Links
Archives
- 10/01/2000 - 11/01/2000
- 11/01/2000 - 12/01/2000
- 12/01/2000 - 01/01/2001
- 01/01/2001 - 02/01/2001
- 02/01/2001 - 03/01/2001
- 03/01/2001 - 04/01/2001
- 04/01/2001 - 05/01/2001
- 05/01/2001 - 06/01/2001
- 06/01/2001 - 07/01/2001
- 07/01/2001 - 08/01/2001
- 08/01/2001 - 09/01/2001
- 09/01/2001 - 10/01/2001
- 10/01/2001 - 11/01/2001
- 11/01/2001 - 12/01/2001
- 12/01/2001 - 01/01/2002
- 01/01/2002 - 02/01/2002
- 02/01/2002 - 03/01/2002
- 03/01/2002 - 04/01/2002
- 04/01/2002 - 05/01/2002
- 05/01/2002 - 06/01/2002
- 06/01/2002 - 07/01/2002
- 07/01/2002 - 08/01/2002
- 08/01/2002 - 09/01/2002
- 09/01/2002 - 10/01/2002
- 10/01/2002 - 11/01/2002
- 11/01/2002 - 12/01/2002
- 12/01/2002 - 01/01/2003
- 01/01/2003 - 02/01/2003
- 02/01/2003 - 03/01/2003
- 03/01/2003 - 04/01/2003
- 04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003
- 05/01/2003 - 06/01/2003
- 06/01/2003 - 07/01/2003
- 07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003
- 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003
- 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003
- 10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003
- 11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003
- 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004
- 01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004
- 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004
- 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004
- 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
- 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
- 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004
- 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004
- 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004
- 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004
- 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004
- 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004
- 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005
- 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005
- 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005
- 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005
- 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005
- 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005
- 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005
- 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005
- 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
- 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005
- 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005
- 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005
- 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006
- 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006
- 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006
- 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006
- 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006
- 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006
- 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006
- 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006
- 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
- 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006
- 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006
- 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006
- 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007
- 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
- 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
The place for NZ oriented news releases on climate change and related energy policy.
Climate change a huge threat to New Zealand agriculture
Climate change is a current reality, with 18 of the 20 hottest years in recorded history occurring since 1980, and an increasing frequency of extreme flood, drought, and storm events.
This is the reason Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton is a strong advocate for the Kyoto Protocol, the international plan to begin acting now to tackle the man-made causes of global climate change.
“The cost of failure, or even of needless delay, will be far higher than the modest cost of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol,” Mr Sutton told a meeting of constituents in Aoraki electorate this week.
Climate change is a current reality, with 18 of the 20 hottest years in recorded history occurring since 1980, and an increasing frequency of extreme flood, drought, and storm events.
This is the reason Agriculture Minister Jim Sutton is a strong advocate for the Kyoto Protocol, the international plan to begin acting now to tackle the man-made causes of global climate change.
“The cost of failure, or even of needless delay, will be far higher than the modest cost of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol,” Mr Sutton told a meeting of constituents in Aoraki electorate this week.
Drought tightens grip on the Outback
Along the endless roads of Outback Australia cattle drovers cursed the large high above the centre of the continent that yesterday promised more blue skies.
Along the endless roads of Outback Australia cattle drovers cursed the large high above the centre of the continent that yesterday promised more blue skies.
LINK
MASTERCLASS! SCIENCE: LECTURES AND SEMINARS
Energy specialists Professor David Cope (UK) and Dr Larry Parker (US) will
be giving a series of lectures and seminars from 5-13 August. This is the
first in the Masterclass! Science series, a joint initiative of The
British Council, Fulbright New Zealand, Montana Wines and the Royal
Society of New Zealand.
Auckland Seminar:
Tuesday 6 August, 11.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Auckland University of Technology
WS114, Ground floor, Science and Technology Bldg, 24 St Paul St
Wellington Seminar:
Wednesday 7 August, 9.00 a.m. - 11.00 a.m.
Victoria University of Wellington
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Hunter Building
WELLINGTON PUBLIC LECTURE:
Wednesday 7 August, 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Paramount Theatre, Courtenay Place, Wellington
Chair: Mark Blumsky, former Mayor of Wellington
Supported by UNESCO
Christchurch Seminar:
Friday 9 August, 2.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m.
Lincoln University
Room to be advised
Christchurch Seminar:
Monday 12 August, 10.00 a.m. - 11.30 a.m.
Canterbury University
Room to be advised
CHRISTCHURCH PUBLIC LECTURE:
Monday 12 August, 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Aurora Centre, Burnside High School, Greers Rd, Dunedin
Dunedin Seminar:
Tuesday 13 August, 2.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m.
University of Otago
Moot Court, Top Floor, Hocken Building, (Union St Entrance)
DUNEDIN PUBLIC LECTURE:
Tuesday 13 August, 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Glenroy Auditorium, The Octagon
MASTERCLASS! SCIENCE: LECTURES AND SEMINARS
Energy specialists Professor David Cope (UK) and Dr Larry Parker (US) will
be giving a series of lectures and seminars from 5-13 August. This is the
first in the Masterclass! Science series, a joint initiative of The
British Council, Fulbright New Zealand, Montana Wines and the Royal
Society of New Zealand.
Auckland Seminar:
Tuesday 6 August, 11.30 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.
Auckland University of Technology
WS114, Ground floor, Science and Technology Bldg, 24 St Paul St
Wellington Seminar:
Wednesday 7 August, 9.00 a.m. - 11.00 a.m.
Victoria University of Wellington
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor, Hunter Building
WELLINGTON PUBLIC LECTURE:
Wednesday 7 August, 6.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m.
Paramount Theatre, Courtenay Place, Wellington
Chair: Mark Blumsky, former Mayor of Wellington
Supported by UNESCO
Christchurch Seminar:
Friday 9 August, 2.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m.
Lincoln University
Room to be advised
Christchurch Seminar:
Monday 12 August, 10.00 a.m. - 11.30 a.m.
Canterbury University
Room to be advised
CHRISTCHURCH PUBLIC LECTURE:
Monday 12 August, 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Aurora Centre, Burnside High School, Greers Rd, Dunedin
Dunedin Seminar:
Tuesday 13 August, 2.00 p.m. - 3.00 p.m.
University of Otago
Moot Court, Top Floor, Hocken Building, (Union St Entrance)
DUNEDIN PUBLIC LECTURE:
Tuesday 13 August, 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m.
Glenroy Auditorium, The Octagon
Counting costs of a Kyoto snub
Across the Tasman attention is starting to shift from the costs of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to the costs of not ratifying it, says Dr Clive Hamilton, an expert on climate change policy.
Across the Tasman attention is starting to shift from the costs of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol to the costs of not ratifying it, says Dr Clive Hamilton, an expert on climate change policy.
Eco-Tax Reform - Cleaning up our Tax System - Green Party
Raise around $300m per year through a low-level carbon charge of $10/tonne of CO2.
Action on climate change is long overdue. The longer we wait to start shifting away from fossil fuels, the harder that shift will be when the time finally comes.
The carbon tax regime would allow negotiated exemptions for binding emissions reductions proportional to New Zealand’s target or which achieve world’s best practice for that industry.
Together, these two will pay for the first year of income tax cuts and a bit more besides.
Raise around $300m per year through a low-level carbon charge of $10/tonne of CO2.
Action on climate change is long overdue. The longer we wait to start shifting away from fossil fuels, the harder that shift will be when the time finally comes.
The carbon tax regime would allow negotiated exemptions for binding emissions reductions proportional to New Zealand’s target or which achieve world’s best practice for that industry.
Together, these two will pay for the first year of income tax cuts and a bit more besides.
Vote for the environment charter
Political Parties should commit to:
Long-term goals
1. A staged transition to a sustainable climate and energy future with an emissions
reductions towards a long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas concentration to a
level no more than twice pre-industrial levels. (A 60% reduction in carbon
dioxide and a 25% reduction in methane are ultimately required 14 ). New Zealand
must take a leading role in meeting this target.
Specific goals
2. Ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and
adopt at least a 5% cut in 2008-2012 greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels
without the need to use forest sink credits.
3. Introduce a predominantly fiscally neutral carbon equivalence charge that should
be applied at a rate greater than $30/tonne CO2 from 1 July 2004.
4. Provide at least $100 million in funding per year from 1 July 2003 to implement
the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, the Waste Strategy and
the Transport Strategy and other associated climate change measures.
5. Enhance New Zealand’s carbon stores by controlling alien pests degrading native
forests and by ending the logging and clearance of indigenous forests and
regenerating shrublands and removing any incentive to clear indigenous forests
and shrublands.
6. Don’t rely on the "net" approach 15 while it suffers from great uncertainties over
the size and state of potential and actual carbon sinks, does not include all carbon
flows, and may not result in an actual reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
7. Develop a national policy statement on climate change under the Resource
Management Act to provide national consistency for the management of sources
and potential sinks of greenhouse gases.
Energy transition measures
8. Revise the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy so that it based
on an acceptance of climate change and outlines a strategy for shifting away from
fossil fuels over the coming two decades. The strategy should provide:
a) a transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, in particular wind and
solar energy;
b) Extend minimum energy performance standards for all appliances by 2007.
c) Removal of barriers to energy efficiency with the aim of an initial
improvement by the year 2010 of 20 percent on 1995 levels.
d) Shift the Government’s entire energy research and development budget into
energy efficiency and renewable energy by the year 2004 round of science
funding decisions;
e) Expand the energy efficiency funding by $40m per year, to address the
institutional and information barriers to achieving greater energy
efficiency 16 .
f) Implement a renewable energy target of 40 PJ/year by 2010 and (90PJ/yr by
2020) as part of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
g) Change the building code so that all new residential buildings and units
require double the current minimum insulation standards and have solar
water heating installed.
h) Fund the improved insulation and solar water heating on all Government
owned residential buildings by 2007.
9. Remove government subsidies, tax breaks, and promotion activities on fossil fuel
exploration and mining;
International action
10. Ensure that a substantial fraction of New Zealand’s international diplomatic
efforts are directed towards making the next version of the Kyoto Protocol more
robust and effective (ie drawing in more nations and involving larger reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions).
11. Commence international negotiations to permit the introduction of carbon charges
on jet and other bunker fuel.
12. Ensure that New Zealand’s international development assistance programme is
substantially reoriented to include the promotion of energy efficiency, removing
subsidies on fossil fuels and introducing appropriate policy responses (eg, carbon
charges) in developing countries, and assistance with adaptation and capacity
building.
Electricity sector
13. Ensure that energy pricing rewards consumers who conserve energy so that fixed
line charges should make up no more than 5% of an energy bill.
14. Reject any sale to private interests of publicly owned electricity generation,
transmission and distribution enterprises or assets until effective policies
promoting energy efficiency, environmental protection and the protection of other
public interests have been enshrined in law.
15. Oppose new hydro dams 17 and thermal power stations in favour of sustainable
alternatives and set goals for the installation of new renewable electricity sources
by the year 2005.
Political Parties should commit to:
Long-term goals
1. A staged transition to a sustainable climate and energy future with an emissions
reductions towards a long-term goal of reducing greenhouse gas concentration to a
level no more than twice pre-industrial levels. (A 60% reduction in carbon
dioxide and a 25% reduction in methane are ultimately required 14 ). New Zealand
must take a leading role in meeting this target.
Specific goals
2. Ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and
adopt at least a 5% cut in 2008-2012 greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels
without the need to use forest sink credits.
3. Introduce a predominantly fiscally neutral carbon equivalence charge that should
be applied at a rate greater than $30/tonne CO2 from 1 July 2004.
4. Provide at least $100 million in funding per year from 1 July 2003 to implement
the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, the Waste Strategy and
the Transport Strategy and other associated climate change measures.
5. Enhance New Zealand’s carbon stores by controlling alien pests degrading native
forests and by ending the logging and clearance of indigenous forests and
regenerating shrublands and removing any incentive to clear indigenous forests
and shrublands.
6. Don’t rely on the "net" approach 15 while it suffers from great uncertainties over
the size and state of potential and actual carbon sinks, does not include all carbon
flows, and may not result in an actual reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
7. Develop a national policy statement on climate change under the Resource
Management Act to provide national consistency for the management of sources
and potential sinks of greenhouse gases.
Energy transition measures
8. Revise the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy so that it based
on an acceptance of climate change and outlines a strategy for shifting away from
fossil fuels over the coming two decades. The strategy should provide:
a) a transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources, in particular wind and
solar energy;
b) Extend minimum energy performance standards for all appliances by 2007.
c) Removal of barriers to energy efficiency with the aim of an initial
improvement by the year 2010 of 20 percent on 1995 levels.
d) Shift the Government’s entire energy research and development budget into
energy efficiency and renewable energy by the year 2004 round of science
funding decisions;
e) Expand the energy efficiency funding by $40m per year, to address the
institutional and information barriers to achieving greater energy
efficiency 16 .
f) Implement a renewable energy target of 40 PJ/year by 2010 and (90PJ/yr by
2020) as part of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
g) Change the building code so that all new residential buildings and units
require double the current minimum insulation standards and have solar
water heating installed.
h) Fund the improved insulation and solar water heating on all Government
owned residential buildings by 2007.
9. Remove government subsidies, tax breaks, and promotion activities on fossil fuel
exploration and mining;
International action
10. Ensure that a substantial fraction of New Zealand’s international diplomatic
efforts are directed towards making the next version of the Kyoto Protocol more
robust and effective (ie drawing in more nations and involving larger reductions in
greenhouse gas emissions).
11. Commence international negotiations to permit the introduction of carbon charges
on jet and other bunker fuel.
12. Ensure that New Zealand’s international development assistance programme is
substantially reoriented to include the promotion of energy efficiency, removing
subsidies on fossil fuels and introducing appropriate policy responses (eg, carbon
charges) in developing countries, and assistance with adaptation and capacity
building.
Electricity sector
13. Ensure that energy pricing rewards consumers who conserve energy so that fixed
line charges should make up no more than 5% of an energy bill.
14. Reject any sale to private interests of publicly owned electricity generation,
transmission and distribution enterprises or assets until effective policies
promoting energy efficiency, environmental protection and the protection of other
public interests have been enshrined in law.
15. Oppose new hydro dams 17 and thermal power stations in favour of sustainable
alternatives and set goals for the installation of new renewable electricity sources
by the year 2005.
Australia-US launch climate change program
Australia and the United States, which both earned international disapproval for refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change, launched a joint bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Australia and the United States, which both earned international disapproval for refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change, launched a joint bid to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Business opportunities
and global climate change
NZ Business Council for sustainable development report.
and global climate change
NZ Business Council for sustainable development report.
Changing weather blows doors open to exciting opportunities
Stephen Tindall: The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development is concerned New Zealand businesses are at risk of missing out on the significant business opportunities likely to arise out of the climate change challenge.
Stephen Tindall: The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development is concerned New Zealand businesses are at risk of missing out on the significant business opportunities likely to arise out of the climate change challenge.
Policy.net.nz - Political Policy Online
Summary of global warming party policy accross the board
Summary of global warming party policy accross the board
English announces environment policy
Nothing on global warming.
Nothing on global warming.
Bullet point summary on Green Environment policy - Green Party
Climate Change (energy and transport)
Climate Change (energy and transport)
Discovery on methane
A discovery by AgResearch scientists could have a major impact on New Zealand's future methane emissions.
Trials carried out by AgResearch scientists Drs Garry Waghorn and Michael Tavendale at AgResearch Grasslands near Palmerston North have recently proved for the first time condensed tannins found in some pasture species can directly reduce methane emissions by as much as 16%.
A discovery by AgResearch scientists could have a major impact on New Zealand's future methane emissions.
Trials carried out by AgResearch scientists Drs Garry Waghorn and Michael Tavendale at AgResearch Grasslands near Palmerston North have recently proved for the first time condensed tannins found in some pasture species can directly reduce methane emissions by as much as 16%.
Green House Gas Mitigation
Potential Management Practices And Technologies To Reduce Nitrous Oxide, Methane And Carbon Dioxide Emissions From New Zealand Agriculture. Paper from MAF
Potential Management Practices And Technologies To Reduce Nitrous Oxide, Methane And Carbon Dioxide Emissions From New Zealand Agriculture. Paper from MAF
