Not that long ago I recall another country lamenting their excess deaths and making a comparison with New Zealand's exceptional performance, but now I cannot remember where I saw it. Can anyone help?
You could google it…and you will find our death rate in the pre-vaccine period is (from memory)..right down there.. especially when compared with the likes of denier-trump america..
The reason I remember this is that for me it underlined what can never be taken away from jacinda ardern..
That is the large number of nz lives that were saved ('cos of her lockdowns)…
Wonder what impact they will make? How long before they are labelled Nazis?
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Wondering aloud when (not if) others might resort to verbal violence against (some) women lowers the threshold to do exactly that. It was utterly unnecessary to open the door (or trap, rather) for others to go through. Instead, you could have initiated a mature and constructive political conversation about a new political party on a political blog site. Don’t waste my time!
Why then stomp on it when it is already down and going down further? Why not try lifting the bar instead?
You and I have no control over the Twitter sphere but we can influence the tone & content here on this blog site and we can call out others if/when required (and ban them if/when necessary). We can try steering things towards constructive & respectful discourse.
You don’t invite verbal violence by speculating about it the way you did without reason or cause.
Your Mod note stays firmly in place!
PS you have wasted enough of my time on this, so move on.
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats is going to decimate the animal exploitation industries our economy seems to rely upon..
If there is no control of the feral pig, deer, possum, mustelid and rodent population (control, being a euphemism for killing) – then we will have very little native wildlife left in NZ.
Is it more moral to kill off those animals and leave them to rot; or to kill them off and use their meat and skin?
That's a nice philosophical statement. Although, you might want to extend the 'couple of hundred years' to the arrival of humans to the islands which would become NZ.
In practical terms what do you propose to do about it? Reduce population growth (Chinese 1 child policy)?
The possible alternatives go downhill from there. Are you proposing widescale euthanasia?
Personally, regardless of decisions which were made in the past (and, which actually my personal ancestors had no voice in) – I prefer to make the attempt to retain as much of NZ's native flora and fauna as possible. And, in utterly practical terms, that requires reduction and elimination (if possible) of a wide range of animal pests.
You brought up the devastation that humanity has caused. But somehow think that increasing the population would be a good thing.
More people = less space for wildlife. Or do you think that Japan (since that's the example you chose) is a shining example of retention of native wildlife.
Fencing off areas (cf Zealandia, and offshore islands) only works with a very heavy trapping elimination programme. Certainly in Auckland, DoC swings into urgent action every time there is evidence of rats/possums, etc. on the sanctuary islands. Predators are *highly* motivated to get through fences, and, in the absence of active management, that's exactly what they do.
Way forward?
Control of introduced pest animals. Heavy culling, 1080, genetic engineering – whatever it takes for the native wildlife to have a chance at regenerating (and we can see from where that has worked successfully, that it will do so, if given space).
Agricultural exports (beef, milk, lamb, etc.) are a very significant component of our trade balance with the rest of the world.
If you are envisaging these disappearing, what do you propose to replace them with?
Because, I can guarantee that the rest of NZ doesn't want to do without the overseas products that we trade for them (all the medical equipment in our hospitals, all of the tech that we are using to connect with each other and the rest of the world, large elements of our basic food supply, etc.)
My pick, is as I said above – real meat will become a luxury item, with a luxury price tag – and NZ will switch to supplying that market. Which we can do very effectively (open spaces, mild climate, year-round growing conditions, etc.).
That may well result in a reduction of the amount of land which is taken up by farming. The question is what (high-end, added value) product/s we can utilize this space for?
Our track record in this has currently been abysmal. All of those conversions to forestry for the purpose of shipping raw logs off to China (the lowest possible income stream).
I'm, personally, not in favour of turning it into mega-cities to house a vastly increased population because we have "heaps of room".
It is possible that though shifting to supply of high-end, rather than mid-price agricultural products, that we'll be able to afford to return more marginal or ecologically sensitive areas, currently in farmland, back into native parks (bush, wetlands, tussock). Which will, of course, require not just fencing, but active management as above. I'd love to be seeing takahe and kakapo (for example) in significant mainland areas.
More people..living much more sustainably than we do.. wouldn't be a problem.
There is middle ground between empty islands and megacities..
And I must repeat that the decimation of our animal flesh export industries will happen because of outside forces..
And just saying you don't want it to happen.. won't stop it happening..
Our meat industries can be compared to the owners of the infrastructure for a horse based transport industries..just before the arrival of their great disrupter..the motor car..
They didn't want that to happen either..it didn't stop it tho'..
And of course current animal fatteners can see the writing on the wall..and change to being farmers… growing real food…
Those who just stick their heads in the sand..will be swept away by these winds of change…
And/but of course this discussion of the infrastructure of these vile/cruel industries ignores the philosophical imperatives..
A very smart person..einstein..said that in the future humanity will view how we currently treat/exploit animals with the same abhorrence that we now regard human slavery..
Well, you think our animal export industries will be decimated. I think that they'll pivot to luxury trade. After all, the trade in breeding racehorses, went right on – completely unaffected by the switch from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles.
Only time will tell who is right.
If I'm right, then NZ will be able to continue to pay for our first world lifestyle. If you're right (since you haven't been able to come up with even one alternative export idea) – NZ will rapidly have a substantial drop in living standards (the current cost-of-living crisis will be peanuts by comparison).
Note that the current switch away from dairy (encouraged by Government incentives) has been to forestry – the lowest added value trade there is.
Housing intensity is one of those things that many people feel is good in abstract, but turn into NIMBYs the moment they, personally, are affected.
Are you going to put your hand up to have a medium-rise (only 5 floors) block of flats put up on your side boundary? It will only take away the sun from your house for 6 hours a day.
I talk on this subject because I want the animal suffering to end…but also to try to alert others to these upcoming massive changes we will face..
And I have no prescription for seeing off this disruption..what to pivot to..
I understand james cameron has been doing this on his wairarapa farms…experimenting with different crops to confirm which are best for the animal fatteners to convert to..
And I think his intention is/was to make the results of these experiments availabile to the animal 'farmers'..
And I want the government to pull their heads out of the sand..and to get cracking/put their thinking caps on..
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats
Or not.
Recent sales of The Alternative Meat Co. products in Australia have not been at a level that allows for continued production at an affordable price for consumers.
Unfortunately as it is not possible to make these products here, from July 2022 we have withdrawn the range from the New Zealand market.
The challenges in the marketplace in the UK and overseas are reflected in values of the leading specialist vegan food manufacturers, which in some cases have plummeted. Shares in meat-free brand Beyond Meat have crashed, down from more than $230 after it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in May 2019 to about $11. The meat-free market in the US is described by experts as “stagnating”.
[…]
“There has been a gold rush followed by a cull. There were too many products on the shelf for the volume of sales.”
In fact, industrial-scale cell-culture is an art and not a science. AI may change this, but this process needs bioengineers with green-thumbs, someone working at Callaghan Innovation told me.
When a big 20,000 L batch goes bad, through insterility, the fact that the cell line is getting past its use-by date, or because the manufactured hormones used to direct growth are substandard, that's a huge capital loss. Add the cost of reconditioning the equipment. Which is why cell-culture at this scale is limited to high-value pharma to date.
There may also be 5-10 years' research before this step from your ref is achieved: " assuming huge technological advances in the cell-culture medium." It's even possible that vat-grown 'meat' will be a hybrid of plant and animal materials, with muscle fibres grown on a pre-made soy protein scaffold.
Our body is hardwired to feed itself essentials. I remember the first thing I did on getting home after a 10-day freeze-dry meal tramp was cook up a bit of liver in the fridge. I hate liver, but my body went EAT IT! NOW! Peasant recipes all throw a bit of meat in the legume stew, to get enough B12, and add some protein-dense nutrition, and use cheese and eggs where they can.
Many in the UK, the epicentre of faked meat products, recently went vegan for animal welfare reasons. To be a healthy vegan requires careful nutrition, and manufactured non-meat sausages and rissoles are not enough. Two years on, and the tiredness brought on by nutritional imbalance or lack of something essential has made a lot of recent vegans rethink their diet choices.
I have to say that I'm struggling to understand how a highly processed meat-alternative (requiring a significant investment in equipment and infrastruction, and ongoing operating costs) can be a solution which is better for the planet.
That may be the case in areas like Singapore (one of the front-runners, I understand), where they have no land on which to grow anything. But much of the overseas coverage on this topic talks about the high-intensity farming (feedlots, routine antibiotics, etc.) which are rare in NZ.
From the ethical perspective, I can understand the attraction of 'cruelty-free' meat. However, it seems that at least some of the more …. extreme vegetarians/vegans (as evidenced by the comments here), wouldn't accept this, anyway.
My pick would be that 'real' meat will become a luxury item (with luxury pricing), and that the vat-grown meat will become the staple.
Lab grown has a very small environmental footprint.. compared with the animal stuff…
Also.. especially relevant for nz..it can be made locally in a warehouse.. doesn't need to be transported to the other side of the world..
When the industry matures economies of scale and market forces will drive prices further down.. and I agree with your prediction of animal based becoming a high end product..and lab for most..
And of course the fast food industries will be the early adopters..driven by low cost..and to be able to boast of being green..
You seem to think that vegans not that keen on lab meat..is somehow strange..
Lab grown meat is not for the likes of me..and most other vegans I know..we all go 'yuck..!'
It is for carnivores addicted to the sensation of eating animal-flesh..
So no ideas, then, on what would work to plug the hole that this transition might make in our balance of payments?
Or do you agree that NZ farmers will just shift to the high-end luxury supply for 'real' meat? [That has its own risks – but the truly wealthy are prepared to pay almost anything – as we see from the ridiculous prices paid in Japan for 'perfect' fruit, or large tuna]
The articles I've read have been around lab-based meat fulfilling the mass-market needs (for chicken and pork) in Asian countries – with their expanding middle-class. But I agree that it will be an easy greenwashing win for the fast-food chains. Although it's anything but low-cost ATM – I can see prices will fall.
Mind you – I'd be pretty concerned over quality and possibility of contamination – but that's the case with many products imported from countries without a solid food quality supply chain checking system now (Hepatitis A in frozen fruit from Serbia is just one of the latest).
The 'yuck' factor is interesting. Many omnivores I know also go 'yuck' at the thought of eating lab-grown meat. Sounds like an uphill battle for the marketers :-). Although, I know several vegetarians who have made that choice over ethical concerns over animal welfare – they'd be ecstatic to be able to ethically eat bacon again!
Just to clarify something..lab meat is real meat..it is grown from cells taken from animals…and will be indistinguishable from the dead animal one in flavour/taste..
So unsure why those people you know go 'yuck..!'..
And tell those vegetarians you know who are jonesing for bacon..that I've been told some of the current fake ones are getting pretty close to the real thing..
And yes..I see many vegetarians using lab-meat..more so than vegans..
Vegetarian is closer to carnivore than to vegan..
And animal fatteners relying on that high end of the market..will find that is a very crowded market..
Guess the 'yuck' factor is over the highly processed part. Sourced from a factory. Most 'foodies' are into food tracking – knowing where the ingredients come from. Black Angus cattle on XYZ farm just outside Cambridge is a much better selling point than Digestor no. 9 in an anonymous warehouse in South Auckland.
[Yes, of course this isn't applicable to McDonalds – though I did have the tour guide to Hobbiton tell us that the cattle we were driving past were McDonalds beef]
ATM, it's all theoretical – none of us have actually seen or tasted the product, so have no idea over whether it really will be indistinguishable from 'real' meat.
If you're talking about chicken nuggets – then it probably doesn't matter – they're already highly processed – but top-end eye-fillet is a different story.
Having ethical-vegetarians as a possible market is a good thing – there are a lot more of them, than there are vegans. None of the ones I know would give tuppence for any of the current fake bacon substitutes.
NZ already has a pretty good success story with premium pricing our wines in a crowded luxury market – I don't see why we wouldn't be equally as successful with meat.
BTW – it's 'omnivore' rather than 'carnivore'. Very, very few people eat nothing but meat.
Whew! That's a cold dose of reality on the 'ethical' side.
It won't matter for the current Asian market – where animal welfare is not a significant factor. But would have a very chilling effect on many Western potential consumers.
It also reinforces the concerns I had over contamination issues. The GIGO principle at work. If your inputs aren't high quality then your output is likely to be rubbish.
The welfare of calves during slaughter of pregnant animals should be safeguarded.
If uterine, placental or foetal tissues, including foetal blood, are not to be collected as part of the post-slaughter processing of pregnant animals, the foetus should be left inside the unopened uterus.
When uterine, placental or foetal tissues (not foetal blood) are to be collected, the foetus should not be removed from the uterus until at least 15–20 minutes after the cow is slaughtered.
When foetal blood is to be collected, the foetus should not be removed from the uterus until at least 5 minutes after the cow is slaughtered. At this stage, the foetus should be unconscious. A foetal heartbeat will usually still be present and foetal movements may occur. These are only a cause for concern if the exposed foetus begins to breathe air.
If a live mature foetus is removed from the uterus, it should be prevented from breathing air and inflating its lungs — for example, by clamping the trachea.
If there is any doubt about consciousness of the foetus, it should be killed with a captive bolt or a blow to the head with a suitable blunt instrument.
Labour & National are both the same these days, promise plenty and deliver 5/8th's of Fck All. We do not have the people with intelligence or foresight in Government or our Business Communities who can deliver results to the Country which will benefit the Whole Country and the General Public. We keep enriching the top 10% of the people in this country who already have more than a Bull can Sht. Time to start looking after the Country's People rather than pandering to Off Shore Corporates and New Immigrants.
Is that part of an OECD initiative to inhibit 'a tax rate' race to the bottom', which seems to be when you shift profits off-shore to a tax haven to avoid tax in country of origin?
NZ appears to have legislation updated for this OECD initiative in this years' annual Tax Bill.
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Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Introduction Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) has revolutionized the field of translation by harnessing the power of technology to assist human translators in their work. This innovative approach combines specialized software with human expertise to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of translations. In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the ...
In today’s digital age, mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. Among the vast array of portable computing options available, iPads and tablet computers stand out as two prominent contenders. While both offer similar functionalities, there are subtle yet significant differences between these two devices. This ...
A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to carry out a set of instructions. The basic components of a computer are the processor, memory, storage, input devices, and output devices. The Processor The processor, also known as the central processing unit (CPU), is the brain of the ...
Voice Memos is a convenient app on your iPhone that allows you to quickly record and store audio snippets. These recordings can be useful for a variety of purposes, such as taking notes, capturing ideas, or recording interviews. While you can listen to your voice memos on your iPhone, you ...
Laptop screens are essential for interacting with our devices and accessing information. However, when lines appear on the screen, it can be frustrating and disrupt productivity. Understanding the underlying causes of these lines is crucial for finding effective solutions. Types of Screen Lines Horizontal lines: Also known as scan ...
Right-clicking is a common and essential computer operation that allows users to access additional options and settings. While most desktop computers have dedicated right-click buttons on their mice, laptops often do not have these buttons due to space limitations. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on how to right-click ...
Powering up and shutting down your ASUS laptop is an essential task for any laptop user. Locating the power button can sometimes be a hassle, especially if you’re new to ASUS laptops. This article will provide a comprehensive guide on where to find the power button on different ASUS laptop ...
Dell laptops are renowned for their reliability, performance, and versatility. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who needs a reliable computing device, a Dell laptop can meet your needs. However, if you’re new to Dell laptops, you may be wondering how to get started. In this comprehensive ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImagesfatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...
The ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...
Analysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...
Tara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...
PNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...
The PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...
Wondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...
The sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...
The government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...
Rock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...
Nearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...
What does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...
It’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...
FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...
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You can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...
The Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...
Asia Pacific Report Chief Mandla Mandela, a member of the National Assembly of South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s grandson, has joined the Freedom Flotilla in istanbul as the ships prepare to sail for Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. Mandela is also the ambassador for the Global Campaign to Return to ...
Pacific Media Watch Journalists who report on environmental issues are encountering growing difficulties in many parts of the world, reports Reporters Without Borders. According to the tally kept by RSF, 200 journalists have been subjected to threats and physical violence, including murder, in the past 10 years because they were ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra BagzhanSadvakassov/Upsplash, CC BY-SA Australia’s inflation rate has fallen for the fifth successive quarter, and it’s now less than half of what it was back in late 2022. ...
ACT's Rural Communities and Veterans spokesman Mark Cameron responds to cancellations and protests of ANZAC Day commemorations in Wellington. He says, "These pitiful attempts to detract from ANZAC Day are not at all indicative of the feelings of mainstream ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meighen McCrae, Associate Professor of Strategic & Defence Studies, Australian National University American and Australian stretcher bearers working together near the front line during the Battle of Hamel in 1918.Australian War Memorial While the AUKUS alliance is new, the Australian-American partnership ...
Pōneke based peace activists staged a silent protest at the ANZAC day service to highlight New Zealand’s complicity in war and genocide, and urge the government to take concrete steps to stop the genocide in Palestine. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Magdalena M.E. Bunbury, Postdoctoral Researcher, James Cook University Burial with a horse at the Rákóczifalva site, Hungary (8th century AD).Sándor Hegedűs, Hungarian National Museum, CC BY How do we understand past societies? For centuries, our main sources of information have been ...
Amanda Thompson doesn’t really do Anzac Day. But what she does do is remember the people she knew who had a lifetime to remember stuff they didn’t really want to, because of a war they didn’t ask for. And she does make Anzac biscuits.First published in 2021.All my ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Willis, Postdoctoral Researcher, CSIRO Xavier Boulenger/Shutterstock In the two decades to 2019, global plastic production doubled. By 2040, plastic manufacturing and processing could consume as much as 20% of global oil production and use up 15% of the annual carbon ...
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Never mind the scoreboard – in the 2000 Bledisloe Cup decider, the real trans-Tasman battle was won before kickoff.First published in 2016. The dawn of the new millennium was a dark time for the All Blacks. Their final game pre-Y2K was a 22-18 loss to South Africa in the ...
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While Anzac Day has experienced a resurgence in recent years, our other day of remembrance has slowly faded from view.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. Original illustrations by Hope McConnell.First published in 2022.The high school’s head girl and ...
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Not that long ago I recall another country lamenting their excess deaths and making a comparison with New Zealand's exceptional performance, but now I cannot remember where I saw it. Can anyone help?
You could google it…and you will find our death rate in the pre-vaccine period is (from memory)..right down there.. especially when compared with the likes of denier-trump america..
The reason I remember this is that for me it underlined what can never be taken away from jacinda ardern..
That is the large number of nz lives that were saved ('cos of her lockdowns)…
That was down to her..
A former union leader and Labour Party activist is establishing a Women’s Rights Party.
https://womensrightsparty.nz/putting-womens-rights-on-the-ballot-in-october/
Wonder what impact they will make? How long before they are labelled Nazis?
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Not nazis..but definitely trans-bashers..
[We’re all trying hard to lift the debate here on TS, especially around women’s issues, and then you come along with this unnecessary needling and misogynist provocation that could easily start flame wars. I consider it inciting violence and this site has a strong Policy against violence. Do it again and you won’t be commenting here till sometime after the General Election – Incognito]
Mod note
Mod note
I shall comment on that issue never again..
A bit radical but works for me.
Misogynist and inciting violence?????
I’m not calling them Nazis nor am I calling for any violence.
Wondering aloud when (not if) others might resort to verbal violence against (some) women lowers the threshold to do exactly that. It was utterly unnecessary to open the door (or trap, rather) for others to go through. Instead, you could have initiated a mature and constructive political conversation about a new political party on a political blog site. Don’t waste my time!
Bit late mate. That lower threshold is already upon us.
Sadly, in the current political environment the bar has become that low.
The link below is an example of where we are already at. Not to mention the real physical violence that also took place against women at the event.
Remember the Let Women Speak event? Here is a response to that. No less, from one of our MPs. Note the heading above the picture in the tweet.
https://twitter.com/golrizghahraman/status/1639380952131715072
Therefore, in this current environment (where the bar is already that low) the question is extremely valid.
Why then stomp on it when it is already down and going down further? Why not try lifting the bar instead?
You and I have no control over the Twitter sphere but we can influence the tone & content here on this blog site and we can call out others if/when required (and ban them if/when necessary). We can try steering things towards constructive & respectful discourse.
You don’t invite verbal violence by speculating about it the way you did without reason or cause.
Your Mod note stays firmly in place!
PS you have wasted enough of my time on this, so move on.
Rnz doing a moral panic number on the cocaine flooding into australia..
I would just like to note that of all the drugs I gave up.. cocaine was the easiest to kick…
Compared to tobacco/alcohol/heroin/crack cocaine/barbiturates etc… it's a breeze..
And on a slightly different tack..I actually think that with the gold card should come the access to pharmaceutical cocaine..
It would put a spring into the step and a sparkle into the eyes of those officially retired…
And why not..?… where's the harm..?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/country/490413/ratio-of-sheep-to-people-drops-below-five-to-one-for-first-time-in-170-years
2%drop in sheep in 1 year, but over 40%in 30 years.
8%drop in dairy cows in 5 years.
Hope this is being noticed by the powers that be .
You ain't seen nothing yet…
The rise of animal suffering free/small environmental footprint lab-grown meats is going to decimate the animal exploitation industries our economy seems to rely upon..
I also hope our powers that be are taking notice…
And planning for this upcoming seachange..
I'm all for lab meat , it's theory way we can colonise space,.
Can you answer my favorite? For people such as your self in a nz context.
If we stopped all meat eating what would we do to control the rampant wild pig,deer and goat populations that would explode?
The reality is that there will always be people who get off on killing..
It would likely be done under the umbrella of pest control..
I find it difficult..as a member of the apex predators..man/woman to pass judgement on animal 'pests'..
I would just let it roll,.and see what happens..
With all the animal exploitation 'farms' closing down…there will be plenty of room for all..
Live and let live..
If there is no control of the feral pig, deer, possum, mustelid and rodent population (control, being a euphemism for killing) – then we will have very little native wildlife left in NZ.
Is it more moral to kill off those animals and leave them to rot; or to kill them off and use their meat and skin?
Humans are the biggest pest…we have wiped out the native species…not possums..not cats..
Us…
In just a couple of hundred years..we have fucken decimated what was an iteration of paradise..
Any finger pointing should be straight back at ourselves..
That's a nice philosophical statement. Although, you might want to extend the 'couple of hundred years' to the arrival of humans to the islands which would become NZ.
In practical terms what do you propose to do about it? Reduce population growth (Chinese 1 child policy)?
The possible alternatives go downhill from there. Are you proposing widescale euthanasia?
Personally, regardless of decisions which were made in the past (and, which actually my personal ancestors had no voice in) – I prefer to make the attempt to retain as much of NZ's native flora and fauna as possible. And, in utterly practical terms, that requires reduction and elimination (if possible) of a wide range of animal pests.
It seems that you don't.
No…I don't support'widespread euthanasia..
And I think the only way to restore native flora/is to do what has already been shown to work..
Namely approaching it like one would eating an elephant ..one bite at a time..fencing off areas…and letting them come back..piece by piece..
Unsure why you dived down the one child policy rabbit hole..
There is plenty of room in this country for more people..
(Did you know the Japanese call nz the empty islands..same size as japan..and largely empty…we have heaps of room..)
And yes maori burnt off/extinguished some species..
But seriously..it has been pakeha who have so fucked the place over..
Most of the country has been turned into an animal fattening yard…
That all has to change..and some of those changes will be forced upon us (ie..lab-meat killing our killing floors..)
And just out of interest…your thoughts on the way forward..?
Just more of the same..?
You brought up the devastation that humanity has caused. But somehow think that increasing the population would be a good thing.
More people = less space for wildlife. Or do you think that Japan (since that's the example you chose) is a shining example of retention of native wildlife.
Fencing off areas (cf Zealandia, and offshore islands) only works with a very heavy trapping elimination programme. Certainly in Auckland, DoC swings into urgent action every time there is evidence of rats/possums, etc. on the sanctuary islands. Predators are *highly* motivated to get through fences, and, in the absence of active management, that's exactly what they do.
Way forward?
Control of introduced pest animals. Heavy culling, 1080, genetic engineering – whatever it takes for the native wildlife to have a chance at regenerating (and we can see from where that has worked successfully, that it will do so, if given space).
Agricultural exports (beef, milk, lamb, etc.) are a very significant component of our trade balance with the rest of the world.
If you are envisaging these disappearing, what do you propose to replace them with?
Because, I can guarantee that the rest of NZ doesn't want to do without the overseas products that we trade for them (all the medical equipment in our hospitals, all of the tech that we are using to connect with each other and the rest of the world, large elements of our basic food supply, etc.)
My pick, is as I said above – real meat will become a luxury item, with a luxury price tag – and NZ will switch to supplying that market. Which we can do very effectively (open spaces, mild climate, year-round growing conditions, etc.).
That may well result in a reduction of the amount of land which is taken up by farming. The question is what (high-end, added value) product/s we can utilize this space for?
Our track record in this has currently been abysmal. All of those conversions to forestry for the purpose of shipping raw logs off to China (the lowest possible income stream).
I'm, personally, not in favour of turning it into mega-cities to house a vastly increased population because we have "heaps of room".
It is possible that though shifting to supply of high-end, rather than mid-price agricultural products, that we'll be able to afford to return more marginal or ecologically sensitive areas, currently in farmland, back into native parks (bush, wetlands, tussock). Which will, of course, require not just fencing, but active management as above. I'd love to be seeing takahe and kakapo (for example) in significant mainland areas.
More people..living much more sustainably than we do.. wouldn't be a problem.
There is middle ground between empty islands and megacities..
And I must repeat that the decimation of our animal flesh export industries will happen because of outside forces..
And just saying you don't want it to happen.. won't stop it happening..
Our meat industries can be compared to the owners of the infrastructure for a horse based transport industries..just before the arrival of their great disrupter..the motor car..
They didn't want that to happen either..it didn't stop it tho'..
And of course current animal fatteners can see the writing on the wall..and change to being farmers… growing real food…
Those who just stick their heads in the sand..will be swept away by these winds of change…
And/but of course this discussion of the infrastructure of these vile/cruel industries ignores the philosophical imperatives..
A very smart person..einstein..said that in the future humanity will view how we currently treat/exploit animals with the same abhorrence that we now regard human slavery..
Well, you think our animal export industries will be decimated. I think that they'll pivot to luxury trade. After all, the trade in breeding racehorses, went right on – completely unaffected by the switch from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles.
Only time will tell who is right.
If I'm right, then NZ will be able to continue to pay for our first world lifestyle. If you're right (since you haven't been able to come up with even one alternative export idea) – NZ will rapidly have a substantial drop in living standards (the current cost-of-living crisis will be peanuts by comparison).
Note that the current switch away from dairy (encouraged by Government incentives) has been to forestry – the lowest added value trade there is.
Housing intensity is one of those things that many people feel is good in abstract, but turn into NIMBYs the moment they, personally, are affected.
Are you going to put your hand up to have a medium-rise (only 5 floors) block of flats put up on your side boundary? It will only take away the sun from your house for 6 hours a day.
I talk on this subject because I want the animal suffering to end…but also to try to alert others to these upcoming massive changes we will face..
And I have no prescription for seeing off this disruption..what to pivot to..
I understand james cameron has been doing this on his wairarapa farms…experimenting with different crops to confirm which are best for the animal fatteners to convert to..
And I think his intention is/was to make the results of these experiments availabile to the animal 'farmers'..
And I want the government to pull their heads out of the sand..and to get cracking/put their thinking caps on..
To prepare for these changes..
Do you mean this James Cameron
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/hollywood-director-james-camerons-enviro-farm-turns-to-dairy-cow-grazing/VJQQYXRUUJKTPOBTG7GUQCETEA/
Yep.. that's him…he must need the money..
That report is from over two years ago..
Any featherston readers able to give us an update..?
Ta
Or not.
Recent sales of The Alternative Meat Co. products in Australia have not been at a level that allows for continued production at an affordable price for consumers.
Unfortunately as it is not possible to make these products here, from July 2022 we have withdrawn the range from the New Zealand market.
https://lifehealthfoods.co.nz/goodbye-amc/
The challenges in the marketplace in the UK and overseas are reflected in values of the leading specialist vegan food manufacturers, which in some cases have plummeted. Shares in meat-free brand Beyond Meat have crashed, down from more than $230 after it went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in May 2019 to about $11. The meat-free market in the US is described by experts as “stagnating”.
[…]
“There has been a gold rush followed by a cull. There were too many products on the shelf for the volume of sales.”
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/may/20/has-the-vegan-bubble-burst-sales-stagnate-in-uk-as-brands-withdraw-plant-based-products?
Text book use of links to mislead..
Beyond meat is not lab grown meat..for starters..
That industry is just in it's infancy…
Give it five years..and your much cheaper animal suffering free kobe beef will be in yr supermarket..
I haven't eaten animal flesh for about 45 yrs..
And i don't eat the fake meats myself..
Have no desire for a near meat culinary experience…
And the explosion of plant based options in my local supermarket puts yr last rites in the wrong basket..
A snip. And then there's the yuck factor.
The cost to produce cell-cultured meat is projected for a large-scale plant.
[…]
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154322000916
You really are on a bender with those misleading links..eh..?
Your yuck link claims 35% of carnivores are disgusted by the idea of lab grown meat..
Of course that would also mean 65% of carnivores aren't disgusted by the concept..eh..?
Which means yr link supports what I am saying..
Eh..?.
Heh..!
In fact, industrial-scale cell-culture is an art and not a science. AI may change this, but this process needs bioengineers with green-thumbs, someone working at Callaghan Innovation told me.
When a big 20,000 L batch goes bad, through insterility, the fact that the cell line is getting past its use-by date, or because the manufactured hormones used to direct growth are substandard, that's a huge capital loss. Add the cost of reconditioning the equipment. Which is why cell-culture at this scale is limited to high-value pharma to date.
There may also be 5-10 years' research before this step from your ref is achieved: " assuming huge technological advances in the cell-culture medium." It's even possible that vat-grown 'meat' will be a hybrid of plant and animal materials, with muscle fibres grown on a pre-made soy protein scaffold.
Our body is hardwired to feed itself essentials. I remember the first thing I did on getting home after a 10-day freeze-dry meal tramp was cook up a bit of liver in the fridge. I hate liver, but my body went EAT IT! NOW! Peasant recipes all throw a bit of meat in the legume stew, to get enough B12, and add some protein-dense nutrition, and use cheese and eggs where they can.
Many in the UK, the epicentre of faked meat products, recently went vegan for animal welfare reasons. To be a healthy vegan requires careful nutrition, and manufactured non-meat sausages and rissoles are not enough. Two years on, and the tiredness brought on by nutritional imbalance or lack of something essential has made a lot of recent vegans rethink their diet choices.
Who are these pussy 'recent vegans..?
Like I said I don't go for fake meats…have been vegan for 20 + yrs..
I am old..like really old..heh..!..and today I did four hours hard physical labour..(just having a after work coffee + joint ..)
So…y'know…!
I have to say that I'm struggling to understand how a highly processed meat-alternative (requiring a significant investment in equipment and infrastruction, and ongoing operating costs) can be a solution which is better for the planet.
That may be the case in areas like Singapore (one of the front-runners, I understand), where they have no land on which to grow anything. But much of the overseas coverage on this topic talks about the high-intensity farming (feedlots, routine antibiotics, etc.) which are rare in NZ.
From the ethical perspective, I can understand the attraction of 'cruelty-free' meat. However, it seems that at least some of the more …. extreme vegetarians/vegans (as evidenced by the comments here), wouldn't accept this, anyway.
My pick would be that 'real' meat will become a luxury item (with luxury pricing), and that the vat-grown meat will become the staple.
Lab grown vs animal flesh..
Lab grown has a very small environmental footprint.. compared with the animal stuff…
Also.. especially relevant for nz..it can be made locally in a warehouse.. doesn't need to be transported to the other side of the world..
When the industry matures economies of scale and market forces will drive prices further down.. and I agree with your prediction of animal based becoming a high end product..and lab for most..
And of course the fast food industries will be the early adopters..driven by low cost..and to be able to boast of being green..
You seem to think that vegans not that keen on lab meat..is somehow strange..
Lab grown meat is not for the likes of me..and most other vegans I know..we all go 'yuck..!'
It is for carnivores addicted to the sensation of eating animal-flesh..
So no ideas, then, on what would work to plug the hole that this transition might make in our balance of payments?
Or do you agree that NZ farmers will just shift to the high-end luxury supply for 'real' meat? [That has its own risks – but the truly wealthy are prepared to pay almost anything – as we see from the ridiculous prices paid in Japan for 'perfect' fruit, or large tuna]
The articles I've read have been around lab-based meat fulfilling the mass-market needs (for chicken and pork) in Asian countries – with their expanding middle-class. But I agree that it will be an easy greenwashing win for the fast-food chains. Although it's anything but low-cost ATM – I can see prices will fall.
Mind you – I'd be pretty concerned over quality and possibility of contamination – but that's the case with many products imported from countries without a solid food quality supply chain checking system now (Hepatitis A in frozen fruit from Serbia is just one of the latest).
The 'yuck' factor is interesting. Many omnivores I know also go 'yuck' at the thought of eating lab-grown meat. Sounds like an uphill battle for the marketers :-). Although, I know several vegetarians who have made that choice over ethical concerns over animal welfare – they'd be ecstatic to be able to ethically eat bacon again!
Just to clarify something..lab meat is real meat..it is grown from cells taken from animals…and will be indistinguishable from the dead animal one in flavour/taste..
So unsure why those people you know go 'yuck..!'..
And tell those vegetarians you know who are jonesing for bacon..that I've been told some of the current fake ones are getting pretty close to the real thing..
And yes..I see many vegetarians using lab-meat..more so than vegans..
Vegetarian is closer to carnivore than to vegan..
And animal fatteners relying on that high end of the market..will find that is a very crowded market..
Guess the 'yuck' factor is over the highly processed part. Sourced from a factory. Most 'foodies' are into food tracking – knowing where the ingredients come from. Black Angus cattle on XYZ farm just outside Cambridge is a much better selling point than Digestor no. 9 in an anonymous warehouse in South Auckland.
[Yes, of course this isn't applicable to McDonalds – though I did have the tour guide to Hobbiton tell us that the cattle we were driving past were McDonalds beef]
ATM, it's all theoretical – none of us have actually seen or tasted the product, so have no idea over whether it really will be indistinguishable from 'real' meat.
If you're talking about chicken nuggets – then it probably doesn't matter – they're already highly processed – but top-end eye-fillet is a different story.
Having ethical-vegetarians as a possible market is a good thing – there are a lot more of them, than there are vegans. None of the ones I know would give tuppence for any of the current fake bacon substitutes.
NZ already has a pretty good success story with premium pricing our wines in a crowded luxury market – I don't see why we wouldn't be equally as successful with meat.
BTW – it's 'omnivore' rather than 'carnivore'. Very, very few people eat nothing but meat.
And the techniques/mediums currently in use.
https://archive.li/BkRsv#selection-4055.0-4055.5 (goodfoodinstitute)
Whew! That's a cold dose of reality on the 'ethical' side.
It won't matter for the current Asian market – where animal welfare is not a significant factor. But would have a very chilling effect on many Western potential consumers.
It also reinforces the concerns I had over contamination issues. The GIGO principle at work. If your inputs aren't high quality then your output is likely to be rubbish.
But welfare is paramount.
/
Guidelines
The welfare of calves during slaughter of pregnant animals should be safeguarded.
https://www.ava.com.au/policy-advocacy/policies/cattle-health-and-welfare/foetal-bovine-serum-collection/
I just googled carnivore..the definition is 'an animal that eats other animals'..
That is the flesh-eating human.. surely..?
And sourced from a factory..or sourced from a charnal house..?
I think the latter has the higher yuck factor..
And this is all no longer theoretical…we are way past there
Different groups..with serious money behind them are in an arms race..to get this to market…in a big way..
They know how high the stakes are here..
WOW, just wow. How good are the Australian labour party with fixing up tax loop hole for corporations. Bloody awesome is the only answer.
Just one more reason not to vote for the Tories, we need this here. And face reality folks only a labour led government can deliver on it.
https://cictar.org/news/cictar-welcomes-australia-cbcr
And this link for fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NORz8IWB9M
"And face reality folks only a labour led government can deliver on it."
But they won't though. Neoliberals through and through. Your hope is sadly misplaced IMO.
Labour & National are both the same these days, promise plenty and deliver 5/8th's of Fck All. We do not have the people with intelligence or foresight in Government or our Business Communities who can deliver results to the Country which will benefit the Whole Country and the General Public. We keep enriching the top 10% of the people in this country who already have more than a Bull can Sht. Time to start looking after the Country's People rather than pandering to Off Shore Corporates and New Immigrants.
Is that part of an OECD initiative to inhibit 'a tax rate' race to the bottom', which seems to be when you shift profits off-shore to a tax haven to avoid tax in country of origin?
NZ appears to have legislation updated for this OECD initiative in this years' annual Tax Bill.
https://legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2023/0255/latest/LMS844398.html