A Great Business Opportunity
410 ppm. And rising.
Environment
National is yeah nah on climate change
National’s Blue Green conference on the weekend suggests that the party has moved on from outright denial that cliamte change exists to grudging acceptance that it is a phenomenon but “balance” requires that it is tolerated.
National’s fiscal ineptitude over Auckland transport
National has responded to Labour’s ATAP proposal by refusing to accept there is a problem, drumming up anti Auckland resentment in the rest of the country and claiming they would have done the same thing.
The Big Auckland Transport announcement
Minister Phil Twyford and Mayor Phil Goff announced the ATAP, the transport programme for Auckland for the next ten years. At $28 billion it is the largest civil infrastructure programme since World War II.
Why Can’t We Hold Vector Accountable?
For those of us who were without electricity to their houses in Auckland for several days, it’s worth turning our thoughts to Vector.
Global finance and climate change
The two greatest powers at work in the world right now are the roles of global finance, and climate change. In New Zealand we don’t yet see how these intersecting worlds of finance and climate change are interacting, or the government’s role in forming that interaction. But this is close.
Dear Judith burning Oil and Gas is the worst thing for the climate
National now seems to adopt the position that climate change is real and has to be addressed. But it is refusing to accept that to address the problem New Zealand is going to have to give up its reliance on oil and gas.
Ice
There’s something about Antarctica…
Government blocks off shore oil and gas drilling
The Government has announced that there will be no new offshore oil and gas exploration permits issued under the block offer process.
Doofus of the week – April 7, 2018
Another easy decision. Gerry Brownlee wins for overseeing a $210 million blow out in EWC’s liability for Christchurch earthquake re-repair work and for being upset when Megan Woods called him on it.
Regrets, John Key’s had a few *
or more accurately one. A failed vanity flag referendum.
Northland politicians want to drop more trucks into Auckland
Politik reports that some mayors from Northalnd are upset that they aren’t going to get a four lane boondoggle to feed more heavy trucks into traffic chaos that is the Auckland isthmus. They can stick their trucks up their body cavity of choice and learn to love rail. We don’t need more traffic in Auckland until we fix the disaster that National have left us.
Labour aims to make transport system more sustainable
The Government has released a draft Government Policy Statement on Transport for consultation. A radical shake up of the Transport system is being proposed.
Climate 2050
Highlights from the Climate 2050 event in Wellington last night.
End Oil
Gareth Hughes explains in just over 1 minute why we can’t use the fossil fuels we’ve already found, let alone any we might go exploring for.
Megan Woods’ speech to the Petroleum Conference
The text of Energy Minister Megan Woods’ speech to the recent petroleum conference where she outlined the Government’s approach to the oil industry and the Government’s intention to achieve sustainable change.
Julie Anne Genter: Working for Women’s Rights on the World Stage
The Minister for Women on her recent trip with the NZ delegation to the UN.
The Birds.
Yup. It’s okay to be a bit scared.
Auckland’s new fuel tax
The signs are that Aucklanders are going to support a regional fuel tax designed to alleviate congestion.
Activists bring Mataura River poo to the Environment Southland
“Epic #ShowDontTell action”
Greenpeace isn’t a charity, it’s a necessity
Greenpeace’s press release on the Charities Board decision not to grant the environmental organisation charity status.
NRT on transitioning off fossil fuels
Two posts from No Right Turn.
“Fundamentally, climate change means it is us or the oil industry. We know whose side the Greens are on. But people are doubting Labour, and they only have themselves to blame for it.”
Also a post on banning fossil-fueled cars.
Ardern suggests that oil exploration may cease
The Government is reconsidering the future of New Zealand’s block offer process which releases exploration permits to the oil industry for exploratory drilling.
Doofus of the week – March 17, 2018
is awarded this week to Lisa Prager who is convinced that construction of cycleways in Auckland is part of a global conspiracy to take away our rights and whose sledge hammering technique is not optimal.
Some neigbourly advice for Kirikiriroa from a concerned JAFA
Hamilton or Kirikiriroa? I don’t even know why this is a question. Well, I do, it’s a question because white people are stupid, […]
What should NZ prioritise in international climate change negotiations later this year?
The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is seeking submissions to inform their negotiations for the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in December 2018.
Food security in New Zealand
The Standard regular commenter Macro takes a look at the state of food security in NZ
Post TPPA signing
It’s Our Future spokesperson Oliver Hailes was on RNZ yesterday succinctly pointing out the problem with Labour and NZF’s u-turn on the TPPA. He also recently co-authored an article in the NZ Medical Journal on the TPPA, climate change and health.
Cullen says 2020 election effectively a referendum on tax
Don’t hold your breath for recommendations of radical tax reform from the Tax Working Group. Chair Sir Michael Cullen says the 2020 election will be a referendum on tax and he is already kicking for touch
Simon Bridges’ not very good first week
In this very important first week Simon Bridges has committed two major blunders. He has claimed he was environmentally friendly when any view of his Ministerial history would confirm that this is not the case. And he forgot his Government oversaw the stripping of democratic rights from all prisoners, and adjusted his position when his error was pointed out.
NRT: Past time to end fossil fuel exploration
“The foreign shareholders in that toxic industry will kick and scream, but its basicly them or the planet – and if we want to save the world and keep our own coastal cities above water, they have to go.”
Some Trash.
Being anti-plastic is all the rage these days. How might business respond?
Arctic monkey wrenching
“This is more than just a temperature anomaly. It is an off-the-scale event. Why is the Arctic meltdown not headline news in every paper?” – George Monbiot
If someone said hey, your house is going to burn down, we don’t know if it’s in the next hour or next week, what would you do?
Climate change is not an accident
Snippets from the first day of the 2nd Pacific Climate Change Conference and Cyclone Gita.
Dunedin City Council votes for carbon neutral target
“Offsets alone would not achieve the zero carbon target and a significant systematic and behavioural change would still be needed…”
