“Fight fossil fuels or the future dies”

Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, July 16th, 2022 - 68 comments
Categories: climate change, disaster - Tags:

England braces for 40C temperatures as experts warn thousands could die

Thousands of people could die in the coming heatwave, experts have warned, as the government triggered the first ever national emergency heat red alert with a record 40C (104F) temperature forecast for south-east England on Tuesday.

Health officials fear people living alone on upper floors of buildings are among those who could perish, as people did in Paris in 2003. Last year two lesser heat episodes caused about 1,600 excess deaths, according to official figures.

The level 4 heat alert announced for Monday and Tuesday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) means “illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups”.

The Met Office described the forecast heat that is coming from France and Spain as “absolutely unprecedented” and urged people to treat it like a storm warning and consider changing plans.

Rail passengers urged to avoid train travel in extreme UK heatwave

Network Rail says safety restrictions will include slower trains amid possible buckled rails and trackside fires

England heatwave: what is a level 4 national emergency?

The government first published a heatwave plan for England in 2004 after a devastating pan-European heatwave in 2003, and updated it in 2012. Level 4 is the highest of five levels (0-4) in the “heat-health alert system”. It “is reached when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system, such as power or water shortages, and/or where the integrity of health and social care systems is threatened”.

What else are they worried about?

Melting roads could cause congestion and leave people stranded in cars. Railways could buckle. Extreme heat on the London Underground could require bottled water to be supplied. Rising demand for electricity as people use air conditioning and fans at the same time as the heat reduces the power-carrying capacity of the system because it is harder to cool conductors.

Water shortages are a fear but if the mains supply is lost water companies are required to provide no less than 10 litres per person per day, with special attention given to the needs of vulnerable people, hospitals and schools.

We cannot say we haven’t been warned.

That’s global warming at 1.12C in a cooler year. Now consider what it will be like at 2C or 5C warming. We are not adapted for this biologically or technologically or psychologically.

We do still have time to change and at this point should be doing everything we can, all of us.

Want inspiration on the proactive pathways through the crisis to something better? We’ve never had so much good choice about things that can make a difference. The key here is that taking proactive pathways makes us feel better and empowers us to make the changes needed. The trick is understanding that it’s not green BAU that will save us, but system change to regenerative models is what will drop fossil fuel usage fast.

The Powerdown

Hope Punk

Regenerative change

How Change Happens

Doughnut Economics

The challenge now is to create local to global economies that ensure that no one falls short on life’s essentials – from food and housing to healthcare and political voice – while safeguarding Earth’s life-giving systems, from a stable climate and fertile soils to healthy oceans and a protective ozone layer. This single switch of purpose transforms the meaning and shape of economic progress: from endless growth to thriving in balance.

Kate Raworth, on Doughnut Economics.

 

I don’t allow climate denialism of any kind under my posts. That includes arguing the Bart defense (‘humans didn’t do it’), or the Gosman defense (BAU capitalism must reign supreme/change is too hard) or the McPherson defense (‘it’s too late’).

I’m with her ^^^

68 comments on ““Fight fossil fuels or the future dies” ”

  1. As posted on Open Mike today (and by Gosman yesterday), a (im)practical way to tackle climate change. Impractical because the BAU people will never buy into it! But it could work if the world wakes up in time!

    “Fossil fuels account for three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions, and they have to go. A new campaign, endorsed by 100 Nobel laureates and several thousand scientists, calls for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to do just that: an international agreement to end fossil fuels on a fair and binding schedule.”

    https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/11/what-would-it-look-like-if-we-treated-climate-change-as-an-actual-emergency

    This article demands further study and comment.

    • weka 1.1

      I've been trying to coin a term for the idea that we can not act on climate change because it will cause too much disruption, which ignores the worse disruption that runaway climate change will bring anyway. Must be a fair amount of denial going on there, although some people have great faith in capitalism and/or science to get us out of the mess.

      • pat 1.1.1

        If you were stuck on a very high bridge with a train coming down the line sometime in the future would you jump off the bridge now because sooner or later the train is going to run you down?

        • Robert Guyton 1.1.1.1

          I'd walk calmly to the end of the bridge then step to safety but I wouldn't much around for too long, anguishing about whether to act or not.

        • weka 1.1.1.2

          If you were stuck on a very high bridge with a train coming down the line sometime in the future would you jump off the bridge now because sooner or later the train is going to run you down?

          And there's the crux of it. People lack the imagination to see how we could get off the bridge in time without killing ourselves, so instead stay where they are and get killed by the train instead. There are more than jump to our deaths vs run over by a train.

          At this point I'm calling it willful ignorance, there really is no excuse for not acting now that we know how serious it is and that there are pathways we can take that will make the difference.

          • pat 1.1.1.2.1

            I said stuck for a reason….calmly walking off the bridge isnt an option (any more)….and nor did i say jumping to our death, rather that the bridge was very high (and jumping involves considerable risk)

            • weka 1.1.1.2.1.1

              sure, but I still maintain that that's because you personally see our options are akin to getting off a high bridge at substantial risk, whereas Robert and I both see that we still have time to walk off the bridge. We're never going to be able to cross the bridge again, so there will be loss and change, but we both have the experience of living differently and understanding that it doesn't have to be a catastrophe.

              • pat

                I doubt youd appreciate me expressing my opinion on the options…the analogy I used was to demonstrate why I think most people are reluctant to make the radical change the situation demands.

                • weka

                  if you don't want to lay out what you think the options are, that's on you not me. The point of the discussion is to grapple with the gnarly issues, can't do that if people won't say what they think.

                  • pat

                    "I don’t allow climate denialism of any kind under my posts. That includes arguing the Bart defense (‘humans didn’t do it’), or the Gosman defense (BAU capitalism must reign supreme/change is too hard) or the McPherson defense (‘it’s too late’)."

                    • weka

                      My point stands. You believe that it's too hard, or too late. That belief inhibits seeing a way forward (or a safer way off the bridge). And thus action isn't taken. This is pretty much why I won't allow those arguments under my posts, they advocate not acting even though there is no way to know if the position is true or not.

                      If you want to argue that other people believe that and thus won't support change, you can do that, you just have to produce some evidence that that is what is stopping most or a significant number of people from acting. This would be a useful debate, because then we can test which is true: jump off the bridge at big risk, or walk off and never go back.

                    • weka

                      time stamp please for support for this claim,

                      Ive yet to see anything that passes the most cursory examination , including transition towns, the inhabitants/developers of which admit without the nearby support of fossil fueled communities they are non viable. Even Donella Meadows, who walked the talk said as much.

                    • weka

                      btw Pat, if you stick to the threaded replies it will make the conversation easier to follow. Once you run out of reply buttons, just scroll up to the first available button in line with the comment you are replying to. Doesn't matter whose name is on that comment, this is how you keep the conversation in a single thread (people in the conversation will know to look at everyone's replies).

                    • weka

                      I started watching. Around 2m 20 she says that none of the systems are sustainable according to the three biophysical necessities (and the socioeconomic one).

                      … Dana outlines the three biophysical necessities of sustainability as proposed by Herman Daly:

                      • 1) Every renewable resource must be used at or below the rate at which it can regenerate itself.
                      • 2) Every nonrenewable resource must be used at or below the rate at which a renewable substitute can be developed.
                      • 3) Every pollution stream must be emitted at or below the rate at which it can be absorbed or made harmless.

                      And Dana added one more:

                      4) To be socially sustainable, capital stocks and resource flows must be equitably distributed and sufficient to provide a good life for everyone.

                      If we wish to create a sustainable world, we must take into consideration and fulfill these biophysical necessities of sustainability.

                      https://donellameadows.org/sustainable-systems-videos/

                      This isn't solely an issue of fossil fuels, she's talking about true sustainability. It applies also to do with waste and pollution, and all the resources we use not just FFs.

                      The point here isn't that we can't transition, it's that our current systems aren't sustainable. That is something we can change.

                      Inherent in the necessities is the idea that it's not about getting rid of (eg FFs), it's about the principles governing our relationship with the natural world.

                      That we are completely dependent on fossil fuels currently, doesn't mean we cannot transition to sustainable systems. It means we're not yet.

                      If you say that it won't work because no-one has done it fully yet, this makes me think you don't understand systems change. The whole point is that we have a myriad of interconnected systems, and we're just not very good atm at doing those sustainably.

                  • pat

                    Quite simply we will not reduce our carbon outputs by any significant degree until the wherewithal to continue it collapses either due to environmental or societal collapse…we are incapable of supporting our overshot population without the use of fossil fuels as surely as we are incapable of continuing to use them.

                    The only question is whether the planet remains capable of supporting mammalian life.

                    • weka

                      that's not an argument, it's simply your asserted belief. As I said, this belief stops people from seeing other futures.

                    • pat

                      You refute we are unable to support 8 billion without fossil fuel use?….thats the argument, for 8 billion we currently are.

                    • weka

                      I don't think it's true. I haven't refuted it yet, because it's such a broad and vague statement. But let's try this as a start:

                      • humans waste a phenomenal amount of food globally, 1/3 of food produced according to this https://www.wfp.org/stories/5-facts-about-food-waste-and-hunger
                      • the people that already grow food with minimal fossil fuel use talk about this a fair amount and they believe that it's possible using the broad set of regenag techniques we have. These are experts in their fields, so to speak
                      • we will have to grow most food local to where it is consumed. This is less of an issue than the ensuing economic issues. How do we transition off highly industrialised cash crop economies. This is a political issue not a logistical or ag one.
                      • we should immediately stop building on fertile land especially in and around large cities. Again, a political issue.

                      The biggest impediment is people's inexperience and therefore their belief that only industrial global food chains can feed people. Whereas those of us in communities where it's completely normal to grow a lot of food, can see much more easily how it could work.

                    • RedLogix

                      The biggest impediment is people's inexperience and therefore their belief that only industrial global food chains can feed people.

                      Yet prior to industrialisation – and with millenia of experience – human population barely got to 800m and was not rising at all.

                      Now this does not gainsay the experience you speak of in growing plenty of food locally. But I would argue that you have discounted much of the invisible subsidy that is supporting your efforts because you are inevitably embedded in an industrialised society. And this society provides a myriad of services in a multitude of dimensions that cannot be ignored if you want to scale up to a global scale. (And that is the only scale that makes sense.)

                      Or if you don't like me reaching back into time to make my case, then consider the remnant populations of subsistence agricultural people still living today outside of the industrialised food chains. All of them living in absolute poverty or close to it.

                      Now this does not mean your approach is impossible, or that I even oppose it in principle. But there is a substantial energy and technology hurdle to leap over before it stacks up in my view.

                    • pat

                      @Redlogic.

                      Indeed, less than a billion and a life expectancy of 32 (high mortality rate)…fossil energy is ubiquitous in all that we do and it is that which provides our current abilities….each barrel of oil does the equivalent of 25,000 hours of hard human labour….we may be able to farm locally using regenerative techniques but we wont be supporting 8 billion…and we will be spending a lot of time fighting over the ever diminishing resources…something that Id suggest most realise even if only subconsciously.

                    • RedLogix

                      Good comment pat. I like it when we agree on something.

                      each barrel of oil does the equivalent of 25,000 hours of hard human labour

                      That was such a startling claim I went and searched on it. A barrel of oil contains roughly 1700 kWhr of energy, and converting that into human hours of labour equivalent relies on a bunch of assumptions. But yes this thread pretty much confirms that 25,000 hours is in the ball park.

                    • pat

                      There are various methods of calculation, I grabbed the first to confirm, but one thing they all share is a similar order of magnitude.

                    • weka

                      But I would argue that you have discounted much of the invisible subsidy that is supporting your efforts because you are inevitably embedded in an industrialised society.

                      You would be wrong though. I came to this debate from Peak Oil analysis and debate over a decade ago. The ways in which industrialised societies are utterly dependent on fossil fuels was the ground upon which Peak Oil theory existed, and its where I cut my teeth.

                      The question then becomes why you would assume my argument discounts that when it actually takes it into account. Transitions Towns and permaculture (among other) both have clear analysis of both the problem and the transition away from fossil fuels and how that might happen. TT arose out of the twin crisis of Peak Oil and Climate Change, the reality of being embedded in industrial society is embedded in transition theory and practice. That's why it's called transition.

                      And this society provides a myriad of services in a multitude of dimensions that cannot be ignored if you want to scale up to a global scale. (And that is the only scale that makes sense.)

                      Actually it's not. We can think global and act local. Rather than trying to come up with global solutions, we can work with common principles that are enacted locally accord to the needs of the situation. This is a core principle of sustainable design. What works in Southland NZ, isn't going to work in Perth.

                      The beauty of that is that local resiliency and sustainability design is well adapted to solving such problems. We can support each rohe to figure out food, shelter, health, education, industry and so on. How much can be produced locally, how much needs to be imported (from other parts of the country, from other parts of the world), how much can be exported, where it's better to work locally (this area needs this sized school) vs nationally (education curriculum, but still adapted locally) vs globally (using politics and aid to make sure that poorer countries have access to education tech and knowledge bases).

                      Or if you don't like me reaching back into time to make my case, then consider the remnant populations of subsistence agricultural people still living today outside of the industrialised food chains. All of them living in absolute poverty or close to it.

                      Don't actually understand this argument. Obviously we are in a much better position than either people pre-industrial, or in current subsistence situations. Why would we give up all the advantages of the industrial and technological revolutions? This doesn't make sense. Our knowledge bases and technologies aren't inherently dependent on fossil fuels.

                      Now this does not mean your approach is impossible, or that I even oppose it in principle. But there is a substantial energy and technology hurdle to leap over before it stacks up in my view.

                      Unless we powerdown. If you think that means subsistence and poverty, you've missed what is being argued and I would say that like Pat, this is a failure of imagination, or perhaps attachment to an ideology.

                      And then there is the dilemma that I was trying to name. If you think the powerdown is bad wait until you see what climate collapse is like. Given that climate collapse is very likely on our current trajectory, why would we not explore fully options like the Powerdown. Pat argues people won't want to do that transition, but what I see is an unwillingness to have the conversation, and this seems defeatest given what is at stake. I find the argument self-serving – oh people won't want to do that, so we shouldn't try, let's just wait for catastrophe.

                    • weka

                      we may be able to farm locally using regenerative techniques but we wont be supporting 8 billion

                      why not? What number of people could regenag feed?

                      Abstract reductionist ideas about how many human energy units there are in a barrel of oil completely ignore that regnerative agriculture, by definition, relies on nature to do the heavy lifting. It's not only human power, it's the power of the microbes in the soil, the techniques that increase that, then the mutually beneficial interaction of different forms of life and how they lift the whole. Whole system design increase efficiencies.

                      Permaculture btw is based on doing less work for more output. Have you watched much Bill Mollison? His global gardener series is worth tracking down. Might drive you nuts if you want global figures, but the principles are the thing to get to grips with.

                    • pat

                      "Pat argues people won't want to do that transition, but what I see is an unwillingness to have the conversation, and this seems defeatest given what is at stake. I find the argument self-serving – oh people won't want to do that, so we shouldn't try, let's just wait for catastrophe."

                      If you think you have the solution then your path is simple…convince enough people your solutions will work and they will adopt them.

                      Ive yet to see anything that passes the most cursory examination , including transition towns, the inhabitants/developers of which admit without the nearby support of fossil fueled communities they are non viable. Even Donella Meadows, who walked the talk said as much.

                      8 billion

                    • weka

                      If you think you have the solution then your path is simple…convince enough people your solutions will work and they will adopt them.

                      This is a very neoliberal response. Transition will never come from such individualistic framing.

                      Ive yet to see anything that passes the most cursory examination , including transition towns, the inhabitants/developers of which admit without the nearby support of fossil fueled communities they are non viable.

                      citation needed. Bearing in mind no-one was saying give up FF overnight. Of course we need to use the tools and resources we have now to transition. This is what transition is (am beginning to wonder if the concept of transition needs to be explained)

                      Even Donella Meadows, who walked the talk said as much.

                      citation needed.

                    • weka

                      as an example of what transition is.

                      Geoff Lawton, a highly regarded permaculture designer, has said that we should use the technology available now to set up the systems that will be less dependent on that technology and more resilient and sustainable (I'm paraphrasing). Use a fossil fuel powered digger to create swales so that you don't need industrial irrigation.

                      Holmgren (one of the co-originators of permaculture), says that we don't have to solve all the problems now of a post-carbon, powered down world. People that come after us will be able to see solutions that we cannot. What we have to do is the things within our power that set us on the right course. We have to turn around and start walking off the bridge.

                      Pat and RL’s arguments sound like they’re based in the idea that transition is going from fossil fuels to no fossil fuels, as if we can’t use fossil fuels now for the transition, and as if the transition isn’t a regenerative process but simply one of loss.

                    • weka

                      8 billion

                      this again is a failure of imagination. It's not 8 billion stock units that have to be fed. It's a huge range of people, communities, cities, skills, technologies, and land bases with a vast array of ecologies. Therein lies the way to feed so many people, you put them in context of their local bioregion and you look at what that bioregion can sustain. Once you start thinking about moving food around the globe you have lost.

                    • pat

                      Casting pejoratives dosnt advance your case.

                      The most convincing argument for your position would be in the demonstration….when there are successful sustainable communities living the ideal then you will find the task easier.

                      Hasnt happened yet.

                    • weka

                      Casting pejoratives dosnt advance your case.

                      what pejoratives? 🤔

                      The most convincing argument for your position would be in the demonstration….when there are successful sustainable communities living the ideal then you will find the task easier.

                      Hasnt happened yet.

                      Yes, it really has. Transition Towns are a good example (again, the point isn't to give up fossil fuels overnight, it's to transition). There are plenty of people growing most of their own food. There are regenerative agriculture farms.

                      Still waiting for your citations.

                    • RedLogix

                      Why would we give up all the advantages of the industrial and technological revolutions? This doesn't make sense. Our knowledge bases and technologies aren't inherently dependent on fossil fuels.

                      This. We underestimate our ancestors terribly; they lived in a much tougher lives than us. They were smart and adaptable and knew very well how to make the best of their land and climate to grow food – yet without access to cheap plentiful energy they were always constrained to the strict limits of sunshine. And all the attendant evils of empire and slavery.

                      As someone who has worked his entire life in heavy industry I am viscerally aware of just how everything about our built environment has it's origins from either farm or a mine – and utterly depends on cheap, reliable energy to be transformed and transported to us. And complex objects like these computers we type on, or fancy vaccines require an astonishing complexity of steps and linkages to come into existence and to be maintained.

                      Including all of the knowledge base and technologies that accompany it. There are many prior examples of how societies lost knowledge when the economy that utilised it collapsed.

                      Without cheap, reliable energy all of this goes away, either quickly and catastrophically or slowly and erratically, And there will be no choice in the matter. If you think this improbable, just consider the supply chain disruptions we have seen this past two years, from a relatively minor disturbance,

                      My argument all along is that fossil fuels were always the transitional technology – and were our one shot only chance to move from a pre-industrial low energy world to one based on high tech, high energy nuclear world. That does not exclude many of the ideas you promote, including renag and circular economies, but it does place them in a wholly more expansive context that might bring prosperity, longevity and unimagined possibilities to the whole of humanity.

                    • weka

                      Without cheap, reliable energy all of this goes away, either quickly and catastrophically or slowly and erratically,

                      why would ALL of it go away? If we powerdown, why would we lose the ability to grow food? Or, say, build houses?

                    • pat

                      Citation for D.Meadows is in the first 5 minutes of the posted lecture.

                      The transition town citation i will have to refind, but believe it was in an in depth interview with Rob Hopkins discussing Kinsdale.

                      There are no transition towns in NZ, simply community initiatives such as community gardens and food forests etc all operating within a fossil fueled society and all that provides.

                      The concept of 'transition' loses all meaning when it relies on that which you seek to transition from.

                      There is a very good reason why the worlds population didnt exceed 1 billion until we exploited fossil energy…its called work, and we couldnt do enough of it to consistently feed and shelter anymore than that….even on an unexploited and relatively unpolluted planet.

                      The pejorative…"This is a very neoliberal response. Transition will never come from such individualistic framing."

                      It is worth noting that the Donella Meadows lecture was given in 1999 when the world population was 6 billion.

                      I reiterate, you will find the task of convincing people to make the change you desire if you can demonstrate it….Donella Meadows (and many others) have spent decades working on it and yet we have no community to hold up as a model….as she said, her farm is NOT sustainable…but she learned a lot.

                      The final thing I will say is , as is demonstrated in the lecture, we are already in overshoot….so we will get our transition whether we choose it or not.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram

                      The concept of 'transition' loses all meaning when it relies on that which you seek to transition from.

                      Not following that – a semi-orderly transition (over a few generations) from the current massive use of fossil fuels to a less FF-dependent (different) civilisation would (obviously) require gradual substitution of FFs with non-FF energy sources to support (equitably shared) critical (life-sustaining) enterprises, and a concomitant progressive cull of non-essential consumption (super-yachts, long-distance mass tourism, cryptocurrencies, eating meat, etc. etc.)

                      Some will characterise calls for consumer 'sacrifices' as envy-driven and/or infringements of (God-given) freedoms and conveniences (the human exceptionalism/entitlement problem), and resist with every fibre of their being. That's OK – free-loading behaviour is inevitable.

                      Willingness to reduce travel consumption to support a low-carbon transition beyond COVID-19 [March 2022]
                      We conclude that behaviour associated with affluence represents a major barrier to a low-carbon transition, and that policies must address over-consumption associated with affluence as a priority.

                      THEMATIC SECTION – Lifestyle transformation and reduced consumption: a transformative learning process [2022]

                      Transitions happen – always have, always will. I'm picking that transitioning the current iteration of human civilisation on spaceship Earth to something more sustainable will involve widespread environmental and societal collapse – whether that vague prediction is realistic or unduly pessimistic only time will tell.

                      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_supply_and_consumption#Outlook

                    • pat

                      @Drowsy

                      "Not following that – a semi-orderly transition (over a few generations) from the current massive use of fossil fuels to a less FF-dependent (different) civilisation would (obviously) require gradual substitution of FFs with non-FF energy sources to support"

                      Except we do not have generations and everything in play for the so called transition town ideal is currently facilitated by those fossil fuels…everything. Even, as we are witnessing, a reduction in that availability is causing untold disruption to the system that currently (almost) supports the 8 billion.

                      That should demonstrate how vulnerable the system is…as was noted in the lecture things look fine…and fall off a cliff.

                      The luxury of time was frittered away years ago.

                    • Drowsy M. Kram

                      The luxury of time was frittered away years ago.

                      Agree that spaceship Earth has shifted (past a tipping point) from the practical possibility (50 years ago) of a semi-orderly transition to a low-carbon civilisation – looks to me increasingly like a theoretical possibility only, due to a mix of behavioural and technical issues.

                    • pat

                      Sadly yes….as Donella Meadows notes in that lecture the 'rational' individual and group behaviours create feed back loops that made the right thing to do almost impossible…and her focus was not solely climate change which is important to remember, climate change really is only one outcome of a much bigger problem.

          • Janet 1.1.1.2.2

            Actually the majority of people do not have strong visionary ability and will not change their ways much because of this. The other problem is, as covid has proved, they all want to get back to normal FREE life, not rearrange their lives to help reduce our impact on the environment. Travel, for example should stop, but that suggestion would appall most people. All unnecessary imports should stop now to cut the manufacturing of un-needed good , and so on and so on. The government is going to have to lead the way through this by relentless regulating, otherwise the majority will not change their ways to meet the need.

            • weka 1.1.1.2.2.1

              I don't think it's needs the majority to start with. It needs a significant minority who can see the pathways and act accordingly. People will be attracted to attractive stories if the future. People want BAU, but do they want petrol at $5/L and a massive grocery bill? At some point the pressures become big enough to make alternatives look like the better option.

          • In Vino 1.1.1.2.3

            The rich capitalists I know would snigger and say that most trains run terribly late, or turn out to have been cancelled..

      • some people have great faith in capitalism and/or science to get us out of the mess.

        Carbon capture on a scale significant enough to save the world is just a capitalist billionaire's wet dream.

        We need comprehensive, binding and co-operative action from all world governments, along the lines of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty as mentioned above, if we are to have any hope.

      • Lanthanide 1.1.3

        Climate double-do, inspired by 'double-think'.

        Not my best but I'll keep thinking on it.

      • Craig H 1.1.4

        An interesting article about types of climate change denial. It is based on the types of genocide denial, so might seem a bit over the top for some, but I thought it was a good description.

        To summarise the article, there are three types of denial:

        Literal denial – there is no climate change

        Interpretive denial – interprets facts in a way that allows conclusions of climate change being a normal planetary phenomenon, or there is climate change but it's not caused by humans

        Implicatory denial – climate change is happening and it's serious, but the implications of that change are not accepted (either outright or by under-acceptance)

        I think the term "implicatory denier" would cover someone who said that we can't act on climate change or need to act more slowly because it would cause too much disruption. Doesn't exactly roll off the tongue though.

  2. Cricklewood 2

    I was working in England during the early 2000s heat wave we hit about 43 on the work site. London when the wind stops is like a green house except smog is the roof 🙃

    Worst part was the tube home insanely uncomfortable on the deeper lines.

    • weka 2.1

      I'm useless by the mid 30s, and that's inside hiding. Was in Melbourne once when it hit 40. I was in an airconditioned house, and couldn't understand how people could to work outside. I expect some of the problems in the UK will be due to lack of acclimatisation (whereas the Aussies are more used to it)

      • Belladonna 2.1.1

        Found that I can cope with dry heat (e.g. Canberra) more than damp humidity (Sydney).
        But can't say that I enjoy either….. Definitely happier in temperate climates.

        My brother in London tells me that the numbers of people retrofitting air-conditioning into apartments (units on balconies) is insane – tradies booked up for months, bribes to jump the wait list apparently common.

        • RedLogix 2.1.1.1

          Working on the bauxite sites at Weipa, Cape York during the run up and through the rainy season, the Caribbean coast of Panama, or the tropical rain forests of Colombia takes the idea of 'damp heat' to a whole other level. At this level of saturated humidity the temperature rarely exceeds 34degC, but is incredibly uncomfortable. By 10am your boots are squelching with sweat and by the end of 12 hour shift I was utterly drained. I’d barely make it back to my room, stand under a lukewarm shower, then collapse on the bed.

          I found the the correct temperature to set my room's aircon was 24degC. Any higher and it's hard to sleep, lower and the contrast to outside gets too large. You know it's going to be a tough day when you step out of your room at 4am, the temperature is still 29degC and your glasses immediately fog up because they are still a few degrees cool enough to condense the super humidity out of the air.

          On the other hand the dry heat in the interior, when it gets into the mid-40's or higher is like stepping into an oven. The upside is the nights are usually very cool, or even sub-zero and sleeping is much less of a problem. If you stay outside from morning onwards and acclimatise through the morning, and then stay out of the worst of the sun during the afternoon you get through the day in much better shape.

          But there are definitely people who prefer to cold and low humidity and those who prefer the heat and lots of humidity. Acclimatisation is part of it, but only plays a modest role over time. Even now after five years in Brisbane for example I still hate the summer months.

          • Belladonna 2.1.1.1.1

            Born and bred in Auckland – and still hate the summer humidity. As you said – you can survive during the day, but it's the hot humid nights that are the killer.
            Unsurprising that virtually everyone I know has invested in heat pumps. What that does for the climate, God only knows….

  3. Maurice 3

    -3 degrees C down South (WINTER!) 43 degrees up North (SUMMER!)

    The "average" temperature is a nice, livable 20 degrees C

    How silly "average" temperatures are!

  4. Stuart Munro 4

    The impact of AGW on aquaculture is particularly noticeable, with salmon, one of our biggest earners, suffering significant losses when water temperatures creep over 15 degrees.

    With AGW slated to deliver 2-3 degrees by 2050, but with droughts and/or floods to become more frequent, the odds of a major dieoff or a total farm loss increase significantly with each decade to 2050.

    Mind, the airfreight export route can be expected to contract as we come to terms with a need to wean off petroleum – though lighter than air freight to Oz may remain feasible.

  5. Tricledrown 5

    We are to reliant on fossil fuels.Big carbon have to much power ie the US the repugnants and one or two democrats have control over congress forcing the Biden administration to stop counter measures.Covid and the War in the Ukraine have highlighted how fragile the Worlds economies are.

  6. BAW 6

    Nat voter here.

    Oddly enough I once read that we still have the legislation on the books which permitted things like the carless days and other fuel economy measures. All the government needs to do is write the regulations. That said Carless days never saved much petrol.

  7. Maurice 8

    Throughout human history we have always been surrounded by those who are prepared (nay! eager) to kill us and take that which we have. To rely upon others to defend us simply means we create a force which is also capable of that; particularly when times get tough and surpluses are reduced or eliminated.

    It is extremely wistful … and dangerous to think otherwise!

    A proportion of our society are often "going a-Viking" presently.

    Ram Raiding!

  8. Jackel 9

    Rwnj, I find your lack of imagination disturbing.

  9. PsyclingLeft.Always 10

    Air pollution from cars killing thousands of NZers yearly

    t found 3300 people were dying yearly because of air pollution, and it was mostly because of cars.

    That meant as a whole, 10 percent of the people who died each year in the country were dying because of air pollution.

    Exposure was also sending more than 13,000 people to hospital for respiratory and cardiac illnesses and giving the same number of children asthma.

    The social cost of these health impacts was estimated to be $15.6 billion.

    The study, Health and Air Pollution in New Zealand, was conducted by New Zealand experts in air quality, health, and economics.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/470457/air-pollution-from-cars-killing-thousands-of-nzers-yearly

    Otago woman builds solar powered vehicle

    “My biggest motivation to do this was to show that it can be done.”

    She has travelled more than 23,000 kilometres in her car, which she estimates to be the equivalent of nine round trips from Dunedin to Auckland.

    looking at possible conversion kits for fossil fuel vehicles.

    “It’s part of the circular economy they [the government] keep talking about and it means instead of bringing in a whole lot of new stuff we can use what we’ve got, so I’m working on that right now.”

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018843976/otago-woman-builds-solar-powered-vehicle

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ourchangingworld/audio/201783072/gearhead-granny

    Hi Weka. Rosemary Penwarden sounds extremely Interesting : ) ! Have you heard of/know her?

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bishop scores headlines with crackdown on unwelcome tenants – but Peters scores, too, as tub-thump...
    Buzz from the Beehive Housing Minister Chris Bishop delivered news – packed with the ingredients to enflame political passions – worthy of supplanting Winston Peters in headline writers’ priorities. He popped up at the post-Cabinet press conference to promise a crackdown on unruly and antisocial state housing tenants. His ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    48 mins ago
  • Will it make the boat go faster?
    Ele Ludemann writes – The Reserve Bank is advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion advisor. The Bank has one mandate – to keep inflation between one and three percent. It has failed in that and is only slowly getting inflation back down to the upper limit. Will it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    4 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    9 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    20 hours ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Funding hole for tax cuts growing by the day
    The pressure is mounting on the Government as it finalises its Budget Policy Statement, but yet more predicted revenue ‘goes missing’. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Climate Commission has delivered another funding blow to the National-ACT-NZ First coalition Government’s tax-cutting plans, potentially carving $1.4 billion off the ‘climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s brave climate change promise
    The Government now faces the prospect of having to watch another tax raise the price of petrol when, only six days ago, it abolished the Auckland Regional Fuel tax. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon argued that the regional fuel tax imposed costs on lower-income people with less fuel-efficient vehicles  and that ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity
    This year’s Pacific Language Weeks celebrate regional unity and the contribution of Pacific communities to New Zealand culture, says Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti.  Dr Reti announced dates for the 2024 Pacific Language Weeks during a visit to the Pasifika festival in Auckland today and says there’s so ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-19T01:29:24+00:00