Greenwash NZ

New Zealand’s ‘Green’ Credentials aren’t quite as good as they should be for a country with such a low population, much of NZ’s green reputation is little more than greenwashing used to sell produce and tourism.

In April 2011 a copy of the government’s draft energy strategy: Developing Our Energy Potential was released ‘mistakenly’ into the public domain. It quickly became evident that the present National government was placing far too much emphasis on the mining of fossil fuels in New Zealand.

The Green Party called the strategy which promoted coal and oil exploration, 19th century and said it put ‘petroleum and mineral fuel reserves (essentially oil, gas and coal) ahead of investing in renewable power sources and new technologies.

“…This strategy demonstrates how backwards-looking this Government is on energy. They clearly do not have a logical, coherent plan,” said Greens energy spokesman Kennedy Graham.

“On one of the first pages of the document, the strategy acknowledges that oil prices and the cost of greenhouse gases will rise. But instead of developing a plan to reduce our reliance on these unsustainable energy sources, it goes on to prioritise fossil fuels like offshore oil drilling and lignite – the dirtiest coal.

“It’s a short-sighted economic strategy that will ultimately impoverish New Zealand, and will undermine international efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

“New Zealand’s prosperity in the future will depend on investment in clean, green technology and sustainable jobs, not opening our shores to foreign companies to exploit a 19th century resource.”…” read more, including what the public think about the report

NZ government recently caved in to the oil industry by allowing seismic testing for oil in the Raukumara Basin. since then there have been vigorous protests by environmental groups within New Zealand, none of which have been effective in halting the exploration which has the support of the NZ government.

In August 2010Radio NZ obtained reports under the Official Information Act that showed “Petrobras … was awarded an exploration permit two months ago off the East Coast without any environmental scrutiny.According to the documents released, the decision was made on technical and economic grounds, and required the company only to show it would use good oilfield practices.” source

Mass penguin deaths on the beaches on the east coast of New Zealand have been attributed to Petrobras’ oil exploration work in the Basin. International research suggests that seismic testing is responsible for killing a range of sea creatures.

This month a Chinese backed, Australian mining company, Goldmining NL, revealed it had plans to explore for oil in the seabed off the Abel Tasman National Park, across much of Golden Bay and the NW point of the South Island. It is proposing drilling the seabed for oil and gas, as well as prospecting for coal in Golden Bay and developing Port Tarakohe. (source)

Pollution

The air at more than half of all the air sampling sheds in New Zealand fails quality tests, with much of the pollution caused by residential wood smoke during winter, even with proposed improvements 45% of the population will still be exposed to higher than acceptable levels of PM10s.

One of New Zealand’s rivers – The Manawatu – is among the most polluted in the world and many beaches suffer pollution from stormwater and waste water overflows making them unsafe to swim on. (more below, including videos and citations)

Tonnes of toxic herbicides and pesticides are dropped from helicopters over thousands of hectares of countryside every year, including the highly controversial and dangerous poisons 1080 (see 1080 posts) and Brodifacoum (a rat poison similar to warfarin) – neither of them are intended to be distributed from the air, they are supposed to be laid in covered bait stations. Weed killer  is also sprayed from helicopters over wide swathes of countryside in an effort to eradicate non-native plants such as gorse. Tourists, workers, farm animals, native fauna and pets have all been exposed to these toxins – sometimes with fatal consequences.

A new class of insecticides called  neonicotinoids are widely used in New Zealand. They are thought to be contributing to the rapid decrease in the honey bee population.  By 2008 the Environmental Risk Management Agency had licensed 23 neonicotinoid-based products, despite mounting evidence of the harm the neurotoxin was having on bees.

By May 2011 an alarming “bee colony collapse” had been observed over a six month period in New Zealand. In some places 30% of the population has disappeared. But despite some classes of neonicotinoid being banned in Italy, Germany and France there are no plans to curb its use in New Zealand. Because of the important role bees play in the pollination of crops Albert Einstein speculated that “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left.”

Hundreds of hectares of land are polluted with toxic chemicals left behind after years of intensive fruit growing, chemical use and/or manufacture (Agent Orange, wood preservatives, heavy metals etc) Over time, as the use of orchards declined, the land was often sold on for residential housing development. Many homeowners are unaware that their houses are built on contaminated land. Councils are very reluctant to release information as it will have a negative impact on land values and there could be massive bills for remediation work and difficulties in disposing of the contaminated soils.

Drums of toxic chemicals were recently discovered beneath a children’s playground in Marfell, the site of New Plymouth’s former city refuse dump. The chemicals were tetrachlorobenzene and trichlorophenol, both used in the manufacture of herbicides.

Ivon Watkins Dow (now named Dow Agro Sciences)manufactured herbicides ’24D’ and ’245T’, used in equal part in the manufacture of the defoliant Agent Orange, at its Paritutu plant for use in the Vietman war. The dioxin contaminant TCDD within ’245T’ is considered to be highly toxic to humans. Exposure to dioxins is alleged to have resulted in an estimated 10% increase in cancer deaths in the New Plymouth area.

Over a 30 year time span 20 million litres of the 2 herbicides were sprayed in New Zealand to control gorse and other weeds. The NZ government was said to have subsidised the use of the herbicides and 245T was both produced and used in NZ long after other countries had banned them. Production in the USA ceased in 1979 but continued in New Plymouth until 1987

Sustainable Development

An example of joined up thinking with regards to sustainable development in New Zealand can be seen is the construction of a new school in the Remarkables, Queenstown.

It is the first new state primary school to have opened in the lower North Island since the 1970s cost $17.3 million to build but it was refused a grant to install an energy efficient, sustainable energy system. The school is now reliant on electricity and paying more than $10,000 a month with an estimated spend of $75,000 for the full year. The education ministry doesn’t fund electricity bills of that size and the shortfall must come from the school’s operating budget, or community fund raising.

Will sustainable development be a key factor in the rebuilding of Christchurch? we will be watching.

1080 Use In NZ May Be Stopped By The USA Congress

1080 Poison

There was promising news for the environment in New Zealand today.

The Press is running a story saying that the US Congress is to be presented with a bill that will ban the production and export of the poison 1080 (sodium monofluoroacetate) of which New Zealand is the world’s single largest user, taking almost all of the production.

Sodium fluoroacetate slowly decomposes in soil and water in low temperatures, resulting in continued persistence in the environment. Damage to non-target native species occurs and varies depending on the species. In New Zealand the assumption is made that the environmental costs of using sodium fluoroacetate are less than the benefits but research is needed to verify this stance. source

It is intended to be used in enclosed environmental (such as warehouses) where exposure can be carefully controlled, however in New Zealand tonnes of the substance are dropped from helicopters every year in an effort to control possum, rats, deer and small mammals; often killing native wildlife in the process

New Zealand’s Dept of Conservation went to the extraordinary measure of  supporting the use, and production, of 1080 by briefing the USA’s EPA on how it’s used in New Zealand. Despite massive protests from many sectors of the NZ public (including farmers and local councils) about the widespread use of the poison over thousands of hectares of land and the damage it does to the environment.

Helicopter drop of 1080

Some councils in NZ have already taken their own action to prevent aerial dropping of the poison within their boundaries and others have called for sustainable alternatives

“Congressman Peter DeFazio made his third attempt to have 1080 banned when he introduced the bill to the US Congress last week. The Oregon politician introduced similar bills in 2005 and 2007.

DOC spokesman Rory Newsam said it was well aware of the latest bill and DeFazio’s previous efforts to ban 1080. It had briefed the US administration’s Environmental Protection Agency in 2008 on 1080′s role in stopping the spread of bovine TB and protecting the country’s bush and birds, he said.

An Animal Health Board spokesman was also aware of DeFazio’s efforts. The bill’s success would have an impact on its fight against bovine TB. The US agency was aware New Zealand’s 1080 use had been deemed safe by the 2007 Environmental Risk Management Authority review, he said.

However, Clyde Graf, co-producer of documentary Poisoning Paradise – Ecocide in New Zealand, said the bill sent a message to New Zealand that it should be considering the same action. “For too long, this country has been married to the indiscriminate aerial use of 1080.”

American 1080 opponents believed the current bill had a better chance of success. Brooks Fahy, of the US-based Predator Defence, said he was excited about the chance of finally getting the bill passed. “We have garnered significant congressional support for this legislation and have built a coalition with other environmental organisations.”

We hope the bill will get the support it deserves, the third time could well be the charm especially after the success of the Graf brothers’ film, was shown within the AMRISTA film network at film festivals.

There’s a high likelihood that NZ based environmental organisations and pressure groups will be bringing pressure on congress to pass the bill, we wish them every success with that.

Even if the bill succeeds 1080 use will continue in New Zealand for some years to come as there is thought to be about $10 million worth of the substance stockpiled in the country. That will give DOC and other users plenty of time to find alternative methods of controlling pests.

Also see

external sites

Farmers Against 1080 FATE

Bureaucrat Gang-Up on “Farmers Against 1080″

Doc and the 1080 Fraud – by the KAKA group

Stop 1080! -  A NZ based Facebook group.

New Pro-1080 Alliance Lacks Sustainability Vision: - Press release from The Soil and Health Association of NZ

Posts tagged 1080

1080 Documentary wins out against NZ propaganda machine

Enuf is Enuf. Poison free New Zealand

Another nail in the coffin for 1080

Another Bomb In New Zealand

Another improvised explosive device was found today, this time in Taupo. It follows a car bomb left in a Otahuhu street in South Auckland a week ago. Police are very cagey about releasing details for either incident.

This time the IED was left in a 1080 depot in Broadlands Road, Taupo and was found when staff arrived for work this morning. Police evacuated the ares whilst the device was made safe.

There have also been a number of bomb threats around the country made in recent months, including one to a major airline:

Christchurch Bomb Scare

In January the Christchurch district court was evacuated after a bomb threat was made

Wellington Bomb Scare

In March Willeston House in central Wellington was evacuated after a note and email containing a bomb threat was made, cordoned off roads caused major disruption until the site was cleared by bomb squad experts.

Auckland Bomb Scare

In April three banks in lower Auckland were closed after a threat about a bomb in a non-specific ANZ bank was phoned in, sections of Queens Street were closed, causing disruption to the surrounding area.

Airline Bomb Threat

This is how New Zealand deals with people that cause major disruption through making bomb threats.  In May two teenage women who made multiple bomb threats to Singapore Airlines, pretending to be terrorists, were sentenced to three months of community detention with a 12 hour daily curfew, 200 hours of community work and 12 months’ supervision.

Isn’t it ironic that New Zealand was recently named as the most peaceful place to live?

Norwegian Hunters Blasted For Killing Pigeons Whilst DOC Asks To Slaughter An Entire Weka Population

Save the Weka

The New Zealand press is today covering the story of the Norwegian  hunters, who filmed themselves shooting Kereru whilst on holiday in New Zealand, facing criminal charges if they ever dare to return to New Zealand. From the Herald:

“The men caused outrage both here and in Norway after posting a video of their trip on YouTube, including a clip where one of the men used a high-powered rifle to shoot a native kereru pigeon.

The video showed a man holding two dead kereru and also had a clip showing a paradise duck being shot illegally with a rifle.

Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said the Department of Conservation (DOC) had completed its investigation into the hunters and found two paradise ducks had been shot out of season during a four-day hunt near Franz Josef.

“I have received an emailed apology from the five men, and while I accept they now regret what they have done, I don’t consider their excuses to be credible,” Ms Wilkinson said today.

“The callous disregard these men showed for our native wildlife was outrageous and New Zealanders were justifiably angered by the footage they released.”

Do New Zealanders also  feel “justifiably angered” by DOC’s announcement that they’re planning to slaughter the entire population of native Weka from the Open Bay Islands? (source 3News)

“3 News has learned the Department of Conservation is planning to kill the entire weka population on two remote islands off the West Coast of the South Island.

The weka is a cheeky, pesky little bird and the mass extermination will see around 100 native birds killed off.

The killing is to protect rare geckos, skinks and an indigenous leech, which are themselves threatened by the weka.

The dead birds may be given to local Maori for food.

Bird lover Mike Bennett is fighting to save up to 100 of the birds, which DOC wants to eradicate from the uninhabited Open Bay Islands off the West Coast.

“The people of New Zealand own those wekas,” says Mr Bennett.

Publicly DOC is saying no decision has yet been taken, but 3 News has obtained internal emails which show its intent on the weka cull.

DOC is planning on advising the Minister of Conservation that “euthanasing” the weka is “legal and defendable” and its “duty”…

..Mr Bennett says Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson needs to bring a stop to the killing.

“I think she needs to take a firm grip on the controls, and say ‘I am the boss’. She has the bureaucrats to advise her but the buck stops with her,” he says.

Ms Wilkinson says she needs for information before making a judgment.

“Well the weka are a native species and of course I have an interest in native species as the Minister for Conservation, but again I have to get the full facts of what’s happening down there,” she says.

Killing one native species to save another is a hard decision and questions will be asked about whether DOC has kept its minister and the public properly informed.

Ric Cullinane, from Fish and Game says it is not only the death of the animals which is disturbing. The Norwegian hunters have broken laws around hunting without a license, hunting outside a season and using a rifle. He says Cullinane says ignorance is no excuse. There’s no information given to visitors about hunting regulations.

Join the Facebook group Save the Weka here

DOC, you may recall,  is  responsible for drops of the highly toxic 1080, which indiscriminately kills countless numbers of native wildlife, as well as the possums, stoats and other small mammals that it’s supposed to be targeted at. See posts tagged 1080 for details

After a 1080 drop at Mount Edmont National Park there was allegedly “No Bird life left”.

Back in March we wrote about a possum skin trader, Stu Bracegirdle of Inglewood,  who had visited the park twice since the drop. He said that it’s not just the possums that  were killed, he said there is no bird life left :

“Mr Bracegirdle said he often set traps to catch possums around the Mangaoraka picnic area, 2.3km up from the park entrance and 4.5km below the North Egmont Road.

He could not hear or see any birdlife there now. “It was just dead. There was nothing.

“It’s a funny feeling, eh? I’ve spent 15 to 20 years on the mountain as a trapper, and you always had fantails, tomtits follow you round – there’s just nothing.”

Mr Bracegirdle claimed that when he visited that area following the first 1080 drop in the mid-1990s, he took “heaps of pictures of dead birds”. However, because they were not in J-peg format, DOC would not look at them.”

Talk about double standards! Let’s hope that Kate Wilkinson applies the same reasoning to the slaughter of the Weka as she did to the killing of the brace of ducks and Kereru.

1080 Drop For Mount Egmont To Go Ahead – Updated

From the Taranaki Daily News:

“Fingers are crossed at the Department of Conservation for fine weather in the last part of summer to drop 70 tonnes of 1080 pellets into the Egmont National Park.

The saga of Operation Egmont has been dragging on since August last year.

DOC was unable to fly helicopters into the park by the end of its consent window on December 20 because of bad weather and received an extension to March 31 from Taranaki’s medical officer of health.

Plans were then to make the aerial drop of non toxic cereal bait in mid-January, followed by the 1080 bait early this month.

However, DOC Taranaki area manager Phil Mohi said it was decided to hold off on last month and the early part of February because of the number of summer trampers.

Mr Mohi said it was now “fingers crossed” the weather would be right to begin the whole operation shortly.

It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover more than 33,500ha of park in green cinnamon-scented 1080-laced pellets to control possums, stoats and rats.

“At present forecasts for February and March are looking good so we hope to undertake the operation within the next few weeks,” said Mr Mohi.

He said possum control would still be effective despite the delays.

DOC will contact all neighbouring landowners of the park just before the drop. Signs will be erected at all park entrances, along with public notices in local publications…”

Early February and they expect all the trampers to be gone, that’s rather premature isn’t it? Readers may remember the Brazilian couple who were incensed when caught up in aerial weed-killer spraying of gorse and exposed to a “rain of chemicals” in Kahurangi National Park, the second largest national park in New Zealand. See “Clean Green New Zealand Is A Joke.”

But rest assured. Safety is going to be of the utmost importance this time round:

“The bait will be applied using two of Eltham’s Beck Helicopters, equipped with GPS technology.
DOC staff will be clearing bait from tracks and the public is asked not to handle any pellets they find. Dog owners are also asked to be extra vigilant over the next few months, for while dogs are not allowed in the park it is possible possum carcasses may wash downstream during floods.
“Safety is our key concern with this operation,” said Mr Mohi.”

And this is from people who cross their fingers?

Update 26 March 2010:

It’s now a few weeks since the drop, how safe was it for wildlife and people in the park?

“No Bird life left”

A possum skin trader, Stu Bracegirdle of Inglewood,  has visited the park twice since the drop. He says that it’s not just the possums that have been killed, he says there is no bird life left :

“Mr Bracegirdle said he often set traps to catch possums around the Mangaoraka picnic area, 2.3km up from the park entrance and 4.5km below the North Egmont Road.

He could not hear or see any birdlife there now. “It was just dead. There was nothing.

“It’s a funny feeling, eh? I’ve spent 15 to 20 years on the mountain as a trapper, and you always had fantails, tomtits follow you round – there’s just nothing.”

Mr Bracegirdle claimed that when he visited that area following the first 1080 drop in the mid-1990s, he took “heaps of pictures of dead birds”. However, because they were not in J-peg format, DOC would not look at them.”

And a couple of weeks ago contractors spraying gorse within the Mount Egmont National Park said they were exposed to an aerial drop of 1080 whilst working in Lucy’s Gully. See “1080 Dropped on Contractors Playing Possum“

For more posts about toxic 1080 click here