By Katie L-S, April 30th, 2009
UPDATED – 2 MAY
As the risk of a Swine Flu pandemic increases, we should think about how it came about, and what we could do to prevent similar crises in the future. The financial meltdown lead politicians to consider systemic changes – will the swine flu outbreak do the same for the food production industry?
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By Katie L-S, May 11th, 2008
As the New Zealand government’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) wanes in popularity, perhaps we should remember that New Zealanders will pay for the country’s greenhouse emissions one way or another.
We signed the Kyoto Protocol, along with other countries that give a toss about the greater good, pledging to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels. Part of the deal is that we will pay for anything we emit over this limit.
The idea behind the ETS is that those who are responsible for the pollution pay – and greener options look cheaper and more favourable in comparison.
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By Katie L-S, April 17th, 2008
How do you conduct a credible study? Well, if you’re looking into the effects of a company’s practices, it might look a little more kosher if that company doesn’t fund the research.
This story in today’s Herald reports on a Dow-funded study into the health effects of a Dow weed-killer factory in Taranaki.
The study concluded that “there is no evidence of increased cancer or disease” related to dioxin exposure at the factory.
But buried at the bottom of the story (page two on the web version), is the study leader’s acknowledgement that the research “incorrectly suggested that health effects had been studied”.
By Katie L-S, July 15th, 2007
I’m seeing London through new eyes since I’ve been back. The thing that has struck me the most is the omnipresent environmental awareness: it almost makes me feel a little out-hippied at times.
Carbon footprints and organics are not topics left for soap-dodging Marxist vegetarians to rant about – environmental affairs are so mainstream that huge companies like Marks and Spencers or Sky Television advertise their commitment to ecological principles. Seeing the packaging-heavy programme for the recent Diana tribute concert, a genuinely concerned Prince Harry leaned over to an aide and asked: “What happened to saving the planet?”
By Katie L-S, April 1st, 2007
So I tried chorizo the other day. As a vegetarian for the past seven years, this was, shall we say, quite a strange experience. The occasion was my Spanish teacher’s birthday: she brought some chorizo to share with the class, in line with the custom here of giving, rather than receiving, on your birthday. Initially I abstained, but as she told us about the origins of the food I started thinking. And as the rest of the class tried not to spit out their mouthfuls at the teacher’s description of collecting the blood shooting from the pig’s neck, I sadistically reached for a taste.
By Katie L-S, November 17th, 2006
It’s raining in Madrid. This month has seen a record amount of rain, for Spanish standards, but after a very dry summer the city’s water supplies are still looking low. It is making me realise how lucky New Zealand and New Zealanders are. Our country doesn’t have centuries-old architecture or massive stores of oil. But we have plenty of that which is most basic: fresh air and water. Read the rest of this article »
By Katie L-S, September 26th, 2006
I use public transport often when I have the option of using a car, try to use locally produced goods, don’t eat meat, am careful to switch off lights, use heaters only when really necessary, and despise air conditioning. Yet in the last few months I have been responsible for over three tonnes of carbon dioxide being added to our already polluted atmosphere, just through air travel, according to Climate Care. Three tonnes!