Protecting our outstanding rivers (Environment and Resources e-news)

New Zealanders want rivers to fish, kayak and swim in and want to protect our outstanding rivers. Email not displaying correctly? View in browser Environment and Resources e-news Email newsletter on climate change, conservation, energy, fisheries, forestry, oceans & marine, peak oil, Resource Management Act, toxins, transport, waste, water View previous issues of Environment and Resources e-news Sign up for news by topic Get a regular wrap-up of news in these topic areas: Economy Environment & Resources Fairness & Society Health & Food International Relations Politics & Law Sign up for Greenweek weekly or monthly digest general news wrap-up from the Green MPs Change subscriptions Talk to MPs Catherine Delahunty Dave Clendon Denise Roche Eugenie Sage Gareth Hughes Holly Walker Jan Logie Julie Anne Genter Kennedy Graham Kevin Hague Metiria Turei Mojo Mathers Russel Norman Steffan Browning Feedback Reply to this email with your views Follow us   www.greens.org.nz Kia ora Waikato New Zealanders want rivers to fish, kayak and swim in and want to protect our outstanding rivers. Water conservation orders (WCOs) under the Resource Management Act (RMA) are the closest equivalent to national parks for rivers, but they lack the permanence and scope of national park status. We need to strengthen them, not weaken them as irrigators want. I welcome the recent launch of the "Outstanding Rivers" campaign, to push for stronger protection for our wild and outstanding rivers. Eugenie Sage, Green Party MP Skip to news Take action Protect our oceans The Government wants to know what you think about the five marine reserves proposed for the South Island's West Coast. If you love and want to protect our oceans and the unique and special wildlife that lives there please make a submission now. Events False Economy: The High Cost of a Low Wage Economy Green Party MPs Jan Logie and Denise Roche are on a national tour to discuss the impact of the government's welfare reforms and funding cuts on community organisations and on our communities. Timaru Tuesday 21st August 7:00pm - 9:00pm Christchurch Wednesday 22nd August 7:00pm - 9:00pm Lock The Gate! The Expansion of Fracking and Unconventional Oil and Gas in NZ Join us for an evening of information sharing, learning and korero with a public panel featuring touring Australian Campaigner Drew Hutton, Gareth Hughes MP and Hawkes Bay's Haana Wilcox. Wellington Wednesday 22nd 6:30pm - 8:30pm Julie Anne Genter speaks at The Road Ahead - How would you spend $30 billion? With rising petrol prices, a growing population, and a need to cut our carbon emissions, New Zealand faces some big transport challenges. But are these also big opportunities? Wellington Thursday 23rd August 6:30pm - 8:00pm 'Inside Child Poverty' documentary screening and discussion with Holly Walker Come and see the documentary that lays bare NZ's most pressing issue. Whanganui Monday 27th August 7:30pm - 9:30pm Save our Schools: public meeting with Catherine Delahunty and Nanaia Mahuta Catherine and Nanaia take a look at Education today in NZ under the current Government's programme. Gisborne Monday, 27th August - 7:00pm - 10:00pm View more events Conservation   Eugenie Sage responds to question about Kea MP Eugenie Sage responds to Julie Ann Robertson's question "What can we do to save Kea?" Watch the video...   Gareth Hughes responds to a question about marine mammal sanctuaries Gareth Hughes responds to Caroline Glass' question about marine mammal sanctuaries. Watch the video... Minister needs to take responsibility Press release, 16 August 2012 A decision about whether to dig up the South West New Zealand World Heritage area must be made by the responsible minister and not an official, the Green Party said today. Read more... Outstanding rivers need better protection Press release, 9 August 2012 The Green Party welcomes the launch of the Outstanding Rivers campaign by Anton Oliver, and an alliance of recreational and environmental NGOs. Read more... Kaikoura marine management Blog post by Steffan Browning The announcement yesterday of an extension for two more years of the rahui over Kaikoura's Wakatu Quay marine area is a positive move towards long term sustainable management of Kaikoura's coastal marine area, and more of New Zealand's coast becoming marine reserves. Read more... GE Australian farmers warn against GE Press release, 7 August 2012 Two Australian farmers have travelled to New Zealand to warn against releasing genetically engineered (GE) crops, the Green Party said today. Read more... GE not the answer to farming’s problems Blog post by Steffan Browning I was interested to hear Landcorp Chief Executive Chris Kelly’s thoughts on National Radio last week about how they get the best out of their farms. Read more... Environmental impact of food Eating for the world Blog post by Mojo Mathers If you eat a little less meat and a little less dairy, you'll dramatically reduce the impact of your diet on the environment. Read more... Mining, fracking, drilling No incentive for New Zealand polluters to reduce emissions under Government's weak ETS Press release, 6 August 2012 "The fall in carbon prices, both in New Zealand and overseas, shows the Government's blind faith in the market is wrong," said Green Party climate change spokesperson Kennedy Graham. Read more... Newmont versus the vulnerable - my week in court Blog post by Catherine Delahunty This week I spent 4 days in the Environment Court with some Waihi residents opposing the expansion of the mining activities in the Martha pit. Read more... Anadarko delays deep sea oil plans Blog post by Gareth Hughes We can breathe a sigh of relief that Anadarko has announced it won’t start exploratory deep sea drilling this summer, but their plans remain a cause for concern. Read more... More work needed on EEZ Bill Press release, 16 August 2012 "There are now so many amendments to the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill that it needs to go back to select committee for more scrutiny," Green Party oceans spokesperson Gareth Hughes said today. Read more... Smith gets it wrong on fracking Blog post by Gareth Hughes Former Environment Minister Nick Smith has been peddling a pro-fracking article across the country’s newspapers but he can’t even get his facts straight. Read more... Climate change A new organising framework - re-imagining global governance: Post-Rio reflection #3 Blog post by Kennedy Graham In the first two post-Rio reflections, I advanced two main propositions: That the international community needs to declare a global Ecological Crisis and undertake global executive action; That the interface between science and politics needs improvement... Read more... Resource Management Act   DoC putting out the begging bowl to commercial sponsors such as Fonterra Speech by Eugenie Sage MP, 15 August 2012 If Fonterra becomes a commercial sponsor of the Department of Conservation, will this constrain the department's already limited Resource Management Act advocacy? Watch video or read transcript... Environmental economics Russel Norman speaks to Environmental Defence Society Conference Speech by Russel Norman MP, 6 August 2012 Smart, green economics starts with the understanding that our economy relies on our environment.  No environment, no economy. Watch video or read transcript... We'd love to hear your views on our email newsletters. Simply reply to this email and let us know your thoughts. Unsubscribe from Environment and Resources e-news Opt out of this and all future emails from us Change subscriptions and details - email newsletters, name and address Mailing address: Parliamentary Office, Parliament Buildings, Wellington, New Zealand Telephone: +64 4 817 6700 Authorised by Metiria Turei and Russel Norman, Parliament Buildings, Wellington              www.greens.org.nz