Green Party MP sounds climate change warning

Humanity will enter "a new dark age" if we continue to abuse the environment, Green Party MP Nandor Tanczos told Southland students yesterday.

Mr Tanczos, who spoke to students at the Southern Institute of Technology, said climate change, peak oil, drying up metal deposits and reduced food security would see the end of the world as we know it.

Without a plan to use resources in a more sustainable fashion the world is facing economic collapse, a loss of knowledge and the end of democracy.

"If we sleep-walk into the future we could be facing a disastrous situation" he said.

Invercargill was the third stop in what will be one of Mr Tanczos' last tours as an MP. The list MP has announced he will leave parliament at the election this year.

Mr Tanczos said although the content of his presentation was depressing, he had received a "positive response" from the institute's students.

People wanted to have a "deeper discussion" about the issues facing the world, he said.

Mr Tanczos did provide some hope, urging communities to come up with solutions for themselves.

The Green Party's 2005 Invercargill electorate candidate Craig Carson said Mr Tanczos' ideas were receiving increased support from Southlanders.

The Greens were no longer thought of as "oddballs" in the region, he said. However, he confirmed the party was struggling to find a Clutha-Southland candidate for this year's election.