Biofuels
were meant to be our sustainable energy saviours, but ended up being
castigated as “a crime against humanity” by the UN for driving up the
price of food worldwide.
More than that, biofuels have
been accused of increasing carbon emissions, and besides, oil has
become heaps cheaper now due to the global recession weakening demand.
So it would seem there’s no future for biofuels—but Vincent Heeringa begs to differ. He’s been poking around the woods
and has discovered the wonders of termite gut enzymes, which, along
with other second-generation biofuels, looks far more promising. Scion
CEO Tom Richardson chimes in on the topic too.
A question of New Zealandness
Before
arriving in New Zealand, I knew nothing about the country. The first
Kiwi I encountered was in Singapore, and it took a while before I could
understand what she said.
Nevertheless, I’ve been here
over a decade now and keep discovering more and more unique things. A
lot of surprising things are made here, there is fantastic music, food
to die for, and the greatest asset is the people.
So I
don’t quite understand why New Zealand isn’t world-famous, well, all
over the world. Maybe, as PR agency Creo hints, it’s due to a distinct lack of New Zealandness? Is there something missing in our “brand” or identity?
Premium
agri-products, derived by world-beating agri-technology and the
greenest industry are some of Pearce’s recipes, together with neutral
politics and left-field pursuits. This is, after all, where bungy
jumping was invented.
Redefining New Zealandness to move
beyond a somewhat unspoilt place in the South Pacific is a must, but
we’re not paying nearly enough attention to it. Perhaps the recession
will force us to think harder about that?
Ephemeral in nature
Now’s
the time to put in your project proposal for the 5th Temporary
Sculpture Installation event at Connells Bay Sculpture Park on Waiheke Island.
The organisers advise that proposals up to $10,000
will be considered, and say that the projects must be ephemeral in
nature, and not simply pre-built objects for sale. Quite.
Last
date for submissions is May 31 and winners will hear from Connells Bay
Sculpture Park by July 31 with the work to be installed by October 14
this year.
At Method, we create online experiences that engage and inspire.
We help your brand come to life and ensure it stands out from the rest, not only appealing to your customer but really connecting with them as well.
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A day in the field, two years in the studio
Bruce Branit shot the footage for this short film in just a day—and then spent two years in post-production. The story—“a strange man builds a world using holographic tools for the woman he loves”—is
a bit too soft for this hackneyed, er, hack, but you gotta admire
Branit’s mad skills. After two years and rejections from “countless
film festivals”, he’s getting plenty of love for his effort at Vimeo.
New
Zealanders are in general blessed with abundant water (we don’t even
have to recycle ours) but that’s not the case in many parts of the
world. In fact, 2.6 billion people go without the wet stuff. Lack of
clean, potable water is the second biggest killer of children under
five worldwide, with some 5,000 dying from diseases such as typhoid and
cholera every day.
Because of this, UNICEF is again
running the annual Tap Project, asking us to donate a dollar (or more)
at participating restaurants when eating out.
The
event is run in conjunction with the World Water Day on March 22 and
continues until April 9. There will be events in Wellington on March
22, with local councillors joining a dragon boat water challenge, and
in Auckland on Sunday April 5, where a new Guinness World Record for the largest ever simultaneous squirting of water pistols will be attempted at Western Springs Lakeside Park between 11am to 1pm.
Apart from eating out, you can make a donation online, or text TAP to 833 to give $3 automatically.
Don’t forget that just a dollar can provide a child with clean drinking water for thirty days.
Already,
people, schools and workplaces nationwide are taking part in the Tap
Project, with chains like Robert Harris, Columbus Coffee, The Coffee
Club and Nandos also joining.
Celebs Mike McRoberts, Alison Mau, Jay Reeve and Amber Peebles support the campaign, and the proceeds this year will go to Laos.
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Blogspotshots
Exposure Lifestyles
styles itself as one of the most polished street press publications in
Aotearoa. Founder Pat Shepherd is now shocasing some of his hots on a
new blog. The pictures of New Zealand’s creative talent there are fantastic.
Check out Ryan Prebble, portraits from
Typeshed 11, Warren, Gabe and Ross (presenters for The Gravy) and
Electric Wire Hustle press shots on the website.
Summer’s over
And
what better way to celebrate than Sandwiches Summerset 09? This year,
Fat Freddy’s Drop, DJ Nick Warren from the UK, The Nextmen (also from
the UK) with special guest MC P Digsss will hit the Wellington Basin
Reserve on April 18.
Also confirmed are DJ Lynx, Hollie Smith with full band, Bass Kleph, Charlie Ash and Pitch Black.
The Oscars of the new media world, The World Summit Awards is a global showcase of 40 outstanding projects.
They
show the benefits of ICT for the development of communities and society
at large, with the focus being on the applications and the content they
produce and how well it works globally, rather than the technology itself.
This year’s New Zealand nominees will be announced
and celebrated on March 17 at the National Library Auditorium in
Wellington, starting at 5.30pm.
The CEO of NZ Post, John
Allen, will announce eight lucky Kiwis, in eight different
e-categories. In 2007, New Zealand’s Geneious won the e-Science
category, and Te Puia Galleries in Rotorua the e-Culture prize.
This
year, the international judging takes place during the first week of
April in Delhi, India and WSA finishes with a big gala in Monterrey,
Mexico, in the first week of June.
“Florence flitters in and out of media industries, like a spy, or a fly observing a fresh cow pat.”
Cow pat-observing apart, Florence Noble
has a photography exhibition on at the moment, featuring portraits of
people such as Siobhan Marshall, Antonia Prebble, Conan of the
Moccasins fame, Taika Waititi, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Madeleine Sami.
Some Friends, as the exhibition is called, is open now at GeorgiGregg Home, 80 Parnell Road in Auckland.
Quote of the week
“We’re all big into our fishing and surfing. Our water can become very
polluted from road runoff. Becoming commercial, your objectives change,
but to this day cleaning that water is still our focus.”
Read more on our website: web exclusives, opinion, creative directory, Idealog TV, the Idealog blogs and the Idealog podcast. See you at www.idealog.co.nz.
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