Business & management:
• 2 reports on the non-profit sector in NZ have just been released: “The New Zealand Non-profit Sector in Comparative Perspective” and “The History of the Non-profit Sector in New Zealand”. Figures in the report show that volunteers make up two thirds of the sector’s workforce, and philanthropic giving is 1.1% of GDP.
• The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report which uses data collated by Unitec: “The Entrepreneurial Advantage of World Cities”, is also available via a Dutch website that provides a range of other reports on entrepreneurship.
• A UK council has developed a “cultural revolution” strategy that takes a comprehensive approach to developing a workforce with both the attitudes and the skills needed to deliver their strategic ambitions.
• Dell is launching a range of new laptops aimed at the “digital nomad” – the workers who have no fixed office and visit many sites or customers during the day.
• “Unchaining Value: Innovative approaches to sustainable supply” is a report that argues that companies should redefine the goals of supply chain management from creating more value at less cost for the company, to creating more value for all supply chain participants at a lower cost to constrained global resources.
Environment & sustainability:
• The UN’s Global Environment Facility has launched a US$27 million project to provide better protection for bees, bats and birds that are essential pollinators in the world’s crop production.
• The Ministry of Health’s latest report on problem gambling shows that problem gambling services do work.
• The community gardens that began in the UK as a result of wartime need, are making a come-back in areas with dense housing schemes.
• Green roofs provide a wide range of environmental advantages (including the reduction of the urban heat island effect), as well as benefits to owners or occupiers.
• Microsoft and Verdiem have produced a free software tool to help save energy usage on PCs.
Health & wellbeing:
• University of Otago research on housing and health shows that the risk of infection with TB is increased where there is household crowding, and is still an important infectious disease in NZ.
• A report on community engagement and health in the UK explores the importance of engaging communities in health promotion and health services, and the health benefits that this can bring.
Law & Government:
• Proposed measures to combat terrorism are raising concerns in the UK. A consultation paper that plans to give local councils and other public bodies the power to monitor e-mail and internet traffic is being branded a "snoopers' charter".
People, culture & diversity:
• The Ministry of Social Development will be releasing the 2008 edition of The Social Report on its publications web pages on August 21st
• While e-book availability is on the increase, with readers remaining expensive and no single format for downloads, the e-book revolution is still not here.
• New UK research shows that children are being deprived of adventurous play, and a campaign highlights the need for children to experience risky and challenging play in order to ensure they are able to manage risk in their daily lives
Science, technology & transport:
• The Steering Board of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (which is UN-backed) has endorsed a first draft of a new global sustainability standard for biofuels to assess their economic, social and environmental effects.
• Yahoo’s introduction of its Fire Eagle software, which lets users manage information on where they are, is raising concerns about privacy.
• Colleges and universities in the US are using bike share programs to address concerns about the environment, traffic congestion, fuel and parking costs and wellness.
• A new green high-speed train is to be trialled in Sweden, that can use existing rail tracks and could achieve its goal of cutting energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent and lowering both journey times and operational costs.
• One year after Velib was launched, the Paris bike-sharing programme using 16 000 bikes at 1 200 parking spots, the city is looking at starting a car sharing programme using electric cars called Autolib, with 2 000 cars within Paris and 2,000 in the city's suburbs.
• New York City’s Dept of Transportation has enabled an event called Summer Streets to take place, by preventing car traffic on 7 miles of city streets for a day.
Thursday, 14 August 2008
Friday, 8 August 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 07/08):
Business & management:
• The Human Rights Commission has launched Getting a job, an A to Z of pre-employment guidelines, a guide to the rights and responsibilities of both job seekers and employers. The guide includes examples of questions that should not be asked at interviews, and some of the issues covered range from body piercings and credit checks, to sexual harassment and drug testing.
• The OECD has published a report on the future of the Internet economy, that provides policy directions and guidance in 20 areas
Education
• A new website called Success for boys was launched this week, to help schools meet the educational needs of boys. An ERO report was also released: Boys’ Education: Good Practice in Secondary Schools.
Environment & sustainability:
• NZ’s environmental labelling programme Environmental Choice has won international recognition as a world leader. A UK analysis of 207 worldwide standards for measuring environmental sustainability of products aimed to present the British Government with the world’s best practice organisations in this field, to aid government procurement policy.
• Home renovators should read a new guide jointly produced by the Department of Building and Housing and the Ministry for the Environment: “A beginner’s guide to resource and building consent processes”.
• The International Code Council aims to provide the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. It now has a section on its website dedicated to green building.
• The former CEO of Intel proposes an energy policy for the US that’s based on “sticky” energy with multiple sources and all vehicles ultimately running on electricity only.
Health & wellbeing:
• A new Code of Practice for Outdoor Pyrotechnic Displays has been released by the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which aims to improve operator and public safety at displays. The new code has been prompted by injuries to people attending public displays during Guy Fawkes last year.
• The report on child poverty “A Fair Go for all Children: actions to address child poverty in New Zealand” has just been released.
Law & Government:
• New Yorkers may soon be able to send photos or video from their cell phones directly to the police department’s computers.
• Cyber criminals have found another way to use social networking sites to steal and download data.
• A US commentator looks back on his predictions in 1981 and 1995 about crime in the future to see what he got right and wrong, and makes further predictions for cybercrime in 2025.
People, culture & diversity:
• Recommended.co.nz is a website that provides thinking and advice from experts and consumers in the form of moderated independent recommendations on things to do and where to go around New Zealand, movies, books and health.
• The number of women blogging on the Internet is growing (36 million women who read and write blogs), providing a huge influence on who buys what.
• Microsoft researchers looking into instant messaging have found that the six degrees theory may be almost right.
• The Futurist magazine publishes the Outlook report every year, containing the year’s most thought provoking ideas and forecasts.
Science, technology & transport:
• In the follow-up to a 6-week trial to scrap vehicles in Auckland & provide incentives to the owners to use public transport, almost half of those who responded said that they’d been encouraged to make more use of public transport as a result of the trial.
• The recent NZ Walking Conference has some of the papers presented available on the website in the “Latest updates” section.
• Walkscore is a US website that ranks neighbourhoods in American cities, by their walkability, ie by ranking addresses according to the location of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.
• A recent Transport for London report has shown that although the number of cars entering central London has fallen significantly since the charge was introduced, congestion levels inside the affected area have not changed.
• The internet industry is looking at ways to increase the amount of data that can be moved on the fibre optic cables that serve the network, in an attempt to cope with the doubling of internet traffic every year.
• Midori is the name of Microsoft’s future operating system post-Windows – the company’s researchers are looking at software that will cut the dependencies that tie Windows to a single PC
• Laptops have a built-in device to protect the hard drive from damage if they are dropped – scientists are now using it to give warning of earthquakes.
• The Human Rights Commission has launched Getting a job, an A to Z of pre-employment guidelines, a guide to the rights and responsibilities of both job seekers and employers. The guide includes examples of questions that should not be asked at interviews, and some of the issues covered range from body piercings and credit checks, to sexual harassment and drug testing.
• The OECD has published a report on the future of the Internet economy, that provides policy directions and guidance in 20 areas
Education
• A new website called Success for boys was launched this week, to help schools meet the educational needs of boys. An ERO report was also released: Boys’ Education: Good Practice in Secondary Schools.
Environment & sustainability:
• NZ’s environmental labelling programme Environmental Choice has won international recognition as a world leader. A UK analysis of 207 worldwide standards for measuring environmental sustainability of products aimed to present the British Government with the world’s best practice organisations in this field, to aid government procurement policy.
• Home renovators should read a new guide jointly produced by the Department of Building and Housing and the Ministry for the Environment: “A beginner’s guide to resource and building consent processes”.
• The International Code Council aims to provide the highest quality codes, standards, products, and services for all concerned with the safety and performance of the built environment. It now has a section on its website dedicated to green building.
• The former CEO of Intel proposes an energy policy for the US that’s based on “sticky” energy with multiple sources and all vehicles ultimately running on electricity only.
Health & wellbeing:
• A new Code of Practice for Outdoor Pyrotechnic Displays has been released by the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which aims to improve operator and public safety at displays. The new code has been prompted by injuries to people attending public displays during Guy Fawkes last year.
• The report on child poverty “A Fair Go for all Children: actions to address child poverty in New Zealand” has just been released.
Law & Government:
• New Yorkers may soon be able to send photos or video from their cell phones directly to the police department’s computers.
• Cyber criminals have found another way to use social networking sites to steal and download data.
• A US commentator looks back on his predictions in 1981 and 1995 about crime in the future to see what he got right and wrong, and makes further predictions for cybercrime in 2025.
People, culture & diversity:
• Recommended.co.nz is a website that provides thinking and advice from experts and consumers in the form of moderated independent recommendations on things to do and where to go around New Zealand, movies, books and health.
• The number of women blogging on the Internet is growing (36 million women who read and write blogs), providing a huge influence on who buys what.
• Microsoft researchers looking into instant messaging have found that the six degrees theory may be almost right.
• The Futurist magazine publishes the Outlook report every year, containing the year’s most thought provoking ideas and forecasts.
Science, technology & transport:
• In the follow-up to a 6-week trial to scrap vehicles in Auckland & provide incentives to the owners to use public transport, almost half of those who responded said that they’d been encouraged to make more use of public transport as a result of the trial.
• The recent NZ Walking Conference has some of the papers presented available on the website in the “Latest updates” section.
• Walkscore is a US website that ranks neighbourhoods in American cities, by their walkability, ie by ranking addresses according to the location of nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc.
• A recent Transport for London report has shown that although the number of cars entering central London has fallen significantly since the charge was introduced, congestion levels inside the affected area have not changed.
• The internet industry is looking at ways to increase the amount of data that can be moved on the fibre optic cables that serve the network, in an attempt to cope with the doubling of internet traffic every year.
• Midori is the name of Microsoft’s future operating system post-Windows – the company’s researchers are looking at software that will cut the dependencies that tie Windows to a single PC
• Laptops have a built-in device to protect the hard drive from damage if they are dropped – scientists are now using it to give warning of earthquakes.
Thursday, 31 July 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 31/07):
Business & management:
• The Dept of Labour has used 2006 Census data to develop a profile of NZers who work long hours.
• Research from Symantec shows that the key driver for 90 percent of small to medium businesses to secure and manage their information is the risk of losing valuable data and that security risks from mobile devices and Web 2.0 applications such as social networking are key areas of concern.
• The 2008 edition of the World Knowledge Competitiveness Index compares 145 regions across 19 knowledge economy benchmarks. While Silicon Valley still ranks at the top as a knowledge region, Asian and European regions are showing improvements, American regions have seen an overall decline.
• In a US survey on urban development, a quarter of Americans said that they or a family member had actively opposed a development project, with 78% of Americans thinking that there should be no new development in their community.
Environment & sustainability:
• The Ministry for Environment has released a guidance manual (Coastal hazards and climate change: A guidance manual for local government in New Zealand) and an overview report (Preparing for climate change: A guide for local government in New Zealand – an updated edition). These documents provide guidance for local government on how to consider hazards such as storm surge and high waves, along with specific advice on sea level rise.
• US investors are applying increased pressure on publicly traded corporations to study, analyze, and disclose the risks associated with the threat of climate change.
Health & wellbeing:
• The Mediterranean diet promoted globally as the way to stay slim, healthy and long-lived is gradually disappearing from the region. As countries around the Mediterranean become more affluent, what they now eat is “too fat, too salty and too sweet”.
Law & Government:
• “igovt” is the trusted secure access to online NZ government services. The ultimate intention is that most government agencies will use igovt.
• A ratification vote on a treaty claim will be using an e-voting system that includes internet voting to help ensure a quick count. A combination of consultation hui, postal voting and online internet voting will be used.
• A new free tool is available that helps business people assess their business’s capabilities in areas such as leadership and planning. The tool is an initiative of the Business Capability Partnership, a consortium of business groups, economic development agencies and government agencies.
• California is the first state in the USA to adopt a state-wide green building code, with the code remaining voluntary until 2010. (San Francisco also recently recommended new strict green building codes.)
People, culture & diversity:
• A Victoria University professor is interested in what a country’s parliamentary architecture tells us about democracy and national identity.
Science, technology & transport:
• University of Otago research and overseas research shows that there are 3 factors with SUVs that can compromise their safety, but in NZ, SUVs are less involved in accidents than other vehicle types.
• The full World Internet Project NZ survey is available from the AUT website – the report shows that Internet usage is influenced by age (but not gender), affluence and location, safety for children is a concern, and the Internet is rated very highly as a source of information.
• Hewlett Packard is investing in research on a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. The intention is to use trillions of sensors to monitor the health of the Earth and use the information to head off natural calamities such as large scale flooding or wildfires.
• A British reporter decided to check out how “friendly” cities other than London are to electric cars (Westminster is one of the few local councils to supply a high number of public electric charging points for electric vehicles.).
• The Dept of Labour has used 2006 Census data to develop a profile of NZers who work long hours.
• Research from Symantec shows that the key driver for 90 percent of small to medium businesses to secure and manage their information is the risk of losing valuable data and that security risks from mobile devices and Web 2.0 applications such as social networking are key areas of concern.
• The 2008 edition of the World Knowledge Competitiveness Index compares 145 regions across 19 knowledge economy benchmarks. While Silicon Valley still ranks at the top as a knowledge region, Asian and European regions are showing improvements, American regions have seen an overall decline.
• In a US survey on urban development, a quarter of Americans said that they or a family member had actively opposed a development project, with 78% of Americans thinking that there should be no new development in their community.
Environment & sustainability:
• The Ministry for Environment has released a guidance manual (Coastal hazards and climate change: A guidance manual for local government in New Zealand) and an overview report (Preparing for climate change: A guide for local government in New Zealand – an updated edition). These documents provide guidance for local government on how to consider hazards such as storm surge and high waves, along with specific advice on sea level rise.
• US investors are applying increased pressure on publicly traded corporations to study, analyze, and disclose the risks associated with the threat of climate change.
Health & wellbeing:
• The Mediterranean diet promoted globally as the way to stay slim, healthy and long-lived is gradually disappearing from the region. As countries around the Mediterranean become more affluent, what they now eat is “too fat, too salty and too sweet”.
Law & Government:
• “igovt” is the trusted secure access to online NZ government services. The ultimate intention is that most government agencies will use igovt.
• A ratification vote on a treaty claim will be using an e-voting system that includes internet voting to help ensure a quick count. A combination of consultation hui, postal voting and online internet voting will be used.
• A new free tool is available that helps business people assess their business’s capabilities in areas such as leadership and planning. The tool is an initiative of the Business Capability Partnership, a consortium of business groups, economic development agencies and government agencies.
• California is the first state in the USA to adopt a state-wide green building code, with the code remaining voluntary until 2010. (San Francisco also recently recommended new strict green building codes.)
People, culture & diversity:
• A Victoria University professor is interested in what a country’s parliamentary architecture tells us about democracy and national identity.
Science, technology & transport:
• University of Otago research and overseas research shows that there are 3 factors with SUVs that can compromise their safety, but in NZ, SUVs are less involved in accidents than other vehicle types.
• The full World Internet Project NZ survey is available from the AUT website – the report shows that Internet usage is influenced by age (but not gender), affluence and location, safety for children is a concern, and the Internet is rated very highly as a source of information.
• Hewlett Packard is investing in research on a "central nervous system for the Earth", known as CeNSE. The intention is to use trillions of sensors to monitor the health of the Earth and use the information to head off natural calamities such as large scale flooding or wildfires.
• A British reporter decided to check out how “friendly” cities other than London are to electric cars (Westminster is one of the few local councils to supply a high number of public electric charging points for electric vehicles.).
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