Environment

Local Bodies: Shell and the Great South Basin

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 170 comments

The Southland Times devoted the whole of the front page to celebrate Shell’s decision to do some exploratory drilling in the Great South Basin. The best scenario will be that they discover a sizable gas field similar to the one in Taranaki. Then royalties we will get are only 5% of the value of what is sold, almost 40% less than the OECD average AND we will have to pay full commercial rates to have any of it ourselves. The worst case scenario…. Well that is really bad and has no effective cover

The Japanese are slaughtering whales again

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 24 comments

Three years ago John Key promised sort of that he could by diplomatic means stop the Japanese hunting of whales in the Southern Ocean.  Given recent events it appears that his confidence was misplaced.  Because the Japanese are slaughtering whales again in our back yard.

Consumerism’s ‘desert of the real’

Written By: karol
Date published: - 47 comments

In The Matrix Neo discovers that his “reality”, is a virtual world that had kept him from seeing “the desert of the real”. George Monbiot cites research that shows how capitalism is eating itself and its consumers. The marketing con of “the good life” – desert of the real.

New Zealand is doing nothing about climate change

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 178 comments

The latest report on New Zealand’s performance under the Kyoto Protocol is out and the news is disturbing.  Net emissions compared to  our 1990 CO2 equivalent emissions are predicted to treble by 2030 at a time where they should be trending to below the 1990 level.  And Government policies are shown to be making little difference.  Meanwhile a report by Prof Euan Mason advocates that Agriculture should be in the scheme and that with a proper price for ETS credits significant reforestation with attendant benefits could occur.  And meanwhile RWNJs continue to show their belligerent lack of understanding of the science of climate change …

It’s 2014 and we have a job to do

Written By: QoT
Date published: - 252 comments

In 2014 the New Zealand Left must have more on its agenda than “win power”.  We should want to create a better New Zealand, and doing that is about so much more than economic policy (which is also, obviously, important).  It has to touch everything.  And it’s going to take people working in different areas on different parts of the plan to make it all happen.

Polity: Who believes in climate change?

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 84 comments

Cool-yet-depressing finding on why some people change their mind on climate change from one day to the next.

It can be summarised by saying Republicans in the US are scientific morons, and many Americans decide based on the previous days weathers.

Thank you ….

Written By: karol
Date published: - 34 comments

To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.

Auckland in search of democracy

Written By: karol
Date published: - 29 comments

Media beat-ups around personality politics divert from Auckland’s real problems: an undemocratic council structure that panders to corporates, & that does not represent Auckland’s diversity, while doing little to counter the destructive impact of the inequality gap.

Not the brighter future….

Written By: karol
Date published: - 32 comments

Articles in the Sunday papers online, showing John Key’s “brighter future” is only for the well off, while more people than ever are struggling to get by.

The spirit of ’81: Key’s hypocrisy!

Written By: karol
Date published: - 141 comments

John Key’s attacks on Hone Harawira for his trip to South Africa were hypocritical: an attempt to smear a significant political opponent, and divert from the governments failings & its gradual falling out of favour with many (potential) voters.

NRT: What happens if anything goes wrong?

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 30 comments

No Right Turn looks at some of the past history of the company that this government trusts to deepsea drill at 1500 metres off the coast of Raglan.

They are cowboys who have a history of deliberately avoiding cleaning up their messes.

What the frack is going on?

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 36 comments

Taranaki Regional Council is allowing fracking waste to be disposed of on farmland because it says Alberta in Canada allows the practice to happen.  The only problem is that it appears ALberta does not.  What damage is Taranaki RC causing to Taranaki’s farms?

NRT: Who’s scaremongering now?

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 193 comments

On their usual friday bad news dump (such a large amount of it these days), the National government dropped this clanger. Greenpeace was right and John Key is a moron when it comes to geology and evidently about risk assessment. We held it over to get past the National’s Monday morning bad news clutter.

The party I will vote for ….

Written By: karol
Date published: - 157 comments

… will be one that has effective policies to make a more equal, inclusive and democratic society, will seriously address the concerns of those least well-off, and not just pander to the concerns of people on (comfortable) middle incomes.Values in need of a slogan?

The Pike River deal of the century

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 57 comments

A month ago John Key was embarrassed in the House by David Cunliffe over the failure of the Government to contribute to the compensation of $3.41 million ordered by Judge Farrish to be paid to the Pike River families.  Yesterday’s deal saw this amount being paid and the charges against Peter Whittall being withdrawn.  An embarrassing political issue was shut down by a decision not to continue with a prosecution.  Are you concerned?

Pike River – Charges against Peter Whittall withdrawn

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 45 comments

The charges that Peter Whittall faced concerning the Pike River deaths have been withdrawn.  And he and the then directors of Pike River are paying $3.4 million compensation to the victims families.  While it is pleasing for the families to receive some compensation for their loss does the sanctity of our justice system require that the prosecutions should have continued?

NRT: Climate change: More windfall profits

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 19 comments

The Emissions Trading Scheme was never a particularly good way of curbing greenhouse emissions and the way that National gutted it made it distinctly worse. Now we are in a position where National has found a way to use it to providing even more polluter welfare.

Transmission Gully: they profit, you pay

Written By: James Henderson
Date published: - 34 comments

The proponents of Public-Private Partnerships offer two justifications for the extra cost compared to normal government financing: 1) a mystical claim that the private sector will find efficiencies in a PPP that they wouldn’t find if they were just contracted to build a project normally and 2) risk is shared between the taxpayer and the private investors. Except it’s not.

Breaking News: Aratere to be used in the event of a major oil spill

Written By: susannact
Date published: - 38 comments

As Greenpeace make a bid in the High Court to challenge the EPA’s decision to grant Anadarko permission to deep sea drill, we can reveal the content of secret documents detailing the contingency plan in the event of a major oil spill. The documents outline how the stricken inter island ferry Aratere will be deployed in the cleanup effort, should a catastrophic event occur.

Get me inta here!

Written By: Bill
Date published: - 18 comments

Some things don’t require much in the way of brains. Shame then that we tend to let no brain people determine shit so often.

Battle weary & marginalised: state housing

Written By: karol
Date published: - 61 comments

The National government is destroying NZ’s state housing system.  Right of tenure removed,  a shift towards private provision of “social housing”,  housing campaigners marginalised, & Tracy Watkins crowing about the shift from the “welfare state”. Greens & Mana are for more state houses.  And Labour? [Update] Picket of (Nat) Party for the Rich Dec 8 Akl. NZH article.

1979: the year that the climate changed for me

Written By: lprent
Date published: - 34 comments

On the site we now have a a simple little graphic that shows how much heat has accumulated on our planet. It is expressed as multiples of of the heat energy of Hiroshima sized A-bombs. I’ve picked 1979 as being the start year because that was the year that I became aware of the effects of changing climate. I was a 19 year old student in my second year of a BSc in Earth Sciences, and the topic under discussion was the WMO’s recent World Climate Conference.

Public transport vs private transport. Don’t waste money on fasttracking motorways

Written By: lprent
Date published: - 99 comments

Ok, I know this image has a lot of issues. It is a 256 color animated gif. Dithered to hell. Bad colour balance, tilt and even a moving focus point. But it certainly makes its point about what kind of road space we’re paying for to inefficiently fill with cars? Have the idiots at NZTA and in this incompetent National government not read their own statistics? Roads aren’t filling up. Public transport does.

Banners on the beach protest today

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 16 comments

Today is a perfect day to head off to a West Coast beach, marvel at what a beautiful country we live in, and protest at those willing to put it all at risk so that they can extract oil that should probably be left in the earth.

NRT: Climate change: The enemy

Written By: notices and features
Date published: - 31 comments

The climate crisis of the 21st century has been caused largely by just 90 companies, which between them produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the dawning of the industrial age, new research suggests.

Greenpeace v Simon Bridges

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 106 comments

The Greenpeace Yacht Vega has set up camp in the area that Andarko wants to drill for deep sea oil.  The recent law changes designed by Simon Bridges was meant to cover all possible loopholes.  But has he left one open?

Oil rigs – coming to a beach near you?

Written By: mickysavage
Date published: - 98 comments

The Government is in the process of handing out oil exploration permits which would if unchanged allow drilling 6 nautical miles out from the west coast beaches of Auckland.  And Auckland Council had the chance to submit on the proposal and did so, in a very gentle way, but forgot to ask the locals including the local board.  There has to be a better way.

Nats’ demolition derby

Written By: karol
Date published: - 107 comments

John Key’s government is going full tilt at dismantling everything of value in NZ, and selling as much as possible to the overseas investors.  It’s the government of Drill It, Mine it, Sell it.  Find out about the asset sales referendum & how to vote.

Groser says govt ministers in denial of reality

Written By: James Henderson
Date published: - 145 comments

3news has shaken out hidden science denialists in National. This follows the disgraceful booing of Russel Norman by National MPs who did not want to hear him ‘inappropriately’ quote a Filipino official attributing the typhoon to climate change at a time apparently meant for empty platitudes. Meanwhile, the Filipino official that Norman was quoting has written to thank him.

Govt responsible for 7 NZ deaths

Written By: Bunji
Date published: - 25 comments

National has agreed to lower the drink drive limit. Over 2 years ago they blocked a Labour amendment to do exactly the same thing. Their dithering has cost 7 New Zealand lives by their own measurements – 7 lives unfulfilled and families faced with unnecessary grief.

While Labour Burns Bright…

Written By: Bill
Date published: - 47 comments

While some hold that the Labour Party conference being held this weekend could mark a watershed in NZ politics, something else that might constitute a somewhat more marked watershed is happening across the Pacific.

Lucy Lawless to Steven Joyce: ‘U killed NZ film industry’

Written By: karol
Date published: - 103 comments

NZ needs government legislation & financial support to maintain local screen productions.  Steven Joyce makes some hollow noises about prioritising NZ-focused productions, while allowing the Auckland industry to decline.  Lucy Lawless blames Joyce for NZ Film tax rebates & prioritising BIG Oil.