13: The Environment by Salient

The Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University, Wellington

salient.org.nz

volume

issue

july

2 01 1

Salient Vol. 74

The Team

Editors: Uther Dean and Elle Hunt editor@salient.org.nz

itter! on Tw zine! e ’r e W aga entm @sali

Like Sa li Facebo ent on o people k! 1727 c wrong an’t be !

Designer: Dan Hutchinson designer@salient.org.nz News Editor: Stella Blake-Kelly news@salient.org.nz Chief Reporter: Natalie Powlesland natalie@salient.org.nz Feature Writer: Selina Powell selina@salient.org.nz Feature Writer: Zoe Reid zoe@salient.org.nz Chief Sub-Editor: Carlo Salizzo carlo@salient.org.nz Online Editor: James Hurndell james@salient.org.nz Arts Editor: Louise Burston arts@salient.org.nz

Contributors

Rory Harnden, Seamus Brady, Bridie Hood, Haley Mortimer, Edward Warren, Hannah Warren, Paul Comrie-Thomson, Sophie Turner, Guy Ryan, Jill Hayhurst, Ollie Neas, Lucinda Staniland, Martin Doyle, Zoe Russell, William Guzzo, Linda Beckett, David Burr, Ben Wylie-van Eerd, Jono McLeod, Gen F. & Sean M., Constance Cravings, Auntie Sharon, Ally Garrett, Adam Goodall, Angharad O’Flynn, Max Trevor Thomas-Edmond, Sally Anderson, Fairooz Samy, Michael Boyes, Angus Winter, Dave the Beer Guy, Hayley Adams, Sarita Lewis, Sam Northcott, Robyn Kenealey, Renee Lyons, Laff, Nicola Wood, Geraint Scott, Alex Braae, Ryan Hammond, and Callum McDougal.

Co-tributors of the week:

Sophie Turner and Ollie Neas. Write for us more plz.

About Us

Salient is produced by independent student journalists, employed by, but editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA). Salient is a member of, syndicated and supported by the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA). It is printed by APN Print of Tauranga. Opinions expressed are not necessarily representative of those of ASPA, VUWSA, Printcorp, or Blair Munro, but we of Salient are proud of our beliefs and take full responsibility for them.

Contact

VUWSA Student Media Centre Level 3, Student Union Building Victoria University PO Box 600, Wellington Phone: 04 463 6766 Email: editor@salient.org.nz

Advertising

Contact: Howard Pauling Phone: 04 463 6982 Email: sales@vuwsa.org.nz

Other

Subscriptions: Too lazy to walk to uni to pick up a copy of your favourite mag? We can post them out to you for a nominal fee. $40 for Vic student, $55 for everyone else. Please send an email containing your contact details with ‘subscription’ in the subject line to editor@salient.org.nz This issue is dedicated to the previous five Thursday nights, which we spent in the real world, eating, drinking, imbibing fine art, and wasting time with friends. It made for a nice change.

The Regular Bits Editorial 3 Ngāi Tauira 6 News 7 The Week That Wasn’t

Overheard @ Vic

Faces to Deface 22

editorial

Issue 13 Environment

Elle & Uther

Notices 43 Letters 44 Puzzles 46 Comics 47

The Features The ReGeneration Road Trip

“Think Globally, Act Locally.” Well, Maybe.

It’s (not) Easy Being Green

Birds of a Feather

Food for Thought: Eating Green

Enivonmarketing 28 The Climate Change Conundrum

The Columns VUWSA President 4 VUWSA Exec 5 Politics with Paul

Youth Law

Student Health Services

Animal of the Week

Failure to Communicate

The 7th Inning Stretch

Bent 35 Ask Constance 36 Peas & Queues

I Am Offended Because...

Beer Will Be Beer

Lovin' From The Oven

To begin: welcome back. We hope exams didn’t crush your spirits. We hope you scraped whatever grade it is that you’ve arbitrarily decided defines your worth as a human. And we hope that you had a good, relaxing break, during which you emerged at least a little from your end-of-trimester stresscocoon of fear and No-Doz. We, too, are refreshed after our month-long break from production, so we’ve shuffled the magazine around a bit to respond to some of the feedback we’ve been hearing from you all. We’ve got three new columns, and we’ve ordered things a little differently. And we’ve traded our news editor, Hannah, in for a younger model, Stella Blake-Kelly. (She’s not a model.) Seriously, Hannah—you were everything we wanted and needed you to be, and a great asset to the Salient team. Have fun in Japan. We will miss you. Now. It is incredibly easy to feel snowed under the ongoing word avalanche that is the Climate Change Debate. Even the term is misleading. ‘Debate’ implies that both sides have supportable arguments, even though 99.9% of all worthwhile scientists agree that we’re not scaremongering, and that this is really happening. “Climate Change Debate” is just what it’s called now—even though it’s not an actual debate. The world is dying: you can’t even wake up without catching some new little snick of how-to-save-the-world-before-it’s-too-late in your knowledge box. No-one, really, is denying that there is a problem and that it needs to be fixed. We have to do something. Or, you know, else. But what do we do? Take our canvas bags to the supermarket, ignoring the fact that plastic bags aren’t made to order, meaning that they’ll still exist, clogging up the world without even being used? Do we recycle, even though the recycling process itself produces carbon? Do we take a KeepCup to vicbooks to save the planet, one takeaway mocha at a time? It’s easy to be shaken into inaction or even apathy by the growing slurry of options and contradictions. So, in this, our Environment issue, we have endeavored to explore as many different reactions and ways of helping the world fix itself as possible. We’ve also printed 2000 fewer copies of the magazine than usual: Salient this week is a limited edition, so either return it to the (newly-rebranded) baskets when you’re done reading, or share it with your flatmates. That’s our little attempt at saving some trees. What else can we do to slow the rate of world death? Well, here are some answers to that question.

Hug trees, @utherlives & @mlle_elle

The Arts Film 38 Music 39

Theatre 40

We deeply apologise for our article about Werner Erhard in the 11th April issue. It contained numerous inaccuracies and untrue statements about Erhard, and cited facts from sources which have since retracted them. Erhard is not now and was never a Scientologist, nor was it Erhard's opinion that L. Ron Hubbard was "one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century". This quote was incorrectly attributed to Erhard.

Games 41

We apologise to Erhard and our readers.

Visual Arts 39 Books 40

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Salient Vol. 74

PREZ 00001110 COL

president@vuwsa.org.nz vuwsa.org.nz facebook.com/vuwsa

Columns

Seamus Brady

What a year it’s been so far! We kicked things off with a huge Orientation, and students have enjoyed an increasing number of wins as a result of strong representation across the University. We’ve seen a range of positive changes on campus with improved food outlets like the Hunter Lounge, Milk & Honey, and Kiosks opening—as well as new clubs and social spaces. Our support services are seeing increased usage and our clubs are thriving. But there is heaps more to do. So to welcome you back we’ve lined up a sweet Re-Orientation that includes a week packed full of New Zealand’s finest comedy (Dai Henwood), music (The Black Seeds), free stuff, food, prizes and heaps of clubs on display on all campuses. Tickets and more detailed information can be found on our website.

Student Services Levy Consultation Through VUWSA you have an equal say on what your Student Service Levy funds. From the Rec Centre to Health and Counselling you have a direct say in how they are governed and how they are funded. This is thanks to a Memorandum of Understanding with the University that set up a joint committee to ensure that students have a say in the Levy decisions. The Committee’s draft proposal for the 2012 levy is that the same level of services be maintained for 2012. In order to do this and taking account

of increases in staffing and occupancy costs the Committee is recommending an increase in the Levy of no more than 4%. This consultation is an opportunity for you to let the Committee know your views on the draft proposal and whether or not you think the Committee is on the right track. I strongly encourage you to have your say on this by July 24. The consultation document and short survey can be found on our website.

Talk About It—Campus Safety In VUWSA’s 2010 Student Survey campus safety was highlighted as an area of concern for some students. In an effort to better understand your All students relating to safety who complete feelings at Victoria, VUWSA has the survey will launched a Campus Safety go the draw Audit. The first step in this process is an (anonymous!) to win one of student survey on our five vicbooks website, which will feed vouchers into a report that will help inform the University’s wider review of safety and security. All students who complete the survey will go the draw to win one of five $20 vicbooks vouchers.

VUWSA is changing We’re developing a new strategic plan so we can better represent and serve all students at Victoria University of Wellington. We want it to be clear, accessible and easy for you to get involved so that we can achieve we all want—a world-class student experience and a strong students’ association at Victoria. So come along to our student workshop next Monday in the Student Union Building and share your ideas on what you want to see from VUWSA. More details are on our website. Have a great week babes, Seamus Brady

Issue 13 Environment

Vice Prez (Education) Bridie Hood Hello everyone! I hope you all had an awesome break and are all rested and ready for Trimester 2. To welcome you back VUWSA has organised an awesome re-Orientation. It’s filled with great New Zealand talent, so make sure you check out what we have to offer! As well as events, the start of a new trimester and new classes also means a new opportunity to put your hand up to be a Class Rep! Yay! I know I go on about it all the time, but student representation is so important and I urge you all to get involved. Class repping provides you with some really awesome opportunities and skills, such as building professional relationships with staff, acquiring new skills, meeting new people and positively effecting student-driven change at the University. In addition, this year we have also introduced Class Rep Scholarships—these are awards that recognise the amazing work that Class Reps do. We have one scholarship We have one available to a Class Rep in every scholarship faculty (FHSS has two scholarships available to a available). If you are keen to be a Class Class Rep in Rep this trimester make sure you every faculty check out the VUWSA website for training session times and dates! Over the last few weeks the VUWSA Education Office has been busy working on the Review of Undergraduate Education. Our reps on the numerous committees have been busy ensuring that the student voice is being heard at all levels of the Review. Once again thank you to all the students who took the time to fill out our survey. The student recommendations from the VUWSA Submission are beings discussed at the numerous committees and being integrated into recommendations that are to be put forward to the RUE Steering Committee. We can see that students are playing a massive role in this review and throughout this process the University have been really interested in hearing student opinion on the issues. If you are interested in hearing a bit more about how the Review is going, in the next few weeks we will be holding an information session to get students up to speed on how everything is going. This will also give students the opportunity to ask the student reps on the committees any specific questions. I hope to see some of you around at re-Orientation events and as always, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in contact! Nga mihi,

Environmental Officer Haley Mortimer Hi everyone and welcome back to Trimester 2! It’s set to be a great one and what better way to start it off than with Re-O Week, followed by Environment Week! With Environment Week scheduled for Monday 18 July to Friday 22 July, it is the perfect chance to interact within your university environment while learning more about the global environment and current issues. Here is some food for thought—as Time magazine once quoted: “Don’t blow it—good planets are hard to find”. With the focus of Environment Week being the theme of ‘How green are you?’, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to be a cliché hippie to be green! The word ‘environment’ can mean many things, and while VUWSA acts as your representative to help shape the best university environment for you, we must remember that we are all part of a system that is interconnected and is dependent on each other. Individual action counts. A key part of being a student is to argue and get angry over what you believe to be a just cause—what more relevant, more politically-charged topic than that of the environment could there be? The line up for Environment Week is set to give you every opportunity to get involved and be heard. With the week including Meat Free Monday with delicious Krishna Food, a speaker and an interactive workshop on the hotly debated issue of Coal Mining, a ‘Hook Up’ event for our campus Green clubs— including a debate between our very own political young guns— and several mucking in events during the week, you will have the opportunity to get your hands dirty! With Trimester Two off to a great start, be sure to get involved and make the most of your environment. Haley Mortimer environment.officer@vuwsa.org.nz

Bridie Hood evp@vuwsa.org.nz

salient.org.nz

Salient Vol. 74

Ngāi Tauira

ng Now

Recruiti

Ko tō Wiki o te Reo Māori This year, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori was held on the last week of uni break (4-10 July), so as tauira we missed out on the chance to show our ‘manaakitanga’ around campus. Hei aha! We’ll be hijacking next week to bring some te reo goodness in your student life here at Vic. Check these out: Hokohoko Tukurua (Garage Sale)

NGĀ TAURA UMANGA MĀORI COMMERCE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

BENEFITS • Networking • Good on your CV

During Te Wiki o te Reo Maori, bring in any of your CLEAN, second-hand items—clothes, shoes, books, computers, random objects of greatness—to donate to a garage sale that will be held on Friday. All proceeds will go to those university students affected by the Christchurch earthquake, and any left over stuff will be donated to charities. Our office will be open from 10am-4pm to take in your donated goods.

• Great way to meet people

Te Ao Mārama (Māori edition of Salient)

To assist Māori to excel in the study of commerce.

Yes, it’s back for another year and we want YOU to send your letters in te reo Māori to letters@ salient.org.nz to be published in Te Ao Mārama. If you don’t know how to speak the coolest language in the world then bust out the online dictionaries and send us a mihi. The best one gets a prize too. Show us your reo and tuku mai ngā reta! There’ll also be a quiz night (pō patapātai), sports (hākinakina), and debates (tautohetohe) among other things. Keep an ear and eye out for details!

• Involvement in events • Gain new skills

VISION

To contribute towards the holistic well being of Māori.

MISSION

We aim to uplift the knowledge of Māori Commerce Students not only within the field of Commerce, but across all their studies.

Call/text 0275 646 329 or email ngatauraumanga@gmail.com with your details The first ten receive free membership to Ngā Taura Umanga as well as Te Awe Wellington Māori Business Network saving $100!

Bye Hannah :)

The News

Issue 13 Environment

the news

Now edited by Stella Blake-kelly

Future of VSM looking shaky Natalie Powlesland

The future of students’ associations continue to look uncertain, due to delaying tactics by the Labour Party, the resignation of Heather Roy, and calls for compromise on both sides of the debate. ACT MP Heather Roy’s Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill, more commonly referred to as the Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) Bill, aims to make membership of students’ associations voluntary. For several months, the Labour Party has filibustered so that the final Committee Stage of the Bill has not had a chance to be debated in the house. As there are only three Members’ Days left before Parliament dissolves, there is a chance the Bill may not pass before Roy retires in November. Should the Bill not pass by then, another member may pick it up at its current stage and carry it on.

“A number of MPs have asked me if I could transfer the Bill to them after the election,” says Roy. “So I have no doubt at all that, if it’s not passed before this election, it will be carried on into the next election.” Roy is determined to see the Bill pass before the election and has accused Labour of wasting Parliament’s time. This determination has also led to calls for a compromise from both sides of the controversial debate. Labour’s Tertiary Education Spokesperson David Shearer and Heather Roy have taken part in “constructive discussion”, but Shearer says the chances of achieving a successful compromise The objective, from our point of are looking less and less likely.

view, is to ensure that students associations stay healthy vibrant organisations

“The objective, from our point of view, is to ensure that students’ associations stay healthy, vibrant organisations. And, at the same time, that we try and get a piece of legislation through that would actually persevere into the future,” says Shearer. “I think that the chances of it happening are more and more remote, frankly.” Roy says she is willing to discuss alternatives as long as they remain consistent with her belief that students have the freedom to choose whether they join their students’ association. “I will, when looking at any sort of compromise at all, have that principle foremost in my mind of freedom of association,” she says. The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has previously opposed VSM outright, but it has recently echoed Labour by asking for a “fairer alternative”. Internet based prediction market iPredict has just launched stocks on the chances of the Bill or a compromised version being ratified before the General Election. As Salient went to print, the market thought it had a 63% probability of the Bill passing in some form.

salient.org.nz

The News

Salient Vol. 74

Vic students lend a hand in Chch Nicola Wood

A group of Victoria students spent four days of their study break helping the recovery effort in earthquake-stricken Christchurch. An experience which VUWSA Welfare Officer Ta'ase Vaoga says saw some participants holding back tears. Organised by VUWSA, the group assisted Port Hills MP Ruth Dyson and List MP Nicky Wagner around their constituancy. “This involved door knocking, chatting with residents, and checking they had applied for grants and assistance that they might be entitled to,” Vaoga said.

The team also spent a day with the Student Volunteer Army from Canterbury and Lincoln Universities, removing silt from properties in areas where liquefaction had occurred. Ms Vaoga says it was a rewarding task, and that many of the students had lengthy conversations with residents about the challenges they are facing. “We helped a woman who is currently undergoing chemotherapy and dealing with a silt ridden backyard,” she says. “I also met someone who had lost someone close in the Pike River mine disaster. So the emotional impact was very real for us and for those we helped out.” She says VUWSA is grateful to Strait Shipping's Bluebridge for providing them with free travel. VUWSA President Seamus Brady notes that this is not the first time Victoria students have helped Christchurch residents. “Following the February 22 earthquake, VUWSA ran a campus donation drive during our Orientation,” he says. The week-long fundraiser earlier in the year raised over $7000 for the Student Volunteer Army.

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The News

Issue 13 Environment

VBC Status TBC Elle Hunt

Victoria University’s student-run radio station, 88.3 The VBC FM, is back on the airwaves after three months of turbulent transmission. The radio station has been more or less unmanned since April due to both technical issues and a transitional period which has seen it left without a station manager. Jason Post and Lewis van den Berg-Shaw, who have both had extensive involvement with the station in the past, have been appointed to fixed-term paid positions to get the station up and running. The VBC Trust intends to appoint a new station manager in early August. The VBC hopes to perform multiple technical upgrades to ensure consistent broadcasting into the foreseeable future. A new website will also be launched in the coming weeks that will enable up to 250 listeners to stream the station at one time. “Following the upgrade of the Student Media Centre last year, we’re lucky enough to have one of the best broadcasting facilities of any tertiary institution in New Zealand,” says van den Berg-Shaw. “We’ve got a great group of volunteers who have the passion and determination to ensure that students have their music and voices heard.” VUWSA President Seamus Brady is also looking forward to the VBC being operational in Trimester 2. “The station has a lot of exciting new initiatives planned, such as broadcasting in The Hunter Lounge and podcasting regular programmes,” he says. “Fans of my show The Hour of Power with Caitlin and Seamus will be stoked to know it’s returning to the airwaves.” The VBC will be broadcasting and recruiting volunteers at Re-Orientation Clubs Days at Kelburn, Te Aro and Pipitea campuses.

salient.org.nz

The News

Salient Vol. 74

Campus Hubbub Hannah Warren

Louis’, a small food kiosk next door to Milk and Honey, is the newest addition to the Kelburn campus. It will also be the last benefit of the Campus Hub Project students will see until the first trimester of 2013. The noise and disruption of the Campus Hub Project during study leave and exams has caused frustration among students, especially to those who feel they will never get any benefit. “The noise and drilling when I had study in the library was rather incessant. I mean, weren’t we told that drilling would only happen during weekends and outside of lecture/study periods?” asked student Cory Knights on Facebook. “I’m not even gonna see the outcome from that noise. [I’ll] finish my degree by next year and the construction is scheduled to finish in 2013,” wrote student Papanda Jadian. “So, two years of eyesore and noise, and gaining [nothing] from it.” Development Programme Manager Satish Dahya said that they had tried to avoid disruption to exams. “When exams are taking place every effort is made to limit noisy work such as drilling.” Dahya also confirmed that the project is running to schedule. “We will have the base build complete by December 2012 and the fit-out for the retail area will follow on from this so the retail units in Easterfield and the new central building will be completed for the start of Trimester 1, 2013.” Louis’ Kiosk, stocking both hot and convenience food, will be open Monday through Saturday, and provides cheaper and healthier alternatives to UniStop. The entrance to the kiosk has been fitted out as a sound tunnel with motion sensors, which plays random noises, from bangs to Star Wars tunes, when activated. As it is currently out of order, Salient tried to imagine the sounds of future students enjoying a completed Campus Hub, but was interrupted by drilling.

Victoria sportspeople get a taste of the Blues Natalie Powlesland

Victoria University’s top sportspeople were honoured at the University Sport New Zealand Blues Awards on Friday 1 July. The awards provide an opportunity for University Sport New Zealand (USNZ) to officially congratulate those who excel at the highest level in their sport while balancing university life. Victoria’s athletes and administrators recognised with NZU Blues Awards included: Derek Woolshere (Coach of the Year); Samantha Lee (Surf lifesaving); Gareth Kean (Swimming); Ella Edginton (Debating); Stephen Whittington (Debating); Sebastian Templeton (Debating); William Bishop (Fencing); and Michael Mercer (Fencing). VUWSA President Seamus Brady was delighted with the success of Victoria students at the awards. “It demonstrates that students can combine competing at the highest level in their chosen sport, while maintaining their commitment to their academic study. It is great that we can recognise that in this way,” he says. USNZ consists of ten Universities’ students’ associations, including VUWSA, who fund and support a range of national sporting events including the University Games and the Snow Games. The New Zealand Blues have been awarded since 1919 and are based on the traditional Blue of Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

To Campaign or not to Campaign? Natalie Powlesland

Election years inevitably see politicians flock to university campuses in an attempt to solicit the votes of students and this year is set to be no exception, despite some claims to the contrary. Last month, Victoria University sent a letter to the offices of all political parties asking them to inform the University if their representatives would be on campus. They also stated that “political visits to, or activities on Victoria campuses are restricted to the period 19 September to 14 October” to avoid clashing with the exam period. What should have been a relatively straightforward issue was complicated when The Capital Times printed an article stating that student representatives were confused about whether parties were allowed to campaign in Trimester 3, which begins on 14 November.

The News

Issue 13 Environment

“Whatever it [the article] says, we’re not confused,” says VUWSA President Seamus Brady. “All the University wants is for political parties to let them know if they were coming on to campus (which is usual practice). And they asked that they avoid the campus during the study/exam period for obvious reasons.” Some have also questioned if the restriction applies to the VUWSA-affiliated political groups on campus: Young National, VicLabour, Greens at Vic, and ACT on Campus. Brady says the restrictions were not intended for these groups. “The letter was sent to external political party head offices and was never intended to include any activities undertaken, or guests invited, by political clubs on campus or student organisations.” Despite political activities being discouraged during the exam period, there will be plenty of political action in the lead up to the General Election on 26 November. “There is a lot at stake for students at the election. We are struggling with record student fees and student debt continues to rise. Students deserve to be fully informed about how political parties will deal with their issues,” says Brady. “VUWSA is planning on hosting a number of different forums in the lead up to the Election in order for students to actively engage with the political process.”

salient.org.nz

The News

Salient Vol. 74

ACTing inappropriately... again Geraint Scott

ACT on Campus Auckland vice-president Cameron Browne sparked controversy last month when he told Auckland University Students’ Association treasurer Tania Lim to ‘get raped’ during a heated Facebook debate. ACT on Campus president Peter McCaffrey spoke for Browne, saying that Browne was responding to being called a fascist. When asked if the response was appropriate, he said Browne “...should have chosen a different swear word or called her something else”. Lim is yet to receive an apology and intends to lodge a formal complaint with ACT on Campus. “I was shocked, to be honest, because I didn’t know who he was. I’ve been sexually assaulted before and I didn’t really appreciate that comment. I felt like I was personally attacked and it brought back bad memories,” Lim said. The comments attracted wide spread condemnation, with ACT Leader Don Brash labelling the comment “grossly inappropriate”. Coordinator of the Wellington Young Feminists Collective, Nicole Skews, said in a press release “telling someone to ‘get raped’ is not the same as telling them to ‘f___ off ’ and I am appalled ACT on Campus is continuing to defend his actions.” This is the second time this year that ACT on Campus has come under fire for controversial remarks. In January, Act On Campus made an analogy between gang rape and compulsory student association membership.

VUWSA on the strat and narrow Stella Blake-Kelly VUWSA will be developing a strategic plan during Trimester two, giving it a solid direction which will ultimately influence any future changes. VUWSA president, Seamus Brady said they wanted “both the process and the final document to be clear, accessible and easy for you to get involved with, so we can achieve what we all want - a world class student experience and a strong students’ association at Victoria.” The process will be staged, and give multiple chances for students to provide input. Following a student workshop on the 18th July, a draft outlining VUWSA’s purpose, mission, vision and goals will be submitted to the executive for feedback and approval. It will then be open to further student consultation and executive approval before being voted upon in a student referendum during the VUWSA elections in September.

VSM Killed the Radio Stars Stella Blake-Kelly A report commissioned by OUSA has recommended that Radio One be sold, should student association membership become voluntary. The Deloitte report recommended the sale from a commercial standpoint, on the grounds that Radio One currently operates at a loss. The recommendation has been criticised by many, including Radio One station manager Sean Norling who said the station had “exceptional cultural value”. Norling has cancelled regular programming for a week to give “a taste of how the cultural landscape of Dunedin may look if the sale goes ahead.”

L Ross Jackson DENTAL SURGEON

Level 4 Baldwins Centre 342 Lambton Quay Wellington Phone/fax: 499-1769 Email: lrjackson@xtra.co.nz

Though a survey found Radio One was one of the least-used services offered by OUSA, association president Logan Edgar said he “would love to see it stay” but wasn’t ruling out changes. “It is smart for us to start looking at making it more efficient as a company if VSM comes in, because we will have to run a lot more like a commercial outfit.” NZUSA co-president David Do has voiced support for Radio One, and sees it as part of a larger battle to stop student media being silenced by VSM.

Issue 13 Environment

the week that wasn’t

c Bla Bla Bla

Karaoke A-OK with Kooky Aoraki Quartet

American student in MDIA tutorial: “I haven’t been in New Zealand long, but I keep hearing about this Treaty of Waitango?” Elvisa Robb

‘Ahhhhh, shit’—Dani Walker, upand-coming Aoraki vocalist

Exam supervisor: “Well, there’s about one minute before we start, so we’ll just look awkwardly at one another.” Connie Hutchinson

Edward Warren

In April of this year, Aoraki quartet ‘Here’s That Tenor I Owe Ya’ raised $3000 to be able to travel to the capital to compete in Wellington City’s ‘Big Voices, Bad Choices’ contest. What they didn’t realise was that they were actually seeking financial support from community members to fund a trip to Wellington’s infamous Club K in order to take part in a karaoke competition, the grand prize of which was a $200 bar tab. “It should have occurred to us that it might not have been the prestigious national competition we had imagined when looking at the title, ‘Big Voices, Bad Choices’,” said group manager Kathy Paulssen. “It does sort of sound like a karaoke competition, now that I think about it... And the abundance of drink specials posted on the Facebook event page was another give away.” Despite the mix-up, the group performed admirably, stunning judges with impassioned performances of U2’s ‘With or Without You’ and Scissor Sisters’ ‘Take Your Mama Out’. They failed to impress the panel, however, with a failed rendition of UB40’s ‘Red, Red Wine’, claiming they “had no idea the rap part went on for so bloody long”. The group came in third, and each singer was awarded a Jagermeister cap. In first place was a duo of two frighteningly drunk girls, Sarah and Harriet, and in second was a guy called Chris something. “The girls were really a sight to behold. Sarah, wasted, kept trying all these sexy dance moves, and she really screwed the pooch every time, but they had a lot of force on stage regardless. Also, I think Mark [another panellist] is currently pounding Harriet so we sort of had to let them win,” judge Alan Keong told Salient. “As for Chris, I think he was high. Like, next-level stoned. He could barely write his first name, and definitely couldn’t write his surname... What does this say? ‘Seymons’? ‘Silman’? These aren’t letters. It took him about eight minutes to get to the stage, and he was singing so quietly I have no idea what song he even did. To be honest I’m impressed he even got up there.”

Overheard on second-floor Cotton building: “No, no, no, debugging software code is nothing like touch rugby.” Felix F Shi Student: “Better practice that speech so we don’t look like a bunch of spiders trying to fuck a basketball.” Robbie Davis Third-year psych student: “Psychology is a bit too schizophrenic for my taste.” Theo Coy-Lunn Girl in line at VUWSA free breakfasts: “So how do they pay for this?” Friend: “With our student levy.” Girl 1: “Oh, I thought that was to pay for people who can’t afford to go to uni?” Friend: “Oh yeah, maybe... Isn’t that how the Government pays student allowances?...” Keryn Bell Written on bathroom wall in KK: “You are on an island in the middle of nowhere!” Vera Lingonis Overheard while walking down Mount Street Student 1: “Dude, you sound stoned.” Student 2: “How do you know what stoned sounds like?” Student 1: “Whanganui.” Nina Schotanus

At time of writing, ‘Here’s That Tenor I Owe Ya’ had returned to a very unimpressed Aoraki community who “just wished that [they’d] been told that there was karaoke on offer”. salient.org.nz

Columns

Salient Vol. 74

Key to India Paul Comrie-Thomson, that is

“That’s insulting to India.” “India does not allow any extraneous matters, there are other platforms to discuss this, not in trade negotiations. Thank you.” So played out the ending of Guyon Espiner’s interview on Q+A with India’s Commerce Minister Anand Sharma, when Espiner broached the idea of whether provisions surrounding India’s child labour issues should be included in any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Zealand and India. Before hanging up, Sharma commented to someone in his Delhi office concerning Espiner: “He’s a very rude fellow.” There are few who would hold the opinion that the topic should not have been raised though. Surely, human rights promotion should be at the forefront of all NZ’s international relations. Why then, has there been such a lack of focus on those practises in India that would seem abhorrent if allowed to occur in our own country, especially from Labour and the Greens? To be sure, Greens co-leader Dr. Norman raised the issue of child labour in general, commenting that “trade deals give new, special rights to multi-national companies so they can sue us, but don’t give rights to kids who are stuck in a factory somewhere.” Besides this, the Greens have been conspicuously quiet on the deal. Labour’s only interjection came from Clare Curran, who raised concerns over “labour outsourcing,” but was quickly reprimanded by the Party machine. Phil Goff is a strong supporter of an FTA with India. The reasoning is simple. As Trade Minister Tim Grosser has pointed out, we can achieve much more by engaging cooperatively with these countries while

Since signing an FTA with China, for example, dairy exports from NZ have increased fourfold, and certainly we can expect the same sort of figures in a deal with India pursuing singular issues through other avenues such as through International Labour Organisation conventions. India already has laws forbidding child labour, and although the problem is persistent, as with the country’s poverty, these issues are gradually being tackle— mammoth undertakings in a country with India’s population. The proposed FTA has significant benefits for NZ, with Key the right leader to secure the deal. Having spent much of his professional life in the banking world, he is well placed to connect and negotiate with India’s billionaires, as well as the Indian Government, working to secure deals that will benefit particularly NZ agriculture for years to come. Since signing an FTA with China, for example, dairy exports from NZ have increased fourfold, and certainly we can expect the same sort of figures in a deal with India. Moreover, the potential benefits from an agreement between the two countries in other industries are exciting to say the least. We’re already seeing the benefits to tourism from Bollywood filming in NZ, with more than 30,000 Indians visiting NZ since 2004, and this could grow exponentially with the deal.

Moreover, to Key’s credit, he didn’t completely shut his eyes to India’s less desirable attributes. He was faced with India’s crippling poverty, albeit through the windows of his motorcade, and he acknowledged the issues of terrorism and raised nuclear disarmament with Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Singh. However, in the face of these recognitions, some of the key discussions from the visit should be somewhat disconcerting to New Zealanders. An agreement on closer defence ties was one of the big surprises from the visit, including suggestions from Key that NZ could send a frigate to help quell piracy in India’s oceans. But, in complete contrast to NZ, India is a country that is armed with nuclear weapons, and is one of few nations not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Furthermore, tightening defence ties in the face of India’s ongoing conflict with Pakistan should surely be raising eyebrows here at home. But, TV3’s Patrick Gower puts it like this: “We have to nail these (FTA) deals. You have to swallow a couple of dead rats on the way. India’s nuclear arsenal is one. Child labour is another. We’ve done this before with China so it shouldn’t taste so bad.” What we need to ask ourselves is whether an FTA is worth undermining independence in international relations. We stood fast under Lange under US pressure to have the nuclear-powered USS Buchanan visit NZ shores in 1985. Surely, it would make sense to apply similarly staunch objections in our dealings with the more recent nuclear-mad countries of the world?

Issue 13 Environment

YOUTHLAW

TINO RANGATIRATANGA TAITAMARIKI

ES C I V R AL SE

0800 UTHLAW | youthlaw.co.nz | info@youthlaw.co.nz

YouthLaw is a free national legal service for under 25s. Contact us for free on 0800 UTHLAW (884 529) or info@ youthlaw.co.nz for help with almost any legal problem. Each issue, we answer your questions on a particular area of law. This issue: LOCAL ENVIRONMENT. What’s law got to do with the local environment? Environmentally, local issues like street lighting, water treatment and local roading have a big impact on our local quality of life. While local government has a perception of being somewhat irrelevant to many people, a number of local bylaws directly affect Wellingtonians, some more directly than national laws. Some can be broken without you even realising...

I can drink wherever I want, right? As you probably know, Central Wellington is currently covered by a liquor ban. The ban applies to public places in a large portion of the City, including Wellington Central, Oriental Bay, Mount Victoria lookout, Aro Valley, Central Park, Mount Cook and Newtown. Lack of signage is no defence to a breach so you need to know where it applies—check out wellington.govt.nz /services/commsafety. A public place is anywhere that is open to or being used by the public—even if you are in a vehicle (having a sneaky few in a taxi or on the bus is therefore no way around the ban). If a bottle or container is not opened it may pass through a public place (for example, taking it from the liquor store), but if your vessel has been opened (even if it is resealed), you will be in breach of the liquor ban if you have it in a public place.

But I can still have a party at our place?

G E L E E FR FOR UNDER 2

stereo—they only need to give one warning. A party which spills out of a house could mean arrests for offensive behaviour, disorderly conduct, or urinating in a public place, all of which could end the party pretty quickly.

I can skate wherever I want though? Use of a skateboard, roller-skates or inline-skates in a public place is allowed, except in areas with signs stating otherwise. If you are caught in breach of this your skateboard can be confiscated and you may incur a $20 fine to recover it. If you are caught again it can cost you double that and if you are caught a third time your board can be There’s no crime confiscated for good. Furthermore, there are fines of up to $750 for committed in skating in a way that puts other Wellington if people’s safety at risk—so you may a five-year-old want to think twice before racing down a crowded street! You should gets a tattoo— watch out for property—if you but in Auckland also cause damage while skating and don’t you have to be 18 report it you can be fined up to $5000.

What other crazy laws are there in Wellington? Interestingly, there are no by-laws in Wellington restricting the age you can get a tattoo or a piercing (there’s no crime committed in Wellington if a five-year-old gets a tattoo—but in Auckland you have to be 18). However in most ways Wellington is similar to other cities with bylaws governing animals in the city, taxi parking, fire prevention and rubbish. If you want to know more check out wellington.govt.nz / plans/bylaws, and call us if you need legal advice!

SEND US YOUR QUESTIONS

If you have a legal question, email it to ben@ youthlaw.co.nz. We may not print each question, but we will always reply. Printed questions will be vaguely related to issue themes, as far as is possible.

If there are complaints about the noise level, an enforcement officer may be able to confiscate your

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Salient Vol. 74

The n o i t a r e ReGen p i r T d a o R Sophie Turner

You buy an $800 van. You paint it egg-yolk yellow, name it The Magic School Bus, pick up a couple of friends, and a digital camera, and take the scenic route on your way home to Hamilton. Photo by Jill Hayhurst

Provided you snap a photo of the Te Puke Giant Kiwifruit, AA Insurance calls you a veteran of The Great Kiwi Road Trip, and you feel as though you’ve seen all that those 268,680 square kilometres have to offer. The road trip is a rite of passage for many young Kiwis. But after 15 weeks spent traversing through as many regions of New Zealand, Lani Evans and Jill Hayhurst perhaps know the ever-elusive ‘real New Zealand’ better than most. Crew

members of the 2011 ReGeneration Road Trip, the pair arrived in Wellington last week for the final leg of a journey that has seen them connect with over 10,000 community and environmental leaders in places as far-flung as Invercargill and Cape Reinga. ReGeneration was established in early 2009 as a network for leaders in social and environmental leaders who may feel cut-off from like-minded New Zealanders. “What we’ve noticed is that there are heaps of young people out doing community action, but that they’re isolated,” Lani noted. In order to collaborate at an holistic level, the network provides support for pro-active citizens in the realms of sustainability, social equity, and cultural development—the ‘fundamental issues’,” Lani explained. Consequently, ReGeneration works to build up a culture of support for New Zealanders from a wide range of backgrounds and projects. “Many of the young people who get involved with ReGeneration come from an Enviroschools background,” Lani said. “But we also collaborate with older people who work on social and community issues.” Lani suggests that this level of diversity helps to explain the success that the association has seen. “ReGeneration is intergenerational—there is a tuakana/teina relationship, a reciprocal nature of teaching. It’s also intra-generational: we see fifteen year olds helping seventeen year olds, and vice versa.” Usually focussing its energy on high-participation youth conventions in locations such as the Tauhara Centre near Lake Taupo and Living Springs Conference Retreat in Christchurch, ReGeneration decided flip this idea around by sending ten of the network’s core members off to visit people who might otherwise not have attended the conferences. Each region received one week of school visits, mini-conventions, and presentations from the group; and community action projects were also worked on. “Not all communities are in positive places, but in those communities there are people working toward positive change,” ReGeneration New Zealand co-convener Lani reflected. Perhaps the most memorable few days for Lani were some spent at Parihaka, where the crew were able to partake in a forum discuss issues such as proposals for oil exploration in the area. “There is a real sense of community engagement,” Lani said. “Everyone was aware of the history, the present, and the threats to the future.” Grasping who was doing what in New Zealand was of especial importance to crew member Jill Hayhurst, who is a PhD candidate researching generosity, resilience, community engagement, social capital, and capacity building at the University of Otago. In keeping with ReGeneration’s theme of encouraging holistic thinking and the associations of a diverse group of people, Jill is the only university student on the road trip. Other members include Rick Zwaan, who at 17 has represented New Zealand at Climate Change negotiations in Copenhagen and Cancun; the New Zealand Country Director for the Global Poverty Project Will Watterson; and manager

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Issue 13 Environment

Photo by Guy Ryan

What we’ve noticed is that there are heaps of young people out doing community action, but that they’re isolated

for the YMCA Youth Development Programme Saskia Nieuwlands. This diversity was beneficial for Jill, who stated that though she enjoyed seeing the country from her angle, “I also had nine other people showing me the country through their lenses.” Jill and Lani cite co-founder of Splashroom Media Iain Frengley as a central element of the road trip. A prize-winning international filmmaker at the age of 27, Iain has created 90-second mini-documentaries of some of the outstanding community leaders the group has come into contact with. These portraits are then posted online as part of a group effort to raise awareness about the achievements of individual New Zealanders. Closely associated to this is the ‘Inspiring Stories’ project created by crew member Guy Ryan. Throughout the road trip, Guy has supported 150 young New Zealanders to produce short films and stories about people in their regions. “Film is a powerful medium for making change, and to showcase changes in an accessible way,” Lani explained. The road trip’s system of utilising individual strengths, combined with a team focus and the obvious effects of spending fifteen weeks in close quarters with a small group of people, has been beneficial for Jill. “I love doing this research but I feel bad not being able to do everything,” she said. “This way I feel as though I am a part of a range of different projects.” After spending time researching the outcomes of a range of community actions, Jill thinks she can tell us a thing or two about the positive effects of projects like the road trip. While only in the first stages of her research, initial analysis has shown that people who participated in the workshops experienced increases in resilience, self-efficacy, happiness, self-esteem, political efficacy, life satisfaction, and a sense of social justice. These positive effects are not lost on Lani, who says frankly: “It is incredible to spend time with rad people doing rad stuff—and feeling like I can contribute to that. Who wouldn’t want to do this?”

The Wellingt on leg of th e ReGenerat today. To vie ion Road Tr w the 90-sec ip finishes ond profiles, the road trip find out mor , and to sign e about up to be a pa NZ, visit re rt of ReGen generation.o eration rg.nz

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Feature

Salient Vol. 74

“Think Gl bally, act locally.” Well, maybe

Ollie Neas

I don’t recall the last time that burning tyres seemed like a good idea, but thanks to the environmentalist movement, I know that I should refrain from doing so. Environmentalists are full of such useful eco-tips. I’m advised to get rid of the plastic bags, buy energy-efficient lightbulbs, turn off the lights, grow vegetables, walk places, car-pool places, don’t go places, buy local, buy organic, stop buying things, eat my greens and listen to the goddamn birds. Broadly, these suggestions reflect the heart of environmentalism: that global problems represent the accumulation of individual human practices. Consequently, if we each make changes to our individual lifestyles, we can together reduce humanity’s ecological impact; “Think globally, act locally” is an oft-bandied maxim that is particularly telling of this approach. On the face of it, these suggestions are inoffensive. It’s hardly debatable that overconsumption of resources is bad ecologically, nor that curtailing consumption would be good ecologically. But the argument that to achieve these shared goals, we should each reduce our consumption on an individual level, is flawed. The truth is, many such lifestyle changes are pretty pointless. According to Washington scholars P. Wapner and J. Willoughby, the immense versatility of money means that reducing personal consumption simply changes where the “engines of consumption” operate. Thus, calls for individual lifestyle change are valid only under such highly restrictive conditions that—for most people, most of the time—they are ecologically irrelevant. Before the virtuous fires of your conscience overheat, let me explain. Let’s suppose that I want to reduce my ecological impact. I cut back on spending because I want to prevent my money

contributing to environmental degradation. Unless I decide to bury it ’neath the shed with the neighbour’s cat, less spending means more savings, and the simplest way for me to save is to let my money accrue interest in the bank. However, savings do not just sit in banks. Banks make profit through the practice of fractional reserve banking; they lend more money than they hold in deposits. This means that every dollar I choose not to spend gives the bank more resources for loans or to fund investment projects. By expanding business or supporting large consumer expenditure, these loans inevitably involve resource use and waste: they have material consequences. Banks also make advances to government to pay off debt, which may lead to a boost in economic production, indirectly placing stress on the environment. The result is no different if I transfer the money into stocks and bonds. This, Wapner and Willoughby argue, is the great irony of environmentalism. Despite the fact that my efforts to protect the environment involved commendable stoicism that made me feel real good, it merely shifted the locale of the environmental harm. Further, the potential for impact of individual lifestyle change is tenuous. No matter how well-meaning one is, there are invariably others who—due to their ignorance, arrogance or apathy—do not care. Unfortunately, this is no small group: just under 50% of US citizens, for example, do not believe that climate change is linked to human behaviour. Considering that one individual has no real influence over the actions of others, it seems irrational that we believe in the efficacy of these measures to

Every dollar I choose not to spend gives the bank more resources for loans or to fund investment projects

Issue 13 Environment

Despite chronic skeptics’ griping, 98% of climate scientists do agree that humanity contributes to climate change

Although individual lifestyle change may be ecologically futile, the informed actions of individuals can still make a difference

directly reduce ecological impact. Compounded by the fungibility of money, it is clear that there are wiser approaches than individual lifestyle change. Such a conclusion throws the impetus of many studentbased environmental initiatives into doubt. “Think globally, act locally” now seems a little inept. If the structure of the global economy operates in such a way as to redirect money back into material production, then one flatmate’s power-saving campaign seems hopeless from the outset. There are further complications. Our way of life in the capitalist, liberal democracy of New Zealand affords us the liberty to access and utilise a vast array of goods in whatever way we determine useful—but environmental action necessitates a restriction of this freedom. What point is there in advocating measures that curtail our personal freedom, if those measures do not work? It is all terribly sad. It is important, however, that we consider what all this does not mean. It does not mean that we should give up. Fuck no. Despite chronic skeptics’ griping, 98% of climate scientists do agree that humanity contributes to climate change. There is consensus: we must act now. But we must be cautious in our choice of appropriate action. We have a lot to lose so it is vital that we discern what is and is not effective, then pursue with vigour. If the issues are fundamentally structural, then the response must be of a similar weight. But what does this mean for students? If changes must be made at the top, then what of my lowly efforts? Is it all about public policy? What about the symbolic nature of my actions? Although individual lifestyle change may be ecologically futile, the informed actions of individuals can still make a difference. Here is what those must be. Firstly, we must stop grouping all environmental issues into one big, green, biodegradable basket. The environmentalist movement conveys a hodgepodge package of asceticism, ‘ethical consumerism’, mysticism and political activism. Even though it is reasonably clear that the practical, spiritual and nonsensical aspects are separable, many people do not do this, and the confusing mix of demands comes across as a command to change everything. People feel forced to jump to one end of the spectrum. They must become life-committed environmentalists, or they are frightened into apathy, and a populace of apathetic citizens is a horrific prospect. Fuck apathy. It is therefore important that we stop presenting the ecological argument for environmentalist action concurrently with the self-fulfilment argument for simple living. They are different issues. The prospect of spiritual liberation through the rejection of material comforts may be a compelling reason for some to adopt environmental practices, but the fact is, such change is a little too much for the content majority—and the conflated package turns them off the entire environmental endeavour. People are more than just economic actors. Though individual lifestyle change, if understood in moral terms, can act as an expression of compassion towards future generations (despite being directly ecologically ineffectual), as students, we have a more important duty. We must devote our energy toward concerted political advocacy. We must lobby our politicians for changes to public policy, as changes at this level can temper with the market sufficiently to give our individual actions actual substance. We must look at the appropriate role of New Zealand in the international arena. But, as four million people of nearly seven billion, New Zealand is a small country. We are not one salient.org.nz

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Salient Vol. 74

of the big polluters. Therefore, we must look outward. We must lobby our politicians to exert pressure internationally for global, structural changes. We should demand that a greater proportion of state expenditure on environmental causes is directed away from home, to where it can make a real difference. Just as we must lobby our politicians, they must lobby on the international stage. Then, we can distort the actual magnitude of our presence; we can have a greater impact than that caused solely through a reduction of our ecological footprint. These are not new ideas, however such an environmental politics must not be just one part of the effort, but the most urgent and defining element. Maybe this all seems somewhat meek. If one takes issue with the premise that individual lifestyle change has little, if any, ecological impact then, please, prove me wrong. What is essential is that we talk critically about these things, that we challenge the orthodoxy, and that we do what is most effectiveâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not that which only provides us with a sense of self-righteousness. We cannot let urgency misdirect us to a murky path littered with conflated demands that produces sub-optimal results. As students, we have a moral duty to distinguish between truth and delusion, to apply reason to a task made difficult by uncertainty and fear. We must encourage the mobilisation of a politics that demands change at the top. With a clear path discerned, we must act rationally and we must act swiftly. Burning tyres is stupid. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it.

This article contained reference to The Irony of Environmentalism: The Ecological Futility but Political Necessity of Lifestyle Change by P. Wapner and J. Willoughby.

It’s not easy being green

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Issue 13 Environment

DO YOU HAVE ASTHMA?

Lucinda Staniland

While small actions on their own are not a solution to environmental issues, they provide the foundation for societal and governmental change. So, in the face of the climate crisis and the “why bother?” attitude, what should we do? Salient writer Lucinda Staniland thinks that we should do something, because, well, it does matter. Change how you shop and become a conscious consumer Buy less and buy better quality. Do you really need this? Be a conscious consumer, one who chooses their purchases wisely and goes for locally sourced and sustainably produced products. Vote with your dollars and you let businesses know that producing more sustainable and eco-friendly products is the only way to move forward.

Change the way you eat We all have to eat and the majority of us are lucky enough to have a large degree of choice in regard to what we put in our mouths. One way to green your diet is to eat less meat and fewer animal products. Meat production accounts for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions and uses a lot of resources, making meat a very carbon-intensive product. To reduce your impact on carbon emissions and the planet’s resources you could consider going meat free for one meal a week, or becoming a full or part-time vegetarian. Eat local, eat seasonal, and eat organic. It makes a lot of sense to eat this way because it’s cheaper, healthier and tastier, as well as being better for the environment. Growing your own food is awesome too.

Volunteers wanted for research studies!

Get curious, get informed, and get inspired Now is the time to learn. The more you know, the more power you have to change things. And you needn’t be too depressed, because the people that are involved in creating change are incredibly inspiring. Yes, things are bad, but the work that is already being done to change the direction we are headed in is amazing. Check it out.

Get involved and become part of the solution Link up with environmental and community groups. By getting involved with a group you can meet like minded people, build community, and work together to make bigger and more impactful changes than you ever could on your own. The University club, Gecko, is a great place to start. Other groups that are active in Wellington are Generation Zero, 350 and Climate Justice, as well as community gardens like Kai O Te Aro and Innermost gardens. Look up their websites to find out more.

Please contact: 0800 700 771

volunteers@mrinz.ac.nz

Vote The fact that we, as citizens of a democratic country, have a right to vote is not something we should ever take for granted. Sure, we are all very busy and important people, who don’t have a lot of time to sit around reading politician’s bullshit promises, but we owe it to ourselves to make the effort to find out what party policies mean for our future. Make climate change a priority in your voting decision, as all parties, green or not, should have effective strategies in place to get New Zealand down to zero carbon emissions.

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Truther Treanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Faces to Deface

in 1 hit

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Salient Vol. 74

Birds Of A Feather Selina Powell

Birds are often admired and envied for their grace in completing an activity that no human can achieve unaided. Since that first winged silhouette was spotted on the horizon, humans have risked bodily trauma and embarrassment to attain the grace that our feathered friends are born with. From Da Vinci’s flying machines to the efforts of 25 year old Richard Pearse hopefully trundling his invention across a paddock in Waitohi in 1901, generations have sought to leave the encumbrances of a landlocked life. Even today, with fleets of planes transporting people across oceans and nations like so many eighty tonne taxis, flight is not the stress-free process that it is for sky-dwellers. The most tolerant travellers could be forgiven for losing patience following recent flight disruptions caused by Chilean ash clouds, fluctuating fuel costs, and, in Australia, the grounding of an entire airline by the flight safety watchdog. Recent media coverage has the potential to comfort the wingless with accounts of birds of a different, more awkward, nature. These are vulnerable, flightless and, some might say, plain silly, creatures—Happy Feet the misdirected emperor penguin, Manukura the white kiwi, and Morgan the hydrophobic penguin. The public can relate to the fallibility of these birds. A penguin doing what penguins are meant to do is unlikely to become a YouTube hit (unless the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman confer some sort of profound human meaning on to its presences and action) but a penguin swimming 4000 kilometres in the wrong direction to arrive, alone, on Kapiti beach is a story people want to follow. The emperor penguin which wandered on to New Zealand shores was heralded by the Dominion Post as ‘A Stranger in a Strange Land’. Below this headline, the Dom ran a photo of the penguin discovering one of the unfortunate differences between his new environment and Antarctica—that ingesting sand, in contrast to snow, makes penguins sick, rather than cooling them down. The fact that the penguin continued to consume sand when it began to feel unwell, and the extent of its navigational misadventure, has caused some people to make unkind comments about the intelligence of Wellington’s Antarctic guest. Tahu Potiki, columnist for The Press described the bird as the “Forrest Gump of the Penguin World”, referring to its apparently stubborn resolution to continue swimming away from the comfort of its homeland. Some called for natural selection to be allowed to take its course, without intervention from concerned bystanders.

Issue 13 Environment

If he makes a full recovery, Happy Feet will be released in the Southern Ocean to make his own way back to Antarctica, in a manner similar to the 1967 release of the first Emperor penguin to reach New Zealand shores

The Biodiversity Programme Manager for the Department of Conservation, Peter Simpson initially favoured this approach telling media “We keep our interference with wild animals to an absolute minimum, and this emperor penguin is no exception”. However, it seems that Simpson did not anticipate the extent of the media coverage that the penguin would receive both nationally and internationally. The story of Happy Feet (a name given to the penguin by Peka Peka Beach resident Christine Wilton) received attention from CNN, The Guardian and The Daily Mail. The local Council provided Happy Feet with a security guard and a group of residents stood watch over the young bird on Saturday evening, reportedly due to concern for the bird’s safety amongst teenagers partying on the beach. DOC came under increasing pressure to take action rather than its preferred policy of non-intervention. Amongst the emails sent to DOC about Happy Feet and later published in the Dominion Post, a Te Horo resident condemned the “callous treatment” of Happy Feet, which he described as “an exotic creature in a totally alien habitat”. A foreign critic wrote “I was thinking that you were a human [sic] and responsible nation but now I believe that I am wrong”, while an incensed Wellingtonian offered their cold flat as a solution to the problem of finding suitable accommodation for Happy Feet. Following public outcry, DOC decided to transport Happy Feet to Wellington Zoo, where he has been receiving treatment. If he makes a full recovery, Happy Feet will be released in the Southern Ocean to make his own way back to Antarctica, in a manner similar to the 1967 release of the first emperor penguin to reach New Zealand shores. Although there have only been two recorded voluntary arrivals of emperor penguins to New Zealand, Wellington Zoo was previously home to Charlie, an emperor penguin who arrived aboard the Government ship, the Tutanekai, in 1921. The Tutanekai also transported seven royal and two king penguins from Charlie’s place of birth, the Antipodes Islands. Another popular bird about Wellington is Manukura, a white kiwi chick living at the Pukaha Mount Bruce DOC centre. Manukura’s birth was seen by local iwi Te Rangitane o Wairarapa as a tohu, or sign of good things to come. Like Happy Feet, Manukura attracted global attention and the visitor numbers to the Pukaha Mount Bruce centre increased dramatically with close to 1,000 visitors during Manukura’s first month of public viewings. Even though Manukura is nocturnal, he graces visitors with his sleepy presence once a week on Sundays at 2pm. According to the Manawatu Standard, one visitor attempted to purchase Manukura as a gift for his mother. This request was politely declined. Although concern has been expressed about Manukura being rejected by other kiwi because of his unusual feathers, this is apparently unlikely due to the poor eyesight of kiwi. The main risk that Manukura faces is being spotted by predators, but this would not be such an issue if he only went out in the open during the night time. Manukura is thought to be the first white kiwi hatched in captivity. In 1913, the Hawera and Normanby Star reported that a white kiwi had been captured in the Taupo district. It was thought that the kiwi would be taken in to captivity in Wellington. However, there is no further mention of the bird until 1914 when the Evening Post, a Wellington publication, ominously noted that “A mat of kiwi feathers, with a border of white, was exhibited at the Philosophical Society’s meeting last night. As the white kiwi is a rara avis, the exhibit created a good deal of interest.” salient.org.nz

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Salient Vol. 74

YOUR STUDENTS’

While not quite in the same league of unusualness as Manukura and Happy Feet, Morgan the white-flippered penguin became a minor celebrity in May. The 16 year-old-penguin was found on Banks Peninsula and transported to the Antarctic Research Centre. Morgan seemed to have lost out in life’s lottery—he was not only a member of the most endangered, smallest penguin species in the world but also suffered from a strong aversion to water. When placed in a paddling pool, Morgan would resolutely clamber out using his beak and flippers. This is not to say that Morgan was completely without talent. Penguin keeper Malorie Hackett described him as a “ladies man”, as two female penguins were reportedly making romantic advances towards the phobic bird. Although recent birds in the news are unlikely to be mistaken for planes or superheroes, they possess a quality which many New Zealanders and followers overseas respond to. An American teenager donated $3209 (which she received as gifts for her Bat Mitzvah) to aid the New Zealand Kakapo after watching a documentary on rare birds. The kakapo is an oversized, flightless parrot and has been described by Stephen Fry as an old-fashioned looking creature with its “big sideburns and a Victorian gentleman’s face”. Whether strange individually or as a species, birds with a difference look set to make cameo appearances on our television screens and newsprint for the duration of the fluff item’s ancient reign.

ASSOCIATION

FROM VUWSA RECEPTION OR FROM WWW.EVENTFINDER.CO.NZ S T U D E N T S – $ 1 6 . 5 0 ( V I C U N I S T U D E N T S O N LY ) GENERAL ADMISSION – $21.50 Note: Student ID must be presented

Visit www.vuwsa.org.nz or Facebook.com/vuwsa for more details

t h g u o h T r o Food f

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Issue 13 Environment

Eating Green

Zoe Reid

some kind of Many of us make decision on how supposed ethical ctory farms, fa g in id o v a it e b they eat, l e, only eating loca re -f e g ca , ic n a rg o ll -free (avoiding a e iv it d d a , ce u d ro p ificial colours and rt a s, e v ti a rv se pre n or vegan. a ri ta e g e v ), rs u o flav

ok transport and co down to how you es m for co e s m ion sa e iss em exactly th ain, you can say in e ar ey th meat. But then ag ce on orting vegetables for up vegetables. Transp em, can account th g in ok co d an n, sio is this es ss hy po W t. ur ne yo e pla e overall cost to th and s ble ta ge to 67 per cent of th ve it, cause growing fru figure so high? Be ising animals e efficient than ra or m grain is much oking method not because the co meat production— r fo vegetarian or raised is different. ents for being a , most of animals ber Often the argum s Zealand, obviously ate put the num w tim inimal Ne m es s In e m ire (so qu re es on per cent, t grass, which ea 34 t n vegan are moral ou tio ab uc at od t the pr ea t to m ea for m o don’t like icals being added of vegetarians wh al decision). I will, in terms of chem or ion m , nt or pe l ve ro ica ter Eu in d eth A an g an aces such as the US with the rest citin otional generalis eco system. In pla , which has been these with the em ain er gr ov ss fed ’. glo als ten st, im of e be an ar r at de als ur im m ired an d r, an ve rm howe right to fa ount of grain requ tion ‘we have no tock feed. The am cost of raising es l t ta liv r gh en fo ou n nm th ro e ow vi gr on en the for e is enormous— When it comes to one w over its lifetim to growing plants d d co a fee se r n po fo ca op ak as , ste od z , livestock for fo ated that an 8o rd to get. Further ece experiment estim risons are very ha get that single pi tion ple de st re grain required to food, direct compa fo e in th g ra ile 1k — : wh re on , pa ris on m rs pa co m pe co bly is rta people. Try th n), and 72 tio d no-one can comfo uc , fee od d pr cle ul n cy ea e wo lif yb ak of ste icas (for so roughout its ry in the lower Amer 1.3MJ of energy th s a result of facto 2 es (a us CO s t, er es or to riv ta sh to po in (in l of d mpe tentia e obal Warming Po animal manure du J of rsonal preferenc and 215g/100yr Gl lamb, using 23M come down to pe ay UK m of g It g . in 1k g) oy to in d str rm re de fa pa ble m co rta fo t), P. m len co GW va e r ui eq d be mor 0g/100y of where one woul ut its life and 17,40 risons will be y. energy througho lt, no direct compa nd! Well, not reall su re ala a Ze As w en t. Ne wh ne t in t pla ou ea ab m the k t in ea th n ge to ca hu gs e we So ignoring th me good thin in New Zealand, made here, but so happily eat meat To als, we need to im . an od e fo th g by e purchasin emissions made with the distanc e d an ne er eth nc m inably. Manure co e sta ar Many people als are reared su eenhouse im gr an of e s m th ks, and at ter th in know rm to table bly left in paddoc the travelled from fa ated well, prefera I could source on tre rt s can be po (a re to s lly ive ed na cis ne tio de ost with a ys either inten emissions. The m own foods ended tentionshed into waterwa gr y in wa t all un no loc or g s) in rm um fa iry or factory benefits of cons s). be the case with da badly set out farm ark. in, flooding, and large question m ra y av icaph tro eu th ally (with he wi lem has less of a prob ing “[W]hilst there are no grounds from the available data to While agriculture lly nitrogen, leach cia pe es ls, ica em ch is, at n th tio uc n— od tio argue ‘local good – global bad’ as a general statement, eat pr as a rough rule, m it into waterways— this could be true for certain foods, as could the reverse.” ulture less—but ric ag d an e, or m ys wa ter ng wa rti es fo ag om dam Ken Green, ‘Environmental Impacts of Food Production other disc on the farms. An depends heavily s of either meat or and Consumption, Final Report to the Department for od eth m g in at organic farm th is ct fa of eutrophication els Environment Food and Rural Affairs (UK)’ comparable lev e us ca re tu ul ric ag neral. ity study has and pollution in ge take out the a Lincoln Univers t, ea m of s m ng isi ter down to it, once we ra In es at m t co ien it fic n ef he so W is nd selves produce, ala em Ze th w als shown that Ne that the anim eat in the UK ste m wa NZ of g almost in nt ou um ns am that co d them, one could . cattle and sheep ain required to fee g meat from the UK gr in planet e e th um th d r ns an fo co d an ba th or eat is as good supermaris less damaging m r g ou s tin he ea ac at nt to re th t wa e ea y gu ar ce the m But if you reall Unfortunately, on t for up to 21 per getarian. Almost. Walk ve un p. g co in tri ac t be n ke ca as ar do rm we with your supe s we really l fu les ket trolley, what re Un ca s. be ion r, ok iss tte feel be worth it. Co ouse gas em drive and make it e supermarcent of our greenh there regularly, or way home from th e. Then feel bad e th us r on r we ca po e s ur th ga pack up d greenhouse and consider yo an tly 2 CO ien fic of ef on rti po ket, a significant . for that 8oz steak

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Feature

Salient Vol. 74

Environmarketing

When the Green in Green is

oney M (Rather Than The Other Meaning We Readily Associate With That Colour) Zoe Russell

“Rainforest Alliance Certified” “Packaging Made from 80% Recycled Material” “FSC: Product Group from Well-Managed Forests and Other Controlled Sources” Twenty years ago these labels would almost certainly have been absent. The concept of environmentally-aware consumption was viewed then much as we now see the halt of global warming—great in theory, but in no way economically viable. The average green consumer was lumped squarely in the Birkenstock and tie-dye hippie category. A dedication to green, beyond a token nod to preserving NZ’s pristine image, marked an individual out as alternative.

So what has changed? The driving force behind the mainstreaming of demand for ethical products is that of awareness. While it may seem egotistical to say that we who are alive today face the worst set of environmental crises on record, the issues facing the planet now are many and pressing. If deforestation A recent New Scientist article continues at the (entitled ‘Earth’s Oceans on Course for current rate, the Mass Extinction’) presents findings which world’s rainforests predict the demise of all coral reefs and will be gone within the extinction of multiple species of fish due to the runaway effects of “climate a century change, overexploitation, pollution, habitat loss and other stresses.” CO2 emissions hit an all-time high in 2010, despite preventative measures such as the Kyoto Protocol. The refusal of the US to enter into emission-limiting agreements, coupled with increasing industrialisation in developing nations, reduces the chances of finding an equitable international solution. If deforestation continues at the current rate, the world’s rainforests will be gone within a century. Not only are these issues now pressing and well-documented, they are also, crucially, more highly publicised. Environmental concerns have been voiced by an increasing number of well-respected

public figures. Credible and charismatic speakers such as Sir David Attenborough and American scientist Carl Sagan have increased popular knowledge, as have documentaries such as the BBC’s Planet Earth series. This greater public understanding of both the beauty and the fragility of our environment has spurred interest in its preservation. But what to do, when the challenges facing that environment seem so vast? No individual can entirely halt deforestation or climate change. It is this sheer scale which can lead so easily to personal apathy. Popular awareness of environmental issues can create a vague sense of guilt or frustration without providing solutions which can simply and immediately be implemented by the average consumer. This demand for rapid and affordable micro-solutions is now being met in part by the business community. Established corporations once disparaged by the green movement as destructive polluters have now identified the public wish for more sustainably manufactured products. At the start-up level, green business is an attractive option for entrepreneurs due to the room for innovation and growth. Companies wishing to gain green credentials may do so in a number of ways. Popular focus points are recycling (or the recyclability of the product) and resource consumption minimisation, either in the production process or on the behalf of the consumer when the product is used. These come under the umbrella of sustainability. Climate change is sometimes a focus, with a trend towards renewable energy and biofuels in an attempt to minimise CO₂ emissions. The buildings which house the businesses may be built with energy efficiency in mind.

Issue 13 Environment

The positive contributions of the company or product to the environment are ultimately in pursuit of profit. However, as going green is often more expensive than traditional production, businesses rely on the profits of their rebranding to outweigh the costs of the switch. Marketing which targets the wish for ethical consumption is then crucial. Just as education about environmental crises has driven the demand for products seen as solutions, so education through advertisements drives demand within the green industry. As True Green @ Work, a recent guide to green business. put it “the size of the green market remains far smaller than what consumers’ stated environmental concerns indicate it should be…. It suggests many people are unsure about how to translate their personal values to their consumption choices, and perhaps also less than convinced about the difference it makes”. Packaging and image are crucial. With the growth of firms specialising in green marketing, the ‘sustainable’ look has become glossier for wider appeal. Bright colours and clean lines create an unconscious shift away from the alternative movement and market and towards the mainstream audience. The Simple skincare range is a world away from tie-dye and henna. Just as the look of the packaging has become sleeker, the packaging itself has become more environmentally friendly. Canvas bags are sold as the green alternative to plastic, which have become a symbol of unnecessary waste. But the movement away from plastic bags— though presented as a major way for the consumer to help the environment—has in reality a negligible impact. Mike Berners-Lee pointed out in his How Bad are Bananas? that using five plastic bags per week per year causes the emission of only 2.5kg of carbon; the equivalent of one cheeseburger. This highlights the major problem of the rebranding of green—the difficulty of distinguishing between ‘green’ products which genuinely are better than their traditional alternatives and which are simply marketed as such. This misleading advertising is known as Greenwashing. Think of companies such as BP and Shell pouring millions of dollars into campaigns which mimic the look and the buzzwords of the green movement while doing catastrophic damage to the environment. Shell present themselves as biofuel innovators while continuing to rely heavily on fossil fuels. The blatant hypocrisy of some campaigns is staggering. In a recent example, the UK newspaper the Guardian ran an article entitled ‘Chevron’s Solar Panels Won’t Clean Up its Filthy Oilfield’ in which it stated “Chevron plans to use solar energy to power pumps at one of the oldest and dirtiest oilfields on the planet.” A sudden ‘caring’ campaign from an unexpected source may follow on the heels of an oil spill or other burst of negative publicity for the company. Greenwashing dilutes the market for and credibility of products which really do have a positive (or far less negative) effect on the environment. Certification

is a problem. Ther e are no strict gu idelines for the di credentials, and sclosure of green establishing and regulating these What do consum would be difficult. ers care about? Co mparative carbon difficult to calculat footprint? Very e accurately. ‘Mad e from all natura synthetic compoun l ingredients’? M ds are neutral or any beneficial. Biodeg everything is, in radable? Almost cluding plastic ba gs . It just takes abou What certification t 10,000 years. is available is volu overly strict. Fairt ntary and may in some cases be rade labelling insis ts that products be expense of the ce organic, but the rtification proces s m ak es it impractical fo farmers whose pr r many poorer actices are, by ge neral standards, ideal. environmentally Just as the corpor ate world is marke ting increasingly consumer, enviro to the green nmental watchdo g organisations su are marketing in ch as Greenpeace creasingly to the gr ee n consumer. Ther away from simple e has been a mov donation seeking e and towards prov for that money. Th iding something e World Wildlife Fund (WWF) now ‘adopt’ a member allows you to of an endangered species, providin toy and adoption g buyers with a certificate. The en vironmental grou rebranding the gr ps are themselve een movement in s a more commercia A sudden and dram l spirit. atic change in the demands of envi ec onomic system to ronmental campa meet the igners and the ch industrialisation allenges posed by is impossible and in m any ways undesir public awareness able. But as of these problem s has grown, so to for products which o has the demand respond. The inter ests of business an tions acting as wa d the organisatchdogs are being merged, and we, rebranding green. as consumers, ar e

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Feature

Salient Vol. 74

How much of an issue do you thin k climate change In my view, I think is? climate change is one of the biggest face. There’s the environmental iss impact on biodiv ues we ersity as the clima will be large impa te changes. Second cts on agriculture. ly, there It’s pa within our bioph rt of a bigger issue ysical constraint though: how to liv s. There are other e example the mana big issues too thou gement of our wa gh, for ter, as well as equa issues, such as th lly big e alleviation of po non-environment verty, the end of al human conflict etc . What do you thin k is New Zealand ’s role in addres New Zealand is pa sing climate chan rt of the global co ge? mmunity so we ha to stop this globa ve to ‘do our fair l problem. Second share’ ly, we do have a ve profile, especially ry unique emission in the agriculture s sector, with meth a developed coun ane and the like. try, we have a re Thus, as sponsibility to fin climate change, es d new ways of mi pecially with effor tigating ts in R&D. We als which is a concer o are very reliant n, but we are heav on oil, ily invested in re could potentially newable technolo lead the way in re gy. So we newable technolo example hybrid ve gie s based around ca hicles, and prove rs, for to the world its fea sibility. What do you say to those who cla im climate chan New Zealand, du ge policy isn’t ne e to the extremely cessary in low (<1%) contrib change? ution we have to climate Our contribution may be low, but we live in a country four million, which with a population means that per ca of about pita our emission especially conside s are actually very ring our investm high, ent in renewable energy. How much does economics facto r into the equatio mitigation and n? Can climate ch economic well-be ange ing coexist in Ne First of all, New Ze w Zealand? aland, as a small country, relies gr Institutions for ma eatly on Internatio intaining our we nal llbeing. As a cons good global citize equence, we have n, otherwise this to be a may not happen. on our ‘100% Pure Secondly, we tra ’ branding. If we de heavily undermine this, economic conseq then we will suffe uences. There is r the also the fact that will have to deal eventually at some with climate chan point we ge and those who Carbon technologie can effectively ap s early on can be ply low nefit immensely term. However, if in the medium to we move too fast, longer it may damage th have to get the tim e export industry ing right. Lastly, . So we our agricultural ind which is an obvio ustry is based on us incentive to he climate, lp mitigate the iss ue. What are your vi ews on the curr ent climate chan the Emissions Tr ge policy in New ading Scheme wo Zealand? Is rking? Well its not a comp lete waste of time— at least we are do any policy instru ing something. Al ment, it’s complex so, with to implement, for It’s unavoidable. example, measur However, the ET ement. S is having a minim price on carbon is al impact. This is far too low, due to as the its lack of a fixed the original purp level of carbon, wh ose of the ETS. Fu ich is rthermore, it only currently. It’s poor covers half of Ne ly designed and we w Zealand probably need to complementary me ha ve many differen asures, instead of t just one. What about on a Global level; is th e Kyoto Protocol The next commitm working? ent period is in 20 12, and it is likely tion’ period from to be in a sort of ‘hi there. It’s looking bernalikely that only re will commit. I th ally the European ink eventually th Union ou gh, America, as we agreement with a ll as others, will joi real determinatio n the n but how long we this happens could will have to wait be the difference before in the magnitude face in the future s of effects we wi . ll have to Should we look to other alterna tives? Hopefully the lac k of internationa l cooperation wo and businesses inv n’t stop individual esting into ways countries of mitigating clima definitely slow ch te change. But it ange and lower eff will ectiveness. Jonathan, do yo u think it’s too lat e? We simply have to have hope. The da y we lose hope is doomed. I have im the day that we ar mense faith in th e e human race, an come together an d have to trust th d avoid complete at we can disaster.

The Climate Change Conundrum William Guzzo

Climate change is a muchpublicized, controversial issue and is of great importance to the world at the moment. Salient writer William Guzzo talked to climate change expert Jonathan Boston, to find out what the haps is with climate change. Boston is a Professor of Public Policy at Victoria University, and has been involved with the climate change debate for around five years.

An audio copy of th e interview can be obtained by email william.guzzo@gm ing William at ail.com

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WANTED 32

Salient Vol. 74

your used texts 2nd trimester

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Columns

Issue 13 Environment

Sexual assault:

The Blue Dragon

Whose Responsibility? Linda Beckett

David Burr

You’re young, you’re female and you’ve just left home and possibly your home city. You’re also lonely—maybe shy, and taking some chances with alcohol so that you can mix more easily. You’re now in a high risk group to be raped or sexually assaulted! However, not being young, female, isolated from family, and not overindulging in alcohol does not give you immunity to rape. Anyone can be raped and rape is common. Does it help or hurt to know this? Well, both. Sexual assault affects all women, not just the direct victims. If we know about the risk factors, as women we can keep ourselves safe by staying at home, not working late hours, not drinking—in other words, we can limit our lives until we have no life. That hurts! And it won’t work! It won’t work because sexual assault is not usually committed by strangers. This certainly does happen, but for the most part men will assault women who are their flatmates, partners, acquaintances, dates, sisters, daughters and step relatives. And serial rapists are simply men who have perfected ways to achieve sexual access irrespective of situational ethics and your consent. Here’s how. He will meet you at a bar, cafe, party—anywhere. You will like him because he can be charming—some may say manipulative. He will ask if you would like to go somewhere else with him tonight or meet again and you will agree. Having carefully chosen his location to minimise others’ interference and your resistance, he will coerce you sexually. And you will doubt yourself and doubt your memory of how it went down because he will say you led him on, you consented, or it didn’t happen that way. And worse, if you agree to go anywhere with him, his defence team will argue, and usually successfully, that everything that happened from that moment on was consensual. As women, how do we get the balance right between keeping ourselves safe and limiting our lives to the point of compromising self-actualisation? Can we trust and like men, while also developing a scrutinising eye for men who are sexual predators? Are these even the right questions to be asking? Or are the questions better asked of men and by men? For instance, as men, how do you manage the cognitive dissonance which, as women, we are sure you must have if you suborn the will of our mothers, sisters, friends, and daughters to your sexual needs? As men, how do you not understand our right of control over our bodies? As men, how do you not understand the great harm that you do us? In my next article on sexual assault, I will talk more about this harm. Linda Beckett (PhD)

Linda works at Sexual Assault Assessment and Treatment Services (SAATS), located at 275 Cuba Street. You can reach SAATS on 04 805 0522 or 027 666 8865

Welcome back Salientologists. The Animal of the Week this week is the Blue Dragon nudibranch, Glaucus atlanticus. Nudibranchs are commonly referred to as sea slugs but they are actually a form of snail that lose their shells early in development. Before we move onto why the G. atlanticus is so badass, an honourable mention must go out to Pteraeolidia ianthina. This is another species of Blue Dragon nudibranch which is in fact solar-powered. These nudibranchs incorporate zoozanthellae, or microscopic plants, into their bodies. This provides these Blue Dragons with their intense blue colouring as well sugars due to photosynthesis. This means P. ianthina needs only sunlight, rather than a true food source. Back to the real Blue Dragon. The beautiful patterns and colouration of the G. Atlanticus acts as a form of camouflage while these animals feed. Their favourite food is the highly poisonous Man-of-War Jellyfish. The Blue Dragons attach to the underside of the jellyfish, targeting their toxic nematocysts. In doing so, the Blue Dragons collect and concentrate the poison of the jellyfish, providing the nudibranchs with a highly toxic defence. There have been reports of Australian children contracting serious injuries during “Blue Bottle Jellyfish fights” due to Blue Dragons being inconspicuously attached to the jellyfish. Any animal which can subdue Australian children through sneak-attack is a winner in my eyes.

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Columns

Salient Vol. 74

failure to communicate:

Science in the media

Ten, Eighty, Science, Hike! Ben Wylie-van Eerd

Use of 1080 poison to protect native birds has for as long as I can remember been something of a contentious issue. For quite understandable reasons, many people feel poisons are unpleasant, and that poisons dropped from the sky are dangerous. There have been arguments back and forth between proponents and opponents of the currently used 1080 aerial drop schemes, and both sides claim that the scientific evidence is on their side. For anyone who’s not a specialist in the field, this has caused a great deal of confusion. Recently a report was published by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on the risks and benefits of the continued use of 1080 in New Zealand. I read this report, as well as an earlier ERMA document from 2007 to try and find out what the balance of evidence is on 1080. I can’t claim that this is an extensive study—I have not checked everyone’s references. But hopefully I can be of some benefit to you. The reason 1080 is used is to reduce numbers of introduced predatory species in New Zealand forests, mainly possums, rats, and stoats. It is also intended that native bird numbers increase (due to reduction in predators); and that forests become more healthy. Nobody is arguing that 1080 is not effective at killing rats, possums and stoats. Indeed, it is the effectiveness of 1080 at killing not just predators but also native birds themselves, or aquatic and insect life that forms the main argument against 1080. So do these claims stack up?

There is no doubt that 1080 kills native birds. The toxicology is quite clear, and studies of 1080 drops have found dead birds with 1080 in their bodies. But whether 1080 kills birds is not the important question. The question we should be asking is: do the overall numbers of native birds decrease as a result of 1080 drops? Now, there have been recorded 1080 drops in the past which have resulted in a drop in native bird numbers. However, it is worth noting that most of these unsuccessful 1080 operations were carried out thirty-five years ago. At that time, methodology of the operations was less well developed. For example, at that time the average amount of poisoned bait that was dropped per hectare was five to ten times higher than is currently used. If one looks at the results of 1080 drops after 2008, when the most recent changes to 1080 laws and protocol were made, the results are positive. As time goes on, we have become better at using 1080 poison for the benefit of bird populations. I think that a lot of people confuse the statement “1080 kills native birds” with “1080 has an overall negative impact on native birds.” What evidence suggests these days is that 1080 kills some individual birds, but has a noticeable benefit on the overall numbers, and I support that Commissioner’s finding that 1080 drops should continue. It is backed by robust science, and I can have confidence that it will be of benefit to native bird species.

Further reading:

Commissioner’s report, 2011: pce.parliament. nz/assets/Uploads/PCE-1080.pdf ERMA report: ermanz.govt.nz/ Publications/1080-Decision-document-withamendments.pdf A report on shortcomings of current 1080 research: thegrafboys.blogspot.com. Click on the link labelled “a critical look…”

Carter’s Out of Bounds Boys Jono Mcleod

“Are we not allowed to tackle Carter?” The eloquent words of Hurricane’s captain Andrew Hore to referee Chris Pollock after a no-arm hit on Daniel Carter.

Issue 13 Environment

Gen F. & Sean M. The answer is NO! Not when he is our best chance of winning the World Cup after 24 long, miserable years, and it’s only three months out from said competition. There really should be an unwritten rule within New Zealand rugby at present that stipulates that Dan Carter is off-limits when it comes to marginal tackles. Make that any tackles. So hands off, Ma’a. It is of the upmost importance that Dan Carter is fit come the World Cup in a few months’ time. Remember four years ago when he went off after 60 minutes against France and the All Blacks crumbled under their own ineptitude? Well I do. Those are images that are burnt across my brain. Failure to attempt a drop kick until McAlister thought he’d have a pointless punt from 48 metres. Well not this year. This year Dan Carter must be on the field in those pivotal moments, rather than iced up, watching helplessly from the bench. He is one of the two best players in the world right now (Richie McCaw is the other) and his match-winning ability is unrivalled. Whether it is with Without an outright ball in hand and breaking tackles, or contender for the coolly floating another position of Dan kick over, he Carter’s understudy, penalty has the potential to we really cannot win a test match from afford to lose him anywhere. His importance is only magnified when you consider that New Zealand does not really have a suitable replacement for him if he were to get injured. Aaron Cruden has slowly improved over the latter half of the rugby season but still has to prove himself at international level; Colin Slade, who looked like he would have the goods, has been out injured for over half the season and so has missed the opportunity to prove himself; Luke McAlister has proved his inability to move seamlessly between 12 and 10, as well as having goal kicking duties taken off him; and Stephen Donald... need I explain? Whoever is selected as our backup first-five will have an opportunity in the upcoming tri-nations, but without an outright contender for the position of Dan Carter’s understudy, we really cannot afford to lose him. Dan Carter is by no means soft, but he must be protected all the same. There’s enough danger for him every time he steps out against one of those unforgiving South African forwards, who see him as only a red-and-white target; we don’t have to do their job for them. So whether or not the NZRU has ‘Don’t tackle Carter’ clauses put into New Zealand rugby contracts or they slipped Chris Pollock a cheeky hundred before the game, who cares? We need Dan Carter and we have to keep him healthy by any means necessary—even if that means penalising Ma’a Nonu and annoying Andrew Hore. After all, who wants to see Dan cry again as another World Cup dream slips through our fingers? Not me, for one.

Howdy, folks! Welcome to the first edition of Bent – this year’s queer column. Who’s ready to get their gay on? We are your UniQ CoPresidents, Gen and Sea n, and boy do we have awesome stuff lin ed up for you queer-mi nded peeps! For those of you who don ’t know, UniQ is an all inclusive social and support group at Vic toria University for que er students and their friends. We provid e awesome events, safe spaces and a great venue for socialising and peer support. We have regular meetings, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for posters or notices in Salient if you’re keen to join in. Okay! So! Things we hav e planned. First up—P ride Week (18-22 July, Week 2 of Trimeste r 2). Monday is movie night and it looks like we’ll be watching Hedwig and The Angry Inch, a riotous indie musical comedy with dra g and jelly babies! Good times. On Tuesday we are graced with the presence of Mani Mitch ell, an inspiring speaker who’ll be talkin g on a variety of enligh tening queer topics. Wednesday sees us hea ding down to Scotty and Mal’s for a rockin’ round or two of Bingay , $2 a board and a fabulo us drag hostess— what’s not to like? On Th ursday we’ll be taking to the stage for our Open Mic Night at Milk and Honey (for which we are still looking for performers! Homo sexuality not a prerequis ite) and we’ll wrap up the whole week on Friday night with our annual Traffic Light Party at Club Ivy, a not oriously raucous night. $5 for students, $10 for non-students, and sweet drinks specials fro m 9-11pm. As you can probably tell , we are super excited about all this, so be there or be square! Check our Facebook for times, locations and UniQ club meets every more details. On yet another interestfortnight-ish and does ing not e, legaliselove.co.nz cool stuff like quizzes launches later on this yea and parties and coffee great campaign being runr,bya dates and movie nights a group of amazing UniQ and queer-affiliated folks. This awareness-raising mo is all about equality for vement all New Zealanders in marriage and adoption, and for the rig ht of all kids to feel saf e in their schools. This a crazy exciting and fast evolving project, so watch this space! Yay, homosexual law ref orm! Other than that, the Un iQ club meets every for tnight-ish and does cool stuff like qui zzes and parties and cof fee dates and movie nights—it’s super casual and lots of fun! And you should totally come. We also are develo ping a few other group s including The Girls’ Group (for the que er ladies) and The Trans* Group as well as the Safe Spaces Progra mme which offers mento ring and education for queer students and their friends and family. For more information on any of these con tact uniqvictoria@gma il.com or hit us up on Facebook. So come hang out with us, we’d love to meet you ! Remember, use condoms, be yourse lf and wash behind you r ears. Stay fabulous! Lots of love, Gen F. and Sean M. xox o

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Columns

Salient Vol. 74

? estion sex qu a t o G to ask Want usly and mo to anony alient? Go r S fo in see it stance.com 15 n d o e c n k r s a a ard-e ss, your h s of facele e . t e u m in m less fa pants

with Auntie Sharon

Hi Constance. I’m in my late 20’s and in a sexless relationship (my girlfriend is holding out till marriage) and I am constantly surrounded by extremely hot (apparently horny— according to those who write to you) teenage girls at uni. Walking around with a hard-on 24/7 isn’t the most desirable of situations to be in, although making the most of said hard-on with said hotties would be. Short of belting one off every half an hour though, or asking every hot girl I see if she’s (quote Jersey Shore) DTF, how is one meant to go about their everyday business of learning without being distracted by all this filthy-hot pussy?

Dear douchebag You didn’t leave a pseudonym, so just roll with it. The ‘horny’ girls who write in to me may enjoy sex and want advice on the topic, but unless I am missing something, I am pretty sure none of them expressed the panty-soaking desire to sleep with some creepy dude with a girlfriend. Sorry to kill your boner. Douchebag, please understand I am usually sex positive and I am well aware that ‘creep’ is not a sex positive word. But I really mean it here: you are a giant creep and you need to cut that shit out. Let me be clear—being ravenously horny is not creepy. Thinking about fucking other people while in a relationship is not creepy. However, while you play yourself the world’s tiniest violin about your girlfriend who is “holding out” (as opposed to, you know, deciding to exercise her right to have sex when she is ready), you’re also scoping out all the other girls around you. And thinking about how you’d like to make the most of your poor lonely boner with them. All the while your girlfriend is presumably clueless. That’s a big tick on ‘creepy’ (and also objectification, dishonesty and general douchebaggery… hence your new name). You ask how to go about learning without being distracted? Get a personality transplant and quickly. Not only does your girlfriend deserve better than you drooling over all of the hot young girls on campus and thinking about their filthy hot pussies and your permanent boner, you also seem to have some seriously fucked ideas about the women around you.

Believe it or not, Douchebag, hot girls that walk around uni aren’t there for your viewing pleasure. They don’t give a shit about what’s in your pants, or how sex-deprived you are because of your supposedly ‘frigid’ girlfriend. They especially don’t care about how you seem to have created a back story for them—about how they’re teenagers who write into me expressing their innermost desires while flicking the bean, and who would positively quiver at the opportunity to be asked if they’re down to fuck. It sounds to me like you are one accepted proposition away from cheating on your girlfriend—that is, if you haven’t already. So do yourselves both a favour and be honest with her. Tell her that you are desperate for sex, regardless of being in a relationship with her, and that she deserves much better than someone who sees women as walking vaginas all out to torture him by creating under-utilised erections. Then, before you involve some other poor girl in your clusterfuck of problematic attitudes, you might want to go and do some deep thinking about how harmful it can be to view women as sex objects (including the ones who “won’t put out”), and how deciding that women are horny based on anything less than a direct expression of their desire to fuck you personally can lead to the justification of fucked-up sexual behaviors including harassment and sexual assault. In other words, Douchebag, sort your incredibly creepy shit out.

Dear Auntie— I’m worried about ecological collapse. What should I do? Love Pete. Dear Pete – I’m worried too. You can’t survive ecological collapse. I know when you saw The Road you thought it might be okay because even though most things were dead Viggo and that kid were alive and you thought you might be that lucky too. But it’s actually pretty unlikely. But don’t despair yet, there’s still time to become an eco-warrior (rather than an eco-worrier)—here’s a few starting points. Investigate re-useable toilet wipes. You’re like, gross, I know, but have you ever thought about how weird it is that we wipe our arses with paper? If you had shit on your hands, would you use paper or water to get it off? Re-useable toilet wipe supporters reckon it’s not that much hassle and you’ll save, like, millions of trees. Google ‘Wallypop wipes’. Make like Ludacris and save on water. He told treehugger.com a wee while ago: “Help conserve a lot of water by taking a group shower—y’know—shower with a friend.” Just when you thought sex couldn’t get any sexier, they invented vegan condoms. They offer a green alternative to the non-biodegradable rubber and nasty chemicals of their slippery forerunners, and are not made using any animal by-products. Read Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals. I’ve never met anyone who could get through the first half without either becoming a vegetarian or throwing the book away and turning to a plate of bacon in despair. Research it for yourself, but here’s a cheery fact to get you started: Livestock production accounts for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than all the world’s cars combined. (enveg.org) You can pretty much save the world just by saying no to bottled water. Invest in one of those re-useable water bottles and make use of all the free, perfectly tasty tap water we have in Wellington. Did you know that 17 million barrels of oil are used every year to make water bottles? Just say no. Hope that helps, but if I were you, I would be getting my Armageddon kit together too—don’t forget the spare torch batteries. Love, Auntie

Issue 13 Environment

Ally Garrett

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Trying to shave my pubes in my new shower is like trying to put out a bushfire with a mini Pump water bottle

mend a good waxer?

P.S. Can anyone recom

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The Arts

Salient Vol. 74

Film

The New Zealand International

Norwegian Wood and Goodbye offer serious drama and then there’s the long-awaited restorations of Taxi Driver, Metropolis and La dolce vita.

FOR ALL AGES

Film Festival

In 400 words or fewer

Adam Goodall

Two weeks ago, the programme for the 40th New Zealand International Film Festival was released into the wild. It’s characteristically formidable—the prime cinematic cuts from Cannes, classy revivals aplenty, long-awaited offerings from the best directors and an abundance of fascinating documentaries fill out the festival’s wares. Because we only have 400 words’ space (approximately) this week, though, I shall spend them economically, helping you make those tough decisions about what to spend your ticket money on.

BIG NIGHTS Highly-anticipated centrepieces populate the Film Festival’s ‘big nights’—Terrence Malick’s polarising The Tree of Life takes the opening night slot while Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive closes the festival with car chases and Carey Mulligan (a winning combo). Meanwhile, Ghibli adapts The Borrowers with the beauteous Arrietty and Lars von Trier tortures Kirsten Dunst in Melancholia.

WORLDS OF DIFFERENCE Showstoppers abound. Jiang Wen’s madcap Chinese western Let the Bullets Fly is my most-anticipated film of the festival, but that’s not all on offer—Footnote, The Trip and Nothing to Declare provide hearty chortles, Elite Squad 2 and Gantz serve up bloody violence and adrenaline rushes, Meek’s Cutoff,

Also recommended: Winter Vacation; Incendies; Illustrious Energy.

There’s a film about Elmo. It’s called Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey. That’s all you need to know.

NEW DIRECTIONS Debut and sophomore directors from across the world populate this section, though there’s names that already carry cinephilic currency here— Na Hong-jin (whose brutal The Yellow Sea promises to be excellent), John Michael McDonagh (writer/director of The Guard and brother of In Bruges’ Martin), Joshua Marston (The Forgiveness of Blood) and Richard Ayoade (Submarine) should pique the interest of any self-respecting film-watcher. The likely highlight, though, is Take Shelter, which has Michael Shannon (possibly) going crazy. Also recommended: Sleeping Beauty; Martha Marcy May Marlene; Viva Riva!

INCREDIBLY STRANGE No-holds-barred violence is the order of the day here, be it in Takashi Miike’s chambara film 13 Assassins, Kim Ji-woon’s brutal torture thriller I Saw The Devil, Sion Sono’s off-the-wall serial killer comedy Cold Fish or Jason Eisener’s grindhouse homage Hobo with a Shotgun. It’s going to be glorious.

EVERYTHING ELSE ‘Go Slow’ offers Grand Prix winner at Cannes Once Upon a Time in Anatolia. ‘Sporting Life’ has a trifecta of fascinating sports documentaries in Senna, Bobby Fischer Against the World and Fire in Babylon. ‘At the Barricades’ has a prescient and promising doco about American ‘tort reform’ in Hot Coffee. ‘Inside Stories’ has the latest films from Errol Morris (Tabloid) and Morgan Spurlock (The Greatest Movie Ever Sold). ‘Framing Reality’ has Werner Herzog’s latest (Cave of Forgotten Dreams). Good times.

Issue 13 Environment

rts

Visual A

Music

Not for Profit...

Unconcerned Citizens:

but please read fine print -

Obligation-Free Collective Art

Angharad O’Flynn

Max Trevor Thomas-Edmond

Celebrities have long been lending their faces and talent to raise money for charitable causes. However, it seems that this year is the year for celebrities to be publicly named and shamed for fraud, tax evasion or just badly-managed projects. The biggest case of late belongs to the recently named Queen of Pop, Lady Gaga who is embroiled in a $5 million lawsuit over her alleged profiteering from her We Pray for Japan bracelets. 1-800-LAW-FIRM (yep, that is what the Firm is called) is suing Ms Gaga for allegedly increasing the price of shipping on her bracelets so she could pocket the excess money. Gaga is denying the allegation, with a spokesperson reporting that “No profit is being made on shipping costs”. As there is no proof of this alleged profiteering, the law suit consists of nothing more than angry threats. Avid human rights campaigner and U2 frontman Bono has been accused of “robbing the world’s poorest people” by stashing away a vast amount of his wealth in a tax haven in the Netherlands. This is a huge slap in the face to the many charities Bono puts his name behind and he is has now the subject of major outrage over the blatant tax avoidance. These scandals shine a spotlight on the motives behind some of these celebrity charities, which are more commonly turning out to be badly-managed and rife with fraud. Celebrity-fronted charities are becoming more like a circus, with claims and scandals arising in all directions. They might be borne of good intentions, but the problems associated with many of them have become so bad that a website has been set up to keep track of their charities progress.

Rules can no longer be set as to a prerequisite for what constitutes ‘art’; this idea has been around too long—almost too long to even mention it. Anything can be made out of anything. The combination of spontaneity and creativity has birthed many great, amazing and ugly things. There is no reason to make art, except that there is no more reason to do anything else. Neglected items which are long out of use only take up space—doesn’t art sound like a better use for such things? Most people also have unused time, especially on a Sunday, to which the same logic might apply. Paint old boxes, unused appliances lying around. Dumpster diving over the next two weeks is encouraged; this could very likely result in more interesting and diverse shapes to be processed by the collective ‘artist’. This is not specifically about saving waste, but to get rid of things you don’t need and make art with them. This is not a statement against concern, not anti-concern, nor against any art. This is a promotion of the possibilities of art in general, and what may be an attempt to circumvent obligation.

Go to looktothestars.org to find out who supports what.

u at.G.la.?ss Vaults / Seth o y e e s l ’l I So se for o Bath Hou ay 15 July.

Frid ncisc The San Fra Fuyukos Fables on / g in n t Mighty te h Frig ase Tour a le e R m u lb Sister’s A The Sami 16 July. y a rd the tu a S . You’ll get Mighty on t for brunch es, you may u o o g ’ll e kes (y nday w Then on Su t and I’ll get the panca we’re set for one ic — d m e o n o e kes). B eggs b of my panca have some kend. sweet wee

Unconcerned Citizens, 17 July Make art out of the crap we no longer need. Keep your eyes on the Facebook page for a location announcement.

What’s on this Week Sally Anderson Things to check out this week around Wellington include the recent exhibition to start at the Adam Art Gallery, Behind Closed Doors, that introduces audiences to pieces from private collections from around Wellington. What is hidden in the homes of collectors around the city will astound and make you wish that course-related costs was bigger and covered art investment. At the Wellington City Art Gallery Tender is the Night is in its last week and if you haven’t already checked this out, it is a must see. Te Papa has recently opened an exhibition running in the Eyelights gallery, on level 4 called New Zealand in Vogue which draws on the now disestablished New Zealand publication for inspiration of physical garments of New Zealand’s fashion history. Finally check out Thistle Hall galley, which is this week featuring an exhibition by artist Mason Ward titled Man vs Imagination.

salient.org.nz

Salient Vol. 74

Books

Theatre

Salient’s Fairooz Samy talks to Rachael King about her father’s posthumously released book, The Silence Beyond.

An Oak Tree

Compiling The Silence Beyond sounds like it must have been quite a labour of love. Has the experience taught you anything about yourself? I loved sorting through his papers, which were incredibly well-ordered, so it was an easy task. I guess it taught me that I knew him pretty well and that I was up to the job. It was a huge responsibility and my brother Jonathan and I didn’t take it on lightly. What, in your opinion, has been the most surprising discovery made while trawling through your late father’s papers? The title essay was the big discovery that set the whole book off. It tells the story of a family mystery that my grandfather did not want written about in his lifetime. As my grandfather survived Dad by two years, I knew it had never been published. The loveliest

Michael Boyes

find was The Kuia’s Dying day, which reads like a short story and is just beautiful. It seemed extraordinary that he wrote it in his late 20s, that he had such empathy then and such a mature relationship with this kuia and her family. The Silence Beyond also showcases your father’s funnier side. Being, as he was, the ‘people’s historian’, would you say that the book provides a certain comfort for New Zealanders who admired him so much but didn’t often get to see that aspect of him? He was hugely respected, but he was also incredibly approachable. And yes, he was very funny. His friends all remember him as the life of the party and I do think that isn’t a public side that was so well known. I think readers will come away from the collection knowing him a little better.

Overcoming Your Agonising Fear of Lecturers through Poetry! Louise Burston I once spent the better part of an hour composing an email to Anna Jackson. It wasn’t a particularly lengthy email but the pressure of contacting a lecturer when I was a mere undergraduate nearly ended me. How was I to address her? “Dear Anna” sounded too intimate, “Doctor Jackson” too smarmy, “Hi Anna” too clichéd and “Hello professor” made me uncomfortably aware that I was not, in fact, studying at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I remained crippled by this fearful awe of Anna right up until the moment I read her newest book of poetry Thicket. Utterly gobsmacked by the beauty of the work, it dawned on me that lecturers are not only intimidatingly smart—some of them are also unbelievably creative. Snap up a copy of Thicket, with its fairytale tropes and dreamy domestic narratives, and defeat your lecturer-inspired fears. Perhaps you’ll feel that by reading their poetry you have somehow formed a connection—or maybe your other lecturers will suddenly appear less intimidating by comparison.

Circa’s most recent leap into the avant garde, Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree, tells the tale of…well… quite a lot. Hidden under the clever guise of a wishy-washy stand-up routine a year from today, ‘the HYPNOTIST’ (as we are informed in the programme) will unleash his powers upon ‘the FATHER’ on a journey to self-discovery, self-recovery, and plenty more of that other self usually associated with gag-like public hypnotism. But there’s a clever wee catch. Each night the role of the father is played by a different ‘GUEST ACTOR’, who, having done no previous work on the play itself, wholly relies on the information he/she is given over the course of the evening to uncover some semblance of a plot. Tim Spite plays the charismatic, if a trifle malicious, Hypnotist who contorts both actor and audience to his will. His ease and charm on stage is a testament to sheer stamina, as he lassoes his comrade in and out of varying states of ‘hypnosis’. Naturally, as each night has a different actor assigned to play the Father, the performance is bound to change, and effect one’s perception of the evening. Regardless, the actor on the evening (Simon Smith) unfortunately seemed too cautious to be wholly occupied in his instruction. Circa Two’s more intimate stage is well suited to the play, whilst Andrew Foster’s direction is crisp and clean; picturesque words and aesthetic meet when Father embraces ‘the oak tree’, embodied by an elegant piano stool. The evening makes few attempts at visual dynamics, a compliment to the prowess of the performers—both rehearsed and otherwise. In all honesty I found the entire situation somewhat too contrived to appear much more then a clever idea, but I suppose that’s where the laurels rest: what I perceive to be my reality may not be the metal of yours.

Read the full review online at salient.org.nz!

ree An Oak T rouch By Tim C uly at J 0 02—3 Circa Two

The Arts

Issue 13 Environment

Games

Anomalous Materials: ANGUS WINTER

YOUR STUDENTS’

ASSOCIATION

T U E S D AY 1 2 T H J U LY | 1 1 – 2 P M PIPITEA CAMPUS (Rutherford House) T H U R S D AY 1 4 T H J U LY | 1 1 – 2 P M TE ARO CAMPUS (Foyer) Visit www.vuwsa.org.nz or Facebook.com/vuwsa for more details

Over the exam break, the largest press event in the videogame industry too k place in Los Angeles, California— the infamous Electroni c Entertainment Expo (or E3). This is generally the time of yea r where the majority of significant announcements relating to videogames and new gaming technology take place. As expected, at E3 2011 the three main competitive companies —Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft— held large-scale confer ences to detail their pla ns for the future.. Sony’s conference was largely centered aroun d the detailing of their new handheld, the “Playstat ion Vita”. My impression is that of ess entially a bigger, beefier PSP. This is a literal comparison— the screen on the Vita supports video resolutions up to four Nintendo’s unveiling times as high as a PSP, of the Wii U stole the and is also solid eno show. An entirely new to comfortably sportugh two kind of home console, analogue sticks: a first for any handheld gaming the hardware is device. It also has a hos t comprised of both of other features you a console, and an would expect of a moder n piece of gadgetry, such ipad-esque tablet for as a touch sensitive screen a controller and support for both wireless and 3g. Howe inevitable these inclus ver ions may be, it’s a little tiring to hear Sony tout touchscreen controls at every availab le opportunity, as though the DS wasn’t released a whole seven years ago. Still, an almost-PS 3 in my hands? Yes ple ase. Although the PSVita had an undeniably impressi ve showing, Nintendo’s un veiling of the Wii U sto le the show. An entirely new kind of home console, the hardw are is comprised of both a con sole, and an ipad-esqu e tablet for a controller, with the abi lity to switch between the respective television and tablet dis plays, or utilise both at once. No actual games were sho wn, only tech demos tha t explored a myriad of ways in which the technology could pot entially be utilised. I feel that Nin tendo really gave a cle ar sense of the exciting, innovative cap abilities of the console, that it could nurture new and intere sting ways to play gam es without forcing the use of awkw ard motion controls. Speaking of which, Mi crosoft confirmed that we are not to expect any radical cha nges in their focus at any point in the near future, with a conference that basica lly mirrored last years—plenty of pai nfully underwhelming kinect demonstrations. Clums ily grafting said awkw ard motion controls onto pre-existi ng types of games and calling the result “better with Kin ect” is nothing short of a regression. But hey, I guess it’s sellin g?

salient.org.nz

Columns

will be

Salient Vol. 74

Megabeer from Nanobreweries DAve the Beer guy

I’ve been home brewing for almost two years now, but the catalyst for my entry to the home brew world was meeting a man named Jo Wood. I ran into him at the bar, where I expressed my intention to get into all-grain home brewing. Jo replied along the lines of: “mate, I’ll whip you up a kit—no worries.” A few weeks later a large box arrived at my doorstep—a custom-made all-grain brew kit from Liberty Brewing, Jo’s newly acquired homebrew supply company. In the ensuing months Jo has been tinkering with his own 200L brew kit, expanding Liberty Brewing from a home brew supply company to commercial brewery. Since then, Liberty Brewing releases have been steady but only available on tap. That is all about to change. Liberty’s three most extreme brews were deemed too powerful for tap release, so were packaged in sexy 750ml champagne bottles. The first in the range is High Carb Ale (7.3%, 45g carbohydrates) a not so subtle dig at the bland world of low carb beer. High Carb Ale is touted as a New Zealand strong ale, featuring NZ Chinook hops. This is a wonderfully rich beer, showing off a huge strawberry jam hop character unlike any other I’ve experienced all balanced perfectly with huge malt. Next in line is MMMMoMMft4CH (10.4%), which stands for something but it’d put me over my word limit to write it out. This is a black barley wine, something not attempted on the NZ market before. It combines the high alcohol sweetness of a barley wine with a roasty malt character making for quite a mouthful. I think this is a beer to age for 6 months or more, when the flavours will have integrated nicely. The big daddy of the range is Never Go Back (10.6%), an imperial oat stout. If you think Guinness is thick, you’ll need a bit more courage before attempting this brew. This is thick. It’s aroma is a wonderful mix of vanilla and chocolate, but from the first sip you are assaulted with intense coffee and cocoa flavours all on top of silky malt courtesy of the oats. Liberty’s bottles are available now at all good beer outlets, while sporadic tap releases of more experimental brews appear at Hashigo Zake Another garage brewery has emerged in quake-torn Christchurch. Golden Eagle Brewing is the brainchild of home brewer David Gaughan, who now has a 200L brewery residing in his garage. Golden Eagle’s line up consists of Coal Face Stout, South Island Pale Ale, Ah Reet Golden Ale and Apache Amber Ale. A few of these have made it to the taps at Hashigo Zake, but due to the size of the brewery supply is sporadic. I can vouch for the quality of these beers; if you’re lucky enough to find any on tap, don’t miss out.

If you have any questions about this week’s beers or any comments, please contact me at davethebeerguy@gmail.com or tweet at me @davethebeerguy

Afternoon Tea Time Hayley Adams

This cake is the most delightful afternoon tea treat—just pair with a pot of tasty Earl Grey tea. Mandarins are crazy cheap at the moment and I had some natural yoghurt in my fridge that was in need of some attention. After a quick Google search I discovered this recipe, care of the very talented Martha Stewart. It’s only a small cake, so if you are planning on sharing with a few people, perhaps consider doubling the recipe. It is best enjoyed when it’s fresh from the oven.

Mandarin and Yoghurt Cake • 1 cup flour

• ½ cup sugar • ½ tsp baking powder • ¹∕8 tsp baking soda • ½ tsp salt • ½ cup plain unsweetened yoghurt • ¼ cup vegetable oil • Zest and juice of one mandarin • 1 egg • ½ tsp of vanilla essence • Icing sugar (dust over the top before serving to make it look pretty) Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius and grease a 15-20cm cake tin (round is best). Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl (or alternatively dump it all in and give it a good stir with a fork to get rid of any lumps). Add yoghurt, oil, zest, juice, egg and vanilla to the flour mixture and stir to combine. To juice the mandarin you can just cut it in half and give it a real good squeeze with your hand because there are no seeds and things to get lost in the mixture, no need for a juicer. Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown and a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Let cool for about 10 minutes and then dust the icing sugar over the top. Enjoy with some whipped cream or natural yoghurt for afternoon tea or dessert. The zest and juice could easily be swapped for any other citrus fruit such as lemon or orange, and if you don’t have yoghurt, sour cream will also do the job.

Issue 13 Environment

Notices

Upcoming Deadline: For Tri 1, 2012 exchange - July 16th Email: exchangestudents@vuw.ac.nz Website: victoria.ac.nz/exchange Visit us: Level 2, Easterfield Building

Salient provides a free notice service for all Victoria University of Wellington students, VUWSAaffiliated clubs and not-for-profit organisations. Notices should be received by 5pm Tuesday the week before publication. Notices should be fewer than 100 words. Forprofit organisations will be charged $10 per notice. Send notices to editor@salient.org.nz, with ‘Notice’ in the subject line.

Toastmasters! Wednesdays, 12-1pm, Room 218, Student Union Building Because communication isn’t optional, Toastmasters is a club dedicated to helping people practice public speaking in a fun and supportive environment.

Dr Marc Wilson Presents: What your toothpaste says about you!

Lecture Theatre 2

5:30pm Monday 11th July

July 14th: 6-7pm

The Hunter Lounge, Student Union Building

recommended donation $10 (students $5)

CAREERS AND JOBS 2011/12 Internships and 2012 Graduate Jobs: Applications Closing Soon (details on CareerHub http://careerhub.victoria. ac.nz):

For this Wednesday only, chocolate is available for those who show up.

22/7 – Enercon

Film Society Do you want a chance to watch a vast range of weekly movies with fellow students? Do you want to eat homemade popcorn while doing so?

The Victoria University Film Society Presents:

Rutherford House

15/7 – IBM (Consultants)

Drinking getting you down? AA Student Meeting Every Thursday Student Union Building Room SU219 Noon email: aameetingstudent@gmail.com

Drop-in hours: Mon & Tues 9-12, Wed-Fri 10-12

Sergio Leone’s spaghetti western masterpiece--The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Adventures in personality

Everyone - no matter what your current public speaking ability – is welcome. Come along and see what Toastmasters is all about.

Visit us online at vicuni.freetoasthost. info

Remember that no one deserves to be alone and that you are worthy of other people’s care and affection.

Victoria University Public Psychology Lecture Series

16/7 – Unilever 21/7 – Chapman Tripp 23/7 – L’Oreal 29/7 – Westpac 31/7 – DFS New Zealand 1/8 – Fairfax New Zealand 5/8 – Macquarie Group 11/8 – Russell McVeagh 31/8 – Embassy of France; The Australian National University Careers Expos – check details CareerHub: 11/8 – Science Careers Expo, 11am – 12pm

Members and non-members are welcome

1960s Salient Reunion Salient staffers, writers and student politicians who featured prominently in the paper during the 1960s, are invited to register for a reunion being planned for February 2012. The reunion is being organised by a group based in Wellington. It is proposed that on Friday February 10 there will be an informal gathering in the evening at a downtown bar (yet to be selected). On Saturday February 11, there will be a dinner function, in the Students Association Building - The Hunter Lounge which is on level 3. Extracts from Salients of the era will be on a big screen, and there will be a few speeches but we want it to be a light good fun event. All attendees are expected to pay the full costs of the dinner. VUW is paying for the cost of the venue. Please register your interest with Rex Benson, email rex.benson@paradise. net.nz

Get expert advice from Vic Careers on:

Do you want to pay dirt cheap prices for it?

- what to do with your degree

Bastille Day Dinner!

- how to put together a CV

Who: Anyone!

If the answer to these questions is ‘yes’ then come along to Film Society.

- what to expect at an interview

What: Bastille Day Dinner.

Thursday Night 6:30pm Room 203, 83 Fairlie Terrace

- how to get a job Vic Careers: 463-5393, careersservice@vuw.ac.nz, 14 Kelburn Parade

Where: Kohanga Lounge (Catholic Chaplaincy Building), 4 Kelburn Parade, Wellington.

This week, pay only $15 for a year’s worth of films (carrying through semester 1, 2012) or $2 for a single non-membership screening and watch Isao Takahata’s magical anime Pom Poko. Film Society: The perfect way to spend a Thursday night.

Vic OE – Vic Student Exchange Programme Why not study overseas as part of your degree?! Earn Vic credit, get Studylink & grants, explore the world! Weekly seminars on Wednesdays, Level 2, Easterfield Building, 12.55pm - 1.05pm

When: Thursday July 14, 7.00pm - 11.00pm. Why: To celebrate Bastille Day, meet people interested in French language and culture and have a good time. Cost: $4 French Club Members, $8 Non-members. Bring: An entrée or a salad or dessert. It is optional if you would like to bring a beverage.

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Salient Vol. 74

Letters You should really be asking the Lizard People Dear Cancerlient I am concerned about two specific causes of cancer: Fluoride causes cancer, why is it in our water? The sun causes cancer, why is it in the sky? These questions must be answered. Cheerful greetings to all, Concerned Ratepayer

*some text missing* Hi, For those of you who are interested in the Freedom of Association Student Union bill. The Bills proponet Heather Roy lives in XXXXXX Street, XXXXXXX. Cheers, Your fellow supporter

Testy teacher trainee Hi Salient. We here at the education campus are fed up with the lack of apparent ‘Student Services’ we get all because someone cant be bothered hauling their lazy ass up the hill. Our VUWSA office is open between 12-2, two times a week, and that is it. This means that the only time we get to play our pool table, foozball table and table tennis, between these times, as they don’t trust THEIR MEMBERS to take care of the property. We pay the same amount as every other student at this university and all we get is 4 hours of something to do, unmaintained, decrepit lockers that cost a bombshell, and a shitty sausage sizzle every once and a while. All we ask for is a bit of attention, and we do realise that some minor improvements have been made, but we feel its just not enough, especially when you set up rep meetings when most of us are away on TE. Just remember, we are the people who are going to be teaching your children. Regards, Aggie.

The picture above was taken not by a wildlife photographer, but by one of a group of crested black macaques in a national park in Indonesia (The Guardian).

Throwing down the gauntlet Letter to Seamus Brady I have a question: what does VUWSA do? I read your column from time to time, and the executive columns, but I find no answers there. I think I pay around $150 per annum to belong to your organisation, but i’m not sure why. So what do you do? Do not say you provide the Food Bank, Flu Shots, Free Bus Passes and sausage sizzles. I use none of those services and no student could ever hope to use those services to the value of $150 to the student. Do not say you fight for universal access to education or strengthening

student democracy, because you don’t do those things. There has not been a SINGLE student representative council this year, you have not asked students what they want from their organisation once, there has been no effort to engage with students, no protests, no action at all. It says on your website: ‘Today the Campaigns team strives to maintain the radical tradition of the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association’. Could you point to how? Do not say you need to exist to fund Salient and the VBC or student clubs. Why not have direct funding? Why do we need VUWSA to approve and direct it? A big part of your work is representation on the Council and academic boards, but what do you even do there? One of my lecturers is also my tutor and when she’s sick there are no tutorials, and that is not an isolated case. It is all related to underfunding, but you do nothing about that either? All i’ve seen you do this year is promote a survey that asks students how they feel about their education, in collaboration with the University itself. To be honest, I see the flashy VUWSA offices and the swathes of vacant VUWSA-reserved carparks each morning when I’m driving round for half an hour trying to find a park, and I have no idea what you guys even do. It seems to me that you do nothing for students. My suspicion is that your salary, the funding you sit on, your claim to represent students is totally illegitimate. A bunch of bureaucrats could do what VUWSA does at less cost to students and probably greater efficiency. Alas, I could be wrong, so I ask you, what have you done this year to justify the money we pay you?

Techno hobo To the people who are living in the 24 hour cyber common room, Ummmm wtf, how is it appropriate that you have a bedroom set up at the computer at the back of the room? Or how is it appropriate to have an air bed and a pillow in there?! I'm actually there to study and it bloody annoying when I can't get a computer because all your crap is everywhere, hire a locker if you have no storage at home. If you can't afford rent get the weekly allowance that’s why it’s there! And it’s fucking annoying when you hold a computer for your friend while they go to class by leaving their stuff there so I can't use one. Oh and shut up its not necessary to shout in such a small room, inside voices please. Argh. Yours, a person who has a home to go to at the end of the day xx

At least they’re blocking Facebook... So it's exam period, people are busily trying to complete unfinished assignments, sporadically studying

Issue 13 Environment

between episodes of Modern Family (or insert-here-favourite-series) and just hoping for the semester to end so we can enjoy the winter holidays doing absolutely goddam nothing, except inevitablly having to work long hours to be able to live out the next semester. So hey, computer department, stop being such douches! The library computers are making me foam at the mouth, 1 out of 2 is faulty, then when I manage to succeed in logging onto 1, it shuts down every two minutes, and if you're not a super saver every fucking second, precious work goes flying into cyberspace never to return again. I know you have to take care of a lot of computers, and deal with some idiotic hipsters("They should have computers just for printing, OMG!.. I want a baby chino!), but we pay exhorbitant amounts of fees, some of the most expensive in the country, for us to have at least reliable access to computers. I thought this was the twentieth century and we didnt need to rely on monkeys to typewrite our essays. Thanks, FaultyRobot

Hey, politicians read Salient! The recent Budget has seen a direct, discriminatory attack on students, and it is likely that it is only the first of many. Bill English has delivered a hard blow to students by completely cutting loan access to anyone over 55, removing course-related costs for part-timers and reducing to just one year the repayment holiday for overseas students. This is in the context of an overall Budget cut for tertiary education and previous changes that have made studying less accessible, more expensive and in some cases downright impossible. Students are the leaders of tomorrow and the future engine of a knowledgedriven economy, but by consistently denying them access to the fund and support they need, these leaders will likely look offshore.

Perhaps you’re a lonely basshead like me, or perhaps you’re chill enough to adopt a straggler into your crew’s midst. Drop me a line, achluophobia@gmail. com. Gawaaaan, you know you want to.

White whiners Dear Salient. I was reading in Salient ‘Study Wananga Exam Revision Sessions for Maori and Pacific Students’. Now, forgive me if I have read this wrong, but does this mean that students who are not maori or not pacific students are not allowed to attend these revision sessions? Also please bring back your previous magazine style Salient - much easier to read during boring lectures and not so obvious to the lecturer droning on at the front! Henry Dear Sir (Lul) Have to say I kinda dug the newspaper issue. If you guys are going to have to cut costs next year then Newsprint seems like a better compromise than online only, which is annoying. Mainly I’m writing to complain about the Study Wananga advert that was in the last issue. I’m probably not the first person to complain about The Maori and PI mentoring programme, and won’t be the last, but I find the whole idea of racially based study groups pretty appalling. Having obviously never been to one, I have no idea how many people turn up, but I’m fairly sure that you could count the number of Maori/ PI in some of my classes on one hand, so the sessions are unlikely to be full. Denying motivated Europeans/Asians/ Martians the chance to attend these sessions suggests that Maori/PI are the only ones who struggle at Uni, which is pretty blatantly untrue. I’d like end by pointing out that I have no intention of voting for Don Brash this election.

Investing in education is the best way to safeguard the future. Sadly, the National Party don’t see it that way.

Angry White Guy

Cheers,

Having the magazine only online ruined my last week and now this newpaper style....not cool

Gareth Hughes, Green Party Tertiary spokesperson

Spaz seeks similar Dear Salient and Salient-reading public, I like long walks on the beach, romantic candle-lit dinners and light-hearted thea-- wait, no I don’t. What I DO like is some good drum and bass and the opportunity to spaz out to it to my wasted heart’s content. Unfortunately my current social circle tends to disagree, and so I am stuck being the mateless wonder occasionally haunting Sandwiches and Garden Club. I’d like to rectify this, and who doesn’t like meeting other people? Unless they’re pod people. But hey, even pod people are cool in my books if they like to get their groove on sometimes.

I love Salient - I especially like taking it home to Auckland and showing AU students how much better our student magazine is but this newpaper format is just yuck I can’t read it properly in the wind because it is too flimsy and too big and just not reader friendly Please go back to normal so no more of my weeks procrastination is denied Thanks I’m so happy they decided not to put up the WELLYWOOD sign. There is hope for NZs creativity yet. However I’m lacking hope that the high school students of NZ are more mature than they appear.... Cos they’re gonna end up here sooner or later... SIGH!

I'm here to kiss my wife or kick your ass, and I don't see my wife.

Salient Letters Policy 2011 Salient welcomes, encourages and thrives on public debate—be it serious or otherwise—through the letters pages. Write about what inspires you, enrages you, makes you laugh, makes you cry. Send us feedback, send us abuse. Anything. Letters must be received before 5pm Tuesday, for publication the following week. Letters must be no more than 250 words. Pseudonyms are fine, but all letters must include your real name, address and telephone number. These will not be printed. Please note that letters will not be corrected for spelling or grammar. The Editors reserve the right to edit, abridge or decline any letters without explanation. Letters can be sent to letters@ salient.org.nz, posted to Salient, c/- Victoria University, PO Box 600, Wellington or dropped into the Salient office on the third floor of the Student Union Building.

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.nz nt.org @salie letters t c/ Salien ity nivers U ia r Victo x 600 PO Bo gton Wellin

Aunti Charli

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Salient Vol. 74

Puzzles Wordfind

Sudoku answers

Look At All This Unstoppable Oncoming Planet Death We Are Choking Earth With Our Filth And Show It No Pity

CRYPTIC ACROSS:

CRYPTIC DOWN:

1. A German car, sounding of an English party with half a drum, to make a big room (10)

2. Plate a limb on why it is in conflict (10)

6. A supporting pillar to be in the morning (4) 9. Some urine fee for the weapon (6) 10. Uncomplimentary jive to rape (10) 11. Yes, Sergeant’s back exit (6) 13. In banishment from six in eel (5) 14. Tie the blind pig noise by the end of night (4) 15. Oh true hot racy ape! Thy drugs are quick. (10) 16. Bury Ben around Tom (6) 18. A sigh to mull back in the institution (6) 19. Rise by a standing position for the opposition (10) 20. Most of a smile stole Christmas (4) 22. An old thing to lick again (5) 24. Lose North and South in class (6) 27. Or at an Audrey Tatou film to make things better (10) 28. Follow the commercial in this place (6) 29. Skanky dessert (4) 30. Explained in your tongue to stand later (10)

ACROSS: 3. ECSTATIC 6. BREVITY 9. REPROACH 10. DISSUADE 11. BLUSTERY 13. STORE 16. THERE 18. SCIENCE 20. YIDDISH 22. PLUMP 24. TARDY 26. ALLIANCE 28. LUMINOUS 29. GRUESOME 30. UPTIGHT 31. CANISTER

3. Just not off the lucky sides! (4) 4. Force things on, namely mops (6) 5. Tom to ground control, I thank you for over half (8) 6. Yogi has eaten to rebuke you! (6) 7. I am Ned, the young lady (6) 8. The vine between the table and I is unavoidable (10) 9. The heap I leave (4) 12. Hot air from sport team without the booz (5) 15. Combine glam in ABBA’s sides with a kiwi friend (10) 16. With no difficulty, exchange money for the painting’s stand (5) 17. Con Minties to be know everything (10) 19. Let the nevermore bird be significant (8) 21. Reverse the International Relations vent (6) 22. An informative paper from the carrier of bags (6) 23. Readings of ground beef before the alphabet starts (6) 25. The hyena merits a proper noun (4) 26. The weight of one thousand and a donkey (4) ACROSS:

DOWN:

1. Hall (10)

2. Discord (10)

6. Ray of light (4)

3. Solely (4)

9. Gun (6)

4. To burden (6)

10. Negative (10)

5. The greater part (8)

11. Departure (6)

6. Criticize hatefully (6)

13. An outcast (5)

7. Girl (6)

14. A nautical mile (4)

8. Inescap (10)

15. Pharmacist (10)

9. A stack of things (4)

16. Inter (6)

12. Vapour (5)

18. Refuge (6)

15. Merge (10)

19. Defiance (10)

16. Support for a canvas (5)

20. Smirk (4)

17. All-knowing (10)

22. Antique (5)

19. Pertinent (8)

24. A lecture (6)

21. Turn upside down (6)

27. Improve (10)

22. An account (6)

28. Comply (6)

23. Motion picture house (6)

29. Pastry (4)

25. Label (4)

30. Interpreted (10)

26. Church service (4)

DOWN: 1. PRESSURE 2. EVACUATE 3. EYRIE 4. SCRUB 5. THRUST 7. ACERBIC 8. INDUSTRY 12. HOSIERY 13. SIGHT 14. ESSAY 15. HEAL 17. MODE 19. EMPHASIS 21. IMPLORE 22. PERIODIC 23. UNWORTHY 25. RAISIN 27. ELECT 28. LEMUR

Issue 13 Environment

Comics

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