Planetary Ecology

Collins crushes climate

Robert McLachlan • Oct 15, 2019

• 1.5C,
• climate change,
• IPCC

An essay by Judith Collins MP reported on Carbon News yesterday seems to show an alarming shift in attitude within the National Party. Collins argues against the Zero Carbon Bill, the Paris Agreement, and downplays the magnitude of climate impacts. The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and ratified by the New Zealand Government, of which Judith … Read More

Fly less, Kiwis!

Robert McLachlan • Sep 05, 2019

• air travel,
• climate change,
• emissions

Something’s happening here: Climate crisis: ‘We don’t fly to go on holiday now – and it doesn’t cost the earth’ (The Guardian, 10 August 2019) No-fly zone: Could you give up flying if it meant protecting the planet? (Adventure.com, 21 August 2019) Travel the world without destroying it (The Conversation, 22 August 2019) Harry and Meghan … Read More

Emission Impossible?

Steve Trewick • Aug 26, 2019

• climate change,
• emissions,
• fuel economy

Everyone knows about climate change and it’s a real drag. All of a sudden most of the things we liked doing are considered wrong. Some people even say we have to give up cars but that’s crazy talk isn’t it? With around 70 million new cars produced each year around the world and a total of about  1.4 … Read More

New Zealand poised to introduce clean car standards and incentives to cut emissions

Robert McLachlan • Aug 01, 2019

• climate change,
• electric vehicles,
• feebate,
• fuel standards,
• greenhouse gas emissions,
• vehicles

The New Zealand government has proposed new fuel standards to cut greenhouse emissions, along with consumer rebates for cleaner cars – paid for by fees on high-polluting cars. The long-awaited proposed changes would bring New Zealand in line with most other developed countries; apart from New Zealand, Russia and Australia are the last remaining OECD nations without … Read More

A New Zealand household emissions calculator

Robert McLachlan • Jul 05, 2019

• cliamte change,
• greenhouse gas emissions,
• household,
• Zero Carbon Bill

The New Zealand company Enviro-Mark Solutions, a spinoff from the Crown Research Institute Landcare, is a global pioneer is greenhouse certification. Founded in 2001, they now have hundreds of clients in seventeen countries. Their most popular certification, CEMARS (Certified Emissions Measurement And Reduction Scheme) audits companies’ emissions and their emissions reduction plans – typically reductions of at least a … Read More

100% renewable electricity: A classic kiwi stoush in the making

Robert McLachlan • Jul 01, 2019

• climate change,
• electricity emissions,
• greenhouse gas emissions,
• renewable electricity

There’s an old joke set variously in Maine, in Scotland, and probably in any number of other places, about some city folks asking directions from an elderly local. After several lengthy, confusing false starts at directions, the local finally concludes, “You know, you really shouldn’t be starting from here.” This, to me, is the central joke of climate change mitigation. Read More

The tragedy of climate change

Robert McLachlan • Jun 06, 2019

• climate change,
• Pollution,
• tragedy of the commons

Why is there pollution? Why is there an ecological crisis and why has it been so hard to deal with? There is certainly no shortage of culprits – people have blamed neoliberalism, capitalism, consumerism, economic growth, overpopulation, evil corporations, greed. But underneath all the many aspects of this difficult problem lies one fundamental phenomenon: the Tragedy of the Commons. This states … Read More

Green electricity: Is it for real?

Robert McLachlan • May 26, 2019

• climate change,
• electricity,
• greenhouse gas emissions,
• individual behaviour

Stop flying, cut out red meat, switch to an electric car or, better yet, a bike.  Newspapers and websites are full of stories of people who have made the switch to a low-emission lifestyle. The stories are inspiring, to me anyway, and they are definitely newsworthy. But, at least judging from the online comments (‘Not gonna happen!’), they can be … Read More

NZ introduces groundbreaking zero carbon bill, including targets for agricultural methane

Robert McLachlan • May 09, 2019

• agricultural emissions,
• climate change,
• greenhouse gas emissions,
• Paris Agreement,
• Zero Carbon Bill

New Zealand’s long-awaited zero carbon bill will create sweeping changes to the management of emissions, setting a global benchmark with ambitious reduction targets for all major greenhouse gases. The bill includes two separate targets – one for the long-lived greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide, and another target specifically for biogenic methane, produced by livestock and landfill waste. Read More

A long time between drinks: Mercury will build the Turitea wind farm

Robert McLachlan • May 02, 2019

• emissions,
• emissions trading scheme,
• Meridian,
• renewable electricity,
• Turitea,
• wind energy,
• wind farm

We know what we have to do to beat climate change: electrify everything, and stop investing in things that burn fossil fuels. In New Zealand, that has been hard to do. Thirty years of climate policy have left us with only two main tools: the Emissions Trading Scheme, and an ‘aspirational’ target of 90% renewable electricity by 2025. The ETS … Read More