New Zealand's abundant resources - How do we use them?

[Winston001]

Coal, oil, gas. Freshwater. Clean air. Titanium, uranium, gold. Seafood (ever seen the size of our offshore economic zone?), dairy products, meat. Pine trees. I'm sure that the air space above us could also have strategic importance.

That makes me wonder why we're not doing more with this natural abundance in terms of improving the lot of just over four million New Zealanders...

I liked this thought so much that I've stolen it from Hitcher (who won't notice....).

So - what can we do with the natural resources we do have?

How do we do it without raping and destroying those resources?

[Flatcap]

I liked this thought so much that I've stolen it from Hitcher (who won't notice....).

So - what can we do with the natural resources we do have?

How do we do it without raping and destroying those resources?

Easy, we lock them away from evil exploitation so that fat gormless tourists can come and gawp at them

[Hitcher]

Unfortunately most of our more valuable mineral resources are located within national parks or areas of pristine wilderness. The issue then becomes whether or not those areas can be rehabilitated economically after the minerals have been removed. Until they can, any meaningful debate is moot.

[Hitcher]

Easy, we lock them away from evil exploitation so that fat gormless tourists can come and gawp at them

Tourism is evil.

[98tls]

Easy, we lock them away from evil exploitation so that fat gormless tourists can come and gawp at them To late although i applaud the sentiment.

[mowgli]

I liked this thought so much that I've stolen it from Hitcher (who won't notice....).
So - what can we do with the natural resources we do have?
How do we do it without raping and destroying those resources?
Nothing if we don't stop foreign invaders from helping themselves.

First we need to spend some serious money on bolstering New Zealand's maritime surveillance capability (Air Force, Navy, Customs). How on earth can we protect our exclusive economic zone if we can't patrol it?
Second we need to put teeth back into our Defence Force. When (not if) we detect illegal activity occurring within our area of interest we need the capability to apprehend and/or prosecute the transgressors before they simply sail away.

Ask the Taiwanese trawler fleet about a certain run in they had with an A4 Skyhawk and then ask what they did after NZ disbanded the air combat force :oi-grr:

[CookMySock]

Unfortunately most of our more valuable mineral resources are located within national parks or areas of pristine wilderness.So cut it down. That will be "wild".


The issue then becomes whether or not those areas can be rehabilitated economically after the minerals have been removed.Thats a lot of money for no return though ?

DB

[98tls]

Nothing if we don't stop foreign invaders from helping themselves.

First we need to spend some serious money on bolstering New Zealand's maritime surveillance capability (Air Force, Navy, Customs). How on earth can we protect our exclusive economic zone if we can't patrol it?
Second we need to put teeth back into our Defence Force. When (not if) we detect illegal activity occurring within our area of interest we need the capability to apprehend and/or prosecute the transgressors before they simply sail away.

Ask the Taiwanese trawler fleet about a certain run in they had with an A4 Skyhawk and then ask what they did after NZ disbanded the air combat force :oi-grr:
Like i said "to late"Even if they had such resources they wouldnt have the nouce to use them.

[98tls]

Unfortunately most of our more valuable mineral resources are located within national parks or areas of pristine wilderness. The issue then becomes whether or not those areas can be rehabilitated economically after the minerals have been removed. Until they can, any meaningful debate is moot.
National parks you say:sleep:

[mowgli]

Like i said "to late"Even if they had such resources they wouldnt have the nouce to use them.
Which "they" are you referring to 98tls?

[McJim]

Bloke at work today told me that a lot of native hardwood trees were felled in Southland beacause of the particularly fine and shiny paper they produced. This paper was of such high quality that it was much sought after by the upmarket Japanese porn industry.

So we lost native hardwood forests just so middle aged Japanese businessmen could wank over them. Sort of reinforces New Zealand's place in the world eh?:spanking:

[FJRider]

Tourism is evil.

But it PAYS well:whistle:

[puddytat]

Hang onto them for as long as we can so we can sell it later when it'll be worth alot more than now...
The Govt. is presently looking at granting rights to the seabed minerals for the likes of RioTinto & China for the stately royalty of about $2.50 per sq/km per year....TOTAL!! Anything they find is theirs alone. RioTinto is itself looking to get the rights to something like 250 000sq/km of the WestCoast of both Islands...all thiers for about$625000 per year.An absolute pittance for the zillions of tonnes of precious metals & coal.
Dont believe me ? Google .. Coalition Against Seabed Mining:yes:

[98tls]

Which "they" are you referring to 98tls? Take your pick........theres only 2 to chose from.Sadly it doesnt matter in this case as like i said "its to late".

[mowgli]

Like i said "to late"Even if they had such resources they wouldnt have the nouce to use them.


Take your pick........theres only 2 to chose from.Sadly it doesnt matter in this case as like i said "its to late".

Well, I strongly disagree. Personnel of the NZ Defence Force are world renowned for their nouse as they defend New Zealanders and their interests. But don't worry, we stick up for all New Zealanders, especially those that have already given up hope themselves - it's our duty.

[98tls]

Well, I strongly disagree. Personnel of the NZ Defence Force are world renowned for their nouse as they defend New Zealanders and their interests. But don't worry, we stick up for all New Zealanders, especially those that have already given up hope themselves - it's our duty. :killingmeNice but you have missed my point.Admire the spirit though.

[mowgli]

:killingmeNice but you have missed my point.Admire the spirit though.

Ahhh yes clearly I have. So by "too late" you are alluding to the dawning realisation that Toll f$%ked us over and there's nothing we can do about it? And by "haven't got the nouce" you are referring to what it takes to be a 'yes' man on a party list? Oh yeah, and someone's always stealing our stuff. Just checking I've got it now :bleh:

[CookMySock]

rats. my troll didn't get a single bite ! :cry:

DB

[scracha]

All the abundant forests, lakes and mountains. Shame a few hundred politicians and other buerocrats couldn't go err.. "missing" in them

[Hitcher]

But it PAYS well:whistle:

I'm not sure who it pays well. It's a fashion industry. Even worse, in New Zealand's case it's a fashion industry at the butt-fuck end of nowhere. Rising fuel costs and the deluded fantasy that is "carbon offsets" will soon put paid to marauding hordes of retired Americans and European backpackers. Namibia is sexier and closer.

[Dargor]

Heres some ideas for what we can do with our abundant air/space resource.

1 - Airborne wind turbines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_wind_turbine)
2 - A Space elevator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator)(for when you get tired of taking the stairs)
3 - Solar power satellite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_satellite)

[Hinny]

Tourism is evil.

It may be but I think you will find that it was our biggest export earner last year.
That makes it pretty good in my book.

[MisterD]

Hang onto them for as long as we can so we can sell it later when it'll be worth alot more than now...
The Govt. is presently looking at granting rights to the seabed minerals for the likes of RioTinto & China for the stately royalty of about $2.50 per sq/km per year....TOTAL!! Anything they find is theirs alone. RioTinto is itself looking to get the rights to something like 250 000sq/km of the WestCoast of both Islands...all thiers for about$625000 per year.An absolute pittance for the zillions of tonnes of precious metals & coal.
Dont believe me ? Google .. Coalition Against Seabed Mining:yes:

That's seabed, not sub-sea puddy, so it's only what they can suck off the bottom with a big ol' floating hoover. What does NZ Steel pay for their iron-sands at the moment?

[avgas]

Easy with these.....http://www.mainpump.com/image/2008/03/13/sandvik.jpg
Oh yeah baby!!!! Friggin Booms baby YEAH!
When i was 5 i wanted to be a boom driver!

[Hitcher]

Easy with these!

That is what is known as a roof bolter. While it may be an item of mining equipment, it doesn't "mine" anything. In New Zealand these are generally not as big and are operated by remote control, just in case.

[tri boy]

Get the big gear in, and rip into it. There's only a few snails to worry about.:whistle:
Never had the pleasure to play with a O&K RH400, only the 200. Still good fun.:headbang:

[tri boy]

Couldn't stop myself. I'm just a big kid in the sandbox.

[CookMySock]

big? snort!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xjlBfS7ttIg&feature=related

THIS is big.

DB

[tri boy]

No good.
The snails could out sprint it:shutup:
(nah, I'm just jealous yours is bigger than mine. get it? mine:rofl:)

[Flatcap]

big? snort!!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xjlBfS7ttIg&feature=related

THIS is big.

DB

R2D2's mum needs to lay off the doughnuts...