Editor’s Pick:
How to make a strong point about a controversial political issue: come at it from an unexpected angle, for example a music video. That’s how they’re doing it on Waiheke anyway. Citisens of Waiheke have developed a their own ‘in house’ means of dealing with rubbish. It works for them. They’ve built a businesses (employing twenty people) around their recycling system and transfer station. They’ve taken a creative approach towards the reuse of non-recyclable items such as meat trays and plastic bags (they go towards raised garden edgings and compost bins). However, the Auckland City Council think they know better and aim to install a different system on the island. After Waiheke people followed the usual channels of communication to keep their systems, to no avail, a group of musicians, lead by music teacher and singer Anu Grace, have produced a music video protesting against the change. Good on those Waiheke islanders. Kia Kaha (NZ Herald)! Charlotte Squire
Good News Roundup We have some bright and gifted youth here in Aotearoa. Sixteen year old Zoe Cadlow has some big decisions to make – should she pursue the basket ball that she excells at or the netball … the water polo or the athletics (Otago Daily Times)? If all goes well for Dunedin based seventeen year old Jessica Todd at the Commonwealth championships in New Delhi next year, it’ll be the Commonwealth Games for her, where she’ll represent NZ as a wrestler (Otago Daily Times). You don’t have to be a Commenwealth cyclist to explore the Otago Cycling Trail. The popularlity of Otago Cycling Trail is growing, with eleven thousand people visiting it over the past season (Otago Daily Times). Here’s another cycling event down south: the Catlins are having their first major cycling event – a leisurely tour around the area, and it’s a sell out (Otago Daily Times).
Perhaps you’re more musically inclined. How ’bout a trip to Gore for the country music Gold Guitars Awards? Organisers were surprised that over five hundred people entered this year, so they had to book a bigger venue (Otago Daily Times). Folk fans will be delighted to note that Simon and Garfunkel are coming back! The next concert is scheduled for June 14th in Auckland (TVNZ). Just in case you weren’t already convinced, research shows that meditation may increase the size of our brains – or more specificaly the areas that are regulating our emotions (Science Daily.com). How about regulating the materials we use to musical instruments ? These days care is being taken to make them in a sustainable manner (NZ Herald). After forty years of absence, the Blue Whale has begun reappearing off the coast of Canada and Alaska (New Scientist.com).
Also making a welcome comeback is the Grey Wolf , the good new is that it’s been taken off the endangered species list
(Discovery.com). Here’s an endemic species that conservationalists are levelling the playing field for. The Maleos, which can fly as soon as it’s hatched, now has its very own beach in Indonesia. Electric bikes have come a long way. Here’s a stylish and speedy little number that weighs half as much as a motorbike. Got another spare five minutes? Check out the Happyzine blog.
|
|
Voices of our community