Green Options » New Zealand

Dinosaur Descendant Reptile Loves Sex Again; Henry the Tuatara Becomes Dad at 111 Years of Age!

Sam Aola Ooko — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:34:13 +0000

Henry the Tuatara, has suddenly regained his sexual vigor, and scientists in a New Zealand zoo are excited that he is becoming a dad, after nearly 40 boring years living a life of an eunuch. Science world is also excited with Henry’s newly acquired fame, largely because his family is ‘ancient’, even pre-dating evolution of the dinosaurs.

A large part of the excitement, however, is not that Henry seems to be racing against time but he is enjoying the company of three mates in his sunset years. He has lived long, though, with his species having a lifespan of about 70 years in the wild.

Read more of this story »

Sheep and Cow Farting Vaccine to Reduce Climate Changing Methane Emissions

Jennifer Lance — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:37:40 +0000

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. New Zealand scientists have developed a vaccine to cut down on livestock flatulence, which should help farmers avoid a proposed “flatulence tax” on the methane their livestock produces. New Zealand cows and sheep are responsible for about half of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Via: It’s Getting Hot in Here

For a more in depth post on the anti-farting vaccine, please visit Planetsave.

Anti-Fart Shots for a Cleaner Environment?

Max Lindberg — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:06:11 +0000

Aw, c’mon, pull my finger!

You’ve probably had that one pulled (pardon the pun) on you at least once in your life, and the old guy got a good laugh out of your response. It’s ok, old guys do strange things, I know.

Well, this isn’t about old guys, but sheep, cattle, deer and goats, the premier emitters of methane gas in the world. In this case, nature is “pulling the finger.”

Read more of this story »

Top 10 Environmental News Headlines of the Week, no. 3

Gavin Hudson — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:06:59 +0000

Top international environmental news for during the week of April 6 - 13:

Europe — World’s first commercial tidal turbine installed (EcoGeek)

“The world’s first commercial tidal turbine has been installed in its home in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

Though it has yet to be turned on, it will be the first commercial power-producing tidal generator when it is (sometime later this year). The turbine has two 16 meter-wide rotors and will be able to run for 18-20 hours a day. The turbine was installed off the coast in an area known for fast moving waters, and because the rotors will only spin 10-20 times in a minute, it is unlikely to disturb marine life.”

Source: EcoGeek. Hot in media: Digg EcoGeek, Digg TimesOnline.

Africa — Tree-Nation (Tree-Nation)

“Tree-Nation is an ecological project with a focused objective: To plant 8 million trees in Niger, Africa to fight desertification! Large-scale plantation of trees will increase the land’s productivity and re-generate the soil.

Read more of this story »

Crafty Convo: Chatting with Jeweler Ashley Hilton

Victoria Everman — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:31:57 +0000

The media has a new indie jewelry favorite - Ashley Hilton. Featured in press outlets around the world in just the past 6 months, Ashley’s creations embody a seamless mix of eco-appreciation and modern style.

“I try to reflect both the human and natural environment in my work by using symbols and materials that have meaning to me and represent where I come from. From street signs to native trees, my jewelery has always been a pretty literal representation of my surroundings,” he says.

Along with the natural theme of his creations, Ashley uses small scale mined metals from his home base in New Zealand. “I found that most of the gold from my suppliers in New Zealand is mined or recycled here and in Australia. Both these countries have a relatively good track record with regards to mining practices but the idea of using a local resource and streamlining the path of the metal from the ground to the customer really appealed to me,” he says.

It was my pleasure to chat with Ashley recently about his education of the art of make jewelry, sustainable metal mining, creative inspirations and more. Read on for our full conversation and all its “hand made” details.

What first got you interested in making jewelry? When did you decide to turn it into a career?

I was at a loose end really. I’d spent a few years traveling and working overseas as a chef and knew that that lifestyle wasn’t for me anymore. I did a weekend jewelery course and loved it, It just made perfect sense to me so I bought some tools and started experimenting. Originally I never thought it would be a career. It was never really a conscious decision, it just grew and grew until in about 3 years It was all I did.

Have you even gotten flack for being a straight guy in the jewelry biz?

Read more of this story »

Milk Production: A Cause for Concern

Pem Charnley — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:26:40 +0000

This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media.

It comes as rather a shock to see New Zealanders in the news, arguing amongst themselves about the missing chapter of a report - questioning their very own green credentials. The chapter in question is unfortunately number 13.

(Not overly unfortunate that it was chapter 13, granted, but it allows me to clumsily shoehorn the word triskaidekaphobia into a piece of writing for the first - and hopefully - last time.)

Included in a statement by the country’s Green Party is the following:

“Chapter 13 states some inconvenient truths about the causes of environmental decline in New Zealand – causes such as dairy intensification, increased car use, and consumption. And it makes some inconvenient recommendations for action such as national environmental regulation and more public transport. Moreover it warns our economy is threatened by our poor environmental performance.”

The Green Party’s reaction has been thorough as the accompanying YouTube video shows.

But I’d like to just concentrate for now on dairy farming. It isn’t perhaps at the forefront of many people’s minds when we think of environmental decline. Conjure up the word “cattle” and more often, it is intensively reared beef rather than milk production that causes a reaction.

Read more of this story »

Clean Energy Round-Up

Maria Surma Manka — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:40:44 +0000

Coinciding with the Bali talks on climate change, there has been all sorts of renewable energy and global warming news cropping up. Here are a few I’ve come across lately:

New Zealand may ban fossil fuels. A bill introduced in the NZ Parliament last week would ban new power plants if they burned fossil fuels. Specifically, the 10-year plan would ban fuel sources with more than 20 percent oil, coal or gas from producing more than 10 megawatts of power. This unprecedented legislation will apply to the forestry sector beginning next month, transport fuels in 2009, industry in 2010 and the agriculture and waste sectors in 2013. One exception allows for a source with more than 20 percent fossil fuels if the remainder is made up of waste. Although the bill has to pass through four debating stages, undergo a study by a committee and signed off by the governor general, the government actually expects the bill to become law in 2008.

Big emitter has big plans. Germany is Europe’s largest emitter of global warming emissions but has big plans to cut them 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The multi-billion euro idea includes a heavy emphasis on energy efficiency, as well as renewable energy and improved building insulation. But some organizations like Greenpeace point out that Germany can’t cut emissions with the one hand while approving coal plants with the other, as it has been doing. Currently there are 24 plants in the pipeline and if they are built, says Greenpeace, the emissions goal will be impossible to meet.

Little U.S. State Has Big Plans Too. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change has issued a report calling for a 90 percent reduction in global warming emissions below 2006 levels by 2050. Besides investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the targets would be met through a cap-and-trade policy in which polluters would buy and sell unused emissions credits. Maryland is also worried about damage to its shorelines from rising sea levels, so another commission recommendation is to require “soft shorelines” or artificial wetlands to be built in some areas instead of rock walls.

Baltimore Sun
Deutsche Welle
International Herald Tribune
Reuters UK

How Green is that Hollywood Movie?

Amy Stodghill — Sat, 12 May 2007 18:05:26 +0000

The moviemaking business has a very large environmental footprint. Idling production vehicles, construction of elaborate sets, extensive lighting needs and a crew of hundreds who all need to be fed and transported are just a few of the contributing factors to the un-enviromentally friendly aspects of the film and television industry.

The UCLA Institute of the Environment's annual report last year found that when compared to other top industries in California, the film and television industry tops the list in air pollution and green house gas emissions. The problem, the study suggested, was that each production is a short lived entity and doesn't have to think of long term supply chain effects that face other types of business and industries.

Most U.S. states and major U.S. cities have a film department, which are usually part of the mayors office to facilitate film productions. Many provide assistance in acquiring permits, location scouting, and hiring local professionals, but very few offer additional incentives for going green or even contain info with practical, money saving tips on being more enviro-friendly.

New Mexico is an exception with their Green Filmmaking Program. The initiative is simple. It is a voluntary program that offers guidelines for productions that want to lessen their footprint. The film office has compiled helpful information on the use of alternative materials and green practices such as recycling, purchasing local products, donating set materials, leasing hybrid vehicles, getting biodiesel for generators, and other waste reduction techniques. They also offer additional tax incentives for productions that follow these guidelines.

New York City, a popular filming destination for movies and TV shows, has recently announced NYC: Green Screen, similar to New Mexico's program offering tools and practical guidelines for shooting greener in NYC.

New Zealand, another moviemaking hotspot (Lord of the Rings triology) features Greening The Screen, an environmental toolkit for productions. The main motivation there is to lessen the impact on New Zealand's historical and cultural heritage, but also to help the boost the country's economy.

The Environmental Media Association presents the Green Seal Award for productions that strive for enviro-friendly practices on and offset as an added incentive for green recognition.

There are some films that will go carbon neutral with out any help from a voluntary program, and others it just makes sense for them to do so, like An Inconvenient Truth. But there is a lot of room for improvement in this multi-billion dollar industry. Maybe Leonardo Dicaprio can extend his efforts to greening his workplace.

Further reading:
Digital Content Producer

New Zealand Premieres Green Makeover Show

Amy Stodghill — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:20:27 +0000

WA$TEDEach week on the new series WA$TED, eco-expert, Francesca Price, visits a New Zealand household and audits their energy usage and the waste they generate. The WA$TED team then helps the family see their environmental impact and gives them practical solutions to lessen their footprint.

The Parry's moved to the countryside for a cleaner, greener life. However, WA$TED discovered they were anything but and found this family of three guilty of many "eco-crimes." Family updates are promised on the show's website so viewers can see if the households were able to stay green.

The production of the show is enviro-friendly. The producers use an environmental tool kit created for the TV and film industry called Greening the Screen, and have also purchased carbon credits to offset the CO2 generated by the production.

WA$TED premieres February 20th in New Zealand on TV3 and will run for ten weeks.

Via Sustainable Business Network