Archive for the 'Business and the Environment' Category

Meridian going ahead with windfarm….

Published by Ben Kepes on August 15, 2007 in Business and the Environment, New Zealand and Society. 0 Comments

As expected, Meridian announced today that they are going ahead with their windfarm at Makara near Wellington.

After going through a long and arduous consent process to get where they are today, one would have been shocked with any other decision. Meridian has accepted the environment court decision cutting the total number of turbines by four.

Wind power is a good thing and this farm, planned to fulfill the total electricity needs of Wellington city - is an example of a good outcome for sustainable, renewable energy.

The cost and length of the consent process does however beg several questions regarding New Zealand’s regulatory framework but that’s a topic for another time!

Share the love...
[Bloglines] [BlogMarks] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Sphere] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Turbines are a-’comin

Published by Ben Kepes on August 14, 2007 in Business and the Environment, Efficiency, New Zealand, Society and Waipara. 0 Comments

I live in Waipara, North Canterbury, a bustling hive of Viticulture, Tourism, Farming and infrastructure projects.

I’m pretty involved with what goes on up there - I’m a trustee of the North Canterbury Economic Development Agency, Chair of the Waipara District Residents Association, a trustee of the Kate Valley Landfill Community Trust, a local resident and also involved with the fledgling Waipara Think Tank - charged with planning strategically for the Waipara we want to see in 1,2,3 decades time.

So it’s fair to say that I’d be plenty interested when a local company announces plans to build a wind farm along a 6km long ridge directly opposite my home.

A perfect opportunity for someone to jump up and become a NIMBY - claiming that the development should happen but Not In My Back Yard.

Well I’m not - I’m an pragmatist who understands that if we want to achieve economic growth in this country, we need resources - one of which is electricity. To generate electricity we have to accept one of several unpalatable options - Nuclear reactors, dams on rivers, coal fired plants… or wind Turbines in appropriate areas.

Mt Cass would seem to be an appropriate area for the farm and as such it would be NIMBYism for me to stand against that.

I will say however that Mainpower has an obligation (and is complying thus far) to consult fully with local residents. Beyond this we have robust Resource Management legislation and anyone and everyone who desires to be heard can and will be heard at consent time.

Me, I’m looking forward to sitting down at the Waipara Wine Village and Day Spa and raising a glass of Waipara’s finest to toast the turbines on opening day….

Share the love...
[Bloglines] [BlogMarks] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Sphere] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Are our heads in the sand….

Published by Ben Kepes on July 29, 2007 in Business, Business and the Environment, Compliance, Economic Development, Manufacturing, New Zealand, Society and Strategy. 2 Comments

A friend (OK OK a facebook contact) sent me this link.

Without being all right wing and going on and on about how ACT was sent here to save our souls (god forbid!) it does have to be said that some of the dichotomies mentioned on the page are indeed interesting. For those that don’t click links check out below.

So we want to be a first world country and still retain our egalatarianism and yet we find ourselves able to;

  • have an Export Year at the same time as post float highs of the NZ dollar,
  • see massive investment in the domestic housing market and be happy with the absence of investment in the productive sector,
  • have an export award for selling coal to China and worry about carbon emissions in New Zealand,
  • have a Ministry for Economic Development that has no time for industry,
  • be happy with investments that operate with negative cash flow on expectation of a tax free terminal gain while all the time giving tax breaks on the losses,
  • have rampant exchange rate, driven by domestic inflation and yet have massive growth in public spending at local and national level and want to have the immigration taps wide open,
  • argue that Kiwi made can mean made in China,
  • expect that research and development will stay here (for ever) as production goes off-shore today,
  • watch our icon companies leave for greener pastures and in a policy sense do nothing but shrug and say such is the world,
  • punish one side of the economy (export) for the sins of the other (domestic) and expect behaviour to change,
  • promote endless increases in regulation and compliance in New Zealand, while promoting trade deals with regimes whose labour laws amount to little more than slavery,
  • look into the face of an energy crisis and a need to avoid carbon emissions but then arrange matters so it costs millions to try and dam a river,
  • watch the external sector die, and not even debate how domestic inflation can be controlled without the adverse consequences on the export sector,
  • ignore what is happening in the world and just keep pushing the same policy buttons that worked under different circumstances but don’t work now.

Food for thought?

Share the love...
[Bloglines] [BlogMarks] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [Sphere] [StumbleUpon] [Technorati] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

An interesting, if very tongue in cheek, look at carbon trading…

Published by Ben Kepes on July 25, 2007 in Business, Business and the Environment, Society and Strategy. 1 Comment

I’ve always been a little sceptical about carbon trading. I see it as an artificial solution to a problem that really needs major societal change to solve.

At best it’s greenwash and at worst a way for consumers to appease their own guilt, albeit ineffective and artificial.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3_CYdYDDpk[/youtube]

Share the love...