Council moves closer to zero waste philosophy

Auckland City’s move towards a zero waste philosophy has been given a boost with $140,000 allocated in the 2004 to 2005 budgets for education on waste reduction methods.

The funding was approved today by Auckland City’s Combined Committees.

The funding follows a council decision in May to adopt a policy of being a zero waste council. The council stated at the time that zero waste is a philosophy that would need to be progressively implemented. Councillor Bill Christian, chairperson of the Works Committee, says the funding will allow Auckland City to further work towards achieving its waste reduction objectives.

“We are pleased with the results we have seen from the 2001 changes to how we collect and manage waste in Auckland. However, the amount of rubbish being collected is gradually increasing and additional resources are needed to tackle this,” he says.

“Waste surveys show there is potential to divert a lot of rubbish before it gets to landfill. The money approved by the council will allow us to move further in this direction.”

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>