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Maya McNicoll

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Maya is a writer, artist, strategist and campaigner. She sailed with the Rainbow Warrior in 2013 and continues to campaign on environment and social justice issues.

  • The clean green principled economy (2/3)

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 30, 2013 at 14:04

    It takes 20 years to build a reputation and only five Minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you will do things differently.” - Warren Buffet

    Yesterday we spoke about the 70% of export revenue that is directly attributable to New Zealand’s clean green principled reputation - worth $36.7 Billion to our economy each year.

    Today, before we really get into this, I just want to say a quick word about the timing of big oil coming to New Zealand…2012 brought Hurricane Sandy to New York, Floods to the U.K., and saw Australia burn.  In short 2012 brought climate change to the front doors of the developed World.  Obama even talked about it in his recent inauguration speech.

    “We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and futu... Read more >

  • The clean green principled economy (1/3)

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 29, 2013 at 10:48

    New Zealand is a commodities exporter…okay okay, I know that’s not a super sexy opening line, but don’t worry this isn’t an economics lecture, well it kind of is, but I’ll try and keep it brief and on point.

    New Zealand makes her money from selling the ‘stuff’ we grow, design and build to overseas countries.  That ‘stuff’ is made up of things like our awesome wines, the milk powder which we sell to China, butter that we sell to Europe and lamb which we are famous for the world over. That’s our mainstay export business.  That export business succeeds in no small part on the back of the reputation New Zealand carries overseas for being a clean, green and principled Nation.

    Here’s the numbers…(skip to the next paragraph If numbers aren’t your thing)

    70% of our export business relies on our clean green reputationIn 2011 our Gross commodities exports (re... Read more >

  • When Big Oil comes to town

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 21, 2013 at 20:08

         AttributionNo Derivative Works Some rights reserved by chatirygirl

    Today was the first time in about a week I woke up feeling anything like human.  I’ve been laid low for the past few days with some gruesome combo of motion sickness and a wicked head cold.  When I feel a filthy lurgey coming on, I like to wrap up, get horizontal and read a good book; a luxury I rarely allow myself enough time to enjoy when I’m feeling fighting fit.  Some people like to match wines with food, I like to match sicknesses with books.  Call me weird, I don’t care.

    Vultures’ Picnic: In pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates and High-finance CarnivoresI partnered this particular lurgey with Vultures’ Picnic: In pursuit of Petroleum Pigs, Power Pirates and High-finance Carnivores by Greg Palast; an “all the president’s men” for Big Oil.  I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a fairly thick tome of investigative journalism with a hint of the Gonzo thrown in ... Read more >

  • Friends for life

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 18, 2013 at 12:45

    Hugs of renewed friendship

    Near the East Cape the local iwi te Whanau a Apanui have lived on the land and fished in the waters of the Raukumara Basin for generations.

    In 2011 the New Zealand Government gave oil exploration and drilling rights across the Raukumara Basin to the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras.

    The Brazilian oil giant then sent a seismic survey vessel called the Orient Explorer to assess its potential for oil and gas. Te Whanau a Apanui, as they have done for many generations, stood up in response to defend their home.

    Together with Greenpeace, the local people put together a flotilla of yachts and fishing boats and set sail directly into the path of the oil giant. It was a mismatch of David and Goliath proportions.

    San Pietro

    Aboard one of their fishing vessels along with local skipper Elvis Teddy, tribal leader Ri... Read more >

  • Snake Oil

    Blogpost by Maya McNicoll - January 16, 2013 at 22:00

     

    Whanau Apanui greet Greenpeace on the East Coast

    The banners that welcomed the new Rainbow Warrior into Auckland read “Haere Mai” – Welcome home.  The state of the art ship is here in her spiritual home to bring attention to the fact that John Key and his cronies have reckless plans for the seas that surround our beautiful country. 

    The New Zealand government has been selling off large chunks of the oceans to foreign oil companies with a view to exploratory, very experimental, very very deep sea oil exploration and drilling. 

    Ask any rigger and they will tell you that drilling for oil is a risky business at the best of times, but the deeper you go, the higher the risk of an accident, the higher the cost to the environment and the lower the economic returns to the Oil companies and to the country.  It is a high risk, low return vent... Read more >

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