science

Categories under science

NRT: Some “strategy”

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, August 31st, 2011 - 39 comments

National’s Energy Strategy has been roundly criticised. The promises of more renewables and energy efficiency are more ‘aspirational’ fluff with no plan to actually get there. And, worse, the heart of the strategy works against sustainability and environmental responsibility – it’s all about drilling up and burning more oil. I/S at NoRightTurn explains.

Irene sounds yet another warning

Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, August 30th, 2011 - 53 comments

Irene is yet another example of the significant increase in extreme weather that we’re seeing all around the globe.  But this warning will be ignored like all the rest.

Ocean Acidification

Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 29th, 2011 - 32 comments

We know that our carbon pollution is damaging the climate – making the atmosphere warmer and less stable – but it also makes the sea more acidic. Ocean Acidification means the aquaculture industry could be in big trouble by the middle of the century, not to mention the rest of the fishing industry. But the government blithely ignores the problem.

Revolution and hunger

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, August 28th, 2011 - 44 comments

What provokes a populace to take to the streets in violent uprising?  Is it the inexorable power of a demand for justice and democracy?  Or is it something much simpler than that…

The decades of consequences

Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, August 21st, 2011 - 11 comments

Peter Sinclair has been putting out great videos for years on climate change as Climate Crock of the Week. They focus on having a close look at climate change deniers claims. The following video looks at a series of talking heads claiming that the world is cooling. Such a pity that their own favorite crank […]

Seeds of hope

Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, August 21st, 2011 - 20 comments

This is the kind of innovation and intelligence that we are going to need in abundance to survive the medium to long term future…

Myth busting – reducing agricultural emissions

Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, August 8th, 2011 - 60 comments

We commonly hear the vested interests (Fed Farmers, National, Fonterra) saying that agriculture should continue to get a 100% subsidy on its greenhouse emissions because there’s no way for farmers to reduce their pollution aside from producing less. That’s rubbish. In fact, as BR shows, agriculture is already producing more value for less pollution.

NoRightTurn on the ETS

Written By: - Date published: 11:00 am, August 2nd, 2011 - 20 comments

I/S reviews the ETS so far. It has worked, as Labour promised, to bring down emissions – helped by the recession. But don’t forget there are still massive subsidies for the emissions that are happening thanks to National’s changes. It’s nuts that you and I are forking out so that foreign-owned factories can spew out carbon dioxide on a more profitable basis.

Generation Zero

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, August 1st, 2011 - 40 comments

It is one of the failures of our society that far too many young people are politically disengaged or apathetic. Many – but not all! Meet Generation Zero.  Please go visit their website, join up, or spread the word…

American heatwave

Written By: - Date published: 2:22 pm, July 28th, 2011 - 11 comments

Farewell to space

Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, July 24th, 2011 - 34 comments

I think our exploration of space is effectively over.  The end of the shuttle programme is the end of that era.

Monckton not worth debating

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, July 17th, 2011 - 74 comments

Local climate change deniers want to organise a debate featuring visiting “celebrity” Christopher Monckton.  I’m all for scientific debate of course.  But you can’t have such a debate with Monckton, because he’s a serial liar.

Go Gillard!

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, July 16th, 2011 - 30 comments

I’ve been impressed with Labour on both sides of the ditch lately.  Here of course Phil Goff’s Labour party has moved very boldly on the CGT.  But across the ditch in Oz, Labor leader and PM Julia Gillard is fighting an even tougher battle on carbon pricing.  Go Gillard!

A real plan to save the world does exist

Written By: - Date published: 10:17 am, July 12th, 2011 - 112 comments

A feasible plan to power 100 percent of the planet with complete renewables exists. This plan excludes Nuclear and Biofuels, which the Scientific American authors of this plan also considered to be ultimately unsustainable technologies as well. Instead this plan revolves around Wind, Water and Solar – WWS

Climate change laffs

Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, July 9th, 2011 - Comments Off on Climate change laffs

Comedy duo Armstrong and Miller (who has a degree in quantum physics) take on climate change deniers and do-nothingers with disarming humour.

Frack off

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, July 3rd, 2011 - 41 comments

Bravo France, the first country in the world to ban fracking.  But for every step forward in this world, we seem to take two steps backwards…

Mother Nature’s cruel blow?

Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, June 25th, 2011 - 18 comments

The snows haven’t come and the ski industry is in trouble.  Is it a “cruel blow” from mother nature?

Chart ‘o the day: Warming is over

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, June 23rd, 2011 - 77 comments

“There Once was an Island” in theatres this week

Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, June 21st, 2011 - 14 comments

My producer partner Lyn is back from Eire and has a theatrical release of their documentary underway in NZ. Director Briar March and producer Lyn Collie, along with two Australasian earth scientists specializing in oceanography and geomorphology looked at the effects of a rising sea levels and changing climate patterns are having on the people of the small Polynesian atoll Takuu in Papua New Guinea. Well worth watching on the big screen while you can.

It’s begun

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, June 19th, 2011 - 141 comments

Argue with the science if you must, but it’s pretty hard to argue with the world.  The effects of climate change are upon us..

Hansen on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, June 4th, 2011 - 37 comments

Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen recently toured New Zealand, giving several public lectures.  Here’s a quick summary, and a link to the podcast of the talk he gave at the University of Otago.  As expected, it’s an excellent talk, with some fascinating suggestions about what we the people need to do.  Interesting also to get Hansen’s take on Nick Smith…

The three pigs of climate change

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, May 28th, 2011 - 63 comments

Key: making shit up

Written By: - Date published: 4:23 pm, May 26th, 2011 - 41 comments

John Key just rumbles on from one lame excuse to the next on the ETS. First bringing farmers in was going to raise dairy prices, now he’s making other claims that don’t stack up.

Hansen calls for Key to lead on climate change

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 pm, May 25th, 2011 - 71 comments

Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen has written an open letter to John Key.

Climate change: Farmers can afford the ETS

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, May 25th, 2011 - 45 comments

No Right Turn on the cost of the ETS to farmers.  Forecast to be paid over $8 per kilo for milk solids, what cost do you guess that the ETS subtracts from that sum?

James Hansen and other talks

Written By: - Date published: 3:04 pm, May 16th, 2011 - 47 comments

James Hansen was among the first to raise the alarm about climate change, and is sometimes called “the father of climate change science” for his trouble. He’s currently in New Zealand, and had an excellent interview last Saturday with Kim Hill on RNZ.  Click through for a schedule of his public lectures, and also two “Dark Ecologies” talks.

100% Clueless

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, May 13th, 2011 - 86 comments

When confronted with the scientific evidence on the hollowness of our “100% Pure” slogan John Key, as usual, tried to attack the credibility of the source.  Key said “He’s one academic and, like lawyers, I could provide you others who would give a counter view”.   Now the source (Dr Mike Joy) has called the PM on his clueless claim.

Eaarth

Written By: - Date published: 7:03 am, April 26th, 2011 - 46 comments

I recently finished “Eaarth” by Bill McKibben (of 350.org), a book about the effect of climate change on the planet and how we should be preparing for the future.  Comprehensively researched and brutally honest, Eaarth is a smack in the emotional solar plexus.  Everyone should read it.

Climate change: Our $1.2 billion a year credibility gap

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, April 20th, 2011 - 14 comments

The United Nations joins those voices pointing out that Nationals”policy” on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a complete sham.  Reposted from No Right Turn.

Spending cuts I’d like to see – No 2

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, April 20th, 2011 - 4 comments

The government’s books are tight. We shouldn’t borrow more, so there need to be reversals of the tax cuts and spending cuts. What matters is what is cut – all cuts are not the same. I’d like to see the $110 billion dollars of subsidies for greenhouse polluters under National’s Emissions Trading Scheme cut.

A goal is not a strategy

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 pm, April 4th, 2011 - 26 comments

Last year, the New Zealand Institute lambasted the Nats’ ‘aspiration’ to catch Australia by 2025 with a report entitled ‘A goal is not a strategy‘. Did the Nats change? Of course not. Yesterday, their energy strategy was released. It offers some goals but is mute on how to get there. It’s not really a strategy at all, but it serves the Nats’ purpose nonetheless.

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