Going Green - 2

Christchurch. March 2009. Ajr

I like the forms that are taking shape on Christchurch's first 5-star Green-rated office tower on Worcester Street opposite the Art Gallery. I think it would be a perfect place to live in a penthouse apartment - well..... in my dreamland! To see the building in its entirely put Going Green into the blog search box above left.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Lake Forsyth, Banks Peninsular. July 2008. Ajr

When you stand on the edge of Lake Forsyth – known to Maori as Wairewa – it’s hard not to feel a little sad about this poisoned place. A few days ago it looked moody and enticing, pretty almost; but this is not a lake you want to swim or fish in. Thanks to a wide range of contributing culprits - from erosion and bird fouling to human effluent - the lake suffers from algal contamination. Its water is poisoned, fish are dying, it is silting up and boating on the lake is virtually non-existent. Once a valuable food resource for Maori – especially eels – it is predicted it will become a swamp within five years if the problem can’t be solved.

Going Green

GreenCabs. May 2008. Ajr

How cool is this for a cab? This one ‘lives’ just down the road from me and every time I drive past it I think it’s time I took a taxi ride. Green Cabs uses the only hybrid vehicles that run on battery-powered electricity and petrol – the Toyota Prius - and they also offset their carbon emissions by planting trees in developing countries. The eco-friendly Wellington-based company launched its first eight fresh, minty-green cabs in Christchurch a few weeks ago and they expect to have 50 on the road within two years. They currently have around 30 cars in both Auckland and Wellington. Dare I say it – they’re a breath of fresh air in the boring sea of white taxis that serve the city. www.greencabs.co.nz

New Hotel Opens

How lovely to see the old (1912) former Trade Hall Hobson Street in Central Auckland transformed into a gorgeous new boutique hotel. The Auckland City Hotel – Hobson St – just opened - is a modern retreat tucked in to a handsome historic building and if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, this is the place to stay. Not only are there 1,000 energy saving light bulbs installed throughout the hotel but 50% of corridor lights are activated by motion sensors. Biodegradable corn starch bags and bins are used in the hotel’s kitchens; staff are briefed on an internal recycling scheme; fridges are kept empty where possible to reduce power and recyclable shampoos and bath gel containers are available to guests. In an era of eco-consciousness it’s bound to be a popular central city stay. www.achhobson.co.nz

Art Trash

I found the perfect bag – practical, colourful, environmentally friendly and covered in foreign words. It’s made from plastic consumer waste collected by Jakarta’s trash pickers as part of XS Project, which buys the trash at well above market price, providing the collectors with an income. Then, “working with other groups and cottage industries, the waste is transformed into fun-ctional accessories that make a strong environmental and social statement.” Mine is made out of strips of plastic packaging from old Mr Muscle, Phillips and Persil containers and I love the fact that I can’t understand a single word of these Indonesian ‘advertisements.’ Lovely and useful all at once. www.xsprojectgroup.com

The Rainbow Warrior

Rainbow Warrior II, Lyttelton Harbour, 2008 Ajr.

Yesterday I drove over to Lyttelton to see the Greenpeace vessel, Rainbow Warrior II – the original having been blown up in Auckland Harbour by French agents in 1985. This one, originally a fishing vessel in the North Sea, was launched in 1989 after being cut in half and extended. The wooden wheel (above) is the only component of the original Rainbow Warrior on board. Unexpectedly, I found myself on a free tour of the boat. It was an interesting experience. For one thing, I never expected to have to produce photo ID – twice – to even get into the port area; and while the video of the crew’s hair-raising ‘activist adventures’ was terrific, I was a little disappointed by the ‘hard sell’ of the Greenpeace staffers, who, having snared their captive audiences, lectured us in environmental issues that we’ve all heard before. Surely anyone visiting the boat is ‘on their side’ in the first place; and how much more interesting it would have been to learn what life is like at sea for the 15 multi-national permanent crew and, at any one time, the 15 activists who join them on various missions. Having seen the video though, I must say I admire their commitment – not for cowardly old me the act of throwing my body between a whale and a harpoon!

Did You Know......

...that the average New Zealander dumps about 700kg of waste a year in rubbish dumps. So says Green Times, news from the Green Party in Parliament.

Waste Not, Want Not

Here’s a travel opportunity adventure freaks won’t want to miss – a guided tour along the Golan Heights Sewage System in Israeli Occupied Territories - and you thought you’d seen everything. It seems the Golan Regional Council has decided the region’s drainage system can potentially become a bonafide tourist attraction. I received the press release this afternoon. I don’t think I’ll be signing up any time soon – despite promises of innovative sewage processes, an insight into the production of electricity from cow dung and the use of purified sewage water to irrigate the area’s fields.

It's In The Bag

From 'Akaroa Mail', Feb.22, 2008.

How's this for a bright idea? Multi-coloured environmentalism! Lyttelton locals, just over the Port Hills from Christchurch, have decided to make their town 'plastic bag free.' In a joint initiative by Project Lyttelton and local Green Party members, they hope to convince locals to convert to some of the bright cloth bags now available through the Time Bank. Turns out New Zealanders still use one billion plastic bags a year and 35% of them end up in landfills. All ideas for recylcing plastic bags welcome.