ROUGH SAWN

There's been a bit of flak flying over sustainable logging the last couple of days.

Kwila, the Indonesian hardwood is under fire for causing dyslexia a clash with WTO rules if a ban on it's non-sustainable procurement is pursued.

Flash outdoor furniture is often kwila but it seems that nobody can guarantee the validity of sustainable timber sourcing. Not least one particular bastion of sprawled style whose kwila is "sourced from managed forests and TFT-The Forest Trust approved".

TFT no longer exist - having been superseded by TFG. Hardly a call for confidence.

A Christchurch outfit pushes kwila rabidly, as does one Auckland wholesaler.

National Radio aired a diplomacy piece Wednesday morning including an interview with Jim Anderton (6min audio). Not only is the timber produced unsustainably, apparently it's market presence here suppresses local timber prices.

It's the age old question - how much does your supplier know? When you're buying furniture - or any wood for that matter - ask where it came from and how much the supplier knows about how it got to them. For once I agree with Anderton.

There's one good thing from this though. All this talk of outdoor furniture must mean summers coming.

CAKED IN FOUNDATION

Wellington's finest have a new album out October. God knows why I haven't seen this Phoenix Foundation clip before, but it has a quirky little sustainability bent to it.

BEHOLD: THE NIB

Whittakers, our chocolate gurus from up the valley, have come up with the cocoa nib chocolate block.

Blatant endorsement, but sorry, I'm in love. There is no better chocolate.

What they don't do in terms of fair trade certification, Whittakers certainly make up for in variety, openness, and the cocoa nib.

It's a dark little number, not complicated by overt sweetness, and is full of crunchy wee bits of cocoa nib. Damn!

ZEPHYR

Twenty years ago parliament legislated for a nuclear free New Zealand.

This coming week the Peace Foundation (with the help of my employers) present Nuclear Zephyr at Bats.

It's a performance of dance, theatre and music that examines the realities of cross cultural societies. It's a discussion of peace in its cultural, community, moral, and political contexts.

The piece will feature art by Jane Blackmore - recent recipient of the "paint" category at the National Women's Art Exhibition.

Not your standard Bats gig by any stretch (mind you, what is?). Head along - it promises to engage the brain and the conscience.