Green Co-leaders claim ‘Massive Progress’
By Carlton McCoy The Green Party leadership appear again on Q+A after almost eleven months of “massive progress”.
Environment
Government Calls Time on Councils
For far too long many councils have been kicking the can down the road with respect to their three waters infrastructure: Drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. After the disaster at Havelock North, something had to change. The results of the enquiries and consultation are in, with the government announcing a
Crybaby of the Week
Today’s crybaby, after jetting off for an overseas holiday using up who knows how many carbon credits along the way, had the jaw-dropping audacity to complain about plastic bags at Auckland Airport’s duty-free on his return to New Zealand. The use of plastic bags at Auckland Airport’s
The Farce of Reusable Bags
We all know that a fair swag of the Pacific Ocean’s floating plastic waste emanates from Asia including China and India. Their waste plastic is growing unchecked at our expense, as the ramifications of their pollution are being used by politicians to inflict ‘Green’ policies that include banning supermarket
To Lobby or Not to Lobby
By Owen Jennings You either believe in democracy or you don’t. If you do you will accept that lobbying is an essential ingredient in the mix of factors that ensure a robust democracy. It may be that on some issues lobbying is akin to the proverbial “pushing water uphill
Forget the Turtles; Who Will Think of the Lesbian Jockeys?
There is a bloody good reason why we have plastic straws rather than paper straws, but the current ban on plastic straws (AKA turtle snorkels) has led to a situation where an aberration of common sense such as a metal straw has come into existence. When crimes against common sense
The Regional Council Common Sense Award goes to…
Environment Southland who recently voted against declaring a ‘climate emergency’. The only other council to do so in New Zealand so far is Thames-Coromandel. […] It’s a relief to see some common sense after so many councils have jumped on the climate emergency bandwagon. The trend doesn’t seem likely
Are Plastic Bags used in NZ Part of the Problem?
This week, Ruwan, David and Beth discuss the government’s ban on plastic bags. What will the unintended consequences be? What is ACT’s alternative? And Amazon, run by the richest man in the world, is set to film the Lord of the Rings TV show in New Zealand. But
Who Gains from a Plastic-Free Wellington?
Green candidates have said that they want Wellington to become a “plastic-free” city, and like most Green party ideas, it is big on virtue and small on joined together thinking. Retailers are the ones who are going to gain from a so-called plastic-free Wellington. Let’s just look at the
A Little Bit of Justice
As I write this post I am acutely aware of my bias. My view of New Zealand’s justice system is totally skewed by the fact that people with deep pockets were able to drag my better half through the court system for more than 7 long years until he
Killing the Eagles to Save the Planet
James Delingpole has rightly called wind turbines “bat-chomping bird-slicing eco-crucifixes”. The carnage inflicted on bird and especially bat populations by these whirling engines of death is well-documented. The religious fetishism of these droning eyesores is demonstrated by the extraordinary indulgences of the faithful of the Church of Gaia. When a
Plastic Free Glastonbury
With Messiah-like adulation David Attenborough was feted at Glastonbury. Attenborough made a surprise appearance on the Pyramid Stage and the 93-year-old environmentalist thanked the crowd for ditching their plastic water bottles for the event. It appears to have been a monumental fail as the fields of Glastonbury looked a long
