whakatane newsletter may 2011
Climate Change Expert
Dr James Hansen
“Climate Change: a scientific, moral and legal issue” will be presented in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Dunedin, Gore and Christchurch. Dr Hansen has been invited to New Zealand by a group of environmental, social justice and business organisations, academics and committed individuals, as a contribution to the ongoing debate about climate change – and coal.
Thurs 12th May: Auckland 6.30 pm: Public lecture. University of Auckland Business School, 12 Grafton Road
Fri 13th May: Palmerston North 1.30 – 2.45 pm: Public lecture. Japan Lecture Theatre, Massey University
Mon 16th May: Wellington 5.45 pm: Public lecture. Rutherford House, welcomed by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown
Tues 17th May: Wellington 8.45 am – 5.30 pm: IPS Symposium “Future of Coal,” Victoria University
Wed 18th May: Dunedin 5.30 – 7 pm: Public lecture. St David’s Lecture Hall
Thurs 19th May: Gore 2 pm: Public meeting hosted by Mataura Landcare group , Gore District Council
Friday 20th May:Unversity of Canterbury, 12-1pm: A1 Lecture Theatre; 5.30 pm: Public talk. Canterbury Horticultural Centre, 57 Riccarton Avenue hosted by Kennedy Graham, MP
Saturday 21st May: AUCKLAND 12-4 pm: FESTIVAL for the PLANET, with speakers, workshops, performers and action planning.
AND at Gisborne District Council 23rd May - 10 am - 12 noon
With James Hansen arriving in New Zealand next week talking climate action and coal, three NZ-based climate experts have announced a regional speaking tour designed to complement Hansen’s efforts and Gisborne is on the tour route!
Climate scientist Jim Salinger will be joined by Professor Caroline Saunders from Lincoln University (well-known for her work on the carbon footprinting of agricultural exports) and business commentator Rod Oram to present a session on “Maintaining farm productivity and profits in an uncertain climate”. They’ll explain …the nature of climate change, its impacts on New Zealanders’ health, properties, infrastructure, environment and rural industries. They will bring the latest information on climate change science and how it affects rural industries in regional New Zealand.
They’ll be visiting Wanganui, Hawera, New Plymouth, Stratford, Gisborne, Napier and Hastings in May, with visits to Northland, Bay of Plenty/Waikato, Nelson/Marlborough, South Canterbury and Westland planned for July/August. Sounds like a very worthwhile session for anyone with an interest in agriculture, climate and New Zealand’s future.
DIVE!
Monday May 9th at CINEMA 5 at 5.30pm
Run time 40 mins
Follow filmmaker Jeremy Seifert and his circle of friends as they dumpster dive in the back alleys and gated garbage receptacles of L.A.’s supermarkets. In the process, they uncover thousands of dollars worth of good food and an ugly truth about waste in America: grocery stores know they are wasting and most refuse to do anything about it. MORE...
DIVE! TRAILER....
Contact us to join the Green Screening network and get concessionary rate VOUCHERS - $9 ticket with voucher AND a CAN for Whakatane Food Bank!! Please support this Salvation Army Foodbank collection, and help keep our dumpsters people-free.
KAWERAU FOOD BANK is also fresh out of supplies, and collections are being made on Tuesday 10th May around Kawerau Town.
Every year in the UK £12 billion worth of food is thrown away which could have been eaten. The Love Food Hate Waste programme from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) and has lots tasty recipes and top tips to help us make the most of the food we buy. More thrifty ideas from the great Kiwi website Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag.
FOOD WEEK - Strangely, 9th - 15th May is Food Week 2011 - the aim of their JUST COOK theme is to encourage families who are frequently eating takeaways to cook more meals at home. Activities will include recipes, competitions, Facebook site and a unit of work and competition for Year 10 students. Resources & MORE...
FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT May 7th - 22nd - Check out the Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand website for ideas and resources. More local information HERE...
Who really pays for cheap BANANAS? Listen to Harriet Lamb talking to Kim Hill HERE...
An absolutely MASSIVE THANK YOU to Christine for providing the BEST FT coffee at Vendor in Whakatane for so long. To say you will be missed is an understatement. All the best for the future.
ELVIS TEDDY ARRESTED - 23 April 2011 - Iwi fishing skipper detained on navy warship - FULL message is available on-line on Facebook. Elvis Teddy, skipper of the Te Whanau a Apanui tribal fishing boat San Pietro, was arrested at sea and detained on a navy warship while fishing in Te Whanau a Apanui customary fishing grounds in the vicinity of the Orient Explorer, the deep sea oil survey ship ship currently conducting seismic testing in the Raukumara Basin on behalf of Brazilian oil company Petrobras - the radio broadcast is available HERE... What you CAN do - Contact your local MP as soon as possible and express your concern about the exploration permit, the lack of consultation with Te Whanau a Apanui, the arrest of the skipper of a vessel exercising customary fishing rights, and the protection of the interests of a foreign oil company at the expense of the rights of the local iwi. Sign Greenpeace PETITION, join Facebook CAMPAIGN..., Print POSTERS... Ride a bike... Share a car....
CAR SHARE BOP - This new website, run by Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has had an upgrade. It’s potentially a great local resource, but that will require many more users to sign up. Register HERE... and enter your travel details.
TAKING ROOT - Tauranga Monthly Film Nights is supporting a fundraising project led by Kenyan-born locals Johnson Moseti and Julia Sich-Moseti in aid of their nephews Momanyi and Solomon Jr Moseti. Entry is free – please donate! ($7 will pay for one day's education for one boy). Johnson and Julia will talk about their two young nephews and life in Kenya, followed by a screening of the beautiful and engaging film "Taking Root – The Vision of Wangari Maathai", telling the story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai. Wangari's simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide environmental movement that also protects human rights and defends democracy. The film screening will be followed by tea/coffee, biscuits and socialising. RSVP appreciated to rlopert@xtra.co.nz or phone 07 544 5360). Wed May 4th, Wesley Church Hall, 13th Avenue, Tauranga, 7.00pm.
QUEEN OF THE SUN - The Tauranga Monthly Film Nights team and Green Screening Whakatane also recommend that you take the time to go and see this excellent film. It will be screening at the Rialto Cinema, Tauranga from this Thur 28th April, and is already running at Cinema 5 Whakatane (5.45pm DAILY). Trailer HERE....
Described by Box Office Magazine as "the feel-good advocacy movie of the year", the film "is an in-depth investigation to discover the causes and solutions behind Colony Collapse Disorder; a phenomenon where honeybees vanish from their hives, never to return. Queen of The Sun follows the voices and visions of underrepresented beekeepers, philosophers, and scientists around the world, all struggling for the survival of the bees. While other bee films focus exclusively on commercial beekeepers, this film emphasizes the biodynamic and organic communities who have differing opinions from many commercial beekeepers and are overlooked in other films." A petition calling on Parliament to protect bees can be downloaded HERE...
4000 GE TREES - Scion smoke signals warn of imminent GE tree planting 17th Apr 2011 - according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ. Green Drinks Rotorua is hosting a public meeting in Rotorua on April 28 that will provide opportunity for Dr Elvira Dommisse, Soil & Health, GE Free Northland, and GE Free NZ, to provide information on the risks of Scion and its United States partner ArborGen’s involvement in GE trees. The public meeting is the opportunity for the independent scientific and environmentalist viewpoint to be expressed in Rotorua. Thur 28th April - 4000 GE trees - Risks Of GE & What To Do Instead - Public Meeting with national speakers at 6pm, the Blue Baths, Government Gardens, Rotorua. Contact Martin Sharp for more details - martinsharp@free.net.nz 027 348 8577 or 07 349 4966
Join GE FREE New Zealand to support the on-going work.
BIKES IN SCHOOLS - Following on from the workshop "I Love to Ride my Bike" in Feb, a Bikes in Schools project has started here. We have been recommended BYK bikes, used by Paul McArdle's other Bikes in Schools projects countrywide. Nick and Nathan from BYK bikes are at Apanui School in Whakatane with some demonstration bikes on Mon 2nd May at 9am if you would like to find out more and support the media coverage of this excellent project.
THE SANDCASTLE - Keeping it local! A big thank you to Fiona & Wayne for brightening up their corner of the Universe, with a regular local market, new mini recycling point and plenty of good cheer. I appreciate you (and the regular cups of tea)! Looking forward to the new Pizza menu...
EASTBAY TIMEBANK - SUPERGRANS! There is a branch of this national organisation based in Gisborne - a bunch of wonderful ladies who teach others how to prepare five evening meals for six people for just $40! They are coming to Whakatane on Tue 10th May, 10am to 1pm to train a group of TimeBank members (also open to non-members) who can then teach others. Members can earn time credits for attending training and also time spent sharing their new skills with others. If you are interested in being involved, or just want to know more, please get in touch with Tina on eastbaytimebank@gmail.com or 07 308 0198.
CHANGE YOUR TUNA! - Greenpeace Campaign - Send a message to the main brands of canned tuna sold in New Zealand requesting that they stop selling tuna caught using indiscriminate fishing methods that kill endangered turtles, sharks and baby tuna.
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