Business & management:
• 93% of cruise ship visitors surveyed are “very satisfied” or “extremely satisfied” with their experience of cruising in NZ.
Education
• Internet technology is transforming education, especially for universities needing to cut back on their budgets. Second Life is transforming the way academics teach the new generation of university students.
Environment & sustainability:
• Waitakere City has noticed a big increase in the number of cathode ray tube television sets being dumped, now that technology has moved on to flat screen TVs.
• People who would like to find out more about how to live in a sustainable way can attend a Sustainable Living course of evening study and be part of regional training events and a national network.
• One Plan for Auckland is the new initiative that will use greater collaboration amongst national, regional and local government. The aim is to set a clear direction for sustainable development, and it will build on the current strategic objectives that are set out in the Auckland Sustainability Framework.
• Climate change is going to have an impact on ¾ of the world’s key fishing grounds, which could affect up to 2.6 billion people in developing countries around the world who rely on seafood for their daily protein.
• A new Centre for Sustainable Cities was launched this week at the University of Otago after a seminar that brought together local and overseas experts.
• The government wants to get better information about water resources to improve sustainable management, by bringing in a standard that will measure the amount of water taken from rivers, lakes and aquifers.
Health & wellbeing:
• Techno addiction (to cell phones, PDAs, etc) is a growing phenomenon, and while in the early stages or addiction, a worker may seem to become more efficient, later on the addiction can seriously interfere with work.
• The Families Commission report “Elder abuse and neglect: exploration of risk and protective factors” is now available (2008 research report).
• NZ & overseas experts will be gathering to discuss how leaky buildings affect health at 2 workshops (in Wellington and Auckland). Discussions will concern older buildings as well as those involved in the current group of leaky building cases.
• A review of progress on the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing has prompted the UN to ask governments for more effort.
• A new WHO survey has found that drug resistant TB is at its highest rates ever – although NZ has a rate of less than 1%, rates in parts of China are just over 7%.
Law & Government:
• The UK consumer group Which? says that people are leaving themselves open to the risk of identity theft when using social networking sites.
• In spite of people’s perceptions, research shows that there has in fact been a drop in the incidence of crime over the last decade.
• The official UN estimates and projections of the urban, rural and city populations, the World Urbanization Prospects database has just had its 2007 revision released with a prediction that half the global population will be living in cities by the end of this year.
People, culture & diversity:
• Language diversity and the learning of languages has a strong foundation in NZ according to a recent Human Rights Commission report (and learning Maori is in the digital environment at institutions like AUT), but the International Year of Languages has just been launched by the UN with a warning that more than half of the world’s 6700 languages face extinction.
Science, technology & transport:
• The UK government has ordered a review of the future of broadband internet at a time when the industry there says the current telecoms infrastructure can’t cope with the increase in demand for services such as downloads of films, videos and music.
• The US Dept of Energy provides free access to the High Performance Buildings Database, which collects data about high performance green building projects. The database includes various factors that affect a building's performance, such as energy, materials, and land use & covers buildings mostly in the US, but also around the world. A recent Celsias blog posting highlights some of these.
• The Household Sustainability Benchmark Survey published this month by the Ministry for the Environment shows in the section on transport, that lack of convenience is one of the main reason NZers don’t make greater use of public transport
Friday, 29 February 2008
Friday, 22 February 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 21/02):
Business & management:
• The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is encouraging investment in a low carbon economy, as being not just good for climate change but also good for business.
Education
• Visiting Canadian researchers say that teaching children about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child leads to children recognizing others rights (including their parent's), better classroom behaviour and less bullying.
Environment & sustainability:
• Our oceans are suffering – climate change is altering their temperature and acidity, while the impact of humans means only 4% of the oceans can still be considered pristine.
• UK government ministers are urging local councils to do more to prevent the loss of older trees and ensure that new trees are being planted, after a survey of 150 towns across England.
• Who hasn’t wondered what the world would be like, if humanity ever managed to kill itself off completely? (It’s a bit hard to avoid with all the apocalyptic movies and games out there today.) Alan Weisman has written a thought-provoking book “The world without us”, predicting what might really happen, based on current scientific knowledge.
• The town of Willits in California was so galvanised by viewing the documentary “The end of suburbia” that they have become a town with a sustainable, local economy-based mission, so that they can become less reliant on fossil fuels, and stimulate their local economy at the same time.
• Traditional methods of collecting rainwater are being encouraged in Thailand using the ancient tradition of water jars, while in China, similar water cellars are buried in the ground, using concrete instead soil or other raw materials.
• Maude Barlow, author of “Blue gold: the battle against corporate theft of the world's water” has now written “Blue covenant: the global water crisis and the coming battle for the right to water” – a book that is becoming increasingly relevant as the UN warns of conflicts that are already arising over shortages in water. (The Libraries selector has just placed an order on the catalogue, so holds can be placed.)
• Most NZers are taking some steps to protect the environment, but 63% would like to know more about what they could be doing.
Health & wellbeing:
• Just when you thought it was OK to use your cell phone (note LOGIS update ending 07/02), researchers say it’s not brain tumours you need to worry about. Cancer of the salivary gland may be more likely for heavy cell phone users.
• Once you’ve lost all that weight by dieting, you’re going to need to do 90 minutes of exercise a day to keep it off!
• Dementia is costing the UK £14bn a year, and the rising numbers of dementia sufferers due to the increasingly aging population is starting to concern the politicians.
• Sweden has long been famous for the social services it provides to its people. Parental leave for both fathers and mothers there, can mean up to 18 months can be spent at home with a baby.
Law & Government:
• Libraries has an extra Knowledge Basket database recently added to the Digital Library: - Hansard. The main difference between this version & that available at the Parliamentary site, is that this database provides online access to the full text back to 1987.
• The Eco-Patent Commons has been launched by IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes & Sony, in conjunction with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. The companies have agreed to relinquish control over inventions that could benefit the planet.
• A University of Otago study shows that NZ government agencies are more responsive to email enquiries, than Australian government agencies.
People, culture & diversity:
• A British defence and security think tank has suggested that extremism is more difficult to fight in the UK, because of “the majority which in misplaced deference to 'multiculturalism' failed to lay down the line to immigrant communities”.
• A recent Human Rights Commission research poll shows that the climate for race relations in NZ has improved.
Science, technology & transport:
• Wireless communication between traffic lights and cars, or from car to car, could reduce waiting times in rush hour and help to reduce carbon emission from wasted idling or pointless acceleration.
• 3 major US science agencies are to research and develop the capacity to test the toxicity of chemicals on cultured human cells, in an attempt to reduce the amount of animal testing, using a robotic process.
• Having a multimedia computer in your pocket may not be that far away – convergence is the word for mobile phone manufacturers, who expect sales to top those of laptops within the next year or so.
• Schemes have been introduced in the UK to help people switch over from analogue to digital TV reception, as the final switch off of analogue starts in Nov this year and continues through until 2012.
• One of the world’s first commercial-scale tidal stream projects to generate 10.5 megawatts (MW) of clean, green power is to be built off the coast of Anglesey, north Wales.
• The UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is encouraging investment in a low carbon economy, as being not just good for climate change but also good for business.
Education
• Visiting Canadian researchers say that teaching children about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child leads to children recognizing others rights (including their parent's), better classroom behaviour and less bullying.
Environment & sustainability:
• Our oceans are suffering – climate change is altering their temperature and acidity, while the impact of humans means only 4% of the oceans can still be considered pristine.
• UK government ministers are urging local councils to do more to prevent the loss of older trees and ensure that new trees are being planted, after a survey of 150 towns across England.
• Who hasn’t wondered what the world would be like, if humanity ever managed to kill itself off completely? (It’s a bit hard to avoid with all the apocalyptic movies and games out there today.) Alan Weisman has written a thought-provoking book “The world without us”, predicting what might really happen, based on current scientific knowledge.
• The town of Willits in California was so galvanised by viewing the documentary “The end of suburbia” that they have become a town with a sustainable, local economy-based mission, so that they can become less reliant on fossil fuels, and stimulate their local economy at the same time.
• Traditional methods of collecting rainwater are being encouraged in Thailand using the ancient tradition of water jars, while in China, similar water cellars are buried in the ground, using concrete instead soil or other raw materials.
• Maude Barlow, author of “Blue gold: the battle against corporate theft of the world's water” has now written “Blue covenant: the global water crisis and the coming battle for the right to water” – a book that is becoming increasingly relevant as the UN warns of conflicts that are already arising over shortages in water. (The Libraries selector has just placed an order on the catalogue, so holds can be placed.)
• Most NZers are taking some steps to protect the environment, but 63% would like to know more about what they could be doing.
Health & wellbeing:
• Just when you thought it was OK to use your cell phone (note LOGIS update ending 07/02), researchers say it’s not brain tumours you need to worry about. Cancer of the salivary gland may be more likely for heavy cell phone users.
• Once you’ve lost all that weight by dieting, you’re going to need to do 90 minutes of exercise a day to keep it off!
• Dementia is costing the UK £14bn a year, and the rising numbers of dementia sufferers due to the increasingly aging population is starting to concern the politicians.
• Sweden has long been famous for the social services it provides to its people. Parental leave for both fathers and mothers there, can mean up to 18 months can be spent at home with a baby.
Law & Government:
• Libraries has an extra Knowledge Basket database recently added to the Digital Library: - Hansard. The main difference between this version & that available at the Parliamentary site, is that this database provides online access to the full text back to 1987.
• The Eco-Patent Commons has been launched by IBM, Nokia, Pitney-Bowes & Sony, in conjunction with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. The companies have agreed to relinquish control over inventions that could benefit the planet.
• A University of Otago study shows that NZ government agencies are more responsive to email enquiries, than Australian government agencies.
People, culture & diversity:
• A British defence and security think tank has suggested that extremism is more difficult to fight in the UK, because of “the majority which in misplaced deference to 'multiculturalism' failed to lay down the line to immigrant communities”.
• A recent Human Rights Commission research poll shows that the climate for race relations in NZ has improved.
Science, technology & transport:
• Wireless communication between traffic lights and cars, or from car to car, could reduce waiting times in rush hour and help to reduce carbon emission from wasted idling or pointless acceleration.
• 3 major US science agencies are to research and develop the capacity to test the toxicity of chemicals on cultured human cells, in an attempt to reduce the amount of animal testing, using a robotic process.
• Having a multimedia computer in your pocket may not be that far away – convergence is the word for mobile phone manufacturers, who expect sales to top those of laptops within the next year or so.
• Schemes have been introduced in the UK to help people switch over from analogue to digital TV reception, as the final switch off of analogue starts in Nov this year and continues through until 2012.
• One of the world’s first commercial-scale tidal stream projects to generate 10.5 megawatts (MW) of clean, green power is to be built off the coast of Anglesey, north Wales.
Thursday, 14 February 2008
From the LOGIS news alert subscriptions (ending 14/02):
Business & management:
• The NZ Council for Infrastructure Development favours a public private partnership for the Waterview motorway project, and is promoting an Australian report: “Performance of public private partnerships and traditional procurement in Australia”.
• A global food packaging survey conducted by Nielsen in 2007, shows that “good value for money” was the main reason for choosing a store, while “environmental friendliness” was the least important reason.
• Private companies in the UK are being threatened with the loss of valuable government contracts, if they don’t do something about pay equity for women.
• Another US article about the housing and mortgage crisis there, that could have been written in NZ – “The real problem is affordability and the incongruity between incomes and home pricing.”
Environment & sustainability:
• Friends of the Earth and indigenous rights groups are urging the EU not to expand the use of biofuels, because apart from the damage to the environment, palm oil production in Indonesia is now leading to human rights abuses.
• The report “U.S. container ports and air pollution: a perfect storm" looked at the US’s 10 busiest container ports, and shows that a combination of factors made ports especially hazardous to human health, in addition to their impacts on air and water quality.
• Rural communities in the UK are protesting about 10 proposed eco-towns, because they feel they have been kept in the dark about where they will be sited.
Health & wellbeing:
• The WHO “Report of the Global Tobacco Epidemic” shows that no country fully implements the 6 policies that WHO recommends for effective tobacco control – comprehensive smoke-free laws cover only 5% of the world’s population. NZ & Uruguay are the only 2 countries who score highest on tobacco control.
• The Beyond 2008 Regional Consultation for Australasia on United Nations global drug policy is being held in Wellington 18-19 February, to provide an opportunity for local experts to talk about what does and doesn’t work with drug control.
• A day later, the Parliamentary Drug Policy Roundtable will take place, to discuss specifically NZ’s drug laws and policies.
• NZ doctors who want to train in the UK as consultants will no longer be able to do so, if a ban on overseas doctors training in the EU comes into force as intended in the 2009 recruitment round.
• A British study has found that genes play a greater role in childhood obesity than previously thought, and people who use sweeteners rather than sugar may be at a greater risk of obesity.
• A study by a UK think tank is suggesting that the government ban smacking and provide cognitive behavioural therapy for children from the age of 5 to lower aggression in society and prevent children from turning into teenage criminals.
• New studies have found that a chronic disease won’t necessarily kill you before you reach 100, and that men older than 70 who live a healthy lifestyle after that age have a better chance of living to 90.
• Avoid living near a busy airport if you want normal blood pressure, especially if there are a lot of night flights.
• The NHS in the UK has released a community engagement guide to encourage participation from seldom-heard groups, called “A dialogue of equals”.
Law & Government:
• The Law Commission has released a study paper that reviews privacy in NZ, “Privacy concepts and issues”.
• The government is asking for submissions on proposed changes to the way fuel consumption information is collected for light vehicles entering New Zealand. This rule links to the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002, which affects all light vehicles, manufactured on or after 1 January 2000, when they are first certified for use in New Zealand.
• The Statistics NZ September quarterly regional reviews are now available.
• An ambulance driver in the UK believes that blogs like his can lead to improvements in public services, because they can promote understanding and help influence change.
• The Communities and Local Government Dept in the UK has made its “Sustainable Operations Policy” available. The policy covers sustainable procurement, and outlines responsibilities for staff, contractors, etc.
• The government in the UK is considering a ban of the Internet as a penalty for people who illegally download music and films.
People, culture & diversity:
• Research at the University of Otago, provides evidence that Māori children experience a richer narrative environment than NZ European children.
• The UN Alliance of Civilisations held its first Forum in Madrid last month, to explore ways of addressing the growing polarization between nations and cultures worldwide and to develop partnerships to promote cross-cultural understanding globally.
• The Salvation Army has released its first “state of the nation” report “What does it profit us?“ which assesses NZ’s social progress and intends to give more importance to social indicators.
• Libraries in Wellington are hosting a series of events looking at whether or not it is a good thing to censor what children read by sanitising the text or images or by banning the book.
• The first global forum on human trafficking takes place in Vienna this week, with the expectation that an international campaign to combat the crime will be launched
• The Head of Gaelic, BBC Scotland, will be in NZ to speak at the first World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference in Auckland next month.
Science, technology & transport:
• A draft UN report shows that CO2 emissions from cargo shipping are far higher than have been previously estimated, while the industry has been rapidly expanding and has not yet attracted restrictions on emissions.
• London’s central traffic congestion pricing, and the Paris bike sharing scheme have beaten the other 3 cities (all nominated for bus rapid transit systems) to jointly win the 2008 Sustainable Transport Award.
• Sports cars and 4x4s are going to have to pay an additional £25 charge to enter central London, over & above the congestion tax.
• InternetNZ wants the benefits of municipal broadband networks to be fully explored at the Local Government NZ Broadband Forum in Wellington next week.
• Prior to Christmas the government had announced a draft Land Transport Rule tightening emission standards for imported vehicles, but is now saying that the draft Rule will be even more strict.
•Microsoft, IBM, Google & Yahoo have joined the Open ID Foundation, with the aim of reducing the number of IDs and passwords that people have to use when they log on to different sites.
• The NZ Council for Infrastructure Development favours a public private partnership for the Waterview motorway project, and is promoting an Australian report: “Performance of public private partnerships and traditional procurement in Australia”.
• A global food packaging survey conducted by Nielsen in 2007, shows that “good value for money” was the main reason for choosing a store, while “environmental friendliness” was the least important reason.
• Private companies in the UK are being threatened with the loss of valuable government contracts, if they don’t do something about pay equity for women.
• Another US article about the housing and mortgage crisis there, that could have been written in NZ – “The real problem is affordability and the incongruity between incomes and home pricing.”
Environment & sustainability:
• Friends of the Earth and indigenous rights groups are urging the EU not to expand the use of biofuels, because apart from the damage to the environment, palm oil production in Indonesia is now leading to human rights abuses.
• The report “U.S. container ports and air pollution: a perfect storm" looked at the US’s 10 busiest container ports, and shows that a combination of factors made ports especially hazardous to human health, in addition to their impacts on air and water quality.
• Rural communities in the UK are protesting about 10 proposed eco-towns, because they feel they have been kept in the dark about where they will be sited.
Health & wellbeing:
• The WHO “Report of the Global Tobacco Epidemic” shows that no country fully implements the 6 policies that WHO recommends for effective tobacco control – comprehensive smoke-free laws cover only 5% of the world’s population. NZ & Uruguay are the only 2 countries who score highest on tobacco control.
• The Beyond 2008 Regional Consultation for Australasia on United Nations global drug policy is being held in Wellington 18-19 February, to provide an opportunity for local experts to talk about what does and doesn’t work with drug control.
• A day later, the Parliamentary Drug Policy Roundtable will take place, to discuss specifically NZ’s drug laws and policies.
• NZ doctors who want to train in the UK as consultants will no longer be able to do so, if a ban on overseas doctors training in the EU comes into force as intended in the 2009 recruitment round.
• A British study has found that genes play a greater role in childhood obesity than previously thought, and people who use sweeteners rather than sugar may be at a greater risk of obesity.
• A study by a UK think tank is suggesting that the government ban smacking and provide cognitive behavioural therapy for children from the age of 5 to lower aggression in society and prevent children from turning into teenage criminals.
• New studies have found that a chronic disease won’t necessarily kill you before you reach 100, and that men older than 70 who live a healthy lifestyle after that age have a better chance of living to 90.
• Avoid living near a busy airport if you want normal blood pressure, especially if there are a lot of night flights.
• The NHS in the UK has released a community engagement guide to encourage participation from seldom-heard groups, called “A dialogue of equals”.
Law & Government:
• The Law Commission has released a study paper that reviews privacy in NZ, “Privacy concepts and issues”.
• The government is asking for submissions on proposed changes to the way fuel consumption information is collected for light vehicles entering New Zealand. This rule links to the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Standards Compliance 2002, which affects all light vehicles, manufactured on or after 1 January 2000, when they are first certified for use in New Zealand.
• The Statistics NZ September quarterly regional reviews are now available.
• An ambulance driver in the UK believes that blogs like his can lead to improvements in public services, because they can promote understanding and help influence change.
• The Communities and Local Government Dept in the UK has made its “Sustainable Operations Policy” available. The policy covers sustainable procurement, and outlines responsibilities for staff, contractors, etc.
• The government in the UK is considering a ban of the Internet as a penalty for people who illegally download music and films.
People, culture & diversity:
• Research at the University of Otago, provides evidence that Māori children experience a richer narrative environment than NZ European children.
• The UN Alliance of Civilisations held its first Forum in Madrid last month, to explore ways of addressing the growing polarization between nations and cultures worldwide and to develop partnerships to promote cross-cultural understanding globally.
• The Salvation Army has released its first “state of the nation” report “What does it profit us?“ which assesses NZ’s social progress and intends to give more importance to social indicators.
• Libraries in Wellington are hosting a series of events looking at whether or not it is a good thing to censor what children read by sanitising the text or images or by banning the book.
• The first global forum on human trafficking takes place in Vienna this week, with the expectation that an international campaign to combat the crime will be launched
• The Head of Gaelic, BBC Scotland, will be in NZ to speak at the first World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference in Auckland next month.
Science, technology & transport:
• A draft UN report shows that CO2 emissions from cargo shipping are far higher than have been previously estimated, while the industry has been rapidly expanding and has not yet attracted restrictions on emissions.
• London’s central traffic congestion pricing, and the Paris bike sharing scheme have beaten the other 3 cities (all nominated for bus rapid transit systems) to jointly win the 2008 Sustainable Transport Award.
• Sports cars and 4x4s are going to have to pay an additional £25 charge to enter central London, over & above the congestion tax.
• InternetNZ wants the benefits of municipal broadband networks to be fully explored at the Local Government NZ Broadband Forum in Wellington next week.
• Prior to Christmas the government had announced a draft Land Transport Rule tightening emission standards for imported vehicles, but is now saying that the draft Rule will be even more strict.
•Microsoft, IBM, Google & Yahoo have joined the Open ID Foundation, with the aim of reducing the number of IDs and passwords that people have to use when they log on to different sites.
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