Element 25th May 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

BUSINESS

PLANET

WELLBEING

Mending broken hearts One man’s crusade to heal victims of violence in Uganda

Awesome organics The nature of farming

The good life Green Living Show comes to town

PLUS: Organic wine / Soil 101 / NZ’s first 10 Homestar

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! how r a ye eco s

5 ing r Ou runn

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A fun winter celebration for you, your friends and children!

27-28 June, 10am-5pm ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane Auckland

FREE SEMINARS & DEMOS

Check our website greenlivingshow.co.nz | organicexpo.co.nz

Healthy Lifestyle Mind | Body | Wellness

Organic Natural Beauty | Food & beverage

Healthy Homes Ecobuild – new build renovation retrofit, plus smarter & affordable small homes

Clean Energy Learn to save energy, solar, insulation, heat pumps & gadgets, electric cars & bikes

Food & Beverage Sweet treats, coffee, snacks & delicious full meals

Green Goods Hundred’s of sustainable products to choose from

Tickets at eventfinda.co.nz and shopgreen.co.nz

Tickets! $12 at the door $10 on eventfinda $7 on ShopGreen Children under 16 free.

contents The case for organics

8

James Russell Element editor

F

or the first time in the tenure of the current government New Zealanders are being asked to give their view on emissions targets. Those targets are to be submitted prior to negotiations in Paris in December for a new international climate change agreement.

It seems either a risky, or token, move, asking the people, considering the wilful inaction of the government to take action to keep emissions in check. It feels like yet more lip-service from National, particularly in light of the discussion document presented alongside the offer to hear Kiwis’ opinions.

The document spins a woeful economic yarn – what emissions reduction will cost us, how it will damage our economy. No mention of what ineffectual global dabbling will eventually cost, nor the demonstrable and proven opportunity in aggressively pursuing clean technologies.

The mantra oft repeated by the government is that we’re too small to make a difference and we’re already doing our “fair share.” The irony that doing our fair share has resulted in a 21% increase in emissions must make keeping a straight face pure hell for Tim Groser.

Globally, taxpayer subsidies to fossil fuel companies amount to around $500b, made to hugely profitable organisations. Coincidentally, it’s the exact same amount the International Energy Agency says is required to invest in low-carbon energy technologies by 2020 to keep global warming below two degrees.

It’s time for courage.

Make your submissions to the government by June 3 at mfe.govt.nz/node/20728/ or through the clever Generation Zero quick submission form at fixourfuture.nz

Business

Health and wealth Page 8 Popular pesticide a ‘probable’ carcinogen ............9

Fixing broken hearts One man’s crusade Page 6 How to get great soil ............................................13

Green Living Show The art of sustainable living Page 15

6 Planet

40 free green living seminars ...............................16 Organic expo ..........................................................16 Editor: James Russell editor@elementmagazine.co.nz Co-founder and brand publisher: Gavin Healy, Viridian Media Product manager: Alex Greig Design: Gina Lenssen | Online: Gary Farrow Cover photograph: South Sudanese child. Photo by Helen Manson.

Contributors: Ted Baghurst (photography), Rebecca Reider, Rachael Riley, Helen Twose, John Watson.

Advertising enquiries: gavin.healy@nzme.co.nz | 09 373 6096

The next issue of Element is out on June 29, 2015.

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The content of Element magazine is organised around the triple bottom line philosophy – that of people, planet and prosperity.

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Element is a monthly supplement published by The New Zealand Herald in association with Viridian Media.

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upfront The numbers

100% of New Zealanders agreed that they consider themselves to be a ‘fair’ person most of the time

1/3 Ole! Yum. Wellingtonians have been smugly attending Mexican restaurant La Boca Loca for over four years, but with the launch of the eponymous recipe book everyone can taste the delights of this hospitality phenomenon.

The La Boca Loca cookbook is the brainchild of Lucas Putnam and Marianne Elliot. Putnam is an advocate for organic, free-range and ethically produced food, while Elliot has a background in human rights, social justice and health and wellbeing. The core to their philosophy is building a business which nourishes its staff, customers, community and the planet.

Element has three copies of La Boca Loca to give away.

Visit elementmagazine.co.nz to enter the draw.

Of Gen Ys (18-29) admitted that they have acted unfairly in the last month.

86% agreed that not giving up your seat on public transport to someone pregnant or elderly is unfair

29% would stop buying coffee from their local coffee shop if they found out that it wasn’t Fairtrade or ethically sourced.

Source: The Great Kiwi Fairness Debate – summary of survey results from Colmar Brunton “Fairness of Kiwis” survey (March – April 2015)

To celebrate the re-launch, Earthwise and NuZest are offering 10 great prizes to those who sign up to receive the newsletter before June 1. Sign up and enter at elementmagazine.co.nz/signup Both of these iconic Kiwi brands have great deals on shopgreen.co.nz, where you can find the products and services of New Zealand’s most ethical and eco-friendly companies.

Motutapu needs you

57%

Of Kiwis believe that the use of Gold Cards among all of those who qualify, despite how much money they have, is fair.

A home under construction in Papamoa has just become the first in the country to achieve the highest possible rating of 10 Homestar. It features photovoltaic panels for solar energy, a state-of-the-art system that controls when appliances switch on, rainwater collection, grey water recycling and a smart piping system that captures passive heat from under the driveway to warm the home.

Homestar is the independent system that rates the health, comfort and efficiency of New Zealand homes, on a scale of 1-10. Launched in 2010, there are around 200 Homestar-rated projects throughout the country – but until now, no one has achieved 10 out of 10.

Tickets go on sale June 10 through ticketmaster.co.nz

This month we launch the newlook Element newsletter, which arrives in inboxes around the country each Monday morning.

It’s a great way of keeping up with sustainable business and lifestyle news, while also serving as a useful monthly reminder of when Element is published in The New Zealand Herald (the last Monday of each month).

of Kiwis admitting to having acted unfairly in the last month.

92% NZ’s first ‘perfect 10’ Homestar house

WINa $100 eco pack

Goes like stink This little beauty is the Toroidion 1MW supercar, built in Finland.

It’s all-electric, and at 1341 horsepower, it’s likely to leave a Tesla in the dust.

The Toroidion’s electric powertrain has been designed to be scalable for different applications, while the battery is able to replaced in the home garage – or the racetrack.

Want one? It’s likely to set you back US$1.5m.

The Motutapu Island nursery is full of 16,000 beautiful, healthy native trees ready to be planted in the field, but they won’t plant themselves.

There are seven volunteer planting days between now and the end of August, but beyond that there are opportunities to join teams for invasive weed control over the winter.

Find out more at clothnappyweek.co.nz Email Belinda at admin@motutapu.org.nz or phone 09 522 0919 or 0275 570 845 to join in.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS The remains of a house rendered uninhabitable by the Christchurch earthquakes have found new life thanks to the Whole House Reuse Project by Rekindle.

The residential Red Zone home at 19 Admirals Way, New Brighton that would have otherwise gone under the digger was painstakingly deconstructed and has now been fully transformed, repurposed into 398 beautiful works of art and furniture, which will be shown in the Canterbury Museum from June 5 to August 23.

Check out the full story and short film at elementmagazine.co.nz

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Forget your troubles: children splashing in a watering hole in Uganda. Photo: supplied

Healing broken hearts in Uganda Carl Gaede gave up the American dream and a charmed life for the tough job of counselling the Ugandan victims of unimaginable horror.

By John Watson, images by Helen Manson

C

arl Gaede hears stories every day that break his heart.

When asked to tell them, he refers people to written accounts. I found one from the refugee camp where he works.

‘My name is Agnes and I’m 30 years old. One day I went with three friends to dig for food in our garden. The rebels came with their guns and killed my two friends and raped me in front of my two-year-old twins. Because they cried in helplessness my twins were also killed in front of me. After coming to Nakivale Refugee Settlement Camp my nine-yearold daughter was raped and left unable to speak due to the trauma of her experience. I wanted to die, but I felt mostly dead anyway.’

Gaede was working a cushy office job in Wisconsin seven years ago when he decided to move to Uganda to help child soldiers and other victims of the civil war.

He was in New Zealand this month looking for new sponsors for his trauma counselling organisation called Tutapona, meaning ‘we shall be healed’ in Swahili, which TEAR Fund supports.

Gaede had worked his way up the career ladder as a psychotherapist and was set to live the American dream with a house, a family and two cars. But in 2006 he and his wife watched the documentary Invisible Children about displaced Ugandan children.

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“We were crying and looking at each other helplessly. I was so angry.”

He travelled to Uganda that same year to discover there was no counselling service for the thousands of victims left in the wake of destruction caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

What Gaede saw and heard has stayed with him since.

“The LRA cut-off civilians’ lips to stop them talking to the government. They cut off ears to stop them listening, and noses just to instil terror. The victims were then ostracised by their communities due to their deformities.”

A light moment during a group counselling session.

Carl Gaede gave up a good job in a comfortable offi for the harsh rea ce lity and unpredic tability of Uganda .

Then there were the children.

“The LRA forced villagers to show them where the children were, often their own nieces and nephews. The children were then forced to kill their own parents so they would have no reason to run away when they were child soldiers. They were raped and forced to mutilate other children.”

It’s estimated 35,000 to 50,000 children were abducted from their homes during the 20 years the LRA took Northern Uganda hostage, displacing 90% of its population.

Gaede returned to Wisconsin to sell all his possessions and set up Tutapona, and relocated his wife and two young girls to Gulu, Northern Uganda, the following year.

They didn’t need to search for war victims, they were surrounded by them.

They went to Nakivale, a refugee settlement which has

held displaced peoples from 10 countries since the 1950s.

Completely out of their depth, Carl and his wife, through trial and error, adopted and used a curriculum called Empower, written by Australian psychologists for war veterans. “Every day people turned up in their thousands to take part in exercises meant for small to medium-sized groups. We couldn’t turn them away.

They taught victims how to attach new emotions to the terrible memories they had, separating them from shame and fear. Lastly, and most effectively, they taught people how to forgive those who had harmed them.

Food distribution day in Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

“To a western psychologist, it looks extremely simple. But it works because of the messages of forgiveness, grace and love.” settlement with no lips walk up and offer food to the boy who had mutilated her. It was just such a beautiful display of forgiveness.”

Gaede says Tutapona has counselled more than 30,000 refugees in Uganda and has seen transformation in the vast majority.

“To a western psychologist, it looks extremely simple. But it works, I believe, because of the messages of forgiveness, grace and love which are extremely powerful.”

John Watson is an Education and Justice Advocate and communications officer at TEAR Fund NZ

Donate: tutapona.com

Mother and child at the Adjumani Refugee Settlement.

“The anger and bitterness is the last thing people hold on to, because it gives them power. But once they forgive they become free, and there is an amazing transformation within them.”

Gaede says it is only this that keeps him going.

“I see the worst, most evil side of humanity. But I also see the best side and I get to see it win. I see love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. I see beauty rise up out of the ashes, and I get to see those who once wished they were dead, now singing and dancing.”

He describes one memory that always makes him emotional.

“My team watched a young girl in a refugee

From $14 Nil Reuseable Wax Foodwrap three sizes available

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ORGANICS

Ag chemicals may increase antibiotic resistance Agri chemicals may help harmful bacteria evade antibiotic drugs, according to a new study. New Zealand researchers exposed two strains of disease-causing bacteria, escherichia coli and salmonella enterica, to varying levels of commercial formulations of three herbicides—dicamba (Kamba), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-d), and glyphosate (Roundup).

The researchers then tested for antibiotic resistance and found that in some cases the bacteria had become less sensitive to antibiotic drugs.

Living soils

A resilient medical system

Any wise gardener will tell you: soil is not just dirt. It’s a whole ecosystem, harbouring creatures seen and unseen, which break down organic matter and supply nutrients to plants. New Zealand research6 has found that organic farm soils have more organic matter, more earthworms, better structure and thicker topsoil. Organic certification rules require that organic farmers maintain their soil fertility and prevent erosion and other soil damage.

Industrial agriculture is suspected to be a major contributing factor to the growing spectre of antibiotic-resistant diseases7. By mixing antibiotics into animal feed (a routine practice on non-organic chicken and pig farms in NZ, and on other livestock farms abroad), farmers create breeding grounds for superbugs.

Organic farmers never mix antibiotics into the daily feed diet, focusing on keeping their animals healthy in the first place.

Clean rivers The health of waters worldwide is intimately connected to what happens on farms.

Nitrogen and phosphorus fertiliser runoff have polluted rivers and lakes. The dairy industry is one of the biggest sources of nitrogen pollution in New Zealand, most of which comes from cow urine; there are simply too many cows on the land. Organic dairy farms in New Zealand have fewer cows per hectare, because the cows just eat grass, without supplementary feeds such as palm kernel. Less-intensive organic farming means less urea getting into groundwater and rivers.

A stable climate If the world went organic, that alone could stave off climate crisis. Organic farms hold more carbon in their soils – taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and thereby slowing climate change. Researchers at the Rodale Institute1 in the US have calculated that if all of the world switched to ‘regenerative organic farming’ – using best practices such as cover cropping and composting to get carbon-rich organic matter back into our soils – it would be enough to offset all of civilisation’s current emissions.

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Healthy farming communities Pesticide sprays affect not just farm workers, but whole rural populations. These chemicals can be highly mobile; research5 in the US has found toxic pesticides in the urine of farm workers’ children, possibly from dust that comes home with the parent. Children in pesticide-laced areas in Mexico have shown grossly reduced cognitive development.

Fonterra launches organics Dairy company Fonterra has launched an organic milk range, having cancelled organic production a few years prior.

Anchor organic has been launched to take advantage of the growing organic market here, which currently stands at 2.5 per cent.

Fonterra’s market research has shown that 72 per cent of respondents said they would buy organic milk if it was more affordable.

Organic milk represents 8% of the UK market, and 15% of the US market.

ORGANICS

Roundup a “probable human carcinogen”

Small-scale farming A report on family farms released in March by the sustainable agriculture group Food Tank credits small-scale farmers with contributing to global food security due to the use of more sustainable agricultural practices.

Food Tank says that while agribusinesses use fertilisers and pesticides to yield bumper crops of single grains like corn and wheat, smallholder farmers are growing indigenous plants that help protect increasingly stressed natural resources (such as water) and that improve the density of nutrients in crops.

The world’s most widely-used herbicide glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Roundup, was last month declared by the World Health Organisation as a “probable human carcinogen.” With 6.3M tonnes applied in over 160 countries every year, glyphosate is primarily used in agriculture.

In the US in particular the chemical is used heavily on genetically modified seeds, which are created to be immune to its weed-killing properties. .

Intensification not working for farmers This month Dairy NZ scientist Dr John Roche revealed research which showed that increasing herd sizes hasn’t put any extra money in the pockets of dairy farmers. In the past decade the average number of cows has increased by 100, yet profits per farmer didn’t change, because of higher spend on supplementary feed and farm infrastructure.

Organics better for you?

Dairying downstream A recent Massey University report has shown that dairy intensification over the last 20 years has seen waterways become heavily polluted, greenhouse gas emissions increase, and biodiversity loss, and argues that the cost of cleaning up the environment may be higher than the economic benefit from dairy exports.

A new study has found that organic crops appear to be up to 60% higher in antioxidants and lower in toxic metals than their conventional counterparts. The new analysis, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, compiled and crunched results from 343 studies. The study shows lower levels of toxic heavy metals in organic crops including cadmium, which was found to be almost 50 per cent lower in organic crops than conventionally grown crops.

Organic v conventional yield difference may be smaller than thought The lower yield from organic crops as opposed to conventionally grown produce may be smaller than previously thought, at 18% or less. Claire Kremen of the Berkeley Food Institute, said: “with global food needs predicted to greatly increase in the next 50 years, it’s critical to look more closely at organic farming because, aside from the environmental impacts of industrial agriculture, the ability of synthetic fertilisers to increase crop yields has been declining.

We simply can’t continue to produce food far into the future without taking care of our soils, water and biodiversity.”

2015 International year of the soils

Thriving wild creatures A recent review of scientific literature found that organic farms support more diverse populations of birds, insects and plants.2 Many synthetic pesticides persist and migrate into the wider environment. Pesticide-induced endocrine disruption has been observed in wild populations of amphibians, reptiles, mammals, fish and birds, causing deformities and reproductive problems.3 Neonicotinoid pesticides, used here, are now showing up in scientific experiments as a likely cause of bee colony collapse.4 Organic farmers don’t use synthetic pesticides.

Instead, they outcompete ‘pest’ organisms by growing healthy crops, introducing beneficial insects and microorganisms, and using naturally derived sprays which don’t harm wildlife.

Healthy soils are the foundation for food, fuel, fibre and even medicine, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) stressed as it kicked off the international year of soils.

FAO estimates that a third of all soils are degraded due to erosion, compaction, soil sealing, salinisation, organic matter and nutrient depletion, acidification, pollution and other processes caused by unsustainable practices.Unless new approaches are adopted, the global amount of arable and productive land per person will in 2050 be only one-fourth of the level in 1960, says the FAO.

1. Rodale Institute, 2015. Regenerative Organic Agriculture and Climate Change: A Down-to-Earth Solution to Global Warming.

2. Bengtsson et al, 2005. The effects of organic agriculture on biodiversity and abundance: a meta-analysis.

3. Colborn et al, 1997. Our Stolen Future.

4. Chensheng et al, 2014. Sub-lethal exposure to neonicotinoids impaired honey bees winterization before proceeding to colony collapse disorder.

5. Meriel Watts, 2013. Poisoning Our Future: Children and Pesticides. Pesticide Action Network Asia & The Pacific.

6. Reganold et al, 1993. Soil quality and financial performance of biodynamic and conventional farms in New Zealand.

7. Gilchrist et al, 2007. The Potential Role of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Infectious Disease Epidemics and Antibiotic Resistance.

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ORGANICS

The key to growing great organic veges is to look after the soil. Mike Bradstock offers his tips based on years of gardening experience.

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ORGANIC FOOD

FRENZ

The golden eggs Frenz has been producing the finest free-range, organic eggs for more than 25 years.

I

t’s a remarkable environmental record. Last year Frenz celebrated 25 years with its Free Range mark and is now New Zealand’s largest organic, free-range egg company, and the only company meeting the strict USDA health standards.

It was also the first company to export eggs – with markets in the US and Asia.

Frenz also made the decision that to ensure an organic, GM-free food supply for its chickens, it would make sense to grow its own organic maize and operate its own mill. So it did just that.

As an example of a company espousing the very highest standards of cruelty free, organic and ethically produced farm produce, Frenz has few peers.

All Frenz organic egg producing chickens are kept in flocks of no more than 350 birds per acre – a far cry from the ‘free-range’ definition often applied to the eggs of other companies – where the sheer size of the flock means birds may or may not even find their way out of the shed.

The legislation is so loose around the term ‘free-range’ that industrial farms can label eggs as ‘free range’ for flocks that have never been outside or seen the light of day. Frenz is proud to continue to provide consumers with confidence through its world-leading standards.

Years ago, Frenz developed its unique ‘Flock Locator’. This identifies where the eggs were grown, shows farm location and details about the farmer and family. Simply go to frenzs.co.nz and enter the Flock Number which appears on the packaging, and get to know the small

cottage farm that provides your healthy eggs.

Innovation and sustainability is also at the heart of its packaging, which is biodegradeable, Forestry Stewardship Council-certified and uses vegetable inks.

Eggs are one of nature’s superfoods – rich in vitamins, minerals, essential fats and protein, but are organic or free-range eggs better for your health?

Caged hens have lower immunity systems which affect the nutritional value of their eggs and the sick hens also need regular antibiotics. As we know, natural sun is the best antibiotic.

Furthermore, according to a study from Mother Earth News, freerange eggs have much higher nutritional values. The study found up to six times more vitamin D, three times more vitamin E and double the omega-3 fatty acids. Chickens with access to pasture and worms that are high in natural omegas get to pass those onto its eggs. So that’s a resounding yes for free-range eggs.

Organics, as has been demonstrated on the preceding pages, is more about what doesn’t go into your food. Organic foods contain no pesticides or herbicides, no antibiotics, artificial colours to enhance yolk colour, and no genetically modified feedstocks.

Frenz eggs are available in all good supermarkets.

Connect and comment through facebook.com/frenzfreerangeeggs Frenz is also part of the Conscious Consumers network – find out more at consciousconsumers.org.nz

Members of / Certified by:

Check out Frenzs.co.nz for some delicious recipes.

Like Frenz on Facebook – facebook.com/FrenzFreeRangeEggs – and enter the draw to win three months’ supply of the world’s best eggs

www.shopgreen.co.nz

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ORGANICS

conventional vines had similar yield levels, but “the organic wine is showing more fruit weight and intensity,” Mooney reflected on his Syrah. The organic Syrah showed “riper aromas and better tannins,” he said. His peers at a public tasting in Hawke’s Bay agreed.

There’s currently no fixed-price premium for organic wines, but market-savvy kiwi wineries report that having organic wines help them connect with new market opportunities, particularly in Europe.

Will the trial’s results cause more growers to wake up and smell the compost – and make the switch? That remains to be seen. At New Zealand’s first major Organic Winegrowing Conference in July, speakers from across the country, across the ditch, and across the planet will gather in Marlborough to put the case to the rest of the industry.

Are organic grapevines ready to go big-time? A governmentfunded project has just spent three years of intensive research trying to figure that out.

The full report from the Organic Focus Vineyard Project has just been released. It can be found on organicfocusvineyard.com, along with blogs and photos documenting the vineyards’ journeys.

Rebecca Reider was manager of the Organic Focus Vineyard Project.

By Rebecca Reider

T

he Organic Focus Vineyard Project followed the experiences of three prominent wineries – Mission Estate in Hawkes Bay, Wither Hills in Marlborough, and Gibbston Valley Wines in Central Otago – while each company transitioned one of their vineyards to BioGrocertified organic production.

The vineyard managers agreed to participate in the reality show by switching half of their land to organic methods while the industry watched their every move via the internet, scientific reports, and on the ground at public events.

“At the start of the project I was a little unsure of how the regimes would compare with one another,” said Caine Thompson, viticulturist at Mission Estate. “After two years I was totally convinced with the quality of fruit being achieved when we were growing organically.”

Heady times led up to the project’s genesis in 2011. The organic wine scene in New Zealand was growing rapidly.

Total organic vineyard area nationwide quadrupled within a few years, making wine the fastest-growing organic business in New Zealand.

But as the buzz built, no one could tell newbies just how the transition would go. Was organic growing for everyone? Could grapes really stay healthy without synthetic chemicals?

“We created the project in response to an industry need for accurate information on organic conversion and management,” said Jonathan Hamlet, chair of Organic Winegrowers NZ. “Production costs, quality and yield, disease levels, soil quality and wine quality were all monitored to provide clear information on the costs and benefits for growers and wine companies.”

The organic transitions went smoothly nearly across the board. Some aspects required investment at first.

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The switch from poisoning weeds to cultivating under the vines was particularly labour-intensive. Some vines needed extra inputs of compost and organic fertilisers to nourish them through the change.

Reflected Max Marriott, assistant manager of the Gibbston Valley trial block: “When you’ve been fed junk food all your life, and then switch cold turkey to greens and lentils, there’s definitely a ‘what-the-hell-is-this phase’ and some rebound time involved.”

Once things were operational, most of the organic blocks posted similar ongoing costs to the adjoining conventional vineyards. Most of the organic vines churned out competitive yields as well; one young Pinot Noir block struggled, but was on the road to recovery by the trial’s end.

Surprising some naysayers, the project showed just how unnecessary synthetic pesticides may be. Despite some high-disease-risk seasons, the organic vineyards came through with healthy fruit due to proactive management practices. The managers monitored their vines closely, sprayed beneficial microorganisms and other natural solutions onto the soil and vines, and planted flowering crops to lure helpful insects into the vineyards.

Though the project produced reams of scientific data, perhaps most telling was the outcome after it ended – all three wineries decided to either maintain or expand their organic vineyard areas.

But what of the final result in the bottle? Does organic wine taste better? The jury is still out on that one.

Winemakers at Wither Hills and Gibbston Valley Wines were hesitant to say as so many variables were involved that strict comparisons became difficult.

However, winemaker Paul Mooney at Mission Estate declared organic the clear victor. The organic and

NZ Organic Wine Awards And the winners are: NZ Organic Wine Awards Vineyard of the Year The Darling NZ Organic Wine Awards Sustainable Vineyard of the Year Kaimira Estate NZ Organic Wine Awards Wine of Show Muddy Water Hare’s Breath Pinot Noir 2012 Gold Medal Winners Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Merlot 2013 Villa Maria single Vineyard Templar Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2013 The Darling Pinot Gris 2013 Terrace Edge Pinot Gris 2014 Loveblock Vintners Pinot Gris 2014 Babich Family Estates Headwaters Organic Chardonnay 2014 Sunset Valley Vineyard Chardonnay Reserve 2014 Richmond Plains Blanc de Noir 2014 Muddy Water Hare’s Breath Pinot Noir 2012 Urlar Select Parcels Pinot Noir 2013 Fancrest Estate Pinot Noir 2011 Muddy Water Pinot Noir 2013 Terrace Edge Rose 2014 Muddy Water James Hardwick Riesling 2014 Loveblock Riesling 2012 Huia Gewurztraminer 2014 The Darling Barrel Sauvignon Blanc 2014 The Darling Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Giesen Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Urlar Select Parcels Sauvignon Blanc 2013 Odyssey Sauvignon Blanc 2014 Richmond Plains Blue Moon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 For a full list (including silver and bronze award winners) visit organicwineawards.co.nz

New Zealand’s Admired Wine Brand Villa Maria aria hass been een name named the 4th Most A Admired mire Wine Brand Bran in the th World and the number mber one in New Zealand, achieving the highest high posi position of any New Zealand winery, by Drinks Internationall. The Award ward d is based ba on a poll of more than 200 top op international rnational buyers, sommeliers, sommeliers journ journalists and Masters of Wine from more than han 20 countries. The key crit criteria w were consistent quality untry of origin. and a true reflection of the cou country nd owned ed family f • Villa Maria is a New Zealand company focusing on sustainability bility and qu quality. nery for • New Zealand’s Most Awarded Winery over 30 years and now New Zealand’s Most Admired Wine Brand • Winner of two Gold Awards at the New Zealand Organic Wine Awards: Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Merlot 2013 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Templar Sauvignon Blanc 2013

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Organically grown and followed through to the bottle

Enjoy Villa Maria Responsibly

VILLAMARIA.CO.NZ

New Zealand’s Most Awarded Winery

GREEN HEATING

Good clean heat Element’s guide to the most ecofriendly heating options this winter.

P

lanning your home’s heating sources before taking all necessary steps to ensure it needs as little heating as possible makes as much sense as trying to fill a colander by installing a more powerful tap.

Pump heat into your home, and it will escape – sooner or later. The trick, therefore, is to turn your home into a kind of Alcatraz for warmth, ensuring the escape takes as long as possible. The result is that rather than an industrial blast furnace to maintain a comfortable temperature, you’ll find you need a more modest unit.

So, how to minimise heat loss?

First, insulate. Bats in walls, ceilings and under the floor. Opt for an eco-friendly option – recycled glass fibre or natural materials like wool or paper. Polystyrene and polyester might be cheap, but not so much for the planet.

Double glaze your windows. If you can afford it, get the souped-up versions, which feature thermal breaks and argon-filled cavities.

Take out spotlights, or find out if or how they can be safely covered by insulation – spotlight holes in a ceiling are pretty much akin to the holes in the aforementioned colander.

Stop drafts – it’s important to have a well-ventilated home, but this can be achieved without the wind whistling through on cold winter nights.

Finally, check your home for moisture. Cutting out the damp may involve getting a moisture barrier under your home, or simply venting dryers and rangehoods outside.

Heat recovery ventilation systems will replace moist air with fresh air, while retaining warmth inside.

Now that your home is a fortress of heat retention and dry air, read on for the most eco-friendly, efficient heating options. Gas-burning models are not included here, as gas is a fossil fuel and contributes to climate change.

heat pumps

For every kilowatt of energy that a heat pump consumes in an hour, an average of three kilowatts of heat are generated.

Last year 80% of our electricity came from a renewable resource. The figure for Auckland, however, is in the region of 40%, so some of the electricity used in your heat pump will have been generated by the burning of coal or gas, giving it a small carbon cost. This is constantly improving, however, and the inclusion of a micro electricity generation system such as solar photo voltaic panels marries nicely with heat pumps, and can

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pellet fires

effectively make your daytime heating both free and carbon neutral.

Heat pumps are particularly efficient because the outside unit simply draws heat from the external air and transfers it to units inside the home. This is much more energy efficient than if the unit was generating heat itself.

Installing a cheap single-unit heat pump generally costs just over $1500. A multi-unit system can cost from around $2500, but will allow a larger area to be heated.

Pellet burners are fired using sustainably sourced pellets made from recycled sawmill waste, including shavings and sawdust. The pellets burn cleanly, and are carbon-neutral, thereby producing no negative effects for the community and environment.

Because the pellets are loaded into the back of the burner and automatically fed into the fire, you can have precise control over the rate of burning and the strength of the fire. Some pellet fire installations can even be controlled with a thermostat, or switched on and off with a timer.

For this reason, pellet burners are the most efficient environmental option when it comes to indoor fires.

Pellet burners are extremely convenient (no lugging of logs), but they come with a higher price tag. A single-storey flue starts at around $4000 to buy and install. The general rule of thumb is that a 15kg bag of pellets will cost $15 and will burn for around 15 hours, which works out more expensive than logs.

GREEN HEATING

LOG BURNERS Pellet burners and log burners pump out radiant heat – like the sun. It warms everything in the room – not just the air.

The net carbon emissions of a log burner are zero – provided your wood supply comes from a renewable resource – as it is simply releasing the carbon which has been sequestered into the growing timber. Burners work best when they are fired with well-seasoned, dry wood, which improves efficiency and minimises pollution.

Log burners can even be fitted with a wetback to heat water, allowing for yet more energy efficiency and power savings.

Log burners range from about $1500 to many thousands, but they can be very cheap to run – a small model might use five cubic metres of ‘hotmix’ wood throughout winter, which can be purchased for around $400. For those concerned about the Auckland fire ban, it appears that councillors have backed down on the proposal and, in any case, newer, clean-burning models were, and are likely to remain, exempt from the ban.

Glass insulation provides thermal resistance of R2.5 per 100mm; wool gives R1.8-2.3 per 100mm in blanket form; and polyester gives R1.8-2.0 in its low density form.

Glass and wool can both contain high proportions of recycled fibre, either from New Zealand or overseas, depending on the manufacture.

Polyester is petrochemical -based – derived from petroleum. While the World Health Organisation used to say glass fibre was a carcinogen, it has now removed that classification.

Glass and wool come out as being the best types of installation when considering ecofriendliness.

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Get along to the Green Living Show, on June 27-28 at the ASB Showgrounds.

Now five years old, Auckland’s premier eco expo is still growing in popularity.

I

t’s the ultimate marketplace for modern green living.

That’s how organiser Tina Raines describes the Green Living Show, an eco-focused consumer and trade show now in its fifth year.

The Green Living Show has evolved from a focus on natural, organic food to incorporate everything related to living a healthy, environmentally-friendly life.

It mirrors Raines’ own journey of discovery when health issues got her exploring organic food options.

“From there I started to think ‘it’s not only what you eat but also about what you are surrounded by’.”

The Green Living Show is an opportunity for people to come together under one roof to sample products, innovations and services aimed at helping them lead healthier, more sustainable lives.

Encompassing exhibitions, non-stop seminars and demonstrations, the show has four areas of focus – natural or organic foods; healthy lifestyle choices; ecobuild advice and products for building and renovating eco-homes; and clean technology such as heat pumps, solar, electric cars and electric bikes.

The interest in creating environmentally efficient homes is booming and experts will be on hand to talk to homebuilders and renovators about the latest trends and technology for everything from green roofs to interior design.

The show does not compromise the principles of environmental sustainability on which it was built. “We prefer to have quality exhibitors who have got quality products – be it small or big brands that follow regulations in this industry,” says Raines. The stringency means all exhibitors, regardless of size, are checked thoroughly for their green credentials, organic certification or their green suitability.

All these contribute to The Green Living Show being the longest running sustainability and green living event in New Zealand.

“We’re getting the best at this show,” says Raines.

Raines draws on her network of green businesses she has met while producing the free Green Living magazine.

The magazine is another arrow in her quiver and serves to keep educating consumers and businesses on sustainability, organics, natural products, health solutions and social responsibility.

While some of the exhibitors are show stalwarts – Auckland organic and wholefoods store Wise Cicada has been at every show since it began – show regulars can look out for new products and new speakers at this year’s event with nearly 40 seminars on offer.

French/Australian nutrition coach, award-winning health promotion expert and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Ambassador Yves Calmette will be at the show for the two days speaking about how food can help maintain and improve your health and happiness.

Calmette promises to reveal the secret formula behind the French way of life, which combines real food, traditions and lifestyle to create a population with half the obesity rate of New Zealand.

He will also talk about how diet alone can knock ten years off your age without resorting to miracle balms or cosmetic surgery.

Also visiting from across the Tasman is Rachael Johnston, a health and wellness expert on educating the community in trying natural solutions to health concerns through the use of CPTG certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils and wellness products. Her presentation: ‘How to enjoy essential oils and their benefits for health and support by using it as ancient medicine’.

This year the show includes The Natural Sweet Treats Festival, bringing together tea, coffee and the all-important chocolate to enjoy at this winter’s celebration.

Live demonstrations, tastings, pop-up cafes and talks will take place all day, including the art of boutique chocolatemaking, demonstrated by chocolatiers Frenchman Baptiste

as part of the Natural Cupcake Challenge, a vegan initiative aimed at inspiring people to use less animal products in their cooking. It’s about getting people to think about the different ways they can reduce their environmental footprint in everyday life.

Encouraging visitors to learn as well as buy when they come to the show is a cornerstone of the show with the introduction of the Green Living Brand Award for the best exhibitor at the show. Instead of having a judging panel it’s the show’s visitors who will vote for the winner. It is a way of getting visitors talking to the show’s exhibitors and questioning them over their green process and level of eco-innovation. “We want them to talk to the exhibitors and learn, not just come and shop,” says Raines.

Fremante and Swiss Edith Mueller.

Auckland-based baker and sugar craft artist Tasha Gill will be revealing in a demo the tips and tricks behind perfect rose fondant, butter frosting and more.

There will even be a competition for the “cutest cupcake”

Leave healthier than you arrived – guaranteed.

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Nutritional coach Yves Calmette will be at the show.

Steve West from Charge.net.nz unveils his fast charge station.

*Check the website before attending seminars as times may vary slightly

This year there will be a group of young inspired designers exhibiting who will showcase their organic and ethical designs at the show.

There will several stands in the Food Zone this year with options for vegetarian, vegan, halal, sweet treats, chocolates, organic ice cream, natural lolly pops and natural sweets.

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ART

of the city

A global search to find the planet’s most outstanding public art culminates in an awards ceremony, exhibition and conference in Auckland in early July.

GET VED INVOL

2015 International Award for Public Art Exhibition and Conference – July 1-4 Register at: iapa2015.nz Conference: The University of Auckland Exhibition: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki

Main pic: The Labyrinth and Cabins of Argelaguer: for more than 20 years outsider artist Josep Pujiula has created a series of towers, bridges, tunnels and cabins in Catalonia, Spain.

Top: Kunlé Adeyemi, Makoko Floating School: a prototype floating structure, built for a water community in Lagos, Nigeria.

Above: Gap Filler, The Pallet Pavilion: a temporary community events venue built from 3000 pallets by volunteers in post-disaster Christchurch.

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he power of public art as social commentary, or as a medium to communicate public defiance, hope, or political activism, is the focus of an exciting Auckland event. Co-hosted by Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland and Shandong University of Art and Design, China, the 2015 International Award for Public Art (IAPA) aims to reimagine public space and promote culturally diverse, socially responsive public art. This is the first time a New Zealand university has worked with partners in China to explore ideas of art and urbanism.

The 2015 IAPA conference Cities in a Climate of Change: Public Art and Environmental and Social Ecologies reflects Elam’s engagement in the civic questions around art and our cities. Bringing together leading international experts and participants, the conference will provide a forum for new ideas about how public art can work. Presentations and workshops will focus on art’s relationship to urban development and city renewal, particularly in the case of disaster recovery.

An exhibition of case studies featuring the top 32 international projects will be at Auckland Art Gallery during the conference. Projects as diverse as a floating school, an experimental sexual politics initiative in India, and a post-earthquake pavilion for Christchurch are finalists for the award. 2015 International Award for Public Art finalists will present their work during the first day of the Cities in a Climate of Change conference, before the announcement of the winner at a dinner on July 1 at Auckland Art Gallery.

The inaugural award (2013) was won by Venezuelan artist and architect Alejandro Haiek Coll for the Tiuna el Fuerte Cultural Park, an inventive and community focused redevelopment of an abandoned parking lot in Caracas.

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Speakers Alejandro Haiek Coll Venezuelan working as far afield as Christchurch. Coll’s work specialises in the resuscitation of inactive landscapes – including those thrown into turmoil by natural events.

Below: Alfredo Jaar, The Geometry of Conscience: a memorial to the victims of the Pinochet military rule and dictatorship in Chile.

Bottom left: Jasmeen Patheja, Talk to Me: a project emerging as an artistic and political response to the widespread harassment of women in India.

Bottom right: Jon Rubin and Dawn Weleski, Conflict Kitchen: a restaurant and a socially engaged project serving cuisine from countries the USA is in conflict with.

Owen Hatherley British architecture, regeneration, and popular culture critic.

Author of A New Kind of Bleak, contributor to Building Design, Frieze and the Guardian.

Mary Jane Jacob Professor of Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Shifted her workplace from the museum to the street to become a leading figure in the field of socially engaged art and the discussion around public space.

Philip Tinari Director of the Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art, Beijing.

Recently named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Bruce Sheridan NZ born Chair of Cinema Art + Science at Columbia College, Chicago. Focused on creativity as fundamental, with particular emphasis on improvisation and collaboration.

Pan Lusheng President of Shandong University of Art and Design and director of the Institute of Design, China National Academy of Arts.

Lewis Biggs Chair, Institute of Public Art. Formally Chief Executive of Liverpool Biennial and Director of Tate Liverpool. Curator of Folkestone Triennial 2014 (UK) and Aichi Trienniale 2013 (Japan).

Should Tane Mahuta pay rates? Photo: Dean Purcell

Tree hugger TE RADAR RADAR’S RANT

Bringing tree love to a whole new level.

I

have never considered marrying a tree. It’s not that I am against the idea; I just think that heading away on honeymoon might be a little tricky. And then there is the question of consent. How could I be sure the tree was willing to marry me?

This is the main failure of any legal arrangement with a tree. It’s also one of the reasons there has for years been a little controversy over the “Tree That Owns Itself”.

Firmly rooted in the American town of Athens, Georgia, it is believed that in the 1800s the tree was gifted the land it grows on, (around 2.5 metres either side of its trunk) by a man who was rather fond of it. He did so to protect the tree in perpetuity.

However, no one can find the document that gifted the land to the tree. Nor does the law believe the tree could consent to the idea. Regardless, it is now much loved and world famous.

It seems a sensible idea. After all, the general legal consensus is that whoever owns the land owns the trees that grow there. If the tree owns the land, then the tree should be safe from those who might, for example, wish

it removed so they can build a deck from which to better appreciate nature.

So what if trees were granted their own piece of land? No doubt problems would arise. How would a tree deal with its rates bill? Should a tree even pay rates? You could say that it is not being provided with any services, but what if its wayward roots damaged pipes or footpaths? Who would the council chase for compensation?

Regardless there is something nice about the thought of a

“If the tree owns the land, then the tree should be safe from those who might, for example, wish it removed so they can build a deck from which to better appreciate nature.” tree having ownership of its little piece of the earth.

There is no denying that many people claim to love particular trees, some more than others. It was reported recently that a woman named Emma McCabe claimed to have fallen in love emotionally, (and, the media luridly proclaimed, physically) with a poplar tree she called Tim. Emma said she intended to marry Tim.

While many people found this a little odd, tree marriage is not a new concept. In one ancient Hindu ceremony, women were required to marry either a peepal or banana tree, which was then destroyed to remove the potential for any curses caused by astrological conditions over the bride and groom.

This led to claims in 2006 that the practice was continued

by Bollywood super-starlet Aishwarya Rai, who was alleged to have married a tree for precisely this reason. Civil rights groups complained, stating that it was derogatory to women. No one mentioned the rights of the tree not to be ritually slaughtered.

In New Zealand the closest a tree can get to owning itself seems to be through a QEII covenant. Landowners register land they believe should be protected with the QEII trust, and the agreement is binding forever, which does seem like quite a long time.

Even when the land is sold nobody can do anything to the trees that reside there, other than nature itself, which does have an annoying habit of occasionally killing its own.

This fate befell the Tree That Owned Itself. The original toppled in a storm in 1946 and a descendant was raised from an acorn, replanted in the same spot by local women.

Still, the Son of The Tree That Owns Itself remains a much loved fixture in Athens. It even has its own Facebook page.

When it comes to updating its relationship status, I imagine it’ll say simply “It’s complicated”.

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