The Green Party has drafted an anti-mining bill and launched a computer game to highlight its message.
Green MP Gareth Hughes drafted a member's bill aimed at providing incentives for clean and low-carbon economic development and partnered it with a video game to emphasise his anti lignite (low grade coal) message.
The goal of the game is to fill a hole with coal.
The Climate Change Response (Low Carbon Economic Development) Amendment Bill would amend the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to ensure all new activities and industries that use lignite, are fully liable for the costs of the greenhouse gas emissions they emit.
The bill would establish a clean green taskforce to explore developing the green economy, including considering the implications for New Zealand of the exploitation of lignite and other greenhouse gas emitting substances.
"Large scale lignite mining in Southland could see New Zealand's carbon emissions increase by as much as 10 million tonnes a year, when we already need to decrease them by more than 20 million tonnes a year," Mr Hughes said.
"That is bad for our environment and our economy. We should be pursuing modern renewable energy solutions, not 19th century coal."
The bill was based on recommendations by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Jan Wright, who opposed lignite plants and subsidies they might get that could cost taxpayers billions.
