tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219508052011-09-29T05:23:48.309+13:00This was once a one-stop-shop for a Kiwi flavoured look at the broad concept of sustainability. It was also a place for pre-launch updates on ShoppingFix - a cool sustainable shopping initiative that crashed and burned in Wellington, New Zealandmikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.comBlogger1651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-28135007573725259122007-09-14T19:20:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.489+13:00

Things are mighty busy right now. So much so that ShoppingFix has taken a back seat.We've hit the pause button so I'll post here on a less regualr basis. In the mean time there are several events to look out for.1. Council elections - Wellington's carbon neutral aspirations will be fleshed out when post election committees are established in November. ShoppingFix is on the story board.2. Carbon

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-79937573628305644462007-09-13T23:06:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.634+13:00

I read this article in the Guardian Weekly on the bus home tonight.In it is a truly amazing stat. No, not that China builds two coal fired power plants a week; but that Drax, the huge Yorkshire coal fired plant, produces more CO2 than 103 other nations combined.Someone else in the authors office essentially asked the same question today: can each of our recycling and energy saving measures really

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-8918095009323694562007-08-23T21:28:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.710+13:00

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

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1502056019026990012007-08-13T23:27:00.000+12:002007-08-13T23:36:21.021+12:00

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.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-46064967806802995312007-08-09T21:51:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.835+13:00

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

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-72043242121295201252007-08-04T13:28:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.924+13:00

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

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-37672735339844094592007-07-31T21:53:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:21.943+13:00

Marjorie was the all knowing trash heap in Fraggle Rock.Wellington City Council's landfill manager took National Radio's Our Changing World on a tour last week. The city's trash heap made for fascinating radio (13 min audio).The great home recycling habit of Wellingtonians is discussed in contrast to what we get up to at work. "Places of work constitute 80% of [the] waste" supply. Most is

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-23826364359525531472007-07-29T17:18:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.107+13:00

It was my birthday last week. My folks always send me a card with a thoughtful message of optimism for the coming year.This year the message also alerted me to one on the back...My card was tree-free paper derived from the kenaf plant. It "grows 15 feet in just five months, uses no harmful chemicals in processing and is fully recyclable."Tree Free Greetings of Canada made my card. Yep, my kenaf's

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-25721969791395309312007-07-24T22:11:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.263+13:00

Last week the green light was given to start production on the $100 Laptop. It's a fascinating non profit project with the aim of enabling learning in developing countries.It's been a contentious path. The concept came out of MIT's Media Lab and was quickly rubbished by Gates et.al.The laptop was actively opposed by Intel who came up with their own version. It threatened to get nasty until they

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-40767582436648047462007-07-19T18:36:00.000+12:002007-07-19T19:25:00.836+12:00

Vanuatu to IcelandA year ago this week I mentioned that Vanuatu was the happiest place on earth. This year the New Economics Foundation have released a European Happy Planet Index. Iceland are on top (c/o The Guardian). "[H]appiness doesn't have to cost the earth."Consumer MushI've been banging on about the growing ethical consumer market for a while now (1,2,3). It's been mostly Kiwi and UK

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-5210035974891555422007-07-10T22:47:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.418+13:00

Eats, shits, and leaves them at the landfill. And that's a good thing according to Kimberley-Clark.If it means that your company sells more disposable nappies then of course it's a good thing.The strange press release claims research has "found that the impact of burying disposable nappies in landfill sites was matched by the energy consumed and greenhouse gases generated by washing reusables or

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-34498783431424238192007-07-04T17:55:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.540+13:00

In April I posted about New Zealand's "first wave" of liberation from the plastic bag. Since then you'll have heard that a bunch of supermarkets are ditching the bag.A problem remains though - what happens your mountain of non-recyclable shopping bags. Step up makezine.com who ripped an oldish idea from this great little blog. Make your own messenger bag!Plans and instruction here (1,600kb pdf).

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1538882004339041952007-06-27T22:07:00.001+12:002009-01-27T21:28:40.115+13:00

Jim Small of organic yogurt outfit Cyclops has pretty much single handedly grabbed the recycling industry by the short and curlies.No small number of intelligent yogurt munchers have coerced all five Auckland councils collect "5" or "PP" plastic with curbside recycling.Cyclops have now teamed up with Commonsense Organics to spread the recycling love to Wellington.Here in Wellie all you need to do

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-46656782629118595312007-06-24T22:00:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.673+13:00

...more fossil fuel than the US. Now their co2 emissions are the largest of any country on the planet.At the start of June China announced their first climate policy. They did of course warn that "developed powers bear the most blame for the climate crisis" and it won't "sacrifice economic growth".China's relentlessly strong economic growth is of course fuelled by coal, and to a lesser extent by

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-15768107527992926272007-06-18T22:53:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.790+13:00

On Thursday we see the shortest day. In the north of course it's longest day. This years solstice also heralds half time for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).In 2000 the UN agreed that a range of sustainable development goals would be reached by 2015. Areas like health, education, and the environment were targeted for improvement.Are we on track? The odds are very long indeed according to

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-16903501095485888632007-06-16T19:06:00.000+12:002007-06-16T19:15:44.920+12:00

These guys pricked my attention because they appeared (apparently) on a Spike Milligan show in the 60's.Spike was politically correct long before PC-ness eroded the foundations of British humour. You can almost sense a bit of Milligan in this clip...

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-27574869096167231532007-06-16T18:22:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:22.980+13:00

Consumerism run amok hasn't graced the ShoppingFix screen in a while. And this one probably deserves different treatment.Paul McCartney has done so much for music that according to Toronto's NOW Magazine, "whether the music is exciting or relevant to anyone but himself probably isn't a big concern". 41 albums (not incl. Beatles) is enough to make anyone tired.This one star review is here for a

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-71077977132485619082007-06-14T21:59:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.077+13:00

Last month the Times (UK) went all OTT on the whole carbon footprint thing by pushing a low carbon diet.Our own MoT have come up with something similar in urging better driving practices, but The Times are relentless. They've even produced a carbon diet master plan (210kb pdf). There's some pretty useful facts and figures - for instance the average Brit spits out 10 tonnes of co2 p.a.If you're

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-75665603723579811372007-06-08T13:07:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.225+13:00

Following up on Sundays "...carbon ...breath" post, the Wellington City Council last night agreed to "recommendations that will see the Council and the city embark on a path to carbon neutrality."Over at WellUrban there's a little pre decision context for the Councils' aspiration - including a call "not to be too cynical". Yesterday however, the contents of my mailbox introduced a little cynicism

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-2462900560535734372007-06-07T23:00:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.529+13:00

A fairly tenuous link to sustainability here. But how's this: sustainable communities are happy ones and in South America football and happiness walk hand in hand.So when the exceptionally rational folk around the FIFA board table decided football at altitude is unhealthy, Andean happiness was at stake. Bolivia's populist President Morales has vowed to fight the FIFA ban that's been slapped on

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-89982855390026051702007-06-03T13:44:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.662+13:00

It's hardly the Oxford Union Debate, but Wellington City Council will on Thursday discuss whether they'll aspire to be carbon free.Although it's merely an aspiration, if set it'll place our fair city on a path that brings carbon accountability into all WCC policy. Although council emissions increased more than 8% in the three years to 2006, they've some handy emission reduction initiatives.Kai to

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-36519669855356682032007-06-03T13:22:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.803+13:00

Many who peddle electronics have cleaned up their act. Still, many technology companies have been accused of greenwashing.Saturdays DomPost has a handy green electronics article strangely positioned within the indungence supplement (not online). The article refers to the March review of consumer electronics undertaken by Greenpeace.Little known Lenovo rank 1 and good old Apple have dug in at last

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-82340091052684106802007-05-28T23:07:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:23.965+13:00

Yesterday it was Rachel Carson's 100th birthday. Although she died in the early 60's she's often credited with creating and inspiring the modern environmental movement.That is of course a very eurocentric way of looking at "the environment", but Carson's writing emphasised that our urban biased "command and control" attitude towards nature had us up to our elbows in the proverbial.Silent Spring

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-43590822231981491562007-05-20T22:03:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:24.124+13:00

I'm wearing the most comfortable shoes in the world. No, really. They're seriously comfy.What I'm about to spell out is a seriously conscious but totally plausible degree of consumer information. This is what we as intelligent consumers should be able to find here in New Zealand.In probably my most explicit carbon sin I tend to buy shoes from REI in the States - maybe once a year. They're air

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-32219189857195442682007-05-17T15:46:00.000+12:002007-05-18T20:59:36.874+12:00

My buddy Dion and a few of his crew are putting together a doco about the demise of rail travel in our beloved Aotearoa.He put out a recent call for "art patrons" to get "Maintrunk Country Road Song" produced with the following teaser:This promises to be train spotting de-freaked (with just enough geek to keep you in your seat). It will no doubt cover many of the issues raised when closure of the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-6306738778909845772007-05-16T21:28:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:24.239+13:00

In what looms as a potentially catastrophic trend in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Jessica Simpson has revealed that she's lactose intolerant.With millions of teenage morons ready to take the bait, methane emissions from dairy cows are set to trigger a wave of pro-flatulence faux-cool. "Smell that...? ...cappuccino."Climate scientists have identified a number of potential positive climate

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-36336312378579551122007-05-13T20:20:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:24.402+13:00

Following Zimbabwe's election to head up the top UN environment agency this morning, their ambassador asked "what has sustainable development to do with human rights?".A good question. If you have no idea about either. And the Mugabe regime clearly hasn't.Sadly the question was rhetorical and in blunt defiance of the widespread criticism that followed the blatantly absurd appointment. Apparently

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-9329220352571457722007-05-10T21:53:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:24.600+13:00

2.51 million flights are scheduled to depart worldwide this month, and the New Zealand Herald reports that "binge flying [is] killing the planet".As the IPCC assessments have shown, we're far from immune from the impacts of climate change in NZ. The impact is of course partly economic. Our biggest tourism market has the yips: 18% of Aussies are considering not flying. Ever.The Listener covered

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-4589970233982524162007-05-05T17:28:00.000+12:002007-05-05T17:39:55.575+12:00

Greenpeace don't like the Genesis energy ads on the telly. Nor do I. Genesis are a key reason why the present government has had no success in even levelling GHG emissions. So bring on a spoof of the TV ads...It's not overly clever, but highlights a classic piece of greenwashing. Check the Clean Energy Guide link over on the right hand panel. If you're currently with them, break up with Genesis

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-17259921927063432312007-04-30T21:53:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:24.737+13:00

Fair Trade fortnight kicked off on Saturday. It literally kicks off this coming Saturday avo with Fair Trade football at Wellington's Waitangi Park.Before then it literally flies. On Thursday night you can head up to the St John's church hall (Dixon/Willis) and buzz about the room with the aid of the worlds most popular performance enhancing substance.Yep, from 630-8 it's as close to an open bar

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-62933688696718393962007-04-21T12:44:00.000+12:002007-04-21T13:13:40.182+12:00

You'll find regular pieces Consumerism Run Amok and Saturday Sensitivity here at ShoppingFix. Amok covers amusingly reviewed crap music. Sensitivity is a vid series where people express themselves and/or issues.I was watching Scratch again the other day. DJ Shadow explaining digging made it clear to me that the hip hop DJ relies on "discarded" albums. The "quest for beats" is indeed dependant on

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-18415324181801105002007-04-19T19:11:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.121+13:00

I've echoed global and Kiwi business calls for a price on carbon before. Pricing carbon is a key means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As businesses strive for cost efficiency, there is direct incentive for them to address carbon efficiency and thereby lower emissions.In New Zealand a big reason for pricing carbon is to provide investment certainty. The situation has been clouded ever since

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-74403885293247437482007-04-18T17:16:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.159+13:00

Over the last few weeks a mass of mainstream magazines have offered their take on all things green.We talked about the Fortune Magazine feature a few posts ago. It contains a series of inspirational articles that should get anyone involved in any kind of business salivating.The flagstaffs of style at Vanity Fair have flown a different colour with a green issue too (h'tip frogblog). For the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-10800376386823822572007-04-12T17:56:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.292+13:00

"Vast forests... sold for a few bags of sugar." Ring a bell?The new rumble in the jungle sees swathes of Congolese forest exchanged for a pittance. In one 2005 deal a logging company promised to build community buildings and "said it would give the chief 20 sacks of sugar, 200 bags of salt, some machetes and a few hoes."The revelation will be formally announced today (audio) following a two year

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-20418783554134348742007-04-11T20:05:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.431+13:00

Yesterday busways, and then today there's this, 40km's of extra bus lanes in Wellington.If you live on a bus route in Kilbirnie, Hataitai, Island Bay, Brooklyn, or Karori you may just get the perfect excuse to arrive late and leave early from work.Then again, your next best late excuse may about to dry up. Literally. The Bodge is for sale (h'tip Wellingtonista). Bodega is one of the more worthy

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-48340018819526883102007-04-10T08:00:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.590+13:00

I'm not going to wade into an argument that I know relatively little about, but...The above image is from an Economist article that hails the success of Jakarta's busway. A dedicated transit route for busses. Like the one they're building on the North Shore.I'm intrigued by how bad the graph shows taxis are in terms of emissions per kilometer. I'm guessing that they tend to sit around idling a

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-3111186929812017552007-04-05T11:59:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.785+13:00

The 2007 Get Sustainable Challenge is underway.Know of a business who wants recognition for their sustainability work, or one that would like to start making changes? Email them this link (icon in the post footer).It's a national program but run initially in regional mini challenges. It's a great way to galvanise business sustainability thinking.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-67059637175140200592007-04-05T11:44:00.000+12:002007-04-05T12:10:15.617+12:00

David Lynch of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr, etc fame makes great movies. He doesn't like corporate hook-ups (hat tip The Piton):The way I see it product placement is inevitable. But David Lynch is right. It bites. It not only has potential to subvert viewers soft opinions (eg. product preference), but also has the potential to subvert the film makers message.On the other hand where

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-54604154442007406352007-04-02T15:34:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:25.885+13:00

A bunch of Kiwi retailers have announced that for them plastic shopping bags will become a thing of the past.Bunnings gave away 3.5 million of them last year. By the end of this year there will be none in store. The Retailers Association have got on board - but their effort is limited to endorsing actions of retailers adhering to reductions "suggested" by the rather toothless Packaging Accord.For

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-14338767405596335512007-03-31T18:16:00.000+12:002007-03-31T18:21:41.656+12:00

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-66889172243922292292007-03-28T08:33:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:26.000+13:00

...being a gear tester for Patagonia. I've mentioned them before (here and here) and I'm gonna do it again.Last week Fortune Magazine wrote of Patagonia's "Blueprint for green business" (hat tip The Piton). It's an easily digestible and thoroughly inspiring wrap-up of much that's in Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard's brilliant book "Let my people go surfing".In the same Fortune edition there's a

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-9687635043950818692007-03-23T16:03:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:26.264+13:00

Of late there's been significant carbon disclosure announcements from Britain. Last year the Tesco CEO announced significant investment into "a revolution in green consumption".The British staple that is Walkers cheese and onion crisps now has carbon footprint labeling (hat tip Celsias). US footwear maker Timberland have a footprint disclosure in each shoe box.Giving customers the information

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-54688068954224080272007-03-21T09:18:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:26.527+13:00

On Monday Wellington was confirmed as host for a New Zealand franchise in the A-League football competition. Terry Serepisos fronted up with NZ$1.2m at the last minute recognising that he will "lose some money in the first year".The Herald quotes Serepisos: "[m]ost of this is coming from the heart... [a]nd it's for the children of New Zealand, because I think if the A-League wasn't in place it

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-38063156647823601532007-03-20T17:38:00.000+12:002008-12-09T22:51:26.618+13:00

Electronic goods are some of the heaviest resource wasters in the consumer market. About time someone gave the industry a slap.It just so happens that the largest industry player have slapped themselves. From 2008 Wal-Mart "will ask electronics suppliers to fill out a scorecard that will assess the sustainability of their product". Nice work - for US consumers at least.When the time comes to

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-59712730309613001772007-03-17T13:43:00.000+13:002007-03-19T12:17:17.565+12:00

The weather's rubbish outside. But surely not as bad as some have it. Just ask the the Four Yorkshiremen. Our Saturday Sensitivity series continues:

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-42162311604047294472007-03-15T17:56:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:26.720+13:00

Costa Rica is drafting plans to become carbon neutral. Not that the boss said New Zealand would do it first, but it does steal her thunder a little. Other nations are neutral - but they're not the most productive contenders.Comparing NZ and Costa Rican potential for carbon neutrality initially seems like comparing apples with underpants.But we do have similar populations, a similar proportion of

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-63954261005172370442007-03-15T08:44:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:26.824+13:00

Getting ahead in the motoring emissions game will often get people thinking hybrid cars.For one chap up Kapiti Coast the lure of a $5,000 hybrid had him salivating. Until he was warned of 1st generation hybrids that can cost as much to repair as they cost to buy. His decision to switch from rail to road was based on the shitty Paraparaumu train service.And of course Auckland have seen a boost to

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-43555042418548578822007-03-14T21:39:00.000+13:002007-03-20T17:07:20.762+12:00

This is no piss-take of the Kiwi accent. It's a practical environmental message with yoof in mind.It's seriously good. Eric Prydz doesn't really do it for me, but the theme and the delivery are superb. I've certainly seen one of the brick tricks before - but the first one here was new to me!

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-54202010207513629522007-03-13T09:57:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:26.962+13:00

Container deposit legislation (CDL) has hit the headlines again. I've posted about it reasonably frequently - most recently in December when I highlighted the Great NZ Bottle Drive campaign.The Packaging Council have replied to the latest CDL push - citing their own research findings that CDL would cost up to $121m p.a. They state that this cost far outweighs the cost to councils for kerbside

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-20149909785732694492007-03-09T08:57:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:27.263+13:00

As our Kiwi summer thinks of drawing to a close those northern monkeys are preparing for another scorcher. And naturally, it's the season of music festivals.Imagine taking the bare essentials and flying from London to Valencia (offset and during daytime of course), hopping on a ecofuel shuttle to nearby Bennicassim festival, lapping up four days of the Animal Collective, Peter Bjorn & John (etc

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-51688677591140739362007-03-07T08:07:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:27.379+13:00

ORION THE GATHERERA browse through Orion Magazine is hugely rewarding this month. Continuing with my (increasingly unhealthy) "numbers" tendency is an interview and extra with US photographer Chris Jordan.Jordan currently has a brilliant exhibition (click thru to Running the Numbers) highlighting "contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics". His approach is somewhat

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-16010067088643805332007-03-05T11:27:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:27.613+13:00

SAFETY IN NUMBERSA new wad of research has hit the headlines illuminating the strength of public opinion toward sustainable shopping.New Zealand has traditionally lagged the key Western European and North American ethical consumer markets, but we're not too far behind.Moxie Design has released updated findings (86kb pdf) in their Solution Seekers research. The Kiwi ethical consumer market has

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-70044183760596791062007-02-28T12:55:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:27.759+13:00

A BEAN TO PICKThe Amazon is as delicate as it is vital to the health of the planet. Now that valuing the services provided by nature has hit a chord with mainstream media, the catholic church in Brazil have chimed in with their two cents worth.I've spent some time in Brazil. One of the many fascinations I had was the Brazilian flag. A starry southern sky emblazoned with "order and progress". Like

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-6874643915609694022007-02-23T12:58:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:27.909+13:00

MILE HIGH CLUBFlying is singled out as one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. So it may alarm some to read that there's a new domestic airline rumoured to be setting up using Origin Pacific infrastructure in Nelson.Others will insist (and I would agree) that increased competition for the near monopolistic Air New Zealand is a good thing. The venture is reportedly being

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-78220572754427792542007-02-21T08:03:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:28.011+13:00

ENDURANCE RACE ALTERED FOR ZIMMER FRAMESI can see the story now; "the 2008 Coast to Coast course will be radically re-designed to improve accessibility." It's not out of the question if yesterdays report is escalated.The Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand have quite rightly pointed out that DoC is "attempting to make the mountains safe instead of encouraging people to make decisions." DoC

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-2389268350337446922007-02-19T07:43:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:28.168+13:00

CULTUREDHealthy communities sustain a diversity of culture. I realised this morning that my community grounding has been unhealthy of late - until this weekend that is. Being hard up and house bound can be a perpetuating abyss so thank god two events spurred me to lap up some culture. The Fringe festival and the opening of The New Dowse gallery in Lower Hutt.First, Friday, as part of the Fringe,

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-52710273096253135072007-02-18T17:55:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:28.403+13:00

GIN IN A SLING"Of course they've brought forth juniper berries! They're juniper bushes! What do you expect?" But maybe the British can't expect for much longer.This line is from a wonderful scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian where Brian is pursued by a maniacal band of worshipers. Hungry, they think Brian has given them a miracle of food. But he's turned the horde to a juniper bush owned by

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-81065546727734831562007-02-16T12:22:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:28.613+13:00

HERE WE GO AGAIN...Al Gore and the bloke who put together Live8 have come up with a series of "Live Earth" concerts to be held on the 7th of July.Because we're daft and inclined to forget dates, there will be 7 concerts on 7 continents on 7.7.07. It's pitched as Save Our Selves. "SOS is designed to trigger a global movement to combat our climate crisis".Now awareness raising is one thing, but

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-18703031832570847682007-02-15T08:31:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:28.685+13:00

MATCH MADE IN HEAVENWith all this biofuel talk the last few days, and my penchant for banging on about beer, I couldn't miss this chance: a US microbrewery is partnering a biofuel company to make biofuel from algae.Helen wants to see 3.4% of all vehicle fuel pumped in New Zealand to be biofuel. And those with their ear to the ground will of course know that Aquaflow (of Marlborough, and mentioned

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-49216111402595315752007-02-13T07:43:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:29.060+13:00

CONSUMERISM RUN AMOK - JACK IT INContinuing the amok series is Slant magazine's one star review of Tenacious D's movie soundtrack The Pick of Destiny.Don't get me wrong. Although this is crap, Jack Black is a clever chap. High Fidelity is one of my fave films and on the D debut album Black came up with the epitome of musical efficiency. Although inward singing hasn't taken off it held the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-75188222135358533192007-02-11T22:26:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:29.207+13:00

MONEY THAT GROWS ON TREES!Last week a British ethical investment fund outperformed "the market" for the first time. And easily.The Co-operative Bank is a UK ethical banking stalwart. They're customer owned - like PSIS. One of their funds has taken top spot in the UK All Companies sector - outperforming the sector and also the FTSE by more than 100%, and clocking a three year return of 88.6%.Not

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-71831657500399551722007-02-07T23:17:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:29.477+13:00

SELL SELL SELL!The 4th assessment report (pdf) from the IPCC commenced it's roll out on Friday. You know the one. The one that gave the paper reason to use "global warning - violent storms, floods - tropical diseases spreading - water running out" as a headline.And you know the Dom. The outfit that in 2005 placed a front page pic with high tide half way up the hill behind Oriental Parade. 'Cos

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-80001172404431602502007-02-02T17:35:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:29.560+13:00

THE GUITAR GOES VIRTUALMany rightly insist that the natural habitat for sitka spruce is SE Alaska and Canada, muso's say it's as the top of acoustic guitars, others insist it's home is in Asian houses. Wherever it is, a key component of great guitars is at risk.If over cutting continues we'll have to satisfy ourselves with second rate sad-sap casino-circuit guitarists with a penchant for

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-31952775320083128642007-02-01T10:46:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:29.667+13:00

THE GREAT GLOBAL GREEN GOODS HUNTYesterday the Greens put out a statement that mirrors at least two of my previous posts.Many of our export consumer markets are a hell of a lot more aware of the potential environmental impact of consumer goods than we are here. The food miles debate is evidence of that.Nevertheless, Kiwi consumers are increasingly seeking goods that reflect a greater awareness of

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-75123690360554602842007-01-27T11:56:00.000+13:002007-03-21T11:03:56.743+12:00

SATURDAY SENSITIVITY - WANT MOERS?More Saturday Sensitivity - and if you speak German you're in luck. If not there's still a laugh or two in this. The title translates roughly to "the truth about Adolf Hitler's last days in the bunker". It's great for the visuals and the tune alone.It's a Walter Moers' parody of the German film Der Untergang. I can't for the life of me find a translation so maybe

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-30847949681191809492007-01-27T11:05:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.038+13:00

EARTH NEWS DUMPCrikey... got to stop... got to take a breath... The ante has been upped and green stuff is all over the media. Here we go:1. Hamilton lad rears a mutant frog - Hamilton and Springfield are oft compared (ahem...).2. Kapiti council to use glass as roading basecoarse - for a backgrounder see my December post on the issue.3. Auckland recycling co. now accepts most plastics -

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-9993732876100075982007-01-25T20:57:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.151+13:00

BEATING AROUND THE BUSHHe's been doing it since parking his arse at the Whitehouse in 2001. He did it again on Wednesday. George Bush's more subdued "state of the nation" address talked of his "new strategy in Iraq" and referred to Iran as having a "regime" rather than a government.Although Bush still relies on technology fixes for the environment - clean coal being specifically mentioned - there

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-50084621943168711322007-01-25T14:05:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.279+13:00

WHAT'S FOR DINNER?Too much kai-moana if you go by reports in yesterdays main daily newspapers. Paua, pipi, and crayfish stocks are being hammered by overfishing - and action is being taken.The DomPost has reported that lower North Island crayfish stocks have diminished to a level where commercial fishing quota holders are contemplating a 44% reduction in annual harvest.Further north, the Herald

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1457471688762921692007-01-23T19:02:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.434+13:00

DEREK TROTTER WAS AN INTELLIGENT MANSo intelligent in fact that British scientists are developing a test to determine whether bottled water is sourced from where it claims to be. Better late than never.An episode of Only Fools and Horses screened in 1992 depicting a classic Delboy Trotter scam. Del, Rodney, and Gradad bottled and sold water sourced in their kitchen as "Peckham Spring" water.That

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-12404428732010857522007-01-23T18:58:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.575+13:00

UPDATE - GETTING FIXED & GETTING ABOUTAbout time you had the good oil on where we're at with ShoppingFix, and also, what's where and why on this here page.First some directions:You'll notice a few new(ish) features if when scrolling down the right. The old favourites (literally) are there for your entertainment and for fixing your footprint.Regular 'fix kicks is where you can quickly get to the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-29776406230916501362007-01-18T23:00:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.754+13:00

LAND BANKLast week a British conservation charity announced the purchase of 3,600 ha. of land in the Pantanal - the planets largest wetland that spans Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay.I spent three weeks in late 2001 visiting a friend living in Bonito, Brazil - bordering the Pantanal. It's a spectacularly clean, bountiful, and serene place. The photo (left, from flickr) could easily be one of the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-40197444503848164042007-01-15T17:32:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:30.889+13:00

VIRGINRichard Branson - the Knight of "sex sells" - is on deck at the moment. Reports from his meeting today with Climate Change Minister David Parker will be interesting. Stay tuned.It turns out that Parker was in touch following Branson's announcement last year that he'd throw 1.6bn quid at renewable fuels. And why not stick your hand out when there's product development to be paid for.Parker

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-13953171075232472522007-01-13T16:49:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:16:18.068+13:00

MINT SAUCE ANYONE?Why did I not know about this earlier? In the best traditions of Bad Taste we have a new lo-budget splatter film on it's way. Black Sheep comes home in March.The synopsis is something like "10 sheep for every citizen - what if they all went maaaaaaad....?" There seems to be strong reference to genetic engineering and the multiple purposes to which you can put mint sauce. Dunno

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-72764983724277307712007-01-13T15:17:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:16:34.357+13:00

CURRENCYIt's the new year and a lot of folks have been busy over the last little while. Here's a snapshot to get you current:US Bi/Tri-Partisan Climate Initiative: Senators Obama, McCain, and Lieberman proposed a bill yesterday that aims to cut US GHG emissions by 2% p.a. Hat tip Gristmill.Keepin' Wellie Pumped: Wellie Tourism launched the Texture website last month to "hook you up with the best

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-27433634366116997562007-01-13T14:29:00.000+13:002007-03-17T13:29:42.299+13:00

SATURDAY SENSITIVITY - AFRICAN MELODYNext in the ongoing Saturday Sensitivity series is Harry Belafonte. This is probably my favourite Muppets piece that doesn't involve Raquel Welch. It's mainstream magical and quite possibly the epitome of sensitivity.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-70531064842311703832007-01-11T17:34:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.027+13:00

CONSUMERISM RUN AMOK - CLAY OF AIKENHere's another regular(ish) piece that falls on the lighter side of sustainability. Consumerism Run Amok is dedicated to the humour of mediocrity in the music industry.Consumerism Run Amok has emerged from my boredom (as a music lover) with reading three star music reviews. Why should we be interested that another ordinary music release has hit the shelves?

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-40439243588334969782007-01-10T09:00:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.167+13:00

PAINT BY NUMBERSI'm partial to banging on about numbers. The business case for engaging with sustainability principles is a case in point.One good thing about numbers is that they often allow the painting of a simple picture of complex issues.The argument surrounding binding environmental targets is for me a clear indicator of where numbers prove practical.The Kyoto Protocol binds ratifying

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-22371628991969988162006-12-22T11:20:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.310+13:00

BLISSThe end of another year. Successful for me in strange ways, and frustrating in many others. A lot to do in 2007 - we gotta get some ShoppingFix on yo' ass.In the mean time go find a beach. Happy holidays and merry Christmas. See you in January.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-71949344705569225722006-12-17T16:21:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.396+13:00

FOOD FOR THOUGHT"A price on carbon!" screams big business. Emissions targets for the aviation industry say many in Europe.Now a British commentator calls for a carbon charge on food production. It's primarily a suggestion to seek control over how the big food corporates conduct business. It's a cry for local production and against the damage caused by industrial food monocultures.The largest of

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-66130873224519811322006-12-14T21:39:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.562+13:00

THIRSTY WORKSummer is a great time to be in or near water but apparently it's becoming scarce. Or is it?Last summer my kayak club crew couldn't find much to paddle on, yet the groundsman at the Basin would have been shitting himself a few weeks ago trying to prepare a wicket for tomorrow's cricket test.Kapiti Coast is as dry as the proverbial in the height of summer, Canterbury has it's well

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-70638010758277434872006-12-12T17:27:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.673+13:00

FAKE PLASTIC TREESChristmas is the time to be unbelievably wasteful. And just like fake plastic trees wear Radiohead out, Christmas is accelerating the wearing out of our planet.The fake plastic tree vs "real" tree argument has been well publicised over the years. In co2 terms it's better to go real. Which makes right now a very edgy time for young evergreens. Why not buy a living tree and plant

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-40195601767764995402006-12-09T19:02:00.000+13:002007-03-17T13:31:31.363+13:00

SATURDAY SENSITIVITY - CHEESYOur Saturday Sensitivity series continues. Here's race, religion, the dairy industry... a superb scene from The Life of Brian.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-42951854564842570802006-12-08T18:03:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.792+13:00

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLEThere are empty bottles strewn everywhere. So the Greens and the NZBCSC have kicked up a stink about how tough it is for roading contractors to include recycled glass in road aggregate.It’s the latest spat in trying to find a solution to the glass mountain that I’ve posted about previously. Just last month a beverage industry spokesperson scorned calls for introduction of a

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-28803201210777355452006-12-08T14:50:00.000+13:002007-03-21T11:10:04.636+12:00

GREEN GOLDFurther to posts back in June and September, Graeme Hart has completed the sale of the majority of his Rank Group forestry. According to the new owners the forests are "likely to be replanted when harvested".Some central North Island towns had been feeling a little uneasy about the deal - their economies relying substantially on forestry employment. Replanting will likely mean ongoing

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-87120888078299516492006-12-05T10:49:00.000+13:002008-12-09T22:51:31.888+13:00

WE BUILT THIS CITYWellington isn't only built on rock and roll, it's contained by its valleys. The Hutt was built on the quarter acre, and Auckland was built around the motorway.Tom over at WellUrban has highlighted a problem with the amusing Hutt Valley advertising campaign. Like in the movie End of Suburbia, the Hutt is founded on the car and cheap oil. There's also some interesting commentary

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-26118120392332308462006-12-05T00:17:00.001+13:002009-01-27T22:58:39.446+13:00

TO JB OR NOT JBI spent the weekend on the south Wairarapa coast with a bunch of friends. On Sunday we came across a dead sperm whale washed up at Whatarangi."JB" had been there before us. JB, whoever she or he may be, had seen fit to carve those initials in the thick sunbaked skin of the dead mammal. You may be able to make it out at the bottom of the photo (courtesy Dion Howard, photographer

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-52727873958476106552006-11-29T21:17:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:23:32.567+13:00

GREENING OF THE KEY (2.0)Update: National party leader John Key - our Once-ler of today's earlier post - spoke again this morning. This time in Queenstown.On the environmental policy front Key advocated looking to Australia and their investigations into the viability of a carbon market. The Greens have been hasty in dissing Keys intentions - saying that the Oz system will not incorporate a cap on

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-15067384416725598642006-11-29T09:43:00.001+13:002009-01-27T23:05:59.101+13:00

GREENING OF THE KEYWellingtons "Greening of the Quays" project is designed to lift the appearance of a dull concrete barrier between a wonderful waterfront and thousands of CBD shoppers and office workers.Will the greening of John Key and New Zealand's National Party lift the appearance of their dull policy barrier? Will it bring the environmental quality of our wonderful planet to the explicit

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-41786357259638326152006-11-24T11:55:00.000+13:002007-03-21T11:00:28.967+12:00

PRICE IS RIGHT!Electricity generators - the "big boys" of New Zealand industrial emitters - today told the Government "there is a general consensus [that] a price needs to be put on carbon." No kidding!Carbon capture and storage, agricultural emissions, and transport emissions were also talking points.This development is strong indication that emissions trading is more than just "a possibility"

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-77061151421958556862006-11-23T10:05:00.000+13:002007-04-17T14:43:37.108+12:00

THE 'IN' CROWDUnderstanding consumer attitudes is key to illuminating the business case for addressing environmental impact. This is the only "sustainable" means of engaging your average business in change.In developing the ShoppingFix concept I've done a fair bit of nerd-work on consumer behaviour. Recently our Trust has been doing some work for the Sustainability Trust - looking at the Wellie

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-62234208523482780232006-11-21T13:24:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:26:49.933+13:00

CARBON CASH OUT IN THE COLDBut maybe not for long. Good old Queenie has final say in the UK legislative process. Last week she outlined a bill to be put to the British parliament committing to a massive reduction in human induced GHG emissions.What riled many was that an annual emissions target was not included. This speaks from the same policy chapter as the possibility of each Briton being

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-14760446348457885812006-11-18T13:02:00.000+13:002007-03-17T13:40:24.793+13:00

SATURDAY SENSITIVITY - OF THE HEADHere's the second piece in our Saturday Sensitivity series. With summer being as it is, you could be driven to feeling like The Dude (mind the language - small ears may be affected).I came across a site put up by a Cal.State University undergrad for the purpose of sharing her research on "Bowling, Gender and Emasculation in The Big Lebowski". It's quite clever (

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-21158787809371322092006-11-15T21:58:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:27:43.448+13:00

REVOLTINGBrits have had enough. You probably have too. Some say that sustainability starts at home. In reality it often starts at the supermarket. Or rather it gets left at the supermarket.A British Government minister yesterday called for a public revolt against "excessive and unnecessary" food packaging.A friend highlighted a local example in a photo essay that's hanging on a wall somewhere in

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1163372314879680132006-11-13T11:13:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:28:26.207+13:00

PEDAL TO THE MEDAL (2.0)Honda Civic Hybrid took overall honours in the AA EECA EnergyWise rally that finished on Friday. A small victory in a "hybrid battle" that saw the Toyota Prius win the last EnergyWise rally.In true love/hate fashion, the large car categories were dominated by Hyundai with Volkswagon achieving an honourable mention. It's in these big tin things that many Kiwi's explore the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1162771434931782012006-11-06T12:40:00.000+13:002007-03-20T10:49:39.825+12:00

THE SESSION GOES SUPERNo, not the brilliant Thursday night show on Active. The SuperSession. Coming to you this Saturday night at the Wellington Town Hall.Wellies finest muso's and an equally fine bunch from up north are getting together to raise money for the work SurfAid International in Indonesia. What a lineup! The Phoenix Foundation, The Little Bushman, Twinset, Open Souls, OdESSA, and the

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1162163806602962472006-10-30T11:47:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:29:14.793+13:00

CLIMATE CHANGE CAT FIGHT (4.0)It's been an interesting few days in the climate change political cauldron. Following an underwhelming address in Wellington a few weeks ago, Labour indicated over the weekend that they are soon to introduce a stronger environmental platform (as suggested earlier).On the weekend Labour raised the lofty possibility of NZ becoming carbon neutral. Its an encouraging

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1161996176471644702006-10-28T13:32:00.000+13:002007-03-17T13:33:11.250+13:00

SATURDAY SENSITIVITYAbout time for a "regular" piece huh? With this whole GoogTube lark I thought it timely to introduce a vid slot. And I'm gonna stick to a theme: expressions of sensitivity. I'm talking the whole range of sensitivity here - "in" to "super".Take it away Flight of the Conchords - talking "issues".

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1161991246532189912006-10-28T11:48:00.000+13:002007-03-17T18:30:00.232+13:00

STINK MY RIDE (2.0)Now here's a sexy story: we've stepped into a new era with the introduction of emissions testing for motor vehicles.It's not the first time I've posted about vehicle emissions, but as of yesterday, in order to get a WoF your motor needs to be visually cleared for emissions.This can be seen as a first step in moving toward the tougher vehicle emissions standards that Government

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1161296550543300212006-10-20T11:14:00.000+13:002007-03-21T11:01:28.446+12:00

THE PADDLE RACE...Its all on! 6pm Friday 27th October at Freyberg Beach, Oriental Bay, Wellington. More info here and here.This is a promo event in support of the SuperSession concert to be held at the Town Hall on 11th November. Both events are about raising awareness and money for the life-saving work of SurfAid International.

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21950805.post-1160971007601475582006-10-16T16:10:00.000+13:002007-03-20T10:49:39.832+12:00

BOOK ITIf surfing is your thing then listen up. If local music's your thing listen up too. If you're into both you'd better take a seat.At 6pm Friday 27th October there's a paddle race at Oriental Bay to publicise this years SurfAid SuperSession fundraiser concert. The long-board and short-board races will both feature heaps of prizes - including spot prizes. There's boards, wetsuits, wax and

mikeymikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00380647627048923546noreply@blogger.com0