After several months of counting down, the Olympic Games 2008 are finally just a week away. Beijing has been highly criticised over the last few weeks because it has not yet managed to clean up the air pollution problem to a standard which the IOC (International Olympic Committee) has been counting on.

With just 8 days to go, can China pull one out of the bag? Media reports have claimed the city plans to cut 95% of all motor vehicle usage for the 48 hours preceding the opening ceremony - a move which will bode well with competitors, visitors and perhaps vital to the Games themselves. This restriction however, is one that will incapacitate Beijing residents, leaving them confined to public transport and non-motorised ways of travel such as walking and cycling.

China is well known for only providing limited and censored internet access within its perimetres, however the IOC announced yesterday that the 21,500-odd journalists and news media travelling to Beijing for the Games will be allowed near-unrestricted online access.

“Sensitive”, non-Games related websites such as those associated with the governmentally-prohibited spiritual group Falun Gong, and the Amnesty International website which condemns the Chinese nation for its inability to respect human rights quotas, will continue to remain inaccessible in China throughout the Games.

Earlier this year the Chinese government unblocked the English-language Wikipedia website, in what some say was owing to pressures from the IOC. However, the “sufficient, convenient internet access” which will be made available for journalists to be able to do their job for the Olympics will expire in October, when full Web restrictions will be reinstated in China.

NZS.com will be covering the Games daily with an Olympic Medals tally, don’t forget to check back each day from August 10 for updates on the New Zealand Olympic team’s winnings!

While Monday this week (Queen’s Birthday in Australia) officially marked the opening of Australian ski season, it looks again like tens of thousands of Aussies will be venturing over the ditch to New Zealand when our major ski fields open at the end of this month.

New Zealand’s ski resorts receive approximately a quarter of their annual tourism from Australian visitors, last year totaling 70,000 Aussie holidaymakers, reports the Dominion Post. This figure is increasing by 20 percent each year, due to better and more reliable skiing this side of the Tasman.

New Zealand is leading the world with advances in environmental sustainability, as demonstrated at last weeks World Environmental Day in Wellington. New Zealand increasingly attracts international tourists committed to sustainable eco-tourist travel options, as we are privy to several tour operators determined to leave a smaller footprint on the globe.

Luxury tour companies such as Green Realm Travel offer tours on the New Zealand roads which are the cutting edge in comfort and environmental standards. This company has built their coaches based on the eco-friendly MAN A67 Euro 4 coach chassis, which uses progressive technology that reduces fuel consumption, exhaust-gas emissions and noise. The particle filter system in the engine make these coaches arguably the cleanest diesels in the world.

Image from Flickr.

The price of petrol is continually on the minds of New Zealanders these days. Going up, going down (the former being the ever-present this month), the price of this essential commodity is causing public concern and media interest all over the country. I was sure that not too long ago I used to fill up my car for less than $1 per litre, but others around me seem to think it was much longer ago that I did, so I set out to get to the bottom of this and find a petrol pricing archive.

To Google I went, and I searched, and searched. Unfortunately, this was proving one of those few moments in life where Google simply cannot find the information you’re looking for. While daily petrol prices were readily available, there seemed to be no online source with an archive for the past decade. After much frustration, I contacted the good folks at Statistics New Zealand, who happily collected the data for me from their archives and promptly e-mailed it to me, even though the data was not even published on their own website.

So I am proud to say that, to the best of my knowledge, NZS.com is the only online source with an archive of petrol prices for the last decade…and the last time 91 Unleaded was under $1 per litre? Just five years ago in June of 2003.

Image from Flickr.

When you hear statistics like ‘one-third of your total home energy bills are from heating’, the media-hyped energy saving techniques can suddenly seem relevant to you and your home. It is easy to block out the advertisements for heat pumps and fireplaces during summer, but when the weather cools you can suddenly find yourself stuck with so many home heating options you do not know where to start.

A warm home is vital for comfort and health. Before you go out and spend hundreds or even thousands on a new heater of some type, use these tips to make your home heating more efficient:

• Insulate your home

Make sure the heat you are paying for can’t get out. Thermal curtains and double glazed windows are two of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to ensure your home is heated smartly.

• Place your heater wisely

There is a reason many fireplaces are surrounded by brick walls. Place your heater near a source of thermal mass such as an internal concrete wall - the heat will be absorbed and re-radiated.

• Use the winter sun

The low morning and evening sun in New Zealand is great for heating your home naturally and for free, so don’t close curtains during the day.

• Use the thermostat

Many heaters have thermostats to keep a room at a consistent temperature. Instead of using the maximum settings to keep your room toasty, use the thermostat to intermittently keep you comfortable by turning on and off while in use.

Image from Flickr.

With just one day left until Earth Hour this Saturday, have you made plans to reduce your carbon footprint and take part in this worldwide event yet?

At 8pm on March 29th, Earth Hour asks you to turn off your lights and non-essential appliances for one hour to promote the conservation of electrical energy in an effort to lower carbon emissions. The first Earth Hour started in Sydney last year, and as many as 2.2 million people took part. This year, Earth Hour is spanning the globe for participation, with 34 official sister cities taking part including Christchurch in New Zealand.

This doesn’t restrict all Kiwis from helping out the earth this weekend, here’s what you can do to make a difference:

• Turn off all lights around your house - luckily daylight savings‘ end is still a week away, and it’s not pitch black yet at 8pm.
• Turn off your television, heated towel rails, air conditioners, and don’t forget that computer monitor!
• Have a salad or other meal that doesn’t involve cooking for dinner - go without the oven, stove or microwave for one night.
• Don’t use your car - stay at home or walk to a friend’s place.

Many major landmarks around the country will turn their lights off for this hour - take a look around your city and see the difference we can make together.

Image from Flickr.

During the the summer holidays this year, we spent time in Dunedin. There are plenty of great things to do in Dunedin but one of the things that really stood out was the Marine Studies Centre.

Not only is it a great aquarium but is also a research centre for the University of Otago. It was fun to check out their amazing collection of fish inside the glass tanks and even get to handle some of the creatures in the touch-tanks.

This centre is at the forefront of research into the marine environment as well as being a popular outdoor education provider to all ages.

In recent days, the publication of graphic whaling photos showing the reality of Japanese whale hunting has outraged the international community and added fuel to the anti-whaling campaign.

Video footage and photograph stills of two dead whales - claimed by some to be mother and calf - have circulated throughout the world. The images were captured by the Oceanic Viking, an Australian ship sent to make a visual record of Japanese whaling activity. The photographs will be used as evidence in planned legal action by the Australian Government, in a bid to stop illegal whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Greenpeace Japan’s website has been inundated with thousands of visits every day from Japanese citizens questioning the need for whale hunting - either for scientific research or as a source of food. While Japanese whalers claim the images of whale slaughter are all part of the anti-whaling campaign’s “emotional propaganda”, the footage has reignited the issue of whaling and triggered outrage around the world.

Mark Rocket, an ardent anti-whaling supporter, said:

Whaling has to stop. For the Japanese whaling establishment to say that they are killing thousands of whales for research is a blatant lie. It is clear to everyone that they are processing these whales for food… because whale meat is openly sold! Do they also want to kill thousands of Japanese cranes or snow monkeys to ‘research’ them?

Whales are protected by a 1986 moratorium; since then, Japan has used a ’scientific research’ loophole to justify the slaughter of thousands of endangered whales. This year, Japanese whaling was halted for 14 days when the Esperanza, a Greenpeace vessel, pursued the Nisshin Maru whaling fleet and brought worldwide attention to Japanese whaling activity. For the first time, media coverage and public debate on the issue is being openly aired in Japan, forcing Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda to raise the issue in Parliament.

Will it be enough to save the whales? To show your support, sign the Dominion Post’s anti-whaling petition or become a Greenpeace Whale Defender.

Image from Flickr.

Here are two words for you: Personal. Responsibility.

As an advocate for the environment, I also harp on about personal responsibility when it comes to these things. If you’re not going to do something positive, then those around you won’t bother either. But if you do take positive action, then others around you may be inspired to do the same (think how wide your social circle reaches). On a larger scale, if people take action on an issue, the trend will gain momentum until it’s a fully-fledged social movement.

Now Hubbards (yes, the friendly face of breakfast cereal) has launched the Carbon Crusade, with lofty ambitions to battle climate change. Er, I mean Climate Change. Yes, it’s big, but they’re doing it one step at a time with the philosophy that every step counts.

The Carbon Crusade is a series of off-road running and walking events in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Each participant will walk or run a 13-15km course, stopping halfway to plant four native trees. Climate change is caused by rising levels of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, which are attributed to (among other things) the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, petrol, gas and coal. Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is the most predominant greenhouse gas - trees absorb and store CO₂, so they’re the perfect antidote. By taking part, you’ll also get the chance to admire stunning views from usually inaccessible parts of our be-oot-iful country.

Get into it; you know you want to.

Who do you go tramping with?

People you can get along with, and who are reliable, and have good judgement.

You will be spending most of the time on your tramp in the company of your tramping partners. Sometimes, tramping can be pretty miserable - you can be tired, wet, hungry, frustrated, and worried, all at the same time. Such situations tend to bring out the best and worst in people. You will also have times on a tramp where you are witness to breathtaking natural beauty. These times seem better when shared with a friend you trust.

A good selection of people with the right qualities for tramping partners can be found, unsurprisingly, in a tramping club. Often, you will be able to learn much from more experienced members of tramping clubs. Mind you, there often seem to be one or two people who rub you the wrong way.

I’ve found tramping with family a good way of enriching family relationships. I started taking my kids on overnight tramps when they were about 5 or 6 years old and they have, by and large, enjoyed it. The key to tramping with children is light packs and good snacks. Half-hour chocolate stops keep their energy and spirits up, especially on the hills.

Where in New Zealand can you go tramping? There are many, many places available for tramping in New Zealand to suit all experience levels. From low-land coastal walks to high mountain passes. From popular “Great Walks” with well-provisioned huts, to seldom-visited valleys that are two days or more of difficult tramping from any semblance of track.

The most comprehensive information on where to go can be found on the excellent Department of Conservation website. There, you can find out a great deal of information on many of the most popular tracks in New Zealand. Relevent information includes how to get to the track, a description of the route (time estimates and difficulty), information about any huts on the route, what particular skills may required for that tramp (such as river-crossing skills or ice axes), and what maps are needed.

Another popular resource is the New Zealand Tramper site, with many user-added descriptions of tramps. This website has a number if tramps not mentioned in the DoC website. After a doing a tramp, why not write it up and add it to the site?

Don’t forget guide books. One exists for most regions, and the books may well be available at your local library. Be sure to check in with DoC before you go to get any updates on track and hut conditions. Sometimes guide books have a companion website on which updates are posted, for example Sven Brabyn’s site.

Finally, for the adventurer looking for somewhere remote, check out Remote Huts. You have to be physically fit, experienced, and prepared for often very rugged and difficult travel to get to some of these locations.