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Riverton rocks: support the pilot for social and economic rejuvenation and resilience in rural NZ
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 31st, 2021 - 12 comments
The South Coast Environment Centre is creating a local food network that connects growers and customers directly, creates food resiliency, and keeps money in the local economy. Today is the last day of their Pledgeme, and they need a bit more support to push them over the top.
What local food can look like (and why)
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 21st, 2021 - 10 comments
The South Coast Environment Centre is creating a local food network that connects growers and customers directly, creates food resiliency, and keeps money in the local economy. This is an exemplar of climate, economic and community sustainability.
Regenerative agriculture and climate solutions
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, May 6th, 2021 - 94 comments
Research is now showing the advantages of regenerative agriculture. Are we wise enough to make best use of them?
Sustainability and learning from forest gardening
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, April 11th, 2021 - 30 comments
The Guytons’ 25 year old food forest in Riverton is a showcase of sustainability practice and knowledge.
Sugar is evil
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, March 6th, 2021 - 20 comments
With the recent High Court trial brought by three academics highlighting the undeserved attacks on their reputations by entities associated with the food industry now having concluded it is time for the Government to think about banning sugary drinks from schools. And a sugar tax.
Escape Velocity
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, February 7th, 2021 - 93 comments
In this series so far I’ve examined three of the four terms in the Kaya Identity, population, economic intensity, and energy intensity. It can be conclusively shown that none of these factors can be reduced sufficiently to reduce CO2 emissions to zero – or even close enough to be useful. Let’s return to each one […]
Frogs swimming in the heated pot
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, January 23rd, 2021 - 34 comments
The distracting political stupidities in places like the US and now in Russia tend to be entertaining for us southerners. But changes in climate are getting faster and more extreme. The continued instability in the northern polar vortex and the extreme weather it causes cut into our global food creating systems. The foundation of our population and societies. Froggies, the heat is still rising.
Resiliency politics
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, November 19th, 2020 - 14 comments
With news of more global stressors next year, the stories we tell right now are critical to how we build resiliency. Let’s make sure they are good ones.
Labour’s new Oceans Ministry
Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, November 3rd, 2020 - 23 comments
Jacinda Ardern’s decision to rename the Fisheries Ministery to “Oceans and Fisheries” and install David Parker instead of Stuart Nash shows a welcome desire to protect this most precious of resources.
The Greens on urban farming
Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, September 24th, 2020 - 25 comments
This is exactly the kind of approach the Green Party would like to encourage – it’s strategic, it’s intergenerational and it recognises the interconnectedness of our people, the environment and local communities.
What is this regenerative agriculture thing anyway?
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, September 13th, 2020 - 32 comments
Given the state of New Zealand land and water, changing how we do farming should be a strong political topic for the left this year. The Greens and Greenpeace are campaigning for a shift to regenerative agriculture, so it’s timely to look at what that is.
Running for cover
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, April 21st, 2020 - 41 comments
More 1% Americans are heading our way, according to Bloomberg. The Texas company building underground bunkers is getting more enquiries. They’re not running from the virus but fear the aftermath when the breadlines turn.
What kind of system change do we want right now?
Written By: - Date published: 2:11 pm, March 19th, 2020 - 37 comments
As mainstream systems are forced to adapt to the new state of affairs in a covid world, what are the bigger picture changes that need to happen so that we are future-proofing our communities at the same time?
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?
Fertile land is priceless
Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, August 15th, 2019 - 220 comments
As Labour moves to protect prime food growing land around our cities, we should be having a wider discussion about food security in New Zealand.
Is there a middle ground on climate change
Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, May 11th, 2019 - 271 comments
It has been reported that US Presidential hopeful Joe Biden is hoping to craft a middle ground position between the extraordinarily strong scientific consensus suggesting we have a climate crisis and the industry supported anti scientific knee jerk opposition to doing anything.
It’s the end of the world as we know it *
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, May 7th, 2019 - 104 comments
* and I don’t feel fine.
The Meathead tax
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, February 2nd, 2019 - 85 comments
National’s claim that the Government wants to impose a meat tax suffers from the reality that the Government has done no such thing and the proposal comes from an International collective of academics.
How To Get There 6/1/19
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, January 6th, 2019 - 146 comments
Welcome to TS’s Sunday think piece. It’s a blank sheet, a tabula rasa, waiting for your thoughts on the future and How To Get There.
No sense, nonsense and a dearth of common sense.
Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, November 29th, 2018 - 23 comments
We wouldn’t tie a rope to a heavy load and then push on the rope with the expectation of achieving anything, right? So why is the Guardian’s Environment Editor entreating that we do just that? Is he merely stupid? Or is there something more cynical at play?
The zero carbon bill
Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, June 25th, 2018 - 88 comments
The Ministry for the Environment has released a discussion paper on a Zero Carbon Bill. But one proposal is to exempt methane which would mean that effectively half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gasses would not be subject to limitation.
Killing Them Softly With…
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 11th, 2018 - 48 comments
In New Zealand there is sufficient evidence to show that poor peoples’ lives are cut short because of poverty related poor nutrition. While food banks are alleviating the worst impacts of hunger, their kindness may well be contributing to the problem. Food poverty is a systemic issue and requires a systemic response, a response that successive governments are able to avoid while charities continue to provide a buffer for the system.
It’s Time for a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Dairy Farming
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, May 29th, 2018 - 166 comments
Not just, ‘we’ve got to make the good outweigh the bad’. I mean: why should dairy farming exist here?
Deep Trawling.
Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, May 24th, 2018 - 21 comments
Is NZ’s fishing industry just a domestic version of the tobacco companies? And how much would that really matter?
Food security in New Zealand
Written By: - Date published: 6:12 am, March 14th, 2018 - 28 comments
The Standard regular commenter Macro takes a look at the state of food security in NZ
Local Bodies: Climate Change Just Got Personal
Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, January 19th, 2018 - 27 comments
“At 46 degrees latitude south, New Zealand’s southern most city has regularly been experiencing similar temperatures to cities near the equator. When we were sizzling at 32 degrees, we equaled Cairns, were 2 degrees warmer than Jakarta and Suva and 6 above Nairobi. These cities are used to such temperatures and their ecosystems have adapted to it, it has been a severe shock to ours.”
Guest Post: Monbiot, Attenborough and Soper on environmental collapse
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, December 6th, 2017 - 44 comments
Guest post by Ed about the intellectual rigour of George Monbiot and David Attenborough and the rater strange response of Barry Soper.
A Sugar Coated World
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, October 24th, 2017 - 42 comments
Yum! That would make for generations of ecstatic kids, no?
The Future of Food
Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, October 1st, 2017 - 36 comments
A short film about a Wairarapa organic farm using Community Supported Agriculture to bypass agribusiness control of the market and sell direct to customers.
Rain doesn’t cause most floods, humans do
Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, July 23rd, 2017 - 50 comments
What to do with all the water falling from the sky? Some choices are smarter than others.
- Geoffrey Miller: Worst could be yet to come for New Zealanders’ perceptions of China
New Zealanders’ hostility towards China is growing rapidly – but the worst may be still ahead. International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the latest survey results on how this country feels about China. The latest “Perceptions of Asia” survey from the Asia New Zealand Foundation, released today, shows a sharp rise ...2 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Cash for access to politicians continuesShould anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News reports of questionable donations ...15 hours ago
- Inaction speaks louder than words
One of the good things the government has done is implement a proactive release policy, requiring most cabinet papers to be published within 30 working days of a decision being made. Its not a perfect policy (note "most", but also they get to redact them however they want, without oversight), ...17 hours ago - Graham Adams: The dangers of putting media on the government’s payrollAccusations by a journalist that the Prime Minister leads an unusually secretive government don’t tell the whole story about its desire to control information. Graham Adams takes a closer look at the guidelines for the new $55 million journalism fund. Despite widespread cynicism about the Government’s ability to fulfil its ...17 hours ago
- David Seymour caught telling lies
Act Party Leader David SeymourIt really bothers me when the NZ Herald reports the claims of certain right wing politicians as the truth without any fact checking. Not only do they encourage dishonest politicians to continue to lie, they also degrade the standard of reporting we get in New Zealand.Of ...18 hours ago - To Speak, Or Not To Speak? That Is The Question.
Speaking Rights: The spectacle of the nation’s prime minister being denied the right to speak to her fellow citizens, personally, on New Zealand’s national day would generate massive antagonism among Pakeha of both sexes. A refusal to be guided by the customs of Ngāpuhi, on the other hand, would be ...19 hours ago - We discovered what’s killing the world’s rarest penguin – and it could help us make a vaccine
Vartul Sangal, Northumbria University, Newcastle Yellow-eyed penguins are the most endangered penguin species in the world, with just 4,000 left in the wild. Found only in New Zealand and its outlying islands, these birds can grow up to 79cm tall and weigh 8.5kg, which is similar to a one-year-old ...20 hours ago - Opponents of fluoridation all at sea with new legislation
Image credit: Why Ideology and Science Don’t Mix Opponents of community water fluoridation (CWF) should be supporting the proposed fluoridation legislation instead of organising opposition to it. Think about it. If Fluoride Free NZ (FFNZ) was honest in its claim that they are ...21 hours ago- Smokefree 2025
The Government’s proposed approach for achieving SmokeFree 2025 is a bit over-the-top. The proposals would restrict tobacco sales to a smaller number of to-be-licenced R18 outlets, which could then be subject to a sinking lid; impose an annual one-year increase in the purchase age for tobacco until full prohibition were ...1 day ago- Update on Long-COVID
Prof John D. Potter* This blog post updates an earlier post on Long-COVID and reports that estimates of prevalence are still wide at about 15 to 65% of those initially infected with the pandemic virus, SARS-CoV-2. As things stand now across the world, we do not yet have systems in ...1 day ago- A long-overdue apology
The New Zealand government is going to formally apologise for the "dawn raids" which targeted Pacific peoples in the 1970's. Good. Terrorising people on the basis of their race was wrong and something which should be a lasting shame to New Zealand. But there's another wrong they need to apologise ...2 days ago- Climate Change: The return of feebate
The government has resurrected its feebate policy to lower transport emissions, taxing dirty vehicles to subsidise clean ones. Good. We've known for a long time that passive measures such as fuel economy ratings and up-front labelling of lifetime costs weren't enough, and neither was the ETS (which adds just a ...2 days ago- National wants to convert farms into pine forests
It really hasn’t been a good time on the opposition benches lately. Not only have we had the various National Party scandals to ensure a decline in their public support, they’ve also entirely misread the room when it comes to the Climate Change Commission’s final report and the Government’s Clean ...2 days ago- Government for sale again
When the National Party ran a "Cabinet Club", selling personal access to Cabinet Ministers in exchange for large donations, I called it Government for Sale. Now the Labour party is doing the same thing: The Labour Party is selling tickets to a “business conference" featuring the prime minister and ...2 days ago- Nobody Owns The Christchurch Tragedy.
Mass Outpourings Of Love And Solidarity: In excess of 20,000 Wellingtonians gathered at the basin Reserve in mid-March 2019 to reaffirm Prime Minister Ardern's "They are Us" response to the Christchurch Mosque Shootings. The opponents of the "They Are Us" movie project would rather the world was not reminded of ...2 days ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #24
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, June 7, 2021 through Sat, June 12, 2021 This week it was somewhat tricky to identify suitable articles for sharing which is why the list ended up shorter than it usually is. Articles Linked to ...3 days ago- Hoping For Divine Intervention.
By Any Chance, Are These Two Related? Climate Change Commission Chair, Rod Carr, and Michelangelo's Jehovah. Is that the message hidden in the CCC's report? That only divine intervention can save the planet from the effects of anthropogenic global warming?ROD CARR reminds me of God. Seriously, that beard. From a ...3 days ago- Re-Writing The Rules of the Game: Where Chile is Leading, Can Aotearoa-New Zealand Follow?
People Power: Ending neoliberalism requires massive and militant action on the ground. Between 2019 and 2020, the young and the poor made Chile ungovernable. Engaging in running battles with the Police and facing-down the army’s bullets, they rendered the political class and its mainstream media mouthpieces increasingly irrelevant to what ...3 days ago- National is falling apart
You’ve really got to wonder what possessed MP Simon Bridges to blatantly lie about gang violence he claimed to have witnessed yesterday.Perhaps he was just a bit desperate for some attention being that the headlines haven’t be very flattering for the National Party lately.His belief that misleading the public and ...3 days ago- How Are We Progressing with the War on Poverty?
Child Poverty Levels Are only Slowly Coming Down, What Next?Having settled on its macroeconomic settings, the Government then has to decide what to do with its revenue. In the 2021 Budget; it was largely committed to rolling forward existing spending, together with meeting some necessary commitments like dealing with covid ...4 days ago- They Are Us film should be made
Rose Byrne to play Jacinda Ardern in controversial movie ‘They Are Us’Framing is always an important aspect of media reports, especially when it comes to politics. In fact the way a story is framed can often determine whether a topic gains popular support or receives widespread public outrage.That’s been the ...4 days ago- The police lied to Parliament
Earlier today I blogged about the Ombudsman's final opinion on an OIA request for the police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, in which the Ombudsman found that there never was such a strategy, and that the police repeatedly lied in an effort to hide that fact. But it turns out that I'm ...4 days ago- Spanish and Ukranian translations of The Debunking Handbook 2020
Since its publication last October, The Debunking Handbook 2020 has already been translated into 11 languages. Some of the translations have been created by volunteers who also help with Skeptical Science translations while others have been provided by outside or mixed teams. The Spanish translation was created by ...5 days ago- Tolkien and Anime: A Helm Hammerhand Adaptation
Now this is something I truly was not expecting. Warner Brothers is producing an Anime Movie of the story of Helm Hammerhand, titled The War of the Rohirrim:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/lord-of-the-rings-anime-movie-in-the-works-from-new-line-warner-animation-group-1234965985/ My first instinct was to check the date. No, not 1st April. This is for real: a Tolkien story – one ...5 days ago- There was never an “emissions-free fleet” strategy
Last month, I did a post about my efforts to excavate the Police's "emissions-free fleet" strategy, and how my OIA request had been extended "for consultations", whizzed past its extended deadline, then refused as it would "soon be publicly available". My complaint to the Ombudsman gained an attempted explanation from ...5 days ago- As more climate migrants cross borders seeking refuge, laws will need to adapt
Katharine M. Donato, Georgetown University; Amanda Carrico, University of Colorado Boulder; and Jonathan M. Gilligan, Vanderbilt University Climate change is upending people’s lives around the world, but when droughts, floods or sea level rise force them to leave their countries, people often find closed borders and little assistance. Part ...5 days ago- Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s relationship with Saudi Arabia faces increasing scrutiny
While New Zealand’s problematic but lucrative relationship with China gets lots of attention, there’s another important and similar relationship with Saudi Arabia that gets less attention. International analyst Geoffrey Miller explains why Riyadh is too important for Wellington to ignore. New Zealand’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Barney Riley, ...5 days ago- The Irish lough that offers a window into the deep sea
James Bell, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Rob McAllen, University College Cork, and Valerio Micaroni, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Deeper than most scuba divers can safely work and above where most underwater robots are designed to descend lie some of the most ...5 days ago- The economics of killing Huntly
RNZ reports that Genesis Energy's use of coal has spiked over the past few years, as they use to burn it rather than pay for gas: New Zealand has significantly increased its use of coal in recent years, despite its status as the worst, most polluting fossil fuel on ...5 days ago- Media Link: “A View from Afar” on NZ security strategy and the end of neoliberalism in South Ame...
I have not had much time to blog in recent weeks but continue the weekly series of podcasts with Selwyn Manning. This week we discussed efforts to develop a comprehensive national security strategy for New Zealand that goes beyond Defense White Papers and annual reports from various security agencies, then ...5 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Reforming the Official Information Act is a democratic test for...
In promising to be New Zealand’s most open and transparent government ever, Labour has one key challenge: reform the Official Information Act. This vital piece of machinery for democracy is in terrible disrepair, and the Government has promised to rewrite it for the modern age, but so far are stalling ...5 days ago- Hard Questions – Hard Answers.
5 days ago- Ian Powell: Lessons for NZ from Cuba, the Covid-19 vaccine powerhouse?
What can New Zealand learn from Cuba about fighting Covid-19? Plenty, especially in terms of producing vaccines, according to Health commentator Ian Powell. As the Medical Director for the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Dr Bryan Betty is an important leadership voice for general practitioners. He is also ...5 days ago- Daniel Greene and the Mechanics of Writing Sex Scenes
YouTube fantasy commentator Daniel Greene has weighed in with a discussion of poorly written genre sex scenes: Now, the examples Greene cites are indeed poorly written… but they are not the sort of thing I see in published fantasy literature. Greene’s examples actually smack of fan-fiction, whereas ...6 days ago- Another sign of MBIE’s captivity
When the government asks the public to conserve electricity, its usually because we're on the edge of a supply crisis, and its necessary to ensure our own lights will stay on. And when it does that, people generally buy into it, because they can see the reason. But last month, ...6 days ago- A republic is demographicly irresistable
Via New Zealand Republic: younger kiwis support a republic (where "younger" is basicly "people under 50"): There's a bit more on NewsHub here. This is basicly like the support graph for Scottish independence, which seems to have become demographicly irresistable. Sadly, Jacinda Ardern - who implicitly claims to be ...6 days ago- Good riddance to the Tasman Mill
Last night Norske Skog announced it will close the Tasman Mill at the end of the month, with the loss of 160 jobs. Good. This mill is a major source of emissions, and in 2019 we subsidised it to the tune of 238342 tons - meaning it was about 0.3% ...6 days ago- Speaker: Adventures In Gender Identity
It started during a recent visit to a gynaecologist. Don’t worry, I’m fine. I felt an intense discomfort as I picked up my prescription and I knew immediately that this was gender dysphoria. I’d experienced it many times before but my understanding of it in the past was so narrow and ...6 days ago- Why Indigenous knowledge should be an essential part of how we govern the world’s oceans
Meg Parsons, University of Auckland and Lara Taylor, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Our moana (ocean) is in a state of unprecedented ecological crisis. Multiple, cumulative impacts include pollution, sedimentation, overfishing, drilling and climate change. All affect the health of both marine life and coastal communities. To reverse the ...6 days ago- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #23, 2021
LIfe cycle analysis of "Dirk" Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle encompassing extraction and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and final disposal. From: Journal of Environmental Management, 2010. -- Science Direct Continuing with getting ...7 days ago- Climate Change: Scammed
Reading the Climate Change Commission's final advice, the obvious question is why their budgets are so much higher than those proposed in their draft (by about half a year's emissions over 14 years)? Simple: we're being baseline-scammed. The draft report set its budget based on 2018 emissions: But the ...7 days ago- Musings on J.K. Rowling and That Issue
Oh dear. Today I will tentatively offer some thoughts on that issue that has been rumbling along for some time. J.K. Rowling’s truly… interesting… obsession with transgenderism. I realise that I am coming rather late to the subject, but honestly Rowling’s tendency for outbursts means that the issue will ...7 days ago- A mini-Official Secrets Act for the Reserve Bank
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill. Part of the bill is a new confidentiality clause, restricting publication or disclosure of information obtained using the bank's information-gathering powers. The first-reading version was actually good, with explicit recognition of the OIA. So ...7 days ago- Genomic solutions for a plant taonga: a high-quality rewarewa genome
Illustration credit: “Seven Sisters, Knightia excelsa” Jennifer Duval-Smith By Plant & Food Research High Quality Genomes project co-leader David Chagné The completion of the native rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) tree genome sequence is demonstrating New Zealand is now taking charge of producing genomes on its native species. These are species that ...7 days ago- Climate Change: Committing to failure again
The Climate Change Commission released its final advice to the government today, and the media is full of reports about how "ambitious" it is. Bullshit. Because when you look at the budgets - the only thing in the entire document that actually matters and has legal weight - they tell ...7 days ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – Jacinda Ardern’s opaque government by PR
One of the most important, and scathing, critiques of Jacinda Ardern’s Government was published this week by senior political journalist Andrea Vance. She reveals how the current administration has become adept and determined at keeping information secret and the public in the dark about crucial issues. You can read her ...7 days ago- Member’s Day
Today is a Member's Day, the first since the Budget. Unfortunately it looks like most of the time will be taken up with boring committee stages. First up is Anahila Kanongata’a-Suisuiki's District Court (Protection of Judgment Debtors with Disabilities) Amendment Bill, followed by Louise Upston's Rights for Victims of Insane ...7 days ago- A Failure of Tone: The National Party’s Week of Woe.
Tone Deaf? From a party-political point of view (and what other point of view should a National Party MP be taking?) Paul Goldsmith’s comments regarding the “benefits” of colonisation merely played into the fast-solidifying narrative of National being a stale white bread party that can’t get out of its own way ...7 days ago- How virus detectives trace the origins of an outbreak – and why it’s so tricky
Marilyn J. Roossinck, Penn State Every time there is a major disease outbreak, one of the first questions scientists and the public ask is: “Where did this come from?” In order to predict and prevent future pandemics like COVID-19, researchers need to find the origin of the viruses that ...1 week ago- Self-inflicted “poverty”
Nurses are going on strike tomorrow in pursuit of better pay and higher staffing levels. So why isn't the "Labour" government paying them properly? Apparently, they're pleading poverty: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the nurses’ union wanted a 17 per cent pay increase for all nurses, but the Government ...1 week ago- Surrendered II
Good news on the climate front: OMV's surrender of its exploration permits in the Great South Basin, announced last December, has finally gone through. But there's other good news as well: from the sudden hole in NZPAM's permit map, they've also surrendered a pair of permits - 51906 (Matuku) and ...1 week ago- From smallpox to polio, vaccine rollouts have always had doubters. But they work in the end
David Isaacs, University of Sydney In 2019, before COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten greatest threats to global health. Every year, vaccination saves around 4-5 million lives, although a further 1.5 million lives could be saved annually with improved global ...1 week ago- How much is the Greens’ reputation worth?
$54,000, apparently: The Green Party says it won’t return two five-figure donations from a woman convicted of animal neglect which required several horses to be put down. Three weeks before being sentenced in the District Court for animal neglect described by the SPCA as amongst the worst it had ...1 week ago- What would sustainable tourism really mean for New Zealand? Let’s ask the river
Jason Paul Mika, Massey University and Regina Scheyvens, Massey University Excitement among Cook Islands tourism operators and officials at the opening of quarantine-free travel with Aotearoa New Zealand was understandable. The impact of the pandemic on the island nation’s economy has been massive and will be felt for a ...1 week ago- Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves?
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research; Louise Kregting, Queen’s University Belfast, and Vladislav Sorokin, University of Auckland People living near the coast are familiar with the power of ocean waves. What we see when a typical wave breaks on a beach is the endpoint of a global ...1 week ago- Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study
This is a re-post from Carbon Brief by Ayesha Tandon Clouds could have a greater cooling effect on the planet than climate models currently suggest, according to new research. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, aims to correct a “long-standing” and “unaddressed” problem in climate modelling – namely, that existing models ...1 week ago- Perilous Treasures – accepted
In a good bit of news, I’ve had another short story acceptance. My 1750-word (loose) Historical-Fiction piece, Perilous Treasures, will feature in the upcoming Summer Solstice edition of Eternal Haunted Summer (https://eternalhauntedsummer.com/). This one is a fictional elaboration on an earlier blog post of mine, specifically about ...1 week ago- 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Update #23
Listing of articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, May 30, 2021 through Sat, June 6, 2021 This week we included links to some older videos which we think are still valuable because they provide some good basic information about climate science, like Kerry ...1 week ago- The Adventures of Not-Annalax: A D&D Interlude
Session forty-nine. Recall the terrible situation the party was in at the end of the previous session: Annalax and Elknel fleeing for their lives through the forest, with the rest of the party being dragged away by Nightmare Creatures. Well, the DM had a cunning plan on how ...1 week ago- Unpacking Peggy McIntosh’s Knapsack
This article in Quillette by William Ray takes a look at the origins of the concept of white privilege. Ray was a volunteer in an imperialist army in the former Yugoslavia where he saw up close the horrors of identity politics being played out. [White Privilege is] the unquestioned and unearned ...1 week ago- Update of NZ fluoridation review timely and useful
Image credit: Kurt:S/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0). An updated New Zealand scientific review of community water fluoridation (CWF) finds that CWF in New Zealand is safe and effective. The new review, Fluoridation: an update on evidence, was published by the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Juliet Gerrard FRSNZ HonFRSC. It examines ...1 week ago- Who Poses the Bigger Threat: The Far Right, Or the Far Left?
2 weeks ago- Tampering with Tradition: The Regent Booksale On the Move
First Scribes Bookshop closing… now changes are afoot with the famous Regent Booksale. Clearly, second-hand book purchases in Dunedin will never be the same again.
I have written before about my annual midnight visit ... 2 weeks ago- A Boringly Benign Economy or Going Through a Concerning Climacteric?
What was the big change the Treasury saw in its budget 2021 forecasts?For much of the time, an economy is in a boringly benign phase. New Zealand seems to be in one at the moment. This is not the way the commentariat present it. To grab your attention they magnify ...2 weeks ago- Climate Change: Dereliction of duty
Before the pandemic, air travel was one of the fastest growing causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Fully half of those emissions are caused by a global elite of super-emitting frequent flyers, so the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's proposal in February to discourage it with distance-related departue taxes seems like ...2 weeks ago- We performed magic tricks on birds to see how they perceive the world
Elias Garcia-Pelegrin, University of Cambridge Magic tricks can teach us about how the brain works. Magic capitalises on very specific blind spots in people’s attention and perception so the techniques that magicians use to trick audiences are particularly interesting to psychologists like me. Misdirection, for example, relies on the ...2 weeks ago- How well your immune system works can depend on the time of day
Annie Curtis, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences When microorganisms – such as bacteria or viruses – infect us, our immune system jumps into action. It’s highly trained to sense and eliminate infections and clear up any damage caused by them. It’s typically assumed our immune systems work ...2 weeks ago- Rugby, concussions and duty of care: why the game is facing scrutiny
Seema Patel, Nottingham Trent University There’s growing concern about concussion-related injuries in contact sports like rugby and American football. Several high-profile collisions between participants and a growing body of research about their impact have drawn attention to the adequacy of the safety protocols in place to protect players. Since ...2 weeks ago- Bryce Edwards: Political Roundup – The Low standards in the National Party
The National Party has a major problem with standards, especially amongst its MPs and election candidates. The latest controversies involve the resignation of their longest-serving MP Nick Smith over an employment dispute, and allegations of abhorrent behaviour by election candidate Jake Bezzant. The party has been beset by a series ...2 weeks ago- Geoffrey Miller: Trends emerge in New Zealand’s relations with China
New Zealand’s evolving foreign policy – especially with China – is put under the microscope by international analyst Geoffrey Miller who says it’s important to look at the longer-term trends than just the latest twist in the story. This week’s meeting between Jacinda Ardern and Scott Morrison in Queenstown was ...2 weeks ago- Liam Hehir: Reforming the National Party
The National Party is currently facing questions about the quality control processes in its candidate selection. Liam Hehir reports on his experience at the grass roots of the party, and puts forward some suggestions for reform. On the question of whether the National Party has a culture problem, ...2 weeks ago- This is obscene
We all know multinational corporations cheat on their taxes, using complicated legal arrangements to funnel money through different jurisdictions to avoid paying anything to support the societies that host them. How obscene are such arrangements? This obscene: An Irish subsidiary of Microsoft made a profit of $315bn (£222bn) last ...2 weeks ago- The change we need to see
Two big transport announcements from the government this morning: first, they're killing Mill Road, another bloated superhighway with a terrible BCR. Secondly, Auckland will get a second harbour bridge for bikes and pedestrians. The net effect: fewer cars, more bikes in Auckland. This is the sort of change we need ...2 weeks ago- Whakaari tragedy: court case highlights just how complex it is to forecast a volcanic eruption
Shane Cronin, University of Auckland and David Dempsey, University of Canterbury While today’s pre-trial hearing over the Whakaari White Island tragedy revealed most of the 13 parties charged have yet to enter pleas, there is no disputing the basic facts. The December 9 2019 eruption struck when 47 people ...2 weeks ago- Review: The Republia Times (2012)
Many moons ago, I reviewed the original Crisis in the Kremlin (1991) and its 2017 re-make. Then I did The ReDistricting Game (2007), the availability which has, alas, suffered with the demise of Flash. Time for a review of another amusingly political video-game: The Republia Times.2 weeks ago- Acting boldly to address the housing crisis so we all thrive
Tēnā koe Minister Woods, ...8 mins ago - Addressing period poverty in schools
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- Making cleaner cars accessible to more KiwisToday, we’re taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to reduce our carbon footprint, so future generations have a fair go. Our Clean Car package, announced this morning, delivers on our promise to cut transport emissions. It will make it easier to make the switch ...3 days ago
- Green Party set to deliver open letter to Immigration Minister with 17k signaturesThe Green Party will deliver its open letter asking the Minister for Immigration to fix the broken immigration system next week. ...4 days ago
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- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...7 days ago
- Our action on climate changeIn 2019, we established the Climate Change Commission to provide independent advice on climate change action and to hold this Government and future Governments to account. Today, the Commission's final advice was released. It sets out the total amount of global warming pollution Aotearoa must cut by 2035 to be ...7 days ago
- It’s time to get behind our nursesThe Green Party supports the 30,000 nurses striking today for better pay and safer working conditions. ...7 days ago
- Celebrating our oceansAotearoa New Zealand is surrounded by Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. The ocean is central to our identities and to our ecosystems. The Big Blue both isolates us from other countries and connects us to our Pacific neighbours. We have the seventh largest maritime area in the world, ranging from ...1 week ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- Caring for the land, caring for peopleHere in New Zealand, we have a remarkable natural environment, with unique ecosystems and native species. It’s taken millions of years for Aotearoa to develop this precious environment – and it’s up to us to protect it! In collaboration with communities across the country, we’re doing just that. ...2 weeks ago
- How much do you know about Aotearoa’s unique environment?Test your knowledge this World Environment Day! Think you’re a nature super-fan? Can’t tell a kauri from a kāmahi? To celebrate World Environment Day this week, we’ve put together a quiz to test how much you know about Te Taiao. Flex your nature muscles or learn something new about the ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman receives her COVID-19 vaccinationToday Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman, who is immunocompromised, received her first COVID-19 vaccination at the Auckland CBD vaccination centre. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome Auckland walking and cycling bridge, call for more climate focusThe Green Party is welcoming the Government’s renewed commitment to safe walking and cycling across the Waitematā Harbour, but warning that new highway investment puts our response to the climate change emergency at risk. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for Facebook to be held accountable for role in spreading disinformationThe Green Party is calling on the Government to hold Facebook accountable for its role in enabling behaviour which threatens democracy, by strongly regulating data privacy and the spread of dangerous disinformation. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call for more protection of native whitebait species at risk of extinctionThe Green Party is pleased to see new whitebaiting measures, announced today, to establish a more consistent management regime across the country, but we must go further, faster, to protect our native taonga. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens’ Māori Caucus Te Mātāwaka call for Matariki Ahunga Nui to be expanded in school curricul...The Green Party are calling for an expansion of the current school curriculum on Matariki, so that a deeper understanding of how it relates to managing and harvesting food is explored. This push comes at the start of the Matariki season, the final year before it is set to become ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party launches petition for publicly-owned public transportThe Green Party is launching a petition calling on the Government to remove legislative barriers to public ownership of our public transport depots, vehicles and services. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens urge Government to stick to no new mines commitment in stewardship land review and reclassifi...The Green Party is urging the Government to stick with its 2017 commitment to no new mines on public conservation land, as the Government speeds up the review and reclassification process for stewardship land, which comprises a third of the public conservation estate. ...3 weeks ago
- Five things you might have missedYou’ve probably already heard that last week the Government released this year’s Budget. It’s something we’re really excited about (and if you are too, you can read more here), because we know it’s a key part of our plan to secure a strong COVID recovery. ...3 weeks ago
- Cost of Government Southern Response proactive package released
The Government has announced the proactive package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million if all those eligible apply. In December, the Minister Responsible for the Earthquake Commission, David Clark announced a proactive package for SRES claimants who settled their claims before October 2014. It trailed the judgment ...16 hours ago - New support to reduce emissions from public building and construction projectsGovernment agencies are getting new support to reduce carbon emissions generated by construction of new buildings, with the release of practical guidance to shape decisions on public projects. The Ministers for Building and Construction and for Economic Development say a new Procurement Guide will help government agencies, private sector suppliers, ...20 hours ago
- He Whenua Taurikura: New Zealand’s first Hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent ExtremismThe Prime Minister has opened New Zealand’s first hui on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which is being held in Christchurch over the next two days. The hui delivers on one of the recommendations from the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain ...21 hours ago
- Speech to inaugural Countering Terrorism HuiE aku nui, e aku rahi, Te whaka-kanohi mai o rātou mā, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau whakapono, Ru-ruku-tia i runga i te ngākau aroha, Waitaha, Ngāti Mamoe, Ngai Tahu, nāu rā te reo pohiri. Tena tātou katoa. Ki te kotahi te kakaho ka whati, ki te kapuia, e ...21 hours ago
- Campaign shines a light on elder abuseA new campaign is shining a spotlight on elder abuse, and urging people to protect older New Zealanders. Launched on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Office for Seniors’ campaign encourages friends, whānau and neighbours to look for the signs of abuse, which is often hidden in plain sight. “Research suggests ...24 hours ago
- Farewelling sports administrator and philanthropist Sir Eion EdgarSport and Recreation Minister Grant Robertson today expressed his sorrow at the passing of Sir Eion Edgar – a leading sports administrator and celebrated philanthropist who has made a significant impact both within and beyond the sport sector. “Sir Eion’s energy, drive and generosity has been truly immense. He leaves ...2 days ago
- Government to apologise for Dawn RaidsThe Government will make a formal apology for the wrongs committed during the Dawn Raids of the 1970’s. Between 1974 and 1976, a series of rigorous immigration enforcement policies were carried out that resulted in targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families. The raids to find, convict and deport overstayers ...2 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Bangladesh and MyanmarForeign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta today announced that New Zealand is providing NZ $8.25 million in humanitarian assistance to support refugees and their host populations in Bangladesh and to support humanitarian need of internally displaced and conflict affected people in Myanmar. “Nearly four years after 900,000 Rohingya crossed the border ...2 days ago
- Poroporoaki: Dame Georgina Kamiria KirbyE Te Kōkō Tangiwai, Te Tuhi Mareikura, Te Kākākura Pokai kua riro i a matou. He toka tū moana ākinga ā tai, ākinga ā hau, ākinga ā ngaru tūātea. Haere atu rā ki te mūrau a te tini, ki te wenerau a te mano. E tae koe ki ngā rire ...2 days ago
- Feedback sought on future of housing and urban developmentNew Zealanders are encouraged to have their say on a long-term vision for housing and urban development to guide future work, the Housing Minister Megan Woods has announced. Consultation starts today on a Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD), which will support the long-term direction of Aotearoa ...2 days ago
- Clean car package to drive down emissionsNew rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles start July 1 with up to $8,625 for new vehicles and $3,450 for used. Electric vehicle chargers now available every 75km along most state highways to give Kiwis confidence. Low Emission Transport Fund will have nearly four times the funding by 2023 ...3 days ago
- Progress towards simpler process for changing sex on birth certificatesThe Government is taking the next step to support transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, by progressing the Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Jan Tinetti announced today. “This Government understands that self-identification is a significant issue for transgender, non-binary and intersex New Zealanders, and ...3 days ago
- Crown speeds up engagement with takutai moana applicantsThe Crown is taking a new approach to takutai moana applications to give all applicants an opportunity to engage with the Crown and better support the Māori-Crown relationship, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says. Following discussions with applicant groups, the Crown has reviewed the existing takutai moana application ...4 days ago
- Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court opensThe Minister of Justice, Kris Faafoi, and the Minister for Courts, Aupito William Sio, have welcomed the opening of a new Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court in Hamilton. The AODT Court (Te Whare Whakapiki Wairua) addresses situations where substance abuse and offending are intertwined. “New Zealanders have told ...4 days ago
- EU and UK FTAs top of list for first ministerial trip since COVID-19Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor today announced details of his planned visit to the United Kingdom and European Union next week, where he will hold trade and agriculture discussions to further New Zealand’s economic recovery from COVID-19. The visit will add political weight to ongoing negotiations with both the EU ...4 days ago
- Arihia Bennett to chair Royal Commission Ministerial Advisory GroupTe Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett MNZM has been appointed chair of the newly appointed Ministerial Advisory Group on the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch mosques. “Twenty-eight people from diverse backgrounds across Aotearoa have been selected for the ...4 days ago
- Speech to the New Zealand Medical Association General Practitioners' Conference, RotoruaKi ngā pou maha o te whare hauora o Aotearoa, kei te mihiTo the pillars of our health system I acknowledge/thank you Ki te ope hapai hauora o roto o tēnei rūma, kei te mihi To our health force here in the room today, I acknowledge/thank you He taura tangata, ...5 days ago
- Karangahape Road upgrades are streets aheadThe upgrades to Karangahape Road makes the iconic street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly, attractive and environmentally sustainable, Transport Minister Michael Wood and Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said at the formal celebration of the completion of the Karangahape Road Enhancements project. The project included widening footpaths supporting a better outdoor dining ...5 days ago
- Speech to APEC business eventE ngā tumu herenga waka, ākina ā ngaru, ākina ā tai ka whakatere ngā waka ki te whakapapa pounamu, otirā, ki Tamaki o ngā waka Tena koutou katoa… To the great leaders assembled, who guided your waka through turbulent times, challenging waters and you continue to navigate your respective waka ...6 days ago
- Pause on Quarantine Free Travel with Victoria extendedFollowing an assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak in greater Melbourne, New Zealand’s Quarantine Free Travel pause with Victoria will continue for a further seven days, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. There are now 93 cases associated with the outbreak in greater Melbourne, spread over four clusters. Contact tracing efforts ...6 days ago
- Supplier Diversity Aotearoa Summit: Navigate 2021*** Check with delivery *** A mihi to all who have contributed to making today a success – starting with you! As you have explored and navigated government procurement today you will hopefully have reflected on the journey of our people so far – and how you can make a ...6 days ago
- Pukemiro School to closePukemiro Primary School near Huntly will close following years of declining roll numbers, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. “I’ve consulted with the School Commissioner, and this decision acknowledges the fact that the few remaining students from last term are now settled at other nearby schools. “I want to thank ...6 days ago
- Govt acts to protect NZers from harmful contentNew Zealanders will be better protected from harmful or illegal content as a result of work to design a modern, flexible and coherent regulatory framework, Minister of Internal Affairs Jan Tinetti announced today. New Zealand currently has a content regulatory system that is comprised of six different arrangements covering some ...6 days ago
- Consultation on exemption of new builds from proposed tax rulesThe Government has today confirmed new builds will be exempt from planned changes to the tax treatment of residential investment property. Public consultation is now open on details of the proposals, which stop interest deductions being claimed for residential investment properties other than new builds. “The Government’s goal is to ...6 days ago
- Speech for Predator Free 2050 ConferenceIntroduction E ngā mana E ngā reo E ngā iwi Tēnā koutou katoa Ka huri ki ngā mana whenua o te rohe nei. Tēnā koutou He mihi hoki ki a tatou kua tau mai nei i raro i te kaupapa o te rā Ko Ayesha Verrall toku ingoa No ...6 days ago
- New stock exchange to help grow small businessesA new share trading market, designed as a gateway to the NZX for small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has been granted a licence by the Government. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, David Clark said Catalist Markets Ltd will provide a simpler and more affordable ‘stepping stone’ for SMEs to raise capital. “This ...6 days ago
- Visa extensions provide certainty to employers and 10,000 visa holdersChanges to onshore visas will provide employers and visa holders with more certainty, Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi has announced. Around 10,000 Working Holiday visas and Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) work visas due to expire between 21 June 2021 and 31 December 2021 will be extended for another six months to ...6 days ago
- Border class exceptions approved for more farm workers and vetsThe Government has approved border class exceptions for an additional 200 dairy workers and 50 veterinarians to enter New Zealand, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced today. “It is clear from conversations with the dairy and veterinarian sectors that they are facing workforce pressures. These border exceptions will go a long ...6 days ago
- More freezers and South Island hub to support vaccine roll-outA South Island hub and 17 new ultra-low temperature freezers will help further prepare New Zealand for the ramp up of the vaccination programme in the second half of this year, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says. The new freezers arrived in New Zealand on 27 May. They’re currently being ...7 days ago
- Speech at the release of Climate Change Commission's final adviceGood morning – and thank you Prime Minister. Over the last three and half years we have been putting in place the foundations for a low-carbon Aotearoa that will be a catalyst for job creation, innovation, and prosperity for decades to come. In that future, many of our everyday tasks ...7 days ago
- Achievable blueprint for addressing climate change releasedReport says Government making good progress on emissions reduction, but more action required Meeting climate targets achievable and affordable with existing technology Economic cost of delaying action higher than taking action now Benefits from climate action include health improvements and lower energy bills All Ministers to help meet climate targets ...7 days ago
- Speech to release of Climate Commission final reportA few years ago in a speech in Auckland, I compared climate change to the nuclear free movement of roughly four decades ago. And I did so for a few reasons. Firstly, because the movement of the 1980s represented a life or death situation for the Pacific, and so does ...7 days ago
- Appointment of Judge of the High CourtAuckland Barrister Michael Robinson has been appointed a Judge of the High Court, Attorney‑General David Parker announced today. Justice Robinson graduated with a BA and an LLB (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1996, and commenced practice as a solicitor with Brookfields in Auckland. In 1998 he travelled to London ...7 days ago
- Government takes action to improve protections for subcontractorsThe Construction Contracts (Retention Money) Amendment Bill – which provides greater financial protection for subcontractors, has passed its first reading today. The Bill amends the retention provisions in the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA) to provide increased confidence and transparency for subcontractors that retention money they are owed is safe. ...1 week ago
- 1 million more Pfizer doses to arrive in JulyPfizer has scheduled delivery of an estimated 1 million doses of vaccine to New Zealand during July, COVID1-9 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “These consignments will double the total number of Pfizer doses we have received this year to more than 1,900,000 – enough to fully vaccinate almost 1 ...1 week ago
- Long-term home of the Independent Children’s Monitor identifiedThe Independent Children’s Monitor (Te Mana Whakamaru Tamariki Motuhake), which is currently located within the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), will become its own departmental agency within Government. “Following the recommendations of several reviews, Cabinet agreed in 2019 to build a significantly expanded independent monitor for children in care,” Carmel ...1 week ago
- Racing Integrity Board members announcedThe new Racing Integrity Board will be up and running from July 1 to ensure high standards of animal welfare, integrity and professionalism in the racing industry. Racing Minister Grant Robertson today announced the appointments to the new Board: Sir Bruce Robertson KNZM – Chair Kristy McDonald ONZM QC Penelope ...1 week ago
- Govt crackdown on organised crime continuesA major operation against multiple organised crime groups with international links will make a significant dent in drug harm and violent offending linked to organised crime networks, Police Minister Poto Williams says. “I want to take an opportunity to congratulate the Police for their role in Operation Trojan Shield. This ...1 week ago
- Farm planning framework supports farmers into the futureA new framework, agreed between Government and industry, will make it easier for farmers and growers to integrate future greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater regulatory requirements into their farm planning, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said. “The Good Farm Planning Principles Guide out today, provides guidance for how farmers can organise ...1 week ago
- Enhanced Task Force Green Approved for CanterburyThe Government has activated Enhanced Taskforce Green (ETFG) in response to the Canterbury floods. The Minister of Social Development and Employment, Hon Carmel Sepuloni says $500,000 will be made available to help with the clean-up. The flooding in Canterbury has been a significant and adverse event damaging farmland, homes, roads ...1 week ago
- Why is everyone so obsessed with going to Mars? Here are some other worlds ripe for exploration
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gail Iles, Senior Lecturer in Physics, RMIT University Cassini Imaging Team, Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute Last month, China successfully landed and deployed the ‘Zhurong’ rover on Mars, becoming the second country ever to set wheels on the surface of ...9 mins ago - In neglecting the National Archives, the Morrison government turns its back on the futureSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Brett, Emeritus Professor of Politics, La Trobe University Wes Mountain/The Conversation, CC BY-ND Why didn’t the federal government increase funding for the National Archives of Australia in its recent budget? We know it wasn’t because of budget discipline. Money ...9 mins ago
- No, it’s not just a lack of control that makes Australians overweight. Here’s what’s driving o...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gary Sacks, Associate Professor, Deakin University Shutterstock Public health experts have long argued that when it comes to preventing obesity, we need to stop blaming individuals. Our new online tool, released today, confirms we live in an environment where ...9 mins ago
- Home quarantine for vaccinated returned travellers is extremely low risk, and won’t damage their m...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Dore, Scientia Professor, Kirby Institute; Infectious Diseases Physician, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, UNSW Matt Dunham/AP/AAP Many thousands of people need to return to Australia, and many at home wish to reunite with partners and family abroad. A move away ...9 mins ago
- Peatlands worldwide are drying out, threatening to release 860 million tonnes of carbon dioxide ever...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuanyuan Huang, Research Scientist , CSIRO Shutterstock Peatlands, such as fens, bogs, marshes and swamps, cover just 3% of the Earth’s total land surface, yet store over one-third of the planet’s soil carbon. That’s more than the carbon stored in ...10 mins ago
- Many of us want to take our dogs on public transport, but others shudder at the thought — what’s...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Kent, Senior Research Fellow in Urbanism, University of Sydney Shutterstock We’ve being looking at the ways people travel with dogs and what it says about attempts to shift towards a more sustainable and healthier transport system. Our research first ...10 mins ago
- How the stunning abstract art of Hilma af Klint opens our eyes to new ways of seeingSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Mendelssohn, Principal Fellow (Hon), Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne. Editor in Chief, Design and Art of Australia Online, The University of Melbourne Hilma af Klint, Group IX/UW, The dove, no 2. 1915. Oil on canvas, 155.5 x 115.5 ...10 mins ago
- One Canadian’s brave search for a decent plate of poutine in New Zealand
From Burger Fuel’s ‘Vladimir Poutine’ to the Fed Deli’s ‘Montreal’ offering, NZ’s efforts are missing one crucial element, writes token Canadian and poutine correspondent Justin Giovannetti.Expectations were low when I was handed a take-away container of poutine from Burger Fuel. For starters, the ingredients were very wrong. Amplifying my concern, ...23 mins ago - Live updates, June 16: Muslim community ‘marginalised’ by counter-terror huiWelcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 16, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz8.00am: Muslim community ‘marginalised’ by counter-terror huiSome in the Muslim community feel “marginalised” by a government-organised hui on counter-terrorism.The hui was one of the key recommendations from the ...25 mins ago
- The Bulletin: Rapid house price inflation continuesGood morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Rapid house price inflation continues, PM wrong about coming availability of grunty EVs, and police reveal other mass shootings around March 15 were foiled.Any hope that government interventions would immediately curb rampant house price inflation have been dashed by new ...1 hour ago
- The debate over transgender athletes’ rights is testing the current limits of science and the lawSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Breen, Professor of Law, University of Waikato www.shutterstock.com The petition presented to parliament last week calling for trans women to be excluded from women’s sport is simply the latest round in a difficult and volatile global debate. Organised by ...1 hour ago
- Aotearoa Lags Behind As EU Moves To Ban Colony Cages
Last week the European Parliament urged the European Commission to ban the caging of all farmed animals across the European Union by 2027. The resolution was adopted with overwhelming support from MEPs. It urged the Commission to revise the outdated ...2 hours ago - Behind tensions at the terror hui
A walkout at a terrorism conference might have grabbed the headlines but what was simmering beneath it? David Williams reports ANALYSIS: The tension in the room was palpable. Christchurch Town Hall’s Limes Room came alive with shouts of “free Palestine!”, prompted by comments about a 2018 rally in Auckland supporting ...2 hours ago - Tayi Tibble, by Jane Ussher and Jordan Hamel
Jordan Hamel (words) and Jane Ussher (portraits) meet poet Tayi Tibble Like all good interviews, this one started late night in the jockeys’ quarters of Tauherenikau racecourse in Featherston, with Tayi reading from her new collection Rangikura after her reading at the Featherston Booktown Established v Emerging Poetry Showdown event. ...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily crossword, Wednesday 16 June
...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 16 June
Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...3 hours ago - Memory Games: gymnast's breathless sprint for bronze
In our first Memory Games Q&A with LockerRoom writers who've been to the Olympics, New Zealand's 1988 Seoul Games rhythmic gymnast Angela Walker recalls the moment John Walker became her hero, wearing Mark Todd's gold - and hopes for our first trampolining medal. What was your very first Olympic memory? I was a ...3 hours ago - Newsroom's daily sudoku, Wednesday 16 June
...3 hours ago - Dumping on the Māori world view
A highly controversial dump in the Dome Valley north of Auckland can go ahead, despite huge Māori and Pākehā opposition and a defeat for and dissenting view from the environment panel's chair The rare frogs will be moved. The endangered long-tailed bats will adapt. Neighbours won't smell, see or hear ...3 hours ago - Juliet Moses Attack On Palestine Solidarity Protestors At The Christchurch Counter-terrorism Confere...15 June 2021 The New Zealand Jewish Council spokesperson Juliet Moses should never have been invited to speak at a counter-terrorism conference in the wake of the terror attack against New Zealand Muslims on 15 March 2019. As a mouthpiece for the Israeli ...3 hours ago
- Gossip found a new power in the #MeToo era. Here’s what needs to happen nextGossip Week: Three years ago, Zoe Lawton started an anonymous blog for people in the legal profession to share their stories of sexual harassment. Today, she reflects on the public impact of sharing this private information, and what needs to happen next for the #MeToo movement in Aotearoa.All week, The ...3 hours ago
- The women winners we don't see
Jo Cribb is uncomfortable with women's leadership awards that are only for some women. She explains why. ...3 hours ago - Government to regulate Facebook
The review announced in an overlooked press release will provide options for regulating social media platforms and issuing guidance in how they moderate content. ...3 hours ago - Buy now, pay later surging among older online shoppers
Contentious buy now, pay later finance model surges in popularity for over-60s ...3 hours ago - New tools open up world to big-spending population with disabilities
A dragon's den initiative has backed 13 entrepreneurs developing tools to improve access to life for one in four NZers. ...3 hours ago - Small homes, big ambitions
It's not just the big cities suffering from affordable housing issues - but the more remote areas of the country are getting no help, even if they're willing to help themselves. When Chris Bennett told people he wanted to build 100 affordable homes for $150,000 each in Golden Bay in ...3 hours ago - Boris Johnson overstates Morrison’s climate ambition, as Australia-UK trade agreement reachedSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra British Prime Minister Boris Johnson put Scott Morrison on the spot when he told their joint news conference he thought the Australian PM had “declared for net zero by 2050”. When Johnson made the statement ...7 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards’ Political Roundup: Cash for access to politicians continuesAnalysis by Bryce Edwards. Should anyone have trust in politicians, given the manner in which they solicit money from the wealthy? Probably not, since virtually every party in Parliament in recent times has been found to be involved in flaunting the law or accepting dodgy donations from the rich. News ...12 hours ago
- Word from The Hill: the Biloela Tamil family, G7 and the upcoming parliamentary fortnightSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As well as Michelle Grattan’s usual interviews with experts and politicians about the news of the day, Politics with Michelle Grattan now includes “Word from The Hill”, where all things political will be ...13 hours ago
- Southern Response earthquake claims settlement package estimated at $313m
The package for some Southern Response policyholders could cost $313 million, if all those eligible apply. ...14 hours ago - The end of JobKeeper wasn’t a blip. It might have cost nearly 100,000 jobsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University MultifacetedGirl/Shutterstock At its peak, more than 3.8 million Australians were on JobKeeper — three in every ten Australian workers. Adding in those workers already employed by government, it ...14 hours ago
- Biloela family to be released into community detention – what happens now?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Anne Kenny, Associate Professor, School of Law, Murdoch University Federal immigration minister Alex Hawke has exercised his power to allow the Murugappan family from Biloela to live in the Perth community.The Tamil asylum seeker family was ...14 hours ago
- Why do Tamil asylum seekers need protection — and why does the Australian government say they don...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niro Kandasamy, Lecturer, Australian Catholic University Julian Smith/AAP Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has announced the Murugappans will be moved from detention on Christmas Island, to community detention in Perth. This follows mounting public concern for the Tamil family, particularly ...14 hours ago- The end of JobKeeper wasn’t a blip. It might have cost 100,000 jobs
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University MultifacetedGirl/Shutterstock At its peak, more than 3.8 million Australians were on JobKeeper — three in every ten Australian workers. Adding in those workers already employed by government, it ...14 hours ago- Green space around primary schools may improve students’ academic performance
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alison Carver, Senior Research Fellow, Behaviour Environment and Cognition Program, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University Shutterstock Greenery around primary schools may improve students’ academic performance, while traffic pollution may be detrimental, our study shows. With increasing ...14 hours ago- US lawmakers are taking a massive swipe at big tech. If it lands, the impact will be felt globally
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katharine Kemp, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law & Justice, UNSW, UNSW Kathy Willens/AP Five antitrust laws proposed in the United States aim to aggressively rein in the market power of “big tech” companies and change the way they do business. ...15 hours ago- Climate explained: could biofuels replace all fossil fuels in New Zealand?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Troy Baisden, Professor (Environmental Sciences), University of Waikato Aleksandar Malivuk/Shutterstock CC BY-ND Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you ...15 hours ago- Prehistoric ‘river boss’ is the largest extinct croc species ever discovered in Australia
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jorgo Ristevski, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Eleanor Pease, Author provided Say hello to Gunggamarandu maunala, or the “hole-headed river boss” — the biggest extinct croc yet found in Australia, and an important addition to the jigsaw of crocodylian ...16 hours ago- An act of God, or just bad management? Why trees fall, and how to prevent it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne AP The savage storms that swept Victoria last week sent trees crashing down, destroying homes and blocking roads. Under climate change, stronger winds and extreme storms will be more frequent. This ...16 hours ago- Sinuous, sinewy and transcendent: SandSong proves Bangarra is one of Australia’s best dance compan...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Maguire-Rosier, Honorary Associate, Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, School of Literature, Art, and Media, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Bangarra Review: SandSong, directed and choreographed by Stephen Page and Frances Rings, Bangarra Dance ...16 hours ago- The greatest early-noughties hits of Metro’s Felicity Ferret
Gossip Week: It’s been over 10 years since Metro’s iconic gossip columnist Felicity Ferret got the chop. We revisited some of her greatest gossip from the celeb scene of the early 2000s. All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future ...16 hours ago- The cycling civil servant who’s not afraid to get good and mad on Twitter
The battle to get New Zealand to carbon neutrality is being fought in the backrooms of power and more publicly, on social media. Justin Latif spoke with Kāinga Ora’s new director of sustainability, Alec Tang, about how he’s leading the charge in both arenas. Outspoken senior civil servants are few and ...18 hours ago- New finding: jobseekers subject to obligations take longer to find work
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruud Gerards, Coordinating Senior Researcher, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market , Maastricht University New Africa/Shutterstock Under so-called mutual obligation rules, the Australian government requires the unemployed to complete activities (including training and applying for a certain number ...19 hours ago- ‘Terror in our society that money can’t pay for’, Polynesian Panthers founder tells NZ
RNZ News A co-founder of the Polynesian Panthers says the government should allow overstayers to remain in New Zealand after it formally apologises for the Dawn Raids later this month. An emotional Minister for Pacific Peoples, ‘Aupito William Sio, also revealed today harrowing details of his own family’s subjection to ...19 hours ago- Lawyer Clooney welcomes dismissal of second libel suit against Maria Ressa
Human rights lawyers Amal Clooney and Caoilfhionn Gallagher, who lead the international defence legal team, have call on the international community to ensure that all charges against Philippines journalist and editor Maria Ressa are dropped. The legal team of Rappler CEO Ressa welcomed the recent dismissal of the ...19 hours ago- The COVID-19 lab-leak hypothesis is plausible because accidents happen. I should know
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Allen Rodrigo, Professor and Head, The School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, University of Auckland Chen Jimin/China News Service via Getty Images At the conclusion of the G7 summit yesterday, leaders called for a fresh and transparent investigation ...19 hours ago- Advocacy, apologies, and new beginnings
Josiah Tualamali'i looks back at our history to give context and meaning to the fight to get Pacific people's mana recognised in apology for the Dawn Raids June is one of the few months for my aiga where we do not have a birthday to celebrate. But it is a month where we ...20 hours ago- Silver Collar Greyhound Race Reveals Cruelty And Corruption
Federal Morgan broke his leg in the final race at the "Silver Collar" races at the Auckland Greyhound Racing Club on Sunday 13 June 2021. Federal Morgan was considered a star performer, who’s trainer Lisa Cole made a late withdrawal ...21 hours ago- Verrall draws attention to elder abuse today while the PM apologises for crackdown on Polynesians 40...
We are paying special attention today to comments submitted for publication on the Point of Order blog. The reason: our writers are in the “veteran” category, as journalists, and accordingly feel entitled to make the most of today being World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Fawning comments will be accepted with ...21 hours ago- Little Support For Decriminalising All Drugs – Poll
A new poll has found that there is very little support for the decriminalisation of all drugs such as P (meth), MDMA and cocaine. Support for decriminalising cannabis remains at similar levels to the Yes vote in the recent referendum In the poll of ...21 hours ago- Dawn Raids apology ‘empty’ without action on immigration
What was noticeably missing from the Government's apology announcement was a list of actions it's planning to take to address the intergenerational harms caused by the Dawn Raids. Dylan Asafo on what those actions should look like. It was announced yesterday that the Government will be giving a formal apology for the Dawn ...21 hours ago- Why some people get name suppression – and others don’t
Gossip week: A lawyer who knows a thing or two about media law explains how our confusing name suppression laws work.All week, The Spinoff is taking a look at the role of gossip in Aotearoa’s past, present and future – read more Gossip Week content here.In many of the suppression ...22 hours ago- Let’s wish O’Connor well, as he dines with UK Minister in quest to secure a free trade deal – ...
Trade minister Damien O’Connor dines with his UK counterpart Liz Truss tomorrow to begin the heavy-lifting on a NZ-UK free trade agreement. The early signs are ominous. Ozzie PM Scott Morrison managed to attend part of the G7 meeting in Cornwell where Australia’s FTA agreement was raised with the UK’s ...22 hours ago- Stop Censoring Victims- SST Call To Courts
A petition has been presented at parliament demanding an end to a court’s ability to amend and censor Victim Impact Statements. “Victim Impact Statements should give an ability for victims to speak about the considerable damage the offender’s ...22 hours ago- Wood is proving adept at steering major initiatives through Cabinet – but winning public approval ...
Transport Minister Michael Wood is winning a reputation for his bold political initiatives. They include, for example, the announcement of a second Auckland harbour bridge crossing (but only for cyclists and walkers, costing an estimated $780m). Then came a “feebate” scheme to hasten the transition to electric vehicles. And earlier ...22 hours ago- Electric vehicle rebate scheme a 'punishment' for ute drivers – Collins
National Party leader Judith Collins says the government's electric car rebate scheme is a tax on ute and heavy vehicle drivers. ...23 hours ago- Under pressure on the Olympics, Japan’s prime minister is saying little and hoping for a political...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donna Weeks, Professor of Political Science, Musashino University Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is probably a little relieved the G7 Summit came when it did. Before departing for the UK at the end of last week, Suga had been subjected to three ...1 day ago- Is a hybrid COVID strain behind Vietnam’s latest wave? Not exactly
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Herrero, Research Leader in Virology and Infectious Disease, Griffith University We recently heard a new “hybrid variant” of the coronavirus has been detected in Vietnam, amid a spike in cases in the country. The variant was originally described as a ...1 day ago- DIY habitat: my photos show chainsaw-carved tree hollows make perfect new homes for this mysterious ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Terry, PhD Researcher, Southern Cross University William Terry, Author provided Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field. As ...1 day ago- School catchment zones may be annoying for some parents, but they help ensure equality for everyone
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina Ho, Associate professor, University of Technology Sydney Shutterstock The South Australian government in recent months announced it was relaxing its catchment zone policy for secondary schools. This means families can apply for their year 6 or 7 child to ...1 day ago- New finding: jobseekers subject to mutual obligations take longer to find work
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruud Gerards, Coordinating Senior Researcher, Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market , Maastricht University New Africa/Shutterstock Under so-called mutual obligation rules, the Australian government requires the unemployed to complete activities (including training and applying for a certain number ...1 day ago- There are problems in aged care, but more competition isn’t the solution
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ou Yang, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Karen McFarland/Shutterstock The solution to most problems in most markets is more competition. Whether it’s the market for hairdressers, for massage therapists or for general practitioners, usually, the more of them there ...1 day ago- New documentary recalls how Valerie Taylor played with sharks to prove a point
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Gardner, Postdoctoral Research Associate, UNSW Madman Entertainment Review: Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story, directed by Sally Aitken A new documentary Playing with Sharks: The Valerie Taylor Story shines a light on Valerie Taylor AM, a pioneering ...1 day ago- Live updates, June 15: Seymour faces pressure over ‘white privilege’ at schools story
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for June 15, bringing you the latest news updated throughout the day. Get in touch at stewart@thespinoff.co.nz 8.05am: Seymour faces pressure over ‘white privilege’ at schools story For at least a month, Act Party leader David Seymour has been using the example of a ...1 day ago- A year on from near death and the $1 deal, Stuff is somehow thriving
The stakes were existential when Sinead Boucher offered to buy Stuff for $1 in May of 2020. A year on it has completed a remarkable turnaround, says Duncan Greive. For most of the last decade, Stuff was a paradox: both New Zealand’s largest employer of journalists and a website which seemed ...1 day ago- The Bulletin: An apology decades in the making
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: An apology decades in the making, spy boss calls for public debate on digital surveillance, and why new cars are so expensive in New Zealand.The government will make a formal apology for the “Dawn Raid” policies of the 1970s, which ...1 day ago- Infrastructure Commission anticipates project delays in workforce shortage
New data platform show double the number of building workers will be needed to complete the scheduled work in some centres, Harry Lock reports. The Infrastructure Commission says construction projects will still be delivered, but the real question is over what time period. Concerns have been raised over the viability of ...1 day ago- G7 – the view from the top is fine, if a bit fuzzy
The omens were good for the G7 summit at Carbis Bay in Cornwall. Untypical blazing sunshine and a victory for England’s footballers in the Euro Championships put the hosts in fine fettle (qualified only slightly by the NZ cricketers’ series win). The first and most important objective was achieved: ...1 day ago- G7 – not so good in the margins
Some say it wouldn’t be a proper G7 summit without a row between the UK and France. In this case, Boris Johnson taking the opportunity to ask France’s President Emmanuel Macron how he would feel if Toulousain could not sell their sausages in Paris. The context for his remark ...1 day ago- The next Euro crisis has just begun
A loose monetary policy and building inflation risk a post-Covid headache of unseen pain for Europe, writes Dr Oliver Hartwich ...1 day ago- Mike King Returning His New Zealand Order Of Merit Medal In Wellington On Wednesday 16th June
Mike King will return his New Zealand Order of Merit medal in Wellington, on Wednesday 16 June. He is travelling to the Capital to meet with a young boy who recently lost his brother to suicide, and has been unable to access support services via the Ministry ...1 day ago- ‘Prove it’: Lake Alice survivor after bombshell
Psychiatrist who gave electric shocks to children in the 1970s “incapable” of responding to Royal Commission. David Williams reports One of the biggest questions at a Royal Commission’s hearings into the torture of children at Lake Alice was answered on the opening day. What came next was the bombshell. The ...1 day ago- Dawn Raids apology: 'I do not want my children to be shackled by that pain'
The Government has announced it will formally apologise for the Dawn Raids. Parliament's Pasifika MPs share their reactions and memories with Newsroom At the Auckland Town Hall on June 26, the Government will apologise for a policy Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said caused "deep wounds" for New Zealand's Pasifika communities. ...1 day ago- NZOC encourages athlete vaccination, but won’t require it
Without clear rules about the need for a vaccine before Tokyo, the New Zealand Olympic Committee can only hope its athletes are vaccinated When the New Zealand Olympic team arrives in Tokyo, 98 percent will have been vaccinated. At least that’s what the New Zealand Olympic Committee expects. But although vaccinations ...1 day ago- Newsroom daily crossword, Tuesday 15 June
...1 day ago - Why do Tamil asylum seekers need protection — and why does the Australian government say they don...
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