Say no to plastic bags

Their have been talks about putting a 5cents charge for every plastic bag used when shopping at supermarkets, this idea brought forward by the minister of enviroment Nick Smith, is to try and reduce the billions of plastic bags used every year. Some places such as Pak n save and soon to follow, Warehouse have already begun to charge, but in a couple of months times it may be all supermarkets and many other places following.
I think it is a great idea, whenever i shop at Countdown the number of times I have heard them broadcast about using material bags, and to look around and see the vast majority walking out with plastic bags ignoring what they just heard. This is very frustrating when you know of the serious consequences, and where that plastic bag is gonna end up.

Hopefully we'll follow Ireland and the tax charged from the plastic bags, go to enviromental projects.

A desperate call for change.

If we change the way we live to a point of total transformation, we may cut in half all of societies problems after all many of our problems are linked to another.

I was browsing Google news (Friday 13th march 2009) when I cane across this article.
It’s a report by the Guardian on the emergency summit in Copenhagen on climate change.
Scientist’s such as Nicholas Stern, economist and Katherine Richardson, a climate scientist at the University of Copenhagen, who organised the three-day summit, concluded with this summary:
“The climate system is already moving beyond the patterns of natural variability within which our society and economy have developed and thrived. These parameters include global mean surface temperature, sea level rise, ocean and ice sheet dynamics, ocean acidification, and extreme climate events. There is a significant risk that many of the trends will accelerate, leading to an increasing risk of abrupt or irreversible climate shifts.”
The Summit concluded:
“There is no excuse for inaction. We already have tools and approaches – economic, technological, behavioural management to deal effectively with the climate change challenge. But they must be vigourously and widely implemented.”




What do you think? What’s the next thing you could do?

Fairtrade Fortnight 2-17 May 2009

Fairtrade Fortnight
2-17 May 2009

Groups all over Australia and New Zealand are planning events to promote Fairtrade and encourage people to think about purchasing products made fairly. So why not join them, and get something planned to inform those in your church and community.

Some ideas include

• A Fairtrade Church Service (a few corps did this last year with great results)
• Mothers Day (10th May) Have a fairtrade morning tea, what Mother wouldn't want to support something that meant children got education.
  
• Movie and Discussion - Black Gold and China Blue are both really good. I have a copy of each which can be borrowed.
• Get in a speaker to talk about it.
  
• Write to companies like Cadburys encouraging them to use Fairtrade.

More ideas and info will be on the Fairtrade website soon, and packs are being put together to send out to Corps.

March on Mars

This March, stop the traffik is taking a stand against Mars.
Their campaign, March on Mars is detailing to what extent Mars has violated Human Rights.
Get the latest on what's happening, visit stop the traffik.

http://www.stopthetraffik.org/getinvolved/act/chocolate/

60 Earth Hour

On the 28th March from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, Auckland City Council will be joining millions around the world in an attempt to make a statement against global warming. For an hour you switch off your lights and in doing so make that choice to vote for earth. Leaving your lights on during this time is a vote for global warming.

Information gathered from the hour will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Every household counts, so make that change.

http://www.earthhour.org/

http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/environment/earthhour/

Here are some ideas for things to do during this time:
Having a candle lit dinner for two or for one, hanging out with a group of friends and telling stories, reading with a torch or candles, or playing games like hide and seek in the dark.
It's an opportunity to get creative.

www.dontcorruptaid.org.nz is a campaign to keep New Zealand’s international aid focussed on addressing poverty

This week our new goverment is showing its colours in regard to the direction its likley to take over NZ Aid. NZ Aid is respected around the world, and seen as one of the better models. Whats being proposed is alarming to say the least, and we need to make every effort we can to keep NZ Aid the way it is.

www.dontcorruptaid.org.nz is a campaign to keep New Zealand’s international aid focussed on addressing poverty and not being a polictical football. Heaps of great resources and info on the site.

Cadbury Plans to go Fair trade

So i found a very exciting news article in the NZ herald Yesterday. Titled 'Cadbury's to cut the guilt form Chocolate'. This only really means one thing, Cadbury are going ethical! As i kept reading, my heart sank slightly because It sounds like this is still a british thing, and Australia and New Zealand are 'also looking into going fair trade'. Feel the sink? But This is hope, and is proof of peoples hearts changing, and big compainies thinking beyond the bottom line. Now We can hope and call Cadbuy Australia and NZ to follow suit.