Elephants might not fly. Image: Donald Iain Smith/Getty
Elephants might not fly. Image: Donald Iain Smith/Getty

SocietyJanuary 20, 2020

The NZ tourism industry cannot afford to ignore the elephant in the room

Guest writer
Elephants might not fly. Image: Donald Iain Smith/Getty
Elephants might not fly. Image: Donald Iain Smith/Getty

While New Zealand may continue to prosper from the tourist dollar for a decade or two yet, there is the very real prospect that the climate crisis will drive international tourism down, writes James Renwick.

The headline read “Tourism industry working to ensure a sustainable future” but there was scant evidence of true sustainability thinking in the article. Looking forward to growth – as a tourism industry leader did in the piece – is a red flag for a start. Growth is ultimately unsustainable, wherever it is occurring. I wonder: does Tourism New Zealand have a maximum number of tourists in mind? It would be very interesting to know, and something that would form the basis for an excellent public discussion. The recent report from the parliamentary commissioner for the environment on the environmental consequences of tourism growth was based on the assumption of a tripling in international tourist numbers, reaching 10 million visitors per year by 2050. Is that sustainable? Or even feasible?

From what I can see, there is no serious consideration of climate change built in to planning around the future of tourism here in Aotearoa. We present an attractive destination, for sure, but most tourists fly here and we all know that air travel is a very high-emissions form of transport. Yes, renewably powered short-haul aircraft are making an appearance, but the prospects for electric long-haul flying, or for 100% biofuel-powered planes, look pretty slim. Cutting back on flying is often touted as one of the main things all of us can do to reduce our carbon footprint, as explained by Shaun Hendy in his recent book NoFly.

The concept of “flight shame”, or flygskam as the Swedes call it, is gaining ground in Europe. The BBC suggested that the growth in air travel might be halved as a result. As other sectors of the economy decarbonise, emissions from air travel become relatively a larger proportion of the carbon footprint of tourism, as shown in the PCE’s report. As pressure mounts to reduce emissions and reduce the pace of climate change, it isn’t hard to imagine international tourist numbers declining rather than growing. More may switch to cruise ships, but they are hardly emissions-free.

If taking “climate action” by reducing emissions isn’t enough of a worry for our tourist industry, the direct effects of climate change should be. Continued warming will see every aspect of our environment change. Our iconic glaciers will recede far up their valleys, many native species will be pushed to the brink of extinction, and we’ll see coastal property and infrastructure eaten away (and no longer insured or insurable), all of which will affect our economy and ability to support the tourist industry. It will also affect the desirability of New Zealand as a tourist destination.

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Who will be visiting Aotearoa in future? Will significant numbers of overseas tourists continue to have the discretionary income to afford holidays in New Zealand? Unless we see transformational change around the world in terms of emissions reductions, further climate change will lead to more damaging extreme events, higher sea levels, impacts on food security and water availability, and significant economic impacts worldwide. The multibillion-dollar cost of this summer’s fires in Australia is a taste of things to come.

The economic impacts of increasingly severe heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires have the potential to seriously damage the global economy. That’s why the World Economic Forum in their 2020 Global Risks Report rate climate change and environmental problems as the four top issues facing the global economy. According to the WEF, failure to act on climate change would more damaging than a nuclear conflict, and a lot more likely.

In the face of an uncertain economic future, and a potentially rocky road for global food security, the chances of continued growth in the tourism sector look far from guaranteed. While New Zealand may continue to prosper from the tourist dollar for a decade or two yet, there is the very real prospect that international tourism may be on the way down long before 2050. If the globe misses the Paris Agreement limits of 1.5C and then 2C of global warming, an ailing tourism sector would be the least of our worries. Are such futures on the table in tourism industry discussions?

Keep going!
A snus user about to put the pouch in their mouth (Getty Images)
A snus user about to put the pouch in their mouth (Getty Images)

SocietyJanuary 14, 2020

What’s the deal with Snus – the smokeless nicotine in a pouch?

Staff Writer
A snus user about to put the pouch in their mouth (Getty Images)
A snus user about to put the pouch in their mouth (Getty Images)

Those looking for an alternative to smoking are increasing going for the small pouches of leaves known as Snus. But what on earth are they, and are they really as safe as is claimed?

No but really, what is a Snus?

A snus is a small pouch, filled with tobacco or some other leaf, which you put in between your lips and gums. Basically, it’s a teabag for nicotine, which you brew up in your mouth for about half an hour per pouch.

Why would anyone want to do that? 

Basically, the major selling point for snus is that it’s a way of getting a nicotine hit, without also having to actually take smoke into your lungs. That can mean a significant amount of harm reduction, as much of the damage of smoking comes from inhaling the smoke itself. It also makes nicotine consumption possible any time, anywhere. In theory, vaping inside workplaces isn’t banned like smoking is, but in practice many organisations and venues don’t allow it.

Where does the word Snus come from?

Pronounced kind of like snooze, the word snus comes from Swedish, which to this day is where the largest amount of snus-sucking takes place. It’s a translation of the word ‘snuff’, even though snuff is a whole other thing entirely – that’s when you snort powdered tobacco right up into your nose.

And now snus is getting more popular in New Zealand?

It is, but slowly. Cosmic Corner is among the few retailers around the country who stock snus products, under the White Fox brand. Nell Rice, the head buyer for Cosmic, said it continues to grow in popularity. “We’ve had it for about six months or so, and it’s definitely found a niche. It’s already super-popular in Europe.” Right now in Sweden, more men consume snus than smoke. Rice also said that there wasn’t really any sort of observable consumer demand for snus in New Zealand until recently, with interest corresponding with availability.

So is it, or is it not, tobacco?

The snus products on sale in New Zealand are not tobacco. In fact, these Ministry of Health guidelines suggest that tobacco snus are actually banned in New Zealand. But while non-tobacco snus are still R18 (as is the case with all nicotine delivery products), in other ways snus aren’t subject to the same laws as cigarettes.

How so?

Snus can be branded in a way that is no longer allowed for other tobacco products. Hence, you can buy packets of ‘White Fox’ snus, as opposed to purchasing them in a nondescript box which is the colour of microwaved vomit. They’re also not subject to excise tax, which results in a dramatically reduced retail price. While a 20 pack of durries will now cost up to $40, a 20 pack of Snus pouches retails for about $13.

So it’s cheaper and less harmful – should we all be snusing?

Not necessarily, and it’s very important to note that such products absolutely aren’t harmless. For starters, they get you addicted to nicotine, which is literally never a good thing to get hooked on. There have been various studies undertaken on the health effects of snus-use, with some finding it correlates with higher levels of oral, throat and pancreatic cancer than if you never snuded a snus. Having said that, a report from the NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram found that snus could work as a harm reduction tool, as “people smoke for the nicotine but they die from the tar”. Jeram also suggested that it made sense to have a less punitive tool for policymakers to use for the Smokefree 2025 goal, rather than simply ramping up the tax on ciggies year after year.

Are there other side effects of snus? 

As with any other nicotine product, it’s the quitting which causes the worst side-effects. And the jury is somewhat out on whether harm reduction products like vaping or snus actually do help people quit smoking, as the nicotine addiction remains. Initial use of snus can cause dizziness and vomiting, particularly for those who aren’t already addicted to nicotine. Some users also report that it markedly increases salivation (others disagree) and with that, it can increase the need to spit, which is gross. And finally, nicotine is a laxative, which means that snus-users might be more likely to find themselves caught short.

Is it actually a pleasant experience to use a snus? 

Here, opinions will vary. However, senior writer at The Spinoff Alex Casey tried it recently, and summed up the mouth-feel of a Snu with a negative two-word review: “It burns.”

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