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 associating a real and manageable global phenomenon with a series concerts seems a tad abstract. Lets look back at a few recent "save the world through music" examples:

Live8 occurred as a series of concerts tied in with Make Poverty History campaign. Which was funny because you'll remember that the white bands on everyone's wrist symbolising MPH support was a key criticism of the Live8 concerts; white bands performing for African poverty.

Live8 was not much more than a plea to governments to shell out aid money. But then again what else could be done? Awareness of the results of poverty, sure there was that, but awareness of why poverty exists? Probably too ambitious an aim for a concert series.

The two Wellington SurfAid concerts have been fundraisers for the work of SurfAid in Indonesia. The first concert occurred after the boxing day tsunami of 2004. The Indonesian community in Wellington were actively involved and funds went directly to SurfAid field operations. There is no means of benefiting an earthquake zone other than being there, being aware, or dishing out cash.

I'm stoked that a massive event like Live Earth is being planned to raise awareness of climate change. My beef is that there are so many easy, direct, and cheap ways we can make a difference. Maybe Live Earth is like Gore's film - aimed at getting lethargic "middle America (etc)" off their arses. If that's the case then awareness of the issue is a noble step: miss with the movie, hit with the music.

Another beef is the lineup. In a word: naff. Live8 was criticised for presenting a bunch of has beens. Live Earth doesn't look much better... Bloc Party (great 1st album appalling 2nd) are playing - they'll be performing soft rock ballads with the likes of John Mayer and Snow Patrol. Shudder. My other beef is this "SOS/climate in crisis" language. Talk about dis-empowering.

But hey, I'm about good news - and on balance Live Earth is.

The good thing with climate change is that you can do something today. Page 4 of this weeks Capital Times has a starting point from yours truly. Although they butchered a paragraph in the edit room the message is simple: start telling your fave shops that you care about how they do biz. Pick up a copy - go to page 4...

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
With 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 here last month) have already road tested biofuel from algae.

But this is even better! The US brewery are "providing CO2 - a byproduct of fermentation and boiler operations - that helps the algae grow. After several weeks, the microorganisms are harvested and their oil is extracted and refined into biodiesel."

Making biodiesel from algae may help quieten criticism levelled the poor overall efficiency from plant based ethanol. Brasil it seems is one of only a few places where net energy gains from "standard" biofuels gan be gained.

Not only is it good to see a technology being advanced that's also being developed in NZ, it's great to see beer by-product being used. Cleaner production is a good thing.

This is yet another example of carbon offsetting. Offsetting directly, rather than paying someone else to deal with the issue, is just the path progressive businesses need to be looking at. Our dairy industry has a steady supply of milking shed shit that goes unused. Wine and beer makers usually trash their production waste. Wine and milk are often located in centres of production - so there are concentrated amounts of by-product for use. Martinborough and Canterbury for wine and dairy biofuel respectively makes sense to me.

Regardless, imagine driving your biofuel powered car to the bottle store along a road made from recycled glass to pick up a crate (along with the rest of your shopping of course). You'd be inclined to think you were making a difference!

CONSUMERISM RUN AMOK - JACK IT IN
Continuing 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 potential to cross over piss-take and serious music.

Imagine the "filler tracks" on otherwise fine albums having (by decree of some recording supergod) to be halved in length through inward singing. Brilliant!

But I've seen this one in sale bins already. If only D took their own advice. This album would be ep length - thereby not subject to an album review. But they didn't and the Slant reviewer hated it:

"What was once a cult curio on HBO that affectionately sent up the inanity of the music business is now a brand name, something to be latched onto without really understanding what it's all about."

The music business. Abound with god-like talents, mindless egotistical pomposity, and morons. This cd review sums up the aims of the amok series in one clean hit.

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 surprisingly, here in New Zealand our ethical investment market is a lot less mature.

In fact the NZ Government was pounced on by the Greens last week for investing Super Fund cash in nuclear and cluster bomb weaponry manufacturers. It's reminiscent of the LA Times Gates Foundation expose last month highlighting their investment in companies directly linked to the causes of health problems they sought to alleviate. The publicity prompted a Gates Foundation review. Our Government is to do the same.

The real problem is that the economic basis itself is fundamentally flawed. Over on FrogBlog last week the old "perpetual growth" conundrum was aired again. "Business as usual" is founded on resource use that seeks to contribute constant growth in order to pay constant investment dividends. Constant growth based on a finite resource base is bound to turn pear shaped.

We're seeing the start of the crunch now with climate change and peak oil. Technology can only help us along so far. At some point we've got to change the way we "do business". The term decoupling is sometimes used in the context of economic growth and it's relationship with GHG emissions.

FrogBlog uses demand for energy as an illustrative example:
"...if NZ electricity demand were to grow at 3.5% per annum we would need to double our generating capacity every 20 years. This would be a major challenge."

Maybe we need a decoupled investment fund. The Co-op bank in UK and Prometheus here in NZ are more "decoupled" than the typical investment offering. And of course if ethical investment products pull in business that would otherwise go to standard funds we're moving in the right direction (remember the Aquaflow offering).

As more of the environmental and social costs of "business as usual" are internalised, ethical investments can expect to outperform the market as a matter of course. As cleaner business becomes the norm the concept of a diversified portfolio will start to make financial and ecological sense.

Update: in another move toward a pigovian tax environment, the NZ Greens have proposed that companay tax shifting occurs in order to incentivise cleaner production.

Another update: there're some quality comments in this subsequent Frogblog post - including from a fund manager.

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 that's what climate change is all about. Selling frikken newspapers.

So what's the story? None. No new science, no new remedies, no news. But boy has it got some coverage. There've been two quite testy comment salvo's over at Kiwi blog - the second of which denigrated to mudslinging despite raising some key points from a NZHerald article by Fran O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan's article titled "cooling the hot air debate" is full of ill considered here say. But it also contains gold:

"The Government will regulate to ensure industry reduces pollution for broader environmental reasons such as cleaner air, water and soil, and the rest of us will be responsible for using energy efficiently for conservation purposes.

It shouldn't take the threat of climate change to get these aims on the policy agenda. They stand in their own right."

Bingo! My biggest bug bear about the climate change "debate" is the loss of reality. What's happening in the real world?

Sceptics hold that mad scientists are fiddling the books and politicians label sceptics as delusional fringe dwellers. All the while nobody seems to be looking out the window. Take a step outside people!

Christchurch swims in smog, kayakers keep their eyes and mouths closed on the Mangles River, chunks of the North Islands' east coast wash away when it drizzles, the south Wairarapa crayfishery is gasping for air... You get the picture.

Although this 4th report is only the policy makers preliminary for a comprehensive edition due in November, the reaction to it is intriguing. Its media coverage hasn't done much more than allow the "sides" to dig into their corners and turn up the volume.

Although it is fascinating to watch, the actions of policy makers in the next little while is the test. It'll reach its crescendo in the election race next year. Who'll have the most sense. Who'll have the balls to put a price on carbon. Who'll have had a good look out the window?

THE GUITAR GOES VIRTUAL
Many 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 squinting. Air guitar will become cool and chaps like your man on the left will be heroes.

Either that or shitty sounding guitars will become revered.

In response Fender, Gibson, Taylor, and Martin recently teamed up with Greenpeace to establish Forest Stewardship Council certification for sitka spruce. Certified timber in guitars has been an issue for some time. Gibson started looking into it in 1994, and in 2001 partnered with the Rainforest Alliance - eventually creating the 100% certified Les Paul SmartWood.

If you're in the market for a new ax ask about certification. I'm looking forward to taking a closer look onstage at the next gig I get to - I may have to wear my specs...

THE GREAT GLOBAL GREEN GOODS HUNT
Yesterday 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 the impact of climate change. We're looking fix our shopping.

"If Government takes a lead now to help businesses re-evaluate their production and distribution methods, New Zealand can retain a competitive advantage" the statement says.