Category: Environment

Fee Writes

Our Beautiful Gorge Under Threat…Nooooo!!

All I can say is “Duh” – I read this news report this morning and was just flabbergasted on so many levels.

The Karangahake Gorge is the most beautiful area in so many ways. I have travelled through there all my life and have seen it change over the years, surviving floods and the removing of the railway to name just two. There are stunning walking tracks and a cycle trail, which uses the old railway track, has recently been opened up that is one of the top rides in New Zealand.

This is an area that used to be mined back in the old days. The amount of toxic waste that was dumped into the water and the scars to the land were bad. Obviously very little was known back then about pollution, toxic chemicals, or environmental disasters.

However, nature has been kind and has “cleaned up” the water and brought the bush back to life.

So back to the present day. The District Council has now given the go-ahead for the mining company New Talisman Gold Mines to begin exploration in this area.
This is the first “Duh”! How totally selfish and shortsighted and greedy is that.

Selfish because the Government is maintaining that this is going to help the economy …. no, it will help the Government look better with the budget and with their employment figures.

Shortsighted because this is going to affect the tourist industry. Shortsighted because of the environmental impact this is going to cause, especially after Nature has taken all that time and trouble in cleaning up the mess from the last time mines were there.
and… Greedy – pretty much the same as selfish – money into the coffers to make the Government look good.

The second “Duh” is the sheer insanity of the Energy and Resources Minister Simon Bridges of allowing something like this just a week or so out from the general election.
Mind you, with his track record of screwing with the environment this doesn’t surprise me at all.
Money comes first with young Simon as it does with the current Government.

Who will I be voting for? I’m not even sure I’m going to vote …. I really don’t know if I trust any of them. So at the moment, I’m still one of the “undecided”. I know one thing for certain, I’m not supporting any political party that screws with our natural treasures.

SAY NO TO MINING!!!!

Fee Writes

Animals | Environment | Rants

Neonicotinoids and Bees

It really does upset me that this beautiful country that I live in (N.Z.) is so backward when it comes to environmental and animal welfare issues.

Recently I read an article about the neonicotinoid pesticides having such a devastating effect on bees and how in June 2014 a team at Harvard announced that when hives were treated with neonicotinoids, half of them collapsed.

Back around July 2013, after evidence against neonicotinoids had begun to accumulate, the EU had moved to ban three neonicotinoids from use on cereals and flowering crops attractive to bees which came into effect in December 2013.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued a report saying that there is a connection to the health of the honey bees saying “pesticides may be part of the problem, including both the pyrethroid and neonicotinoid classes of pesticides”. But their recommendations are more about best management practices and technical advancements for applying pesticides to reduce dust, etc. than about the actual threat or banning them.

New Zealand just loves to follow USA and again our “clean, green” image comes into some question as once more the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), which has the authority, has not even begun to investigate this new research …… but then New Zealand is known for dragging the chain when it comes to banning pesticides along with other environmental and animal issues.

I wonder what Sir Edmund Hillary – our famous beekeeper mountaineer – would say about this.

By the way, I applaud the EU for making this move even if it is on a “trial” basis for 2 years. They did this in the face of intense lobbying and interference by Bayer and Syngenta who make and sell the chemicals.

Fee Writes

Environment | Rants

Expanding Marine Sanctuaries.

In Washington President Obama announced (17th June 2014) that he intends to vastly expand the marine life sanctuaries in the Pacific Ocean. These are huge areas in the central Pacific Ocean and will become off-limits to fishing, energy exploration and other activities. Basically this will create the largest marine sanctuary pretty much doubling the entire current marine sanctuaries world wide.

Well done Obama!

Marine Sanctuary

Almost on the same day here in N.Z. the Government announced that it has opened up more than 3000 square kilometers of marine mammal sanctuary for oil drilling. Not only is this area a marine sanctuary but it is also home to the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin.

Shame on you Key!

Only 55 Maui Dolphins left!

Fee Writes

Environment | Quick Post

Art For The Sake Of The Planet

One of my interests is pastel painting and I have long admired an artist called Zaria Forman. She paints with pastels the most beautiful scenes of the Greenland ice.

Her paintings are huge.

Take a look at this video and see Zaria’s amazing paintings that she does as her way of enlightening us to the beauty of our planet.

Fee Writes

Environment | Food

Should There Be a Law To Make Growers Use Sprays?

I came across this today which really saddened me: French Organic Farmer Refuses to Spray (update – article no longer available)

Basically it said that an organic and biodynamic winemaker, Emmanuel Giboulot, had appeared before a judge for not treating his vineyard with a chemical spray as a preventive measure against a bacterial vine disease. He could face up to 6 months in jail for this. He has already been fined 1,000EU for putting his neighbors’ vineyards at risk.

He argues that the pesticide is harmful to beneficial insects and animals, and may not even be effective at preventing the vine disease. He says “I don’t want to undo decades of work applying a treatment where the effects on the health of the vines, and the public, are as yet unproved.”

Now I’m not disputing the fact that this disease is devastating to the vineyards in France (or anywhere else for that matter), but, as of date, this grower has not had the disease, in fact his vines are perfectly healthy and, as he does his own preventative measures, I doubt if he’ll ever have the disease ….. (his grapes, not him) .

My brain doesn’t get the logic of France’s law to use pesticides to control this disease when it’s obvious that it doesn’t work anyway.

Which leads me to believe that, once again, big business has used (abused), its power to get more people to buy its product in order to gain more profit.

The court will be making its final verdict on April 7th – that’s when we’ll see what happens to Emmanuel Giboulot.

I’ll, hopefully, get the result and update this post. Let’s hope Emmanuel is strong enough to withstand the pressure.

UPDATE 8 April 2014: The final verdict has now been announced. Emmanuel Giboulot has been ordered to pay pay a €500 (a fine of €1,000, with €500 suspended.) – he is going to appeal. More Info

Thanks for dropping by, my name is Fee O’Shea. I’m a mother and grandma, an author and an Improver. I’ve got a resource website to help peeps go plant-based, I’ve scribbled six books centred around veganism, and have helped others write and publish their own stories.
But this blog is for my thoughts, my rants, raves, reviews and things that have grabbed my attention. From politics to social media to beauty, health and the environment. Fee’s Ramblings Over Coffee is written to bring you a smile or get you thinking. Enjoy.

Category: Environment

Our Beautiful Gorge Under Threat…Nooooo!!

Neonicotinoids and Bees

Expanding Marine Sanctuaries.

Art For The Sake Of The Planet

Should There Be a Law To Make Growers Use Sprays?

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