Past Events
When: Thursday 24 September 6.30pm Where: University of Auckland, Owen G Glen Building (the New Business School), Room OGGB3 Cost: Free to attend, but we are asking for a kohato support the NZYD in funding their attendance at Copenhagen in December
In December this year, politicians, leaders, and delegates from all over the world will meet in Copenhagen, to renew the conversation begun in Kyoto, 10 years ago.
This Climate Conference will dramatically shape the way we deal with the most serious problems facing us today. Decisions made there will have social, environmental, political and economic effects for generations to come.
In this rapidly, traumatically changing world, where does New Zealand fit in? Must we pay our share? Or are we so small as to be insignificant? What’s best for our current and future generations?
On 24th September 2009, Rod Oram, the celebrated author, journalist, and political commentator, will speak at the University of Auckland on Climate Change, its impact on business development overseas and New Zealand, and how kiwis can take advantage of these changes to earn a first world living from our natural environment.
Rod is a regular columnist for the Sunday Star Times, a prolific public speaker and radio broadcaster on political, social and economic issues, a published author, and a highly respected voice in New Zealand journalism. He is well known for his passionate opinions on a range of political, social, and economic issues. His talks are entertaining, thought-provoking, and inevitably enlightening.
This is proudly brought to you by the New Zealand Youth Delegation. NZYD is a group of passionate young kiwis who will be attending the conference. They are looking to inspire, inform and engage with young people to hear their voice which will then be taken and articulated at the conference. So come along to Room OGGB3, Owen G Glenn Building on the 24th of September, at 6:30pm for a sparkling evening of new ideas and lively debate. Explore your own ideas with one of New Zealand foremost voices on the issues of climate change and sustainability.
RSVP to nzyd2009@gmail.com
Koha contribution to help cover the travel cost of the NZYD delegates are welcome.
Proudly hosted by NZYD in partnership with Nexus, Engineers without Borders and UNYANZ.
What we can do to switch the world back into more biodiverse and hence more sustainable working order?
Public forum with youth panel
David has done heaps to promote the taonga (treasure) of our homeland Aotearoa NZ, so it is with great aroha and our deepest respect that we welcome this tall totara back on his "Moa's Ark Revisited" tour in September 2009.
If anyone does not know what we mean by this, then get your friends and family together, turn off the TV station and instead view the four 50 minute episodes of his "Moa's Ark" Downloadable Video here.
Thanks to DOC and Air New Zealand for getting David back for the Whirinaki 25 celebrations. David was a key influencer in the revolt against state milling of the spectacular Whirinaki Rainforest. It remains today as one of his favourate places on our planet.
Read what he says in "Seven Decades of Destruction" - the value of old growth forest": balancing the cycles of our Living World.
We expect this will be a "report card" on how well we are treasuring and safeguarding our place, culture, and values.
David is always challenging. He loves working with young people (see Some Things Must Change video), making nature fun, helping us face the issues and take positive action.
When: Tuesday 8 September [6pm - 8pm] Where: University of Auckland, Owen G Glen Building (the New Business School), Room OGGB4 Cost: The Nexus Forum is free for all to attend but we are asking for a gold-coin koha, this will help us continue to bring events like this to the student community and the general public.
If you wish to attend please RSVP to contact@nexusnz.org
With the crrent global economic crisis, do we still have the means to be sustainable?
What is a sustainable economy and how do we build one?
Robert is one of five Quaker authors who wrote the book Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy. He will introduce the book and describe and discuss the themes, and the wider context of these with a particular reference to the ethical principles and their implications for economics and human life on earth.
The book deals with the inadequacies of the current economic system, and what is needed to bring it into a right relationship with humans and the earth. The book poses five key questions.
What is an economy for? How does it work? How big is too big? What is fair? How should it be governed?
Robert suggests that the predominant international economic system has no means of describing what the economy is for and where it is today. It is unable to put any boundaries on consumption and waste. It has no means to even think about fairly distributing both benefits and burdens to present and future generations of people and other species. It lacks a system of governance that protects life commonwealth.
Creating the global governance will require significant institutional reform. The overall challenge is to establish a global economic system that is grounded in science, operates in accord with the way the earth works, and is grounded in an ethic that does not value the human-Earth relationship simply for human utility. Robert will also relate the book to New Zealand through the recent report by Sustainable Aotearoa New Zealand.
The forum will be 2 hours long where the second hour is provided for audience discussion with Robert on the topic.
When: Wednesday August 5th [6pm - 8pm] Where: University of Auckland, Engineering Building, Room 3.402 Cost: The Nexus Forum is free for all to attend but we are asking for a gold-coin koha, this will help us continue to bring events like this to the student community and the general public.
Is Sustainability JUST about being green? We think it's more than that.
Want to engage in an interactive dialogue about Beer and Sustainability?
Keen to put your thinking cap on in a Dragon's Den like challenge?
Come and join us in an hour workshop on Fri lunchtime from 11am-1pm.
This interactive workshop will be led by Michael Field and Joanne Tunna from North Shore City Council.
Michael is the current Corporate Sustainability manager of NSCC. He was the former Asia Pacific Sustainability Manager for Interface Inc, one of the world leading sustainable organisations. During his time with Interface, Michael worked on a number of key projects with other sustainability experts, such as Paul Hawkin, Ray Anderson and David Suzuki and was one of ten people globally awarded the Sustainability Champion Award in recognition of their leadership roles in this field and Michaels role in taking the Asia Pacific division of Interface from 190th place to 1st place in the organisations sustainability rankings over a two year period.
Time: Friday 22 May 2009 from 11am-1pm (one hour workshop between each hour)
Venue: Culture Space (level 3 of Quad) University of Auckland
Registration: Please email to contact@nexusnz.org and provide names of those who will attend, email address and the time slot that you want to come. a)11-12 or b) 12-1pm
Come to our workshop and to be in to win food and inspiration!
On Monday 4th of May, Bill Mckibben, an internationally reknowned author, educator, climate lobbyist and the founder of 350.org , a rapidly growing global movement raising awareness about and action on climate change issues, will be visiting Auckland on his tour of Aotearoa.
The free Public Address will be given at 12.30pm in Room OGGB4 (Owen G. Gleen Building) at the University of Auckland- please RSVP to contact@nexusnz.org
Mckibben is an internationally well known climate change activist whom is spreading the word about what it means to genuinely deal with the devistating issue. His tour aims to initiate a gobal action day for climate change on October 24th in lead up to what many have called the most important international negotiations ever - The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December this year.
350 is the threadhold for human beings, unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth. The current concentration of carbon dioxide is at 387 and rising, what can we do to turn it around?
The Symposium takes a fresh look at our most critical current concerns - environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment - and explores and exposes what connects them. Participants interact together in pairs and small groups, between video segments of well-researched information and interviews with some of the world's most respected thinkers and doers, including Paul Hawken, Van Jones, Desmond Tutu, Julia Butterfly Hill, Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry.
The Symposium was presented, for the first time in New Zealand in June 2008. Since then, the symposium has been presented twenty times around New Zealand. Each time demand has been strong, for further symposia and for facilitator and leadership training. The video material used in the symposium is available for use by people who train locally to present it. If after participating you would like to train as a presenter, ask the facilitators.
You can find out more at http://awakeningthedreamer.org/
Facilitators: Carl Chenery, Damon Birchfield and Bridget Marsh Date/Time: Thursday 9th April 2009 9am-1pm ( registration at 8.30am) Venue: Decima Glenn Room, Level 3, Owen G Glenn Building, University of Auckland Cost: A Koha is invited ($10, at the door).
This day long conference is an opportunity for students and recent graduates to meet and learn from academics, civil servants, engineers, architects, planners and business people who are international experts in sustainability. It is held at the University of Auckland on Tuesday 9 Dec 2008. There were lectures, educational displays and a variety of interactive workshops.
Registration is now closed.
Download powerpoints HERE.
Ann Magee - Making Cities more Sustainable
Ella Lawton - Fish Game
John Peet - Overview of Sustainability in NZ Context
Jorge Vanegas - The Built Environment
Klaus Bosselmann - The International Journey of Sustainability
Michael Field - Effective Sustainability Communication
Peter Goldsbury - Living System Thinking
Robert Howell - A Sustainable Economy
Check out our conference website, www.sustainabilityfundamentals.org.nz. If you are interested in being one of our speakers/workshop facilitator, displaying your project poster or helping out with future conference, get in touch, and we'll see how you can be part of this awesome event!
The Climate Change Bill and Emissions Trading Scheme
"Climate Change, and how we deal with it, is one of the most important issues of our time. The introduction of this Bill is a critical step toward NZ playing its part to address climate change" (Hon David Parker, Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues,December 2007)
But nobody can seem to agree on the details; many are now starting to turntheir backs on it...
"The ETS has so little effect on emission levels partly because of the proposed exemptions and corporate-welfare arrangements. Two-thirds of all emissions are exempted through delayed or absent coverage, on top of which rebates are to be granted to selected sectors." (Sustainability Council's Report, April 2008)
So what is the Climate Change Bill and its Emission Traiding Scheme(ETS)and who are the WINNERS and LOSERS?
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Associate Professor Basil Sharp (Deputy Head of the Economics) will talkabout the framework behind the ETS and recent controversies. Followed by an open forum, for all attendees to discuss their views and query Professor Sharp. Refreshments will be provided.
Date: 21 May 2008 Time: 6.00pm Venue: Room 3.402, Engineering School, Symonds Street, University of Auckland
Download the powerpoint of the forum HERE.
Warren Snow from Envision NZ and Karen Remetis from The Town Center Development Group talked about the controversies over urban sprawl issues. Followed by the screening of The Wal Mart: The High Price for Low Cost and then an open forum, for all attendees to discuss their views and query Warren and Karen.
Date: 13 August 2008 Time: 6.00pm Venue: Room 3.402, Engineering School, Symonds Street, University of Auckland
