and clearly specifies the benefits of each initiative [...] read more
  May 15, 2009 3:05 pm - 12 Comments
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  Waste Not West Coast Forests - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The commercial forests of the West Coast are currently presenting a dilemma to the Government. These ex-Timberlands forests are producing low-quality timber and in many places the soils and climate have proven unsuitable for the species planted. A fierce windstorm last winter smashed over whole forests in some areas. Given the damage and the cost [...] read more
  April 15, 2009 1:32 pm - 16 Comments
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  Greenpeace’s activism reminds us about the big issue - by frog

  
  
  
  Greenpeace activists have this morning temporarily halted a massive conversion of forest land to dairy farming in Tokoroa, locking on to forest logging equipment and using rotary hoes to plough 5m-high letters reading ‘climate crime’ into fresh pasture. The call for a halt to forest conversion for intensive dairy in light of the worsening global [...] read more
  October 29, 2008 12:46 pm - 28 Comments
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  Nat’s forestry policy is Labour lite - by frog

  
  
  
  True to form, the National Party has released a forestry policy that leaves Labour’s policies completely unchanged, but whinges mightily about the RMA. What a yawn. The now familiar recipe goes like this; Ingredients: 1 Labour policy (ripe) 1 cup of meaningless statistics 1 National Party spokesperson 1 cup of self-righteous bile standard seasonings Implements: [...] read more
  September 24, 2008 2:25 pm - 3 Comments
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  Remember just because something makes you money doesn’t mean it is good for you - by frog

  
  
  
  From Brazil’s WWF, via The Sietch read more
  September 24, 2008 9:55 am - 2 Comments