Author Archive
The right politicising the coronavirus
Written By: - Date published: 2:38 pm, February 26th, 2020 - 113 comments
NACT’s values are showing.
Climate and food security: annual cropping vs regenerative agriculture
Written By: - Date published: 9:59 am, February 13th, 2020 - 67 comments
Science is showing that global food security is now at risk from climate change, farmers and gardeners are showing us how to adapt and mitigate at the same time.
What if plant-based wasn’t the answer?
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, February 7th, 2020 - 123 comments
Instead of burning the world a bit more slowly, how about we don’t burn it at all?
Southland floods and toxic waste
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, February 6th, 2020 - 45 comments
As Southland starts post-flood recovery, the question arises of why 10,000 tonnes of waste known to become toxic on exposure to water was allowed to be stored on the banks of a river with known flood risk in a building with known flood risk?
Trump’s not so bad
Written By: - Date published: 9:25 am, January 20th, 2020 - 65 comments
an occasional series.
How fast can we transition off fossil fuels?
Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, January 12th, 2020 - 148 comments
We’re at the tension point between the fear a fast transition will deprive us vs the fear that not acting fast enough will lead to climate change depriving us. Climate activists fear the latter, incrementalists fear the former.
He wasn’t here to help us, was he
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, January 4th, 2020 - 80 comments
The utter failure of the Australian Prime Minister to lead during the bushfire crisis reminds us that it’s care for our children and communities that drives climate action. When people mobilise politicians will follow.
How To Get There: New Years Day edition
Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, January 1st, 2020 - 63 comments
It’s tempting to think of the 2020s as the do or die decade, but deep, abiding, life affirming change will come from framing that also makes people feel good.
Protection from the climate crisis ruled a fundamental human right
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 23rd, 2019 - 24 comments
In a groundbreaking decision, the Netherlands’ Supreme Court has ruled that the climate crisis is a human rights issue, and “the government must take urgent action on climate change to protect the fundamental rights of its people”.
Having us squabble over the welfare pie
Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, December 18th, 2019 - 34 comments
When we hear a supposedly progressive economist talking about elderly people as decrepit, or rendering the elderly poor invisible, it’s time to revisit our moral compass.
Listening to left wing dissent
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 16th, 2019 - 178 comments
What stands out for me are the voices of the people who are saying actually, there were solid reasons for abandoning Labour, this is why I did. There’s something important here about really listening to dissent and being willing to engage with views that don’t make sense in the context of our own personal ideologies.
Lefties on The Standard: UK election edition
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 13th, 2019 - 197 comments
A dedicated post on The Standard providing a discussion space for left-wing people only.
Thawing after the BRR
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 12th, 2019 - 27 comments
“The purpose of fiscal policy should be to ensure ongoing wellbeing for all and the health of our environment.”
Rent increased over 40% under National (Key years)
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, December 10th, 2019 - 137 comments
Now Simon Bridges as a bridge to sell you.
ACC are bankrolling the climate crisis
Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, December 9th, 2019 - 18 comments
Why is ACC dragging the chain on fossil fuel divestment, and why is Labour letting them?
The plastics problem
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 9th, 2019 - 5 comments
It’s easy to mock the government’s latest single-use plastics ban, but the comprehensive plan it arises from is impressive work from Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage, including the shift to systems thinking and the far reaching implications of the government adopting this approach.
Disarming New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 12:26 pm, December 7th, 2019 - 39 comments
what are the connections between armed police patrols, gendered violence, and a gun lobby protest outside a school?
The risk of climate tipping points is upon us
Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, December 6th, 2019 - 82 comments
Seven senior climate scientists have written a piece in Nature updating the science on climate catastrophe and urging action.
End Oil: “this is how we win”
Written By: - Date published: 12:40 pm, December 5th, 2019 - 4 comments
The Museum of Oil History and SS4C dancing the Macarena ended an awesome week of protest action against oil drilling in NZ.
Protecting democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, December 4th, 2019 - 40 comments
We need to normalise a political culture based on real relationships, where people can work through their beliefs and thinking about how they want society to be without being constantly bombarded with information and processes that are deeply anti-human.
Lefties on The Standard redux
Written By: - Date published: 8:56 am, November 29th, 2019 - 66 comments
A dedicated post on The Standard providing a discussion space for left-wing people only.
The cost of capitalism
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, November 27th, 2019 - 155 comments
I feel like I am describing some future-set dystopian novel, and the scary thing is that the AI, transhumanism, technofascist society is just around the corner.
Climate action: everything we do matters
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, November 22nd, 2019 - 52 comments
As the climate catastrophe gets to another level of intensity, building new systems can be an antidote to feeling powerless or afraid in the face of the crisis.
Why is Jacinda Ardern so popular? (part 2)
Written By: - Date published: 12:07 pm, November 20th, 2019 - 71 comments
Let’s take a moment to enjoy.
Goodbye shitty landlords
Written By: - Date published: 10:27 am, November 18th, 2019 - 97 comments
The only way out of the housing crisis is for the state to mandate the right to a home.
Green MP Gareth Hughes speaking bold truth ahead of his retirement at next election
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, November 17th, 2019 - 105 comments
“I’ve grown up knowing nothing but the revolution of the early 1980s. This is this operating system which was uploaded in New Zealand and people have tried to install better policies or better programs, but if they don’t work with the system, they are crashing”
The Middlemarch fire and Dunedin’s water supply
Written By: - Date published: 1:17 pm, November 11th, 2019 - 39 comments
The tussock fire at Middlemarch has impacted Dunedin’s water supply and raises issues about our preparedness for climate change.
Zero Carbon acts – this is how change happens
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, November 8th, 2019 - 51 comments
The Zero Carbon Act is not perfect, but it’s a critical step in the social and political change that is needed to prevent catastrophe.
National’s fundamentals
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, November 6th, 2019 - 87 comments
Are National parachuting in a fundamentalist Christian as a Prime Minister hopeful?
Young Māori voices on climate action
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, November 5th, 2019 - Comments Off on Young Māori voices on climate action
An indigenous youth delegation from Aotearoa is heading to the 25th UN Climate Talks.
Parliament votes to give disabled people the right to a good life
Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, October 24th, 2019 - 23 comments
Before we get to talking about the right to die, can we please have a conversation about the right to live?
- My Brilliant Career: musical based on Miles Franklin’s novel takes us on a sassy, spirited journey...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Art and Performance, Deakin University Pia Johnson Melbourne Theatre Company’s My Brilliant Career is a musical re-imagining of Miles Franklin’s classic 1901 novel of the same name. It follows a young woman, Sybylla Melvyn, as she ...6 days ago - Stinky feet, angry mermaids and a toilet ghost: Round The Twist musical captures the magic and madne...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Schirmer, ROLE at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Lyndon Mechielsen It’s a universally acknowledged truth that a geriatric millennial in possession of a Scholastic book club catalogue and a television must have been a fan of Paul Jennings back in the ...6 days ago
- Why Mark Mitchell won’t resign one year after becoming Police Minister
Mark Mitchell promised to step down if there was no significant change in law and order statistics in his first 12 months. ...6 days ago - Air is an overlooked source of nutrients – evidence shows we can inhale some vitamins
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flávia Fayet-Moore, Adjunct Lecturer, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Ground Pictures/Shutterstock You know that feeling you get when you take a breath of fresh air in nature? There may be more to it than a simple lack ...6 days ago
- Hikoī day 8: Te Pāti Māori co-leader speaks of ‘sense of betrayal’ over bill
ACT leader David Seymour has spoken out on Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s haka in Parliament as a Hīkoi against his controversial Treaty Principles Bill converges on Wellington. The Te Pāti Māori MP was suspended for 24 hours and “named” for leading the haka during the first reading of the bill last Thursday. ...6 days ago
- Statement From Palestinian Leaders: Hīkoi Mō Te Tiriti Is A Historic Moment For All In Aotearoa
Inspired by the kotahitanga of te ao Māori, we draw on our own political tradition of nurturing a unified Palestinian people despite exile and separation. We unify here for te Tiriti. ...6 days ago - What is ‘doll therapy’ for people with dementia? And is it backed by science?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nikki-Anne Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), UNSW Sydney Jack Cronkhite/Shutterstock The way people living with dementia experience the world can change as the disease progresses. Their sense of reality or place in time can become distorted, which ...6 days ago
- As Australia privatises nature repair, the cheapest approach won’t save our threatened species
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Penny van Oosterzee, Adjunct Associate Professor James Cook University and University Fellow Charles Darwin University, James Cook University Shutterstock Australia is a world-leader in species extinction and environmental decline. So great is the problem, the federal government now wants to harness ...6 days ago
- Dozens of refugees are still stranded in precarious situations in PNG – and support from Australia...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Nethery, Senior Lecturer in Politics and Policy Studies, Deakin University After nearly a year without basic income and support services, 42 refugees and asylum seekers remaining in Papua New Guinea will soon begin receiving a meagre allowance of 900 kina (A$338) ...6 days ago
- David Seymour criticises Maipi-Clarke’s haka on eve of Treaty hīkoi’s arrival at Parlia...
The ACT leader and Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have spoken to reporters as a hīkoi against his controversial Treaty Principles Bill converges on Wellington. ...6 days ago
- Financial stress and cultural differences make migrants particularly vulnerable to gambling harms. H...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Himanshu Gupta, Senior Research Fellow (Lived Experience), Rural and Remote Health, Flinders University Rose Marinelli/Shutterstock Australians lose around A$25 billion on legal forms of gambling each year, representing the largest per person losses in the world. Gambling harms – including financial, ...6 days ago
- New to streaming: What to watch on Netflix NZ, Neon and more this week
We round up everything coming to streaming services this week, including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, ThreeNow, Neon and TVNZ+. If you like big-budget sci-fi: Dune Prophecy (Neon, November 18) Set 10,000 years before Denis Villeneuve’s awe-inspiring Dune, the mysterious all-female sect the Bene Gesserit take centre-stage ...6 days ago - Select committee calls for repeal of Section 7AA of OT Act to be softened
A select committee led by coalition MPs has called for the proposed repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act to be softened. ...6 days ago
- What can we really expect from an expanded mining industry?
The minerals sector is highly volatile, highly competitive and changing rapidly, and the most obvious rationale for expansion – that it will provide a boost to national and regional economies – is certainly not a given. Shane Jones’s mining boosterism has regenerated a seemingly perennial debate around the industry and ...6 days ago
- Pacific profiles: Meet the Southside Aiga Midwives, who serve whānau in the heart of Māngere
The Pacific profiles series shines a light on Pacific people in Aotearoa doing interesting and important work in their communities, as nominated by members of the public. Today, Dinah Otukolo and Dianne Wihoni, two Southside Aiga Midwives. All photos by Geoffery Matautia. Tucked away at the edges of the Māngere ...6 days ago
- Federated Mountain Clubs Of New Zealand Stand Firm: Conservation Access For All, Not Just The Wealth...
On access issues, FMC represent Aotearoa’s passionate outdoor and conservation communities, dedicated to keeping natural spaces open for everyone—regardless of income or background. ...6 days ago
- Fiji’s mainstream media fight for survival in social media era
By Georgia Brown, Queensland University of Technology Fijian newsrooms are under pressure to adapt as audiences shift away from traditional media such as newspapers, radio, and television, in favour of Facebook and other social media platforms. Asia Foundation research showed that Fijians ranked Facebook as their third most significant source ...6 days ago
- MFAT Decision To Ship $4 Million To Vanuatu Out-Of-Touch
The comments made by NZ’s delegation to COP 29, Mr. Croad discussing additional ‘pathways’ to forfeit more NZ tax dollars to Vanuatu are both out-of-touch & disrespectful to hardworking taxpayers, says Union Communications Officer, Alex Emes. ...6 days ago
- Public pressure mounts for Kiwisaver funds to invest ethically
A new campaign is targeting ASB due to its Kiwisaver funds having investments in Motorola, a company that supplies Israel’s military. Over three million New Zealanders have Kiwisavers across 350 funds, each with their own investment portfolio. According to the latest Kiwisaver annual report, the highest and fastest growing investment ...6 days ago
- The government wants to count blue carbon towards climate targets. But ocean carbon could cut both w...
NZ's enormous exclusive economic zone contains a huge amount of carbon in its ocean sediments, and releasing even a tiny proportion could undo any other climate benefits. ...6 days ago
- As AI and megaplatforms take over, the hyperlinks that built the web may face extinction
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dana McKay, Associate Dean, Interaction, Technology and Information, RMIT University Jakub Krechowicz / Shutterstock The original idea for the world wide web emerged in a flurry of scientific thought around the end of World War II. It began with a hypothetical ...6 days ago
- The latest COVID booster will soon be available. Should I get one? Am I eligible?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Bartlett, Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle Towfiqu barbhuiya/Pexels Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has recently approved a new COVID booster. The shot was developed by Pfizer and targets the JN.1 sub-variant of Omicron. This ...6 days ago
- Traditional owners and scientists worked together on ‘coral IVF’ projects. Here’s what we foun...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carly Randall, Senior Research Scientist, Benthic and Restoration Ecology, Australian Institute of Marine Science Coral Brunner/Shutterstock The Great Barrier Reef, which supports an estimated 64,000 jobs and has a social and economic value of around A$6.4 billion, is under threat due ...6 days ago
- Waiting for exam results can be awful. Our research shows how best to manage the stress
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Kalokerinos, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, The University of Melbourne Jan Faukner/Shutterstock It’s that time of year when students are waiting for school and university results that could change the course of their lives. Uncertain waiting periods are among ...6 days ago
- Would a mandatory five-day working week solve construction’s work-life balance woes?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Loosemore, Professor of Construction Management, University of Technology Sydney Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock Working practices in the construction industry have been labelled a relic of a bygone era – 64% of employees work more than 50 hours per week. Long working hours can ...6 days ago
- Another rushed migration bill would give the government sweeping powers to deport potentially thousa...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Ghezelbash, Associate Professor and Director, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney The Albanese government is looking to introduce laws that would give it unprecedented powers to forcibly remove non-citizens from Australia. The newly introduced Migration ...6 days ago
- We need a minister for big tech, and we need one now
We have a minister for racing, and for space. It’s utterly indefensible that we don’t have one in sole charge of dealing with large technology platforms. When you start looking, it’s all you see. Just last week, the Commerce Commission announced criminal charges against One NZ for advertisements around its ...6 days ago
- Live: Māori Queen to join hīkoi mō Te Tiriti to Parliament
The Treaty Principles Bill jeopardises Māori rights and sends a clear message Māori don't matter, Lady Tureiti Moxon says. ...6 days ago
- Maaori Queen Brings Message Of Kotahitanga To The Nation
Te Arikinui is urging all New Zealanders to embrace our shared identity and collective strengths to move forward together. will join the people of the nation as they Hiikoi to Parliament on Tuesday under the protection of Te Kahu o te Raukura, which represents ...6 days ago
- Treaties, truth and equality: how NZ, Australia and Canada are all struggling with colonial politics
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University The hīkoi (march) to protest NZ’s Treaty Principles Bill crosses Auckland Harbour Bridge, November 13. Getty Images With the ACT ...6 days ago
- The haka that circled the globe
A polarising haka has chalked up some gobsmacking numbers around the world, and it even pursued the NZ prime minister to Peru, writes Toby Manhire in today’s extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Half a billion views and counting On Thursday afternoon ...6 days ago
- The mistakes, inaccuracies and unchecked claims that led to Oranga Tamariki permanently uplifting a ...
Anna's granddaughter was taken from her by social workers in a matter of minutes. It took years for Oranga Tamariki to admit it should never have happened. ...6 days ago
- NZ to sign $4m climate reparations deal with Vanuatu
Vanuatu hopes funding from NZ will unlock additional money towards its anticipated loss and damage needs of US$177 million over the next decade The post NZ to sign $4m climate reparations deal with Vanuatu appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago - Committee draws short straw to work on Treaty Principles Bill
The Treaty Principles Bill has been handed over to the Justice Select Committee. It’s now up to them to shepherd it through a six-month debate. The post Committee draws short straw to work on Treaty Principles Bill appeared first on Newsroom. ...6 days ago
- Govt to ramp up anti-scam efforts, bringing public sector and banking industry together
New Zealanders have lost nearly $200m in the last year to scammers, it has been revealed. ...6 days ago
- Hīkoi mō te Tiriti: Wellington commuters warned to expect hours-long delays when protest march arr...
There will be extra buses and train carriages to ease congestion, but it will still be "super busy". ...6 days ago
- Non-Māori lend their voices of support to the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti
Pākehā and tauiwi "need to make our stand clear about Te Tiriti", supporters say. ...6 days ago
- Treaty Principles Bill: Te Pāti Māori, ACT both claim victory over response to haka in Parliament
A video of MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke performing 'Ka Mate' has now been viewed hundreds of millions of times. ...6 days ago
- Ka tuku te rākau: Handing over the baton of protest to a new generation
As tens of thousands show their support for the hīkoi to parliament, the organisers are busy behind the scenes ensuring things run smoothly. For many, this is their first time leading a kaupapa of this scale – and it hasn’t all been easy. On August 31, an extraordinary hui was ...6 days ago
- Banks are grappling with a scam ‘crisis’ while Facebook profits from it
The CEOs of two major New Zealand banks say Facebook is rife with fraud – and that Meta is too busy making money from scam ads to try and stop them. Duncan Greive reports. The story would have been dystopian a few years ago, but is now routine, almost unremarkable. ...6 days ago
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