4 September 2007 Nation's environmental sustainability goes under microscope

Lincoln University presents its ninth annual State of the Nation's Environment Address on Thursday (6 September) and this year's presenter is Gillian Wratt, Chief Executive of the Cawthron Institute, Nelson.

The address, in Lincoln University's Stewart 1 Lecture Theatre, begins at 4.30pm and Ms Wratt will speak on "Sustainability and New Zealand: perspectives and solutions".

She will outline international perspectives on sustainability, review what is currently happening in New Zealand and give some examples of bold approaches being proposed in other parts of the world.

The Cawthron Institute offers advisory services in environmental monitoring and assessment and chemical, microbiological and physical testing of water, effluent, solids, food and shellfish.

Ms Wratt says that Prime Minister Helen Clark drew a line in the sand earlier this year when, in her opening statement to Parliament, she said that New Zealand could aim to be the first nation to be truly sustainable across the four pillars of the economy, society, the environment and nationhood.

"If we were to aspire to being carbon neutral in our economy and way of life, what would this mean for New Zealand and where would we be in relation to other countries?" asks Ms Wratt.

The State of the Nation's Environment Address is a free public lecture and all are welcome to attend.

Speakers in previous years have included Cabinet Ministers such as Marian Hobbs and Ministry chief executives such as Barry Carbon and Hugh Logan.

Ian Collins, Communications Group, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand