sustainability Archive

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  Day 7 — Serenity to accept that I cannot change - by Julie Anne Genter

  
  
  
  I’ve cycled 120km in one day before. Once, when I was 23. It was exhausting then, though I didn’t have much weight on my bike and hadn’t spent the previous week cycling five to eight hours a day. Oh, and I was probably fitter, too. Eight years later, I thought if there were enough hours in [...] read more
  January 20, 2012 10:31 pm - 3 Comments
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  ‘Debating’ Foreign Policy: National and Green - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  Yesterday, the NZ Institute of International Affairs held an important one-day seminar on ‘The Major Economic and Foreign Policy Issues facing New Zealand, 2012-17’. The programme is here. Some excellent presentations were made, especially by Rick Boven (NZ Institute) and Duncan Currie (oceans consultant). There were three political representatives. The Minister spoke at 8.45 am. [...] read more
  October 23, 2011 10:42 am - 3 Comments
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  Visions of Christchurch: My Public Forum Series - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  For the first few weeks, it was shovelling.  Then it was door-knocking.  Then it was fund-raising to buy food and deliver it to welfare centres, attending memorial services, participating in MP briefings, and travelling into the suburbs and Lyttelton for meetings with Green members and others. Now it is time to refocus and plan for [...] read more
  April 29, 2011 3:57 pm - 3 Comments
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  Podcast: Rock n Roll to the rescue? - by frog

  
  
  
  Can we make a lot of noise with a small footprint?  Can we mosh sustainably?  What can we do about the environmental effects of going to a big gig?  We also find out which Green MP is a Metallica fan and hear about a few favourite shows.   Click to play If you’re having problems [...] read more
  September 27, 2010 11:25 am - 1 Comment
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  First Smart Business breakfast a great success - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  This morning I hosted my first Smart Business breakfast event  at the Long Room in Ponsonby, Auckland. We had a  great  turnout,  a good mix of familiar faces and ‘new’ people we met for the first time.    Some really topical issues were raised, like how small business can get access to training and other support; how a co-operative model could [...] read more
  June 18, 2010 11:56 am - 7 Comments
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  Will the Supercity include ‘corporate sustainability’? - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Caught up on an interesting discussion on Celsias about the likelihood of ‘corporate sustainability’ positions being included or not at our wonderful (?) new Supercity.   It would be a real shame for all concerned if they are foolish enough to not employ a good team of people who can drive both the new organisation’s ‘in house’ [...] read more
  May 5, 2010 10:10 am - 2 Comments
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  Wake up call for NZ exporters - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  If Kiwi businesses are to stay in the international retail game they need to get serious about adopting environmental and sustainable business practices. This is the message coming loud and clear from research revealed by major British retailer Marks and Spencer (M&S). M&S says environmental and social issues remain important to UK consumers. A survey [...] read more
  March 4, 2010 1:28 pm - 2 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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  Getting Personal: The Passing of the Cullen Clark Era - by frog

  
  
  
  Helen Clark and Michael Cullen have given their valedictory speeches and—after nine long years of running the show—have left the Parliamentary stage of power. Cullen’s parting words on sustainability all seemed to this frog a lesson learned too late to be of any consequence. I asked our Green MPs for their thoughts on the passing [...] read more
  May 12, 2009 8:03 am - 1 Comment
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  Battered Jellyfish and Chips? - by frog

  
  
  
  This week, the Fishing Industry announced it was seeking Marine Stewardship Council certification for five NZ fisheries. The Government endorsed the move, saying the “eco-label will be further endorsement of New Zealand’s careful fisheries management”. The Greens would love all of NZ’s fisheries to be MSC-certified, if only the “careful fisheries management” was a true [...] read more
  May 9, 2009 12:09 pm - 8 Comments
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  Good Wood Guide - by frog

  
  
  
  Greenpeace has done it again, bless their socks, and updated the Good Wood Guide just in time for your summer/Christmas shopping spree. Want to know what the most sustainable wood products are? Start here. Want to know which species are which? Start here. Want to know which sustainable timber certifications are for real? Start here. [...] read more
  December 19, 2008 10:14 am - 3 Comments
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  Hand in hand - by frog

  
  
  
  John Key, 6 September 2008: “Economic growth and improving the environment can and must go hand in hand.” Bill English, 5 August 2008: “Don’t fall for the word sustainability – what the hell does that mean? You’ve got to make money if you’re going to stay in business.” read more
  September 23, 2008 2:13 pm - 10 Comments
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  Labour takes 40 years to act on the 100 month challenge - by frog

  
  
  
  Yesterday No Right Turn pointed to the New Economics Foundation’s challenge that we only have 100 months left to avert potentially irreversible climate change: We calculate that 100 months from 1 August 2008, atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases will begin to exceed a point whereby it is no longer likely we will be able to [...] read more
  August 6, 2008 2:13 pm - 3 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
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  Imagine there’s no… - by frog

  
  
  
  Worldchanging has put on its best John Lennon glasses and written a post about a hopeful new post-green future: If we live in an age of stark ecological limits, we also live in an age of widespread potential innovation. We can see on the horizon the silhouette of something incredibly hopeful and exciting: a world [...] read more
  July 15, 2008 3:22 pm - 10 Comments
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  How tough should NZ be on Biofuels? - by frog

  
  
  
  With the Biofuel Bill wending its way through the parliamentary process, I thought it would be good to revisit the issue of sustainable biofuels, the Green’s key requirement for support, and what it really means. Most people by now are aware of the international backlash against biofuels because of their effect on food availability and [...] read more
  June 13, 2008 9:24 am - 46 Comments
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  Two questions in Parliament from Jeanette today - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s not often the Greens get allotted two questions in one day at Parliamentary question time. (I think today’s double dose might have come about due to some horse trading with the Maori Party?)  Anyway, they’re both good ones: Question 1 – Jeanette Fitzsimons to the Prime Minister Does she still aspire for New Zealand [...] read more
  May 29, 2008 11:27 am - 24 Comments
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  Oil, the Monetary Merry-Go-Round and US Dollar Dominance - by frog

  
  
  
  I think that everyone would agree that it would be disastrous for the world economy if its reserve currency, the US dollar, collapsed. Many people blame today’s high oil price on the decline of the dollar, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The price of oil has risen 110% in a few years while [...] read more
  May 5, 2008 11:03 am - 30 Comments
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  A Sustainable Biofuel Consensus - by frog

  
  
  
  Could there be a growing international consensus on what constitutes a sustainable biofuel? I have had a fair bit to say about it here on frogblog and Jeanette has been doing battle in the deep recesses of the corridors of power to ensure that the new Biofuel Sales Obligation Bill (BSO) doesn’t encourage shonky biofuel. [...] read more
  April 22, 2008 2:42 pm - 13 Comments
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  EU sticks to target on biofuels - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens have always argued that all biofuels are not created equal, and that is why we insisted on a sustainability clause in the current BSO Bill before we would support it. The clause turned out to be a bit whimpy, but it is easily fixed now that we are at the Select Committee stage [...] read more
  April 16, 2008 7:08 pm - 6 Comments