Kia ora tatou:

The news will be out soon enough, but for those of you interested, the commissioners have reached a decision on the Lammermoor windfarm project .

It will go ahead.

No doubt there will be appeals.

Those of you interested can find out more here or ,if willing to wade through the paperwork, read more here.

Kia ora tatou:

As some of you know, I am a (woefully inactive) member of Greenpeace, and do what I can ( not enough, really), to support them and what they stand for.

I received this email newsletter inviting me to participate on their new website and invite all my friends and family to participate.

Rather than do that, I have decided to include the newsletter verbatim, and invite each of you to participate…

…On Friday we launched a major new climate change campaign in collaboration with Oxfam and Forest & Bird called “Be The Change”.
Be The Change is focused on encouraging people all over NZ to take action against climate change by making changes in their own lives. To kick things off we’ll be touring the country in the Be The Change bus. We’ll be promoting the campaign and highlighting solutions from Bluff to the Bay of Islands but more about that later.
What’s important now is that you get on board! We have a fantastic new website that, with your help, will become a vibrant online community focused on combating climate change. You can submit ideas, take pledges, write a blog, make friends, post stories and much more.
As a Greenpeace member you know that climate change is more than an environmental problem; it’s also social, economic and political. It is not “his” problem or “her” problem or “their” problem; it’s our problem, and it will be our children’s problem and their children’s problem if we don’t do something about it.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that it’s not too late. We still have time to avert the worst of it if – and only if – we all start taking responsibility now. We all need to make changes if we want to turn climate change around.
With Be The Change we want to spark New Zealanders into action.
There are a thousand things we can do and they don’t have to be drastic. Everything from changing your light bulbs to energy efficient mini fluoros, to taking public transport to and from work, to starting a worm farm…all these things will make a difference.
Be The Change is about critical mass. We need as many people as possible to join us and start making change. With the combined membership of Greenpeace, Oxfam, and Forest & Bird we’re off to a good start but what we need you to do is get online and start inviting your friends, family and workmates to sign up as well.

There is something about an A&P (agricultural and pastoral) show. Perhaps it is because I grew up with them, and because they came to be a highlight of my year.

Growing up in the country behind Rangiora, we held an annual mini-show between the primary schools in the district. All of the pupils at Mt. Grey Downs (role: 20 including the teacher) would beaver away, growing dahlias and vegetables. I was singularly unsuccessful at this-I still am. We would groom our pets in preparation for the Big Day. One year my sister dressed up Sammy, our mostly-tame wether as Aladdin, complete with red satin trousers and green vest, and proudly took him along to the school show. Sammy didn’t seem at all excited. She was mortified when he wet his pants, and utterly refused to take him in the ring. The rest of us laughed, and it took weeks for her to live it down. The other children at the school would remind her daily of what happened, chanting your-sheep-wet-his-pants until she caved in.

Such are the ways of children. (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

Thos of you have read it will know of the Letter to Marthinus page. It is an ongoing E-conversation between Marthinus Retief , who lives in South Africa, and myself on the subject of photography and the philosophy of photography.

I hit a serve to his side of the net (Net?) some time ago.

The ball has now returned.

And is in my court.

Marthinus, my deepest thanks. As usual your perceptive and insightful comments have pushed a few buttons. I shall, in due course, reply.

Those of you who have been waiting for the lastest instalment can catch up. Those who haven’t visited it might like to take the time to dive in. ( Caution: it is not a lightweight read! )

Arohanui e hoa