politics Archive

• 

  Not Our Heritage to Mine Karangahake

  
  
  
  On Friday last I hosted a meeting about the effects of mining at the Karangahake Hall near Paeroa. The hall is close to a major historical and recreational area including many artefacts and remnants from the early gold mining days. It is also close to the newest gold mining permit issued for the Coromandel area. The [...] read more
  February 23, 2010 2:44 pm - 11 Comments
• 

  Copenhagen 4: I remain, Your Humble and Obedient Servant

  
  
  
  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
• 

  Copenhagen II: Gentlemen (Ladies?), Choose your Weapons

  
  
  
  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 – China, [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 10:24 pm - 12 Comments
• 

  Making Sense of Copenhagen

  
  
  
  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.  But we [...] read more
  December 14, 2009 12:21 am - 29 Comments
• 

  One week left to submit on flawed ETS

  
  
  
  I’m using Nick Smith’s own words from last year because they are so suitable. This Government’s ETS legislation is so flawed and so rushed that it will require significant amendments after the election to make it workable. In the meantime, the rushed consultation period is coming to a close, hot on the heels of the urgency [...] read more
  October 7, 2009 10:05 am - 19 Comments
• 

  ETS is sure to spur growth – but what kind?

  
  
  
  Now here’s a great idea for economic development. Extract lignite, the lowest quality coal, very wet and of low calorific value. Add copious water pollution, coal seam methane and land disturbance from open cast mining. read more
  October 1, 2009 6:45 am - 20 Comments
• 

  Oil companies declare that CO2 is green

  
  
  
  Some stupidity is just too good not to share. You only need half a second with this new US television advert to guess who’s behind it. The Guardian has a great article on the video, who’s behind it and why it is so ripe for a spoof. I’m tempted to do one myself! In a slick attempt [...] read more
  September 30, 2009 5:06 pm - 30 Comments
• 

  Population and Climate Change

  
  
  
  As greens, it seems pretty intuitive that runaway population growth is unsustainable. That argument rages in back rooms, but rarely gets much air in the media because it is such a controversial topic. read more
  September 28, 2009 10:37 am - 18 Comments
• 

  Now we see the hidden costs of the ETS

  
  
  
  Last night’s briefing on the ETS finally revealed the two missing columns from the curious page of numbers tabled in the House on Tuesday by Nick Smith. That table, to the extent it was comprehensible at all, showed there would be a $415m cost to the taxpayer from now to 2013; a saving between 2013 and [...] read more
  September 24, 2009 10:32 am - 10 Comments
• 

  ETS makes us the seventh state

  
  
  
  It is clear from the minister’s briefing last night that the main purpose of National’s changes to the ETS is to make us effectively the seventh state of Australia. The bill mimics exactly the bill the Rudd government has been trying (unsuccessfully) to get through the Australian senate. So a bill that has been twice [...] read more
  September 24, 2009 9:17 am - 8 Comments