Levels of pesticide residue in New Zealand fruit and vegetables are the worst ever, say pro-organic food lobby groups. The results of the annual New Zealand Food Safety Authority survey had revealed unacceptable pesticide levels in New Zealand fruit and vegetables, Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa spokeswoman Meriel Watts said. It was unacceptable that 94 percent of fruit and vegetable samples contained traces of pesticides, and NSFSA was wrong when it had said that no samples contained levels dangerous to human health, she said. It was particularly disturbing that 11 out of 23 cucumber samples had contained residues of the banned chemical endulsalfan. “If we are going to be importing endosulfan-containing food from countries such as Australia then the food should be labelled with country of origin so that buyers can avoid it,” she said. - Agriculture News
New Zealand’s sixth consecutive monthly trade surplus in June – and the first surplus for a June month since 2002 – might be as good as the trade balance gets. Statistics New Zealand said exports were 17 percent up from June 2009, while imports eased 1.6 percent. Dairy and meat export volumes rose in the June quarter and were surprisingly strong given indications that dairy and meat production had fallen. The June month trade surplus was $276 million, or 7.3 percent of exports, while for the year to June there was a surplus of $639m. BNZ senior economist Craig Ebert said the figures were good enough to suggest decent GDP growth through the June quarter, but also suggested the trade surplus was close to peaking. The economy still faced major ‘rebalancing issues’, he said. - Otago Daily Times
The dream of harnessing wave energy and reducing costly diesel generation for electricity might become a reality for the Chatham Islands. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced that Chatham Islands Marine Energy Ltd has been awarded $2.16 million for a wave energy project, subject to conditions including receiving resource consent. The project’s two 110kW turbines, to be installed on the southwest coast of the main island, could supply more than half the island’s electricity needs. Mr Brownlee suggested there was potential for similar projects in other isolated areas of New Zealand and in the Pacific Islands. Crest Energy’s Kaipara Harbour project and Wave-Energy Technology New Zealand’s pre-commercial device, to be installed in Taranaki, have also received funding. New Zealand has an estimated marine energy potential of over 7000mW. - The National Business Review
Is this what Steve Jobs meant when he said the Apple iPad was magical? Japanese genius Aircord Lab has demonstrated how, by using a pyramid-shaped screen made with a special film, and a simple iPhone app that has moving images, it can create 3-D images that float within the pyramid and can be seen with the naked eye. Called the N-3D, it’s a bit like the Sony 360-degree volumetric 3-D display, although not as perfect because it isn’t seamless. The app is also able to determine sounds, so you can interact with it by clapping.
BP executives have promised a “smaller and wiser” company in the wake of its massive oil spill disaster. CEO Tony Hayward stepped down after the company revealed a $23 billion loss. He will be replaced by American Bob Dudley, who promises a fresh start. But cleaning up BP’s public image might be as difficult as cleaning up the oil slick itself. As well as recording one of the biggest losses in corporate history, the oil giant will also have to write off between $34 and $40 billion to pay for the oil spill. BP already has plans to sell off one-tenth of its assets. The company still faces legal action from states such as Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as individuals, fishermen, and shareholders, as well as families of those who are dead. - 3News
The Reserve Bank has raised interest rates to 3 percent as expected, but has indicated that it is likely to take a pause in its rate hike cycle. Reserve Bank Governor Alan Bollard hinted that interest rates were likely to increase more slowly than the bank predicted six weeks ago, as he announced a 0.25 per cent increase in the Official Cash Rate to 3 percent. It is the second time in six weeks that the OCR, which influences mortgage rates, has been raised, but economists widely expected the move. Dr Bollard said that while a rate hike was appropriate now, more increases in the OCR were expected to be more gradual than predicted in June because of a weak global economic recovery. The New Zealand dollar tumbled after the Reserve Bank statement. -stuff.co.nz
Tauranga software company Pingar has begun an ambitious push into Chinese language computer search engines. Co-founder and chief executive Peter Wren-Hilton says the four year-old company has tapped the resources of New Zealand-based Chinese-speaking researchers to tailor its search engine technology for the world’s biggest market. Pingar’s search software is targeted at businesses wanting to trawl their internal databases, and possibly the internet. Based on Pingar’s business-focused search algorithms, the software differs from traditional web search engines such as Google because it delivers results in the form of a PDF document, rather than a list on internet links. Mr Wren-Hilton says the company’s strategy as an exporter has included using the resources of government agencies to smooth the way into markets such as China and attracting the interest of, and working with, high-profile partner Microsoft. - The New Zealand Herald
Levels of pesticide residue in New Zealand fruit and vegetables are the worst ever, say pro-organic food lobby groups. The results of the annual New Zealand Food Safety Authority survey had revealed unacceptable pesticide levels in New Zealand fruit and vegetables, Pesticide Action Network Aotearoa spokeswoman Meriel Watts said. It was unacceptable that 94 percent of fruit and vegetable samples contained traces of pesticides, and NSFSA was wrong when it had said that no samples contained levels dangerous to human health, she said. It was particularly disturbing that 11 out of 23 cucumber samples had contained residues of the banned chemical endulsalfan. “If we are going to be importing endosulfan-containing food from countries such as Australia then the food should be labelled with country of origin so that buyers can avoid it,” she said. 
New Zealand’s sixth consecutive monthly trade surplus in June – and the first surplus for a June month since 2002 – might be as good as the trade balance gets. Statistics New Zealand said exports were 17 percent up from June 2009, while imports eased 1.6 percent. Dairy and meat export volumes rose in the June quarter and were surprisingly strong given indications that dairy and meat production had fallen. The June month trade surplus was $276 million, or 7.3 percent of exports, while for the year to June there was a surplus of $639m. BNZ senior economist Craig Ebert said the figures were good enough to suggest decent GDP growth through the June quarter, but also suggested the trade surplus was close to peaking. The economy still faced major ‘rebalancing issues’, he said. 
The dream of harnessing wave energy and reducing costly diesel generation for electricity might become a reality for the Chatham Islands. Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced that Chatham Islands Marine Energy Ltd has been awarded $2.16 million for a wave energy project, subject to conditions including receiving resource consent. The project’s two 110kW turbines, to be installed on the southwest coast of the main island, could supply more than half the island’s electricity needs. Mr Brownlee suggested there was potential for similar projects in other isolated areas of New Zealand and in the Pacific Islands. Crest Energy’s Kaipara Harbour project and Wave-Energy Technology New Zealand’s pre-commercial device, to be installed in Taranaki, have also received funding. New Zealand has an estimated marine energy potential of over 7000mW. 
BP executives have promised a “smaller and wiser” company in the wake of its massive oil spill disaster. CEO Tony Hayward stepped down after the company revealed a $23 billion loss. He will be replaced by American Bob Dudley, who promises a fresh start. But cleaning up BP’s public image might be as difficult as cleaning up the oil slick itself. As well as recording one of the biggest losses in corporate history, the oil giant will also have to write off between $34 and $40 billion to pay for the oil spill. BP already has plans to sell off one-tenth of its assets. The company still faces legal action from states such as Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as individuals, fishermen, and shareholders, as well as families of those who are dead. 
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Tauranga software company Pingar has begun an ambitious push into Chinese language computer search engines. Co-founder and chief executive Peter Wren-Hilton says the four year-old company has tapped the resources of New Zealand-based Chinese-speaking researchers to tailor its search engine technology for the world’s biggest market. Pingar’s search software is targeted at businesses wanting to trawl their internal databases, and possibly the internet. Based on Pingar’s business-focused search algorithms, the software differs from traditional web search engines such as Google because it delivers results in the form of a PDF document, rather than a list on internet links. Mr Wren-Hilton says the company’s strategy as an exporter has included using the resources of government agencies to smooth the way into markets such as China and attracting the interest of, and working with, high-profile partner Microsoft. 