Debate | Issue 5 | Ethics

DEBATE Issue 5 | May 2018

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PRESENTS

FLICKER

WORLD

TOUR

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WITH SPECIAL GUEST

annual general meeting

1 JUNE SPARK ARENA

Tuesday 22 May | 12-2 pm | Vesbar

Free pizza, snacks and soft drinks

Debut album

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Contents

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Ethics: WTF Is the Point? :: Page 14

What's In Your Hands?

Page 20

Caught at a Crossroad Page 24

Fear-Trade Page 28

Ethical Eggs Benedict Page 32

C OV E R I L L U S T R AT I O N BY H O P E M C C O N N E L L

EDITOR Julie Cleaver debate@aut.ac.nz DESIGNER Ramina Rai rrai@aut.ac.nz ADVERTISING Jesse Jones jesse.jones@aut.ac.nz

CONTRIBUTORS Chandra Hardita, Clodagh O’Carroll, David Evans Bailey, Hope McConnell, Irra Lee, Jennifer Daruwalla, Kelly Enright, Kristi Haldane, Laura Brookes, Mackenzie Valgre, Melissa Koh, Sarah Pollok

PRINTER Nicholson Print Solutions DISCLAIMER

Material contained in this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of AUTSA, its advertisers, contributors, Nicholson Print Solutions or its subsidiaries.

Debate is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA).

This publication is entitled to the full protection given by the Copyright Act 1994 (“the Act”) to the holders of the copyright, being AUT STUDENT ASSOCIATION (“AUTSA”). Reproduction, storage or display of any part of this publication by any process, electronic or otherwise (except for the educational purposes specified in the Act) without express permission is a break of the copyright of the publisher and will be prosecuted accordingly. Inquiries seeking permission to reproduce should be addressed to AUTSA.

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Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for tax. Denmark – the so-called ‘happiest country in the world’ – pay upwards of 40 percent tax on their income, and the benefits they reap are epic. One example: Danes not only get free university tuition, but they actually get paid to study.

But I’m not into taxing the poor and the middle-class, and Labour’s recent fuel tax, in my eyes, will do just that. Of course the policy will apply to anyone with a fuel tank – rich or poor – but it’s the poor who will suffer, because what’s an extra $520 a year to someone on a 150k+ salary? But for those with less, like us university students, that money could be the difference between paying rent one month and not.

Editor’s Letter Let's talk about ethics, baby!

Welcome to Issue 5! In this magazine we delve into all sorts of sticky ethical dilemmas, like Facebook privacy, ethical fashion and products, Auckland Uni’s library closures and more. It’s a solid read, and I promise it’s much sexier than your first-year ethics paper.

But now, the ethical issue I want to delve into is fuel prices, because recently, shit’s gotten real.

For those who don’t know, Transport Minister Phil Twyford just announced the Government plans to tax New Zealanders between nine and 12 cents more on fuel. That, along with Auckland Council’s fuel tax, will result in Aucklanders paying an extra 20 cents per litre on fuel. So for those filling up a standard 50 litre tank (think Toyota Corolla) once a week, you’ll be spending an extra $520 a year on fuel (!). Or, in AUT student-friendly terms, you’ll be paying for the equivalent of one smashed avocado every time a Debate Mag comes out (fortnightly).

Instead, if Labour really wanted to look out for the people, like it says, they should be taxing the mofos who make all their money from buying and selling houses. Think about it: buying a house isn’t actually boosting the productivity of the economy, it’s just owning something that someone else lives in. You’re not creating a business, working, or doing anything that adds real, added value to our country. And yet it’s hands down the easiest way to make money at the moment, as the income people generate from housing is hardly taxed.

I asked the Transport Minister Phil Twyford if he had anything to say about my scathing comments, and he responded promptly, stating that Auckland Council asked the Government to impose a regional fuel tax due to the City’s transport being a “basket case”.

He said the fuel tax will enable Auckland to build the transport infrastructure – including a modern public transport system with light rail – which it desperately needs.

But still, in my opinion, a fuel tax could be avoided. Tax the people at the top – they’re the ones with the extra money – not students and people at the bottom.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the rest of the mag and the ethical dilemmas it presents, and see you in two weeks!

Julie

Can't get enough of Debate? Check out our website, like or follow us on social media, or email the editor to get involved. www.debatemag.com

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What's On?

Cheap, free and koha events around town

Pink Shirt Day

Poetry Unwritten

Where: City Campus, Hikuwai Plaza; North Campus, Awataha Plaza; South Campus, AUTSA deck, ME building When: Friday 18 May, main event 12-1pm What: Wear a pink shirt, eat some delicious baking, marshmallows and BBQ and stand up together against bullying!

How much: Free

Where: Vesbar, AUT City Campus When: Thursday 17 May, 5.30pm with poetry starting at 6pm What: Be moved by some of New Zealand’s top spoken word poets who share their souls on stage.

How much: Free

Rainbow Asia Film Screening

Campus Kai

AUTSA’s AGM

Where/when: Tuesday May 22, North Campus, 11:45am-1pm; Wednesday May 23, South Campus, 12-1pm; Thursday May 24, City Campus, 12-1pm What: Do you like free food? And no, this isn’t some internet scam – AUTSA literally give you free food every Campus Kai. Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch?

How much: Free

Where: Vesbar, AUT City Campus When: Tuesday May 22, 12-1pm What: Be there and have your say at AUTSA’s Annual General Meeting! We’ll be discussing the annual report, budget and constitutional changes.

How much: Free

Where: WB327, AUT City Campus When: Thursday May 17, 5-8pm What: Celebrate the voices and stories of Asian Rainbow communities globally this International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBiT).

How much: Free

Morning Glory Where: AUT City Campus Gym, Dance Studio When: Friday 25 May, 7-9am What: Start your day feelin’ groovy with a morning dance party, DJs, entertainment and free breakfast. Thank you AUTSA! How much: Free

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Dharyin won 43.1 percent of the votes (803 out of 1,864 votes). He was recently sworn into office at AUTSA’s Special General Meeting (which had pizza, chicken and a whole lotta awesomeness).

news

As President, Dharyin is responsible for advocating for AUT students’ rights and pushing for university-wide policy change. He also is the Chair of AUTSA’s Governance Board (the people who make overarching decisions at AUTSA) and Chair of the Student Representative Council (the students who represent your diverse voices) so the position is a super big deal!

Presidents in past years have pushed AUT to implement e-submissions (which are coming soon!), capping parking prices on South Campus, getting the university to record lectures and more.

Meet Dharyin: AUTSA’s new student president!

By Julie Cleaver Dharyin Colbert, a third-year Computer Science student, has been voted in as AUTSA’s new Student President – hooray! He is taking over from Acting Student President Nadine Tupp.

In regards to the position, Dharyin says AUTSA has a unique and important role in the university and he cannot wait to make AUT a better place for students to learn.

"There's so much more we can be doing to support you, and we've already got a bunch of awesome stuff planned and coming up! So keep an ear out and let us know what we can do for you."

To get in touch with him, visit him in his office in the student lounge (WC202B) or send him an email: dharyin.colbert@aut.ac.nz.

Turns out y'all love Debate, thanks!

reflection of who we are as a student body. It's a great source of entertainment/news/promo and is definitely important to us!”

Recently the Debate crew ran a 10-question survey asking students to rate the mag. With a box of tissues in hand, we braced ourselves for what could have been a severe roasting session. But after reading the responses from 82 of you who filled it out, we burned that tissue box like a Dunedin kid burns couches and busted out the champagne.

Thanks for spreading the love, AUT students! We’re stoked to know that over 68 percent of you gave Debate an eight out of 10 or higher on the overall satisfaction scale. We’re also thrilled to read that 46 percent of you gave Debate’s design a 10 out of 10! Wowee! Here are a few of our favourite answers:

And no, not everyone is a fan, so here are some cherry-picked negative answers that we’re publishing due to hilarity and balance (all answers to the question ‘If you could change one thing about Debate, what would you change?’):

“As a contributor it's extremely important for my personal development.

As a reader it gives me context for my student experience.”

“Not so boring articles” “Everything. There’s nothing in this magazine that appeals to men. Way too female focused”

“I feel without Debate Mag, AUT wouldn't have a student culture at all.”

“That sometimes the aduticators make you lose because of the school/ the way you look lol”

“Debate basically keeps me updated on news, what’s happening and opportunities. I think it’s super useful for students and I can always find something to benefit from whether it’s advice or new knowledge.”

“Not make it so sjw based, it's cringy and bigoted towards white cis males which is ridiculous”

“First thing I saw at AUT, picked up a copy and fell in love.”

If you have more feedback for Debate, we’re always willing to hear it, so drop us an email: debate@aut.ac.nz.

“Debate is great (unintentional rhyme, hell yeah) because it is a

Last month hundreds of nurses, midwives and healthcare assistants rallied around the country to protest low wages and unsafe working conditions. Photo: New Zealand Nurses Organisation.

Protests around the country for underpaid nurses

By Mackenzie Valgre, AUTSA’s new Student Advocate Last month hundreds of nurses, healthcare assistants and midwives, and public health workers rallied around the country to protest low wages and unsafe working conditions.

After almost a decade of an underfunded healthcare system, the two percent pay increase offered by the District Health Boards (DHBs) to nurses, midwives, health care assistants and community nurses has got workers saying enough is enough.

DHBs are responsible for providing or funding healthcare in their district (like Northland, Auckland, Canterbury, Whanganui) and employ around 27,000 public health workers. To ensure fair working conditions for all, the 20 DHBs and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) sign a multiemployer collective agreement (MECA). This means that every public nurse, healthcare assistant and midwife is subject to the same pay scale, hours of work, overtime, and more, no matter what DHB they work in.

These collective agreements are fixed-

term, allowing for working conditions to be negotiated every few years. The most recent DHB MECA ended in July 2017 and in December, the DHB offered a two percent pay increase which NZNO members rejected (note that only union members can have a say).

On the 26th of March, the ‘revised’ offer, which contained barely any changes, was also rejected. NZNO launched the ‘#healthneedsnursing’ campaign and announced nationwide rallies. The government responded by offering an independent panel (stalling tactic, anyone?)

The next step in negotiations is a nationwide strike. This would involve a 24hour stoppage at all DHBs on the 5th and 12th of July, and members began voting on the 23rd of April to determine whether this will go ahead.

Public health workers have repeatedly said they don’t want to withhold healthcare from the public; they went into the sector to help people. But with the DHB refusing to lift their wages and recognise their invaluable work, it might be the only option they have left.

This is not the first time public health workers have had to fight for the government to recognise their worth. In the early 2000s, nurses were paid 10-20 percent less than teachers and police. NZNO launched the ‘Fair Pay – Because we’re worth it!’ campaign and gained pay parity in 2005. Now, new police officers start on $7,000 more than nurses and midwives, despite being paid to train instead of taking out a $25,000 student loan.

We need nurses, healthcare assistants and midwives, and they need to be paid a wage that reflects their qualifications, skills and the life-saving service they provide. As history shows, it is collective action that is going to achieve this. Turn up to any future rallies, chat to your friends and family about it and if you’re a nursing or midwifery student, join NZNO. When our healthcare system is under attack: stand up, fight back!

Got a problem you need help with? It could be related to your pay, rent, assignments, food security or something else. Make sure you visit AUTSA’s advocacy team; they exist for you and can help uphold your rights! For more, email: advocacy@aut.ac.nz.

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news

Pink Shirt Day: Why It Matters

By Jennifer Daruwalla Illustrations by Kristi Haldane New Zealand.

A country known for its landscapes, nature, sporting and welcoming communities.

We are ranked in the top 10 most beautiful countries in the world, and even in the top 10 friendliest countries.

But we are also ranked in the top 10 countries with shockingly high bullying and suicide rates.

In a recent survey conducted by Victoria University of Wellington, 94 percent of schools had witnessed bullying amongst its students. Those are some of the highest rates in the world.

But we are working to change that.

Every year, the world comes together to celebrate Pink Shirt Day – an initiative in which we work together to stop bullying

by celebrating our differences, embracing diversity and promoting a sense of community.

It is important to remember that bullying and harassment aren’t issues exclusive to children – people of all ages experience bullying in some way, shape or form, whether it’s at schools, universities, households, or even workplaces.

The aim of this initiative is to not only spread awareness of New Zealand’s bullying issue, but to call to action.

Here’s how you can get involved.

On Friday, the 18th of May, wear a pink shirt to show your support for the cause. On all three AUT campuses, there will be stalls to visit and activities to take part in, from morning to early afternoon.

I believe that bullying is something we should be talking about all year round, and events such as Pink Shirt Day allow communities to vocalise their support for each other and campaign to spark a conversation about bullying and harassment.

Personally, bullying has been something that I have both experienced and, unfortunately, taken part in. When I was younger, I was bullied for my weight and

ethnicity, and as a result, I took out my anger and frustration on others through verbal abuse. I hate to admit to having been a part of the problem but, thankfully, I am past that stage now, and I’ve learnt how to channel those frustrations into more creative outlets, such as art, music, literature and, as cliché as it sounds, helping others overcome what I did.

It isn’t always as easy as getting up and getting over your issues – it’s okay to ask for help.

I identify with the rainbow community, and although it is no surprise that LGBTQ+ communities have often been targets of bullying, I am privileged enough to have not experienced harassment in regards to my sexuality. However, I know people who haven’t been as fortunate as myself. I have always stood up for and fought for people in similar situations, and Pink Shirt Day helps to serve as a reminder to raise our voices for those who can’t.

We must raise our voices for everyone – regardless of age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability or cultural background.

So join us on Friday, the 18th of May, and let’s use our voices to Speak Up and Stand Together to Stop Bullying.

Photo: Newshub.

Library closures: What’s going on across the road?

By Mackenzie Valgre The University of Auckland is continuing its trend of hiking fees and slashing services. In March they released a new plan for the Libraries and Learning Services, which included closing the three Creative Arts and Industries (CAI) specialty libraries; the libraries on two of their other campuses, Epsom and Tamaki; and cutting 45 full-time jobs.

The Architecture & Planning, Music & Dance, and Fine Arts libraries are facing closure with the collections merged with the General Library where possible and the rest in off-campus storage where students will have to wait up to 24 hours to receive their books.

CAI students, naturally, were outraged.

Cass Power, a Fine Arts masters student, said that as the largest collection in the Southern Hemisphere, the library was one of her biggest drawcards to undertake her postgrad at Elam. The news of the library closure was devastating as “not only has some of my greatest advancements in my work happened here but...[this] is a decision that will affect all our creative industries heavily.”

Rachel Ashby, a Fine Arts graduate and organiser of the campaign ‘Save the Fine Arts Library’ told RNZ that the library is a community access point and is used by artists throughout Auckland, not just students.

In response to the plan, 89 students and staff occupied the Fine Arts library on the 27th of March demanding to speak to the Vice Chancellor, Stuart McCutcheon.

Instead, the University sent the police.

Around 1,000 students rallying outside the Vice Chancellor’s office received the same response. AUSA (Auckland University Students’ Association) had to give submissions on the plan to the Head of Security and within minutes. One police car turned into two along with two paddywagons, motorbikes and 20 plus police officers.

The police presence was an apt reminder that tertiary students are locked out of their education. We become indebted and foreclose our future to undertake study.

In an open letter published in NZ Herald, ten current and former English professors write that universities, which were once somewhat democratic spaces, are now corporations, and Vice Chancellors are simply highly educated CEOs, with a pay package to match. Stuart McCutcheon made between $710,000 and $719,999 last year, yet they need to close the CAI libraries and fire stuff to “cut costs.”

Both AUSA and the Save The Fine Arts Library campaign are situating these closures within a wider undervaluation of the arts in general. But if this ethics issue has demonstrated anything, it should be that the Arts is important. We need well designed cities, we need art, music and dance that transcends the 9-5 grind, and

we need to look at history to figure out the best way forward. Yet, the open letter writes, “once flourishing departments have been ruthlessly downsized,” programmes are being axed and “so-called small group tutorials” can have up to 30 students. Engineering, science, business and medicine all get new $200+ million buildings whilst the human science building crumbles.

Ultimately, universities are businesses and businesses don’t want to encourage thinking that challenges the status quo.

It is people who design robots, research cancer prevention, and write code. Arts is there to grapple with the seemingly impossible question of how seven billion people can best work together, and businesses are afraid that if enough of us realise that the current economic conditions, where a few are lining their pockets at the expense of the many, isn’t the best way they’re going to lose the top spot.

Education is not a business and the arts are more important than ever. We must take radical action to ensure the university is a place of academic freedom, of reimagining our world. “I walk[ed] by the library today,” Cass writes, “with placards sitting outside the door from our recent rally but dare not be moved.” May we stand united in opposition to the closures and reclaim our universities so they dare not move us, either.

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opinion

Canvas bags won't save the world

By Sarah Pollok

consequences of human’s treatment of the planet and the impending destruction

a diesel truck. But it does mean that the most effective thing we can do is use our

I was standing at the supermarket checkout armed with four reusable canvas bags and the smug smile that comes with the uncontrollable pride of doing good. My honourable canvas bags were saving the world and I wanted everyone – especially that man with the plastic bags in checkout lane four – to know it. Although my grin faded slightly at the bill after my organic bananas and vegan facewash were scanned through, I grit my teeth and scanned my card. I was comforted by the fact that I was ‘voting with my wallet’ and ‘being the change I wished to see’.

if changes weren’t made. However, the response on behalf of commentators and advocates wasn’t policy changes by governments or sustainability standards for global corporations but a mass systemic misdirection towards personal consumption. Simply put, instead of putting the responsibility on large companies and groups, we were told that the world could be saved if only we took shorter showers, cycled to work and used canvas bags.

influence and start demanding higher standards from the higher powers.

We’re all familiar with those earnest social movement catchphrases. It’s often those little mantras like ‘it all adds up’ that persuade us to sacrifice ease, time or money in pursuit of more ethical lives. And it’s true, it does add up, just not in the way we think it does.

See, voting with your wallet sounds pretty great. I mean, who doesn’t want to be empowered with a rush of selfless altruism every time they purchase something? But in truth, all of these little sayings are founded on the concept that people can collectively save the environmental state of the world through their individual consumption habits; an idea that doesn’t actually hold up super well when faced with the facts.

Awareness around climate change and sustainability first hit mainstream media in 2006 with the terrifyingly pessimistic documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth’. Al Gore’s film brought to light the harsh

Consumers acted accordingly, with studies like Colmar Brunton’s 2017 ‘Better Future’s Report’ finding that commitment to sustainable lifestyles is increasingly influencing customer behaviour. The biggest changes involved public transport, not using plastic bags and paying more for sustainable products. And while this is a positive step that feels empowering, both economic and empirical studies on consumer behaviour show that individuals alone can’t solve wide-scale, systemic issues, especially when the issue is the global environment, where individual consumption is never more than a quarter of total consumption. The Carbon Majors Report has found that 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of global carbon emissions.

100 companies.

So while we’re changing our lightbulbs, taking the bus and patting ourselves on the back for being good eco-warriors, we’re being distracted from what can actually make a difference; our democratic power.

This doesn’t mean that you should throw away your canvas bags and start driving

The World Wildlife Fund NZ’s solution strategy agrees with me, as their solution strategy claims that a sustainable future must be led by strong policy-makers.

This means that the key to a renewable New Zealand lies less with compostable smoothie bowls or organic cotton tee-shirts and more with voting forms and national petitions. So you want to care about this beautiful little earth and are unsure of where to start? Well then make yourself a hot cup of Fairtrade coffee and do some self-educating! The world wide web is a neat place where you can get informed and get connected. Do some digging on the Government’s environmental policies, past actions and plans for the future. Check out AUT’s current sustainable development plan and have your say. Find a community, an event or a volunteer position with a group who are standing up against unsustainable systems. Research what your university or workplaces’ policies are around mass recycling or renewable energy and, who knows, they may even have a club for you to join. Google the Paris Agreement and find out how New Zealand stacks up against other countries in the race to renewable energy.

Sure, getting educated isn’t nearly as trendy or Instagrammable as compostable smoothie bowls or wearing organic cotton tee-shirts, but it is more effective. And who says you can’t do both?

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The name’s Book. Face Book.

Clodagh O’Carroll downloaded her Facebook data to find out how much the tech giant knows about her personal life (spoiler alert: it’s a lot). Illustration by Hope McConnell.

Facebook is spying on you. We all know that, but some of us are only just finding out to what extent, and it’s a big wake up call.

The big question is why?

Following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, stories from users downloading their Facebook data and deleting their accounts, Facebook breaching the New Zealand Privacy Act 1993, and five weeks of Media Communication lectures on ICT, I downloaded my data to see how bad everything really is. Spoiler: it’s bad.

When you download your data, which comes in a zipped folder, a whole file is dedicated to ads. This file tells you what Facebook thinks advertisers should know about you, as well as what ads you’ve clicked on in the past month. I’m fine with Facebook saving and selling this data to advertisers. We know it happens, and we consent to it by joining Facebook. It’s how Facebook makes money; they’re transparent about that. There’s nothing too nefarious here.

No, the scary part is the contact information they collect.

Facebook has collected phone numbers and email addresses from people I know but have never interacted with online or by phone or email. Phone numbers from my mum’s old friends, who I don’t personally contact, are connected to my account. I don’t even know how.

Then there’s your call history. If you’ve ever had the Facebook or Messenger app on your Android phone, Facebook might have recorded your texts and phone calls – even missed calls –from

that time period. (iPhone users are apparently safe. Begrudging acknowledgement to you.) Facebook says this particular data collection is something that Android users of Messenger and Facebook Lite have to ‘opt in’ to. I definitely didn’t opt in to this, but according to Ars Technica, it’s sometimes switched on by default, depending on your device and the version of the app.

So always doublecheck your app settings and permissions.

But it’s not a nice feeling, knowing you’ve been spied on.

Facebook knows that my dad called me at 4pm on 29 May 2016 and we talked for 2,269 seconds. Missed a few calls?

Facebook knows that too. The one consolation is that Facebook doesn’t record the content of your texts and phone calls. I guess that would be a step too far.

In the end, using Facebook is a personal choice. But every so often you might want to check your privacy settings and the data policy (www.facebook.com/full_data_use_policy) to ensure you still consent to the terms. And if you don’t, you can always delete or deactivate your account.

Thankfully, it’s easy to find out what information Facebook has on you. Log into your account on a computer, then go to your General Account Settings and click 'Download a copy of your Facebook data'. It’s pretty straight forward from there, but keep your data safe – there’s no point downloading all your Facebook data just to share it with your friend via Gmail. But let’s be honest: Google probably has that data already.

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feature

Ethics WTF is the point?

By David Evans Bailey | Illustration by Hope McConnell Mention the word ‘ethics’ and ‘application’ in the same sentence and it is guaranteed that most students will immediately roll their eyes. The introduction of ethics into a research project often symbolises, to them, a whole world of pain accompanied by a massive form that has to be filled in.

It’s a process that most students will have to do, but that most students don’t want to do, or don’t really understand why they need to do it.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes, ‘The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions’. Nearly everyone embarking on an undergrad or postgrad degree has every good intention. However, if things turn bad with a study or project, then quite a lot of people are going to cop it. Google the term ‘research projects that went horribly wrong’ and you will find a stack of fairly horrific results popping up. From some infamous drug trials; an elephant that died in terrible agony from an overdose of LSD; a prison experiment that turned ordinary people into sadistic, vicious versions of themselves; to monkeys that were deliberately isolated and went insane, to name a few. Only last year a university in the UK was fined $800,000 for allowing a botched research project to give students enough caffeine to fill 300 cups of coffee each. It almost resulted in their deaths and certainly meant a long spell in intensive care. Ouch!

This is of course not a great series of occurrences and not a great advertisement for university-level research, least of all for those that suffered the dreadful consequences. And it plainly highlights the need for ethical forms, no matter how dreary they may seem.

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So, what are ethics?

Ethics are defined in the dictionary as ‘moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour’. In fact, historically ethics go back as far as such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. Many philosophers since have toyed with and attempted to define principles of behaviour that might be termed ethical conduct. They argue that people survive better if they follow good and thus ethical principles and rules.

to reassure other people that all the best intentions are being followed, and the second is because of all the times people have cocked up in the past with dreadful consequences.

Imagine the field day that The New Zealand Herald will have with your project if it results in a newsworthy disaster?

So, what exactly does that mean? For most people being moral or ethical means doing the right thing – acting for the greatest good. For most of us that means we don’t go around doing stuff like robbing people, burning down their houses, vandalism, murder and so on, and that we generally behave in a civilised and upright fashion.

Like it or not we all follow one or more moral codes. Even criminals, you may be surprised to learn, have their own codes, such as don’t grass up your mates and don’t sell drugs on another person’s patch. Putting that sort of bad stuff aside, codes of ethics appear in every walk of life and particularly businesses and things like the medical profession.

The codes of ethics are there for two main reasons. The first is

Students who share accommodation will find that they soon get tired of things like their mates leaving dirty dishes in the sink, not cleaning the bath after they use it and picking up people’s crap from the living space floor. So pretty soon a list of ‘House Rules’ appears on the wall, or in other words, a code of ethics for the house.

People start being interviewed before they can become a tenant and told about the ‘rules’ to test their reactions. Some places even make them sign something to say they will follow the rules. So you see, that, in a nutshell, is ethics in practice: the writing of the code, the application process, the approval and then following of a code of ethics.

Ethics, the university and you Rewind all of this to a university setting and several thousand students doing projects and research and you’ve just maxed out the house rules problem a gazillion times. How can the university ensure that students are not going to traumatise some

poor unsuspecting people while testing out whether a terrified response to spiders is affected by the size of the spider? Or that the ‘psychopathic clown art show’ isn’t going to mean the university has to fork out thousands of dollars in counselling fees?

Or perhaps the study as to whether a complete novice can grind down a railing on a skateboard isn’t going to mean many visits to the Emergency Department in a hospital? I could go on making up extreme examples, but you get the point. Any project that goes badly wrong is going to have consequences for everyone involved, from the Vice Chancellor, the Dean, the Head of Department, the Lecturer, you and of course, the research subjects be they human, animal or even plants. The thing is that while you can’t totally ensure someone isn’t going to do something stupid, you can still give it a damn good try. Ethics is the university version of trying to stop intelligent people doing dumb things.

Far from wanting to be the bane of everybody’s lives, the ethics department at the university is not only trying to protect people from their own folly but also the reputation of the university.

Imagine the field day that The New Zealand Herald will have with your project if it results in a newsworthy disaster? You can see the headlines now: ‘Woman traumatised for life by botched AUT Psycho Clown Study’ or ‘CBD brought to standstill by Pig on Ecstasy, what is AUT playing at?’ If you survive that, and you graduate, and off you go to your first job interview, the first question is probably going to be: “Didn’t you do that crazy clown study at AUT?” It follows you around for years like a stalker.

Questions get asked in government departments, and every time

AUT goes for more funding, guess what will get brought up and your name with it? As attractive as it may be to be infamous, nobody really wants that.

The benefits of ethics So, in order to prevent said disasters and many other minor mishaps even, the university has a code of ethics for research and an ethics department to make sure it gets followed. The ethics committee is there to examine all applications and ensure that nothing bad is likely to happen, or if it might, then everyone involved has already thought it through. It’s not that there can’t be cutting-edge research or even ‘edgy’ research but that it’s done in a controlled way where everyone has mitigated the risks and knew what they were. Then in the end, even if it does all go a little pear-shaped, everyone can say that they followed the procedures and took every precaution that they could. See how this works? It’s also there to teach ethical research so that those principles will hopefully guide any research you do in the future once you are unleashed upon the world.

So, ethics, in a nutshell, is really there for your own good and everyone else’s good. The ethics advisors are there to help and very helpful they are too in my experience. Of the many hoops you will have to jump through to get your degree, ethics is just one of them. Maybe, to some people, that hoop is more like a ring of fire but at least with your research ethics in place you hopefully won’t burn the house down.

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giveaways

Treat Yo'self To win any of the prizes below, head over to Debate’s Facebook page (/autsadebate) and fill out the competition survey pinned to the top of our timeline called ‘GIVEAWAYS – ISSUE 5’ using the key word ‘ETHICALDILEMMA’. Make sure you like our page to be in to win!

Bring back the goth Over the years our ethics land us in some pretty bizarre fashion phases – from wannabe 80s style (anyone remember flouro parties?) to baggy ‘gangsta’ clothes to over-sized glasses and David Bain jumpers. And now, Wet n wild is bringing back the emo kid with its latest Goth-o-graphic pack! This kit (valued at $100) is adorned with highlighting powder, metallic lipstick, liquid eye shadow, liquid eyeliner and loose highlighting powder. If you win, you’ll probably wind up listening to that old My Chemical Romance CD and busting out those super tight black skinny jeans. To take home this pack (and join the Black Parade), read the instructions at the top of the page.

Say yes to free BurgerFuel

$300 travel vouchers!

With every ethical decision we make, there is always an ultimatum: do we tell the truth? Or lie to protect ourselves? Do we enter the draw to win BurgerFuel’s latest creation, the UFB Ultimeatum? Or do nothing? But with pure grass fed New Zealand beef, tasty bacon (mmm bacon), melted cheddar, truffle mascarpone, parmesan and so much more, I think you know the answer to that last question.

To win one of 10 free vouchers, see the instructions at the top of the page – thanks BurgerFuel Queen Street!

Our pals at STA Travel (the world’s largest travel agency for students and youth!) are offering a massive prize: two vouchers worth $150 each *jaw drop*! The vouchers can be spent on anything they sell, from flights, tours and ‘hop-on hop-off’ travel passes, to accommodation and travel insurance – holy damn!

Plus, you can even FLEXIpay your flights, tours and beach breaks from a $99 deposit and pay the rest later. So enter the draw and get flying away! To win, see the instructions at the top of the page.

Win a double pass to Niall Horan!

We knew him as the cute, blond Irishman from One Direction, but now Niall Horan is flying solo and absolutely killing it. And although some of his lyrics are questionable (“Slow hands, like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry”?) Niall is still an absolute charmer and a global superstar. Luckily for us Niall hasn’t forgotten New Zealand is an actual country (that deserves to be on maps!) and has decided to swing by for a concert as part of his world tour. And Debate is giving away a double pass to his show, happening Friday 1 June, 7pm at the Spark Arena. This is an epic giveaway, so read the instructions at the top of the page to be in to win! But if you miss out, don’t worry, we’ve got you sorted. You can buy tickets at the discounted price of $69.90 from your old mate Ticketmaster, and if you buy a ticket, you go in the draw to win an upgraded ‘Sound Check’ pass. Sweet deal!

No more shampoo dilemmas

Get yo SUP on

Buying shampoo and conditioner can be exhausting. You’ve got to think about ingredients, price, results and how ethical and sustainable the sweet smelling goo you smear into your hair is.

But don’t worry, Biolage R.A.W. covers it all. Its range is made from natural ingredients, like coconut oil, honey and quinoa husk, to name a few; it’s vegan; it’s great for your hair; and it’s great for the planet. To win one of the sets in the pic (valued at $70 each) read the instructions at the top of the page.

Stand up paddle boarding is sort of like kayaking while standing and surfing without waves. If you’re into it – or just want to give it a go for the abs and the ‘gram – you’ll be stoked to get a hold of this voucher, entitling two adults to an hourlong SUP session at Vector Wero Whitewater Park. And don’t worry about the cold: wetsuits are included. To win, see the instructions at the top of the page.

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feature

What’s in your Hands?

Shopping ethically is one of the best ways to stop exploitation in the fashion industry, but where to go? Laura Brookes hunts for the best Auckland spots to find ethical, affordable clothing.

I love ethical products. You know, the ones with ‘Child Labour Free’ stamped on them, or some kind of assurance the environment won’t suffer any further as a result of my purchase. The ones that can stand up and say with confidence they know what conditions their products were made in, and who they were made by. I love it because I know what’s in my hands is so much more than a t-shirt, a handbag, or a pair of sneakers: it’s my power as a consumer to choose, and the opportunity to impact the lives of people working in oppressive conditions to make these products.

What’s in your hands is that same power.

But if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent a fair bit of time asking yourself the question – where to go? Where is the affordable ethical fashion that isn’t downright hideous? For some of you brave souls, the idea of trawling malls (or Ponsonby Road) for half a day trying to figure out where the good clothes are is relaxing. Heck, it’s even enjoyable. For the rest of us, we want to know where to go for the ethical, affordable clothing before we put aside half a day with the vague hope that something will come of it.

Granted, we do have to accept that making the world a better place will cost. It costs to make environmentally-friendly clothing that won’t clog up our landfills. It costs to pay workers all the way down the supply chain a living wage so they can send their kids to school.

But it doesn’t have to be utterly unrealistic; it doesn’t have to cost $400 for a plain white t-shirt.

If it’s ethical, affordable fashion you want, and you’re looking in the right places, there are options. So on behalf of all of us, I went looking. I dived in so that you wouldn’t have to, and now, it’s time to chat. Make yourself a cuppa, grab a seat, and let’s talk ethical fashion.

Where to begin?

If you haven’t got your hands on Tearfund’s Ethical Fashion Guide, let that be your first stop!

In a nutshell, the Ethical Fashion Guide grades fashion companies from A to F on how well they protect their workers from exploitation at three critical stages of the supply chain, giving you the power (and the know-how) to shop ethically. Companies are assessed on the policies they have in place to address the risk of worker exploitation in supplier and subcontracted factories, the degree to which they have traced and disclosed information about their suppliers, how they manage supplier relationships, whether they have audit processes in place, as well as whether workers are paid a living wage and have the opportunity to make their voices heard.

It’s one of the best tools you can use to see what your favourite brands are doing to protect their workers, what they’ve committed to and what they’re following through on, because we all know actions speak louder than words.

“Supply chains in the fashion industry can be lengthy and complicated. One item of clothing could have passed through multiple factories or even countries before the final product is on the shelf for the consumer.

This year’s report assessed 114 companies representing more than 400 brands, from kids brands to outdoor wear, women’s clothing, men’s clothing and sports outlets.

“It’s really commendable when companies are making a concerted effort to trace their suppliers through each stage of production and are able to let the consumer know who is making their clothes, and under what conditions they are being made in.”

Let me introduce you to the A team from this year’s Guide.

Ethical brands you know Women’s brands: Audrey Blue, Outland Denim, Cotton On, Factorie, Kowtow, Supre, Country Road, Sheridan, Trenery, Witchery, Zara.

Men’s brands: Outland Denim, Cotton On, Factorie, Nudie Jeans, Zara.

Kids brands: Cotton On Kids, Bonds, RIO Sports brands: Icebreaker, Kathmandu, Patagonia, RREPP, Adidas, Champion, Gear for Sports, Lululemon, Platinum, Reebok, Sportscraft.

Add to that NZ-owned companies Common Good (formerly Liminal Apparel) and Freeset, and you’ve got yourself a bunch of outstanding brands to buy from that are both ethical and affordable. Sure, nobody’s perfect, but they’re making an intentional effort to move towards a future without exploitation, and Tearfund’s Ethical Fashion project manager Claire Hart says that’s something we can all celebrate.

Hidden gems you need to visit The Loyal Workshop Places stocked: Crave Café, Texan Art Schools Newmarket and The Bread and Butter Letter Price range: $80-$280, excluding advocate packs. Average price $180 So we’ve covered the mainstream brands, and if you’re looking more along the lines of quirky, boutique, vintage clothing, or much-loved accessories, I’ve got a few more stores I want to introduce you to.

First stop? The Loyal Workshop. Here you’ll find the finest collection of topquality leather products, from satchels, to wallets, belts and wristbands, handmade by oppressed women from the povertystricken, red-light community of Bowbazar in Kolkata, India.

Having been sold, trafficked and forced into the sex trade, each of these precious women have their own story to tell of

poverty, trauma, abuse and hopelessness.

When Kiwi entrepreneurs Paul and Sarah Beisly started The Loyal Workshop, these artisans were given the opportunity to rebuild their lives.

After visiting Kolkata in 2002, Paul and Sarah started learning the language, researching, building a team, forming friendships, sourcing local ethically-made leather, and finally opened their first workshop in 2014.

Four years on, The Loyal Workshop continues to exemplify the way business can be a powerful means of instigating change in community. Their dream is to see a world without slavery, and from their corner of the world, they’re doing all they can to achieve it.

“We are passionate about seeing an industry shift in our life time,” says 37-year-old Sarah.

“What is considered 'normal' business practice needs to be challenged. The Loyal Workshop exists to challenge other businesses that it is no longer sufficient to aim for profit at all cost. A triple bottom line of profit, people and the planet needs to be the new normal in the fashion industry. And we are living proof that it can be done!”

You’ll find their products stocked at Crave Café, Texan Art Schools Newmarket and The Bread and Butter Letter* – another hidden gem y’all need to know about. *Not a bakery, in case you were wondering.

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The Bread and Butter Letter (BABL) Located: 225 Karangahape Road Price range: $20-$45 for clothing items.

Average price $30 Located super close to AUT, The Bread and Butter Letter (BABL) features a charming collection of ethically-made NZ products, from vintage clothing and sociallyconscious accessories to home décor, gifts and stationery. The thriving store is creating a home for conscious consumers, one product at a time, so you can walk away with that rad sweater, maxi dress or cute pair of earrings knowing your purchase is supporting local and championing ethical.

It was early 2011 when friends Rose Hope and Sarah Firmston banded together to open BABL in Eden Terrace, before reopening in 2013 at the new location on K’ Road. Now in her fourth year of working fulltime at the store, 28-year-old Rose has been uniquely positioned to see the tide begin to turn on consumers’ desire for ethical production, and believes wholeheartedly that the public will become greater influencers in the world of ethical fashion in the near future.

“Injustice is still happening in the industry, and from the consumers point of view, I think it’s because people are either unaware or don’t think it can change, but that’s not true. We’ve seen our customer base change to become more conscious, we’ve had customers informing us of the moral reasons behind why they buy, and they’ve challenged us on some things, too.

“I think it’s a sign of the times that [the store] is doing really well. People are wanting to be intentional with their

Rose Hope co-created the ethically-made New Zealand store BABL in 2011. Photo: supplied.

purchasing power and know they’re doing something good.”

Managing the store has been comparable to a litmus test with the view of where society is heading, says Rose, and it’s most important that the dialogue around ethical consumption continues.

“Conscious consumerism is a big topic. A big, hard, messy conversation we would rather not have. I sometimes wonder why we are still even talking about it because change seems so obvious! But then I remember the 21-year-old me, having meaningful, eyeopening conversations for the first time with those around me who were patient

and gracious enough to give their time and encouragement to teach me. It reminds me that I need to be facilitating that conversation further.

“In 10 years I think it’s going to be a different landscape. Consumers will get mad, ethical progress will continue in companies and it will be the public who turn the tide. For us, it’s really exciting to be a part of that change.”

ReCreate Clothing Online: www.recreatestore.co.nz, coming to stores soon!

Price range: $65-$130, excluding kids wear.

Average price $90 (but you can grab sale

is transforming the lives of its workers, their families and the entire community with its longstanding commitment to ethical standards, worker empowerment and eco-friendly, quality garment production. Working conditions include living wages, a 30-hour work week, full sewing training, paid leave for sickness, holidays and maternity care, as well as assistance sending kids to school – not to mention an ongoing and regularly reviewed strategic commitment to organic, sustainable production.

They’re all about being kind to the environment and being kind to the people.

It’s the kind of business philosophy Erica would love to see consumers getting behind when it comes to purchasing power.

ReCreate’s workers in Cambodia are given living wages and 30-hour work weeks. Photo: supplied.

items for as little as $20, so keep an eye out).

For those of us who wish winter would come and go as quickly as possible, it’s easy to believe spring is just around the corner, and so is the secret I’m about to let you in on. Newsflash – ReCreate Clothing (one of my FAVOURITE ethical fashion brands) is expanding from online only into stores near you this September. It’s cute, affordable, ethical, and will be stocked in all four of Flo & Frankie’s Auckland locations, as well as Staple & Cloth on Ponsonby Road.

community of Dey Tmey, Cambodia, where New Zealander Erica Gadsby and her husband had worked for eight years, running a volunteer organisation that connected young New Zealanders with great organisations in developing countries. Knowing the people of Dey Tmey had few opportunities for employment and were particularly vulnerable to being sold into slavery, Erica and three of her friends started ReCreate. The fashion label offers employment right in the heart of the Dey Tmey community with a sewing, training and production centre that helps to empower the people of Dey Tmey.

Their story begins in the disadvantaged

Five years on, and this beautiful business

“To me, I feel like it just comes down to our perception of price and quality. It wasn’t so long ago that people would buy carefully, at a higher price, and look after things really well. Now, there is so much access to inexpensive goods, but the largely unseen cost of poor quality, waste, environmental damage and human cost through unethical production is so high.”

So I hope this helps you. I hope you recognise the power you have as a consumer to show fashion companies what you value. I hope you realise what’s in your hands is the opportunity to choose and to impact the lives of those who work in unsatisfactory conditions to produce what’s in your wardrobe. I hope next time you shop, you do it with them in mind.

And I hope you’re part of turning the tide.

Because if anything is worth fighting for in this life, it’s people.

23

Caught at a Crossroad Irra Lee rides us through the famous trolley problem, because what magazine about ethics would be complete without it? Illustration

by Chandra Hardita.

You control a railroad junction halfway across the country. A live feed on a screen gives you a view of a track that diverges into two. Five labourers are carrying out maintenance work along the main track. Without warning, an unmanned trolley cart barrels down the tracks towards the five oblivious workers. You have a choice.

There is a switch in front of you, if you flip the switch, you can divert the trolley onto the second track and save their lives. The issue? There is one labourer on the second track. Would you sacrifice his life to save the lives of five others?

For this thought experiment, let’s forget that there are any other options. Let's say not one person on the tracks notices; even if they did, it'd be too late to run. Let's say there is no one around who can advise you. There isn't anything or anyone who could warn the workers of their impending doom: no signals, no bells, nothing. It's one or five, and it's entirely down to you.

25

The trolley problem in real life For years, variations of this thought experiment have been debated on paper. It was finally carried out for “real” in a study by YouTuber Michael Stevens of VSauce last year. In much the same way as I’ve described above, participants were given a switch that controlled which track a cart would follow. Staged, prerecorded segments played on a screen and gave the illusion that participants controlled the tracks in real time and that they had all the power to choose between saving five labourers or one. In reality, no one was in any danger.

The study was fascinating as it showed the difference between what people think they’d do in the situation against what they actually do. Only a minority of the participants in the study switched the tracks in favour of saving five lives over one. But, you’ve got to ask: is it so wrong to feel as if the lives of others shouldn’t be in your hands and let the trolley take its course?

The greyness of morality The trolley problem’s long-standing popularity as a thought experiment comes down to its ability to demonstrate the differences between two schools of thought within ethics: consequentialism and deontology.

Before you zone out, let me explain. Consequentialists focus only on the morality of outcomes, disregarding the means used to get to that outcome. So, had you chosen to flip the switch, your action can be morally justified. Although the resulting death of one is unfortunate, they died to achieve an overall greater good of saving

more lives. This approach, within consequentialism, is known as classic utilitarianism, where each action’s morality is judged only by its ability to maximise beneficial outcomes. But therein lies the problem of consequentialism and where a lot of people may trip up: isn’t it wrong per se to kill? After all, you’ve taken the deliberate action of flipping the switch. Consequentialism fails to address the morality of the actions that lead to the outcome.

This is where deontology comes in. While consequentialism looks at the morality of outcomes, deontology focuses only on the ethics of actions, no matter their consequences. Leading thinkers within deontology, such as Immanuel Kant, propose ways of finding hard and fast rules that consistently remain right or wrong. The rigidity of deontology can be advantageous; there's no umming or ahhing about what's right in one situation versus another. Deontology doesn't care if you flipped the switch to save five workers because you’ve doomed one to their death. Kant would say that killing is inherently and consistently wrong and that any rational person would agree with this notion. Kant would also ask: what gives you the right to disrespect that one worker to the point you’ve essentially used their life so that you could get to a consequence you deem better? But, isn’t it also inherently right to do everything in your power to save as many people as possible? How is it possible not to consider the outcomes of your actions?

And here, my friends, is the beauty of the trolley problem.

Consequentialism and deontology provide a springboard from which to analyse the situation, and this holds true for many ethical dilemmas in everyday life. All you need to do to get started is ask yourself: do the ends ever justify the means? Or do the means justify any end?

Daily Ethical Dilemmas Everyday Julie Cleaver is bombarded with a shit-ton of ethical dilemmas.

She wades through the issues and tries to answer the age-old question: how do I stop my Netflix addiction?

Toilet paper I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about this, but for some reason I can’t help but think of a poor little tree with no mama every time I wipe. It makes me wonder: how many squares do I really need?

I mean, really need? Depending on the ply, surely three squares is adequate, right? THINK OF THE ORPHAN TREES!

Coffee and other useless luxuries Saving money vs living in the now: a classic debate uni students face constantly. The other day I went to a café in the city, bought a latte which came in a glass (Auckland millennial level over 9,000) and as I sipped on that $6.30 coffee, I couldn’t help but feel a twang of guilt in my throat. This money could have gone towards rent! Or buying more toilet paper! Regardless, I drank the guilt away and bought a completely necessary muffin afterwards.

‘Social’ media Wasting an hour every day on social media isn’t something I’m proud of, but deleting the app and subsequently my invites to random parties is not gonna happen either. But I barely use Snapchat anymore! I say as way of justification (along with most other young adults around the world). And I mainly use social media for work! Lies, lies and more lies. I should be reading The New York Times or watching YouTube videos about learning

Chinese, not sitting here scrolling. The ethical dilemma is real, unlike my fabricated digital life.

To meat or not to meat I know eating meat is cruel and bad for the environment. I’ve tried arguing against it, because, well, bacon, but I can’t run anymore. Meat is wrong, I know that… or at least I know it until I see butter chicken staring at me, just waiting to be lapped up.

Or until I see a burger with succulent, juicy… I’m in conflict, send help.

Netflix And now, to the mother of all dilemmas: Netflix. With old school TV, when your favourite show is out you have to wait a week before it’s on TV again. Or, if you have a low IQ and love Shortland Street (like me at age 12), you still have to wait at least 24 hours before seeing whether Joey really is the Ferndale Strangler. But now with Netflix you can watch episode after flippin’ episode, and the TV addict in me simply can’t resist. I should be studying! I hear my inner voice saying. Yes, and you will, after the next one (six) episodes of How to Get Away with Murder. My only consolation: at least my ethical dilemmas are a lot more trivial than the characters' ones in that show.

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Fear-trade?

By Kelly Enright

It’s one of the most trusted organisations in the world, famed for being ethical and transparent. But what is the Fairtrade mark really saying?

We’ve all seen it: the Fairtrade symbol that graces the face of many products throughout New Zealand. Stuff like bananas, chocolate, coffee, spices, sugar

Fairtrade certified, thus Fairtrade will link the two up and monitor the trading process and payments. The Ghanian farmer is now receiving the market value

choose how to invest around their farms, businesses and communities.” Not only that, but Fairtrade farms also have to be environmentally conscious to meet

and a load of other commodities. That certification mark comes straight from Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand who belong under the FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organisation International) umbrella; an organisation that is advocating for better working conditions in developing countries. They are also thoroughly and independently audited to ensure nobody is cutting corners on ethical trading.

According to the Fairtrade Australia/New Zealand website:

amount for their product, and Whittakers can slap a Fairtrade certification on the front (all the while, the previously negotiated minimum price will provide the farmer with financial protection from what can sometimes be a volatile economy).

certification, with standards requiring them to protect their surrounding natural habitat. A nod to the environment is definitely an exemplary step in the direction that many organisations should be following!

“As Fairtrade requires businesses to pay a fair price to farmers for their crop…

Fairtrade is leveling the playing field for farmers to ensure they can improve their livelihoods and strengthen their businesses.”

I thought that sounded pretty sweet, but what does that actually look like? Let’s take chocolate, for example (because we all love a bit of sale price Whittakers).

Firstly, a cocoa farmer in Ghana will approach Fairtrade, where they will then collaboratively come up with a minimum price for the cocoa that is being produced, as well as a market value at the time of selling. A company such as Whittakers can then come along and decide they want to make their ‘Dark Ghana’ chocolate bars

Sounds like a win/win for everyone, which it is. However Fairtrade Australia/ New Zealand CEO, Molly Harriss Olson, told me, “Fairtrade certifies products, not brands, so a brand may choose to only carry some products with the Fairtrade Mark.” The logic in this is understandable, yet makes one feel it could be easy for large companies to con their consumers.

Whittakers, voted New Zealand’s most trusted brand last year, has only two bars out of their current 38 bar range labelled with a Fairtrade mark. A brand that Kiwis regard super highly and say they view as trustworthy and honest is failing to tell us where more than 80 percent of their cocoa comes from. Are we allowing this stamp to be nothing but an ethical token?

Fairtrade would again say otherwise.

On top prices for the goods, Fairtrade also provides a premium to farmers, which is “an extra sum of money that farming cooperatives can democratically

I guess what the chocolate addict in me is really trying to say is, “get your sh*t together Whittakers/Cadbury/Nestle and everyone else, and make all your chocolate Fairtrade.” The two percent fee that Fairtrade requires may seem steep, but is extremely worth it if you’re paying for a product that you can honestly be proud of.

A step from each of us is now required: Fairtrade, businesses, and us as consumers. Fairtrade needs to require full ethical certification rather than allowing a product by product basis. Businesses need to show initiative by tracing the roots of their supply chain and being transparent about where it comes from.

And us, potentially the most crucial corner of this triangle, should be directing our consuming habits towards products we know are fair trade. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like my ‘Dark Almond’ with a side of child labour.

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clubs

AUTSA's got a club for just about everything Interviews by Julie Cleaver

Ella Walmsley

Third year Environmental Science & Applied Conservation student Club: Future Proofers Can you tell me a bit about Future Proofers, like what types of events you run?

We do quite a lot of stuff! During O’ Week we ran sew your own produce bags to reduce people’s need for plastic at supermarkets and beeswax wrap-making workshops so people won’t need stuff like glad wrap. Just a few weeks ago we ran the ‘Green Dreams’ sustainability pub quiz where we gained a student perspective on AUT’s new Sustainability Action Plan. And we’re also running Earth Week in August, along with AUTSA! There’s more too, but I’ll stop at that.

Wow, that is a lot! So what does being part of Future Proofers mean to you?

For me it’s amazing to be around like-minded people and work together to achieve a common goal. We’re all so diverse as well – some people come from a business side of things, whereas I come from a more scientific approach – so it’s awesome to work together and learn from each other.

How many of you are running the club, and how can students get involved?

We don’t have a lot of members. I think we do cool stuff and heaps of students would probably love to join, but it’s just about raising

Alex Meyst

Second year Physiotherapy student Club: Veda Club When did you join the Veda Club?

I’ve been a member since the start of 2017 – since the beginning of my degree. I really like sustainable ideas, diets and lifestyles, so the club aligned with me perfectly. I also like the vegan lunches and yoga, and the other members of the club.

That’s awesome! Can you tell us more about the lunches and yoga?

Almost every Thursday the Veda Club sells a $5 vegan feed! It’s really good, you should all try it if you haven’t already. And the yoga is done over at the Auckland Uni campus and is on most Fridays from 4.15pm-5pm and is a gold coin donation. We also host other stuff, like mindfulness workshops, which are really helpful for dealing with the stresses of uni life. The mindfulness workshops will have more upcoming info in the email newsletters.

Good to know! So how can students get involved with Veda Club?

You can reach out on our Facebook page, Veda Club AUT, or send us an email: vedaclubaut@gmail.com. Or, just come along to a vegan lunch or yoga and say hi; that’s probably a great way to go about it. We’re always looking for new people to help volunteer, and our members get a lot out of it, so it will be worth your while!

that awareness, as we are fairly new. And if students want to get involved they can join our Facebook group Future Proofers AUT or email us at: futureproofersaut@gmail.com.

For more info, email clubs@aut.ac.nz with your name, AUT ID number, phone number, email address, and the club(s) you would like to join.

They’ll forward your details to the appropriate club leaders.

blind

date

Every issue, we bribe singletons with free food and bevvies to go on a blind date, organised by us. The only catch – they have to write about it after.

Cheers BurgerFuel Queen Street!

Nervous Nancy

Paranoid Pete

The date for me started off rocky. I was running late and the rain was pouring down heavily, which made many puddles on the street. After searching long and hard for parking, I walked up Queen Street concentrating on Snapchatting my friends to tell them how nervous I was to find myself ankle deep in a puddle soaking both my feet.

Going on a date with someone after a long time of being single is quite a scary thought, especially if you have a really bad streak with the opposite sex. But bringing out the courage to do it might work in your favour. The nerves started hitting me when the day of this date arrived. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, my best friend telling me you’ll be fine just be yourself. But I still spent 40 plus minutes deciding what to wear and not look like an IDIOT. Then came the scariest part: the actual date.

blind

After contemplating whether or not to go home and cry or journey on, I decided that my shoes didn’t look too wet, so nobody would notice hopefully, so I carried on. Once I reached BurgerFuel I sat down and then my blind date walked up to me and asked if I was here to find my blind date. We then ordered our burgers, got a drink and started talking. He told me that he worked at the movies and what his passion was as well as the basic get to know each other questions. Soon our food came, and I’m not gonna lie, the free burger is what really sold me to go on the blind date.

I turned up an hour early because being on time is too cliché. So I may or may not have had a beverage or two beforehand to calm down but ended going up to three girls and asking them whether they were here for the date before sitting inside. They weren't, and I remember thinking this is gonna go to shit. Only to find out she was sitting inside the entire time.

date

After the burgers he took me to a bar that he enjoys going to in his spare time and then we talked and had a few drinks. Overall the date went really well; he’s a nice, friendly, funny man and it seems like our personalities clicked. Since then we text every now and again to say hi and what not.

You read about what you’re supposed to say on dates, but that goes out the window when one of the most attractive females you have ever seen is sitting across the table from you. All I was doing was trying not to end up coming out like sounding weird or unlikeable.

We ended up talking a lot and finding out things in common. After moving onto another venue, I ended up learning more about her and vice versa. Glad to say I got her number. This was probably one of the scariest events I have had in my life but I’m glad I did it and it was an interesting way to meet someone. We are going on another date soon.

To get involved, email us with your name, age and sexual preference: debate@aut.ac.nz 31

recipe

Ethical Eggs Benedict With global issues threatening the environment, species, and humanity, the concept of ethical consumption is gaining eminence worldwide. Guided by personal moral values and conscience, ethical consumption is wide-ranging. Ethical concerns include: treatment of livestock and animal welfare; humane treatment of labour; dichotomy between the hungry and wasted food surplus; agricultural use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides; health risks of genetically engineered food;

With modern lifestyles widening the gap between nature and us, we may become less inclined to protect it. However, it is important to realise that our choices have significant impacts on the environment we live in. By making conscious choices, we also benefit from healthier and better quality food. As consumers, we can articulate our concerns through actions; we are essentially voting and generating demand for the kind of world we want, based on where we spend our money.

preserving biodiversity; supporting local producers; traceability; and fair trade. These concerns are increasingly influencing the choices and actions of people within food industries, including food producers, culinary professionals, and consumers like you and I.

Acknowledgement: I would like to express gratitude to Suzanne Bliss (Senior Lecturer, AUT School of Hospitality and Tourism) for the insightful lessons in the Ethics and Sustainability paper.

Ingredients

Method

Hollandaise sauce (makes 3 servings)

1) To poach the egg, bring the pot of water with vinegar and salt to boil.

Once it boils vigorously, lower heat to a gentle simmer. Crack an egg in a small round bowl. Get your timer ready. Holding the bowl in one hand, use a spoon or ladle in the other hand to constantly stir the simmering water to create a whirlpool. Bring the bowl of egg close to the surface of the water, and slide it in gently while the water is still swirling. The vinegar, salt, and the swirling of water are essential to coagulate the egg white, forming a perfectly shaped poached egg. Poach for 3 minutes and set aside.

•

125g butter

•

2 egg yolks

•

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

•

1 tbsp of cold water

•

1 tsp lemon juice

•

Pinch of salt and pepper

Poached egg •

Large free-range egg

•

1 litre of water in a pot

•

1/4 cup of white wine vinegar

•

1/2 tsp salt

Other components •

Muffin, toasted

•

Spinach, blanched

•

(Optional toppings: crispy bacon, smoked salmon, or avocado slices)

2) To make the hollandaise sauce, first, clarify the butter by melting it in a small pot. As it starts to bubble, you will start seeing white solids forming, which should be removed. Strain the butter over a fine mesh or cheese cloth.

3) Bring a medium-sized pot of water to simmer. You will also need a metal bowl that fits on top of the pot. It is crucial that the pot is filled with just enough to ensure that the bottom of the metal bowl is not in contact with the boiling water.

4) Whisk egg yolks with white wine vinegar, cold water, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the metal bowl. Place the metal bowl on the pot of simmering water and continue whisking for about 2-3 minutes over low heat until it thickens.

5) Remove from heat and slowly drizzle the warm clarified butter bit by bit while whisking. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.

6) Plate up your Eggs Benedict by stacking the toasted muffn, spinach, poached egg, hollandaise sauce and your choice of toppings. For a twist, I garnished it with crispy deep- fried shallot slices.

Melissa Koh is a third year BA student double majoring in Culinary Arts and English & New Media.

Follow her dining and cooking adventures on Instagram: @melicacy.

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