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Water quality too important for bird-brained excuses
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, September 1st, 2016 - 59 comments
Nick Smith’s latest excuse for inaction on water quality is birds. Yes birds. You couldn’t make this shit up.
For a dose of blessed sanity, watch the (10 min) webcast by Dr Mike Joy explaining what the real problem is.
“Flushing flows”
Written By: - Date published: 4:46 pm, August 24th, 2016 - 14 comments
A new phrase is about to enter NZ’s clean green image lexicon.
Key vs science on water quality
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, August 24th, 2016 - 60 comments
Watershit Down
Written By: - Date published: 7:37 pm, August 22nd, 2016 - 121 comments
John Key has announced an inquiry into the Havelock North water crisis. But has it been set up to fail the residents of the Central Hawkes Bay?
The Friday dump on Havelock North
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, August 20th, 2016 - 68 comments
What a surprise that the news that NZ’s worst ever waterborne disease outbreak is most likely caused by livestock should be the subject of a classic Friday 5pm news dump.
Clean up our water!
Shit in the water
Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, August 15th, 2016 - 92 comments
The damage so far in the Havelock North “gastro” outbreak is one possible death, two older people in intensive care, 18 hospitalised, 50 making their way to the emergency department, 280 notifications, and hundreds of kids staying away from school.
Grow the Commons
Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, August 10th, 2016 - 57 comments
Robert Guyton on reclaiming the Commons one plant at at time.
Wasted food and carbon footprint
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, August 6th, 2016 - 17 comments
The Italian intiaitive encouraging supermarkets to give unsold food to those in need is a great move. Helps the poor, reduces waste, win win. But it’s just a start. We need to massively change attitudes and behaviour to reduce food waste.
Climate change pedal to the metal
Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, July 31st, 2016 - 116 comments
Avoiding 2 deg C warming is a ship that’s sailed. Global warming is now happening at about 4.3x the previous long-run rate. And it might go up to 18x the previous rate over the next few years. That’s what the pundits call “abrupt climate change.”
1/3 of Nobel Laureates say Greenpeace is “anti-science”, must now embrace GMOs
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 pm, June 30th, 2016 - 181 comments
Unless you are scaremongering and “anti-science” you should embrace GMO foods. Say 107 Nobel Laureates.
This is what sustainable fishing looks like
Written By: - Date published: 10:10 am, June 15th, 2016 - 119 comments
“It turns out there will be no jobs on a dead planet.”
While New Zealand is struggling to maintain integrity around fishing and resource management, an ocean farmer in the US is leading the way in economic and ecologic sustainability. This is how we can do things differently.
A message for our anti-science government
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, May 18th, 2016 - 37 comments
Here’s some more science for the government to hate on: “Paris climate agreement cannot be met without emissions reduction target for agriculture”.
Who needs water anyway
Written By: - Date published: 8:09 am, April 30th, 2016 - 46 comments
Or waterways are starting to stink as much as our murky tax havens.
It’s time to reform Fonterra
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, March 25th, 2016 - 49 comments
Fonterra was formed to give New Zealand an economic advantage. Instead it is looking like the country’s biggest achilles heel. Time to reform?
Norman on the economy
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, March 12th, 2016 - 58 comments
Russel Norman was right in 2014 when he said that the Nats were daft to gamble on oil and bulk milk production, and he’s right again now to draw attention to the failures. We need a green economy!
the Global Death Economy
Written By: - Date published: 10:15 am, February 25th, 2016 - 141 comments
A new edition of “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” has been released. It makes it clear that we are in the grip of a global “Death Economy” and a collective embrace of ‘Thanatos’, the death instinct.
The great big list of John Key’s big fat lies (UPDATED)
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, January 27th, 2016 - 79 comments
How many more lies will John Key tell today in his so-called State of the Nation address? Virtual chocolate fish to whomever guesses the closest number.
The great carbon credit swindle
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, January 2nd, 2016 - 56 comments
On December 17, 2015 the Government released a series reports suggesting that New Zealand is complying with Kyoto Protocol obligations. A dig into the reports confirms however that the compliance is in name only and is for spin purposes rather than a real attempt at addressing the world’s most pressing problem.
On Shooting the Messenger
Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, December 14th, 2015 - 214 comments
Over the past decade we have seen sophisticated attacks against academics and NGOs who challenge government or industry. These attacks often appear organic in nature, but many times are in fact concerted efforts by the powerful.
As we bind ourselves with the TPP, so other countries will fill the need
Written By: - Date published: 5:58 pm, December 4th, 2015 - 112 comments
Reeling from tough produce sanctions, Russia will pursue a strategy as the world’s largest supplier of ‘ecologically clean’ food. And where is NZ?
#Sheepgate – but wait there’s more
Written By: - Date published: 9:39 am, December 4th, 2015 - 28 comments
At the same time that there is an Auditor General’s investigation into the appropriateness of the Government spend on the sheep farm in the middle of a Saudi desert the Government has announced a further spend of $2.6 million on a kit set abattoir. And the resumption of live exports by ship may be in the pipeline.
The great greenhouse gas research funding switcherooni
Written By: - Date published: 7:56 am, December 2nd, 2015 - 19 comments
John Key has announced an increase in funding on research into the reduction of agricultural emissions of greenhouse gasses of $20 million over four years or $5 million a year. Which is the amount the Government cut from this research two months ago.
Fouling our nest
Written By: - Date published: 7:04 am, November 2nd, 2015 - 38 comments
New Zealand is a beautiful country, and tourism is our second biggest earner of foreign exchange. We’d be stupid to trash the place, right?
TPP roundup
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 am, October 7th, 2015 - 161 comments
A roundup of the best analysis of and reaction to the TPP. The gains are minor and delayed, the losses are real. In NZ we don’t have any democratic input into ratification, but the US does, and the deal may fall there.
Milk and media moron Mike
Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, August 19th, 2015 - 59 comments
Media moron Mike Hosking blathering on about how self-interested “experts” are always right. He calls these “Facts”. I don’t think that he would know what a fact is if he tripped over a spreadsheet. Meanwhile announcing a reduction in supply has produced the expected increase in prices in the GlobalDairyTrade auction last night.
Local right wing media on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 10:23 am, July 18th, 2015 - 139 comments
Jack Tame on Newstalk ZB has recently brought refreshingly realistic commentary on climate change. Meanwhile in the Herald climate change is thought to be a good thing because summers become warmer.
Sheepgate
Written By: - Date published: 8:54 am, May 28th, 2015 - 103 comments
It has emerged that the New Zealand Government has paid money to a Saudi businessman allegedly to settle a legal dispute that does not exist but more probably to persuade the Saudi Government to enter into a free trade agreement. Update – and maybe there was a threat of legal action but because of the actions of National, not Labour.
National still attacking democracy in Canterbury
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, March 20th, 2015 - 10 comments
The Nats’ takeover of Environment Canterbury is the greatest attack on democratic rights ever seen in this country. They are about to extend the period of imposed rule, because a fully elected body carries “too many risks”. If you think the people of Canterbury can actually be trusted with democracy you can sign the petition.
Police announcement – 1080 threat
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, March 10th, 2015 - 155 comments
3 News is advertising a special announcement of “national significance” at 3:45. Will update post…
It’s a 1080 threat to the dairy industry – that has been known since last November. Look – over there!
National’s fruit flies
Written By: - Date published: 7:13 am, February 24th, 2015 - 73 comments
Brook Sabin pulls no punches laying the blame for the fruit fly outbreak at National’s feet. Key’s attempted denial is some of his worst work ever.
The Save Invermay Campaign
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, February 23rd, 2015 - 8 comments
National is letting the regions wither. None more so than (Labour voting) Dunedin, with the closure of the Hillside Workshop, the underfunding of Dunedin Hospital, and the planned closure of the agricultural research center at near-by Invermay. Check out Dunedin North MP David Clark’s video update on Invermay.
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