Power, the Acceleration of Cultural Evolution, and Our Best Hope for Survival
Written By:
Date published: 10:58 am, January 21st, 2020 - 11 comments
Categories: climate change, culture, Environment
Tags: how change happens, how to get there, powerdown, resiliency, richard heinberg
Originally published by Post Carbon Institute, Richard Heinberg writes about humanity’s relationship with power and how this presents both great danger and great opportunity.
Daily review 21/01/2020
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 21st, 2020 - 1 comment
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
The great political heist that wasn’t
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Date published: 10:47 am, January 21st, 2020 - 27 comments
National has hinted darkly that the theft of laptops from its headquarters was possibly motivated by political considerations even though it had been told of a similar burglary of a neighbouring office had also occurred recently.
Open mike 21/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 21st, 2020 - 51 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 20/01/2020
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 20th, 2020 - 88 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Bridges will talk tough to the Philippines but not China
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Date published: 9:36 am, January 20th, 2020 - 16 comments
Simon Bridges is visiting the Philippines. And unlike his recent trip to China this time he has decided to talk tough to the local leaders about human rights.
Trump’s not so bad
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Date published: 9:25 am, January 20th, 2020 - 65 comments
an occasional series.
Open mike 20/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 20th, 2020 - 56 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Federated Farmers launches petition against its business model
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Date published: 9:20 am, January 19th, 2020 - 127 comments
Federated Farmers has started a petition against an educational resource that teaches about climate change and activism because it does not present their industry in a sufficiently positive way.
Open mike 19/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 19th, 2020 - 52 comments
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How To Get There 19/01/20
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 19th, 2020 - 28 comments
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
National created more working groups than Labour
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Date published: 8:00 am, January 18th, 2020 - 31 comments
The Herald has reported that National in its first two years of Government created *more* working groups than Labour.
Open mike 18/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 18th, 2020 - 96 comments
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Why UK Labour lost? Part 9: What the party needs to do now.
Written By:
Date published: 10:37 am, January 17th, 2020 - 12 comments
Originally post on Nick Kelly’s blog
The broader context of this defeat is that over the last century, UK Labour has won 8 out of the last 28 general elections. Overall the Labour Party is not a successful electoral force in the UK. What makes the 2019 loss harder, is that the party lost sections of its historical base in the North of England and the Midlands.
McClay accused of supporting China’s mass detention of muslims
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Date published: 8:26 am, January 17th, 2020 - 51 comments
Freedom House has criticised National MP Todd McClay for reinforcing Chinese descriptions of the mass imprisonment of Muslim minorities as vocational training centres.
Open mike 17/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 17th, 2020 - 54 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Daily review 16/01/2020
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 16th, 2020 - 18 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Why UK Labour lost? Part 8: What it takes to win
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Date published: 7:18 am, January 16th, 2020 - 6 comments
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
The UK Labour Party in the 2019 election assumed that like in 2017, the release of their policy manifesto would see their support increase significantly. Assuming that 2019 would be a re-run of 2017 was a foolish mistake.
Open mike 16/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 16th, 2020 - 64 comments
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Why UK Labour lost? Part 7: Momentum and the Corbynistas
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Date published: 10:23 pm, January 15th, 2020 - 10 comments
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
Momentum and its supporters need to find a way of selling genuine social democratic politics to a conservative English public.
Daily review 15/01/2020
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Date published: 6:45 pm, January 15th, 2020 - 26 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
Why UK Labour lost? Part 6: New Labour & Blairism
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Date published: 10:39 am, January 15th, 2020 - 10 comments
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
Fact is that the world has moved on from the 1980s and 90s. Politics certainly has. The types of 3rd way or centre/centre right positions that Blair and Campbell think will win just won’t anymore.
News Corp climate change denial attacked by (checks notes) James Murdoch …
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Date published: 10:04 am, January 15th, 2020 - 116 comments
News Corp has had a bad week in the media with many questioning its continued climate change denial and its support for politicians refusing to accept the reality of climate change. But the most surprising opposition has been expressed by Rupert Murdoch’s son and News Corp director James Murdoch.
Housing consents at highest level since 1974
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Date published: 9:03 am, January 15th, 2020 - 20 comments
Statistics New Zealand has confirmed that in the last year the number of new housing consents was the highest since 1974.
Open mike 15/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 15th, 2020 - 63 comments
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Daily review 14/01/2020
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 14th, 2020 - 13 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
National politicises police by claiming Government is politicising police
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Date published: 10:41 am, January 14th, 2020 - 19 comments
Simon Bridges has alleged the police of being politicised after a person who holds rather right wing views and libertarian views on gun ownership had a search warrant for illegal firearms executed on his property.
Open mike 14/01/2020
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Date published: 7:00 am, January 14th, 2020 - 68 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step up to the mike …
Why UK Labour lost? Part 5: Antisemitism
Written By:
Date published: 6:29 am, January 14th, 2020 - 13 comments
Originally posted onNick Kelly’s blog
Why UK Labour lost? Part 4: Ooooh Jeremy Corbyn
Written By:
Date published: 3:13 am, January 14th, 2020 - 12 comments
Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog
Daily review 13/01/2020
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Date published: 5:30 pm, January 13th, 2020 - 3 comments
Daily review is also your post. This provides Standardistas the opportunity to review events of the day. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Don’t forget to be kind to each other …
- Farmers are ruining Canterbury’s rivers
Its summer, so people naturally want to go for a swim. But in South Canterbury, you can't, because the rivers are full of toxic goo:As of Monday, the Waihi River at Wilson Street footbridge, Geraldine, the Waihao River at Bradshaws Bridge, and three spots on the Opihi River - at ...5 hours ago - Sack Shane JonesLate last year, NZ First was caught trying to enrich itself from public office, with a dodgy forestry company linked to a number of NZ First figures sticking its hand out repeatedly for government money. Regional Economic Development Minister shane Jones' "explanations" were patently unconvincing, and his recusal from deciding ...6 hours ago
- BIG idea physics
This morning I’ve been having a quick look through some documentation from The Ministry of Education on proposed changes to NCEA Level 1 Science. For those not familiar with the NZ secondary education system, a typical student would complete NCEA level 1 at the end of year 11. In this ...6 hours ago - Revolution in New Zealand? Not Even Close!
No Fires Thanks, We're Kiwis: For the moment, in those close-to-home places where revolutions are born, there may be tetchiness and resentment, frustration and complaint, but nowhere is anybody uttering the cry that will bring a New Zealand revolution into being: “We have found the way to make tomorrow better ...8 hours ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #3
Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... 'It's heart-wrenching': 80% of Blue Mountains and 50% of ...1 day ago - Britain exits the European Union and takes a sharp right turn
by John Smith Britain’s exit from the imperialist bloc known as the European Union (EU) is now irreversible. The crushing electoral defeat of the Labour Party has dismayed many workers and youth who had placed their hopes in Jeremy Corbyn, its left-wing leader. This article assesses these historic events, neither of which ...1 day ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #3A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 12, 2020 through Sat, Jan 18, 2020 Editor's Pick The Past and the Future of the Earth’s Oldest Trees Bristlecone pines have survived various catastrophes over the millennia, and they ...2 days ago
- How climate change influenced Australia’s unprecedented firesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections, and has been adapted into a new myth rebuttal on climate-wildfire connections with the short URL sks.to/wildfires Australia’s frightening bushfires, which kicked off an early fire season in September 2019, have already had cataclysmic effects, and the continent is still just in the early ...3 days ago
- Gender Identity Ideology – A Partial Bibliography of Online CoverageThis great resource has been contributed to Redline by Janie Doebuck. Janie made some notes on the bibliography: 1) It is by no means exhaustive. There are tons more gender critical posts, essays, articles, podcasts, youtube videos, etc. online. 2) There are links in the bibliography that are behind paywalls. There ...4 days ago
- About those biased Oscar Nominations
There’s been a lot written about the 2020 Oscar Nominations and their apparent lack of diversity. It’s true, there are in fact no women nominated for the Best Director and very few nominees of colour across the board. But is this a result of a biased process or a symptom ...4 days ago - How New Zealand media reports chronic painHemakumar Devan Around three million New Zealanders access news media (both paper and online) every week. Yes, you heard that right! So, the potential for news media to shape public health beliefs is common sense. As chronic pain affects one in five New Zealanders, we wanted to find out how ...4 days ago
- Still Waiting For American Democracy.Unfinished Republic: Though the United States' crimes against democracy are legion, most Americans are blissfully unaware of them. The brutal realities of American life: the officially sanctioned violence; the refusal to hold racists accountable for their actions; the seemingly endless tragedy of African-American suffering; of which White America is the ...4 days ago
- In Outrage Over Its Bunk Science, Goop Finds Fuel for GrowthMichael Schulson For years, experts have said that Goop, the wellness and lifestyle brand founded by the actor and entrepreneur Gwyneth Paltrow, markets pseudoscience and overblown cures. And for years, despite the criticism, Goop has just kept growing. Now the company, which was valued at $250 million in 2018, ...5 days ago
- Tobacco Excise Taxes and the Smokefree 2025 Goal: Some Ways ForwardJanet Hoek, Richard Edwards, George Thomson, Andrew Waa, Nick Wilson Debate over tobacco tax increases has intensified as research indicates potentially conflicting policy directions. On the one hand, excise tax increases continue to stimulate quit attempts among smokers yet, on the other hand, they may lead to financial hardship for ...5 days ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #2, 2020Conflation and how to fix it VIa AMS, Raul Lejano looks at what in a layperson's thinking would be called conflation— confusion and blending of entirely different topics— when people think about climate change. Ideology and the Narrative of Skepticism (open access) starts with some arguably frightening false connections between the science and ...6 days ago
- ‘Cranky Uncle’ smart phone game will show you how to disarm climate deniersThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Bud Ward (Image: Courtesy of John Cook) When it comes to climate change, it seems every family has its own version of the proverbial Cranky Uncle. An uncle, cousin, grandparent, in-law, neighbor, whatever. Just think back to the recent holiday season’s large ...6 days ago
- Science in the ’20s – part 1Outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. That’s a description of the lifestyle of women “flappers” in the 1920s. Could it apply to science (and scientists) in the 2020s? Actually, you could look back at the past decade and see those, or similar terms, used about some science and scientists. Sometimes ...6 days ago
- Postscript: Citizenship Granted.
I am pleased to say that I have been granted NZ citizenship. I need to do the ceremony for things to be official, but the application was a success. I now join my son as a dual NZ-US citizen. To be fair, very little will change other than the fact ...6 days ago - Hard News: Music: Morales is coming
It will be no secret to longtime readers that I, Russell Brown, love the disco. So I'm pretty excited by the fact that one of the greats of the game is returning this summer – and also pleased to say I have tickets to give away.Legendary mixer and DJ ...6 days ago - The WHO Vaccine Safety Summit – from someone who was actually thereThe conspiracy I saw a new conspiracy theory flying around the other day. According to the conspiracy (that seems to originate from Del Bigtree), the World Health Organization have been ‘caught on camera’ questioning the safety of vaccines. Gosh this sounds as though someone was a mole at a ...7 days ago
- The timely death of the British Labour PartyBelow is an article submitted to Redline by Alec Abbott At its inception, the British Labour Party was a vehicle for the propagation of racist and imperialist views within the working-class. Such views are still widespread in the party, as they are in Europe’s Social-Democratic parties, though, in the case of ...1 week ago
- Mystery China pneumonia outbreak likely caused by new human coronavirusConnor Bamford, Queen’s University Belfast Since December 2019, there has been a cluster of 59 cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, eastern China. The pneumonia is associated with a previously unidentified coronavirus related to the deadly SARS virus. Seven of those cases are thought to be serious, and one person – ...1 week ago
- Yes, koalas are cute – but should we bring them to NZ? Errm, noIt’s been hard to miss the extreme fires raging across Australia and the tragic plight of the animals – human and otherwise – affected by the fires’ insatiable spread. I know I’ve been captivated and concerned by the tales of how Australia’s famous wildlife has been coping. Koalas approaching cyclists ...1 week ago
- National’s negative campaigningAnybody who looked into the Dirty Politics saga knows all too well that honesty is often in short supply within the National Party. You would think that after the exposure the John Key government received over their untruthful attack politics, the National Party would learn from its "mistakes" and leave ...1 week ago
- Ending the government’s charade over waterFor the past decade, the government has been responding to the obvious Treaty issues raised by water allocation with the mantra that "no-one owns water". But last year, the Waitangi Tribunal ruled that actually, Māori owned it, and that those rights had never been extinguished. They recommended that iwi bring ...1 week ago
- Northern Ireland joins the civilised worldSame-sex marriage has finally become legal in Northern Ireland. But not through any decision of the Northern Irish Executive or Assembly, which has only just reformed after a three year walkout by the DUP; instead, Westminster made that decision for them. I've talked before about the constitutional impropriety of this, ...1 week ago
- I had an intense conversation at work today.Claire Cohen-Norris volunteers with Citizens Climate Lobby as a chapter founder and leader in rural New York. Her climate advocacy sprung from her drive to provide a secure, joyful and fulfilling life for her two wonderful children. It has become a life’s mission, shared with her like-minded husband and partner. Claire ...1 week ago
- French transport workers take on Macron over pension reform
by John Edmundson Starting on December 5th, 2019 workers in the Parisian rail network commenced an open-ended strike in opposition to French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to their pension scheme. Rail workers in the Metro Underground have, for decades, had retirement conditions that compensate them for the low wages, ...1 week ago - What a difference the decimal point makesI’m back at work following a nearly three-week break over Christmas. We were fortunate to be offered a house to stay in for a week over Christmas, which enabled us to have a holiday in Dunedin and see the extended family reasonably cheaply. But the house came with a catch: ...1 week ago
- Who’s Going To Stop Him?Blank And Pitiless: Having ordered the assassination of the Iranian General, Qasem Soleimani, President Donald Trump promised to reduce the cultural monuments of Iran’s 3,000 year-old civilisation to rubble if a revenge attack was mounted. A breach of international law? Certainly. A war crime? Indisputably. Who’s going to stop him? Nobody.WHAT ...1 week ago
- A worker’s storyThis interview is from Aotearoa Workers Solidarity Movement (AWSM) and is the first of an ongoing series of interviews they plan to do with workers from various sectors who are having their well being and livelihoods damaged. They begin with an educator in Southland. Due to the attitude and actions ...1 week ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #2A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Jan 5, 2020 through Sat, Jan 11, 2020 Editor's Pick Debunked Australian Bushfire Conspiracy Theories Were Pushed by Alex Jones, Murdoch Media As unusually intense and widespread bushfires have ...1 week ago
- J.K. Rowling, the Seattle Library, and the Issue That Must Not Be NamedThis article was submitted to Redline by Seattle-based activist Lucinda Stoan J.K. Rowling recognizes repression when she sees it. That’s why the author of the wildly popular Harry Potter books recently tweeted in defense of Maya Forstater. Forstater lost her job for stating that sex is real and immutable. A judge ...1 week ago
- Rules of Empire: Laws simply do not apply and “National Security” excuses all else.
Empires rise and fall, and the American Empire is absolutely no different. But while an Empire, in order to further the footprint, it seems to pay to do one primary thing above all else: project that everything – everything – is “simply for the good of the world” at large, ...2 weeks ago - Indian lessons for NZ workers – the January 8 general strikeby Phil Duncan On Wednesday (January 8) another massive general strike took place in India. Some 250 million industrial workers, white-collar workers, agricultural labourers struck against the government’s economic policies and attacks on the Muslim population through new proposed citizenship rules. This ...2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: The action that countsOver on Newsroom, Professor Jacqueline Beggs writes about the action she is taking on climate change. Its the usual list: reduce meat, don't fly, consume less. I'm doing some of this myself, and none of it hurts - but the way our economic system is constructed means the impact of ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuel political giving outdistances renewables 13 to oneThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk Corporations, special interest groups, and individuals inject billions of dollars into the American political system every year. Much of the financial support in politics is concealed from public view, as some rules – and loopholes – allow “dark money” and ...2 weeks ago
- Animal response to a bushfire is astounding. These are the tricks they use to surviveDale Nimmo, Charles Sturt University Have you ever wondered how our native wildlife manage to stay alive when an inferno is ripping through their homes, and afterwards when there is little to eat and nowhere to hide? The answer is adaptation and old-fashioned ingenuity. Australia’s bushfire season is far from ...2 weeks ago
- Should I ditch my fossil-fueled car?Yes. Reducing the number of cars in your household, or switching from petrol/diesel to electric, will dramatically reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. It’s one of the easiest and highest-impact climate steps you can take. New Zealand is being flooded with cars The New Zealand vehicle fleet is increasing rapidly. In ...2 weeks ago
- Speaker: Planet History: Taking Tea with QuentinThis interview with Quentin Crisp is part of a series of articles republished from Planet, the independent magazine I edited in the early 90s from a base at 309 Karangahape Road, along with Grant Fell, Rachael Churchward, Fiona Rae, David Teehan, Mere Ngailevu and others.Inevitably, you forget things, and over ...2 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #1, 2020Supply Side How are we doing with CO2 emissions? It's an important question, increasingly posed to a mixed bag of CO2 contributors who may or may not provide accurate reportage. Liu et al present a new, additional means of measurement based on satellite observations of nitrogen dioxide co-emitted from ...2 weeks ago
- Is the prostitute the seller or the sold?Excerpts from Being and Being Bought, by Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Spinifex Press, 2013. Ekman, a Swedish journalist and critic, brings together a Marxist and feminist analysis of prostitution and surrogacy in this groundbreaking book. This is the third part of a synopsis and brief commentary of the book by Daphna Whitmore. Part 1 was ...2 weeks ago
- The climate crisis is also a biodiversity crisisDr Andrea Byrom Like many of us, the summer break has seen me transfixed with horror at the scale and magnitude of the bushfire crisis in Australia. As an ecologist, I can’t help but be appalled at the loss of some of Australia’s most beautiful ecosystems and landscapes. And ...2 weeks ago
- Apathy in the face of disasterWarning: This article contains topics that might trigger right wing snowflakes!Unless you’ve had your head buried in a billabong for the last four months you’d of heard about the Australian bush fires. The fires have been unprecedented, with approximately five million hectares (12.35 million acres) of land burned nationwide. More ...2 weeks ago
- Labour opposes leisureFinland's new Prime Minister has made headlines by pushing for a 4-day week. So what does new Zealand's "centre-left" government think? Nope. They'd rather people kept working themselves into misery and death:The Government does not plan to follow Finland's lead to encourage businesses to offer staff a four-day week. [...] ...2 weeks ago
- Who’s afraid of the non-native accent? Everyone … unless you tell them about itAs someone who learnt English late-ish in life, I was always on the look-out for signs which betray my foreignness, afraid that my clumsy mispronunciation or syntactic misalignment will give away my outsider status. And for once, sadly, my worries were well-founded it seems. It’s bad, prejudice is rife! In ...2 weeks ago
- Donald Trump’s strategic gambleThere’s a meme going around the Internet at the moment claiming that Donald Trump is a bit of an idiot. To outside eyes it does seem as though the President of the United States thumbs his nose at his own countries laws and administration far too often to be taken ...2 weeks ago
- More Spanish repressionBack in December, the European Court of Justice ruled that jailed Catalan politician Oriol Junqueras was a Member of the European Parliament and therefore had immunity from prosecution. In a democratic state under the rule of law, he would have been immediately released from prison (and compensated for his illegal ...2 weeks ago
- Doubling down: Researchers investigate compound climate risksThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daniel Grossman It was a grim day in Moscow on July 25, 2010. The English-language Moscow Times reported that the Russian capital had broken the 1936 temperature record for July: 98 degrees Fahrenheit. That month, the city, where air conditioning was (and still is) ...2 weeks ago
- Everyone, we must be united and work together (now we’ve got rid of the Corbyn)
Yvette Cooper has written a piece in the Guardian outlinig 'Seven things Labour Must Do To Win The Next Election'.I'll overlook the absurd headline - no-one is talking about Labour winning the next election and I assume that Cooper didn't write the headline (she doesn't mention winning the next election anywhere ...2 weeks ago - “A common interest in war with Iran” say those who will NOT be in the firing line
Well, things have certainly escalated. Brent Crude hits $70 in light of recent geopolitical incidents. There’s a British nuclear sub on its way to thump Iran if needed, and Netenyahu says “everyone” is keen on war with Iran. Of course in terms of the oil prices, that’ll have downstream ...2 weeks ago - 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #1Story of the Week... Editorial of the Week... El Niño/La Niña Update... Toon of the Week... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Claim Reviews... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week... Story of the Week... The signal of human-caused climate change has emerged in everyday weather, study finds ...2 weeks ago
- New Fisk2 weeks ago
- Climate Change: Complementary measuresFor the past twenty-five years, climate change policy in New Zealand has been all about emissions pricing. Policy makers thought that all you needed to do was make people pay for their pollution via a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme, and the problem would be solved. This mechanism was ...2 weeks ago
- Jeremy Clarkson – God is an arsonistYou've really got to wonder if Jeremy Clarkson is worshiping the right deity? I mean thinking that Australia is somehow deserving of the calamity that has befallen it in the form of unprecedented bush fires is one thing, but claiming God intentionally likes to cause people and animals immeasurable pain ...2 weeks ago
- We are no longer welcome in IraqLast Friday, the US murdered a high-ranking Iranian general, ostensibly as retaliation for Iraqi militias attacking US troops in Iraq. It was a stupid move, a mistake as well as a crime (to misquote Talleyrand), and it is already having the expected effects: the Iranian nuclear deal is now completely ...2 weeks ago
- Miscalculation, escalation and the law of unintended consequences.Note: I penned a series of tweets on the consultancy page offering my thoughts on the Soleimani assassination. I have decided to gather them together, add some more material, and edit them into a blogpost. Here it is. The US drone strike in Baghdad that killed Iranian Quds force commander ...2 weeks ago
- 2020 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #1A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week, i.e., Sun, Dec 29, 2019 through Sat, Jan 4, 2020 Editor's Pick There Is No Safe Global Warming Australia Bushfire - Shutterstock Safety is something we all crave. It’s human nature. ...2 weeks ago
- The strike on Suleimani: a Neocon gambit for rolling the MIC onwards to a new chapter of global dest...
Anyone who thinks this was merely a so-called “precision strike” on “a really bad man!” and doesn’t get the wider geopolitical ramifications of this is beyond deluded. Probably those who think Commando comics are actually transcripts from a lost war documentary, and GI Joe was the biography of a real ...2 weeks ago - This is goodStill feeling very kicked in the head. Took some time off over Christmas and New Year to think about stuff, contemplating the unthinkable idea that i might have been ... wrong. But, after a thorough deconstruction of my cerebellum and rigorous self examination, I conclude I was not, am not.Okay, ...3 weeks ago
- A standout example of Right-wing truth inversion: “debating” responsibility for the Aust...
Many people must have seen the copious amounts of emotive, highly charged blame being increasingly passed onto “the bloody environmentalists!” and “the bloody Greenies” for this absolute debacle. This blame has been fomented by the Rightwing press, and the Governing coalition under Scott Morrison, who it must be said never ...3 weeks ago - Someone To Follow, Something To Blame.Poshing The Proletariat: As we enter the third decade of the twenty-first century, the question for New Zealand politicians is a simple one. Will workers’ expectations of fair treatment erode faster than their rising political determination to find someone to follow and something to blame? Significant sections of the United ...3 weeks ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #52, 2019The other side of the coin Last week's New Research mentioned a New York Times article describing how academic researchers plow straight through holidays with work. On the publishing side: not so much. Argue about priorities but clearly there's a difference in attitudes between the input hopper and the output conveyor. ...3 weeks ago
- December ’19 – NZ blogs sitemeter ranking
I notice a few regulars no longer allow public access to the site counters. This may happen accidentally when the blog format is altered. If your blog is unexpectedly missing or the numbers seem very low please check ... 3 weeks ago
- “Common sense will prevail, not extremism” Winston Peters backs Shane Jones’ pro-meat stance
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is backing his MPs who have spoken out against a new climate change teaching resource that advises students to eat less meat to save the planet. The new teaching resource, announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Climate Change Minister James Shaw, tells students ...5 hours ago - Acting PM Winston Peters confirms NZDF troops in Iraq not hit by Iranian attacksActing Prime Minister Winston Peters called for calm and diplomacy following Iranian missile strikes on bases housing United States troops in Iraq, but confirmed New Zealand's base in the country was not hit. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was earlier today investigating claims New Zealand's base in Iraq had ...1 day ago
- Housing consents hit highest level since 1974Housing consents have hit a 45-year high, as Statistics NZ data shows a total of 37,010 residential consents were issued in the year to November --- the first time they have breached the 37,000 mark since the mid-1970s. Statistics NZ said the trend had been rising since late 2011, when ...6 days ago
- Darroch Ball MP: “Violence against first responders is a problem on the rise”New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball says that a paramedic being kicked unconscious last night in an attempted burglary in Warkworth, north of Auckland, is a symptom of a larger problem. "Incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent...and it’s getting worse," Mr Ball said. The MP is pushing for ...1 week ago
- Minister Ron Mark asks NZDF to conduct fire risk assessment from defence point of viewDefence Minister Ron Mark said there was nothing to prevent similar large-scale bushfires seen in Australia from also happening in New Zealand, and has asked the New Zealand Defence Force to conduct a nfire risk assessment from a defence point of view. The defence assessment would help prevent a disaster ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Mark expresses “absolute confidence” in NZDF forces stationed in IraqWhile feeling worried about increased Middle East tensions, Defence Minister Ron Mark said he had "absolute confidence" in New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) leadership. His statements come as the fate of Kiwi troops stationed in Iraq comes under intense scrutiny. Forty-five Defence Force personnel were thought to be in the ...2 weeks ago
- Defence Minister Ron Mark: “NZDF focused on protecting troops in Iraq from retaliation”As tensions in the Middle East continue to grow after the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the New Zealand Defence Force is focusing on the protection of Kiwi troops deployed in Iraq. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that "recent attacks on coalition bases and embassies constitute unacceptable ...2 weeks ago
- Provincial Growth Fund to fund Waipukurau cultural development and tourism
The Ngā Ara Tipuna - Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project will receive $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to create an authentic cultural tourism experience, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “The project will inform visitors about the history of six pā sites in Waipukurau with a combination ...4 hours ago - 21 new judges boost diversity, improve access to justiceTwenty-one new District Court judges have been appointed in a move that will improve access to justice and boost diversity on the bench. The new judges include replacements for retirements and 10 new positions. Attorney-General David Parker today announced the 14 judges who can immediately be named, with the remainder ...4 hours ago
- Puhinui to Auckland Airport in 10 minutesAucklanders are another step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, with the start of construction to upgrade State Highway 20B to the airport, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. SH20B will be upgraded with additional lanes in each direction, dedicated to bus and high-occupancy vehicles between Pukaki Creek ...8 hours ago
- Advancing New Zealand’s trade agenda focus of Europe meetingsWorld Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will be the focus of Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker’s visit to Europe this week. David Parker leaves on Tuesday for a series of meetings in the UK and Switzerland that aim ...1 day ago
- Minister of Defence to visit counterparts in US and CanadaThe Minister of Defence, Ron Mark, departed today for the United States and Canada where he will meet with his counterparts. While in Canada Minister Mark will meet with his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan. “New Zealand and Canada are close friends, and share an instinctive like-mindedness on ...1 day ago
- Government to deliver family carers $2000 pay rise, expand scheme to spouses this yearThe Coalition Government is delivering this year the changes to Funded Family Care the disability sector has long-asked for, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. “Today we are announcing the details of our big changes to Funded Family Care, including an annual average pay boost of $2,246.40 for funded ...2 days ago
- Ko te reo kua mū: Piri SciasciaMinister for Māori Development Nanaia Mahuta joins te ao Māori in their sorrow as they learn of the loss of one of the great orators and spokespersons of a generation – Piri Sciascia. “The son of Pōrangahau was a staunch advocate for Māori development and served his people for over ...3 days ago
- Minister opens new ecosanctuary at Cape FarewellA new ecosanctuary with a predator proof fence on Golden Bay’s Cape Farewell, which will restore a safe home for sea birds, rare native plants, giant snails, and geckos, was officially opened today by the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “There has been a fantastic community effort supported by the ...3 days ago
- Pacific partners work together to provide additional support to AustraliaThe NZDF continues to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles fires in Victoria and New South Wales, including by transporting Republic of Fiji Military engineers from Nadi to Australia, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. On Saturday morning a NZDF Boeing 757 will depart New Zealand to uplift ...4 days ago
- Kaikōura $10.88 million boost in tourism & businessThe Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10.88 million to boost business and tourism opportunities in Kaikōura, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. As part of the Kaikōura Marina Development Programme, the following two projects will receive PGF funding: A $9.88 million investment to begin the ...4 days ago
- Govt accounts in surplus, debt remains lowThe Government’s books are in good shape with the accounts in surplus and expenses close to forecast, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown accounts for the five months to November. The operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) was above forecast by $0.7 billion resulting ...4 days ago
- Auckland focus for first Police graduation of 2020The number of Police on the Auckland frontline is increasing with the graduation today of a special locally-trained wing of new constables. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of eighteen officers from Recruit Wing 333-5 means that more than 1900 new Police have been deployed since the Coalition Government ...5 days ago
- Wairarapa gets $7.11m PGF water boostThe Provincial Growth Fund is putting $7.11 million into creating a sustainable water supply for Wairarapa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The following two projects will receive Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding: A $7 million investment in Wairarapa Water Limited for the pre-construction development of ...6 days ago
- Progress with new Police station in MahiaCommunity safety and crime prevention in the East Coast community of Mahia has moved forward with the opening of a new Police station to serve the growing coastal settlement. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the new station, which was relocated almost 20 kilometres along the coast from the nearby ...1 week ago
- Plans to protect the future of whitebaiting announcedWith several native whitebait species in decline the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has today released proposals to standardise and improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. “The need for action for a healthy whitebait fishery has never been greater,” Eugenie Sage said. “Four of the six whitebait species are ...1 week ago
- New resource for schools to increase awareness and understanding of climate changeA new Ministry of Education resource available for schools in 2020 will increase awareness and understanding of climate change, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The resource, Climate Change – prepare today, live well tomorrow, will help students understand the effects of climate change at a local, national and global ...1 week ago
- Getting more out of our most productive firmsFinance Minister Grant Robertson has approved the terms of reference for an Inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand's frontier firms. Frontier firms are the most productive firms in the domestic economy within their own industry. “These firms are important as they diffuse new technologies and business practices into ...1 week ago
- NZDF sends more support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending an Environmental Health Team, a Primary Health Care Team and a Chaplain to Australia, boosting New Zealand support for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. The ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand joins partners in calling for full investigation into air crash in IranActing Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters says that developments suggesting a surface-to-air missile is responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight in Iran is disastrous news. “New Zealand offers its deepest sympathies to the families of the 176 victims. It is ...2 weeks ago
- Staying connected to Australian agricultureAgriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor, says the Ministry for Primary Industries is continuing to stay connected to federal authorities in Australia as devastating fires affect the country. “The Ministry is using an existing trans-Tasman forum for discussions on the agricultural impact of the fires and the future recovery phase,” says Damien ...2 weeks ago
- Investment in schools – a commitment to communitiesThousands of school-age children, their teachers and wider communities are benefiting from the Government’s multi-million dollar investment upgrading and renewing schools, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “We want New Zealand to be the best place to be a child and that means learning in warm, comfortable and modern classrooms,” ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand Defence Force sends support to AustraliaMinister of Defence Ron Mark today announced New Zealand is sending three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and crew, and two NZ Army Combat Engineer Sections as well as a command element to support the Australian Defence Force efforts in tackling the Australian fires. The New Zealand Defence Force ...2 weeks ago
- Better access to books for blind and low vision citizens on World Braille Day"Today is World Braille Day and I am delighted to announce that an international treaty giving blind and low vision New Zealanders access to books and literary works comes into force today,” Minister for Disability Issues Carmel Sepuloni announced today. “Today the Marrakesh Treaty and the associated amendments to the ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand to send further firefighter support to AustraliaThe New Zealand Government is sending a further 22 firefighters to help fight the Australian fires. “The devastation caused by these fires is taking a substantial toll on our Australian neighbours and we will continue to do what we can to assist as they deal with this extremely dynamic, dangerous ...3 weeks ago
- Reducing the cost of educationTwenty-two more schools have opted into the Government’s policy of providing $150 per child to schools who don’t ask parents for donations– bringing the total number of schools in the policy to 1,585. The Ministry of Education has accepted late opt ins past the November 14 deadline from schools that ...3 weeks ago
- It’s hard for people with severe mental illness to get in the NDIS – and the problems don’t st...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Hancock, Lead, Mental Health Stream, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) promises a life-changing opportunity for Australians living with disabilities to get the supports they need to engage and participate fully in ...24 mins ago - Govt focus on mitigating climate change, not climate refugees
The government remains focused on mitigating climate change impacts rather than preparing for climate refugees, despite a recent United Nations ruling. ...46 mins ago - Airport screening for Coronavirus needed now
New Zealand health authorities’ decision not to screen at the country’s airports for the Coronavirus emanating from China is like passengers on the Titanic being told not to worry because the ship was unsinkable. ...2 hours ago - Hidden women of history: Australian undercover journalist in hospitalsBy Kerrie Davies and Willa McDonald in Sydney In 1886, a year before American journalist Nellie Bly feigned insanity to enter an asylum in New York and became a household name, Catherine Hay Thomson arrived at the entrance of Kew Asylum in Melbourne on “a hot grey morning with ...2 hours ago
- Yep, you guessed right if you figured Northland is getting more than a fair share from the PGF
About the same time as Fletcher Tabuteau was announcing the latest handouts from the Provincial Growth Fund, the Point of Order Trough Monitor was massaging all available data on where the money from the fund has been going. The figures take us up to November 30 2019 and affirm what ...2 hours ago - NZSki angers local outdoor community with summer tollLocal recreation clubs are upset and angry at the news that NZSki plan to operate a toll on the road to the Remarkables Ski Area this summer. While foot and cycle access are to remain free, vehicles will be charged $10 to use the road from February ...3 hours ago
- Many of our plants and animals have adapted to fires, but now the fires are changingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Australia is a land that has known fire. Our diverse plant and animal species have become accustomed to life with fire, and in fact some require it to procreate. ...3 hours ago
- The Mad Butcher on being NZ’s greatest food influencer
Alex Casey counts down more of The Mad Butcher’s maddest Insta-breakfasts, with bonus commentary from The Butch himself. We live in very uncertain times. We don’t know what the future of our planet looks like, we don’t know if Minou and Jay-Jay will ever see each other again and we can’t ...3 hours ago - Matthew Tukaki: The Maori Party and the General ElectionReports and articles have been appearing about my involvement with the Maori Party. Articles have also appeared about my involvement in a “dream team” that could either win back several Maori Seats or be on the list of the Party. ...3 hours ago
- To keep NGO services open, close the pay gapANZASW, Aotearoa New Zealand’s professional social work body, is calling on the government to prioritise fair pay and funding for social workers in the community sector to avert crisis, cuts and closures. ...3 hours ago
- ‘When I was carving my whakapapa, I could feel my ancestors helping me’A new programme replacing woodwork at two Hamilton intermediate schools is helping young Māori connect through the art of whakairo. Outside the wharenui bearing his carvings, Matua Rei Mihaere drives his closed fist through the air.Thirteen pairs of eyes look up at him as he asks, “If you see this ...3 hours ago
- Funding boost for age-friendly projectsThe Office for Seniors has announced the nine successful applicants in the latest round of Community Connects grants. ...3 hours ago
- Fletcher Building takes down fences at Ihumātao
Fletcher Building is pulling down fences at Ihumātao, but the future of the disputed site is still to be settled. ...4 hours ago - Scammed Chinese workers promised fairness instead told to go
Construction workers from China caught in an employment scam were promised fair treatment by the Immigration Minister but instead have been asked to leave the country. ...4 hours ago - OMV fails in Taranaki – win for the climate"OMV's failure to find fossil fuels in its recent drilling campaign off the Taranaki coast is a win for the climate" says Urs Signer, member of Climate Justice Taranaki. ...4 hours ago
- Future uncertain for all five big news outlets
2020 could see the biggest changes to our news media in more than a generation. ...4 hours ago - Here’s how long it’ll take to watch some of the most bingeable showsWant to watch Friends but not sure how much time you’ll have to commit? Never fear, Sam Brooks has you covered with how long it’ll take to binge some of the most bingeable shows.Want to know a fun fact? If your full-time job was watching Shortland Street and you started ...4 hours ago
- What’s on RNZ News at midday – Jan 21
Hundreds of passengers have been stranded as domestic flights out of Wellington were delayed or cancelled because of fog ...5 hours ago - Agricultural sector’s commitments questionedThe Environmental Defence Society (EDS) has lodged its submission on amendments proposed to the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Reforms) Amendment Bill; specifically those that seek to give effect to aspects of the Primary Sector’s ...6 hours ago
- A new year on NZ TV: Jesse Mulligan has a carrot and he’s on a ‘path to hotness’On the 20th day of 2020, New Zealand’s current affairs shows finally came back to work. Or did they? Tara Ward tuned in to the first episodes of Breakfast, The AM Show, The Project NZ and Seven Sharp to find out just what the New Year would bring. Breakfast Look at John and ...6 hours ago
- Ihumātao: a Pākehā ally’s perspective
Frances Hancock, a Mangere Bridge local who has worked alongisde the SOUL group to preserve Ihumātao, pays tribute to those still protecting the land as they wait for a settlement. ...7 hours ago - Farmers, wildlife and residents alike face water shortages as regions dry up fast
Water cuts are looming in pockets of the country drying up fast. ...7 hours ago - Textbooks should highlight Marcos dictatorship atrocities, says RobredoBy Llanesca T. Panti in Manila Textbooks should be changed to underscore the atrocities committed by the Philippines martial law regime of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, rather than make light of these violations and rehabilitate the Marcos’ reputation as proposed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., says Vice-President ...7 hours ago
- NZ-born Laybuy to list on ASX over NZX
The buy now, pay later software company Laybuy is looking to list on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) to fund its expansion. ...7 hours ago - Vodafone’s early finish initiative ‘will have a big impact on morale’
Telecommunications company Vodafone is letting some of its employees clock off early on a Friday afternoon, and it's a win-win situation, says an organisational psychologist. ...7 hours ago - Government must end exploitative ‘forum shopping’ practiceFIRST Union is today calling on the New Zealand Government to intervene in the shocking case of a Filipino migrant worker and carpenter who, until Monday last week, was unable to return to his fixed employment in New Zealand after his former employer, ...8 hours ago
- Māori leadership launch legal challengeFIVE of the most outstanding Māori women leaders have lodged legal action against the Government and written to the Prime Minister saying they have “no confidence” in her Whānau Ora Minister. ...8 hours ago
- National calls for investigation on Shane Jones and forestry companyThe National Party says the Regional Development Minister has serious questions to answer about his knowledge of a forestry company's application for $15m from the Provincial Growth Fund. ...8 hours ago
- Cheat sheet: Should we be freaking out about the mysterious virus in China?A strange pneumonia-causing virus has broken out in China, and the number of cases is rising rapidly. How worried should we be? What’s all this then?Like Sars, swine flu and ebola before it, a new virus is hitting the headlines. The outbreak of a new type of coronavirus is centred around ...8 hours ago
- Govt’s ongoing vaping delay is helping no oneThe Government keeps promising to regulate vaping. However, with no end in sight independent Kiwi vape businesses are left hanging and many smokers remain confused about transitioning to something that’s actually 95% safer, says Jonathan Devery, ...8 hours ago
- Bernard’s Pick of the links- Jan 21
NZ First-linked company in government loan bid says it met with Shane Jones; and new chief executive for Presbyterian Support Southland. ...9 hours ago - What’s on RNZ News at 8am – Jan 21
The National Party suspects dirty politics are at play after laptops were stolen from its headquarters, but a business next door was victim to the exact same crime a couple of months ago. ...10 hours ago - Prisoner numbers in Australia have decreased, but we’re not really sure why yetSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilde Tubex, Future Fellow, Crime Research Centre, University of Western Australia The latest release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Prisoners in Australia data provides a surprising change: for the first time in seven years, the national imprisonment rate has not increased. ...10 hours ago
- Cousin took a DNA test? Courts could use it to argue you are more likely to commit crimesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allan McCay, Law Teacher, University of Sydney How similar do you think you are to your second cousin? Or your estranged great aunt? Would you like to have people assess your behaviour from what your great aunt has done? How would you ...10 hours ago
- Preventing suicide in nursing homes is possible. Here are 3 things we can do to make a startSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Briony Murphy, Research fellow, Monash University Suicide among nursing home residents is a major concern. Between 2000 and 2013, around 140 Australian nursing home residents took their own lives. This issue has been hidden for too long, and met with minimal efforts ...10 hours ago
- Conservation scientists are grieving after the bushfires — but we must not give upSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University That a billion animals may die as a result of this summer’s fires has horrified the world. For many conservation biologists and managers, however, the unprecedented extent and ferocity of the ...10 hours ago
- A familiar place among the chaos: how schools can help students cope after the bushfiresSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Jacobs, Lecturer in Arts Education, Western Sydney University School will start on a somewhat sombre note this year. Some schools will still be shrouded in smog from the bushfires. Some students will be grieving the loss of property, animals or even ...10 hours ago
- Unbuilding cities as high-rises reach their use-by dateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Norman Day, Lecturer in Architecture, Practice and Design, Swinburne University of Technology We are entering a new world where skyscrapers and other huge buildings are becoming redundant and need significant overhaul or replacement. The process is called unbuilding or, if you’re a ...10 hours ago
- You think this is a witch hunt, Mr President? That’s an insult to the women who sufferedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Philip C. Almond, Emeritus Professor in the History of Religious Thought, The University of Queensland Since his inauguration on January 20, 2017, US President Donald Trump has tweeted the words “Witch Hunt” (always with or in capitals) 337 times, or roughly once ...10 hours ago
- This one shower trick won’t change your life but do it anywayIt’ll improve your life a tiny, tiny bit. What more do you want?This shower trick won’t change your life. If you do it correctly and consistently, it won’t even improve your life enough to mention it at a barbecue. In fact, if you don’t do this trick, your life will ...10 hours ago
- A smelter-sized headache for Labour
In his series on the big 8 questions for 2020, Bernard Hickey looks at whether Rio Tinto will bail out of New Zealand, which would transform the economics of the electricity sector and give the Government a big political headache. ...10 hours ago - What’s in the newspapers – Jan 21
Holidaymakers are being warned about dodgy travel agents after hundreds of customers have had their plans wrecked or have been fleeced by a rogue operator. ...11 hours ago - Nats break-in: Business next door also had laptops stolenThe National Party suspects dirty politics are at play after laptops were stolen from its headquarters, but a business next door was victim to the exact same crime a couple of months ago. ...11 hours ago
- Parker eyes post-Brexit deal in UK trade missionTrade Minister David Parker says it's vital to pursue talks with the United Kingdom as potential trading partners eye up a deal post-Brexit. ...11 hours ago
- The Bulletin: False alarm sparks tsunami alert concernsGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: False alarm sparks tsunami alert concerns, new development in story haunting NZ First, and unaffordable housing problem getting worse.A false alarm tsunami alert has resulted in changes to fix mistakes in the warning systems. Radio NZ reports a siren sounded on the ...12 hours ago
- Lake Alice: a personal journey
Rosemary Thomson still feels the effects of her time being incarcerated at Lake Alice Hospital's child and adolescent unit. Her story is part of a shameful piece of New Zealand history. ...13 hours ago - Make every day payday to foil predators
The scourge of payday lenders and high interest rates could be curbed by making workers' wage payments available to them daily, writes Alex Sims of the University of Auckland ...13 hours ago - Teachers hope to end “near death” of arts in school
Children in arts-rich schools do significantly better at the basics than schools which focus on measuring literacy and numeracy outcomes., but the arts fell out of favour, writes Peter O'Connor ...13 hours ago - Live that fantasy: Linda Burgess on the royals
Wellington author Linda Burgess bids farewell to Harry, Meghan, and the whole stinking Windsor lot. ...13 hours ago - Honey hitting Great Wall to honour mum
Honey Hireme-Smiler has never liked running - yet the rugby and league megastar is preparing to run a marathon along the Great Wall of China. ...13 hours ago - A compelling NZ academic argument to end cannabis prohibition – from 1975Later this year New Zealand will vote on whether to legalise cannabis, but it’s far from a new idea, as a 1975 study reminds us. Alice Webb-Liddall looks at the views of two Otago University academics, 45 years apart.In 2013 Uruguay became the first country to fully legalise cannabis for ...13 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Morrison should control that temper in Liberal climate debateSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Scott Morrison’s Monday salvo against the NSW environment minister, Matt Kean, one of the Liberal progressives on climate change, was gratuitous and inept. Quizzed about Kean’s claim that there’s pressure from senior Liberals for strong ...19 hours ago
- National Party office burglary a ‘sinister’ start to election year, party saysThe National Party says a burglary at its Auckland headquarters is a sinister start to election year. ...23 hours ago
- Australia’s threatened bats need protection from a silent killer: white-nose syndromeSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Turbill, Senior Lecturer in Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University We already know how deadly this summer’s fires have been for mammals, birds, and reptiles across Australia. But beyond this bushfire season, many of those same species – including our bats, which ...1 day ago
- Bran Nue Dae review: exceptional singing and music obscure the political heart of this classic Austr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Carlson, Professor, Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University Review: Bran Nue Dae, by Jimmy Chi and Knuckles and directed by Andrew Ross for Sydney Festival Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names of deceased people. It is exciting ...1 day ago
- New mayors and what they have achieved in first 100 daysIt has been 100 days since mayors in cities and districts took up their roles. RNZ's Andrew McRae looks into how some of the newbies are coping in their new roles. ...1 day ago
- CSIRO wants our laws turned into computer code. Here’s why that’s a bad ideaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joe McIntyre, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of South Australia Most of our laws are dense, obscure and effectively unintelligible for most people (even some lawyers). In a country where, every year, 25% of the population face serious legal issues yet often ...1 day ago
- The tender years
How to apply an economic solution to the problem of chores ...1 day ago - A brain transplant for one of Australia’s top telescopesSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ray Norris, Professor, School of Science, Western Sydney University One of Australia’s top telescopes will receive an A$2.6 million upgrade to help extend its three-decade record of improving our understanding of the Universe. The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), near Narrabri in ...1 day ago
- Why the futures of 5G and 5 Eyes depend on Britain
Spark and Huawei hope Britain will decide to use the Chinese firm's gear at the fringes of it's 5G rollout. This would further tighten the trade and security vice we are in between China and America. ...1 day ago - Why are Chinese construction workers being sent home?This week I have learnt that at least four Chinese construction workers who came to New Zealand under false pretenses in mid-2018 are being refused an extension of their visas. ...1 day ago
- Unaffordable Housing Requires Partnership Approach“News that New Zealand is the second least affordable place to buy a house, after only Hong Kong, is sadly unsurprising, and signals that a new approach is needed to get more homes built and make housing affordable,” says Infrastructure New Zealand ...1 day ago
- Boycott Bali? Why the genocide in West Papua demands your attentionIt’s estimated that as many as half a million Papuans have been killed at the hands of Indonesian security forces over the past 50 years. Not holidaying in Indonesia is an easy way to say you’re not OK with that, writes Morgan Godfery.Would you have gone on holiday in apartheid ...1 day ago
- Boycott Bali? Why the atrocities in West Papua demand your attentionIt’s estimated that as many as half a million Papuans have been killed at the hands of Indonesian security forces over the past 50 years. Not holidaying in Indonesia is an easy way to say you’re not OK with that, writes Morgan Godfery.Would you have gone on holiday in apartheid ...1 day ago
- What makes a good psychologist or psychiatrist and how do you find one you like?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jade Sheen, Associate Professor, School of Psychology, Deakin University Hi, I have mental health issues and I would like to know what makes a good or bad psychiatrist, psychologist or neuropsychologist. Key points Understanding the different roles of psychologists ...1 day ago
- Gentrack Group expects significant drop in sales and profit
Gentrack Group says it is experiencing difficult conditions in its key utilities markets, which has impacted its sales pipeline more than expected. ...1 day ago - Agriculture Minister monitoring dry conditions across NZ
Minister of Agriculture Damien O'Connor says he's keeping a close eye on dry conditions around the country. ...1 day ago - The National Library cull of 600,000 books could be a disaster for researchersThe National Library says it is ‘making room for more New Zealand and Pacific stories’ and hopes the books it’s purging might ‘spark joy’ for other people. David Larsen considers it a whacking great clear-cutting.It would be irresponsible for me to tell you the National Library is about to burn ...1 day ago
- Meet the woman turning your old pool toys into bagsPool toys are cool for the summer, but don’t do so well in landfill. Alex Casey meets a woman trying to prolong the life of New Zealand’s novelty inflatables.If Instagram is any indication of real life, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the human race is currently being ruled by ...1 day ago
- What’s on RNZ News at midday – Jan 20
National's deputy leader Paula Bennett says the party's Auckland headquarters were broken into over the weekend, with three laptops stolen. ...1 day ago - Questions are raised by RNZ report about a forestry company, the PGF and a meeting with Shane JonesSo when did Shane Jones first learn about NZ Future Forest Products’ bid for a $15 million government loan from the Provincial Growth Fund.? According to a Radio NZ report today, when NZFFP applied for PGF on 8 April, 2019, the company was asked whether the project had been “previously ...1 day ago
- What Lizzo did for meTo see someone like us – a band geek, a joyful dancer, a plus size beauty – being unapologetically who she is, is powerful. Applying that to your own life for the better is precious. And then she gives you a shout-out on the radio? Beautiful.Last week something really weird ...1 day ago
- Gruelling bike crusade heads to ParliamentAn arduous 1300 kilometre biking campaign undertaken by a determined Dunedin couple is set to finish at Parliament steps on Wednesday – delivering an impassioned message to the government to immediately double Pharmac’s budget. ...1 day ago
- Serious Fraud Office announcement over National donations expected in ‘coming weeks’The Serious Fraud Office has signalled an announcement is imminent over its inquiry into National's handling of an alleged $100,000 donation. ...1 day ago
- Vegetarianism in schools is ‘entirely appropriate’The NZ Vegetarian Society has responded to claims that a new climate change resource which encourages students to eat less meat and dairy should be removed from schools. ...1 day ago
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