Kitty Lin, founder of Vegan Restaurant, Green Time, speaks to Kelly about sustainability and food creativity. The restaurant is involved with two events this week, celebrating culture and food creativity with a climate conscious and vegan twist.
The first is known as 'the Night of Sevens', or Chinese Valentines Day, celebrates the Legend of 'The Cowheard and the Weaver Girl' where the seventh daughter of the heavens and a human boy fell so deeply in love they gave up their heavenly and worldly duties. This festivity is being held as part of American Express Auckland Restaurant Month. Kelly asked first, what traditions they are bringing to this celebration.
This week, our resident Greendesk producer Jack Marshall learnt about the pressure that climate change puts on coastal areas in particular. He spoke to Professor Ilan Noy, Chair in the Economics of Disasters & Professor of Economics at Victoria University. Noy and his co authors have released a paper looking at how the Earthquake commission is already tackling the damage caused by climate change. To start, Noy gave an overview of what exactly their paper has looked at.
Last year the government announced its plan to plant a billion trees by 2028 as part of offsetting our carbon footprint as a country. As great as that is however, the sudden demand for land on which to plant these trees has had unforeseen effects on NZ farmers.
Andy Scott is an ex-farmer and now a real estate agent in the Wairarapa. We were put in contact with him by the new lobby group “Fifty Shades of Green” which claim the planting incentives under the Emissions Trading Scheme, combined with changes to the Overseas Investment Act have lead to foreign investors buying up good farmland to plant trees and reap the carbon credits. These plantations tend to be pine rather than native trees, which is problematic becuase of the short life span of pine trees and their impact on our natural environment.
Scott speaks about the effect of increased land prices on farmers in his region as well as the importance of planting the right trees in the right place.
The Green Party has agreed to support the Government's Anti-terrorism bill, after they said they would oppose it. Stewart talks to the party's justice spokesperson Golriz Ghahraman to find out what changed their stance on the bill.
This week Sherry Zhang chat to Green party co-leader James Shaw after some substantial changes to New Zealand’s travel restrictions in response to the covid 19 virus. All travellers except for those from the pacific Islands will have to self-isolate once landing in New Zealand. A ban on all cruise ships have also been enforced, lasting till the end of June. James also touches on the Election Access fund, which will improve the accessibility for MPs with different access needs and disabilities, along with improving election engagement. However first Sherry begins by asking James on the travel restrictions.
Essential workers have been the backbone for New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are on the frontlines every day, risking their own health in doing so. Yet for many of these workers, their jobs are based on a low-wage income, barely earning enough to live on.
Producer Louis Laws talks with the Green Party's Workplace Relations spokesperson, Jan Logie, as well as the Council of Trade Union's President, Richard Wagstaff, on the government implementing a fair pay agreement.
Jemima reports on the government's decision to end it's discussions of the proposed two track light rail network in Auckland. Justin gets National Party Transport Spokesperson Chris Bishop's thought on the call and Jemima talks to Green Party Transport Spokesperson Julie Anne Genter about why her party is welcoming the decision.
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