"Destiny is no matter of chance.  It is a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." 

-- William Jennings Bryan

"If you aren't part of the solution, you are a part of the problem."
"The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral confict."

-- Martin Luthar King Jr. 

Eric Dorfman has written a fantastic summary of the implications of climate change for New Zealand.  It is probably the most rubust resource we've found to date on the subject, and thankfully written in laymans tems.  An easy read without clubbing one upside the head with science.  It's captivating to have a cohesive picture of the possibilities that await the country in the years ahead, and useful for personal action and planning.  Covering both changes in nature and their knock on effects in the economy and social spheres, the book is concise and well rounded.  Best part of it is-- not all of is scary.  Afterall, knowledge is power.  A must read.

Some great online resources from the book are worth sharing here.  If you're keen to know how far under water your area might be with rising sea levels, have a play with this simulator.  To stay keep informed of changes in the climate over time, visit the NIWA National Climate Change Centre website or Climate Science.

What will those clever Europeans come up with next?  An all inclusive, all supporting, erm... box... to live in.  With a catchy marketing tagline of "Less stuff, more nature" the Micro Compact Home (or M-CH) provides all of life's basics in a tiny footprint, both in terms of size (2.6m²) as well as resource consumption.  It's sleek, insulated shape means that it uses very little energy, and can even be powered by a solar panel mounted to the mast.  I'm not sure why I find efficiency so undeniably sexy, but M-CH is mine if they ever start shipping to New Zealand.  Check out more specs on the Micro Compact Home website. 

"The scourge of our  modern cities, in my view, isn't crime or work related stress, it is lonliness.  So many problems of moden life would be solved if we lived in a more integrated way."  - John Grant

This week we feature a really great magazine out of the U.S. with a rather mysterious name: Mother Jones.  Nothing to fear though, the publication covers a wide range of ecological, social, economic, governmental, and social issues.  This month they explore in detail how green tech may or may not be a saviour.  Worth a cover-to-cover read!

Also, if you would like to stir some of the creative juices, need a conversation point, or are just plain bored and sick of mentally deranged people dancing in their bedroom on YouTube, check out the more high-brow Ted.  From technology to arts to design, pretty much everything you can (or should) care about is covered.  Blow out the bandwith and expand your mind with some worthwhile internet television.

To update our earlier post on genuine progress indicators, check out Redefining Progress.  And there you have it, enough to keep you entertained for at least 5 minutes!

Yes, we were surprised too.  So imagine yourself high in the treetop canopy, shooting around on a zipline, stopping occasionally to admire the scenery-- and learning about ways to improve how the we design every day processes to be attuned with the world around us.  Enter Ziptrek Ecotours, an innovative company based up in Whistler, Canada that educates high flying thrill seekers about The Natural Step framework while delivering a unique tourism experience.  The company has been quite successful in recent years and received heaps of critical acclaim.  Plenty of bigwigs have given it a go (think Richard Branson etc.) -AND- the company has expansion plans for new markets in 2009!  Check them out.

Yes, it's a DIY bonanza this week in the Resource Roundup.  Available from Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority are a multitude of grants to improve energy efficiency.  If you have thought about installing solar hot water or putting in more insulation, log on their website to find out what funding you might be eligible for in your home.  You can also give them a call on 0800 749 782.   Also, while you are sprucing up the place in spring, check out Ecobob.  This fantastic product directory will have you using only the best of environmentally safe materials for your household jobs.  Nice.  And hey, while you are in the DIY spirit, take the quiz on MyFootprint and learn how to make positive changes to your ecological footprint. 

We would like to give a hats off to the talented organic horticulture expert, Brendan Hoare.  Involved with Organics for over 25 years, he is Executive Director of Econation2020, team leader for the Journal of Organic Systems, and until recently a lecturer at Unitec in Auckland.  Unfortunately, Unitec recently scrapped its horticulture programme, but thankfully the Horticulture Sanctuary that has thrived since 1999 under the watchful eye of Brendan will remain on site.  Whie no firm decisions have yet been made, the sanctuary will likely be used by other organisations as a training site.  (continues)