It was part of Parliament's formal condolences to the country and Norman was criticised for it. One of my Twitter buddies put it in context, tweeting "it was supposed to be a meaningless handwringing pro forma pretend-to-give-a-shit-athon".
Sano said, and Norman repeated: "Science tells us that simply, climate change will mean more intense tropical storms. As the Earth warms up, that would include the oceans. The energy that is stored in the waters off the Philippines will increase the intensity of typhoons and the trend we now see is that more destructive storms will be the new norm."
For me, it makes me question the term "natural" disaster, given the human impact on the incredible acceleration in climate change. Sano said developed countries needed to increase their emission reduction targets and stop procrastinating.
In the same week, it was reported that Prime Minister John Key is signalling ties to Conservative Party leader Colin Craig, a self-disclosed climate sceptic.
Craig said on 3 News there was a wide variety of factors including "the circulation of the planets" that impacted on climate change. He disagrees with the hundreds of scientists from 113 countries who reviewed six years of research and believe human-generated emissions account for most of the global rise in temperatures in the past 50 years.
And last week on TV3, The Vote looked at the question of whether NZ needs more mining. The results showed a majority of Kiwis said "no". Now the survey tools used are not statistically robust, but they still send a clear message that a growing number of people want to see a stronger commitment to alternate energy sources.
During The Vote, the classic slap-in-the-face debate technique reared its ugly head when debaters were asked how they travelled to the debate - by car was the answer by all three.
This is meant to shut down people by labelling them hypocrites. However, as one noted, he purchased his vehicle with the intention of using bio-diesel but government commitments changed.
When I worked on a major highway upgrade project in Western Australia, we investigated the use of bio-diesel in our construction machinery and I discovered that the Brisbane City Council had been successfully using a bio-diesel blend in its pavement work for years.
There are alternatives, including those that make use of waste products like tallow from meat processing. However, our Government seeking a partner who denies the human impact on climate change doesn't seem a likely pathway to reduced emissions.
I believe we need to make strong and serious commitments to alternatives unless we want the experience of the Philippines to become the new norm.
A few of my favourite things about Whanganui are on the frontline of local climate change risk from floods: Kowhai Park, Kai Iwi and South beaches, the river traders' market and our Taupo Quay heritage buildings. We don't want our one in 20 year floods to happen every year - it's time for change.
Nicola Young is a former Department of Conservation manager who now works for global consultancy AECOM. Educated at Wanganui Girls' College, she has a science degree and is the mother of two boys.
