Posted on 12-5-2003

The Good, The Bad And The Unfortunate

Good: Friday 9 May 2003, Auckland - Today Greenpeace congratulated Pete Hodgson on his support for renewable energy projects after the announcement of Te Apiti wind farm project by Meridian Energy. “We’re encouraged to see the Minister of Energy pointing out the huge potential of wind power for New Zealand’s future energy needs,” said Greenpeace Climate Campaigner Vanessa Atkinson. “New Zealand should proudly be heading towards a wind-powered future. Clearly options like burning dirty coal and other fossil fuels are antiquated and out of line with our Kyoto Protocol commitments and protecting the world’s climate.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) name carbon dioxide, created when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burnt, to be a significant greenhouse gas influencing climate change. “Wind is free. Wind generated power could be one of the cheapest sources of electricity when carbon taxes hits coal and other fossil fuel forms of generation. But the Government must put in place mechanisms to move New Zealand to a 100% renewable future,” said Atkinson. “We look forward to further announcements from the Government as to how they will build renewables into a response to the current energy crisis by moving New Zealand to a clean green energy future”.

According to the Government’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), “…the total long-term potential [for wind energy generation] has been assessed to be in the order of 100,000 gigawatt hours per year, three times our present generation.” [1] “New Zealand has one of the best wind resources in the world ­ the present New Zealand project announcement is only the tip of the iceberg in the future of wind energy here,” concluded Atkinson.

On 1 May the biggest wind farm development in the Southern Hemisphere was announced in Australia. The 180 MW Portland Wind Energy Project will be actively generating pollution-free power for 100,000 homes by mid-2005.

[1] Review of New Zealand’s Wind Energy Potential to 2015 ­ EECA, May 2001.

The Bad:
Auckland, Friday 9 May 2003: As the New Zealand Government pushes through legislation to further enable commercial release of genetically engineered (GE) crops, Australian state governments are ensuring that Australia will remain free from GE food crops for at least another year (1).

Yesterday's announcement of a twelve month freeze by Victoria's Bracks Government now means all major Australian canola growing states have imposed some form of moratorium on the commercial release of the country's first proposed GE food crop.

Recently re-elected New South Wales Premier Bob Carr's promised bill for a three year moratorium on GE food crops is expected to pass through the state legislature in the next few weeks.  Western Australia is currently drafting legislation for a five-year moratorium and Tasmania has a ban on all GE food crops in place until 2008. 

The South Australia Government has asked the biotech industry not to plant this year with a parliamentary inquiry reporting back in June. Neither the Northern Territory nor ACT grows canola.  Queensland grows very little and has missed the planting season for this year. 

The Victorian decision comes as a major blow to applicants Monsanto and Bayer, who have lobbied strongly for the release of their GE canola products. As one of the world's largest exporters of canola, Australia is seen as a key area for expansion of GE crops, which are struggling to find acceptance outside North America and Argentina.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigner John Hepburn described the national freeze on GE canola as "a victory for common sense". "GE crops are a pariah both domestically and on world markets. It is not in Australia's economic interest to introduce GE canola, nor is it in the  interests of the community". Greenpeace New Zealand campaigner Steve Abel said: Our own Labour Government should be listening to public opinion and the clearly demonstrated economic imperative against GE crops by legislating a ban on them here. But they have become so entrenched in the politics of lifting the moratorium that they intend to give up the very GE free opportunity that the Royal Commission advised we must maintain.

(1) Australia currently only allows the commercial planting of GE cotton and GE carnations..


The Unfortunate: "This governments opposition to "country of origin labelling" on food, fails to address the New Zealand publics right to know whether they are eating food that is produced in regions of China that are effected by SARS",  says MADENZ founder, StephenTindall-the woman. "The methods of transmission of the SARS epidemic has not yet been fully investigated. It is possible that spores from SARS may lay dormant upon Chinese products and then reproduce and reactivate themselves once they find conditions of warmth and moisture," Ms Tindall says from Mt Maunganui today. "A small New Zealand child may offer these conditions to the virus by simply placing her fingers in her mouth after playing with a McDonalds toy that has been produced in a Chinese SARS infected sweatshop".  "At least with toys and other durable products made in China, we can say "No thanks, we do not want SARS with that". "However, while imported food does not have mandatory country of origin labelling, the New Zealand public cannot make informed decisions on the food they eat, thereby they are prevented from taking measures to protect themselves against the possibility of infection."
 
During the parliamentary session yesterday (Thursday 8th April), Judith Tizard MP suggested that labels of origin should not be mandatory because "they are used to discriminate against imported products." "Ms Tizard needs to be reminded of who is paying her wages -  New Zealanders who have the right to know where their food comes from and thereby have the ability to protect themselves from imported dangers, or foreign food-producing corporations vying for our market". "Country of origin labelling on food must be made mandatory. An gram of prevention is worth a kilo of cure".