Daily review 07/10/2022
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5:30 pm, October 7th, 2022 - 31 comments
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- Love, happiness, blur
The last few days have been a bit too much of a whirl for me to manage a fresh edition each day. It's been that kind of year. Hope you don't mind.I’ve been coming around to thinking that it doesn't really matter if you don't have something to say every ...7 hours ago - All I Want For Christmas
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This morning’s six standouts for me at 6.30am include:Rachel Helyer Donaldson’s scoop via RNZ last night of cuts to maternity jobs in the health system;Maddy Croad’s scoop via The Press-$ this morning on funding cuts for Christchurch’s biggest food rescue charity;Benedict Collins’ scoop last night via 1News on a last-minute ...18 hours ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #51
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Well, I've been there, sitting in that same chairWhispering that same prayer half a million timesIt's a lie, though buried in disciplesOne page of the Bible isn't worth a lifeThere's nothing wrong with youIt's true, it's trueThere's something wrong with the villageWith the villageSomething wrong with the villageSongwriters: Andrew Jackson ...2 days ago - Government Forces Universities to Enforce “Free Speech” While Limiting Universities̵...
ACT would like to dictate what universities can and can’t say. We knew it was coming. It was outlined in the coalition agreement and has become part of Seymour’s strategy of “emphasising public funding” to prevent people from opposing him and his views—something he also uses to try and de-platform ...2 days ago - Fact brief – Are we heading into an ‘ice age’?
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The Natural Choice: As a starter for ten percent of the Party Vote, “saving the planet” is a very respectable objective. Young voters, in particular, raised on the dire (if unheeded) warnings of climate scientists, and the irrefutable evidence of devastating weather events linked to global warming, vote Green. After ...3 days ago - Bernard’s last Saturday Soliloquy for 2024
The Government cancelled 60% of Kāinga Ora’s new builds next year, even though the land for them was already bought, the consents were consented and there are builders unemployed all over the place. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short, the six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political ...3 days ago - Bernard’s Picks ‘n’ Mixes for Saturday, December 21
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- Economic Bulletin December 2024
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Open access notables An intensification of surface Earth’s energy imbalance since the late 20th century, Li et al., Communications Earth & Environment: Tracking the energy balance of the Earth system is a key method for studying the contribution of human activities to climate change. However, accurately estimating the surface energy balance ...4 days ago
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AUSTERITYText within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedMy spreadsheet insists This pain leads straight to glory (File not found) Read more ...6 days ago - Minimum wage ‘increase’ is an effective cut
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The Prime Minister yesterday engaged in what looked like a pre-emptive strike designed to counter what is likely to be a series of depressing economic statistics expected before the end of the week. He opened his weekly post-Cabinet press conference with a recitation of the Government’s achievements. “It certainly has ...7 days ago
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Iain Rennie, CNZMSecretary and Chief Executive to the TreasuryDear Secretary, Undue restrictions on restricted briefings This week, the Treasury barred representatives from four organisations, including the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi, from attending the restricted briefing for the Half-Year Economic and Fiscal Update. We had been ...1 week ago
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- Thank You
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Returning to the model that was failing for most polytechnics and Institutes of Technology is not the answer. ...3 days ago
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It’s been revealed that National has cancelled 60 percent of its housing projects planned before mid-2025 amidst housing woes. ...4 days ago
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The Government’s planned changes to the freedom of speech obligations of universities is little more than a front for stoking the political fires of disinformation and fear, placing teachers and students in the crosshairs. ...4 days ago - Release: Nicola Willis spirals country deeper into recession
The economy shrank 1% this quarter and New Zealand has tumbled into the depths of a recession of Nicola Willis’ making. ...4 days ago
- Release: Hikes for company directors but not ordinary Kiwis
Working people are going backwards while company directors are being given huge pay hikes. ...5 days ago
- ECE no place to cut corners
The Ministry of Regulation’s report into Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa raises serious concerns about the possibility of lowering qualification requirements, undermining quality and risking worse outcomes for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako. ...5 days ago
- Release: Strengthening Justice Services for New Zealanders
A Bill to modernise the role of Justices of the Peace (JP), ensuring they remain active in their communities and connected with other JPs, has been put into the ballot. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour will continue fight against destructive projects
Labour will continue to fight unsustainable and destructive projects that are able to leap-frog environment protection under National’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. ...6 days ago
- Green Government will revoke dodgy fast-track projects
The Green Party has warned that a Green Government will revoke the consents of companies who override environmental protections as part of Fast-Track legislation being passed today. ...6 days ago
- Government for the wealthy keeps pushing austerity
The Green Party says the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update shows how the Government is failing to address the massive social and infrastructure deficits our country faces. ...6 days ago
- Release: Visa changes let migrant workers be paid less
The Government’s latest move to reduce the earnings of migrant workers will not only hurt migrants but it will drive down the wages of Kiwi workers. ...6 days ago
- Release: Nightmare before Christmas for Nicola Willis
With more debt and a larger deficit, Nicola Willis’ reputation is in tatters after her failure to return the Government’s books to surplus. ...6 days ago
- Warning to Fast-Track Applicants – ‘Exploit the Whenua, Face the Consequences’
Te Pāti Māori has this morning issued a stern warning to Fast-Track applicants with interests in mining, pledging to hold them accountable through retrospective liability and to immediately revoke Fast-Track consents under a future Te Pāti Māori government. This warning comes ahead of today’s third reading of the Fast-Track Approvals ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts wages for lowest paid NZers… again
For the second year running, the government has effectively cut wages for the lowest paid workers in New Zealand. ...7 days ago
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The Government’s announcement today of a 1.5 per cent increase to minimum wage is another blow for workers, with inflation projected to exceed the increase, meaning it’s a real terms pay reduction for many. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt shirking responsibility for rate hikes
All the Government has achieved from its announcement today is to continue to push responsibility back on councils for its own lack of action to help bring down skyrocketing rates. ...7 days ago
- Luxon’s ‘localism’ strikes again
The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...1 week ago
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The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...1 week ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
- Govt’s emissions plan for measly 1% reduction
New independent analysis has revealed that the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) will reduce emissions by a measly 1 per cent by 2030, failing to set us up for the future and meeting upcoming targets. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
The loss of 27 kaimahi at Whakaata Māori and the end of its daily news bulletin is a sad day for Māori media and another step backwards for Te Tiriti o Waitangi justice. ...2 weeks ago
- Sanctions regime to create more hardship for families
Yesterday the Government passed cruel legislation through first reading to establish a new beneficiary sanction regime that will ultimately mean more households cannot afford the basic essentials. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt gifts renters housing anxiety for Christmas
Today's passing of the Government's Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill–which allows landlords to end tenancies with no reason–ignores the voice of the people and leaves renters in limbo ahead of the festive season. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour has lost confidence in the Speaker
The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...2 weeks ago
- One year on, still no progress on new ferries
Today’s announcement from the Government on its plan for new ferries throws more uncertainty on the future of the country’s rail network. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Nicola Willis’ smaller ferries will cost more
After wasting a year, Nicola Willis has delivered a worse deal for the Cook Strait ferries that will end up being more expensive and take longer to arrive. ...2 weeks ago
- Bill to sanction unlawful occupation of Palestine
Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has today launched a Member’s Bill to sanction Israel for its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as the All Out For Gaza rally reaches Parliament. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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Today I learnt that Doc are helicoptering coal into the huts on the Westcoast for heating etc … but the real kicker is that the coal comes from Indonesia…
Helicopters delivering coal?
Are they trying to take the micky? Could they find a way a way to create more greenhouse emissions? I suppose they could, if they dropped flaming napalm on the forest canopy on the return trip.
I can't think of anything else to compare this to.
I find this really hard to believe.
Do you have any proofs for this?
URL to a written report or witness statement?
I'll OIA it to be sure but reliable source from the coast… they use coal for heating in the huts which isnt suprising at all… I was more amazed it was Indonesian coal…
Wasnt there a saying about selling coal to Newcastle…
So, just someone's reckons.
/
I've never heard or seen evidence of this and I've used a few of these huts. Maybe they're huts above the bushline where wood is not available?
DOC claim that they are phasing out coal heading in the remote huts by the end of 2021 – with the intention to switch all of them to wood burning.
They don't discuss how they transport the fuel in – but it's unlikely to be backpacked in (much too manpower intensive). I suspect that helicopter deliveries are the norm for supplies for most remote huts.
https://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/coal-heating-in-huts-to-be-ceased/
Individual huts still refer to coal fired heating – it’s unclear if this is just because the website hasn’t been updated – or it reflects current reality.
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/west-coast/places/lewis-pass-scenic-reserve/things-to-do/huts/kohanga-atawhai-manson-nicholls-hut/
I would imagine they would use NZ coal rather than Indonesian if it was available, and the economics was right, but I imagine the it's the using of the coal, rather than its source, that is problematic.
Justice for Peter Ellis. I remember when that case blew up. The days when homophobia was the norm, among some. Gay = must be guilty. Flamboyant = depravedly so.
He never lived to hear the ultimate verdict, but his experience helped change this nation for the better.
✊✊✊✊✊
The hysteria around satanic ritual abuse false memory syndrome, must be a lesson for health professionals and others not to jump on a band wagon when there is not good evidence.
happens frequently in psychology
except it wasnt just the health 'professionals'….it included the media, the police , the judiciary and the wider public (to a degree, and still does)
Yes, the "blood libel" of ancient times becomes the "satanic panic" of the 1980's, and the QAnon "save the children" of today.
or the 'witch trials ' of old….our sophistication is not even skin deep
.
Moral Panics & Purity Spirals … the same hysteria we so often see with Wokedom.
Happens when segments of the Establishment – esp those within the Professional-Managerial Class who are both psychologically fragile & from relatively privileged backgrounds – embrace nutty cultish ideas with wild abandon.
We have boarders.
That's such a beautiful little bird. I could take a pot shot at identifying but rather you tell me joe90.
A welcome swallow.
First sighting a little more than a year ago and last week I saw couple fluttering around the back door. So I duly read up on their nesting habits and settled on putting up a couple of coir grow pots as nesting sites.
But I heard a rustle in the back porch this evening and lo, a delightful wee pair were all rugged up in their mud and grass monstrosity.
They're adorable.
their nests are very cool. Love how they've adapted to human built landscapes.
One rafter over and their guano would clear my fish bench. So newspaper it is.
Gorgeous.
I follow the Royal Albatross colony in Dunedin. The last of this year's chicks fledged during the howling gales just gone. Suspect they were blown off the hillside. They are the gentle giants of the seabird world. The young(ish) albatrosses are dribbling in now for the nesting season. Its fun to watch their antics trying to attract the females. Quite a bit of argy-bargy to watch come late October/November.
Aww … dear wee creatures. Delightful.
UK's leading economics expert,expands into Quantitative energy supply.
https://twitter.com/JavierBlas/status/1578027624495915008?cxt=HHwWgICpvfDwo-YrAAAA
Information market responds accordingly.
https://twitter.com/JavierBlas/status/1578143577439277056?cxt=HHwWgMConZ3O2OYrAAAA
Thats bad, but the US congress is considering seizing OPEC assets…..hmmmm.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/republican-us-senator-seeks-put-bill-pressuring-opec-onto-defense-bill-2022-10-06/
Nopec ( rewriting of the Sullivan act) has been raised through Congress a number of times ( Obama did not sign into law last) .
The problem is it puts Opec plus(which includes Russia) on the one page and the reduction burnt all of Bidens political capital.
The reality is the reduction is a paper reduction as Opec is not making its production targets now (mostly due to significant demand destruction from China's Covid policy) The 2 million barrels a day bringing the paper vaues to the physical reality is around 800kbbl a day.This is less then the seasonal downturn NH winter of around 2.5b bbl day,which includes the Saudi demand for AC of around 1m bbl a day.
Biden is in a hole with the midterms and US prices rising at the pump,so lot of Rhetoric.There is also the New England problem with limited gas supply ( although sitting on largest reservoir in North America) use liquid fuels for winter heating,and cannot ship LNG from US gulf states as the Jones act prohibits foreign owned or flagged ships transferring on the US coast.
AC??…"which includes the Saudi demand for AC of around 1m bbl a day."
Air conditioning typo there around 1 million barrels a day for electricity generation.
K…I didnt think AC meant air con in this context hence the question, not the number huge as it is,
Mostly oil electricity generation (around half) a country with an inverse problem of more cooling days then heating days,investment change to use more gas for domestic generation was proposed but not implementated.
Ending OPEC countries sovereign immunity from federal prosecution in US courts is a bad thing?
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-nopec-us-bill-pressure-opec-oil-group-2022-10-05/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Oil_Producing_and_Exporting_Cartels_Act
I suspect that should they pass it it would be….the second largest producer has been restricted from the market, hate to think what will happen to stabilty if the rest of the major producers outside the US decide to cease any cooperation….and what will happen to financial markets.
What would you do if you thought anything you held within US reach was potentially about to be taken away?
After reading the link, it seems odd to me that Saudi Arabia, which is said to be an American ally, would conspire to restrict oil supplies to help Russia in its "vicious war in Ukraine". What exactly is going on here?