Eco News

Could you forget fossil fueled transport for one day? This Sunday marks the first of Three Car Free Days being launched this year in what's being labelled a 'positive, proactive response' to the Tauranga oil spill currently happening off the east coast of New Zealand. Organiser Charlotte Squire, Editor of the good news website Happyzine says Car ...

A guide to the regulatory and market environment. Electric vehicles (EVs) are an emerging form of transport worldwide which could help New Zealanders meet their private transport needs while reducing their climate change impact. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is assisting the introduction of EVs into the New Zealan...

Got a green dream you're ready to launch? Charlotte Squire, founder of the Kiwi green positive news website HappyZine is running the Green Dream Launch Pad online course to help people dream, define, strategise and launch their green projects, businesses or careers.

There is nothing good that can be said about fracking. In what Naomi Klein calls "extreme energy" it is one of the ways in which humanity is taking extreme risks to get fuel. But in this case they are potentially deadly -to you. And I wish I was being alarmist, but I fear not. Anna Chinn in the Otago Daily Times last week put it very w...

Many years ago, I made my first trip to India after receiving permission from my Vastu mentor Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati of Mahabalipuram, to come for studies. My wife, Karen, and I landed in Chennai on a hot afternoon and made our way to a dusty hotel near the city center. Little did I know of the heartwarming and intriguing experiences that lay bef...

We live in a world dominated by risk. Corporations obsess over it; governments are ruled by it. Those in power make decisions based on the likelihood of unforeseen events—sudden conflict, popular uprisings, disasters. As we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, we’re beginning to see a new pattern, a new landscape of threat, emerging...

A new house design bound for Christchurch promises its occupants can live off the grid and off the water mains. A warm home that provides its own water and power and costs only about $10 a week to run? It sounds like a dream, particularly in disaster- struck Christchurch. But a Waikato couple say they have designed just such a home, and are b...

Coal lobbyists warn that wind farms could blow the earth off its orbit if too many of the devices are installed globally.

From Rhys Taylor (www.sustainableliving.org.nz) The web project is organised by my former colleagues at Landcare Research, Lincoln, using software that has been tested internationally and now locally (I had a preview). It asks what would make Christchurch an attractive place to live in or move to, 10 years from now? By starting in the future it he...

Plans for a new eco-city south of Beijing were unveiled on Thursday by former Australian prime minister John Howard. Located in Langfang in the Hebei province, the 30 square kilometre development will feature a theme park and an exhibition centre, designed to be the world’s largest with over 1.3 million square metres. Green space will flow throu...

While building using natural materials was certainly the norm in pre-industrialised societies, modern day construction methods have favoured energy intensive and highly processed materials. Now, however, a growing awareness of the impacts that our buildings can have on both human health and the environment have led to an increased demand for more...

Australia's ABC Catalyst travels from Paris, to London, to the outer space like world that is deep sea drilling, to find out where we stand with our oil supply.

David Murphy of Food Democracy Now interviews Dr. Don Huber, Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology, Purdue University on discovery of new organism and crop disease, livestock infertility and threats to U.S. food and agriculture.

The Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) is a modular, DIY, low-cost, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different Industrial Machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.

A short animated movie which explains sustainability.

With the recent radioactive catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan the merit of building nuclear reactors to meet our rising energy demands is again in question. Prior to Fukushima the world had gone on a nuclear spending spree and there are now over 440 nuclear plants dotting the planet with a further 65 plants under constructio...

The Kai Rakau Project, currently being developed by Emma Williamson and Savannah Carter-Green, is a community based project with view to create a “Mother Orchard” of 3000 fruiting trees and native plantings, in Sanders Reserve, Paremoremo, Auckland, New Zealand. Kai Rakau has been granted Land Owners Consent to use a portion of the 100 acre res...

It’s time to consider a better way to get from A to B. We’ve been chugging around in our combustion engine powered cars since the oil began pouring out of the ground and Henry Ford’s factories started massing producing affordable cars back in the early 1900’s. Around 60% of our fossil fuel usage goes to powering our vehicles. Back then it made sen...

With the recent destruction in New Zealand’s second largest city it’s a good time to think about sustainable town planning. While existing cities often require expensive ‘retrofits’ of environmentally friendly features, there is an opportunity in Christchurch to begin with a semi-clean slate. Town planning is often short-sighted and does not take ...

What if we could eat fresh, local, great tasting food and save the environment while doing it? We hear so much in the news these days about the deteriorating state of the global environment and most of us would like to play our part in correcting this imbalance. What if, by being more conscious of the food we choose to put on our dinner plate we co...

I think I’ve discovered the root cause of all our environmental ills. Okay, that might sound like an outrageous claim, but let me explain. The particular villain I blame for mankind’s relentless attack on the planets eco system is our Collective Ego. The more I investigate, the more I see the fingerprints of this villain everywhere. Take for exam...

A New Zealand green roof company has put a small Queenstown Primary School on the international map by becoming the first school in New Zealand to wear a ‘green roof’. Remarkables Primary School, a newly built enviro school, is one of a handful of schools throughout the world who can boast a green roof, which doubles as an outdoor classroom. ...

Eight weeks ago the first decade of the new millennium has ended – a decade that brought about an enormous change to the energy sector. An increasing number of people, from Joe Average to some leaders of the worlds largest businesses, have begun to realize that fossil oil, coal and gas are finite resources we can less and less count on to satisfy o...

This is a message to all those in Christchurch without adequate sewerage from Transition Towns NZ. "I have asked a permaculture teacher if there is a better way to deal with it than by burying in it or digging a long drop or using a chemical toilet. The answer from Bryan Innes is this, so please pass it on to anyone you know. "T...

Wanaka Wastebusters are proud to launch the Unpackit Packaging Awards for the best and worst packaging sold in New Zealand stores. “We’re really excited to open nominations for the awards today,” said project manager Sophie Ward. The Unpackit website www.unpackit.org was launched yesterday. One of the first nominations for the best packaging awar...

Seeking your feedback on the Green Star NZ PILOT Custom tool framework The NZGBC are pleased to announce the release of the Green Star NZ PILOT Custom tool framework for stakeholder consultation. The NZGBC receives regular interest from developers/clients/project teams who wish to get their buildings rated under Green Star, however their buil...

Welcome to the 18th edition of the Ecobob Bi-Weekly Top 10 where every two weeks we bring you snippets of info and links to interesting eco stories on the web. We keep you updated with any interesting news, events or happenings in the environmental arena.

Homestar™, the comprehensive home rating system launched last month online at www.homestar.org.nz, has seen a rush by Kiwi homeowners for assessments on their houses. More than 3,300 New Zealand homeowners have already assessed their houses with the free rating tool that aims to help them create a healthier, more comfortable and energy-efficient...

Welcome to the 17th edition of the Ecobob Bi-Weekly Top 10 where every two weeks we bring you snippets of info and links to interesting eco stories on the web. We keep you updated with any interesting news, events or happenings in the environmental arena.

Welcome to the 16th edition of the Ecobob Bi-Weekly Top 10 where every two weeks we bring you snippets of info and links to interesting eco stories on the web. We keep you updated with any interesting news, events or happenings in the environmental arena.

Well worth a watch, see the 10min trailer.

Elements of EcoDay 2011 include: • an EcoExpo showcasing a wide variety of green businesses promoting sustainable products and services in the areas of renewable energy, water conservation, waste minimisation, fair trade and organics • a Green Marketplace where visitors can purchase eco-friendly and fair-trade products • a Green Transport Zone f...

Minister of Building and Construction, the Hon. Maurice Williamson, today launched Homestar™, a comprehensive home rating system to help Kiwis create healthier, more comfortable and energy-efficient living spaces. An initiative of the New Zealand building industry, Homestar™ provides a free online assessment at www.homestar.org.nz allowing owners t...

Welcome to the 15th edition of the Ecobob Bi-Weekly Top 10 where every two weeks we bring you snippets of info and links to interesting eco stories on the web. We keep you updated with any interesting news, events or happenings in the environmental arena.

Wild Energy – an international green energy design competition intended to spark more creativity, fun and imagination amongst environmentalists – is open for entries. The competition was developed in response to the challenge New Zealand is currently facing to increase power supplies as demand grows, by the team at the Kiwi good news website www.ha...

Welcome to the 14th edition of the Ecobob Bi-Weekly Top 10 where every two weeks we bring you snippets of info and links to interesting eco stories on the web. We keep you updated with any interesting news, events or happenings in the environmental arena.

My name's Charlotte Squire, I'm the wild founder of Happyzine and I would like to tell you something wonderful about Wild Energy. A few years ago I heard about the tale of the Mokihinui River here in New Zealand and the hydro dam that's is being planned for its future. It's an interesting issue - hydro damming. The more I learn about it, the mor...

NZ dairy giant Fonterra's industrial dairying approach is driving production beyond the limits. NZ cows can no longer be fed on grass alone and Fonterra's dairy herds are fed palm kernel grown on land in South East Asia where rainforests once stood... Forests and peatland that are home to the critically endangered orangutan, support entire communit...

A fleet of electric cars to be tried out in Wellington over the next two years will be on display in the city's Civic Square today.

Ooooby, by its very name, “Out of our own back yards”, is about stepping towards relocalisation, reducing energy use and connecting people, through a social business and an online social network focused on local food distribution.