environmental sustainability in Nelson New Zealand

Current news and views concerning sustainable and green tourism in New Zealand. The environmentally friendly sustainable tourism charter is investigating interest amongst local tourism businesses for ongoing ecotourism development.

The week of 7 - 14 September is New Zealand Conservation Week . This is a programme of events which spans the country and is being organised by DOC and TVNZ. There is a wide range of events on offer in the Nelson Tasman region which aim to educate people on the places, species and people which make our country unique.

It is also a great way to get involved in a hands-on way, meet other like-minded people and have fun! Events happening in our region include; planting at Wakapuaka, a penguin survey at Pohara and planting days at Puponga and Murchison.

Have a look at the DOC website for more information on what events are happening in Nelson Tasman and who to contact to get involved. There is also information provided on the Conservation Week website.

Transition Nelson is a community-driven group planning and implementing a vision for Nelson's response to climate change and peak oil. The Transition Town model has been engaged by over 50 New Zealand towns and cities in the space of only 12 months.

The official launch of the Transition Nelson group is taking place on Saturday 13 September from 1pm - 4pm at the Victory Community Centre on Totara St. There is a gold coin donation and more information is available from Kathy or Trevor on 545 9176.

- Join a group discussion brainstorming a vision for a future Nelson less dependent on fossil fuels

- Contribute your ideas on short term, visible community projects that can begin now

For those of you who didn't know, Nelson is hosting the inaugural New Zealand Wellness Tourism Symposium on the 18th and 19th of September. It is being held at the Rutherford Hotel and detailed information can be found on the NZ Wellness Tourism Symposium website.

There are clear synergies between sustainability, wellness and ecotourism. New Zealand and Nelson in particular are well positioned to develop tourism experiences that cater to visitors seeking all three. The aim of the symposium is to "set the scene for the operational and strategic development of wellness tourism in New Zealand, and to put New Zealand on the path to establishing itself as a leader in wellness tourism in the southern hemisphere."

if you're interested in attending, registrations are still being accepted for the full programme, or just one of the two days.

The third annual Ecotourism NZ Conference was held in mid-August at Shantytown, Greymouth. David attended the conference and said it was even better than last year! There were about 150 attendees, with a greater proportion of operators than the previous year, which was good to see. Mention was made several times that the tourism sector should not just view sustainability as a responsibility, but also as an opportunity. This quite accurately summarises the underlying positive tone present at the conference.

Some of the key topics under discussion included certification schemes for New Zealand ecotourism, the relationship between DOC and the tourism industry, sustainability, story telling within tourism and tourism business development.

Some of the key points to emerge from these discussions and presentations included;

- DOC's language is changing, with a move to more closely align themselves with the tourism industry

- The NZ Tourism Strategy 2015 needs 'guts and teeth'; it is vital that the key principles of the strategy are understood and that things incompatible with those values are rejected

- 'Sticky sustainability'; make it a core value of tourism business so its principles rub off on clients, staff and the public

- A combination of stories, interpretation and traditional Maori products can evolve the tourism industry for the better; know local cultural stories and share them, but talk with local Maori to ensure they are told correctly

- It is important that information provided within ecotourism experiences is accurate and cutting edge wherever possible

- The rise of social media (such as Trip Advisor and You Tube) and online booking; the only constant in the IT world is change!

For more information relating to the Ecotourism NZ conference, you can visit their website or contact David (david@NelsonNZ.com).

Charter member Maree Cook recently provided an interesting example of the importance of doing a bit of research before making purchasing decisions. Maree was considering the costs and benefits of installing timers on the heated towel rails in her small-scale accommodation business. She was doing her sums using a quote provided by a supplier, but realised the advertised energy savings were based on year-round occupancy (Maree's business is quite seasonal) and 100w towel rails (3 out of 4 of hers are only 60w).

After considering the actual savings and the payback period involved, she decided against investing in the timers. Maree's case is one of many examples which demonstrate that it is important to investigate the options and do some basic calculations before committing to investment (calculations will likely include installation costs, product costs, running costs, maintenance, payback period etc).

In Maree's situation the variables involved in her cost/benetit analysis included occupancy rates, number of units, wattage of rails and the degree of seasonality.

Nelson-based company Offset The Rest recently launched a carbon calculator tool on their website. Offset The Rest is a newly established company helping individuals and businesses manage their carbon emissions. They have also entered into a working relationship with local research organisation, the Cawthron Institute.

Their carbon calculator is simple to use and can help you calculate carbon emissions relating to home energy, transport, waste and even gifts! The calculator can be used to monitor carbon emissions for an individual or business, offset those emissions or simply help people more clearly understand how carbon emissions are generated.

This link will take you directly to Offset The Rest's carbon calculator tool. It's well worth a look.

The Ministry of Economic Development launched a directory to improve the availability of information around ecolabels in August. This directory summarises information relating to most of the main labels you would see in New Zealand.

The information within this directory should prove useful if are keen to verify the credentials of a specific ecolabel, or are just keen to learn more about which labels are out there in the market place. The directory is now available via the Ministry of Economic Development website, and there is also a link to key organisations and web-based resources.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) are running a funding programme in order to grow the solar and heat pump water heating industries. The fund offers funding for up to 50% of a specific project's cost, up to a total of $100,000.

EECA are currently seeking proposals for round three of their Innovation Fund with the round closing on 3 October. The fund is aimed at projects planning to implement solar and/or heat pump water heating technology in an innovative way (i.e. not just 'business-as-usual') and specifically mention tourism businesses as potential candidates. It is important to note however, that funding is not available to projects eligible for funding under other solar water heating finance schemes.

For more information on the Innovation Fund and what is involved in the process, have a look at the EECA website.

The ever-useful Grist website have published a useful webpage to help you 'green' your shopping list. There are tips on how to buy more consciously, while not necessarily spending more money in the process.

Grist also provides a range of further useful resources associated with organic food, GMO-free food and other related issues. As they say, "... if you are what you eat, then you also eat what you are ... so eat green"!

The development of more efficient lighting products is an interesting and exciting field to watch. It can also be a source of confusion and frustration for those trying to improve the efficiency of their current lighting!

USA Today recently provided an update on what three of the world's big light bulb manufacturers are planning to release to the market in the near future. One of the key aims of these companies is to develop CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs which look and perform much more like regular incandescent bulbs.

While this is a news story from the United States, such product developments will no doubt also be available in New Zealand in the not-too-distant future. This will undoubtedly improve the range and quality of choices for those keen to reduce energy usage. Click here to read this informative article.

An interesting poll recently conducted in the United States shows that more Americans are understanding the importance of green issues, they are still only prepared to go so far to change their behaviour. The findings of the poll suggest that Americans are changing their habits on their own terms, depending on their demographic and their wallets.

While more than 80% of those surveyed believed a company's environmental record should be an important factor to consider when purchasing products, most Americans get a little uncomfortable with the idea of 'going green' if it means limiting choices made in their daily lives.

All in all this is an interesting article and quite accurately reflects the fact that making informed choices on the way we live our lives isn't always easy. To read the article, go to the USA Today website.

Researchers at MIT have made a potentially dramatic breakthrough in their research on solar energy. They have discovered a way to store solar energy, which can then be used on days when there is no sunshine available.

The process involves splitting the sun's energy into oxygen and hydrogen gases, which can later on be re-combined to produce energy - day or night. This process is described as simple, inexpensive and highly efficient. Read more about this interesting development here.

There was a potential indication of how 'green' Rugby World Cup 2011 can be in the news last month. Work began on the demolition and re-building of Eden Park's South Stand in Auckland. During the process, up to 90% of the wood, steel and concrete will be recycled both on and off the site. There will also be auctions on Trade Me of rugby memorabilia associated with the stand, with the proceeds being donated to local community groups.

Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come, with Rugby World Cup 2011 having the potential to lead the way on sustainability in New Zealand. To view the news story, click here.