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By Stephen Benner, PWI Reporter New Zealand

Further to the earlier article on oil exploration protests… exploration has stopped in the meantime because of those water-borne protests by a flotilla of boats co-ordinated by Greenpeace.

For the 12,000-strong Maori tribal members of the East Region of the North Island East (Te Whanau a Apanui), last year's announcement of the Brazilian company Petrobras' exploration intentions coincided with the deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fearing impacts on their inshore fisheries in the event of a Gulf-style oil spill anywhere out to 110 kilometres from shore, the tribal leaders put out a national call for support.

It was that call, says Greenpeace, that led to last week's brilliantly choreographed protests, which have temporarily stopped the Petrobas ship Orient Explorer from operating.

"Apanui put out a call to the rest of the country. We responded to that. We're not here strategically," says Greenpeace New Zealand's climate change campaigner Simon Boxer.

It appears that the fear of both the NZ Government, embarrassed because it invited Petrobras here, and the New Zealand oil exploration lobby, is that last week's actions will be enough to send not only the Brazilians, but other would-be explorers packing.

Under a locally conceived, two-pronged "No New Coal or Oil" campaign based on Greenpeace International's opposition to the ongoing use of fossil fuels, Greenpeace New Zealand has focused protest not only on Gulf of Mexico-style accidents, but also on the extraction of any more hydrocarbons at all.

One of their key complaints is that the offshore economic zone around the coastline of the entire country is being opened up to exploration before regulations are in place to govern activities like deep-sea mining.

"The process has been wrong from the beginning," says Simon Boxer, suggesting the Government would be doing Petrobras a favour by revoking its permits. "They (Petrobras) would probably be quite glad if it could be suspended for a while." He said from Opotiki (near East Cape) : "The opposition here is extraordinary. Everyone's united and determined."

In the overall scheme of things for Petrobras the Raukumara Basin exploration is, at best, a long shot, and whether the unwelcomed Brazilian will be determined to keep exploring in the face of such opposition remains to be seen.

-- by Stephen Benner - PWI Reporter New Zealand - new.zealand@peoplewebinternational.com

By Stephen Benner, PWI Reporter New Zealand

The flotilla of boats opposed to deep sea oil drilling in New Zealand waters has entered the zone in the Raukumara Basin off the North Island coast where seismic testing is scheduled to begin today. Seismic testing ship, Orient Explorer departed Tauranga Harbour in the Western Bay of Plenty last night.

After a powerful welcome and meeting with local Maori tribal members in the Eastern Bay of Plenty at the weekend, skippers of the Stop Deep Sea Oil flotilla resolved to sail out and meet the seismic testing vessel in the protest tradition of “bearing witness” used during the decades of the Nuclear Free Pacific campaign. A local boat has joined the flotilla.

The flotilla’s largest sailing vessel Infinity departed from the East Cape of the North Island yesterday (Sunday 3 April) and sailed through the night to enter the testing zone early this morning. It is expected to encounter the Orient Explorer in the near future.

Greenpeace New Zealand is organising the protest and spokesperson Steve Abel said, “As New Zealanders we regard our coastlines and oceans as national treasures that are much too valuable to risk with oil spills”.

The flotilla’s departure coincides with the leaking of the Government’s Energy Strategy.

“Right as the Deep Sea Oil protest flotilla is fighting for a clean energy future and is determined that deep sea oil drilling does not happen in New Zealand waters, this current Energy Strategy will mire New Zealand into an even deeper dependency on polluting fossil fuels. The Government couldn’t have got it more wrong”, said Steve Abel.

“No one is saying petrol pumps will be turned off tomorrow. Our dependence on fossil fuels won’t end overnight but our investment from now on needs to be in clean energy - not looking for the last drops of oil in the most risky places”.

The Orient Explorer is under contract to Brazilian petrol giant Petrobras to do seismic surveying. The permit was granted by Energy Minister, Gerry Brownlee, to Petrobras in 2010, at the same time as oil was pouring into the US Gulf of Mexico in the infamous BP deep sea oil disaster.

To estimate the size of an oil reserve beneath the deep sea floor, survey ships tow up to ten kilometres of multiple airgun floats that emit thousands of high-decibel explosive impulses to map the geology beneath the seafloor. Seismic surveys have been implicated in harming marine life and migrations, including whale beaching and stranding incidents.

The Department of Conservation states that beaked whales live in the Raukumara Basin where the testing is to take place. Those on the flotilla are opposed to all aspects of the deep sea exploration and drilling programme.

-- by Stephen Benner - PWI Reporter New Zealand - new.zealand@peoplewebinternational.com

Update – Protests Temporarily Stop Oil Exploration Off New Zealand Coast

by Stephen Benner - PWI Reporter New Zealand 

In a matter of weeks a huge harvesting operation gets underway in various parts of New Zealand to bring in the kiwifruit crop which is this country’s number one horticultural export representing more than 27 percent of its fruit and vegetables sold globally.

The New Zealand kiwifruit industry celebrates more than 100 years of horticultural practice, but where did it all begin seeing as the delicious fruit is not an indigenous item?

In 1904 the principal of Wanganui Girls College, Miss Isabel Fraser, returned from a leave of absence in China bringing back seeds with her of a fruit known as the Chinese Gooseberry.

Local horticulturalists began growing good crops of this new vine fruit and subjected it to developmental processes, eventually ending up with what we know today as the green kiwifruit, or Hayward, named after pioneer scientist Hayward Wright.

Its quality encouraged exporters to take the fruit to the world markets and the first shipments arrived at Covent Gardens, England, in 1953. This was the beginning of successful marketing initiatives to markets in Europe, Japan, North America and South East Asia.

The industry had its genesis in my hometown of Te Puke (pronounced Tee Pookey) where rich volcanic soils together with a moderate climate, regular rainfall and plentiful sunlight made this area at the centre of the aptly named Bay of Plenty region perfect for kiwifruit production.

As a teen in the 1960’s I remember the excitement and anticipation in what had been a small town hitherto based around dairy farming, as Te Puke farmland was rapidly converted to the production of this new crop. For those farmers taking this step it was something of a financial risk because it takes a full seven years from the time of planting for the crop to start producing.

Te Puke itself now unabashedly signposts itself as the ‘kiwifruit capital of the world’ but the fruit is now grown in a number of other parts of New Zealand and in other countries. In ideal growing conditions, roots of mature kiwifruit vines grow to depths of up to 30 metres while each vine can support as many as 1,500 fruit during the growing season of December to May.

At harvest time, thousands of workers converge of the Bay of Plenty orchards to handpick millions of pieces of fruit – another army of workers is required in the many large packhouses in the area to sort the kiwifruit by size, pack them and ship them off to their overseas destinations.

The fruit’s rugged, furry exterior belies the delight that lies within, and yes it does taste as good as it looks and smells. Furthermore, the kiwifruit is very good for you. It contains plenty of vitamins C and E, is full of fibre and has more potassium than a banana. One kiwifruit may supply up to 70% of the body’s daily requirement of chromium.

-- by Stephen Benner - PWI Reporter New Zealand - new.zealand@peoplewebinternational.com

NEW ZEALAND - Here in New Zealand when looking at real estate advertisements you will see mention of such things as ‘good location’, ‘nice view’, ‘spacious deck’  - but up until now you will have not seen the words Vastu-correct. Going on current trends, however, this expression may be commonplace in the future as there are now more such homes per head of population in this country than anywhere else in the world.

Vastu Vidya is the ancient Indian science of layout and orientation of any building in harmony with natural law which involves precise design for the building as a whole, every construction aspect within it, and a number of environmental factors around it. This science, which pre-dates Feng Shui, is the knowledge of using Vedic mathematics to create perfect proportions so that along with correct alignment, the dwelling always bestows a happy, healthy and auspicious influence on the inhabitants.

Ideally a vastu-correct house has its main entrance facing due east.  Such orientation is an important aspect of Vedic architecture as it aligns the dwelling with the nourishing energies of the rising sun, and each room is positioned to take advantage of the sun’s varying energy as it moves across the sky. The declining energy of a setting sun has an opposite influence to that of sunrise so a west-facing door is not seen as suitable. Southern entrances are also avoided but a northern entrance on the other hand is considered auspicious.

A Vedic architect would also be careful about the placement of rooms within a house - for example the kitchen is usually in the south-east corner and the study or meditation room in the north-east portion. The position of the rooms is seen as being similar to the placement of organs within the human body … each has its correct place if the body is to function harmoniously.

I was fortunate to be on a recent public tour of the half dozen or so recently-built Vastu homes in the Auckland region … and it really was like a sentient person’s version of a ‘pub crawl’. The feeling of lightness and bliss was immediately evident on entering each of the buildings, and some tour participants reported basic benefits like headaches disappearing once inside. By that evening I was almost too ‘drunk’ with good feeling to want to go to sleep come bedtime.

On the strictly practical side Vedic design usually takes care not to include toxic building materials, or to create a “Faraday cage” of excessive electrical wiring around each room. One important feature of each house is the Brahmasthan, a space in the exact centre  of the home which creates a core of silence and stability. This is often noticeable from the outside by an elegant little structure on the roof, called a Kalash, which lets in a stream of natural light to ‘enlighten’ the interior of the home.

-- by Stephen Benner - Regional Reporter New Zealand - new.zealand@peoplewebinternational.com
 

What is Womad?

Womad features 100's of performers from countries all over the world, musical styles from folk to hip hop, classical to reggae beats, gospel to ska and proberly music we have never heard before. Womad is a true celebration of world music. 

When Is Womad?

Womad 2011 is in Taranaki Friday 18th March to Sunday 20th March 2011.

Where is Womad?

Brooklands Park, which is the gateway to Pukekura Park, in the coastal city of New Plymouth, New Zealand. 

55 acres, park and gardens, it has the reputation as one of the most beautiful outdoor venues in the world.

Who will be Performing?

The first acts announced are Afro Celt Sound System, Amadou & Mariam, Bob Brozman, Calypso Rose, The Creole Choir of Cuba, Don Letts, Hangga, Horace Andy & Dub Asante, Nitin Sawhney, Rajendra Prasanna, Rango, Tanya Tagaq, The Topp Twins, and Trinity Roots. 

More than 300 musicians and performers from 20 different countries will bring the world to New Plymouth across seven stages.

Preforming 30 hours of music and culture that you will not find anywhere else in New Zealand.

What's On site?

WOMAD features artist workshops, a global food village, movies under the stars, Taste the World, artists in conversation and Kidzone as well as the option to camp at the adjacent racecourse.

Packed with arts and crafts, food from around the globe. 

More than 80 stalls trading quality products bring the world's markets to New Zealand.

Want time out?

Kunming Gardens is the place chill out, and relax, and enjoy great food and wines. Take a walk through the Moon Gate and discover the Taste of the World, the Sustainable Village and the WOBAR.

There is a WOMAD store and it is full of WOMAD merchandise. Souvenir t-shirts, your favourite artists CD.

There's something for everyone in the WOMAD store souvenirs and you will be sure to find something to take home with you.

This year there's a new partnership, New Zealand-owned TSB Bank has joined the festival,here’s what they had to say about playing their part in its success:

“It really is a unique cultural, musical and educational experience – and one of New Zealand’s most loved events.”

Thanks to the TSB Bank WOMAD New Zealand provides seniors (over 65 years) viewing platforms

at the three main stages. Seniors will be able to access elevated viewing platforms at the three main stages.

With the seventh WOMAD in Taranaki in March 2011, Todd Energy and Shell are proud to renew their 50 years association with the Taranaki Community.

WOMAD New Zealand is one of four festivals run by Taranaki Arts Festival Trust.

-- by PWI Reporter Hawkes Bay & Taranaki - hawkes.bay.taranaki@peoplewebinternational.com

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