| In the seven years I have lived in New Zealand, I have | | | | we stopped selling exports and overseas travel to |
| often heard new immigrants from Europe, South | | | | tourists - owing to circumstances which were totally |
| Africa and North America refer to it as a second | | | | beyond our control. |
| world country. As evidence of New Zealand's second | | | | A Second World Perspective on the Sustainability |
| world status, they cite the fact that Kiwis wear | | | | Movement |
| thermal underwear, down vests and mufflers to work | | | | All this got me thinking whether New Zealand, like |
| in the winter (owing to ambient indoor temperatures of | | | | Iceland, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Portugal, which all face |
| 60-63 degrees F - energy is already extremely | | | | massive debt problems through no fault of their own, |
| expensive here); that most professional women feel | | | | might have something to offer the global sustainability |
| guilty using a clothes dryer and still hang their washing | | | | movement. Although it rarely makes the nightly news, |
| on the line; and that Do It Yourself and jury-rigging with | | | | the sustainability movement is a growing influence in |
| duct tape and Number 8 wire are a matter of national | | | | the lives of the educated middle class in most |
| pride and summoning a repairman is seen as an | | | | industrialized countries. Millions of people world wide |
| unmanly extravagance. | | | | accept that they face a less energy intensive future |
| The terminology first, second and third world was | | | | (whether due to a shrinking global economy, fossil fuel |
| originally coined during the Cold War to designated | | | | depletion or international treaties to reduce carbon |
| capitalist countries aligned with the US (first world), | | | | emissions). Which means millions of people are already |
| communist countries aligned with the USSR (second | | | | making conscious lifestyle choices to reduce their |
| world), and countries aligned with neither (third world). | | | | energy and carbon footprint. |
| Recently, however, especially the terms first and third | | | | It's a historical fact that New Zealand was a latecomer |
| world are used to describe economic status, as | | | | to globalization and the pressure this produced to |
| opposed to political alignment. | | | | become an export-driven economy. Prior to the |
| The term "second world" has definitely taken on a | | | | disastrous "structural adjustment" New Zealand under |
| new meaning in New Zealand - especially since the | | | | went in 1984 (aka Rogernomics), Kiwis got along just |
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) came knocking at | | | | fine without the billions of dollars of cheap Asian |
| our door last week. I wonder if this might also be the | | | | imports that dominate our retail shelves at present. In |
| case in Iceland, Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal - other | | | | fact women of my own generation talk of growing |
| countries facing unsustainable debt levels as they | | | | their own fruit, veggies and chooks (chickens) in their |
| struggle to keep vital public programs going. | | | | backyard when their children were young, as well as |
| Three days ago Radio New Zealand National reported | | | | canning surplus fruit and veggies for winter, sewing |
| that the IMF was asking the New Zealand government | | | | their children's clothes, knitting their jumpers (sweaters) |
| to make further cuts in public spending. I had shivers up | | | | and saving and recycling string, rags, scrap metal and |
| my spine, flashing back to the time my grandmother | | | | any other household waste that could be used for |
| had a collision with a known Mafia figure and our | | | | some other purpose. It is intriguing to watch many of |
| family received one of those offers you can't refuse. | | | | them fall back on these deeply engrained habits, as |
| My colleagues in the National Health Service (where I | | | | they make conscious choices to reduce their energy |
| work as a child and adolescent psychiatrist) and I are | | | | and carbon footprint. |
| very wary of the IMF's so-called "recommendations." In | | | | New Zealand also has the advantage of having a |
| fact we can see little difference between the IMF | | | | mainly agricultural economy and a slower rate of |
| knocking at your door and a mafia or gang member | | | | urbanization than other industrialized countries. At |
| trying to sell you a protection racket. | | | | present 55.6% percent of Kiwis live in New Zealand's |
| New Zealand is the only industrialized country I know | | | | 12 cities, as opposed to an average 75% urbanization |
| of that didn't implement economic bail-outs for banks, | | | | rate for other industrialized countries. Thus making it |
| jobless workers or families losing their homes. | | | | relatively easy for at least half of New Zealanders to |
| Moreover, as a result of the recession, our | | | | undertake concrete local energy conservation, |
| government has already made major cuts to public | | | | alternative transport and waste reduction initiatives, as |
| spending, resulting in the layoff of 1500 public service | | | | well as creating community gardens, farmers markets |
| workers. However the IMF expects us to go still | | | | and community supported agriculture schemes. |
| further, with specific recommendations that we end | | | | New Zealand Transition Towns Movement |
| free GP visits (for children, seniors and the | | | | Most of New Zealand's sustainability related |
| disadvantaged) and student loan rebates (to address | | | | organizations are locally based and formal or informal |
| an extremely critical shortage of doctors and | | | | members of Transition Towns New Zealand, a |
| teachers). In other words they want us to "privatize" | | | | member of the global Transition Towns movement |
| aspects of our health care system and tertiary | | | | that started in Ireland and the UK. In perusing the TT |
| education. | | | | New Zealand website, it is interesting to see how |
| The Pressure to Privatize Our National Health Service | | | | many local groups have taken up concepts that |
| Given that New Zealand has a national health service, | | | | originated with the Y2K movement of the late nineties |
| and that both National (the conservatives) and Labour | | | | - which was advising people on preparing for the |
| (the liberals) support the belief that health care is a | | | | possible "End of Civilization as We Know It." The |
| basic human right, I see a clear subtext here. It is well | | | | following are key examples: |
| known the people who run the IMF (who for the most | | | | Initiatives to improve local food (and water) security: |
| part represent financial institutions such as banks, | | | | ¨ De-paving - digging up private and public driveways |
| brokerage firms and insurance companies) do not | | | | and parking lots and replacing them with backyard |
| accept the notion of a right to health care. They view | | | | veggie gardens and community orchards and gardens. |
| health care delivery as a commodity with immense | | | | ¨ Lawn liberation - replacing lawns and ornamental |
| profit potential - and see absolutely no reason why | | | | trees and shrubs with fruit and nut trees and |
| private health insurance companies should be denied | | | | productive gardens. |
| the right to make a profit from illness and human | | | | ¨ Development of "bioregional" transportation security |
| misery in all industrialized countries, as they do in the | | | | (that doesn't rely on imported oil) for food delivery (99.9 |
| US. I know this because the structural adjustment | | | | percent of human existence has relied on a bioregional |
| programs they impose on debtor nations always | | | | economic model - which entails sourcing the majority |
| includes a demand that these countries abolish their | | | | of food and other essentials within a 100 mile radius) |
| publicly funded health systems and open their markets | | | | ¨ Development of strong community networks to |
| to private insurance companies. | | | | provide neighbourhood patrols in the absence of police |
| What Happens if We Refuse an Offer We Can't | | | | services. |
| Refuse? | | | | ¨ Neighborhood systems of rainwater collection and |
| If New Zealand were frittering away IMF money, I | | | | purification |
| could accept that the IMF might be in a position to | | | | ¨ Strong local credit unions and locally owned |
| dictate how we spend it. However New Zealand | | | | businesses and cooperatives |
| hasn't borrowed any money from the IMF. At present | | | | ¨ A local currency or trading system |
| New Zealand borrows approximately $250 millions per | | | | ¨ Building a solid tradition of neighbors sharing with |
| week from commercial lenders at 4 - 6.5% interest. | | | | one another and helping each other one other out. |
| We pay a low interest rate because we have an | | | | ¨ Increasing local expertise in permaculture and |
| AA+ (countries receive credit ratings just like | | | | biointensive agriculture techniques, should industrial |
| individuals). | | | | fertilizers and insecticides (which are manufactured |
| The threat, of course, is that if New Zealand fails to | | | | from fossil fuels) become unavailable or prohibitively |
| cut public spending enough to satisfy its global lenders, | | | | expensive. |
| our credit rating will be downgraded from AA+ to | | | | Initiatives to improve energy security: |
| BBB- (like Iceland and Greece) and our government will | | | | ¨ Neighborhood and community solar and wind |
| be force to borrow from the IMF (like Iceland and | | | | power energy systems |
| Greece). We will then be forced to pay 18% interest | | | | ¨ A shift in urban planning to put essential services |
| and agree to draconian cuts in health and education. | | | | closer to residential areas, facilitating increased use of |
| Fitch and other rating agencies are supposed to be | | | | public transportation and an increase in active transport |
| independent from the financial institutions that control | | | | (walking, cycling, skateboarding, etc.). |
| the IMF. However recent criminal prosecutions suggest | | | | ¨ Ensuring that everyone in your neighborhood has |
| that they aren't - and that banks and other financial | | | | dry firewood, candles and oil lamps and ensuring that |
| institutions can "buy" favorable or unfavorable credit | | | | schools, churches and other neighborhood gathering |
| ratings to suit their commercial interests. | | | | sites are similarly prepared. |
| If New Zealand was inhospitable to foreign companies | | | | Like the Y2K movement that proceeded it, the |
| wanting to do business here or irresponsible in | | | | Transition Town movement emphasizes the |
| collecting taxes or managing government fraud and | | | | over-riding importance of building strong social |
| corruption, it would be a far different story. However | | | | networks to cushion the impact of a sudden economic |
| New Zealand is consistently designated as the country | | | | shock or infrastructure breakdown. This approach is |
| with the least red tape and regulation for foreign | | | | supported by extensive medical and psychological |
| businesses, as well as the most fraud free. We also | | | | studies showing that people with strong social |
| have a well-earned reputation for frugality. Our | | | | networks recover more quickly from any illness, |
| government ran a surplus between 1999 and October | | | | personal crisis or catastrophe. |
| 2008 - the month the world economy collapsed and | | | | |