"Clean, green" New Zealand
It's basically a myth, unless you count the artificially fertilised denuded grass paddocks full of sheep and/or cows.
A small article on page 8 of one of yesterday's newspapers illustrates my point:
Ngakawau is the site of the Stockton coal mine. The worsening pollution has turned a once clear river into a lifeless, black flow, devoid of life. 3600 tonnes of coal and 1400 tonnes of dissolved aluminium infiltrate the waterways running through Stockton opencast coalmine and end up in the river.
"Every time it rains aluminium and coal fines wash down St Patrick's stream and Mine Creek and over the former (sic) scenic attraction of the Mangatini Falls". Between the Conservation Department survey in 1998 and the Solid Energy survey in 2003 fish life disappeared.
This is just one example of pollution in New Zealand. As I've said previously, the only reason it's not as bad as other countries is because of the small population of 4 million. New Zealand in my opinion is proportionately no 'cleaner' or 'greener' than any other western country.
The government has had the audacity to propose starting up coal-powered power plants. We do, thankfully, have some wind-powered turbines dotted around the country, but not without fighting the selfish locals who think they're 'an eyesore' or 'too noisy', and a threat to 'bird life'. Bullshit. There are some turbines near where I live. The closer ones are rather large and hard to miss but when the evening sun shines on them I find them rather attractive. They are not noisy at all - you can't hear them. The number of birds killed would probably number less than one a year. They're not so stupid or blind. These people who moan about a green alternative when it might appear on their backyard really make me sick.
Another briefer example, talking of rivers. It's estimated that 95% of New Zealand rivers are too polluted to either drink from or swim in. How is that 'clean'?
Don't believe the tourist brochures. NZ is no better. Money talks, as everywhere else.
