Rest in peace Berta Cáceres (Lenca)

It is such a terrible crime that Indigenous Honduran leader Berta Cáceres (Lenca) was murdered recently. My heartfelt condolences to everyone feeling the loss especially her family.

From Indian Country Today

"Cáceres was internationally known for winning the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize for her advocacy on behalf of the Lenca people, who have been battling against the construction of the Agua Zarca hydroelectric dam on the Gualcarque River, as well as her frequent opposition to the U.S.-sanctioned coup government and subsequent administrations of Honduras."

... "Cáceres was the Director of the National Council of Indigenous and Popular Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), which has been in the forefront of protests against the dam being constructed by the DESA Company of Honduras. Cáceres and other activists assert that the Agua Zarca project would cause great harm to the Lenca community known as Rio Blanco through displacement of the people and environmental damage to an area considered sacred by the Lenca."

Going up against the corporate interests is very dangerous and she knew that, having had many threats made against her. Still she fought the fight for her people.. We have all lost a powerful and effective advocate and passionate warrior for indigenous rights and environmental rights. Rest In Peace.

And we must fight on in our ways to continue the work - that is what we must do.

dams in earthquake country? - um... no thanks

Great blog I've been recommended - Clean Green New Zealand - really?

The latest post considers previous earthquakes of Murchison 7.8 1929 and Inangahua Junction 7.1 1968 and the proposed dam on the Mokihinui - and asks

"Is it really a good idea to build a dam that will create a lake 14km long, above a (small) town, locate it in "Earthquake Country", and over a fault line that leading scientists claim is long overdue to move?"

That is a pretty good question and offers another reason to oppose this damn dam.

Check out the blog and let's strengthen our community.

damn dam decision

This dam will not go ahead even though it has gained resource consent. I have posted about this before but I never expected this idiotic decision.

From The ODT

"Commissioners have decided two to one to grant resource consent for a controversial hydro dam on the West Coast.

The consents were subject to 200 conditions to mitigate and monitor the dam's effects.

These included habitat enhancement and predator control over 3000ha.

An initial bond of $500,000 was also required from Meridian, which says the scheme would produce enough power for 51,000 homes.

The plan - which would see the building of an 85m high dam creating a 14km long lake - has been opposed by environmental lobbyists and the Department of Conservation.

They say the scheme would come at too high a cost to the environment and that there are better schemes which could produce enough power for the Coast without as much damage.

This is what that dam will do

We can still stop this dam - we must stop this dam.

Forest and Bird

treasures recovered

I'm a great believer in giving things back to the people they belong to, once that has been determined. We also had massive excavations when our dams were built - we know that maori rock art went under water - but how many other treasures did? What happened to anything that was found during those engineering jobs - I suppose they could say they never found anything, but it hardly seems realistic when you think of all the farmers with adze that they have found and any road that is built, always seems to turn up something interesting.

By CHERYL WITTENAUER The Associated Press

"Some U.S. military veterans are finding work helping sort through a massive government archaeological collection that has been neglected for decades.

Prehistoric and historic pottery, stone tools, arrowheads, Indian beads, necklaces, earrings and ear spools, and ceremonial artifacts, even human remains, were collected. The items then sat in boxes and paper bags in university museums as well as private basements, garages and tool sheds.

The collection dates to the 1930s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started building dozens of locks, dams and reservoirs, and the ground beneath them was excavated for archaeological treasures.

In recent weeks, U.S. veterans — many disabled — have begun processing, cataloguing, digitizing and archiving the collection as part of a one-year $3.5 million project, funded with federal stimulus money.

It's part of the corps' effort to find American Indian cultural items and return them to tribes or their descendants — something all federal agencies must do under a 1990 law."

This is good work.

Hat tip Buffalo Post

Turei skewers groser

I think we may need to come up with a good nickname for you Tim.

"Questions for written answer 

14938 (2009). Metiria Turei to the Minister of Conservation (02 Oct 2009): What is the status of his response to Meridian Energy's offer of a land exchange in relation to the proposed hydro dam on the Mokihinui River; what advice has he taken, what public consultation will occur, when will the decision be made?

Hon Tim Groser (Minister of Conservation) replied: Meridian Energy's land exchange proposal is currently being considered by the Department of Conservation. The department has received advice from a number of experts in relation to the ecological values, recreation and planning matters which are affected by the exchange proposal. As part of the land exchange consideration, the department is required to consult with Iwi in accordance with its responsibilities under section 4 of the Ngai Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998. The Conservation Act requires it to consult with the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board. The Conservation Act does not require the department to consult with the public where an exchange is being considered. The consultation phase of the process has been completed. The department is now considering all the matters with respect to the exchange proposal and once this has been completed a final decision will be made."

No consultation with the public. Fake consult with maori. Consider the situation especially in relation to the next election. Decide to swap do you think Tim? - after all, it's good for business. I'm thinking along the lines of - minister of destruction.
 
Hat tip Think our forests were safe? Think again. Frogblog

The water thieves are here and a poem

I reading "The Water Thieves" by Sam Mahon at the moment and i'm loving it. Especially important now that the consents have been granted for this monstrosity. As you would expect i oppose this irrigation scheme totally.

"A revamped Central Plains Water (CPW) irrigation scheme is set to proceed after the plan to draw water from two Canterbury rivers received interim approval.
While it will result in some adverse effects on the environment, we do not regard any of those on their own, or the total effects of the scheme, to be unsustainable," the commissioners said." (my emphasis)

Well it doesn't get clearer than that.

While reading sam's book I came across a passage that i think could go well as a poem. The words are straight from a paragraph. i've just added a few hyphens but taken no words out or changed the order.

it flows
an unquenchable vein
through long-straight rapids
quiet pools
broken gullys
it ambles.
shingle-flats-flecked with wings
slips through the silent gorge
green and heavy
its slumbering-silver-skin
pricked by shallows.
Then waking mature
roaring sheeted-torn
and flecked, it surges
hefts its bed
into new patterns
with every new season-dividing
the thousand acre forest
to the north from
sundry-clumps
of wild willow
to the south-amidst
which you'll find
from time
to time a pale
drift of wood-smoke.
Most likely
it is us.

I know, probably a bit over zealous with the hyphens.