Kennedy Graham Archive

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  Copenhagen 10: Goodbye, Therese - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  We never really gave up on each other, Therese and I. I doubt I shall see Therese. Not this time. Not at the Copenhagen Climate Conference of 2009. Perhaps, perhaps not. Anyway, as she would say, ha, ha, ha. Bye Therese. Thanks for everything. read more
  December 19, 2009 6:00 pm - 6 Comments
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  Copenhagen Diary: It is a disgrace - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Tonight’s outcome in Copenhagen is a tragedy for humanity. It is  widely recognised as a failure papered over with some fine sounding words by Obama. The purpose of the meeting was to agree on a second commitment period for the Kyoto  protocol. That has not been achieved. We came here wanting an ambitious, fair and [...] read more
  December 19, 2009 1:03 pm - 76 Comments
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  Copenhagen 9: Let Us Refuse to Acknowledge ‘Defeat’ - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The ‘blame-game’ industry will get a new lease-on-life in the New Year. The Danish leadership has been trenchantly criticised – both for its organizational shortcomings and, far more importantly, for its hapless strategic misjudgements in the negotiations. read more
  December 19, 2009 4:52 am - 12 Comments
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  A video message from Green MPs in Copenhagen - by frog

  
  
  
  As the COP15 climate summit draws to a close, Jeanette Fitzsimons and Kennedy Graham offer their views on what is, and isn’t, happening at this most important of international meetings. Jeanette discusses the lack of emissions reduction targets thusfar offered by rich nations, and the $100 billion pledge from the US that will begin in 2020 to [...] read more
  December 18, 2009 11:14 pm - 1 Comment
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  Copenhagen 8: Peering through the Eye of the Needle - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  We are at the moment of truth, here in Copenhagen. For 8 days the conference has ground along in true diplomatic style, officials parsing words and bracketing phrases within the mindless straitjacket of 193 inflexible cabinet decisions thrashed out in advance of what purports to be multilateral negotiations.  Behind the screens, leaders are talking.  But [...] read more
  December 18, 2009 11:12 am - 5 Comments
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  Copenhagen 7: Living with Therese - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  I live with Therese. We are cohabiting in her apartment these past six nights. From Friday to Thursday today, I have left in the dark around 7.00 a.m. and returned in the dark around midnight. It is not a routine guaranteed to meet Therese. I email her. This is from your phantom guest, I say. It is proving difficult to meet up. read more
  December 18, 2009 5:14 am - 6 Comments
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  Copenhagen 6: Screaming into the void - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  OK so there are 45,000 concerned humans milling around. Only one-third are getting into the Bella Conference Centre. Yesterday I arrived at the gates at 7.45. It is still dark. And very cold. A young woman next to me, not yet accredited, had stood in the queue yesterday in zero degrees for 10 hours. That’s not easy. And she was unsuccessful. She was back this morning at 6.20 a.m. I think... read more
  December 17, 2009 1:14 am - 20 Comments
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  Copenhagen 4: I remain, Your Humble and Obedient Servant - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  A funny thing happened on the way to the Climate Change Forum. Fate allowed me to serve Her Majesty’s Government, once again. In a phantom role, it is true. But it was a privilege, nonetheless. read more
  December 16, 2009 4:01 am - 10 Comments
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  Copenhagen II: Gentlemen (Ladies?), Choose your Weapons - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The first week of the Copenhagen Conference has not been without its drama.  This will of course be nothing compared to Week 2, but the preliminaries have been fast and furious. The best-known drama has been the leaked ‘Danish draft’.  This has been reported as infuriating the developing world, especially the major emerging economies – [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 10:24 pm - 12 Comments
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  Making Sense of Copenhagen - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Saturday was our first day at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.  Jeanette Fitzsimons and I, along with staff member Rick Leckinger, are attending.  It is a remarkable event in itself, as well as being critical in substance. Two quick things to clear up. First, yes we expended carbon getting here, along with the other participants.  [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 12:21 am - 29 Comments
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  Tokelau navigates towards cleaner, greener future - by frog

  
  
  
  Core Green issues of transport, energy and Pacific climate change were raised in a meeting with our MPs Keith Locke and Kennedy Graham.  A delegation from Tokelau – that included the three high chiefs of Tokelau – Faipule Foua Toloa (Ulu o Tokelau/leader of Tokelau) , Faipule Kuresa Nasau, Faipule Pio Tetimuatoga Tuia Iosefo and officials – [...] read more
  September 20, 2009 8:00 am - 8 Comments
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  Using the Force? Make sure it’s legal - by frog

  
  
  
  A bit of culture jamming is what you need to show that people are, in fact, paying attention. So it was when Scoop’s Gordon Campbell wrote up Kennedy Graham’s International Non-Aggression and Lawful Use of Force Bill, which was released last week. I’m not sure who to credit for the photo, beyond scoop, but if [...] read more
  July 13, 2009 2:57 pm - 30 Comments
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  Nick Smith asks for a public education on climate change - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  On Monday night, Minister Nick Smith held the first of a series of public meetings on setting an emissions reduction target.  The series is being held throughout the main cities in NZ. The Government is to be commended for initiating this series since a democratic legitimacy for its policies is a necessary condition of it [...] read more
  July 9, 2009 6:34 am - 46 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on International Climate Change Negotiations - by frog

  
  
  
  In this week’s message from parliament, Green MP Kennedy Graham urges everyone to put pressure on the government to negotiate real and binding emissions reductions in the lead up to Copenhagen this December. While the government is busy hacking every budget under the sun, we are being distracted from one of the most important international [...] read more
  March 13, 2009 8:00 am - 8 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on General Debate, March 5th 2009 - by frog

  
  
  
  Green MP Kennedy Graham did his first General Debate Speech on Thursday, choosing climate change as his topic. Kennedy is the spokesperson on International Climate Change Issues. As we slide serenely into the sea, let us recognise that, just as water finds its own level, a species that fails to foresee disaster ahead, or sees [...] read more
  March 7, 2009 9:30 am - 22 Comments
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  Kennedy Graham’s maiden speech - by frog

  
  
  
  Welcome Kennedy!   read more
  December 18, 2008 12:18 pm - 2 Comments
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  Ken Graham’s Green history - by frog

  
  
  
  Christchurch’s Ken Graham gets a good write up in this morning’s Herald as a potential new Green MP.  The article discusses his involvement in developing the intellectual framework behind New Zealand’s nuclear free policy in the 1980s: “I wrote an article that Carl Sagan picked up, basically saying it was a misperception that our nuclear [...] read more
  October 30, 2008 3:31 pm - 11 Comments
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  Make peace not war - by frog

  
  
  
  And here’s more policy announcements.  Keith Locke and Kennedy Graham launched a 22 page foreign affairs policy tonight at the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs that: Introduces into our trading framework with other countries values like human rights, labour and environmental standards, ecologically-sustainable practices, local values and cultures, the right [...] read more
  September 17, 2008 8:55 pm - 102 Comments
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  People vs the Bomb - by frog

  
  
  
  While we are on the topic of defence here’s a link to a youtube promo of the programme People vs the Bomb, starring US Presidential Candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, together with Michal Gorbachev, Christie Brinkley and Ted Turner and of course the Green Party’s high ranking Ilam candidate Kennedy Graham. (You can see [...] read more
  September 4, 2008 9:26 am - No Comments
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  Kennedy Graham on sustainability - by frog

  
  
  
  I just recently found Ken Graham’s Ilam Greens website, including this post on sustainability: The sustainability problem is an imbalance between human numbers and the planet’s carrying capacity. The human population has grown from 1 billion in 1804 to 6.7 b. today, and is projected to reach 9 b. by 2050 before levelling off. Humanity’s [...] read more
  July 16, 2008 9:22 am - 6 Comments