Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand
'Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand' traces the evolution of environmental administration in New Zealand since the dawn of the ‘environmental era’ in the late 1960s. The national campaign to stop the government from raising the water level in the scenically spectacular Lake
Manapouri for a hydro dam is widely credited with the awakening of environmental awareness in New Zealand.
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Since then, New Zealand has established institutions and legislation dedicated to managing our environment, and the public’s ability to participate in environmental
decision-making has been strengthened markedly. At the same time, New Zealanders’ knowledge and awareness of environmental issues have also increased. Even so, the latest reports on our environment indicate that all is not well: our waterways continue
to deteriorate, our biodiversity is in decline and our greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb.
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By tracing this history, Beyond Manapouri seeks to explain why the institutions and legislation that were put in place to improve the stewardship of our environment have failed to halt environmental decline.It also identifies the cultural shifts that will need to take place if we are to live up to the ‘clean, green’ image we have constructed for ourselves in New Zealand.
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In the media/book reviews
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New Zealand Herald (Jamie Morton), Has New Zealand failed its environment? - 3 June 2018.
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History News Network, New Zealand is giving environmentalists a reason to be hopeful - 22 July 2018.
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Book review on Landscape Architecture Aotearoa - 9 August, 2018.
Stuff, The public is ready for environmental change - now we need a lead from politicians - 18 September 2018.
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Catherine Knight interview with RNZ's Kathryn Ryan: Beyond Manapouri, 50 years of environmental politics - 14 November 2018.
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Book review, Shaun Barnett, New Zealand Backcountry Magazine - November, 2018.
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Book review, Sam Mahon, New Zealand Review of books - Summer, 2018.
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Interview on RNZ Afternoons with Jesse Mulligan, Reconsidering our economic system - 4 October 2023.
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