“It is clear from Mr Brownlee’s energy strategy, which reads like a love letter to fossil fuels - he even once described coal as ‘sexy ' - that he has missed the fact that we are about to trigger a state of runaway climate change,“ says Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner Simon Boxer.
“In his 19th century-style rush to cash up New Zealand’s mineral reserves, Gerry Brownlee is also risking a Gulf of Mexico-style oil disaster, which would destroy our invaluable clean green reputation.
“But he’s also in danger of letting New Zealand miss out on an extraordinary opportunity,” says Boxer.
With global investment in Clean Energy eclipsing fossil fuels for the second year in a row - President Obama has pledged US$69 billion (NZ$98 billion) on Clean Energy initiatives by the end of 2011 - the time’s ripe for New Zealand to harness its abundant renewable energy, smart ideas and scientific know-how to put Kiwi companies at the front of the clean technology race and grow New Zealand’s prosperity in the bargain.
“Instead of trying to resuscitate the fossil fuel industry, why not give a leg-up to those home grown innovators who will help define the future? What if Richard Pearce – the kiwi aviation pioneer - had been better supported? The world would celebrate his name instead of the Wright Brothers. Many other equally brilliant kiwi innovators will wither on the vine under this Government’s stewardship,” says Boxer.
“Most importantly, in backing Clean Energy innovation we’ll stand a good chance of making the sort of cuts to our emissions that are essential if the world is to avoid a state of runaway climate change,” Boxer says.
Some of New Zealand’s Clean Energy companies include Designline International, who are producing revolutionary hybrid turbine buses; Windflow Technology, who are designing some of the world’s most efficient wind turbine technologies; and HTS 110, who are designing world-class, super-efficient systems for transmitting renewable energy. All are examples of the sort of ingenuity for which this country is justifiably famous.
As of Thursday afternoon, Greenpeace supporters had made in excess of 3388 submissions on the Energy Strategy, calling on the Government to abandon coal and oil in favour of a Clean Energy future.
Read the Greenpeace submission
For further comment, please call Simon Boxer, Greenpeace Senior Climate Campaigner, on 021 905 579.
To arrange an interview with Simon, please call Jay Harkness, Greenpeace NZ Media and Communications Officer, on 09 360 6317 x 33, or 021 495 216.