Abrupt climate change: CO2 equivalent now at 485 ppm

Written By: Colonial Viper - Date published: 1:23 pm, August 26th, 2016 - 76 comments
Categories: capitalism, climate change, Economy, energy, Environment, farming, global warming, International, science, trade - Tags:

Abrupt climate change can be considered radical climate change which occurs in just a few short years.

The paleoclimate record shows that in the distant past, >10 deg C of warming (or cooling) has occurred in a time frame of only one or two decades which shows that the Earth’s systems can respond far faster than normally thought.

For some time now, 350 ppm of CO2 in the atmosphere has been considered a “safe level” of atmospheric carbon dioxide from a global warming standpoint, and hence an important goal for climate change activists.

We have now blown past that number with no prospect of returning to that level of carbon dioxide within any time frame relevant to current society (a few hundred years). In 2016 the Mauna Loa observatory has consistently recorded CO2 levels in the 400 ppm plus range.

TS co2_trend_mlo

But in fact it has been known for years that CO2 makes up only part of the greenhouse gas (GHG) picture for the Earth. Methane is a very powerful GHG, and although it breaks down in the atmosphere relatively quickly (unlike CO2 which is a highly stable molecule) it is still considered 29x more powerful a GHG over a one century time frame.

Put another way, a 1 ppm increase in atmospheric methane has the same warming impact as a 29 ppm increase in CO2, over a 100 year time frame.

Throughout the European dark ages, middle ages and the Rennaisance, methane levels in the atmosphere sat around 0.7 ppm. But from the 1750s a massive and rapid rise in methane levels occurred. Some directly released by man; some as a result of positive feedbacks occurring in nature (like the destabilisation of under sea methane hydrates or the thawing of terrestrial permafrost). Currently atmospheric methane levels are sitting around the 1.8 ppm level.

This level of methane is by far the highest level in the (geologically brief) experience of homo sapiens.

In terms of GHG warming potential this increase in methane is the equivalent of adding another 32 ppm of carbon dioxide to the 400-plus ppm of CO2 currently in the air.

The chart below by Reg Morrison suggests that based the last 400,000 years history we are on track for well over 4 deg C warming, and even towards 8 or 12 deg C increase. No one knows whether it will take us 40 years to get there, or 400 years, however. But indications are that get there, it will.

TS Atmospheric_CO2_CH4_Degrees_Centigrade_Over_Time_by_Reg_Morrison

Of course, there are also many other more minor GHGs, including ozone, water vapour, CFCs, nitrous oxide and more. Some of them extremely powerful in effect compared to CO2, but far less common than CO2. What would really be useful is if someone put together some figures for what the total effect of all these GHGs add up to, in terms of a carbon dioxide equivalent figure.

Fortunately, the United States NOAA has done just that in the form of their Annual Green House Gas Index (AGGI). TS AGGI You can see from the bright blue-green in their graphic that CO2 makes up the lion’s share of the Earth’s total greenhouse gas effect (approx 2/3), while methane and other gases make up the rest.

You already know what the total GHG equivalent is from the title of this post: 485ppm CO2.

TS CO2 equiv

And from these charts, you can see that there is no sign of the last few decades increase in GHG effect slowing down in the slightest.

In summary, there is zero chance of returning the GHG balance in our atmosphere back to the ~350 ppm of the 1960s and 1970s.

76 comments on “Abrupt climate change: CO2 equivalent now at 485 ppm ”

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Bill 1

26 August 2016 at 3:59 pm

You got a link to evidence of ~ 10 degrees C of warming or cooling happening in a matter of decades? And I mean sustained warming or cooling, not a temporary blip caused by some super volcano erupting or some such.

Also thinking that your Annual Greenhouse Gas Index might be misleading. My understanding is that when the positive and negative forcings are taken into account, then the basic CO2 levels offer up a proximate enough basis to calculate expected warming.

Not saying that won’t change if there is a sudden and major release of methane, but for now it seems we can just base figures around CO2.

Did I say that I’m a bit puzzled as to why bother posting on “worst possible scenario” stuff? We’re looking at 3.5 – 4 degrees C of warming if all commitments made at Paris are followed through on and there are no tipping points in the meantime. Scientific consensus seems to be that that level of warming will stress any semblance of an integrated global human community beyond breaking point.

In light of that, to then say it might be 5 degrees or 10 degrees is, well it’s just pointless, no?
- Colonial Viper 1.1
  
  26 August 2016 at 4:18 pm
  
  You got a link to evidence of ~ 10 degrees C of warming or cooling happening in a matter of decades? And I mean sustained warming or cooling, not a temporary blip caused by some super volcano erupting or some such.
  
  Yes will go try and find my source for that and post it up this arvo.
  
  In light of that, to then say it might be 5 degrees or 10 degrees is, well it’s just pointless, no?
  
  The Permian Mass Extinction was caused by the global average temperature moving up to 26-27 deg C. Over 90% of species died.
- Colonial Viper 1.2
  
  26 August 2016 at 7:10 pm
  
  Hi Bill,
  
  Responding to your question on ~10 deg C warming or cooling happening in a matter of decades:
  
  James White, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research speaking at a Nye Lecture:
  
  15:30 mins >10 deg C warming in Greenland found in less than 50 years.
  
  16:20 snow fall in Greenland doubled in the space of 3 years.
  
  17:00 mins – how abrupt is abrupt? – approx 14,000 years very large change in sea ice extent in one to two years.
  
  18:40 mins – can now analyse ice cores continuously with high frequency analysis, and very quickly, due to new technology.
  
  19:10 mins – just over 11,000 years ago: record shows an event 1 deg C warming per year for 5 years, a plateau for about 40 years, then another 1 deg C warming per year for 5 years (100x faster than current warming). This rate of warming has “happened many times in Earth’s history.”
  
  20:20 mins – found 2 ice cores demonstrating 5 deg C to 10 deg C increase PER YEAR in mean annual temperature in Northern Greenland, lasting between 1 to 2 years. 1000x faster than current warming.
  
  https://youtu.be/hZdhPnsp4Is?t=885
  - dukeofurl 1.2.1
    
    26 August 2016 at 7:52 pm
    
    So ice cores give a direct temperature reading at the level of 50 year intervals
    I thought it was only compared to ‘average temperatures’ of this era ?
    
    “On the basis of water stable isotopes, NEEM surface temperatures after the onset of the Eemian (126,000 years ago) peaked at 8 ± 4 degrees Celsius above the mean of the past millennium”
    Eemian interglacial reconstructed from a Greenland folded ice core- Nature.
    
    Having a lecture is not quite the same as a published paper- is it to come ?
    - Colonial Viper 1.2.1.1
      
      26 August 2016 at 9:13 pm
      
      So ice cores give a direct temperature reading at the level of 50 year intervals
      I thought it was only compared to ‘average temperatures’ of this era ?
      
      They can now analyse ice cores at a year by year level
      
      Soon they will be able to analyse them on a continuous basis according to James White.
  - Bill 1.2.2
    
    26 August 2016 at 8:26 pm
    
    That’s incredibly misleading CV.
    
    Might as well point out that the Arctic has warmed by 6 degrees C or whatever. Greenland isn’t and wasn’t the planet. And since the post is about global warming, global climate and average global surface temperatures…
    
    Remember all that bullshit about the mini ice age that denialists kept trying to use? You’ve essentially done the same thing – extrapolated from specific local conditions to a global context.
    - Colonial Viper 1.2.2.1
      
      26 August 2016 at 9:22 pm
      
      Hi Bill, not sure you can dismiss this so easily.
      
      As you know, its not the average change in climate which is going to kill. It is going to be the massive year to year variability and weather extremes.
      
      Further
      
      1) This evidence demonstrates that extraordinary mean temperature variability can and does occur on a localised basis over a small number of years – which is enough to completely wipe out all the farming in a regional or small country basis.
      
      2) Greenland going up 10-15 deg C within a span two years. No more Greenland ice sheet soon after. 6m sea level rise. Does that count as having a “global” climate change impact.
      - Bill 1.2.2.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:13 pm
        
        Think you’re missing the point.
        
        The header links global atmospheric concentration of GHGs and abrupt climate change. The first two paragraphs claim the paleoclimate records show instances of abrupt climate change. The clear implication or suggestion is that global climate can change in a few years. But that isn’t what the paleoclimate records show.
        
        That’s not to dismiss possible large and rapid, local changes. Neither is it to dismiss possible cascade effects.
        
        It’s simply to point out that the header and lead in to the post are misleading.
        
        Colonial Viper 1.2.2.1.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:20 pm
        
        OK I can see that criticism.
        
        I will say though that ice cores going back 400,000 to 800,000 years are only available from a small percentage of the current planet surface area, in the modern day. But some of those ice cores show us that climate change can be far faster and far more severe than commonly assumed.
        
        TL/DR I don’t think that Greenland is necessarily some special case.
        
        Bill …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:46 pm
        
        Ice cores can tell us CO2 concentrations, yes? So if there is (say) 600 000 year old ice in the northern hemisphere and in the southern hemisphere, then it’s probably safe to bet that where the concentration levels are the same, then we’re talking about global CO2 levels and not a coincidence of two local events giving heightened levels.
        
        Beyond ice cores, there are sediments on the sea bed that can be used and that go back much further.
        
        Regardless, I’d be shocked, astounded and a whole pile of other things if one ice core (or sediment sample) was used to make any type of claim about global conditions.
        
        What’s TL/DR mean btw? Too long, didn’t read?
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:48 pm
        
        yes, that’s what it means 😛
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:10 pm
        
        Actually, it seems that I don’t need to point out old Greenland ice cores. We are now seeing current day warming in Greenland which matches the worst ever rates ever seen in the ice record:
        
        Parts of Greenland have seen a 10C rise in the last 20 years and the resulting effect on the jet stream is bringing floods and Arctic weather to the UK
        
        http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/greenland-temperature-global-warming-climate-change-floods-britain-uk-a7002186.html
    - Macro 1.2.2.2
      
      26 August 2016 at 9:22 pm
      
      Yes it is quite misleading to give anticipated Greenland temperatures and extrapolate them to average Global temps. There is such a thing as Polar Amplification and the Poles are expected to warm much quicker (and are) than the equatorial regions.
      I concur with your statement at 1 above.
      - Colonial Viper 1.2.2.2.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 9:28 pm
        
        Fine don’t worry about it then. Even though we know that averages hide a multitude of sins.
        
        Macro 1.2.2.2.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:36 pm
        
        CV there is everything to worry about. I just don’t think it is helpful to overstate the case. Things are bad enough already, and yes they are going to get worse. But we loose credibility when we overstate the case. The current spike in warming has been fuelled by a massive El Nino, but that has now subsided. The spike will continue for a few months and 2016 is around 99% certain to be the hottest year on record. But we cannot expect that to continue as the La Nina will again begin and the oceans will again start to act as the planet’s heat sink. (last year and this has seen a noticeable drop in the overall Ocean Heat content.) The heat lost from the Oceans is evidenced in the sea level temp increase.
        I agree the IPCC figures are on the conservative side and they do not factor in the imminent loss of the West Antarctic Ice Shelves – that science was yet to be fully confirmed at the time of the last report. Nevertheless the prognosis for BAU is scary enough. and there is need for urgent action.
        I was at a CC workshop just this past weekend. One thing we really have to do is consider how best to help the 120,000 people on Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Tokelau’s. Su’a William Sio showed a short video of the effect of rising sea levels on Tuvalu. A king tide and a moderate swell was sufficient to inundate the village in sea water. The resulting increased salinity and drought means crops are poor and locally grown food is scarce. These people are experiencing the effects of rising sea levels even now. Now they do not want to be considered Climate Refugees, and they would prefer to stay where they are. There are sovereignty issues to be considered. Already Chinese fishing vessels are fishing illegally in their EEZ’s. Mike Field reported on Radio NZ last week that the RNZN had encountered around 40 fishing vessels illegally fishing in the area. Pacifica people who are overstayers are being sent back to the islands where there is no future for them. There is no status of Climate refugee. Our govt and the Australian government don’t want to know, yet we are the people who are causing the problem, not the people of the Pacific.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:51 pm
        
        Let’s get real Macro, we’re not going to help those 120,000 people on Kiribati, Tuvalu, and the Tokelau’s.
        
        We can’t even be bothered to help our own 300,000 Kiwi children in poverty or the tens of thousands of NZers living in garages and in cars around the block from us.
        
        Let alone some faraway people that no one has ever met.
        
        Pat …
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:55 pm
        
        do you believe that when those islands become uninhabitable and the pictures of distressed people are daily on our televisions we (NZ) will turn our backs?
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:59 pm
        
        Yes.
        
        Pat …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:04 pm
        
        i would like to think we wouldn’t , particularly for our pacific neighbours but i suspect you may be right (or at least a very limited selective response)
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 11:58 am
        
        Under our current Govt CV you are correct. However this issue of the vulnerability of the Pacific Island peoples to CC was raised by Su’a William Sio Labour MP for Mangere. As the spokesperson on CC wrt the Pacific I would expect that he speaks with the backing of his party. Half the people at the workshop of around 200 were Pacifica and I would be extremely surprised if the Greens were not supportive of any Labour initiative to work towards solutions for ensuring the safety and ultimately relocation of these people.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:58 pm
        
        I’m making a prediction that as homelessness, accommodation unaffordability and climate change impacts hit Auckland harder and harder over the next ten years, that governments (of whatever stripe) are going to have few political options to choose from.
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:17 pm
        
        Which is why we need to work together to change this Govt which is not only bereft of ideas, but also completely lacks any shred of compassion or empathy.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:57 pm
        
        Who is going to help relocate the 15,000 people in Dunedin whose homes are going to be screwed by rising sea levels in the next 20-30 years?
        
        My bet: nothing is going to be done until the last minute, and then at that time, sweet FA is still going to be done.
        
        Pat …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:06 pm
        
        that one i can answer with confidence….no one…. just ask the residents of some of ChChs eastern suburbs
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:15 pm
        
        Exactly. Hence what can the people of Kiribati expect from us
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:12 pm
        
        Tokelau is a dependent territory of NZ – we have a responsibility.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:05 pm
        
        I fully agree. But you’d think that we also have a responsibility to homeless and in poverty NZ kids, but we shirk that one quite fine.
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:04 pm
        
        They (the residents) don’t want to know – they organised a review of the Tonkin and Taylor report which said their homes were vulnerable (The review included such distinguished denialists as de Lange from Waikato) because the ChCh CC said well we must put that on the LIM – all hell broke loose. So now they have their way. Nothing on the LIM. All one can say is “Buyer Beware”.
        
        Pat …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:11 pm
        
        the report was full of flaws as the review showed…..one of the issues is the application of hazard notices on properties without any plan to deal with the subsequent issues…the CCC appear to wish to cover their arses and transfer all risk and cost to the residents and wash their hands,
        
        This on top of the fact the CCC (and central govt) have allowed and assisted the ICs and EQC to reinstate properties without accounting for those increased hazards.
        
        Many residents , particularly on east, have been screwed at every turn and consequently will almost oppose any official standpoint as of right…..and who can blame them.
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:15 pm
        
        No the report was not full of flaws wrt to rising sea levels. It is on that point that the T & T report was addressing
        
        Pat …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:55 pm
        
        CCRU spokesman Darrell Latham said the panel had vindicated CCRU’s call for due process and fair procedure.
        
        “The report should not have been used for planning purposes,” he said.
        
        “It was not a sufficiently robust document nor was it fit for that purpose, hence the panel’s many recommendations for additional work to be done.”
        
        http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/83423027/coastal-hazards-group-vindicated-after-panel-findings
        
        Macro …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:08 pm
        
        Exactly! Based upon a review which included Willem de Lange who is in absolute denial of CC and SLR. The CCRU also wanted such idiots as Kesten Green!
        No surprises wrt to the outcome of the review. It was stacked from the get go.
        
        Lloyd …
        
        28 August 2016 at 12:46 am
        
        There might be some money for the true-blue Pakuranga electorate home owners of Bucklands Beach.
        
        Bill …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:34 pm
        
        I have to agree with you Macro. Whether the over-egging is deliberate or accidental, it’s in no way useful. We’re in the shit. End.
        
        Having said that, I also think it’s useless and dangerous to be offering up unfounded optimism (false hope). That thought’s got nothing to do with your comment, but I think it’s worth throwing in anyway.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:45 pm
        
        And the people talking about what we need to do by 2050 to avoid 2 deg climate change?
        
        Bill …
        
        27 August 2016 at 12:04 am
        
        You know what my basic thoughts are (they’re based on the analysis of Kevin Anderson)
        
        Relying on the positive or optimistic side of the science (ie – low climate sensitivity), we still have a very slim chance of holding temperature rise to around 2 degrees – if we instigate large reductions in fossil use right now with the aim of getting to zero carbon energy by 2040 for the west alongside a 2025ish peak for the rest of the world that then gets to zero by 2050. Simultaneously we need to be drastically reducing emissions from land use (they won’t ever be zero).
        
        A well nigh impossible task – but only “well nigh”. And if we do all the above and 2 degrees is exceeded, then we will have achieved the least amount of warming possible. Any target that is in any way less ambitious is absolutely going to be overshooting 2 degrees C of warming. And anything that relies on BECCS or any other such like ought not to be relied on.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 11:37 am
        
        well, we have to get off capitalism and consumerism ASAP and find a different value system to run modern society on…
        
        I think 3 deg C to 4 deg C warming was baked in pre-2000. However if we can do everything humanly possible to avoid going over that, it would certainly be very helpful to the rest of the species on the planet.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 11:46 am
        
        I’m also baffled by all this talk that we have x gigatonnes of carbon emissions left in the 2 deg C “budget” that we can still burn.
        
        Bill …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:10 pm
        
        I’m also baffled by all this talk that we have x gigatonnes of carbon emissions left in the 2 deg C “budget” that we can still burn
        
        It’s pretty simple stuff. CO2 results in warming but uncertainty surrounds the calculation of exactly what degree of warming results from what level of CO2. (There are many contributory factors or interferences- some positive and some negative)
        
        If we wanted to say that we certainly won’t go over 2 degrees of warming, then we should have said so some years back and stopped burning fossil. But we didn’t.
        
        If we wanted to say we have a 50/50 chance of not going over 2 degrees, then we should also have said so some years back and stopped burning fossil. But we didn’t.
        
        If we look at the CO2 in the atmosphere today and allow for the uncertainties that surround climate sensitivity – the complex interplay of various components that contribute to warming and the incomplete knowledge we have on some of those components – then the very best we can say – by swinging away to the most optimistic possible scientific interpretation of the situation – is that there is an outside chance of not going over 2 degrees if only ~1300Gt of CO2 is released from across all sources between 2011 and 2100.
        
        We’d burned through about 15% of that total by 2015 or 2014 btw.
        
        edit – Obviously, the potential of ‘tipping points’ is necessarily excluded from the above.
        
        Colonial Viper …
        
        27 August 2016 at 1:20 pm
        
        OK so that’s the theory. I think we will sail past 2 deg C in the next 10-15 years primarily based on GHGs we released in the 80s and 90s. That’s why I don’t get the concept that we can keep burning for a few more years yet.
        
        And I have to wonder, who in their right mind tolerates a 50/50 chance of their children’s home burning down? Apart from the human race, with this one planet that we have.
        
        The GHGs we released in the last few years will continue raising the temperature until near the end of the century, with the delayed warming due to the thermal inertia of the planet’s seas.
        
        Bill …
        
        27 August 2016 at 2:26 pm
        
        It’s not a theory so much as taking empirical evidence or knowledge and then applying it to a complex reality – so necessarily setting a whole set of caveats around that application or transfer. (ie -probabilities or ‘odds’)
        
        We might sail through 2 degrees pretty soon…or later. Or we might not. There are probabilities or odds attached. shrug
        
        The GHG we release will keep warming the planet into the future – yup. That’s why bio-fuel isn’t an option as a substitute for fossil – it still produces CO2.
        
        Way I analogously look at CO2 concentrations, is that I can casually pick up a hot ember that drops out my fire and toss it back on the flames without getting burnt. But if I hold on to it while I “finish what I’m saying”, then I get burned. Same with CO2. Those levels have to come back down from a peak “in a timely fashion” – ie, before they have an effect. So, no burning of bio-fuels holding those levels up there.
        
        I’m not sure what the time lag is – I hear different suggestions, which given the uncertainty that surrounds so much of the science, that makes sense to me. I’ve heard as low as ten years, but who knows?
        
        Intuitively, I’d be tempted to suggest that as the pace of the end result of warming picks up ( ie, as the rate of actual warming increases) that the lag time diminishes. So whereas there may have been a lag of some 30 years a couple of decades back, the lag might be considerably less now. Like I say, it’s just my intuition speaking. I don’t understand physics well enough to say. (So, simplistically and ignoring ambient temperature and what not, is the lag on a boiling pan of water the same for increasing the water temperature from 10 degrees to 20 degrees as it is for raising it from 70 degrees to 80 degrees?)
Garibaldi 2

26 August 2016 at 5:05 pm

Thanks CV .The issue of rapid cc needs to be raised often. People have become so turned off by the topic and it’s like it’s no longer a problem. I can’t get over how the av person doesn’t give a rats arse about it. If you bring the subject up anywhere it is immediately dismissed as something that ” might be coming one day but it’s not a problem yet”. They seem impervious to the fact that it is happening now and accelerating. Are they being wilfully dumb or are they just too scared to admit that we have to radically change our western lifestyle? I think it is a bit of both.
- Reddelusion 2.1
  
  26 August 2016 at 5:19 pm
  
  It’s pure game theory, no matter what I or NZ do it won’t make a difference, so why change, and or free rider syndrome, ie west makes all the sacrifice other don’t or vice versa. Unless there is a coordinated government response at global and local level I just can’t see how any real change will get traction, hence all hope for a scientific solution
  - b waghorn 2.1.1
    
    26 August 2016 at 5:29 pm
    
    some one has to lead , and being a small relatively wealthy country we would be the best place to experiment on.
    - Bill 2.1.1.1
      
      26 August 2016 at 6:51 pm
      
      The posts have been written quite recently – propositions that would have NZ hit zero carbon from transport in the 2030s.
      
      But the posts have been essentially ignored.
      
      It seems that even readers/ commenters at ‘ts’ don’t want to play with workable ideas when they’re put up shrug
      - b waghorn 2.1.1.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 7:04 pm
        
        I am but a tiny cog , and the only tool i have for change is my vote . Tbh i think humans are going to ride this bad boy (cc that is ) till the end ,what ever that is .
        There is only one solution that can probably stop cc , but i’ll leave that dark thought unspoken, mean while i’m going enjoy life and make those close to me as happy as possible.
        
        Colonial Viper 2.1.1.1.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 7:39 pm
        
        Hi b waghorn, that is the point I think, live as human and as loving a life that you can for as long as you can.
        
        Bill 2.1.1.1.1.2
        
        26 August 2016 at 8:30 pm
        
        You have much more than a vote at your disposal. And the proposals made in the posts absolutely would work if applied – and aren’t dark in any way, shape or form.
        
        Maybe you should read them. Use google advance search to search the standard. Search term – free petrol.
        
        b waghorn …
        
        26 August 2016 at 10:50 pm
        
        i read them Bill mostly they baffled me (not your fault) , but mostly i look at my fellow man and think , if this is the peak ,why did we aim so low.
        
        Bill …
        
        26 August 2016 at 11:26 pm
        
        Shame you didn’t pipe up with what was baffling you. Seriously.
        
        I do try to make posts I do on AGW as concise and as clear as possible. Explaining and stripping out the bullshit takes space, but is so ubiquitous in pieces on AGW, that it has to be reiterated so that readers know why I’m using the numbers I use.
        
        Or maybe you mean they were comprehensible enough, but given the situation we’re in, you’re baffled that we seem to be so bloody lackadaisical?
  - Bill 2.1.2
    
    26 August 2016 at 8:36 pm
    
    It’s not ‘game theory’. Posts have been done that explain why NZ is fairly unique and how NZ could get to zero carbon (from transport related energy) in the space of a generation. The follow up, encompassing entire energy system hasn’t been put up yet, but will be.
Snowboarder Sam 3

26 August 2016 at 5:18 pm

[For those who want to understand why this person’s comment is ignorant of some climate change (and snow formation) basics, I have placed a mod comment at the end of their watery attempt at sarcasm – CV]

It appears the so-called settled™ séance is changing its theories / holy commandments yet again: it’s supposed to be high ‘summer’ up in the northern hemisphere yet it’s snowing in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet, China, Russia, Alaska (where over 1 metre of ‘global warming fallout residue’ has fallen this week alone), Canada, north-western USA, Greenland and Iceland (see map of last 7 days recorded snowfall in link below). Remember, the experts™ said – in 2001 – that winter snow would become “a rarity” for the children and yet, in 2016, it’s snotting down even in summer… d’oh!

Meanwhile, here in the southern hemisphere, Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu was closed (again) today due to whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and… snow! Another half-a-metre of freshies – on top of the two-and-a-half metres already accumulated this winter – is expected to fall during the next 24 hours.

Apparently carbon dioxide and methane now cause EPIC snow seasons. Who’da thunked!

http://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/dynamic/global?over=none&symbols=snow&type=snow.last7days

[A couple of things. You do realise that heavy snow requires a lot of water in the atmosphere to freeze, right? Oceans and land temps are well up at the moment which means that the atmosphere is much wetter. When it gets cold enough to snow – as it still will for the moment – then massive dumps of snow can occur because of this. Especially as normal patterns of cold air flow from the polar regions are disturbed high up in the atmosphere. But average higher land temps mean that snow is only going to settle late and disappear much earlier. CV]
- b waghorn 3.1
  
  26 August 2016 at 5:33 pm
  
  Muppet I live just down the road from whakapapa and we are having a stunningly warm winter , snow fall means fuck all, in fact odd weather events proves the systems out of balance.
  - Poission 3.1.1
    
    26 August 2016 at 5:45 pm
    
    In fact it is a response to normal winter weather behavior, from the negative play of the antarctic oscillation.
    
    http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/daily_ao_index/aao/aao.obs.gif
    - b waghorn 3.1.1.1
      
      26 August 2016 at 5:55 pm
      
      Not being a smart arse , but when explaining things to me you need to be a bit clearer.
      - Poission 3.1.1.1.1
        
        26 August 2016 at 6:05 pm
        
        The aao is aka the southern annular mode,very simply put it is the regime of westerly wind behavior in the mid to high latitudes of the SH.
        
        https://www.niwa.co.nz/publications/wa/vol14-no2-june-2006/the-southern-annular-mode-and-new-zealand-climate
- Snowboarder Sam 3.2
  
  27 August 2016 at 12:31 am
  
  Thanks, CV, for your lesson in snow formation: after 27 years snowboarding in the mountains – and 40 surfing in the ocean – there’s still so much to learn about the marvels of the physics of liquid-fun formation.
  
  Having spent many hours talking with ski patrol gurus, meteorologists, and old-timers of the hills, yes, I do realise snow requires water in the atmosphere – water vapour (H₂O) being the most prolific greenhouse gas on planet Earth. Warm air (tropical / moist) clashing with cold air (Antarctic / dry) also helps boost those fluffy little flakes. As for the ocean temps being “well up” at the moment, NOAA’s sea surface temperature anomaly appears to say otherwise:
  
  http://www.ospo.noaa.gov/data/sst/anomaly/2016/anomnight.8.25.2016.gif
  
  Surrounding, and south-east of, NZ (from where a lot of our recent snow has originated) it’s anything from 1 to 2 degrees Celsius BELOW ‘normal’, similar to Australia’s southern waters. Besides, it was a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia, who said in March 2000, “within a few years winter snowfall will become ‘a very rare and exciting event… Children just aren’t going to know what snow is'”. Has something changed?
  
  http://web.archive.org/web/20100209052939/http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html
  - Colonial Viper 3.2.1
    
    27 August 2016 at 8:24 am
    
    watch for the ski season to get shorter and shorter over the next few years.
- TheExtremist 3.3
  
  27 August 2016 at 8:35 pm
  
  That’s hilarious!
  
  It snowed therefore global warming is false. In other news I saw a monkey yesterday so evolution is false! Check mate!
Robert Atack 4

26 August 2016 at 7:01 pm

Okay the CH4/O2 rave ………………
I sent out a question to as many ‘climatologists’ or whatever you want to call people who might have an idea, that I could find … a while back – as to the actual real time forcing factor of CH4 over CO2, taking the major point that we have to ignore any aging of the CH4 , as for the foreseeable future CH4 is increasing in the environment, not growing old and ‘dieing off’
Some of the replies range from 150 to 300 depending on concentrations? One said it might spike to 1,000 ppm CO2e,.
Even the IPCC say over something like 20 years it is 80 ppm CO2e
‘We’ are at something like 1.8 to spikes of 2.1 (at least)
Giving us a conservative reading of around 300 ppm CO2e now.
If the extinction events in the past were driven by a massive methane burp we might not be able to tell, as the fossil remains will look like CO2 ?
There is enough stored/trapped CH4 just beneath the fast thawing ice caps, that are the methane clathrates, to make our contribution look like a wick to a pallet of TNT
Robert Atack 5

26 August 2016 at 8:59 pm

Another hair brained thought I came up with …
We have risen CO2 from 280 ish ? to 400 in several hundred years, in the past extinction events this has taken an ‘alarming’ 10,000 years ? So that means if our rise to 400 had been slower there would have been a gradual release of CH4, which there hasn’t yet, we could be facing a rush of 9,000 years worth of CH4, just in catch up.
In the past the planet might have sat at 300 ppm CO2 for 1,000 years, and during that time X amount of ice would have melted, maybe leading to some CH4 release, then the planet might have sat at 320 ppmCO2 for several thousand years, and so on, by the time it hit 400 ppm there would have been no ice left.
That is what we are playing catch up to, we have several thousand years worth of ice melt, that has never been there in the past when there has been a 400 ppm CO2 to 800 ppm CO2e environment.
But not to panic, we have a political party that understands all this.
johnm 6

27 August 2016 at 10:02 am
johnm 7

27 August 2016 at 10:19 am
johnm 8

27 August 2016 at 11:02 am
johnm 9

27 August 2016 at 11:26 am

A Farewell to Ice by Peter Wadhams review – climate change writ large
The warning this book gives us about the consequences of the loss of the planet’s ice is emphatic, urgent and convincing

Becoming a world authority on sea ice has taken Peter Wadhams to the polar zones more than 50 times, travelling on foot and by plane, ship, snowmobile and several nuclear-powered submarines of the Royal Navy.

Nonscientists who read his astonishing and hair-raising A Farewell to Ice will agree that the interludes of autobiography it contains are engrossing, entertaining and, when one submarine suffers an onboard explosion and fire while under the ice, harrowing.

Any reader should find the science of sea-ice creation and the implications for us all of its loss – explored and explained here with clarity and style – beautiful, compelling and terrifying.

Wadhams thanks Ernest Hemingway for his title.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/21/farewell-to-ice-peter-wadhams-review-climate-change
- Colonial Viper 9.1
  
  27 August 2016 at 11:42 am
  
  As far as I can tell, an ice free Greenland is almost guaranteed at around 2 deg C to 2.5 deg C global warming. That’s about 5m-6m of sea level rise due to the lost ice alone.
  
  The only question is whether it will take 40 years or 400 years for all that ice to melt.
  
  I also understand that the Earth has undergone sea level rise of at least ~3m/century (one foot per decade) multiple times before in the paleo-record.
Colonial Viper 10

27 August 2016 at 1:07 pm

Greenland loses 9 trillion tonnes of ice in the last 100 years. One trillion of it in just four years between 2011 and 2014.

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-global-warming-greenland-ice-melting-rate-sea-levels-rise-a7147846.html
johnm 11

27 August 2016 at 1:26 pm
Robert Atack 12

27 August 2016 at 1:57 pm
Robert Atack 13

27 August 2016 at 2:09 pm
- johnm 13.1
  
  27 August 2016 at 5:34 pm
  
  HI RA
  
  Yes, modern civilisation is doomed. Fossil fuels will peter out and climate change will get worse and worse 🙁 I agree with you: Don’t have children, they will inherit a dieing civilisation which will die! It will be horrific don’t condemn others to this sad demise. We thought we were Olympians above mere physical limitations: but we were and are wrong! 🙁
  - johnm 13.1.1
    
    27 August 2016 at 6:13 pm
    
    This stuff was supposed to only happen in SCI FI movies with lots of oohs and ahs! Most of us can’t really believe it’s happening really! The Earth is about to boot our collective asses into history. Probably the dinosaurs felt the same way!!
44 south 14

27 August 2016 at 3:50 pm

Nothing can or will be done to stop runaway climate change.
No one will vote for anything that makes their lives tougher, harder; nor will many even embrace voluntary frugality.
Events will overtake debate, scapegoats will be sought, violence will follow.
By 2020 is my bet. As Mr Cohen says “there’s a mighty judgement coming but I could be wrong”.
- Colonial Viper 14.1
  
  27 August 2016 at 6:01 pm
  
  I’m picking things won’t get seriously out of hand for another 10 years. Wait until the general populations of the ‘developed western nations’ realise how deep in the hole we are. Clinton, Trump, Farage and Le Penn are going to be little pussycats compared to who is coming.
  - johnm 14.1.1
    
    27 August 2016 at 6:34 pm
    
    I hope you’re right! 🙂 It’s a progressing situation and sooner or later I don’t want to be bothered by this stupid irrelevancy general public will come to a sickening realisation: My ass and my family’s ass is on the line here: panic stations. Again: How could this happen to us!? Mike Hoskings and Paul Henry never intimated this including our tin money god J Key! This is obviously alarmist terrorist BS go back to sleep folks. What a cheek the natural world has threatening us this way!
    - Colonial Viper 14.1.1.1
      
      27 August 2016 at 6:42 pm
      
      Yes then it will be how much money do we need to spend to set it right, as if the West Antarctic Ice Sheet cares one whit about our pretend digital money in pretend electronic accounts.

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Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
4 days ago

Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
4 days ago

Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
Skeptical Science
4 days ago

Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
4 days ago

Webworm LA Pop-Up
Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

“Feel good” school is out
Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
exhALANtBy exhalantblog
5 days ago

Bread, and how it gets buttered
Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
5 days ago

Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
5 days ago

Justice for Gaza?
The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
5 days ago

If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
5 days ago

FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
5 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
5 days ago

Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
5 days ago

Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
3 days ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
3 days ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
1 week ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freeze
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunches
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuse
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals bill
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project instead
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priority
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 hours ago

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Speech to New Zealand China Council
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Community hui to talk about kina barrens
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Mining resurgence a welcome sign
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Government to boost public EV charging network
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Independent review into disability support services
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Speech – Eid al-Fitr
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Government saves access to medicines
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Pharmac Chair appointed
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New sports complex opens in Kaikohe
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Diplomacy needed more than ever
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

PM announces changes to portfolios
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

New catch limits for unique fishery areas
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Overseas decommissioning models considered
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

New Zealand signs deal with Germany on Antarctica cooperation
The memorandum of understanding with Germany's Alfred Wegener Institute is expected to foster cooperation between the two polar science bodies. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 hours ago

NZ food safety agency monitoring Indian spice mix recalls
New Zealand Food Safety is monitoring overseas recalls of Indian packaged spice products manufactured by MDH and Everest due to concerns over a cancer-causing pesticide. ...
Radio NZ – political
4 hours ago

Fiji’s media freedom ranking jumps, Papua New Guinea’s plummets
By Stephen Wright and Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Fiji’s ranking in a global press freedom index has jumped into the top tier of countries with free or mostly free media after its government last year repealed a draconian law that threatened journalists with prison for doing their jobs. Fiji’s improvement ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
7 hours ago

The Boy in the Water: ‘I just can’t do this anymore’
We might be in Invercargill but all anyone can talk about is Gore. Specifically, Salford Street. That’s where three-year-old Lachlan Jones lived, south of the centre of town, between the A&P Showgrounds and the Mataura River. Roughly 1.2 km away from the single level home he lived in with his ...
NewsroomBy Bonnie Sumner
12 hours ago

'Data is the new oil': Call to save jobs of data security guards
New Zealanders' data is at risk with the government's "unintelligent" proposal to cut information security jobs, the Privacy Foundation says. ...
Radio NZ – political
13 hours ago

The Secret Diary of .. Coalition Sheriff Luxon
MONDAY I lined up the latest round of civil servants from city hall against the wall, and signalled for the firing squad to drop their rifles. I stepped up onto a wooden crate to look at the office workers in the eye. But that didn’t feel right, so I found ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
13 hours ago

Liam Hewson seeks answers in nature
Keen hiker and second-year MSc student Liam Hewson wears two hats when he’s in the great outdoors. “The scientist in me appreciates nature and goes, ‘Oh, there’s that thing and there’s another thing,’ but then the tramper and the outdoorsy person in me thinks, ‘Cool bush.’” Born and bred in ...
NewsroomBy Penny Lewis
13 hours ago

Dan Carter won’t stop kicking
After a long and illustrious career as a goal kicker, Dan Carter’s favourite way to unwind is… kicking goals. Why can’t he get enough of it? And what it’s like to watch him do it for an hour straight? A semicircle of people wielding cameras and phones has formed in ...
The SpinoffBy Calum Henderson
14 hours ago

‘Everybody rolls their eyes’: Dame Susan Devoy’s guilty TV pleasure
Dame Susan Devoy takes us through her life in television, including late night ER debriefs, her proudest CTI moment and the show she watches in secret. Quite aside from her four world champion squash titles, Dame Susan Devoy will likely go down in history as one of the best Celebrity ...
The SpinoffBy My Life in TV
14 hours ago

Dunedin’s secondhand bookshops, ranked and reviewed
Hera Lindsay Bird reveals the best places in Ōtepoti to score more for your apocalypse-prep book hoard. Sometimes I get the feeling I’ve been killed in a car crash, and this second half of my life is just the brain unspooling itself, like one of those episodes of a hospital ...
The SpinoffBy Hera Lindsay Bird
14 hours ago

Review: High Country is the ideal crime drama for a cold winter night
ThreeNow’s new murder mystery series takes us on a dark, damp journey into the Australian wilderness. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. High Country is ThreeNow’s new Australian eight-part crime drama, set in a remote part of the Victorian highlands. It tells ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
14 hours ago

Welcome to The Weekend
Introducing a new way to read The Spinoff every weekend. After nearly 10 years of being an online magazine, we’re finally embracing the weekend liftout. Despite our best efforts to convince you otherwise, writers and editors at The Spinoff don’t work weekend. It is through the sheer power of technology ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
14 hours ago

Tips and tricks for when your therapist looks like your dad
Tip one: let yourself be nurtured by this big old man. Tip two: don’t ask him to adopt you. So, you’ve arrived at your first session with a new therapist. He tells you to make yourself comfortable and you opt for the tweed armchair, hoping it makes you look like ...
The SpinoffBy Gráinne Patterson
14 hours ago

The Sunday Essay: The books that electrify and consume you
I didn’t know books could open you back up; that there were books that stayed with you, where reading was like a chemical event. I knew nothing. The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Not too long ago, I was listening to the American ...
The SpinoffBy James Pasley
14 hours ago

The Enhanced games, where drug use isn’t cheating
Former Olympic swimmer James Magnussen has already started training for the Enhanced games, though says he won’t start taking performance enhancing substances until about nine months out from the competition. The Australian world champion was the first athlete to be announced by Enhanced, but he says the organisation has had ...
NewsroomBy Gwen McClure
14 hours ago

Short story: The boat in the shed, by Kyle Mewburn
Everyone thinks he’s dead. Every day they expect his body to be washed up along the coast. Most likely up Karitane way, the way the tide’s running. But nobody’ll be too surprised if his body’s never found. Even in death he wouldn’t have wished for such attention. He would have ...
NewsroomBy Kyle Mewburn
14 hours ago

USP Council votes to bring controversial VC back to Fiji
Council members voted 21 to 4 in favour of Ahluwalia returning to the Laucala campus following a much-awaited meeting in Vanuatu this week. It comes as USP and its two unions — the Association of the University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) and the Administration and Support Staff Union ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
19 hours ago

Public health expert urges govt to focus on disease prevention
The government needs to step up in the wake of a report showing a third of Kiwis have unmet health needs, Professor Boyd Swinburn says. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

Figures like Andrew Tate may help spread misogyny. But they’re amplifying – not causing – the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Henry, Professor & Australian Research Council Future Fellow, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT University Shutterstock Following an emergency meeting of the National Cabinet this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a raft of measures to tackle the problem ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
23 hours ago

Free speech debate back on as Victoria University expands diversity on panel
A perceived right-wing bias and concerns about panellist diversity have pushed Victoria University to reformat its debate. ...
Radio NZ – political
24 hours ago

Week in Politics: Polls, pay rises and a Green MP in trouble
Analysis - A poll showing the opposition is more popular than the government raises questions, politicians go through their 'trial by pay rise' and a Green MP loses her cool in the debating chamber. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Māori win customary title over Tokomaru Bay on East Coast
The entire stretch of Tokomaru Bay on the East Coast will be subject to a joint customary marine title for two hapū, and extending up to four miles out to sea. A High Court judge has found the two groups, who during the case settled a dispute over boundaries for ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
1 day ago

Universal’s music is returning to TikTok, ending a spat that hurt fans more than anyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Hall, Lecturer, Media & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University A longstanding feud between TikTok and Universal Music Group seems to have finally reached an end, with both parties signing a deal that will see Universal-backed music returned to the social media ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

To tackle gendered violence, we also need to look at drugs, trauma and mental health
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Siobhan O’Dean, Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney After several highly publicised alleged murders of women in Australia, the Albanese government this week pledged more than A$925 million over five years ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

National raised $10.4m in donations in 2023
Political parties have now fully disclosed the donations they received last year - with National getting more than double the cash of any other party. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Don't 'mistake' Pacific leaders 'quietness' on AUKUS as support for NZ&#039...
A Pacific regionalism expert has called out New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters for withholding information from the public on AUKUS military pact. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Florist says Julie Anne Genter exchange was 'massive imbalance of power'
The Wellington woman says she felt degraded and humiliated after being confronted by the Green MP. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

China’s new Moon mission is about to launch, and it’s a rare example of countries working togeth...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard de Grijs, Professor of Astrophysics, Macquarie University Bruno Scramgnon/Pexels All systems are “go” for tonight’s launch of China’s next step in a carefully planned lunar exploration program. Placed on top of a powerful Long March 5 rocket, the Chang’e 6 ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

National returned $200,000 donation day after Newsroom story
National returned a massive donation the day after a Newsroom story linked the donors to a property being investigated for operating unlawfully as a migrant workers’ hostel. The party’s 2023 donation filings, released on Friday, show it returned a $200,000 donation from Buen Holdings on August 23. That was the ...
NewsroomBy Andrew Bevin
1 day ago

NZ slumps to 19th as RSF says press freedom threatened by global decline
Pacific Media Watch New Zealand has slumped to an unprecedented 19th place in the annual Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index survey released today on World Press Freedom Day — May 3. This was a drop of six places from 13th last year when it slipped out of its ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Access to documents about Australia’s political history is fraught and inadequate. It needs to cha...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Political Historian and Administrator Officer, Australian Historical Association, Australian National University Australia has had its fair share of public record-keeping controversies in recent years. Some have been mere farce, as in the case of two formerly government-owned filing cabinets (containing ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Greens have 'historically bad' start to the year – political scientist
The party has had faced a challenging set of circumstances over the past five months, Lara Greaves says. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

HWPL Calls For Peace Amid Rising Tensions Between Israel And Iran
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a United Nations-affiliated organization dedicated to fostering peace through civilian-led initiatives, has issued a statement in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

The Friday Poem: ‘Mātou’ by Tessa Keenan
A poem by Tessa Keenan, from AUP New Poets 10. Mātou These days we are a photograph; one of a farm strewn with cows that used to be bright harakeke or swamp. The kids point at it and say the sun sits behind a smudge (left by someone at Christmas); ...
The SpinoffBy Tessa Keenan
1 day ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 3
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (Faber & Faber, $25) The masterful Irish writer ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
1 day ago

Marriages, Civil Unions, And Divorces: Year Ended Dec 2023
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. Key facts Marriages and civil unions In ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

Marriages, Civil Unions, And Divorces: Year Ended December 2023
Marriage and civil union statistics record the number of marriages and civil unions registered in New Zealand each year, and divorce statistics record the number of divorces granted in New Zealand each year. ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

How effective are domestic violence advertising campaigns for preventing violence against women?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Waller, Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney shutterstock Cristina RasoBoluda/Shutterstock Domestic violence is a significant personal, community and social issue attracting much attention. After several recent horrific cases, media discussion, calls for a royal commission to end the violence and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Taiwan is experiencing millions of cyberattacks every day. The world should be paying attention
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lennon Y.C. Chang, Associate Professor of Cyber Risk and Policy, Deakin University Taiwan stands out as a beacon of democracy, innovation and resilience in an increasingly autocratic region. But this is under growing threat. In recent years, China has used a variety ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

‘There was life in the old girl yet’: Dame Susan Devoy on taking reality TV by storm
In this excerpt from her new memoir, Dame Susan Devoy remembers her turn as star contestant on the 2022 season of Celebrity Treasure Island. The most anxious time of every day was pre-elimination, when you knew this could be your final day on the show. I felt such contradictory emotions, ...
The SpinoffBy Susan Devoy
1 day ago

Auditor-General criticises way University of Waikato contracted Steven Joyce
John Ryan says the University of Waikato did not invite multiple contractors and reached out to the former finance minister directly. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

'Not my first legal rodeo' – Winston Peters on defamation threat
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says he will not be cowed by threats of legal action, having received a legal letter from Bob Carr. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Can the Green Party’s holy mission survive its fallible disciples?
A week that began in triumph ended in an all-too-familiar disaster for the Green Party. Duncan Greive asks if there’s something in the mission that breaks its best and brightest. A long, strange week for the Green party began with a fantastic poll result. On one level this is hardly ...
The SpinoffBy Duncan Greive
1 day ago

Vanuatu’s Kalsakau resigns, calls for delay on constitutional referendum
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Vanuatu’s former prime minister and opposition MP Ishmael Kalsakau has stepped down — just two days after he confirmed he was the rightful opposition leader. Kalsakau, MP for Port Vila, confirmed to ABC’s Pacific Beat, and the Vanuatu Daily Post on Thursday that he ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Winston Peters gives China speech amid legal drama and AUKUS questions
The Foreign Minister spoke about the NZ-China relationship amid lingering questions about the AUKUS security alliance . ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Gone By Lunchtime: Mojo machine misfires, honeymoon cancelled
What’s to blame for the coalition’s choppy start? Six months in, and the mojo meter is in the doldrums. A new poll would put National out of power and sees its leader, Chris Luxon, sliding in popularity. How much is it about policy, how much coalition management and a perception ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff
1 day ago

The Waitangi Tribunal’s latest report is about far more than just child protection
The striking report goes far beyond the proposed repeal of the Oranga Tamariki Act’s Treaty of Waitangi provision, and its impact should be felt far beyond the unique circumstances of the claim it addresses. Earlier this week, the Waitangi Tribunal released an interim report on the government’s proposed repeal of ...
The SpinoffBy Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown
1 day ago

Live Winston Peters gives China speech amid legal drama and AUKUS questions
The Foreign Minister was speaking at the New Zealand China Council while questions linger about the AUKUS security alliance . ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

'We weren't informed': Apprentice working on school unaware of asbestos
The Education Ministry is promising to do more about asbestos problems in schools, with tighter controls over detection and removal. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

New Treasury Paper On The Productivity Slowdown
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

The prison slushy story is back, baby, and it’s less nutritious than ever
What’s more wasteful than spending $315k on syrup and machine maintenance? Trying to drum up a controversy about it. Cast your mind back to the pre-pandemic idylls of 2019. A “rat” was a disgusting rodent and not a self-administered plague test; the sixth Labour government was in power; and the ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Holden
1 day ago

AI can now generate entire songs on demand. What does this mean for music as we know it?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Oliver Bown, Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney PeamDesign / Shutterstock In March, we saw the launch of a “ChatGPT for music” called Suno, which uses generative AI to produce realistic songs on demand from short text prompts. A few weeks later, a ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Domestic violence disclosure schemes may not improve safety for victim-survivors of intimate partner...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Fitz-Gibbon, Professor of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Monash University, Monash University Ken stocker/Shutterstock In the wake of numerous killings of women allegedly by men’s violence in 2024, thousands of Australians have joined rallies across the country to demand action ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Clearing the elective surgery backlog will take more than one budget. It’ll need major reform
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Henry Cutler, Professor and Director, Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy, Macquarie University Oleg Ivanov IL/Shutterstock Waiting times for public hospital elective surgery have been in the news ahead of this year’s federal budget. That’s the type of non-emergency surgery ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Why is cancer called cancer? We need to go back to Greco-Roman times for the answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow, Historical and Philosophical Studies, The University of Melbourne Amna Artist/Shutterstock One of the earliest descriptions of someone with cancer comes from the fourth century BC. Satyrus, tyrant of the city of Heracleia on the Black Sea, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Electric vehicles will start to cut emissions and improve air quality in our cities – but only onc...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney LanaElcova/Shutterstock Electric vehicles are often seen as the panacea to cutting emissions – and air pollution – from transport. Is this view correct? Yes – but only once uptake accelerates. Despite the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

4 things our schools should do now to help prevent gender-based violence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Natassia Woodley, Researcher and Phd Candidate, Edith Cowan University There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Becoming a landlord while still renting? ‘Rentvesting’ promises a foot on the property ladder, b...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Graham, Lecturer in Economics, University of Sydney Mark and Anna Photography/Shutterstock As home ownership moves further out of reach for many Australians, “rentvesting” is being touted as a lifesaver. Rentvesting is the practice of renting one property to live ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Season two of Heartbreak High makes diversity feel ‘banal’. This is its strength
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sukhmani Khorana, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, UNSW Sydney Netflix The new season of Heartbreak High is garnering mixed reviews. Critics are writing about the racy story lines, comparing it to other coming-of-age series about teenage relationships and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

Winston Peters receives legal letter from Bob Carr after defamation threat
Bob Carr has confirmed his intention to take legal action against the NZ First leader. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Legal action and bullying allegations: Peters and Genter knock government agenda off its perch
Bob Carr intends to launch legal action against Winston Peters and Julie Anne Genter is facing a second allegation of bullying. Both sucked the air out of an announcement on education, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
1 day ago

New law looks to shake up insurance
The Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs says insurance laws are too complicated and change is long overdue. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Winston Peters' comments about former Australian minister 'unstatesmanlike' – L...
David Parker says he has never heard a current minister speak about a senior, retired politician from another country in such a way. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Where is she now? Sally Clark
In 1995, Sally Clark went out on her own in a bold and unorthodox attempt to join an illustrious group of equestrian riders conquering the world. In the days of glovebox road maps, brick cell phones, and the hit song How Bizarre, Clark refused to follow Sir Mark Todd, Blyth ...
NewsroomBy Adam Julian
1 day ago

Despite a tenfold increase in ADHD prescriptions, too many New Zealanders are still going without
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Beaglehole, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago niphon/Getty Images The number of people accessing medication for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Aotearoa New Zealand increased significantly between 2006 and 2022. But the disorder is still under-diagnosed and ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Pay equity taskforce disbanded, 'no longer required' – Minister
The government is being accused of "misdirected priorities" after it disestablished the pay equity taskforce. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

How bad at reading are New Zealand children?
There are more bad readers among our 10-year-olds, but the picture has improved for teenagers, international testing has found. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Knocked Up, American Pie, the Bean movie: A brief history of NZ music in Hollywood
To celebrate the start of New Zealand music month, we look back at the best local tuneage that managed to weasel its way into Hollywood productions. There’s nothing quite like the thrilling zap of recognition when New Zealand weasels its way into a glamorous Hollywood production. Crack open a Tui ...
The SpinoffBy Alex Casey
2 days ago

Why I told a cop about my lasagne and what it’s got to do with the media
People trust other people more than institutions. So how can the media gain that trust through journalists without losing what’s important about the institution? Anna Rawhiti-Connell reflects on two years of curating the news for The Bulletin. Amonth ago, armed cops descended on my neighbourhood as calls to “lock your ...
The SpinoffBy Anna Rawhiti-Connell
2 days ago

Low levels of ‘forever chemicals’ doesn’t mean we can wash our hands of them
Opinion: PFAS – per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are a class of thousands of man-made chemicals used widely in everyday consumer items such as textiles, packaging, and cookware, popular for their water, grease and stain-repellent properties. However, the very properties that make PFAS so attractive to manufacturers are also what ...
NewsroomBy Lokesh Padhye and Shailja Data
2 days ago

This week’s biggest selling books – May 3
NONFICTION 1 The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour & Jude Dobson (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)’ This is the hottest book in New Zealand, number one with a bullet in its first week, selling more than any overseas title, and demand is so huge that it’s already been reprinted. A ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
2 days ago

Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A,DIV,A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 days ago

Daily crossword, Friday 3 May
The post Daily crossword, Friday 3 May appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy Newsroom Puzzles
2 days ago

A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird world
Secretive and shy, the nationally critical, native bitterns are on the edge in Canterbury, a researcher says The post A cry of help for the James Bond of the bird world appeared first on Newsroom. ...
NewsroomBy David Williams
2 days ago

Drama as the knife hovers over Kiwi soap
A warning – suicide is discussed in this podcast New Zealand’s own long-running soap Shortland Street doesn’t hesitate to kill off its much-loved characters. But would TVNZ dare to kill off our favourite soap? That’s the fear as times get tough in television – even though it’s been pointed out ...
NewsroomBy Sharon Brettkelly
2 days ago

Abrupt climate change: CO2 equivalent now at 485 ppm

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