science

Categories under science

Cyclone Evan

Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, December 17th, 2012 - 7 comments

I’m sure our thoughts are all with Fiji as it braces itself for disaster.

2 storms and a rocket

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, December 14th, 2012 - 42 comments

With the GFC, changing climate and resource depletion, the struggles of the powerless get over-looked.  Asia-Pacific has been described as the focal point of a new cold war. Storms in Samoa and the Philippines, a rocket launch from North Korea. How should we respond?

Doha blah blah blah

Written By: - Date published: 2:12 pm, December 10th, 2012 - 14 comments

The climate change talks still grind on every year, but nothing useful seems to happen as a result. The recently concluded Doha talks are no exception. By the time the Power Shift generation takes over they will be facing a near impossible task.

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, December 9th, 2012 - 3 comments

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: Tax-shaming and the real shirkers, climate change, disability month and happiness.

Ahead of the curve on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 10:35 am, December 4th, 2012 - 66 comments

Climate Change Minister Tim Groser has defended the Nats’ decision to drop out of the Kyoto treaty, describing the move as “ahead of the curve”.  Quite apart from being absolutely stupid short-term thinking and a pathetic abdication of leadership, the idea that this retreat is “ahead of the curve” is a rather unfortunate turn of phrase.

A National attack on the environment

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, November 29th, 2012 - 14 comments

Anthony has already mentioned the amazing record of us winning both first and second prize in the first Fossil of the Day awards at the Doha climate talks – quite a remarkable achievement, particularly for a nation that trades on its “100% Pure” environmental credentials. Over at Pundit Claire Browning has an extensive list of […]

I’m ashamed to be a New Zealander

Written By: - Date published: 8:53 am, November 28th, 2012 - 111 comments

With its head deep in the rapidly warming sands, John Key and the National government have been rolling back climate change measures. We are not even “fast followers”, we are stand-out obstacles to progress, and subject to international ridicule. On climate change they have made me ashamed to be a New Zealander. They shame us all as a nation.

Local Bodies: Mike Joy, Traitor or Martyr?

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 26th, 2012 - 50 comments

Reprinted with permission from Local Bodies. See also the anonymous editorial in The Herald today – written no doubt by some genius who has never even looked at Dr Joy’s data, let alone understood its implications.

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, November 25th, 2012 - 14 comments

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere. This week: politicians, economies, elections, feminism and climate change.

In other news: the failings of Key’s government

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, November 21st, 2012 - 20 comments

John Key’s crony-capitalist, neoliberal government is failing NZ on the environment, affordable housing, and a living wage. Mana and the Greens  are leading the way on affordable housing and anti-poverty campaigns.  The Greens still lead the way on pressing environmental issues.

There is a way forward – if we are wise enough to take it

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 15th, 2012 - 29 comments

Unemployment at record highs, current account deficit in trouble, the economy is stagnant, exodus to Australia, National is failing by every performance measure that they set themselves.  The completely frustrating thing is that there is a clear and rational way forward, if only we have the wisdom to take it.

We have a lemming instead of a leader

Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, November 13th, 2012 - 80 comments

John Key doesn’t want NZ to be a leader in the fight against climate change.   Much better to be a lemming (sorry – a “fast follower”) and follow all the other lemmings off the cliff.

Thin and effeminate statistics

Written By: - Date published: 4:05 pm, November 8th, 2012 - 25 comments

While the professional mainstream media were all chanting in unison that the American presidential election was “too close to call”, one (famous!) blogger correctly predicted the result – for every state.

What will the new president do about Climate Change?

Written By: - Date published: 10:37 am, November 7th, 2012 - 107 comments

Voting starts. What will the new president do about Climate Change? For good or ill, America has a tradition of global leadership. When it comes to climate change America needs to lead more actively in the world – not from behind, but from the front. Will Obama be that president? Will Romney? Or will we have to wait another four more terrible years of rudderless inaction?

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, November 4th, 2012 - 1 comment

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. This week: inequality, language on social media, and feminism.

I don’t think I’ll be taking his advice

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, November 2nd, 2012 - 133 comments

On the back of Duncan Garner’s scathing piece on David Shearer, David Farrar endorses Grant Robertson for leader. Yeah, because his last recommendation’s worked out so well. Call me cynical, but I just don’t think National’s pollster has the Left’s interests at heart. No, I don’t think people will be looking to the Right for advice on who should lead Labour again.

Sandy’s wake-up call

Written By: - Date published: 9:34 am, October 31st, 2012 - 33 comments

If any good can ever be said to come from a natural disaster, then let the good of Sandy be its function as a clear and present wake up call. It’s a crisis, and it’s an opportunity.

Bugger the environment

Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 29th, 2012 - 62 comments

Bugger the environment – who needs it? That’s the message from National, both domestically and internationally.

The rhythms of life

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, October 28th, 2012 - 18 comments

On Planet Key natural body processes are ignored, and nature has been tamed into a golf course. It’s a place where mothers don’t lactate or have a heightened sensitivity to their babies’ cries; a place disconnected from the chaotic consequences of climate change.

Maori Party too little too late

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 25th, 2012 - 9 comments

The Maori Party has pulled its support for the latest weakening of the ETS. As usual Peter Dunne will be personally responsible for propping up the worst of the Nats’ agenda.

The cost of doing nothing

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, September 28th, 2012 - 34 comments

Another report confirms the findings of the 2006 Stern Report. The future economic costs of doing nothing far outweigh the current costs of taking action on climate change. But National is taking us backwards…

Abdicating our global responsibility

Written By: - Date published: 6:43 am, September 17th, 2012 - 175 comments

With proposed ETS changes National is abdicating our responsibility on the world stage, and sending the bill to the taxpayers. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment calls it ‘a farce’. It’s cowardly, it’s weak, and it’s shafting the working Kiwi.

On good and bad welfare

Written By: - Date published: 6:31 am, September 12th, 2012 - 248 comments

So the government is announcing the “lifetime cost” of social welfare payments today to soften the ground for cracking down on beneficiaries.

By coincidence they’re also in the process of rushing through changes to the emissions trading scheme that will cost the taxpayer billions of dollars in corporate welfare.

GM lobby can butt out

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, September 5th, 2012 - 53 comments

There are perfectly good reasons that NZ as a country should remain GM free. And we should stand up and say so in the face of inept and blatant lobbying from the GM industry.

A Good Idea?

Written By: - Date published: 8:41 am, September 1st, 2012 - 156 comments

Planning permission has been sought to construct the world’s largest windfarm off the Scottish coast. Estimated to cost around 4.5 billion pounds and cover some 300 square km of ocean, if the project receives the green light, it will produce up to 40% of Scotland household power use. When compared to other forms of energy […]

Climate models fail to accurately predict Arctic ice – deniers fail to notice

Written By: - Date published: 3:32 pm, August 26th, 2012 - 80 comments

Like many people I’m always bemused by the lack of logic that the climate change deniers (CCD’s) have in their extremely selective picking of things to get wound up about – especially about climate models. But when an actual  self-evident flaw shows up in the models, well they simply seem to miss it entirely. Like it is now evident that the climate models used to predict Arctic melting vastly underrate the speed at which it is happening. The consequences are going to be unpleasant for the north.

RIP Neil Armstrong

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, August 26th, 2012 - 44 comments

Curiosity – 5:30pm

Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, August 6th, 2012 - 106 comments

At around 5:30pm this evening Curiosity will either touch down safely on Mars, or make (another) expensive smudge on the surface. Various links below – tune in. Good luck Curiosity…

Climate skeptic wakes up

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, August 1st, 2012 - 83 comments

There aren’t many climate skeptics whose opinions can be affected by mere evidence, so hats off to Richard Muller.

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, July 29th, 2012 - 1 comment

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere (no linkwhoring).  This week: hiding tax, growing up neo-liberal and Syria.

Denialists set to make monkeys of themselves

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, July 17th, 2012 - 103 comments

Could we be about to have our very own Scopes trial? In that famous Tennessee Court Case, the State prosecuted a teacher for teaching evolution. He walked free and it was a decisive moment in mainstreaming evolution and making the creationists the crackpots. Now, the climate change deniers are suing NIWA and their loss will be a dagger through the heart of denialism.

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