Kia ora koutou, Greetings everyone. Welcome to Sustainable Wellington Net's Newsletter #13. In this newsletter we have site news, an update on the nvCJD disease, we've joined FlyingPig's affiliate programme, an award is presented for earth building standard, the Greenpeace website is back, LED traffic lights are being trialled, Genetic Engineering news, and the WRC is looking for possums. SITE NEWS Becky & Cam at Neogine donated their time and talent to design us a great new display-board poster, which we've had on display at the recent conservation days at St Paul's Cathedral and the WWF Treehouse. . Both WWF and the Zoo are running school holiday programmes for kids, and there's heaps of walks, talks, plant sales, and more happening during Native Week at Otari-Wilton's Bush Native Botanic Garden and Forest Reserve. See our Calendar page for details . NEW VARIANT CREUTZFELDT-JAKOB DISEASE In line with the United States and Canada, the New Zealand Blood Service introduced a new policy for blood donation in Feb 2000. This means that people who have spent more than 6 months (in total) in the United Kingdom 1 Jan 1980 to 31 Dec 1996 are no longer able to give blood. This new policy has been introduced on a precautionary basis whilst more is found out about nvCJD. While the figure of 6 months is to some extent an arbitrary one at least the NZBS have recognised the potential seriousness of the problem. Their present stance is a complete turnaround from their position earlier this year. As far as we know, our editorial Bovine Complacency Threatens Our Blood Supplies, was the first detailed public analysis in New Zealand of the possible dangers. MAKE A DONATION WHILE BUYING A BOOK We're now an affiliate of FlyingPig.co.nz. If you purchase a book through FlyingPig by clicking on the book's link from our pages, we'll receive a 15% commission. Our latest editorial features this, as do the book reviews on our Resources page. If you enter the FlyingPig site through the following link, we'll receive 5% on most of the items you purchase - . FlyingPig also sell DVDs, videos, software, and stationery - generally cheaper than retail prices. PRIME MINISTER WITNESSES AWARD PRESENTATION FOR EARTH BUILDING STANDARDS Extract from . Prime Minister Helen Clark was on hand recently to witness architect Graeme North, chair of the SNZ committee which produced a suite of earth building Standards, receive a New Zealand Institute of Architects award for research and education. Ironically, it was in her previous role as Housing Minister in the late 80s, that the Prime Minister created a fund for alternative housing research, which allowed North to begin work that led to the development of the Standards. The Rt. Hon. Helen Clark was present at the black tie dinner, held in Auckland on 30 May to present another award, but on discovering the coincidence, took the opportunity to congratulate Mr North on the publication of the award-winning Standards. The Standards NZS 4297, NZS 4298 and NZS 4299 represent a "world first" in that they specify, in performance terms, the properties that earth buildings must attain to be safe, healthy and durable buildings. The documents were assessed by a three-member jury, consisting of Claire Benge an architect from the Building Industry Authority, Dr Frederick Webster, a consulting engineer from California, and Russell Andrews, editor of Owner Builder Magazine in Australia. In their citation the jury said the Standards represented a "body of work of great significance that will assist enormously in the use of unfired earth as a building material in New Zealand. These versatile documents are a world first by being both prescriptive and performance based". GREENPEACE ONLINE AGAIN Greenpeace New Zealand have a revamped web site after their previous site languished and turned into a "cobweb" site. You can read about their current campaigns, subscribe to a "cyberactivists" e-mail group, and join online. LED TRAFFIC LIGHTS Compiled from and Tim Kirby . Because incandescent or halogen lamps produce light of different wavelengths, it has to be filtered through the red, green, or amber filters to screen out every colour except the one required, which wastes power dissipated as heat. Because LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are monochromatic, no power is wasted producing unwanted colours that need filtering out. Sound Logic Research can also monitor the amount of background light and adjust the light emitted from the traffic light accordingly. It maintains a constant ratio between the ambient light and traffic signal, ensuring the light produced is only as bright as it needs to be - at night when the light output is reduced, it uses only 3W of power. Savings on direction-indicating lights are even greater, because the LEDs are formed in the desired shape such as an arrow or pedestrian whereas conventional lights need a mask to block out the unwanted areas. Energy savings of 85% are possible, with further savings gained in lamp replacement and maintenance, as LEDs have a 5 to 10 times longer life than halogen or incandescent lamps. New Zealand has about 1,400 sets of traffic lights burning 24 hours a day, all year. Sintes estimates the country's signals use 24 MWh of power a day, about half the output of a small hydro station. If all were switched to LEDs, they would use "a bit over" 3 MWh. The WCC is trialling LED pedestrian lanterns at the Willis/Boulcott/Manners Streets intersection. Previously the incandescent lamps consumed approximately 67 Watts while in operation. According to the manufacturers specifications, the new LED lamps will consume only 8 Watts while in operation (this has yet to be confirmed). Based on the assumption that a red or green lamp is operational 50% of the day, the total energy savings per year for the 8 lanterns are approximately 2,000kW/year. This reduces the total power charges for these 8 lanterns by approximately $230/year. The benefits of conversion to LED technology include lower power costs and reduced preventative maintenance. These need to be weighed up against the cost of initial installation and increased costs of repair to damaged LED lanterns. Whether it is cost effective to convert to LED technology also depends on whether the existing lamps are incandescent or quartz-halogen; ie. the starting point. The unavailability of new incandescent lanterns is also a factor. So far the trial is considered successful but further conversions to LED technology are unlikely prior to the release of the Australian standard which is currently being prepared in recognition of this new technology. Transit New Zealand has also installed LED traffic signals at the Basin Reserve, and similar LED traffic signals have been installed at two intersections for Hutt City Council. ROYAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO GENETIC MODIFICATION Extract from The Muller Report - July - August 2000 . The big news at the moment is the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Genetic Modification. The Commission has been set up to specifically consider the issues of GE from a neutral stance with consideration for the views of all New Zealanders at all levels (we hope!). It will look at the risks and benefits from use or avoidance of GE technology. The 4 person panel is headed by former Chief Justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum, with Dr Jean Fleming, Senior Lecturer, Reverend Richard Randerson and Dr Jacqueline Allan, GP. Anyone can send in a written submission, but in August groups or individuals were invited to apply for Interested Person (IP) Status. This gave the successful applicant the right to: 1. Present an oral submission 2. Cross examine 3. Make a written submission when the inquiry was over The Natural Law Party applied for IP status but was denied. There was no cogent reason given for this denial. There has considerable dissatisfaction with the approval process, with almost identical groups getting one being approved and the other not. Dr Guy Hatchard is reapplying for interested party status. Groups and individuals were given very little notice about this process. Also, while the pro-GE Life Sciences Network has put aside $1 million for legal funds, anti-GE groups have no access to legal aid. This situation is very biased. GE free NZ has asked to get Steve Druker over. Steve is a lawyer from the US who is leading the case against the FDA over the labelling. Steve would like to hold talks when he comes over, and also visit Australia. If you wish to make a written submission you can send it to: Royal Commission of Inquiry into Genetic Modification P O Box 3354 Wellington Fax 495 9153 E-mail: Website: The more people writing the better! If you want more help writing submissions you can check with the amp group who are helping in this process . WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE GE LABELLING SYSTEM As a newsletter extra we have a copy of this article by Sue Kedgley, Green Party Health and Safe Food Spokesperson which appeared in City Voice, 03 Aug 2000. ORGANIC EXPORTS BOOMING News bites from a City Voice article, 07 Sep 2000. Figures released by the Organic Products Exporters Group show New Zealand's organic exports reached over $60 million for the 1999/2000 year - up 77% on last year's figures. Genetic Engineering is a serious threat to this export industry. RESIDENTS HELP SOUGHT TO SPOT POSSUMS Extract from . Khandallah, Kaiwharawhara. and Rangoon Heights residents can help bring back native birds, with a call to the Wellington Regional Council if there's a possum on their property. Since February, the WRC's possum control programme in this area has been successful with the exception of a few remaining possums thought to be hiding out in backyards. Reducing possum numbers will encourage native bush to thrive and bring back native birds to backyards. This has happened in other possum control areas. If you think there's a possum living at your place and you live east of the railway line between Ngaio Gorge and Ngauranga Gorge, please give us a call, says WRC biosecurity officer Glen Falconer. The WRC will then put a baitstation on your property or adjacent council land. The bait poses no risk to cats (because of the type of bait used) and baitstations are placed out of reach of dogs and children. For more information please contact WRC Biosecurity Officers, Glen Falconer or Kim Broad, on 526 5328. READ THE NEWS BEFORE IT'S NEWS _ Hei kona mai, Goodbye for now.