Environment
eDay a 'resounding success'
Thursday 9 December 2010 | Published in Environment
Prime Minister Henry Puna visited the drop off site for e-waste yesterday at the Atukura Grounds and called the initiative ‘A resounding success’. “It’s amazing how much of this e-waste there is sitting around on the island. What is also amazing is the willingness of so many people to come together and make a difference,” […]
POPs action starts with e-waste
Tuesday 7 December 2010 | Published in Environment
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals which could put people in the Cook Islands at risk of illness. Now a group has been put together to tackle the problem – starting by getting e-waste off the island. The Cook Islands government signed up to the Stockholm Convention in 2004 agreeing to ban many of the […]
Schools in climate change competition
Tuesday 7 December 2010 | Published in Environment
St Joseph’s school pupils won first place and $300 in a performance competition organised by the Cook Islands Red Cross and Ministry of Education to raise awareness about climate change. About 120 Rarotongan primary school pupils were involved in the competition, the results of which were announced on Friday. Second place and $200 went to […]
Cook Islands youth at climate change meeting
Tuesday 7 December 2010 | Published in Environment
Cook Islander Luana Bosanquet-Heays is one of three Pacific youth at the United Nations COP16 Climate Change Negotiations in Cancun, Mexico, to represent the voice of the Pacific people from November 26 to December 10. As part of the Project Survival Pacific delegation, Bosanquet-Heays will be calling for world leaders and politicians at the meeting […]
Cooks raises climate concerns
Friday 3 December 2010 | Published in Environment
Cook Islands delegates at the United Nations climate conference in Cancun, Mexico sent out strong messages this week, raising issues of concern to island countries. The Cook Islands made it very clear that any issue of co-financing under the Adaptation Fund should not be a burden to small island developing states. The call was by […]
Turangi's twister
Monday 29 November 2010 | Published in Environment
Some beachfront residents ran for safety to escape a towering water twister – 500 metres tall – as it churned across the Turangi lagoon and headed straight for them. “We were looking straight up this huge, swirling column as we ran in all directions,” says Kanoe Aquino, who said they are all still excitedly talking […]
Young paddlers make their mark
Wednesday 24 November 2010 | Published in Environment
A special tree-planting ceremony kicked off yesterday’s junior paddler races at Muri lagoon. Fourteen juniors’ teams from Hawaii, New Zealand and the Cooks planted 15 ironwood trees at Nukupure Park in Ngatangiia to help prevent beach erosion around the foreshore area. The replanting ceremony was led by the Hawaiian team – one member planted the […]
Buoy set to monitor Muri water quality
Wednesday 24 November 2010 | Published in Environment
The Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) this week deployed an automated water quality buoy in the channel between motu Koromiri and Muri beach. The YSI EMM68 automated, solar-powered buoy will enhance MMR’s water quality monitoring programme for water and sanitation projects at Muri lagoon. It will act as an early warning system for harmful algal […]
Solar Bob tackles power bills
Tuesday 16 November 2010 | Published in Environment
Bob ‘Solar Bob’ Reilly is getting more orders than ever for his Solar Breeze, the solar powered spinning fan that he says is a real money spinner for customers. “The Fishing Club had two installed last year and they have lowered their electricity bills by $1000 a month,” Reilly said. Now orders are pouring in, […]
Muri development 'unsustainable': Evans
Monday 15 November 2010 | Published in Environment
A technical assistant will soon be hired to draw up a solution to the pollution of Muri Lagoon. But they are likely to struggle to come up with a solution which keeps sewage treatment on individual sites. Jacqui Evans worked on the problem of lagoon pollution caused by septic tanks at Public Health for five […]
NCW to oversee environment funds
Thursday 11 November 2010 | Published in Environment
The National Council of Women (NCW) has been chosen by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to oversee all the projects they provide with small grants. The GEF has put half a million dollars into the Cook Islands in the last three years. This has been funding for community projects to protect the environment such as […]
TAU seeks green energy expert
Thursday 11 November 2010 | Published in Environment
Te Aponga Uira (TAU) is advertising for an expert in renewable energy for the first time. It’s a marked shift in policy for a company which up till now has relied entirely on diesel to produce the nation’s electricity. Apii Timoti, TAU chief executive, said since the government signed up to Kyoto Protocol, TAU has […]
Climate change research scholarships on offer
Thursday 11 November 2010 | Published in Environment
Scholarships for research students in climate change are now being offered by the University of the South Pacific (USP). Graduates in any relevant subject who want to pursue a Masters or PhD degree through research on climate variability and change are being invited to apply. The university has provided a range of possible topics for […]
Storm stirs up algae invasion
Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Environment
Ministry of Marine Resources officers say that there has not been an algal bloom in recent weeks – those typically occur in high summer – and the presence of large quantities of algae on the foreshore is likely the result of recent storms. MMR project officer Angelie Robinson said that rough seas and stormy conditions […]
TIS questions rubbish collection and recycling
Friday 29 October 2010 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands environmental group Te Ipukarea Society Inc. (TIS) is planning an opportunity for the public to ask questions about challenges of dealing with our rubbish. The group is mainly interested in what is happening to recyclable rubbish. “We’re setting up a panel discussion to answer questions about what the challenges are with achieving […]
Henergy eggs 'superior'
Thursday 28 October 2010 | Published in Environment
CITC is now stocking Henergy eggs, which have been lauded for their quality and the ethical treatment of animals they represent. CITC Food Group general manager Dan O’Brien and purchasing manager Trish Wichman travelled to New Zealand to meet with food suppliers in September. They met with Henergy representatives, who they said appeared to be […]
Harbour gets big clean-up
Tuesday 28 September 2010 | Published in Environment
The harbour area is sparkling this week, thanks to the efforts of 103 volunteers who collected rubbish from the seafloor and Takuvaine streams and from the harbour’s edge on Saturday morning. Clean Up The World Day was a huge success, and co-organiser Sabine Janneck says it’s getting bigger every year. In three years, the number […]
New environment plan
Saturday 18 September 2010 | Published in Environment
The 21st Annual Meeting (21SM) of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme was held in Madang, Papua New Guinea, from September 6-10 and concluded with the adoption of a new five-year strategic plan for environment and conservation in the Pacific islands region and renewed commitment by country delegations to conservation of biodiversity. The 21SM was held […]
Muri meeting house reopened
Thursday 19 August 2010 | Published in Environment
The Muri community celebrated the opening of the newly refurbished Are Uipaanga O Muri Enua (community centre) and Health Clinic on Saturday. The refurbishment was made possible with $35,000 of funding from environment organisation Seacology and two and a half months of weekend working bees. Muri Tapere Inc committee member and Muri Environment Group member […]
Muri pig pollution discussed
Tuesday 17 August 2010 | Published in Environment
A meeting was held on Monday with Muri pig farmers to discuss what could be done to reduce pollution from pig waste. The Muri Environmental Care Group delivered invitations to all of the pig farmers in the area to attend the meeting – but estimate that only a quarter of them turned up. Around 30 […]
« Previous 1 … 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 Next »