2012-05-24 09:04:40 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Supreme EECA award winner Air New Zealand is delivering for NZ Inc, judges say, clocking up energy savings worth more than $540 million since starting its eco drive in 2005,
2012-05-21 08:49:14 // Idealog
Mercury Energy has developed a special fuel package for individuals and businesses who purchase the Nissan Leaf, a mass-produced, zero-emission electric car.
2012-05-15 12:04:08 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
After nearly two years at sea, the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar has become the first photovoltaic boat to sail around the world.
2012-05-15 11:24:07 // Lance Wiggs
// Idealog #39: workshop
Some countries are aggressive in their bid for a slice of Antarctica, but it appears to be a race to the moon – useful for bragging rights and research, but of no direct commercial benefit.
2012-05-11 11:34:11 // Josh Martin
// The Idealog Blog
What is the role of youth movements in international environmental policy now and into the future, if we are to inherit that environment?
2012-05-10 09:34:58 // Idealog
An Akaroa community conservation group is celebrating after the High Court ordered the conservation minister to reconsider a proposed 530ha marine reserve.
2012-05-09 14:32:25 // Esther Goh
// Idealog #39: now
| 4 comments
Up-and-coming company goodnature is revolutionising the way we kill pests to make the process better for animals, the environment and, in the long run, our wallets.
2012-05-08 10:32:09 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Hot on the heels of the Sustainable Business Network’s forum on creating sustainable wealth, a number of organisations have come together to form a working group focused on developing a resilient renewable energy supply for Auckland.
2012-05-07 09:40:40 // Idealog
Auckland has joined a network of 1000 towns and cities around the world as a Fair Trade city, with mayor Len Brown pledging support to fair trade principles.
2012-05-07 09:04:37 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Danone has joined the likes of Xerox, Adidas, Kraft, Nestle and Unilever in resolving to boycott Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), an international conglomerate accused of being involved with illegal logging in Indonesia.
2012-05-04 11:26:05
// The Idealog Blog
High energy prices are here to stay and frugality with our resources is our only hope for a sustainable future, writes Chris Huhne in the Guardian.
2012-04-19 14:51:14 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Ian Montanjees is out to spread the word about the benefits of white roofs with an eye to embarking on an 18-month public campaign.
2012-04-19 14:03:08 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
Global energy consumption rebounded in 2010 after a downturn in 2009, but the future looks bright for renewables.
2012-04-17 17:12:05 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
The green movement is slowly permeating fashion, with bamboo clothing that's wholly compostable, biodegradable fleece and zero-waste clothing. And now local designer Miranda Brown, who's big on ethical and sustainable fashion, is out to make her own line of 100 percent biodegradable T-shirts.
2012-04-11 11:19:41 // Esther Goh
Kiwi company ArcActive Limited has unveiled its new green battery technology at the recent CleanEquity Monaco awards, where it picked up a prize for excellence in environmental technology research.
2012-04-10 14:14:28 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
New Zealand’s most innovative energy-saving and renewable energy projects have been revealed, and they include an ambitious scheme to insulate the entire township of Foxton; the largest coal to wood pellet conversion in the southern hemisphere; a truck running on landfill biogas; a family-run hydro electricity scheme built on an old Otago gold mine cut; and a bank which reduced electricity use by 23 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent.
2012-04-05 09:59:18 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
Business 2.0 is all about openness, people and collaboration. Right? But some are starting to question that philosophy. Is collaboration and transparency really the holy grail? Or is it in fact standing in the way of true innovation?
2012-04-04 16:24:32 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Yealands Estate has been named runner-up in the Sustainability Award of the Year category at the 2012 Drinks Business Green Awards.
2012-03-26 14:14:16 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Some things sound too far out to be true, and in that “so crazy it just might work” basket falls these microalgae-powered lamps.
2012-03-23 16:36:02 // Esther Goh
More than three-quarters of New Zealand businesses take part in corporate giving but less than half keep track of their community initiatives.
2012-03-22 14:20:06 // Rebekah White
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
A new movie will answer the question of whether fracking promises to be our economic salvation or an eco disaster.
2012-03-21 12:59:49 // Idealog
Renewable energy sources made up 77 percent of total annual electricity generation last year, up from 74 percent – representing progress towardthe government’s goal of 90 percent renewable generation by 2025.
2012-03-20 10:36:47 // Andy Kenworthy
// Idealog #38: workshop
| 1 comment
Biz whiz Derek Handley reckons sustainability and innovation would make for smashing bedfellows.
2012-03-19 14:05:52 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
The annual Wind Energy Conference will be taking over Hamilton's Claudelands Event Centre next month, and its lineup is bulging with a mix of homegrown and international presentations.
2012-03-15 16:39:16 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
Renalldoors has just dropped $1.5 million on a state-of-the-art manufacturing gizmo, the first in New Zealand, and plans to tap into a growing market for timber, following trends in Europe, particularly as the Christchurch rebuild gains momentum.
2012-03-15 10:14:19 // Pattrick Smellie
// Idealog #38: workshop
| 2 comments
One of the most annoying false arguments we have in New Zealand is about where economic growth should come from.
2012-03-14 09:50:35 // Idealog
| 1 comment
Kicking the issue of electronic waste to the kerb is making progress in the form of a draft joint Australia-New Zealand Standard for processing the likes of old televisions, computers and whiteware.
2012-03-13 15:28:32 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
In a smart marketing move, Yealands Estate is offering customers the chance to submit their best green ideas and be in to win cash and other prizes.
2012-03-06 15:35:32 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) is pulling together a bunch of brilliant and diverse experts to discuss ‘shared value’ at a forum on creating sustainable wealth later this month.
2012-03-06 12:43:54 // Idealog
Waikato's WEL Networks Limited is looking into the economic feasibility of solar power stations, replicating the success of similar schemes overseas.
2012-03-06 10:22:49 // Esther Goh
| 1 comment
As a small trade-dependent country, New Zealand will be increasingly pulled towards greener growth as other larger economies move in this direction.
2012-03-05 17:46:12 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
It’s been a long summer (not a hot one) for the The Climate Show, but Glenn, Gareth and John are back with a good show for the new year.
2012-03-02 09:09:02 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
When the tiny Swiss ski town of Tenna, population 112, needed to restore its dodgy old chair lift, the bigwigs decided to go solar.
2012-03-01 15:27:59
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Have we used up all our resources? Have we filled up all the livable space on Earth? Gilding argues that we have, and that the end of growth signals some devastating consequences.
2012-02-29 15:21:42 // Idealog
Christchurch-based Arc Innovations has taken home two awards at the Smart Metering Australia and New Zealand Summit, holding its on in a field of international competitors.
2012-02-29 12:50:58 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Oregon's Bamboo Sushi, the first certified, sustainable sushi restaurant in the world, has released a beautifully shot, lovingly told short film that tells the tale of Japan's most famous dish and envisions a world where sustainability underpins the industry.
2012-02-27 15:31:45 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
A fresh new Kiwi startup is out to help the local food movement by taking admin hassles out of the equation so farmers can spend more time growing their tomatoes and less time sorting out receipts.
2012-02-27 13:35:17 // Hazel Phillips
// Idealog #38: workshop
What is the point of having a Department of Conservation if it doesn’t, erm, conserve anything?
2012-02-24 15:52:59 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Cities bring together the best and worst of society. Check out some of the coolest urban projects happening now, planning for tomorrow.
2012-02-21 09:20:56 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Sick of having to wrestle with mounds of plastic to unwrap your meat or veges? Finding there’s more plastic in Barbie’s wrapping than the doll itself? Having to stuff your pockets with wrappings after enjoying a prune or two?
2012-02-20 13:57:42 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
The Green Living Show – New Zealand’s only expo focusing on all things eco and organic – is back in 2012.
2012-02-20 13:44:16 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
The Bioenergy Association has put out a call for the government to renew its biofuel subsidies to avert the "death" of the industry.
2012-02-16 17:06:06 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
New Zealand’s top green businesses will be brought together in one place with the launch of online directory NZ-CEN.
2012-02-16 14:19:11 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Tauranga will stage a special Earth Hour celebration this year to commemorate the community’s effort to combat the Rena oil spill.
2012-02-10 13:44:15 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
We're all well aware that plastic is bad, but it's hard to escape in modern times. The earth block, however, is truly the Lego for today's eco-conscious parents.
2012-02-10 11:58:43 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Architectural firm LAVA has come up with a twist on the typical class for Australia's rural schools, which call for rooms adaptable to changing terrains and temperatures.
2012-02-09 09:30:36 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
The Kapiti Coast District Council is trialling a new emulsified fuel technology on a tractor/mower with a view to expand to much of its older fleet if successful.
2012-02-03 15:58:55 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
With populations constantly growing so too is the demand for energy – something New Zealand’s image as a energy-rich country can tap into by using our technology and expertise to help other countries develop their own energy resources for a fee.
2012-02-02 11:04:54 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
The country’s largest solar subdivision is on its way to Canterbury, where new homes at Christchurch's Highfield subdivision will have solar installations providing around a quarter of their energy needs.
2012-01-31 09:39:23 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Researchers at Bio Architecture Lab and the University of Washington in Seattle have created a microbe capable of digesting seaweed and converting it into fuel.
2012-01-27 09:54:12 // Esther Goh
Fresh projections on the future of New Zealand’s energy industry have been released by the Ministry of Economic Development.
2012-01-26 20:10:25 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Better waste and fishing practices could have a massive impact on the global economy, according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
2012-01-25 16:34:27 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has become the first successful applicant to receive funding from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Irrigation Acceleration Fund.
2012-01-25 13:56:26 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
US residents looking to ditch a phone or music player need only place an unwanted device into an ecoATM, which then values the item and offers a cash payment or donation to a charity of choice.
2012-01-25 09:44:30 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 3 comments
Taupo could be in for a new eco-sustainable housing community, reshaping the way houses receive heat, electricity, water, and use wastewater.
2012-01-24 14:32:04 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
A team of designers are on a quest to tackle the eco-housing prejudices of potential homeowners.
2012-01-23 13:49:57 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
A natural substance obtained from the seeds of a "miracle tree" could be the answer to inexpensive water purification in the developing world, US scientists say.
2012-01-20 13:54:40 // Bryan Walker
// The Idealog Blog
| 5 comments
The task of turning governments worldwide away from fossil fuel exploration and extraction seems herculean. But we have no alternative than to keep at it
2012-01-20 10:26:50 // Esther Goh
| 2 comments
A murky pond beside Auckland's busy Northern Motorway is at the centre of an environmental trial to produce cleaner water with the help of a garden growing on a floating island.
2012-01-20 09:58:50 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 4 comments
We Kiwis aren’t the clean, green, recycling machines we think we are: 77 percent of plastics go unrecycled each year, resulting in 252,000 tonnes of plastic waste in our landfills. And SodaStream has decided to tackle this head-on with a bit of a PR stunt aimed at giving us a wake-up call about what all that rubbish looks like.
2012-01-19 16:50:33 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Power conglomerate Meridian Energy has pulled the plug on its proposal to build a $2 billion wind farm in Central Otago.
2012-01-19 16:42:00 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
More than 70 community projects aimed at protecting and nurturing Auckland have received grants from Auckland Council’s Environmental Initiatives Fund (EIF).
2012-01-19 10:28:42 // Esther Goh
A contract to increase methanol production in Taranaki is being touted as bringing billions of extra revenue into the country over the next decade.
2012-01-17 10:30:31 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Sustainable business action is at the heart of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's publication Business solutions to enable energy access for all.
2012-01-12 14:57:29 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Construction is underway in Seattle on a futuristic zero-waste apartment building, intended to host a range of green initiatives including the recycling of waste water.
2012-01-06 11:11:03 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
China has lifted the lid on what's said to be the world's largest battery, capable of storing 36 megawatt-hours of electricity.
2012-01-05 11:38:37 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
Six councils are considering new solar initiatives in their towns and cities as part of their Solar Promise.
2011-12-15 16:08:19 // Idealog
| 4 comments
More and more companies are waking up to the imperative of social responsibility – but the golden age of the sustainability label is over, a report by London consultancy SustainAbility has concluded.
2011-12-14 12:27:40 // Kate Beecroft
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
When Gareth Morgan set out to address members of the public at the launch of his new book Hook, Line and Blinkers – a critical look at New Zealand’s fishing industry – he didn’t set out to make friends.
2011-12-14 10:40:21 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
Ecostore's laundry detergent was the standout performer in a recent survey by Canstar Blue, beating big brands Persil, Reflect and Fab.
2011-12-13 16:35:57 // Kate Beecroft
// The Idealog Blog
| 4 comments
A Putaruru trial has found the key to composting success: separating food waste from green waste.
2011-12-13 14:23:08 // Kate Beecroft
After years of haggling, feet-dragging and out-and-out quarreling at UNFCCC conferences, the 2011 Durban Climate Change negotiations ended on the weekend with an agreement.
2011-12-12 13:19:17 // Kate Beecroft
| 1 comment
The Institution of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) wants New Zealand to engage in open debate about mineral and petroleum extraction.
2011-12-09 12:54:45 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
A Dunedin couple who started an ethical boutique after creating a short film about sustainability have been named the supreme winners of the Outlook for Someday film challenge.
2011-12-08 15:24:10 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
A couple passionate about the environment is working towards creating a nature reserve for Auckland City.
2011-12-08 09:20:39 // Vernon Rive
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Climate change minister Tim Groser sees a potential deal involving a 'landing zone' that he describes as 'Kyoto Plus' and says the ETS will not be abandoned at any cost.
2011-12-07 10:18:56 // Sustain Team
The Hikurangi Foundation has a new leader at its helm, with Alex Hannant returning to New Zealand to take over the role of executive director.
2011-12-07 09:18:05 // Kate Beecroft
A new report from the OECD and the International Energy Agency says energy efficiency is the top priority for reducing carbon emissions.
2011-12-06 17:01:09 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Auckland Transport and Cityhop are trialling a new car-sharing scheme using three on-street parking spaces on Hobson St, College Hill, and Williamson Ave.
2011-12-06 14:00:08 // Siobhan Leathley
// The Idealog Blog
More and more Kiwi companies are cottoning onto the sustainability message, and there's no shortage of organisations in this space (although two of the big ones are about to become one). So just what do they all do, and whose interests do they have at heart?
2011-12-06 09:13:56 // Deirdre Robert
// Idealog #36: workshop
Solar City's Andrew Booth is taking a different angle to solar rollout, and hopes councils will see the, erm, light.
2011-12-05 09:34:01 // Vernon Rive
// The Idealog Blog
Vernon Rive reports back from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in Durban and finds the Kyoto Protocol at death's door.
2011-12-01 15:09:04 // Sarah Robson
// The Idealog Blog
| 4 comments
Graham Carter, a Kiwi-born entrepreneur, has spent the last 10 years in North America – turning good ideas into commercial businesses and founding three successful companies along the way. But now he’s back in the country as the CEO of carboNZero.
2011-12-01 09:02:52 // Sustain Team
| 6 comments
Members of the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development have voted to form a new Sustainable Business Council (SBC) in association with BusinessNZ to promote sustainable business and policies.
2011-11-30 16:05:27 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Charitable trust 350 Aotearoa has big plans for expansion in 2012 – it's looking to double its numbers from 5,000 supporters to 10,000 people on the ground.
2011-11-30 14:54:29 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Will Durban salvage what could have been achieved at Copenhagen, or should we expect a South African stand-off?
2011-11-30 10:51:55 // Idealog
LanzaTech and Yankuang Group, one of China’s largest coal producers, have agreed to work together on a coal to fuel project.
2011-11-30 09:45:06 // Sustain Team
| 1 comment
Auckland's trial oil recovery scheme bodes well for the future, with more than 120,000 litres of used engine oil recycled in the first six months.
2011-11-29 11:10:09 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
When it comes to sports brands, no two labels could be said to be asserting their green cred more than Nike and Puma.
2011-11-23 09:42:52 // Idealog
| 1 comment
The Greens are promising to establish a $100 million startup fund for cleantech projects and boost central government R&D funding by $1 billion in the next three years.
2011-11-21 15:38:09 // Idealog
// The Idealog Blog
Sir Paul Callaghan recently opined that New Zealand's strength lies in niche industries. And Pure Advantage, the organisation championing a move to a green growth economy, says what we need is decisive leadership in order to position the country for opportunities in such sustainable and innovative niches where we can have a natural competitive advantage.
2011-11-09 16:10:00 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Last week it was announced that Westpac New Zealand outperformed its Australian parent with a 41 percent boost in earnings. And perhaps proving that profitability doesn’t have to come at the expense of sustainability, Westpac also cleaned up at last night’s 2011 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards. Westpac was named Sustainable Business of the Year and also took home the People’s Choice and the Trailblazer Large and Corporate Business awards.
2011-11-02 12:30:01 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
Not convinced about the sustainability argument when it comes to the purchasing behaviour of consumers? Think again. The latest Colmar Brunton ‘Better Business Better World’ survey results reveal that sustainability influenced the purchasing decisions of 88 percent of respondents. That bodes well for purchasing potential, but on the flip side the survey also found that 72 percent couldn’t think of any brand leaders in sustainability.
2011-10-28 13:19:57 // Esther Goh
// The Idealog Blog
Green growth is gaining traction in Europe, and it's time New Zealand followed suit, the University of Auckland's head of economics says.
2011-10-18 12:56:13 // Idealog
Kiwi cleantech firm LanzaTech has not just held onto its spot in the prestigious Global Cleantech Top 100 but been named “Company of the Year Asia Pacific” for 2011 to boot.
The clean energy technology company has also been judged to have shown the “Best Innovation by an SME” in the global ICIS Innovations Awards.
2011-10-17 11:36:19 // Dr Jennifer Holmgren
// The Idealog Blog
Demand for food and fuel is growing – and this is inextricably linked to the health of our environment. We need the world's collective intellect to find answers.
2011-10-10 17:33:32 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Regional winners for the Sustainable Business Network awards just keep coming, with the Bay of Plenty region the latest to receive accolades. Among the “extremely high” calibre of winners is a personal care and packaging business originally founded in Sweden and a Tauranga-based patisserie. Even the Tauranga Council got in on the act.
2011-10-10 11:11:45 // Deirdre Robert
// Idealog #35: workshop
The untapped potential of our geothermal and biomass resources is being explored in Taupo.
2011-10-05 10:53:39 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
It’s always refreshing to see young’uns getting into the sustainability swing of things and the recently held 2011 Youth Leadership for Sustainability Awards showcased the Canterbury youth that do it best.
2011-10-03 11:15:42 // Sam Eichblatt
// Idealog #35: now
| 1 comment
New Zealand transport is charging ahead in the wireless realm – and an Auckland company is in the driver’s seat.
2011-09-13 11:36:43 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Interbrand’s recent Best Global Green Brands report may have named Toyota as its top place getter, but the results of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes Review for 2011 has crowned BMW as the leader within the automobiles and parts category. Other top performing companies within the 19 categories include Samsung Electronics and PepsiCo. The news for Coca-Cola on the other hand is not so good
2011-09-05 15:30:50 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
Here’s a video that’s well worth taking two minutes out of your day to watch. We absolutely love this stop-motion animation by Irish filmmaker Johnny Kelly, showing the life of a farmer as he turns his family farm into an industrial animal factory before seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a more sustainable future. The beautifully executed short-film is accompanied by a Willie Nelson cover of Coldplay’s song ‘The Scientist’. The video was commissioned by Chipotle Mexican Grill to show the importance of sustainably-sourced food and it will show in 5,700 theatres across the United States starting in September.
2011-09-05 12:09:19 // David Thompson
// The Idealog Blog
| 4 comments
Sustainability – it’s pretty hard to read a corporate report, listen to a business guru or attend a business forum without hearing the word. BMW claim “sustainability isn’t a buzzword for the BMW Group, but is deeply anchored in the corporate strategy” and even good ol’ NZ Post reckons “sustainability sits at the heart of our business”. In the universities academics are working long hours to define, understand and operationalise the concept, with enough papers published to wipe out half a forest. It seems that everybody is talking about it, thinking about it and either doing it or claiming to do it. But how does the public perceive it?
2011-09-02 09:26:46 // Victoria Young
| 1 comment
Liquid Strip, the brainchild of Greg Morgan, removes solids from wastewater and converts them into a pellet or slug form that can then be used as fuel for fires.
2011-08-30 11:04:51 // Esther Goh
Proposed changes to the oil and gas industry's exploration permit scheme are part of the government's Energy Strategy announced this morning, which emphasises fossil fuels on the back of a report that states New Zealand could earn up to $12.7 billion in royalties if current oil exploration rates were to double.
2011-08-24 14:17:50 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
As far as universities go, the University of Waikato has been making a determined effort to adopt more sustainable measures. Last year its student centre became only the second educational building in New Zealand to receive a 5 Green Star rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council and now it has announced the appointment of a sustainability co-ordinator to help it “continue to develop as a leader and role model in regard to sustainability issues”.
2011-08-16 10:54:11 // Vincent Heeringa
// Idealog #34: workshop
Time to rewrite capitalism? Why not? Nick Main, Deloitte's global head of sustainability, spreads a message of purpose, profit and carbon constraints. Is he serious?
2011-08-11 14:19:00 // Esther Goh
While eDay was a good start to getting on top of our electronic waste, expanding our network of recycling facilities and creating an everyday solution for households is the next step.
2011-07-27 12:00:58 // Ben Fahy
As consumers gravitate towards environmentally and socially responsible products, brands are ramping up their efforts to show their green stripes, and APN has joined the fray by launching Element, an insert magazine with a sustainability bent.
2011-07-21 15:32:28 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
Bad news for a country with more sheep than humans: out of all the meats, lamb has the worst environmental impact of all.
2011-07-15 17:13:00 // Vanessa Ellingham
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
A new Wellington housing development will use an innovative foundation design employing polysterene waste to ensure the houses can withstand seismic activity better than homes built on traditional concrete slabs.
2011-07-14 17:38:19 // Vanessa Ellingham
New Zealand may be facing an e-waste crisis, with the imminent switch to digital TV posing a serious threat, according to a new study.
2011-07-07 14:34:03 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
A nationwide environmental education programme is supporting student-led sustainability initiatives, and one tiny area school in Northland has just received one of its top awards for their whole-school approach.
2011-07-07 10:39:49 // Deirdre Robert
| 1 comment
While we can applaud the efforts of those that choose to use reusable nappies, the reality is that disposables are by far and away still the most popular option (and let’s face it, the most convenient). But what if you could compost them? That’s exactly what EnviroComp plans to do in Wellington, and an announcement by the Government that it will contribute $700,000 in grant money to further support the business initiative has provided a valuable booster. But that's not the only big news for the company, which has also announced it will expand operations overseas as part of recent acquisition by the New Zealand office of UK-based facilities services company OCS.
2011-07-06 13:20:17 // Sustain Team
// The Idealog Blog
When the 2010 call to entries was made for the Outlook for Someday film competition last year, project director David Jacobs was feeling mighty optimistic about the competition for young people, saying it had become “part of New Zealand’s film landscape” and that it was “creating a buzz overseas”. And if the recently acquired backing is anything to go by, he's right.
2011-06-28 09:24:49 // Caroline Fiennes
// The Idealog Blog
While a recent report from Greenpeace named Apple among one of the dirtiest in the tech industry, this article from the 'Guardian' newspaper tells us how Apple may in fact be getting it right in the sustainability realm. And they're doing that by presenting sustainability as something cool, sexy and desirable—not lecturing about it.
2011-06-27 21:28:09 // Idealog
Wellington companies are being offered a $1000 sweetener to help them cut their energy usage thanks to a joint initiative between the Government and Wellington City Council.
2011-06-23 09:24:45 // Infonews
// The Idealog Blog
Waikato Regional Council manager of environmental farming systems Alan Campbell says everyone has a role to play in not only managing our environment, but our global markets.
2011-06-17 15:30:45 // Sarah Robson
// The Idealog Blog
The solar industry is on the brink of a boom, and electric fences powered by the sun's rays were just one of the options shown at Fieldays
2011-06-01 10:28:48 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
Kiwi company ebode is all about building architecturally designed passive solar sustainable homes. And now its has upped its eco credentials a little more by becoming the first carbon neutral-certified home design and build company in New Zealand, achieving carboNZeroCert certification.
2011-05-27 09:00:00 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Blending commercial needs with sustainable building principles can prove very successful, as Peddle Thorp Architect's double win at the 2011 New Zealand Architecture Awards demonstrate. The firm won awards in both the Sustainability and Commercial categories, something it says shows a significant shift in thinking taking place in international commercial architecture.
2011-05-18 11:20:16 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
There are any number of measures out there today to help reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. But ever heard of a smog-eating, self-cleaning building? Sounds intriguing. US-based Aluminium company Alcoa has just unveiled its oil-coated architectural panel that it says could revolutionise sustainable building solutions.
2011-03-08 14:30:02 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
The depth of Kiwi design talent in the running to win an award at the upcoming 2011 Dulux Colour Awards spreads far and wide as the newly announced 2011 shortlist reveals. The awards celebrate the use of colour in architecture and design and this year’s shortlist features an impressive 23 Kiwi projects, with Auckland and Christchurch taking centre-stage.
2011-02-14 14:12:35 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
While Earthwise Group was born 1960s New Zealand, its plant-based, environmentally-friendly range of home cleaning products has only recently hit supermarket shelves, thanks to a recent boost in investment coupled with some brand makeover magic courtesy of Auckland-based brand strategy company BRR.
2011-02-14 10:20:26 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Brand new Auckland school Ormiston Senior College has opened its doors with a notable point of difference. As well as its unique appearance, it’s also the first school in New Zealand to be awarded the 5 Green Star Education rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council.
2011-01-17 14:28:04 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
No, it's not a giant slinky, though the comparison seems inevitable. Russian architect Alexander Remizov has released his design for what he calls ‘The Ark’, a building he says attempts to answer the “challenges of our time”, like extreme environmental conditions and climate change.
2011-01-10 17:11:01 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
In their first blog entry of 2011, and in the year they’ll be competing in the US Solar Decathlon competition (the first Kiwi team to ever do so), Victoria University’s First Light team explain why they’re so excited about the development and use of solar technologies in building, and why its benefits extend far beyond simply environmental.
2011-01-10 14:59:38 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
While it certainly wouldn’t appeal (nor would it be practical) to everyone, 45-year-old Jay Shafer opted to reinvent his life and started the reinvention by drastically downsizing the clutter in his life, beginning with his house. With no construction experience, Shafer designed and built an 89-sq-ft house for himself and, upon receiving positive feedback, has turned his inspiration into a business, designing small houses for others. Check out the tiny living in action.
2011-01-06 13:19:12 // Vincent Heeringa
// The Idealog Blog
Honda taught the world how to drive in compact fuel-efficient urban runners. Now it's doing the same with private jets. HondaJet made its first flight on December 20 and promises to add new spice in the race to bottom of fuel efficiency. Some 20 percent more efficient than its equivalents, the 7 seater is also quieter, lighter and IMHO much cooler looking.
2010-12-03 10:17:11 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Two “friendly rivals” in the bespoke architecturally designed end of the sustainable home market have teamed up to create a range of sustainably orientated self-build modular homes.
2010-12-02 12:26:26 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
With close to 20 years experience in sustainable design and construction, Jasmax sustainability manager Jerome Partington reckons buildings in New Zealand are often designed to meet standards that are 20 years out of date. He tells us why architects—as trained visionaries—have a critical role to play in creating a strategic approach to sustainable building. And what exactly is the difference between green building and sustainable building?
2010-11-19 11:39:08 // Celsias Team
// The Idealog Blog
He’s extremely captivating and can summarise in 10 minutes what might take some one hour to articulate. We caught up with renowned and influential Canadian scientist, environmentalist, educator and broadcaster David Suzuki on his recent visit to New Zealand, to discuss the prospects of a sustainable global future.
Right now, says Suzuki, we’re heading towards a brick wall at 100 miles per hour. But we don’t know enough about how nature operates to say it’s too late or that we’ve passed too many tipping points. But the situation is dire.
He says that while the majority of high level business executives believe climate change is real and caused by humans, the business community is held captive the game they have to play.
And don’t look to the markets either. He tells us why putting the onus on markets to offer solutions is a “load of bullshit”.
2010-11-02 13:54:08 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
How do you provoke awareness, stimulate dialogue, and alter actions regarding the current conservation of Earth’s resources? Well, you could take the lead of t-shirt and tote bag company Antieco and turn the eco message on its head through controversial design.
2010-10-27 09:14:06 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
With one of the 10 competitions in the Solar Decathlon 2011 being centered around communications, the First Light team tell us how strategic design company Designworks has produced the foundation for the positioning of the First LightNZ brand, as well as ongoing strategic advice leading up to the Washington event.
2010-10-20 17:27:49 // Lynda Brendish
// Idealog #29: now
With a global water crisis looming, Digital Water thinks we should be managing the planet’s most precious commodity with something a little more sophisticated than an on/off tap.
2010-10-15 13:06:37 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
A James Bond style heliport, a house with fins and the Waitangi Toilet Block were among the winners at last nights Auckland Architecture Awards, which received a healthy 120 submissions.
2010-10-13 16:03:58 // Simon Todd
// The Idealog Blog
Having worked in some intriguing locations—including Mongolia— Irish-born Julie Hannon shares her Supercity hopes and discuses the global trend of sustainable building design.
2010-10-11 15:36:59 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
The First LightNZ team started with a design created by Victoria of University architecture students Anna Farrow, Ben Jagersma, Nick Officer and Eli Nuttall. They were put together by their lecturer based on shared interests, and over the past year they’ve become a tight unit and good friends. But, as time has gone by, the team explains why four no longer cuts it.
2010-09-30 13:27:59 // Amanda Cropp
// Idealog #29: features
Waipara Valley winemakers are reclaiming some of the diverse native vegetation once lost to the thousands of hectares of grapes. By Amanda Cropp. Plus: battling the bugs at Mud House.
2010-09-28 13:03:19 // Vicki Holder
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Having worked on the design of two of the world’s most iconic sky towers, architect Les Dykstra goes aquatic to focus on the relationship between building and water.
2010-09-28 10:50:05 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
| 3 comments
It’s a plant that can be used to make paper, clothing and even car body panels. But its properties can also be used to build the environmentally-friendly homes of the future, according to researchers at the University of Bath. A consortium based at the University has constructed a small building on the Claverton campus out of hemp-lime to test its properties as a building material. It's hoped the project will provide enough potent data to persuade the mainstream building industry to use this building material more widely.
2010-09-27 11:38:47 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Welcome to the second installment from First Light, the Kiwi team from Wellington’s Victoria University competing on the world stage in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition. The challenge has literally heated up for the team as they’re tasked with marrying passive solar features with strict competition rules.
2010-09-23 14:10:56 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
Sustainability is not a passing fashion. That’s one of the key messages in the ample new book by Brazilian designer Dalacio Reis, 'Product Design in the Sustainable Era'. But sustainable design isn’t just about creating products with minimal impact on the environment. As this book demonstrates with over 100 innovative and award-winning projects from over 20 countries, sustainable design can look mighty impressive and sophisticated.
2010-09-17 12:32:41 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Britain’s iconic double-decker red bus is receiving a makeover, but critics are calling the bus a waste of money, saying it’s more about style than substance. Explore the new bus for yourself and make up your own mind.
2010-09-13 11:50:15 // First Light – NZ Solar Decathlon
// The Idealog Blog
Welcome to first blog entry by First Light, the Kiwi team competing on the world stage against some of the world’s brightest student minds in the US Department of Energy’s 2011 Solar Decathlon competition. The team won a place in the competition with a unique, solar-powered concept inspired by the “Kiwi Bach”, making them the only team from the Southern Hemisphere to have ever reached the finals of the competition. In this entry, they explain how they’re planning on overcoming the challenge of shipping a whole house halfway round the world.
2010-09-10 15:12:28 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
Who knew the folks at eBay were so creative? Every year the company hosts an Innovation Expo that invites eBay employees from every department and level of the organisation to develop prototypes for new products and breakthrough innovations. And this year, with 250 employees on nearly 80 teams competing, the competition was stiff and in the end, so was the winner (yet pliable at the same time).
2010-08-27 10:45:36 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
While many car park building designs in Chicago have a tradition of disguising themselves as office buildings with false façades, a U.S-based architectural and engineering design firm has attempted to break from that model and deliver an entirely new aesthetic, by way of an 11-story energy-efficient parking garage in Chicago — the first of its kind for the city — featuring wind turbines, a rain water collection system and electric car plug-in stations.
2010-08-26 09:11:09 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
National and international groups are getting behind a group of four Victoria University students aiming to build a solar powered Kiwi bach in the United States. The team will be designing and building the house in Washington D.C. next year as part of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon competition, where they’ll be competing against 19 other teams. What makes their entry even more notable is the that they are the only team from the Southern Hemisphere to have ever reached the finals. Better yet, readers of Design Daily can follow the teams progress with regular blogs on the Design Daily site from the team.
2010-08-17 15:14:03 // Vicki Holder
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
In this week’s Tuesday Chew, we catch Nelson architect Min Hall in a reflective mood as she takes time to step out of the ratrace - in Auckland of all places.
2010-07-29 12:22:19 // Vicki Holder
// The Idealog Blog
At the leading edge of change, Dan Heyworth, the founder of a modular system for building architect-designed, energy-efficient houses, says the whole building industry is “extremely fraught, messy and complex” – and has been for many years. He believes a huge shake-up is due to create different ways of designing for the average person with an average budget.
2010-07-29 12:09:58 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
On March 22 this year, Adventure Ecology founder and environmentalist David de Rosthschild, along with his crew, set sail from San Francisco on the Plastiki, a unique 60-foot catamaran engineered from approximately 12, 500 reclaimed plastic bottles .
2010-07-21 09:00:00 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Waikato University’s Student Centre is boasting some serious green architecture and design dexterity after becoming only the second educational building in New Zealand to receive a ‘5 Green Star’ rating from the New Zealand Green Building Council
2010-07-15 12:15:04 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
What do you do with 200 unusable Speedo swimming suits? Use them to construct a pavilion of course.
2010-07-13 17:10:35 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
The 220,000 square meter pedestrian-oriented Linked Hybrid complex in Beijing was designed as a means of countering the numerous privatised urban developments in China, and at the same time, encouraging interactive relationships in public spaces.
2010-07-13 16:05:27 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
In just over a week, one lucky up and coming Kiwi designer will rise to prominence when the winner of the tenth annual James Dyson Award is announced. Judging by the three finalists announced today, the competition is stiff.
2010-07-09 14:36:22 // Vicki Holder
// The Idealog Blog
Earlier this week we featured a story on the Geyser building in Parnell - New Zealand's first 6 Green Star certified office building. Vickie Holder chats with the architect behind the project, Andrew Patterson, and finds out how working on the project has propelled him to the international stage of excellence.
2010-07-08 14:08:10 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
| 1 comment
Review: 'Eco House Book' explores numerous practical and creative ways to make your home more sustainable, but not at the expense of style.
2010-07-08 10:37:10 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Sustainability is often confounding to designers, developers, and managers regardless of how important they view it. Serial design entrepreneur Nathan Shedroff will be speaking at Unitec next week to help make sense of it all.
2010-07-07 11:21:10 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
This is Kiwi ingenuity at it's best. Jen and Rich, owners of Wishbone Design, have crafted a sustainable bike that grows with its rider. It's so good, that Time Magazine even featured it in its annual Style & Design 100.
2010-07-06 16:28:55 // Vicki Holder
// The Idealog Blog
| 2 comments
He's the design director of Strachan Group Architects. He has a Master of Architecture Degree in Sustainable Design, and he's Adjunct Professor at Unitec School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture...phew. Vicki Holder managed to snatch a moment of David Strachan's time to ask the architecture craftsman some crafty questions.
2010-07-06 11:54:34 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
Ever wondered what a modern-day quill might look? Check out Andrew Johnston's interpretation.
2010-06-23 13:43:55 // Deirdre Robert
// The Idealog Blog
The University of Auckland’s School of Architecture and Planning is giving you a reprise from cold winter evenings by offering up 16 free toasty lectures from July to October.
2010-06-21 16:00:00 // Design Daily Team
// The Idealog Blog
A hefty 750 people celebrated the country’s best commercial buildings last night in Auckland at the annual Property Council New Zealand Rider Levett Bucknall Property Industry Awards, and three properties in particular set new standards for mixing design with sustainability.
2010-06-01 11:33:44 // Alistair MacKenzie
// Idealog #27: celsias
| 2 comments
There is an alternative to the concrete jungle—a renewable, flexible, light, strong and cost-effective building material that does grow on trees.
2010-05-18 11:06:13 // Vincent Heeringa
// Idealog #27: celsias
Environmental activist, lawyer and famous son, Robert Kennedy Jr says the best argument for environmental protection is neither moral nor scientific—it’s economic.
2010-04-28 10:02:10 // Chris Tobias
// Idealog #27: celsias
| 1 comment
We’re on the brink of transition, says Phillip Mills, with opportunities aplenty in the cleantech field, so he and a diverse range of industry heads plan to lift our economy with a fresh set of rules. By Chris Tobias.
2010-03-26 09:16:56 // Bette Flagler
// Idealog #26: features
There’s something odd about the very small: weird physics and some very big money. Bette Flagler meets the New Zealanders making giant strides at a nano scale.
2009-12-03 13:40:00 // Juha Saarinen
// Idealog #24: workshop
IT manufacturers are competing to reduce their environmental footprint with some carbon-neutral smoke and mirrors.
2009-10-06 16:31:11 // Chris Tobias
// Idealog #23: celsias
John Key is doing his best to scythe sustainability from the government dictionary—and maybe he’s right. The S-word has baggage. It's about disagreement, good and bad science, frugality and fear. Chris Tobias suggests how to move beyond the arguments.
2009-09-25 08:57:33 // Mike Booker
// Idealog #23: celsias
| 1 comment
Johnny Rotten once mocked the Queen; today he saves his sneer for New Zealand butter. Our key export markets are increasingly in the grip of environmental and social activism, led by a virtuous circle of consumers and supermarkets. Some Kiwi exporters are on to this rapidly growing and mutating phenomenon. Others, Mike Booker discovers, haven’t a clue.
2009-09-04 13:28:52 // Felicity Monk
// Idealog #23: celsias
| 2 comments
He took Bendon from a knickerwear manufacturer to a global lingerie brand; she holed up in a Wellington yoga studio before deciding it was time to join the ‘real world’. Felicity Monk asks how Stefan Preston made the leap from Stella McCartney to Jyoti Morningstar, and how Morningstar moved from teaching yoga to launching an ambitious fashion eco-label.
2009-08-12 15:25:39 // Chris Tobias
// Idealog #22: workshop
We’re in strange times, and they could get a lot stranger. How do you plan for the unknowable?
2009-07-09 09:56:21 // Amanda Cropp
// Idealog #22: now
| 2 comments
Three Fisher & Paykel veterans have a radical new design for domestic wind generation. It’s a long way from the DishDrawer.
2009-06-30 10:18:21 // Matt Cooney
// The Idealog Blog :: The Idealist The Atlantic reports that some sicentists are considering “radical—and possibly extremely dangerous—schemes for reengineering the climate by brute force”. One plan suggests tethered zeppelins spraying sulphur into the atmosphere, giving that authentic Blade Runner effect. There’s an interesting set of other drawbacks, too …
2009-05-22 14:07:32 // Andy Kenworthy
// Idealog #21: now
| 4 comments
Meet the Kiwi helping Barack Obama with his alternative fuels plans—and take a peek at hydrogen heaven
2009-05-21 23:39:44 // Vincent Heeringa
// The Idealog Blog
| 26 comments
How did 100 talented entrepreneurs pick an idea only Murray Hewitt would think is cool?
2009-05-05 10:38:35 // Matt Cooney
// The Idealog Blog :: The Idealist
I'm really enjoying the daily updates from Urban Logic, an online magazine (some would call it a blog) about creative ideas in “the built environment”—architecture, urban design and planning, landscapes, public art and so on. If you like the awesome BLDGBLOG, definitely take a look at Urban Logic. It’s searching out some of the most interesting building trends around the planet—such as the green areas being created in Singapore rooftops—and it’s all being done from Auckland, New Zealand. Perhaps it’ll help inspire some of our local developers and planners.
2009-02-16 10:28:52 // Vincent Heeringa
// Idealog #19: features
| 2 comments
When four old mates got together and started drinking french water, it got them thinking: why? Six years later their Antipodes brand is pioneering a premium glass-bottled water from new Zealand to the world, but it would never have happened without five inspired errors. By Vincent Heeringa
2009-01-21 09:21:26 // Rosie Bosworth
// Idealog #19: features
Some companies have a secret place, hidden from day-to-day business, where adventurous staff plan a radical makeover. Rosie Bosworth sheds light on the Black Room
2008-11-07 15:22:38 // Lauren Bartlett
// Idealog #18: features
Despite the perception of science as a dull and dusty undertaking, Priv Bradoo and other young Kiwis are collaborating, commercialising and capturing our imagination. Lauren Bartlett meets the new rock stars of New Zealand science. Plus those that lead the way
2008-10-14 14:51:39 // Vincent Heeringa
// Idealog #17: now
Each year 70,000 New Zealanders leave our shores, says David Skilling—and in December he’ll join the exodus
2008-09-05 11:32:22 // Gena Tuffery
// Idealog #17: features
Four Canterbury University students take their masterplan to solve our traffic woes to Paris, competing against 60 other countries for Microsoft’s Imagine Cup—and cure a writer’s cynicism along the way. By Gena Tuffery
2008-08-15 11:35:20 // Vincent Heeringa
// Idealog #16: features
Kevin Roberts: is he God or just a good talker? Vincent Heeringa talks to the world’s most irrepressible optimist and New Zealand’s biggest booster about love and rugby, blue as the new green, snail porridge and the new simplicity. Plus the Eagle vs Shark quiz
2008-07-04 14:48:01 // Matt Cooney
// Idealog #16: now
Steve Maharey says he’ll relish swapping cabinet for the campus as he heads back to run Massey University. But just what can a politician do for a university?
2008-05-23 12:00:54 // Lauren Bartlett
// Idealog #15: now
| 5 comments
Wellington Airport’s planned terminal building has its critics. Here’s why we love it (and what’s wrong with other airports)
2008-05-16 10:35:57 // Jehan Casinader
// Idealog #15: features
New Zealand has the fastest-growing fair trade market in the world, but as corporates like Starbucks catch the Fair Trade bandwagon, savvy advocates of ethical consumerism can see a day when the goodwill is gone. By Jehan Casinader
2008-04-04 14:11:28 // Lauren Bartlett
// Idealog #14: features
| 1 comment
Forget cast-offs, hand-me-downs and the fashions of yesteryear, ‘re-designers’ are turning forgotten gems into something new and desirable. Lauren Bartlett meets the Kiwis creating born-again-ware
2008-02-08 11:09:32 // Gena Tuffery
// Idealog #13: features
Like it or not, the landfill economy is coming to an end—and New Zealand needs to get real. Gena Tuffery uncovers the Kiwis who are doing us all a favour and living up to our undeserved reputation. Just don’t use that ‘G’ word. Plus: follow these leaders, the view from London and the life in post-peak oil times
2007-11-16 14:06:18 // Lauren Bartlett
// Idealog #12: features
| 2 comments
A meeting with Fred Hollows set Ray Avery on a new career. Kiwi entrepreneurs are breaking the Third World poverty trap with money, new business models and smart ideas—and selling the same things to the pampered West. Lauren Bartlett unearths the fortune at the bottom of the heap. Plus: The startups sparking Third World innovation.
2007-11-15 06:00:00 // Gena Tuffery
// Idealog #12: now
| 2 comments
Ali Middleton is a bag lady with a business—the business of eradicating the 22 million plastic bags New Zealanders use and lose every week
2007-10-10 10:28:19 // Lauren Bartlett
// Idealog #11: now
Water is good for you—but water bottles are bad for dolphins, endangered birds and cute puppies. The bottles thrown away today in New Zealand will take around 1,000 years to decompose
