'Hidden story' of industrial-sized plastic bladders going to landfills. Huge plastic bladders, each weighing as much as 20,000 plastic bags, are being dumped in landfills with no controls and no record-keeping.
Farm gas cuts have substance. Cutting farm emissions also reduces nitrogen loss but limiting nitrogen doesn’t necessarily lower gas emissions, DairyNZ’s Owl Farm demonstration manager Louise Cook says.
Greenhouse gas reduction has been added to the plethora of environmental expectations on the dairy sector in recent years. A DairyNZ demonstration day at St Peters’ School’s Owl Farm near Cambridge proved to farmers how it is possible to successfully reduce nutrient loss and gas emissions, often hand in hand. Richard Rennie went along to learn more. Action promised on intensive farming after distressing images released. Feedlots haven't been properly policed by regional councils - Minister. The Environment Minister, David Parker, says he struggles to see how some beef feedlots are legal.
The Five Star Beef feedlot is the biggest in New Zealand. Photo: Supplied / SAFE Animal welfare group SAFE and Fish and Game are asking the Minister to ban feedlot farming before it becomes commonplace, because of animal welfare and environmental concerns. Mr Parker told Checkpoint while he he hasn't seen the Five Star Beef feedlot - the biggest in the country - in person, he has seen a number of problematic and environmentally unsound feedlots in the Hawkes Bay region. Climate Change Minister James Shaw wants you to eat less meat.
Meat consumers could have 'immediate impact' on climate change by reducing intake by one meal a week - Shaw. It is not the Government's official stance, but Climate Minister James Shaw said carbon footprints could be reduced by people eating one less meat meal per week.
Corin Dann with this extended interview with Climate Change Minister James Shaw Source: Q+A On TVNZ1's Q+A this morning, host Corin Dann asked if Mr Shaw agreed with an article from The Journal suggesting the "best thing consumers can do to curb climate change would be to stop eating meat and dairy". Mr Shaw told Corin Dann that 95 per cent of New Zealanders consume meat, "and it is fairly obvious there is a lot of water, a lot of energy and a lot of land use that goes into protein production that way". "If somebody wanted to have an immediate impact, they could eat one less meat meal per week. " Overfishing : NZ’s green brand is 100% pure hypocrisy and science continues to be gagged « The Daily Blog. Our 100% pure brand is a sad sick joke.
Dairy intensification pollutes rivers, we generate huge amounts of global warming emissions and we allow deep sea oil drilling. But it gets worse. We now know that there has been grotesque over fishing over the last 60 years... The Green Party is calling for more government observers on commercial fishing vessels and at ports following the release of an international study showing major under-reporting of commercial fish catches in New Zealand waters. …the response by the Government has been to attack the science behind this report, which is of itself sadly not unusual. Future of our forests - NZ Geographic. Govt urged to walk the talk on dolphins, oceans. Action, rather than just research, is needed to protect Maui and Hector's dolphins, marine scientists and environmental groups say, as the government pledges to safeguard oceans.
Maui dophin Photo: Earthrace Conservation / Liz Slooten At the United Nations Ocean Conference in New York, New Zealand has pledged to protect, conserve and sustainably using oceans and marine resources. At the conference Conservation Minister Maggie Barry affirmed the government's commitment to establishing the Kermadec/Rangitahua Ocean Sanctuary and said she would address issues around fishing subsidies, marine debris and ocean acidification. Saving Our Environment. We’re working hard to protect our environment for future generations.
Having evolved in isolation for 80 million years, New Zealand has forged an evolutionary path that is radically different from the rest of the world. Our native plants, animals and wild places are like no others on this planet. Biodiversity Strategy? In February 2000, the NZ Government launched the Biodiversity Strategy with the intent of halting the decline of our indigenous biodiversity. $187 million dollars was earmarked for the project over a 5 year period. At the end of this 5 year plan, 35% of programmes recorded significant progress, and 23% recorded moderate progress, however 77% of NZ's threatened species lacked targeted recovery plans.
Despite the fact that our country was the last major habitable land mass to be occupied by humans, it has taken us less than 800 years to wipe out a significant amount of this unique evolutionary history. Native Plants and Animals Freshwater Environments High Country Climate Change. 'The ecology of the Sounds is in dire straits' A Marlborough eco-tourism operator is backing the Department of Conservation's move to ban new marine wildlife viewing permits.
Wildlife in the Marlborough Sounds. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the 12-month moratorium applied to the Marlborough Sounds, and areas outside in Cloudy and Clifford bays. Operations manager David Hayes said the temporary halt on permits would allow it to find out what was happening in the Sounds, and whether further steps were needed to protect the animals. He said there would be no increase in commercial operations to view dolphins, whales or seals, or swim with dolphins or seals.
Sea change (future of marine ecology in NZ) - NZ Geographic. Life is no picnic for albatrosses (waste) - NZ Geographic. New Zealand’s top marine issues at a glance. Threats and Impacts. Having survived an ice-age, numerous volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, our native species have endured some life-changing circumstances, but nothing has been more disruptive than that arrival of humans.
The most devastating threat to the survival of our native species has been the introduction of mammalian pests such as stoats, possums, rats and deer. ECO - Environment and Conservation Organisation of Aotearoa New Zealand - Key Issues. These are the key issues we work on listed below.
Please browse the links on the right to read articles on these issues and find out more information: Environmental watchdog says NZ must do more for ocean's health. Parliament's environmental watchdog has criticised the Government's report on the state of New Zealand's clean green brand. Dr Jan Wright says the government needs to be clearer on what it's going to do to help fix these concerns. Source: 1 NEWS Commissioner Jan Wright says it doesn't identify the most pressing environment issues.
She released her commentary on the Government's first State of the Environment report, which was published last year. She doesn't feel it goes far enough in addressing climate change concerns. Plastic Free New Zealand™ - Our Seas Our Future.