It ain’t easy being green

13 comments on “It ain’t easy being green ”

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1. Lanthanide 1

   31 January 2011 at 1:10 pm

   This morning Nick Smith was on National Radio, saying that the 2013 date wasn’t going to be met anyway, because under Labour no significant steps were made to meet the deadline. He said that from 2004 to 2008 only 800 homes were fitted with ‘clean air’ heating, while 20,000 homes had been in the 2 years since National got into power, but it still isn’t enough to meet the deadline by 2013.

   Under those circumstances, what’s the point of holding on to a goal that isn’t going to be met?

   Even aside from all that, he said that although the deadline was pushed out to 2020, there was a new intermediary deadline set in 2016 to have at most 3 high pollution nights a year. This seems like a step in the right direction, and should’ve been included in the initiative in the first place (eg max of 3 high pollution nights to be met by 2010).
   • exbrethren 1.1

     31 January 2011 at 10:11 pm

     I’m sorry but you seem to be taking Nick Smiths word on this. This is a nasty individual that is incapable of giving a straight answer. Living in his electorate I know this from my and countless other peoples first hand experience. This is a man who suspended a democratic body for family vengeance.
     • Lanthanide 1.1.1

       31 January 2011 at 10:23 pm

       I’m not actually “taking Nick Smith’s word on this”, I’m just providing his side of the story because Zet has a nasty habit of making everything sound as negative as possible.

       Even if they have kicked it for touch, for most purposes it’s really only been delayed from 2013 to 2016, as they have the new requirement of 3 nights high pollution, which isn’t *that* much different from 1 night per year. That in itself is worth mentioning, which Zet didn’t.

       coal cooks the climate down at #4 has a very plausible point as well.
2. hellonearthis 2

   31 January 2011 at 2:25 pm

   A blue green lake is a sign that the lake has high levels of acid or is dead, often seen in volcano crater lakes and in lakes formed in disused open cast mines.
3. coal cooks the climate 3

   31 January 2011 at 2:48 pm

   I think the run in Auckland Central will be a referendum on the Bluegreens.

   Does Nikki Kaye support mining on conservation land, Lignite mining in Southland and public transport in Auckland?

   She is up against a female greens councilor from Waiheke Island and Jacinda Adern. How do the bluegreens stack up…??

   http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/fight-over-southland-s-black-gold-4010221
   The Coal Action Network said the proposal was the “absolute opposite” to having a commitment to reducing climate change, while Greenpeace has said briquette production at the plant would be a “crime of global significance”.

   Southland contains New Zealand’s largest coal resource, comprising mostly lignite deposits.

   Gore District Council mayor Tracy Hicks told ONE News the council would look in depth at the environmental and social challenges the plant might present.

   Meanwhile in sexycoal land:

   Solid Energy said the demonstration plant – which would be the first commercial scale plant outside of the US – would have virtually no environmental impact.

   Where do the bluegreens sit on the issues of national significance in New Zealand?
4. coal cooks the climate 4

   31 January 2011 at 2:49 pm

   rumor is National delayed air standard due to Solid Energy wanting to make a large briquette plan in Bill English’s Southland electorate…
5. Draco T Bastard 5

   31 January 2011 at 5:13 pm

   That will cost 635 lives and a million sick days. Smith says it will save $506 million.

   Last time I looked (which was, admittedly, several years ago) a person was worth* ~$2m to the economy which would mean that Smith just announced a loss of ~$770m.

   * Some people will become upset with this but when budgeting you have to put in place some values even if they’re the wrong ones.
6. outofbed 6

   31 January 2011 at 5:19 pm

   I find it very easy being Green
7. ecosocialism 7

   31 January 2011 at 6:43 pm

   Nick Smith doesn’t
8. xy 8

   1 February 2011 at 9:12 am

   Well, red-green hasn’t gone anywhere. Blue-green might not be ideal, but maybe it’s better than waiting in the wilderness while Winston waltzs for us on the world stage. Fingers crossed.
9. Afewknowthetruth 9

   1 February 2011 at 9:28 am

   There is only one way to ‘be green’: you completely abandon the industrial economy and become a hunter-gatherer.

   No wonder nobody wants to do it.

   And it you did want to, the powers that be wouldn’t let you. The empire annihilates hunter-gatherers or puts them into ghetttos.

   A hierarchical society based on industrialism is what the bankers want, so that is what we all get, since the bankers are in control of society. (Politicians are just puppets on the stage, putting on a show and pretending they know what know are doing and are in control).
10. ecosocialism 10

    1 February 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Bluegreens gave me the blues – greenpeace report on the Bluegreens chch conference

    http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/news/blog/bluegreens-gave-me-the-blues/blog/32756
    at the heart of the Government’s thinking is an hypocrisy that undermines climate action. The Government talk about a clean economy, yet they invest millions in subsidising the fossil fuel industries of yesteryear. It backs moves to dig up six billions tonnes of the dirtiest form of energy in Southland – which would amount to a climate crime of global significance – and have just declared open season on BP-style deepwater oil drilling in some of our most pristine environments.

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1. The Standard: posted on 30 January 2011 at 11:40 pm

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