All articles
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Out of our depth: deep-sea oil exploration in New Zealand
The inability of the authorities to cope with the effects of the recent oil spill from the Rena cargo ship, despite the best efforts of Maritime New Zealand, has brought into sharp focus the environmental risks involved in the Government’s decision to open up vast swathes of the country’s coastal waters for deep-sea oil drilling.
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Save our beaches from oil disaster
Many of us watched dumbfounded as the oil-spill disaster in the US Gulf of Mexico unfolded in 2010. Amazingly, as the oil was gushing from BP’s well, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee was issuing permits for deepwater exploration to be carried out here. Mr Brownlee never questioned Petrobras’ environmental record – which happens to…
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Future Investment – Energy
This report shows that investment in renewables pays off quite quickly due to massive savings in fuel costs. In fact, a 'business as usual' mix in the world global power generation sector would result in 10 times higher fuel costs, when compared to the additional investment needed to implement the energy [r]evolution pathway.
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The power and appeal of wind
Anyone who has struggled to stay upright in a strong Wellington or Taranaki gale is aware of the intrinsic power of the wind. Wind energy has been harnessed by people for centuries. From the familiar windmills of Europe to the world’s most famous explorers who mapped the globe by sailing ship. Indeed the first Polynesian…
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The environmental impacts of coal
Coal is the dirtiest of all fuels. From mining to coal cleaning, from transportation to electricity generation to disposal, coal releases numerous toxic pollutants into the air, water and land. These disrupt ecosystems and endanger human health. Some cause cancer, others damage the nervous and immune systems, and some impede reproduction and development.
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The plantation effect
An Ecoforestry Review of the Environmental Effects of Exotic Monoculture Tree Plantations in Aotearoa/New Zealand