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Environment

Categories under Environment

Climate NGOs on the BlackRock deal

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, August 9th, 2023 - 2 comments

NGO responses to the government’s announcement yesterday of the deal with global investment management firm BlackRock, to fund 100% renewable electricity generation in New Zealand.

National is no nation builder

Written By: - Date published: 8:29 am, August 8th, 2023 - 16 comments

Nation building projects always take multiple terms, and the risk of Labour losing puts at risk some of the largest and most important we’ve seen in generations.

Climate weirding: the climate wild cards

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, August 8th, 2023 - 5 comments

“Unpredictable change is the new status quo”

Tree protection for urban trees to be restored

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 6th, 2023 - 12 comments

The Government is set to overturn the previous National Government’s laws that prevented proper protection of urban trees and which has seen a stampede of urban tree removal.

Climate extremes make NZ’s supply chains highly vulnerable – it’s time to rethink how we grow and ship food

Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, August 5th, 2023 - 32 comments

“It’s clear domestic food supply chains have been increasingly challenged by natural disasters and the ongoing impact of climate change.”

National’s latest policy: MOAR ROADS

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, July 31st, 2023 - 51 comments

National’s latest policy announcement shows that it has an unmistakable fetish for tar seal.

A letter to Chris Hipkins

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, July 30th, 2023 - 31 comments

My 2c on what I think Chris Hipkins needs to do to win this year’s election.

Greens: Labour must deliver on No New Mines

Written By: - Date published: 7:33 pm, July 26th, 2023 - 25 comments

“The Green Party is disappointed tonight that the Government has voted down Eugenie Sage’s members’ bill to stop new mining on conservation land. The time is now for a government that takes conservation seriously.”

Future Green Wins Will Be Hard

Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, July 25th, 2023 - 5 comments

It does not mean they are not worth trying; it means they will be fights against entrenched power.

Year of the Long Grind 2

Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, July 22nd, 2023 - 26 comments

There will be no respite for any of us this year and National has no cure for it.

The very strange election campaign

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, July 8th, 2023 - 86 comments

With 98 days to go despite large parts of the electorate being very grumpy the polls are neck and neck and Labour can still win. This is what they have to do.

New curriculum: science to be taught in the context of the great challenges of our time

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, July 5th, 2023 - 211 comments

“science would be taught through five contexts – the Earth system, biodiversity, food, energy and water, infectious diseases”

Climate: where we are heading

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 28th, 2023 - 35 comments

The United Nations University has released a sixteen minute film featuring world leading climate scientist and carbon budget specialist Professor Kevin Anderson talking about the utter catastrophe we are heading for if we don’t take radical action on climate now.

Don’t Stop

Written By: - Date published: 6:16 am, June 21st, 2023 - 20 comments

“Meanwhile, oil companies are enjoying record profits”

Greenpeace: Climate activist Rosemary Penwarden found guilty but remains undeterred

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 15th, 2023 - 17 comments

“We applaud Rosemary for standing up against big oil and gas.”

You can never have too many Teslas

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, June 14th, 2023 - 96 comments

Over recent periods National has run a very tightly focused campaign against state support for Tesla owners. But news that Christopher Luxon actively sought a Government supplied Tesla when he already owns one suggests that he thinks that the rules should be different for him.

How not to win votes and influence people

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, June 13th, 2023 - 172 comments

Christopher Luxon has gone onto the charm offensive by describing New Zealand as a negative, wet, whiny, inward looking country that has lost the plot.

Luxon, the idiot for whom ignorance is bliss

Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, June 12th, 2023 - 29 comments

Last night I watched Christopher Luxon in a interview with Jack Tame on Q&A from youtube. My takeaway from it was that I don’t want this fool anywhere near actual policy. He exhibited a blissful ignorance about downstream effects of genetic engineering, climate change, and productivity in our economy. Even where I agreed with him like on GE – I didn’t want this idiot implementing policy on it.

National picks a fight over GE

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, June 11th, 2023 - 19 comments

luxon sheep

National continues to appease Federated Farmers and has just announced a policy of easing up of restrictions and safeguards on Genetic Engineering.

The Case for Restoring Regional Rail

Written By: - Date published: 1:49 am, June 6th, 2023 - 53 comments

How does regional rail fit into the biggest story on the planet?

Stop Defending Regional Rail

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, June 5th, 2023 - 51 comments

Regional rail is a perpetual makework gig servicing the wrong economy and just needs to stop.

The real coalition of chaos

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, May 23rd, 2023 - 22 comments

National has hatched on its attack line which we will hear about a lot over the next few months. But it may have a problem. Because the phrase “coalition of chaos” clearly applies to its leadership team. 

Government announces project that will significantly reduce coal consumption

Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, May 22nd, 2023 - 102 comments

The Government has done a deal with the owners of New Zealand Steel that will see the company replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace and will significantly reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Our heat battery in the oceans

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, May 19th, 2023 - 28 comments

Almost all of the extra heat that humans have captured by adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere over the last few centuries has wound up warming the deep oceans. We’re now starting to feel the effects of that excess heat.

What Do The Maori Party Want Anyway?

Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, May 12th, 2023 - 174 comments

Since they’re touted as 2023’s electoral ‘Kingmakers’, it’s time to understand what the Maori Party really want.

Fuel efficient cars and National’s tacky little culture war

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, May 3rd, 2023 - 36 comments

Recent days have provided a further example of why Aotearoa’s response to climate change has been compromised by politics.

Debate of the Day: should farms be regulated to centre climate action and nature?

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, April 24th, 2023 - 44 comments

In election year, National’s farming regulations bonfire flies in the face of climate action and ecological restoration.

Extinction Rebellion: The Big One

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, April 17th, 2023 - 6 comments

XR are back. New strategy, same smart and bold action.

Three Waters becomes Affordable Water

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, April 14th, 2023 - 72 comments

Three Waters mark two has been announced.  And Kieran McAnulty has given a text book example of clarity in political speak when making the announcement.

Greens: Three waters rebrand insufficient

Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, April 14th, 2023 - 24 comments

Today the Government adopted a long held Green Party position to increase the number of water entities to ensure a closer connection with communities they serve. However, despite the rebrand, significant concerns remain.

Labour’s new water infrastructure policy

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, April 13th, 2023 - 42 comments

We’ve listened to the feedback from Local Government and today we’re announcing our new regionally-led plan to guarantee New Zealanders affordable water, for generations to come. – Labour