It was necessary for me to pull out of college but my Major was, and still is, Natural Resource Management. My Professor, Dr. Scott has traveled to NZ many times and brought up several times in her lectures, her concerns about not only the wildlife there but your ecosystem as well. Most people don't, won't, or can't understand that when we start talking about places like Alaska or New Zeland that are on the "end of the road" that the balance of the ecosystem is even more fragile than anywhere else, where some of these problems and concerns already exist. Some things can't be changed there, but places like NZ, Alaska, Greenland, etc., it may not be to late. But to see them first hand makes my heart sad knowing that each and everyone of us could make a small change and have an impact on there futures.
This probably isn't a place to get into a deep discussion about this. But as far as I am concerned, each and everyone of us, as human beings has the right, the responsibility, and the duty to our fellow inhabitants, human or not, to pay attention to the carbon footprint we leave behind.
Maybe thats why I want to visit NZ so bad, because what little I do know about it, I know your citizens at least care about the environment around you, and so do we here in Alaska. We talk a big noise, but the truth is we all here care very deeply about this state and the beauty and love we live around or we wouldn't be here. Those that don't truly care don't last long and they are "asked" to leave.