Baz.weeber.ecowatchnz

Yes solar adds resilience to the electricity system and keeps the lights on. During cyclone Gabrielle it was places with solar and batteries that still had power in Coromandel peninsula.

Major arterial roads require more than just paint for safety. When cars collide with the concrete barriers separating cyclists from general traffic, it indicates that these barriers are fulfilling their purpose. It also raises concerns about drivers who may not be fit to hold a license,

Members at the #IUCNCongress have adopted Motion 032, calling for a transition away from destructive fishing practices on seamounts in international waters by the end of 2026 👏

Farmers off the hook on climate means rest of us pick up the slack Comment: The Government's methane announcement is the policy equivalent of a steaming cowpat on cross-partisan climate consensus.

My analysis: The Government’s methane announcement is the policy equivalent of a steaming cowpat on cross-partisan climate consensus and international efforts to tackle the crisis.

The headline effect of a new, weaker climate target is a warmer, more dangerous world.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/13/f...

Image featuring two individuals, alongside a quote about IUCN World Conservation Congress decisions on deep-sea preservation.

Two motions at #IUCNcongress could mark a turning point for deep-sea protection.

Motions 032 & 035 call for real action to safeguard vulnerable ecosystems & deliver on decades of global promises.

Read insights from Cymie Payne & Matthew Gianni: https://deep-sea-conservation.org/?p=4244

#IUCN2025

👇

Cartoon. Jane Goodall is sitting on the branch of a jungle tree. She is holding her favourite chimpanzee of all time called David Greybeard. There are vines wrapping around the branch and clouds to denote heaven. The quote, “The greatest danger to our future is apathy. You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. Jane Goodall 1934-2025.

My cartoon in today’s The Post, The Press and Waikato Times www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Jane lived by her ideals. She was a tireless advocate for the natural world. Now the baton’s been passed onto us & the younger generation. Thank u for your continuous championing for those without a voice

Govt to restrict bottom trawling during orange roughy spawn Allowable catch in the troubled East and South Chatham Rise fishery has been slashed by 88 percent.

Big cuts to Chatham Rise orange roughy fisheries from 1 October are unlikely to be enough but the Minister has proposed looking at other issues including stopping bottom trawling on spawning areas.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/09/30/g...

Government takes softly softly approach to energy reform Analysis - The government's response to electricity sector reform has been talk of significant changes followed by gradual, piecemeal measures that disappoint many, Gyles Beckford writes.

Govt approach is the wrong track to fixing electricity system. What NZ needs is electricity reforms that leverages off declining prices for solar and batteries, and wind, and excludes expensive climate unfriendly fossil gas. www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

Quarry firm looks to acquire section of Belmont Regional Park in land swap Winstone Aggregates is trying to acquire a 24 hectare block of regional park land adjacent to the quarry in exchange for three blocks of regenerated quarry land totalling 30 hectares.

Quarry company can avoid public scrutiny by using Fast Track law to acquire conservation land managed by Wellington Regional Council. Another case of why the Fast Track law is bad law, ignores alternatives, & why land swaps are never simple. #repealthefasttrack www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Sad to hear that Jane Goodall has died age 91. She supported environmental initiatives throughout the world including helping ECO and other environmental groups promote joint environmental action in NZ. A great loss for the environment and the planet.

Big new diesel power plant will help in energy crises, says Marsden Point chief Once, govt looked to build a zero carbon green power plant at the Northland oil terminal; now things have changed. Jonathan Milne reports.

Stupidity in a nutshell. Spending $200m to subsidise the most expensive fuel for a power plant - diesel. And remember we as consumers pay for the most expensive power generated at the time it is produced.

$200m would have been better spent on residential solar and battery schemes...

Big new diesel power plant will help in energy crises, says Marsden Point chief Once, govt looked to build a zero carbon green power plant at the Northland oil terminal; now things have changed. Jonathan Milne reports.

"New firming generation" means "way of raising power prices".
make them install renewables instead.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/02/b...

New data reveals widespread contamination in New Zealand's waterways Two-thirds of monitored river sites and half of groundwater bores were affected by faecal contamination, while two-thirds of lakes were rated in poor or very poor condition.

Shocking but not surprising the way this government hands the dairy industry a licence to pollute👇

More than 3500 rivers, lakes and estuaries across Aotearoa are under pressure, with new data showing widespread faecal contamination and poor water quality — especially in areas of intensive land use.

'Slowest folk on the planet': Luxon says he wants votes to be counted faster The prime minister says he expects the Electoral Commission to speed up the official vote count after an election.

Hey Chris Luxon, maybe have a wee read of the Electoral Act 1993, s7 before trying to play the Big Business CEO, huh?

"The Electoral Commission must act independently in performing its statutory functions and duties, and exercising its statutory powers, under—
(a) this Act ..."

In other words, unless the government provides more funding to the Electoral Commission, the fact that its bill will restrict people from enrolling close to election day won’t deliver a quicker result.

Since no more money is promised, it’s just about excluding people from voting.

Officials warn of damage to diplomatic relations in secret climate change memo The advice was mistakenly released by the Ministry for the Environment.

In March 2024 officials told NZ Govt that reneging on NZ's climate commitments would give bigger countries an excuse to do less. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Someone needs to ask Luxon whether it’s more important for people to vote - or get a faster result.
Australia also takes weeks for final count.

An ‘election changing’ 55,000 votes could be barred under controversial new law The Government’s changes to voting laws will see a 400% increase in “disallowed” votes, the Electoral Commission says.

The Government's controversial voting law will result in a 411% increase in the number of votes being thrown out, according to the Electoral Commission.

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

Government reopens oil and gas exploration nationwide, Greens decry 'climate fire' Industry leaders hailed the move as vital for energy security, but the Green Party condemned it as a sign the coalition cares little for the climate crisis.

This is Trumpian climate denial by the NZ government.

The Luxon govt has reopened applications for oil and gas exploration across the whole of New Zealand for the first time since the 2018 ban imposed by Jacinda Ardern, with a new faster route for awarding permits.
#nzpol

All of Govt's 2024 coal earnings spent treating damages at a single mine The Stockton mine is hoping for a fast-tracked 25-year extension, as historic damages are costing the Crown more than it earns from all coal mine royalties

I'd forgotten this piece by Fox Meyer. Shows the annual cost to the govt of treating acid mine leakage at a single coal mine is greater than the annual royalties paid by the entire coal industry. Coal is a climate disaster, it only survives on govt subsidy. newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...

Fast-track Approvals Act – a race to the bottom? Richard Reid provides his observations and insights on the Fast-track Approvals Act, drawing from 25 years of assessing and designing nationally-important infrastructure and urban renewal projects.

The fast track bill removes public participation from consenting process for large projects. This assumes the orgs that propose these projects have the best solutions. In truth, many major projects have been dramatically improved by public input: architecturenow.co.nz/articles/fas...

A Controversial Fishing Method May Dredge Up a Climate Time Bomb Bottom trawling is a fishing practice that is notoriously destructive to seafloor ecosystems. Now there’s growing evidence that it might unleash planet-warming carbon

Bottom trawling is a highly controversial fishing method, but a lesser-known problem with #bottomtrawling: its potential to unleash climate-warming gases by disturbing carbon stored in seafloor sediments. www.scientificamerican.com/article/bott... via @sciam.bsky.social

Three of New Zealand's biggest emitters no longer have to reveal their climate impact It comes after the government ended compulsory reporting for the farming sector.

NZ's biggest climate emitters in agriculture are now not reporting what they emit. This is a case of a Govt decision hiding the polluters. To be carbon neutral then we must report all emissions. Transparency is key to future action. #reportallgreenhouseemissions www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

Fast Track provisions avoids wider public scrutiny, open hearings, and normal processes to check scientific evidence. Once submissions are in the Panel can decide to hold hearings but its optional under Fast Track law & Ministers are now suggesting to further reducing scrutiny. #endthefasttrack

Submissions close tomorrow (25 August) for the limited number of parties that can submit on the Waihi North Fast Track mining proposal. Its a euphemistic name for mining gold under sensitive conservation land in the Coromandel Peninsula. www.fasttrack.govt.nz/projects/wai...

Fonterra sells Mainland, Anchor brands to French food giant The dairy giant's boss explains why it has agreed to sell its consumer businesses, including Mainland and Anchor, for nearly $4 billion.

Sale proceeds should be used to remediate damage done to rivers, and to help farmers shift away from intensive dairy to more plant-based regenerative organic farming — not more irrigation schemes and intensification.
#TooManyCows

www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...

💡Fonterra has agreed to sell Anchor Butter etc. for $3.845 billion.

Since we've ALL paid the price of decades of excessive pollution of our fresh water and the climate by intensive dairy, that money should now go into fixing the damage!

#MakePollutersPay #nzpol #TooManyCows

Govt is allowing pollution of our rivers by amending the RMA to waive consent requirements. This is another backward step by this Govt to undermine environmental standards. Minister Bishop & others are stacking up pollution for future Govts & future generations to clean up. #pollutioncoststhefuture

Climate action is multi-generational and needs to occur across many Governments. Pulling the plug on action just builds up costs for future governments and future generations. The future deserves more from this Government than ending climate action. #climateaction