Speaker: Dr Michaela (Misha) Balzarova, Lincoln University.
Topic: What makes an eco-label successful?
When: Wednesday 23 November, from 5:30pm.
Where: Sustainability House, 118 Ilam Road – click for map
Cost: Koha for drinks. Complimentary nibbles from Sustainability House.

It’s our last Green Drinks of 2011. Seems like we barely started, eh? Great to get Green Drinks going again in this year of years. We look forward to bringing you more eco-stimulation during 2012.

This month, we are hosted by Sustainability House at the University of Canterbury. A chilled-out spot with a lounge and a sunny yard. Just the place for a sweet-as catch-up with the awesome range of fascinating folk who make it along to Green Drinks.

The Sustainability crew will introduce their activities and facilities before we hear Misha’s presentation on eco-labeling.

Misha has recently returned from her visit to University of California Los Angeles where she carried out an extensive review into the success of eco-labels. Eco-labels are parts of new trend that aim to signal to consumers environmental or socially responsible attributes of a product. Examples of eco-labels include organic labels for agricultural products (such as USDA Organic, Australian Certified Organic, Assure Quality Organic Standard), the Energy Star label for energy appliances,  or the Forest Sustainable Stewardship (FSC) label for sustainable timber. It is fascinating to observe that while some eco-labels enjoy strong growth and sales, others struggle to gain recognition and consumer support. What makes some eco-labels thrive and others flop?

Come and listen to Misha’s insights into what makes an eco-label successful.

Green Drinks on Google+

Check it out. We really like it. Click here: Green Drinks on Google+

Why Google+?

Firstly, it is not a replacement for Facebook. It is something much broader.

Secondly, it doesn’t matter whether you have “friends” on Google+, it works well even if no one you know is there.

Thirdly, it is a route to a wealth of relevant information. For example, you can search for an area of interest, such as “compost”, and discover a heap of interesting shared links. If you like, you can add those people to your “Gardeners” circle and see what other interesting stuff they want to share with you. …and you can share with them.

Fourthly, it is not a closed system. You create circles of contacts who you share stuff with. These contacts don’t have to be on Google+, they just get emailed your stuff instead. So, to share photos with family who aren’t on Google+ or Facebook, add their email address to your “Family” circle. They’ll get an email with links to your photos, just as if you had shared a Picasa album with them.

Nice.

Topic: "Commerce on the DOC estate"

This subject has been stirring much debate in recent months. In addition to having one of the most influential roles in New Zealand conservation, Al Morrison is also a very entertaining speaker. Al will take questions at the conclusion of his presentation.

When: Tuesday 1 November, 12noon to 2pm.

Where: The restaurant at Speights Ale House on Bealey Ave.

Cost: $5 per person for room hire. Lunch and drinks available for purchase.

Al will speak from 12:30pm. Audience questions from 1pm. Break for informal chat from 1:30pm.

We recommend you order lunch well before Al starts. Lunch menus available here.

Many of you, like me, will remember Al Morrison from when he worked as the parliamentary reporter on Morning Report on National Radio.  Every weekday morning his journalistic cynicism would be brought to bear on the easy targets that trundle by on the conveyor belt of national politics.

Any of us who stopped to reflect for a moment on his possible eventual fate might have concluded that a corporate communications manager salary would beckon.

This seemed to come to pass when he left Radio New Zealand and arrived on the doorstep of the Department of Conservation.  But the script was torn up when, not much later, he spectacularly burst into the role of Director General of Conservation.

I don’t know much about Al Morrison, but I know that he must offer something special to achieve a role like that without the usual laborious climb up the public service ladder.

Just how special I didn’t realise until his speech of 7 October 2010 at Lincoln University.  You can read it in full here.  An astonishing summation of the state of New Zealand biodiversity, Al Morrison asks us what Elvis and Howard Morrison have in common before traversing the issues to conclude a simple business case: "Toi te whenua, toi tu te tangata. If we look after the land, the land will look after us."

When we mentioned this speech in a Green Drinks email last year, many folk inquired as to whether Al would be a speaker at a Green Drinks event. Twelve months of emails and phone calls later, we have finally got there.

These days Al is known for championing the role of commerce on the DOC estate. We have asked him to speak on this controversial topic and there will be 30 minutes for questions from the audience.

Professor Sandy Bond, Lincoln University
speaking on
The Uptake of Sustainability Practices for Building Performance

Wednesday 19 October, 5:30pm

at Pomeroy’s Old Brewery Inn, 292 Kilmore St

Sandy has some fascinating research to share. Buildings account for around 30% of a developed country’s greenhouse gas emissions. Improving energy efficiency of buildings is one of the quickest and most cost effective ways of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Sandy’s talk will outline the results of research carried out in Australia in 2009. The broad aims of the research are to identify methods to increase the uptake of sustainability practices that will help improve building performance and reduce GHG emissions.

Professor Sandy Bond is Senior Member of the Property Institute of New Zealand (SPINZ), a Past President of the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society (PRRES), and is the Secretary of the International Real Estate Society. She was awarded the Property Institute of NZ Academic Award in 2010 and the PRRES Achievement Award in 2002 for her significant contribution to property education and research. Before commencing her academic career in 1991 she worked as a valuer in both NZ and the UK.  Sandy has recently joined Lincoln University as the Professor of Property Studies within the Commerce Faculty.

Next month – Al Morrison, Director-General of Conservation

Keep noon-2pm on 1 November free in your diary. We have confirmed a presentation from one of New Zealand’s most influential conservation figures, Al Morrison, Director-General of Conservation. Exclusive to Green Drinks. Details to come.

Friday 7th October 5.30pm-7.00pm

You are invited to join with the local Green Party to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Keith Locke MP as he farewells Parliament.

Interesting guy with a fascinating Christchurch pedigree. Well worth a yarn.

The Brewery (Cassels and Sons). Corner Garlands Road and Cumnor Terrace, Woolston, Christchurch.

With special guest : Keith Locke MP

Bar available. Nibbles provided.

RSVP  chchgreens@greens.org.nz or ph 372 1375

Learn more about the fascinating story of Keith Locke here: http://www.greens.org.nz/people/keithlocke

Come along and connect with your green-hued pals.  Enjoy complimentary snacks provided by our hosts, Pomeroys.  A fine range of boutique beers, wine and soft drinks available for purchase.

When

This Thursday, 8 September from 5:30pm.

Please note, DATE IS CHANGED from event notifications previously circulated on Facebook and other channels… it’s the “new normal”.

Where

Pomeroys Old Brewery Inn, on Kilmore St, near the Fitzgerald Ave intersection.  You will find us in the restaurant area, off to the left as you walk in the front door.

What

The usual array of unsolicited gossip, nefarious theories and an unbridled passion for the environment shared by our eclectic and ever-changing mixture of participants from NGOs, academia, government and business.

We have had quite a few new sign-ups to the email list since the February quake.  Welcome to you all.  I really look forward to meeting you.  Be sure to come up and say ‘hi’ if I don’t catch you at the door.

After a successful roundtable discussion with SBN members in April, National SBN Board member and business commentator, Rod Oram, is returning to Christchurch again on 26 July 2011 to continue the discussion around the future of the city and where the opportunities for sustainable business lie.

Attendees will be provided with an opportunity to discuss issues such as how the earthquakes have effected business and family, what needs to happen next, and how SBN can help, in an informal setting.

Non-members are welcome

Fulton Hogan’s new asphalt plant tour kicks off at 5pm, followed by discussion, drinks and nibbles with Rod Oram.

Time: July 26, 2011 from 5pm to 7:30pm
Location: Fulton Hogan Miners Road Asphalt Plant and Quarry
Street: 26 Miners Road (second gate on the right)
City/Town: Yaldhurst, Christchurch

Free Event

RSVP by noon Monday 25^th July to Kirsty@sustainable.org.nz

Kia ora Tatou

There were a lot of conflicting reports circulating around yesterday regarding the fate of Hinewai Reserve following a lightning initiated fire somewhere about 1pm on Tuesday. This is an iconic example of ecological restoration (through facilitating regeneration) in NZ within a >1000 ha Trust-owned reserve. It is often used as a model and field site for Manaaki Whenua research and thousands of volunteers and visitors over the years.

I have spoken to Hugh Wilson, living treasure, and manager of Hinewai, and I can report the following:

It is very unusual for lightning to cause fires in NZ because this phenomenon is generally accompanied by rain in contrast to continental situations where dry lighting events are commonplace. In this case there has also been a prolonged period of (dry) westerly weather – unusual in winter – and immediately after the unforecast lightning storm the rain dispersed and strong gusty dry winds ensued.

Up to 1/3 of the reserve has been burnt – however the affected areas are largely introduced gorse and Hugh is hopeful that given the fast hot fire that skimmed over the surface some of the fire-retardant broadleaved regeneration under the gorse, such as mahoe and broadleaf, may only be singed and, come Spring, will resprout – and even get a head start on the next generation of gorse that will also be stimulated into action by this event.

Apparently no fire got into the extensive areas of tall kanuka – which would have gone up like a torch. This is extremely lucky. However, some valuable areas of young dracophyllum have gone up in smoke.

It has rained now and there is some snow on the peaks so the crisis is over for now it seems.

Hugh was forced to ride in a helicopter to assist the fire-fighting strategy (if u know Hugh’s attitude towards the internal combustion engine then u’ll appreciate the compromise here) but acknowledges the role these petrol guzzling monsters played in averting an even greater disaster, and their ability to access ponds to fill their monsoon buckets in repeated precision operations.

Hugh was desperate and despondent on Tuesday evening and was evacuated from his house but is relatively upbeat today. So, yet another natural event strikes Canterbury – I guess at least there is no careless human action to blame such as a cigarette butt out a car window. It could have been much worse. There was a very real danger that the whole reserve would be engulfed. So Hinewai lives and will live again. as Hugh said, he always hoped that the reserve would be big and resilient enough such that natural disasters would be contained within the wider continually shifting disturbance/regeneration mosaic (well, he didn’t put it quite like that). it seems that this has been the case and of course there will be much to study in the future.

• Businesspeople involved or interested in supply chain management/ethical sourcing
• Researchers looking at corporate social responsibility or other attempts to address offshore labour conditions (particularly in China)
• Anybody drawing attention to, or working to address labour issues in NZ companies’ offshore supply chains.

If you can help, please contact Kate at kva24@uclive.ac.nz.