Our Far South – The issues

The objective of this project is to raise New Zealanders’ awareness of the importance of the area between Foveaux Strait and the South Pole, to highlight the reasons why it is of such value and to outline the threats and … Read More

NZ Greenhouse Gas Emissions Hit Record Levels

Geoff SimmonsUncategorized

Over the weekend the Government released the latest greenhouse gas emissions figures, which show our emissions are at record levels. This is mostly thanks to more cars, more cows, more fertilizer, and fewer trees. We have committed to reduce emissions, … Read More

Key boasts while our emissions credibility burns

Gareth MorganEnvironment

John Key has responded to more than 35,000 climate action marchers by smugly claiming that because 80 per cent of our electricity comes from renewable sources, we’re respectable. Such a boast is irrelevant to the task at hand – reducing … Read More

Heads in the sand as the sea rises

Geoff SimmonsEnvironment

Today the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, fronted up to the finance select committee to talk about the financial and economic risks of climate change, particularly sea level rise. International banks, insurers and investors have well and truly … Read More

Why we are Global Warming Criminals

Geoff SimmonsEnvironment

Given the natural assets we have – a small population with plenty of natural resources at our disposal, and plenty of scope for renewable energy – New Zealand should really be doing better at dealing with climate change. Instead we … Read More

The year in review – Whiteboard Friday

Geoff SimmonsUncategorized

Geoff takes a look at the most popular topics we have dealt with over the last year. Featured topics include, Climate change, TTPA, UBI and the flag. Thanks for joining in the conversations, liking and sharing. See you next year. … Read More

What could we do to reduce emissions?

Gareth MorganEnvironment

With the Paris conference coming up, Gareth is doing a series of Whiteboard Fridays on climate change. We’ve looked at the latest evidence on sea level rise, and how New Zealand’s targets fall short of what is needed to avoid “dangerous” warming, and how … Read More

Where is the Plan to Reduce Emissions?

Gareth MorganEnvironment

With the Paris conference coming up, Gareth is doing a series of Whiteboard Fridays on climate change. We’ve looked at the latest evidence on sea level rise, and how New Zealand’s targets fall short of what is needed to avoid “dangerous” warming. This week Gareth … Read More

Changing Times in Frozen South

Gareth MorganEnvironment

The biology of our far south – the southern ocean, the sub-Antarctic islands, and that slice of Antarctica known as the Ross Protectorate – is changing. On our sub-Antarctic islands, populations of rockhopper penguins are down by 94 per cent, … Read More

Environmental impacts of farming need fresh thinking

Geoff SimmonsEnvironment

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s latest report is as enlightening and robust as ever, as we discussed yesterday. However, in some respects the report is a missed opportunity, mainly because of the Commissioner’s approach of producing stand-alone reports on … Read More