I realised that politicians can’t always be trusted to act in the best interests of the people or the planet, and felt compelled by an irresistible force to do something, writes Sarah Thomson, ahead of a date at the High Court in Wellington this month The day it really hit home was when I listened to James Hansen … Read more
From optimistic beginnings in 1890, Arbor Day has fallen into semi-obscurity around the country. But there’s a very good reason why New Zealand needs this day, and more native trees, says Trees That Count ambassador Joris De Bres. So, what are you doing for Arbor Day? Yes, Arbor Day. In case the day dedicated to … Read more
If our native bird species could text the New Zealand public and let us know how they’re doing, what would they say? Forest & Bird’s Kimberley Collins decodes the stats from a new report. Yesterday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released a new report on the “desperate situation” our native birds face. Because I … Read more
The idea that we hold the atmosphere around us in trust, with a duty to protect it for future generations, is taking hold. And the debate is drawing on everything from an 18th century English jurist to contemporary activism by US peoples of colour, writes Claire Browning. Nobody owns the sky, but all of our lives depend … Read more
New Zealanders celebrated the government’s ambitious goal to completely eradicate possums, rats and stoats by 2050 – but according to some scientists, the plan is ill-conceived and unlikely to succeed. Ahead of a major conference on the future of New Zealand biodiversity, Dr Jamie Steer argues that Predator Free 2050 needs an urgent rethink. Last … Read more
From an idea floated in Rolling Stone magazine just five years ago, divestment – the withdrawal of investments in immoral industries – has grown into a global campaign. Now New Zealand businesses, government organisations and community groups are being encouraged to join the movement, writes 350 Aotearoa’s Niamh O’Flynn. A whole town evacuated, powerless in … Read more
Gina Williams’ family has owned the Waikato dairy farm she grew up on for generations, and today they still tend the land with pride. She writes about the other side of the dairy industry, where care for animals and the environment remains paramount. Earlier this month, the current affairs show Sunday aired a segment called … Read more
An essay by Dr Philip Steer on Lake Tutira in Hawke’s Bay, now an unswimmable toxic dump, but once the idyllic setting for one of the greatest books ever published in New Zealand. Pinea rawatia ki Tutira ra; Ki te ue pata, ki te kai rakau. A ehara e hine i te roto hou; He … Read more
A major new report gives New Zealand a road map for achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of this century. Now it’s time for business to stand up and be counted, says the Sustainable Business Council’s Abbie Reynolds. You’ve probably never heard of UK-based independent economics consultancy Vivid Economics, but the report they’re … Read more
As New Zealanders’ drift to the city continues, the rural-urban divide grows ever deeper. Instead of writing off the complaints of ‘townies’, those of us in the agricultural industries can’t afford to ignore the increasing calls for action, writes John Hart, farmer and Green candidate. When I was kid in the 1970s, almost everyone I … Read more
Winston Peters is up in arms about fake meat products, accusing them of ‘ripping off’ names traditionally associated with the real thing. Instead of quibbling about labelling, why not seize the opportunity presented by non-meat alternatives, writes Kathryn van Beek. Most of us have our own ways of trying to make the world a better … Read more
Ahead of David Attenborough’s New Zealand live show, superfan Anthony Gardiner assembles the great naturalist’s greatest television moments. Ahh David Attenborough <heart eyes>. More so than any other human on Planet Earth, Sir D.A has inspired generations of us to love nature. The modern environmental movement is said to have started in the ’60s. How … Read more
From confirmation that 2016 was New Zealand’s warmest year on record to the imminent inauguration of a big-emissions US president, it’s easy to understand desperation in the face of climate change. But we need to channel all our energies into urgent action, writes James Renwick. Climate change and global warming have been in the news … Read more
It’s Conservation Week, and we’re celebrating with a green-themed quiz. Dive in and discover how much you know about our wild places and natural resources.
Former Al Jazeera journalist Caitlin McGee spent years living in the Middle East and has reported from South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Indonesia. Recently returned home to New Zealand, she’s dismayed with what she’s found. The girl sitting across from me never had control of her body. She’d spent her childhood as the possession of … Read more
Alongside Russia and Ukraine, New Zealand is complicit in a climate swindle, and our reputation is at risk, writes Geoff Simmons. New Zealand has been a willing participant in a wholesale climate fraud. The trail to prove this allegation is long and winding, and the detail can all be read in a new report here. … Read more
As editor of the superb new collection of essays in Dispatches from Continent Seven: An anthology of Antarctic science, Rebecca Priestley has chosen wisely and wittily. Her book includes a frightening vision of natural disaster by Kathryn Smith, who examines how a rapidly warming ocean has encouraged the invasion of the complete bastards of the … Read more
The French capital will host close to 50,000 visitors from Monday for the milestone fortnight-long climate summit. In the lead-up to the event, many people have had a lot to say. Below is a selection of the best and most eye-raising verbal (and illustrative) emissions. 1. Christiana Figueres: Paris Will Mark, Rather than Create, a … Read more