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".
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