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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Introduction Pickleball, a rapidly growing paddle sport, has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions around the world. Its blend of tennis, badminton, and table tennis elements has made it a favorite among players of all ages and skill levels. As the sport’s popularity continues to surge, the question on ...
Abstract: Soccer, the global phenomenon captivating millions worldwide, has a rich history that spans centuries. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, but the modern version we know and love emerged through a complex interplay of cultural influences and innovations. This article delves into the fascinating journey of soccer’s evolution, ...
Tinting car windows offers numerous benefits, including enhanced privacy, reduced glare, UV protection, and a more stylish look for your vehicle. However, the cost of window tinting can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article provides a comprehensive guide to help you understand how much you can expect to ...
The pungent smell of gasoline in your car can be an alarming and potentially dangerous problem. Not only is the odor unpleasant, but it can also indicate a serious issue with your vehicle’s fuel system. In this article, we will explore the various reasons why your car may smell like ...
Tree sap can be a sticky, unsightly mess on your car’s exterior. It can be difficult to remove, but with the right techniques and products, you can restore your car to its former glory. Understanding Tree Sap Tree sap is a thick, viscous liquid produced by trees to seal wounds ...
The amount of paint needed to paint a car depends on a number of factors, including the size of the car, the number of coats you plan to apply, and the type of paint you are using. In general, you will need between 1 and 2 gallons of paint for ...
Jump-starting a car is a common task that can be performed even in adverse weather conditions like rain. However, safety precautions and proper techniques are crucial to avoid potential hazards. This comprehensive guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely jump a car in the rain, ensuring both your ...
Graham Adams writes about the $55m media fund — When Patrick Gower was asked by Mike Hosking last week what he would say to the many Newstalk ZB callers who allege the Labour government bribed media with $55 million of taxpayers’ money via the Public Interest Journalism Fund — and ...
Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
One Could Reduce Child Poverty At No Fiscal CostFollowing the Richardson/Shipley 1990 ‘redesign of the welfare state’ – which eliminated the universal Family Benefit and doubled the rate of child poverty – various income supplements for families have been added, the best known being ‘Working for Families’, introduced in 2005. ...
Buzz from the Beehive A few days ago, Point of Order suggested the media must be musing “on why Melissa is mute”. Our article reported that people working in the beleaguered media industry have cause to yearn for a minister as busy as Melissa Lee’s ministerial colleagues and we drew ...
1. What was The Curse of Jim Bolger?a. Winston Peters b. Soon after shaking his hand, world leaders would mysteriously lose office or shuffle off this mortal coilc. Could never shake off the Mother of All Budgetsd. Dandruff2. True or false? The Chairman of a Kiwi export business has asked the ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
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. ...
The Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...
The Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...
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 ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sam Whiting, Lecturer – Creative Industries, University of South Australia Shutterstock Everyone has a favourite band, or a favourite composer, or a favourite song. There is some music which speaks to you, deeply; and other music which might be the current ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato Getty Images When New Zealanders commemorate Anzac Day on April 25, it’s not only to honour the soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and subsequent conflicts, but also ...
A leaked document shows the Canterbury/Waitaha arm of health agency Te Whatu Ora is scurrying to save $13.3 million by July. The “financial sustainability target”, which was “allocated” to Waitaha, is consistent with what’s happening in other districts, says Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. ...
A look at the state of the previous government’s affordable housing scheme, and what could come next.Remind me: What’s KiwiBuild again?First announced in 2012, KiwiBuild was a flagship policy of the Labour Party heading into both its 2014 and 2017 election campaigns. With Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, ...
Labour in opposition will be shocked to learn which party had six years in power but squandered any chance to make real change. Grant Robertson’s valedictory speech was a predictably entertaining trip down memory lane. The acid-tongued incoming Otago University chancellor administered a sick burn to the coalition government. He ...
Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is seen some as its ‘silicon shield’ against invasion – but how will overseas expansion affect that protection? The post The state of Taiwan’s silicon shield appeared first on Newsroom. ...
There’s relief for building owners bending under the weight of earthquake strengthening rules – and costs – that came into force seven years ago. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk has announced a scheduled 2027 review of the earthquake-prone building regulations will now start this year. Owners will also get ...
Opinion: It has been announced that nine percent of roles at Oranga Tamariki will be disestablished, presumably to help fund the tax cuts promised by the coalition Government. I am reminded of the graphics used to illustrate pandemic events, where five thousand people are standing in a field and then ...
After more than two sleepless days, running through savage terrain, Greig Hamilton didn’t know if he was going to finish one of the most gruelling psychological assaults in sport. He was metres away from the finish line, a yellow gate made famous in a Netflix documentary; a race he’d dreamed ...
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The following interview with former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley came about because she features in the new memoir Hine Toa by activist Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku; the two knew each other at the University of Auckland in the early 70s, when they were both took on leadership roles in the ...
COMMENTARY:By Murray Horton New Zealand needs to get tough with Israel. It’s not as if we haven’t done so before. When NZ authorities busted a Mossad operation in Auckland 20 years ago, the government didn’t say: “Oh well, Israel has the right to defend itself.” No, it arrested, prosecuted, ...
NEWSMAKERS:By Vijay Narayan, news director of FijiVillage Blessed to be part of the University of Fiji (UniFiji) faculty to continue to teach and mentor those who want to join our noble profession, and to stand for truth and justice for the people of the country. I was privileged to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Lowry, Ice Sheet & Climate Modeller, GNS Science Hugh Chittock/Antarctica New Zealand, CC BY-SA As the climate warms and Antarctica’s glaciers and ice sheets melt, the resulting rise in sea level has the potential to displace hundreds of millions of ...
The government's plan to reintroduce a three strikes regime is being strongly opposed by lawyers, who argue there is no evidence it reduces crime or helps people rehabilitate. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Jerker B. Svantesson, Professor specialising in Internet law, Bond University Do Australian courts have the right to decide what foreign citizens, located overseas, view online on a foreign-owned platform? Anyone inclined to answer “yes” to this question should perhaps also ask ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giovanni E Ferreira, NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow, Institute of Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney Last week in a post on X, owner of the platform Elon Musk recommended people look into disc replacement if they’re experiencing severe neck or back pain. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University anek.soowannaphoom/Shutterstock NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey caught the headlines yesterday, courtesy of a blistering speech condemning the latest GST carve-up. New South Wales, he claimed, would be A$11.9 billion worse off over the ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
While police are "broadly in favour", the government's proposed anti-gang laws are facing pushback from lawyers, rights groups and former gang members. ...
By Miriam Zarriga in Port Moresby Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has arrived at Kokoda Station, Northern province, at the start of his state visit to Papua New Guinea. Both Albanese and Prime Minister James Marape will meet with the locals and the Northern Provincial government before they begin their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Wallace, Professor, School of Politics Economics & Society, Faculty of Business Government & Law, University of Canberra Shutterstock An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry ...
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Security forces reinforcements were sent from France ahead of two rival marches in the capital Nouméa today, at the same time and only two streets away one from the other. One march, called by Union Calédonienne party (a component of the ...
A poll last August found that just 16% of New Zealanders oppose bringing back the ‘Three Strikes’ law. The nationwide poll of 1,000 New Zealanders was commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research. ...
The solo show from Ana Scotney is both sprawling and intimate, and a must-see, writes Mad Chapman. In the opening moments of Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko, writer and performer Ana Scotney lays out the groundwork, literally. Silently moving around the square stage, Scotney is not so much dancing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics, Monash University Who makes the words? Why are trees called trees and why are shoes called shoes and who makes the names? – Elliot, age 5, Eltham, Victoria Good question Elliot! Let’s start with ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne at amRawpixel.com/Shutterstock Roles of health professionals are still unfortunately often stuck in the past. That is, before the ...
COMMENTARY:By Malcolm Evans Last week’s leaked New York Times staff directive, as to what words can and cannot be used to describe the carnage Israel is raining on Palestinians, is proof positive, since those reports are published verbatim here in New Zealand, that our understanding of the conflict is ...
In the case of New Zealand, the results confirm that there is no popular support for the vicious austerity program being imposed by the National Party-led government, which is backed in all fundamental respects by the opposition Labour Party. ...
The ‘Vampire’ singer has never visited our part of the world, but that might all be about to change. We assess the evidence.Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour is pulling in massive crowds as it whips around the US and Europe, even helping to catapult regular supporting act Chappell Roan ...
Testing of drinking water in rural Canterbury over the weekend by Greenpeace revealed that several public town supplies were reaching levels of nitrate above 5 mg/L - the threshold which a growing body of scientific evidence has linked to increased ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Fisher, Information Technology for Development Researcher, Charles Darwin University It may come as a surprise to hear 2023 was Australia’s biggest bushfire season in more than a decade. Fires burned across an area eight times as big as the 2019–20 Black ...
Responding to the Government’s announcement of changes to resource management laws, Taxpayers’ Union Executive Director, Jordan Williams, said: “These changes are a step in the right direction in terms of removing ideological and unworkable ...
More than two years after the Human Rights Council called for the establishment of a national human rights commission, such a body has yet to be formed. ...
Comment:An emergency management system with wide variations in performance, significant capability gaps, funding shortfalls and above all a setup that is not meeting the needs of New Zealanders at times of crisis. The Government’s inquiry into the response to Cyclone Gabrielle and other severe weather events in the North ...
Welcome to the whirring wonders of one brain trying to align its actions with its beliefs within a system it thinks is evil. My brain has been spiralling in a woke conundrum ever since I found out a bookshop I’ve never been to was shutting down. Good Books, a bookshop ...
We repeat our call for criminal justice policy to be based on evidence, something the three strikes regime neglects to recognise – with no evidence that it either reduces crime or assists with rehabilitation. ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor in Honiara With only four more seats in the 50-member Parliament yet to be officially declared, there is no outright winner in the Solomon Islands elections. As of Monday, the two largest blocs in the winner’s circle, independents and the incumbent Prime Minister Manasseh ...
Two/fiftyseven is a multi-purpose space hidden in the heart of Wellington that is paving a way for sustainable building and responsible landlording in Aotearoa and beyond.By 2060 the world is predicted to double its entire building stock, which equates to building an entire New York City every 34 days, ...
Popstars wasn’t just a reality television revolution, it was also a huge moment for Y2K fashion.It’s 25 years since girl group TrueBliss was formed on New Zealand national television, breaking new ground for both the reality television industry and the shiny clothing industry. With the first episode on NZ ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Pepping, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, Griffith University Marvin / Shutterstock Are all single people insecure? When we think about people who have been single for a long time, we may assume it’s because single people have insecurities that make ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By William Geary, Lecturer in Quantitative Ecology & Biodiversity Conservation, The University of Melbourne Trismegist san, Shutterstock Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Gladstone-Gallagher, Lecturer in Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/S Curtis Why are we crossing ecological boundaries that affect Earth’s fundamental life-supporting capacity? Is it because we don’t have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Crocker, PhD Student in Economics, Deakin University Here’s something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a charity director outlines how she’s saving for retirement and buying secondhand. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here.Gender: Female Age: 45 Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: Charity director, mum of ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sophie Yates, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Many Australians with disability feel on the edge of a precipice right now. Recommendations from the disability royal commission and the NDIS review were released late last year. Now a ...
It’s been called a failed experiment and a judicial straightjacket but the government says the revised three strikes law will be a more workable regime, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. Three ...
New Zealand’s Palestinian community and Palestinian Youth Aotearoa are voicing alarm and disappointment with the lack of factual rigour present during the Israeli Ambassador’s appearance as a guest on TVNZ’s Q+A With Jack Tame Sunday (21/04). ...
Both ACT leader David Seymour, who played a key role in drawing up the assisted dying law, and hospice leaders say it's time the legislation was changed. ...
Public submissions on proposed gang control laws are being heard today. Rising gang membership has been cited as rationale for a crackdown – but what do we actually know about how many people belong to gangs in New Zealand?What’s all this then?A rise in the number of gang ...
Climate activists are setting their sights on an unpopular target, and hoping to bring lots of the public with them. It’s hard to miss the Majestic Princess: the enormous cruise ship, docked at Auckland’s Prince’s Wharf, looms over the nearby buildings. The ship, which can fit nearly 6,000 people, ...
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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