Welcome

Hi & welcome to NZAEE's (Christchurch Branch) ecoNet Newsletter.

Feel free to pass on news of ecoNet Newsletter and our subscription address: eventdiary@environment.org.nz to others you think may find it interesting/useful.


To supplement the diary here's a selection of news and articles and bits and pieces of interest from around and about, and here and there, e.g:

from here

Canterbury & South Island:

Arbor Day, 5 June: Have some tree planting fun. (26 May, CCC).

Ashburton hydro scheme gains consent. (28 May, ECan).

Central City South vision gets green light. (28 May, CCC).

Inependent Fisheries company fined for oil spill in Lyttelton harbour. (28 May, ECan).

Christchurch company director fined $16000 for dumping waste near river. (25 May, Stuff/The Press).

Ruby Bay, Nelson: By-pass a risk to estuary? (25 May, Nelson Mail/Stuff).

Fairlie: Cycle rail trail mooted. (26 May, Timaru Herald/Stuff).

Mackenzie Basin: the war against rabbits resumes. 1080 poison drop plan. (26 May, Stuff/The Press).

Mackenzie District: Farmers and ECan clash over contentious plan change. (23 May, Timaru Herald/Stuff).

Dunedin: Police blast rescued tramper. (28 May, Otago Daily Times).

Otago Peninsula: New roost a boost for birds and humans. STOP pleased. (27 May, Otago Daily Times).

Gore: Accord on Kaiwera Downs windfarm, but Trustpower says project on hold "till things settle down". (26 May, Otago Daily Times).

Invercargill: Crowds enchanted by kakapo chicks. (26 May, Southland Times/Stuff).

North Island & national:

Key backs Brownliee's call for no more power price hikes. After Commission report said consumers charged $4.3 billion more than they would have been in a competitive market. (25 May, Otago Daily Times).

Scientist: Looking at the implications of a "high-carbon world" on NZ. (23 May, Dominion Post/Stuff).

RMA plans disadvantage Maori, Trust says. (27 May, NZ Herald).

Labour and Greens attack new state house rule. Gives Housing NZ the right to decide whether people on parole or bail can live in its state homes. (26 May, Otago Daily Times).

Ticklish problems for the Greens. The jury is still out on whether this is the best or worst possible time for green initiatives. Gordon Campbell. (28 May, Dominion Post/Stuff)

DOC named public service’s top energy manager at New Zealand’s premier energy efficiency awards. (22 May, DOC).

DOC hot water solar programme for island sites. (21 May, DOC).

Kiwi stars sign on to Greenpeace climate change campaign. (24 May, NZ Herald).

Editorial: Writing on the wall for sow stalls. (25 May, NZ Herald).

Unpasteurised cheeses a step closer for NZ consumers. (25 May, NZ Herald).

Australian carbon farmer: NZ could become carbon neutral if farmers act now. Soil Carbon Conference coming up. (23 May, The Gisborne Herald).

Auckland: More people riding buses, trams. Biggest growth in twenty years. (27 May, Papkura Courier/Stuff).

Auckland: Anti-Super City protest marchers en masse in Queen St. (26 May, NZ Herald).

Waikato: Contact Energy scores 12 month delay to 180 turbine Hauauru ma raki windfarm. (25 May, TVNZ).

Waikato: Farm effluent 'catastrophe' foreseen. More than 1400 cows in the herd and no contingency plan. 40 charges for illegal discharges. (22 May, Waikato Times/Stuff).

Hawkes Bay: Land based sewerage scheme may save badly polluted Tukituki River. (25 May, Dominion Post/Stuff).

Palmerston North: City Council wants Govt to develop a national policy statement with new rules on where windfarms could be built, the number of turbines and how far away they must be from houses. Support gathering from other areas. (26 May, Otago Daily Times).

Whanganui Naitonal Park: First Maori National Park? (27May, Wanganui Chronicle).

Consumer confusion allows manuka honey 'rip-offs'. (25 May, National Business Review).

Re-linked awards, submissions, consultations etc:

• Canterbury’s air pollution monitoring is online:  ECan's website now features daily air pollution forecasts and records each night’s levels. The site monitors records for the Canterbury region, including Christchurch, Timaru, Rangiora and Kaiapoi. The results are online under Eye on the Environment: Air Quality on ECan's home page: www.ecan.govt.nz/home.
  
  
• ECan's Environment Enhancement Fund to open: 1 June - 31 August. Anyone can apply for up to $5000 for projects that benefit the health of ecosystems in the region. More information/applications: www.ecan.govt.nz/eef.
  
  
• Christchurch air rules awareness campaign: ECan is stepping up publicity around the forthcoming ban on the winter use of open fires and older woodburners in Christchurch, effective from 2010. Home heating rules for Christchurch: Click on the heating situation on the map provided to find out the rules that apply in your area. (ECan).
  
  
• LEARNZ field trips:
  Ancient NZ - A trip to the Chatham Islands with Canterbury University Scientists to look at native birds including the Black Robin. Spread over the month of May.
  Wetfeet - A trip to Lake Ohia in Northland to learn about wetland ecosystems and the cultural significance of the wetlands to Maori. 20 -22 May.
  Trout - Freshwater Ecology - A trip to the Turangi Trout Centre to investigate management of fisheries and freshwater conservation. 10 - 12 June
  Geo Hazards - A trip to walk over the Auckland volcanoes, stay on Rangitoto Island and learn about impacts of volcanic events of the past, present and future. 24-26 June.
  More info: www.learnz.org.nz. or contact: charmaine@learnz.org.nz.
  
  
• Heat pump water heaters: New funding pilot programme for efficient water heating - same grant as for solar. (EECA).
  
  

& from there

• China: reiterates stance on emissions. Rich countries should cut GHG emissions by at least 40% from 1990 levels by 2020. (22 May, Chinadialogue).
  
  
• Climate change summit hijacked by biggest polluters, critics claim. (24 May, The Guardian).
  
  
• UK: What the future looks like. Astronomer Martin Rees speculates as the planet faces the most dangerous century in its 4.5 billion year history. (26 May, the Guardian).
  
  
• Rapid climate change forces scientists to evaluate 'extreme' conservation strategies. Do something or do nothing? (26 May, Science Daily).
  
  
• US: Yosemite's giant trees disappear. (22 May, BBC Earth News).
  
  
• UK: G8 move to halt 'farmland grabbing'. (26 May, Financial TImes).
  
  
• Amnesty International: Economic crisis fuelling a human rights 'time bomb'. (28 May, News Daily/Reuters).
  
  
• US: Association of Physicians want a moratorium on GM foods. (22 May, Global Research).
  
  
• China: Plastic bags ban has 'saved 1.6m tonnes of oil'. (22 May, The Guardian).
  
  
• South America, Australia: Dengue fever outbreak far worse than Swine Flu. (18 May, ecoWorldly).
  
  
• UK: Eco-vandals take on the gas guzzlers. Spate of attacks on 4x4 vehicles in Manchester. (23 May, The Independent).
  
  
• UK: Nuns arrive at eco-convent and leave behind (after 171 years) high carbon habit. New home has solar panels, grass-covered roof and reedbed sewage system. (21 May, The Guardian).
  
  
• Australia: Interview with an innovative farmer. "Some of his mates call him lazy; he sounds more like a genius to me." (no date, ABC Rural Online/Energy Bulletin).
  
  
• UK: Rice milk arsenic contamination prompts food watchdog warning for children to stop drinking it. (22 May, The Daily Mail).
  
  Technology:
• Japan: Sanyo hits world record for solar cell efficiency. (21 May, TG Daily).
  
  
• France: Wind and solar-powered street lighting skips the grid. (22 May, ecoGeek).
  
  
• Portugal: World largest wave power project on hold. It’s starting to look like ocean and wave power might just be one of those technologies that never really takes off. (20 May, ecoGeek).
  
  
• Coming soon: Environmentally friendly cooling with magnetic refrigerators. (17 May, Science Daily).
  
  
• UK: Redirecting air flow off plane wings could cut fuel use by 20%. (26 May, ecoGeek).
  
  More naturally:
  
• Space rock yields carbon bounty. (26 May, BBC).
  
  
• Heat tolerant coral reefs found - may survive global warming. (22 May, Science Daily).
  
  
• Study unlocks history of the seas. Mediaeval fisherman first took to the open sea in about AD 1,000 as a result of a sharp decline in large freshwater fish, scientists suggest. (24 May, BBC).
  
  
• Pea-sized sea-horse included in new species top 10 list. (22 May, Live Science).
  
  
  

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ecoNet is put out (Fridays) by Christchurch Branch of NZAEE (NZ Association for Environmental Education), a non-profit, national organisation of people working to promote and support environmental education, lifelong learning and sustainable behaviour throughout New Zealand/Aotearoa.

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• Open day: HIT lab NZ.

  More than 25 demonstrations of the latest in computer human interface technology: Speech and gesture input to computers, next generation teleconferencing, educational technology, etc.
  When: 4.00 - 7.00 pm Friday, 29 May.
  Where: ground floor, HIT lab, old Maths Building, University of Canterbury.
  more info/contact: here.
  
  

• Theatre: NZ Premiere: My Name is Rachel Corrie.

  One-woman play based on e-mails and letters of a young American peace activist killed in the Gaza strip in 2003. Critically acclaimed abroad and cause of vigorous debate about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  Director: Lara Macgregor.
  When: Season opens 8.00 pm Friday, 29 May. (till 27 June).
  Where: The Forge, Court Theatre.
  More background info & bookings etc: Here (www.courttheatre.org.nz) or 0800 333 100.
  (Discounts for groups of ten or more).
  
  

• I AM TV's World Environment Day special: to celebrate young green film-makers -

  highlighting winners of The Outlook for Someday sustainability film challenge for young people (up to 20 years).
  When:  10.00 am Saturday, 30 May.
  Where: TV2.
  Background info: here.(www.connectedmedia.org).
  Info &/or purchase The Outlook for Someday DVDs for World Environment Day here.
  
  

• Talk: Photo journalism: Telling tales of trauma.

  Primarily concerned with the ethical treatment of victims and survivors, the impact of covering traumatic events, etc. Multi-media presentation.
  Speaker: Jim MacMillan, photographer, photo-columnist, video journalist.
  When: 7.00 - 8.30 pm Tuesday, 2 June.
  Where: Lecture room 108, Law building, University of Canterbury.
  Cost: $10.00 (limited places available).
  Contact/booking: 364 2470 or www.communityeducation.canterbury.ac.nz.
  
  

• Talk: Issues of the Day: Israeli policy in Gaza and the West Bank.

  Speaker: Mike Walker.
  When: 1.30 - 2.30 pm Wednesday, 3 June.
  Where: WEA, 59 Gloucester St.
  Contact: 366 0285, cwea.org.nz
  Cost: $4.00.
  (WEA Issues of the day series).
  
  

• Talk: Leonard Cockayne Memorial lecture tour 2009. A DNA story of NZ plants.

  Cockayne would be amazed at what we can now learn from studying the genes and genomes of living plants.
  Speaker: Professor Peter Lockhart, FRSNZ, Allan Wilson Centre, Massey University.
  When: 8.00 pm, Wednesday, 3 June.
  Where: C3, Central lecture block, University of Canterbury.
  
  

• Talk: The case for protection of ecosystems, biodiversity and natural resources in a time of global recession.

  Hear about the work of of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) - the world’s oldest and largest global environmental network.
  Speaker: Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN’s director general.
  When: 9.30 – 10.30 am Thursday, 4 June.
  Where: Stewart 2, Lincoln University.
  Organisers: Lincoln University, Landcare Research/Manaaki Whenua, NZ IUCN.
  
  

• Climate change: The role of marine phyto-plnkton in climate - could they be used to solve our current problem?

  Speaker: Paul Broady, Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury.
  When: 7.00 pm Thursday, 4 June.
  Where: Venue on enrolment, University of Canterbury.
  Cost: $15.00.
  More info here. (7th talk in a series).
  
  

• Public meeting: SAFE Lovepigs campaign.

  Speaker: Hans Kriek, SAFE campaign director.
  When: 7.00 pm Thursday, 4 June.
  Where: SAFE, Level 1, 145 Armagh Street.
  Background info here (lovepigs.org.nz).
  Contact: sacha@safe.org.nz.
  
  

• World Environment Day web launch:

  new-look website for Education for Sustainability: http://efs.tki.org
  Find new ideas , transformations of old ideas and new ways and opportunities to implement the future focus theme of sustainability in the New Zealand Curriculum. Sign up to be part of forums and share experiences in EFS.
  When: Opens Friday, 5 June.
  Ministry of Education & Education for Sunstainability.
  
  

• Event: Celebrate World Environment Day -

  help plant native trees & shrubs on the banks of the Hororata River.
  When: 1.30 - 4.00 pm Friday, 5 June.
  Where: Meet at Mitchells Rd, Hororata.
  Contact: Hanna.Leckie@ghd.co.nz or 027 215 6174 or (03) 378 2118.
  Supported by DOC, GHD, Selwyn District Council, Waihora Ellesmere Trust.
  
  

• Event: Eco Expo: New ideas, products, services for where you live, work, & play.

  - learn about realistic and achievable changes you can make to your everyday life.
  When: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm, Friday 5 - Sunday 7 June.
  Where: Convention Centre, Kilmore St.
  Contact: Glen 021 756337.
  More: here. (www.ecoexpo.co.nz).
  
  

• EARTHWISE, Plains FM 96.9

  Each Monday & Wednesday at 9.00 pm.
  Conservation, environment and peace with justice.
  This week: Cath Wallace, ECO (Environment and Conservation Organisations), talking about ocean acidification.
  Presenters: Martin and Lois Griffiths.
  NB: Listen again to Earthwise programmes on archive.
  
  

Coming up:

• Christchurch Transition Initiative forum:
  

  When: 12.00 pm Tuesday, 9 June.
  Where: St Albans Community Centre.
  
  

• Forest & Bird: AGM and Lance McCaskill Memorial Lecture.

  Guest speaker: Di Lucas, landscape architect, on "Little Landscapes On the Move" - diversity and dynamism in NZ.
  When: 7.00 pm Wednesday, 10 June.
  Where: WEA, 59 Gloucester St.
  All welcome.
  
  

• Meeting (open to public): Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board.

  When: Thursday, 11 June.
  Where: Aoraki Room, 4th floor, Canterbury Conservancy office, DOC, 195 Hereford St.
  Contact/more info: here.
  
  

• Guided Port Hills botanical tour: Meurky walk on Scott’s Valley Track.

  Guide: Colin Meurk, botanist, Landcare Research/Manaaki Whenua.
  When: 9.00 am – 2-ish Saturday, 13 June.
  Where: Meet at lower gondola carpark.
  Bring: Sturdy footwear, all-weather clothing, lunch.
  Contact: Anna-Marie, reesey@xtra.co.nz.
  
  

• Conference: Embracing the future - Kia whakapumau te wa kai te heke.

  Adult Community Education Inc., Aotearoa (ACE).
  When: 12 - 14 June.
  Where: Te Puna Wanaka, Christchurch Polytech (CPIT).
  More info: here. (www.aotearoa.org.nz).
  
  

• Auckland event: Annual conference: Eco (Environment and Conservation Organisations of Aotearoa/NZ).

  Greening our way out of a recession.
  When: 10 - 12 July.
  Where: Karanga camp, 79 Te Henga Rd, Waitakere City (near Bethells Beach).
  More info/contact/registration: www.eco.org.nz/conference
  
  

Reminders:

• Free home composting workshops:

  Hot composting of kitchen scraps & garden waste, Bokashi and worm farms. All methods demonstrated.
  At two sites:
  1. Opawa Community Gardens, 176 Opawa Rd (at Aynsley Tce). 1.00 - 2.30 pm each Saturday.
  2. Okeover Community Garden - University of Canterbury, Engineering Road. (Map here). 12.00 - 1.30 pm each Wednesday.
  3. Lyttelton Community Garden, 54A Oxford Street, 4.00 – 5.30 pm each Monday.
  More info/contact: Annmarie 021 190 4559 or 942 7190 (evenings).
  Supported by CCC.