good call from Mana

An awesome Press Release from the Mana Party on oil exploitation and the gnats, entitled "National: The Party of Irresponsibility and Greed" summed up by Mana Party Ikaroa Rawhiti candidate Tawhai McClutchie, who is calling for a complete cancellation on oil and gas development in New Zealand. I agree and support this call and for all the reasons listed by Tawhai

Scoop

what we have iis the irresponsible behaviour of National tendering to the highest bidder for more ways to compromise our environment. Their greed is insatiable.

The people of Ikaroa Rawhiti should be concerned with the evidence in Tauranga. We see a Maritime Authority sorely unprepared to deal with oil spills. A government proving that they don’t know how to prevent a spill don’t know how to stop a spill and don’t know how to clean up a spill. And yet they’re planning to sell more oil permits?

Tauranga Moana needs to be a wake-up call. Our country should be developing more widespread, community-based sustainable energy alternatives. Not only does it behove this country’s clean, green image, such sustainable energy alternatives help break our habit of oil dependence, puts power back into our people’s hands, and it is healthier for the environment and wildlife. All future oil operations must stop!

Yes the arguements for further exploitation are based on selfishness and greed and the myth of unending growth, which is false and illusory - it just isn't going to happen - peak oil and the effects of climate change are happening now and the world as we have known it is changing, drastically.  Community and connection are the only answer to their lies and this Press Release is part of the solution to the problems many refuse to acknowledge.

the twist of hate

TV3 are shocking with their completely misleading headline saying, "Harawira: Hang Rena captain - or Steven Joyce" They say

Controversial MP Hone Harawira's calling for the captain of the stricken vessel the Rena to be hanged over the environmental disaster the ship has caused in the Bay of Plenty.

This is what Hone actually said

Mana Party leader Mr Harawira wants a strong punishment for the Rena's captain. "Hanging the poor bugger might sound a bit harsh, but somebody should pay," he said. "Maybe we can send the Rena captain home with a stern warning and put [Transport Minister] Steven Joyce up on the gallows in his place."

As Rob on The Standard notes

Clearly is Harawira is joking.  He’s angry (we all are) – but he’s taking the piss.

Of course he is and it is obvious but TV3 have for some reason decided to go the inciting racial hatred way. Expect more of this as the election looms closer.

Hat tip The Standard

restless and edgy

This oil spill has got me edgy - I want to do something, anything, but down here there is little to do except look at the wetlands in front of me and consider the massive pollution and misery up north.


Hone and Mana are saying get out there and clean up the beaches but I can't see how putting people at risk through contamination with this toxic mess is going to help anyone. But it is impossible to do nothing, especially when you can see the destruction in front of your eyes. If I was up there I would be out there doing my bit too, so I fully understand the reasoning, the heart that says - we must do SOMETHING.

The Mana Party

“I am grateful to those MANA supporters who have already joined the clean-up crews and I am calling on our supporters to ignore the government’s calls and join the team at Papamoa to clean up our beaches”

All I can offer at this stage is a song




I met up with Aaron a few months ago here in the bay and as we looked out to sea he asked what the kai moana was like - ka pai I replied. I wish it was ka pai for the people and environment near Tauranga. I've got two assignments due tomorrow and my head is struggling because my heart is torn and raw and hurt. We must stop this happening again and stop their plans for more destruction and exploitation. We have no choice - we just have to do it, we have to stop them.

oil nightmare

It seems pretty clear that the Rena stuck on the Astrolabe reef off Tauranga will break up and the question really is, how bad can it get? So far it is horrendous with oil washing up on beaches, containers sinking and floating around and the destruction of wildlife, wetlands and lifestyles underway. There are multiple degrees of misery to come as the heavy oil spews and this is equivilant to another natural disaster - but it isn't natural - it's man made. Blame? I have plenty to blame but I'm not going to go there at this point, other than to say, as Environment Minster Smith said - this was inevitable. It is always inevitable and if we let the scum who would exploit our earth get their way, we become tainted. They want to drill for oil and gas and dig up our home and this utter disaster is a foretaste of their world. Reject it and reject them I say. I want to take the exploiters to the sick beaches and rub their noses in the foul toxic sludge and i'd spit in their faces, only it would wash off some of their guilt. But it is the time for support to the people, and environment now, the time for blame will come.

Morgan at Maui St has good posts here, here and here

The Rena disaster fucks me off, it fucks me off big time. It goes to show New Zealand does not have the capacity to respond to even the most minor of oil spills. New Zealand does not have the policy mechanisms or the capacity to deal with an actual spill and the consequences thereof - not even a minor spill. Hekia Parata should take note. If she approves oil extraction in the Raukumara this could end up happening to her moana and her whenua in Ngati Porou, but to the power of x1000.

Claire at Pundit

The rock the ship is on, the Astrolabe Reef, is deemed by the regional council to be of “significant conservation value”. Reports this week have described the waters, accurately, as “teeming with life”, “pristine”, with conservationists warning of a. “wildlife tragedy” that will affect whales and seals and many many seabirds - an international scale conservation incident, at the worst time of year.

Idiot/Savant at No Right Turn

This feeds into the second problem: the government's inaction highlights the gulf in values between them and ordinary kiwis. Ordinary New Zealanders regard the environment as a priority, especially where recreation opportunities are concerned. National does not. Witness their enthusiasm to dig up our national parks, their erosion of environmental standards, their foot-dragging on climate change. But now, that attitude is going to bite them, hard. People understand that a government which shared their concerns about the environment would have acted sooner. While this would not have prevented the disaster, it would likely have mitigated it somewhat. Which means that Tauranga residents wouldn't be needing masks to walk on the beach.

I feel gutted by this.