Tag: Environmental

This tag is for ideas that have a strong environmental benefit.

How Much Extra Energy Supply Will the Electric Fleet Require from NZ?

The phasing in of the electric fleet could be a momentous occasion for New Zealand, enabling us to switch from fuel consumption to electric vehicles powered primarily by renewable energy. But the process also comes with a series of economic effects, most notably the need to construct additional sources to power this fleet. In this article we look at what the electric fleet could require from NZ in terms of additional power sources.

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How Much Will The Average Vegan Save the NZ Government by 2050?

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the amount of beef and lamb consumed domestically compared with international exports. The article involved much mathematics but was still insufficient to slake my number nerd thirst – so this week I have written an article that calculates the value that an average vegan will save the NZ Government by the year 2050.

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How Day & Night ICPs Allow for Strategic Power Use

The dry winter has resulted in low levels of hydroelectric energy generation, forcing NZ to rely more on other energy sources, in turn forcing the wholesale price of energy through the roof. The full effect of this will be felt over the next few months as energy retailers start to pass on their additional costs to households and businesses.

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How Much Beef and Lamb is Consumed Domestically Compared With International Exports?

This week I wanted to find out what proportion of NZ grown beef and lamb was diverted to domestic consumption relative to the amount that went overseas for export.
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Closed Loop Food Production

The words ‘Closed Loop Food Production’ came out of a recent meeting with the Feilding Council and while the words describe a practice already implemented by many households and communities, nonetheless represents something in my view that all households should aspire to.

What ‘Closed Loop Food Production’ simply refers to is the process of turning food waste into compost, compost into healthy veggies, healthy veggies into low cost home cooked meals, and meals into food waste – ie closing the loop as far as possible on each of the stages of the food production and disposal process.

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Could NZ’s 2050 Paris Agreement Target Bankrupt the NZ Government?

If you are a NZ citizen, it is possible that all of the tax that you pay for the next 30 years will end up being set aside to buy nearly a billion international carbon credits just to meet our 2050 obligations under the Paris Agreement.

Not only that – but all of the tax you pay for the next 30 years might wind up being insufficient to cover the cost of the international units.

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Why the NZ Government is Virtually Certain to Purchase a Minimum of $1.7 Billion NZD of International Carbon Credits before 2030

The NZ Government’s decision to commit to the ETS and fulfil their obligations under the Paris Agreement will require the purchase of at least $1.7 billion NZD worth of international carbon credits by 2030. But is the Government’s commitment truly inescapable?

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Making the Most of the Ōtaki Microclimate

The Milk Station Grows Olives and Figs in the Otaki Microclimate

 

Over the past few years, Lyndia Wood has quietly built a formerly abandoned milk factory in Ōtaki into a destination venue for weddings and events.

In part to suit the Italianate design style of the refurbished Milk Station, Lyndia cultivated figs and olives (which she now sells to restaurants and supermarkets), thanks in part to the superb microclimate in Ōtaki.

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How to Get Organic Certification in New Zealand

Each year, the revenue for organic certified exporting companies increases. It seems almost that New Zealand is built for organic production – the methodologies tie in well with New Zealand’s clean green farming image and can offer a point of difference for exports. For those reasons, an understanding of organic certification is probably quite critical to contemporary primary producers (small just as much as large).

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10 Critical Factors to Consider When Investing in Forestry in New Zealand

Approximately 80% of NZ forestry grown for commercial use is managed by large scale commercial operations. The remainder is managed by an estimated ten to fourteen thousand individual growers. Individual growers are some of the more exposed parties in forestry, as they lack some of the information that can help them to mitigate their risks and avoid the common pitfalls associated with forestry investments.

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