Open mike 04/10/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, October 4th, 2019 - 59 comments
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59 comments on “Open mike 04/10/2019 ”

  1. Pat 1

    "The question all this immediately gives rise to is why does it now take so long to develop critical infrastructure in New Zealand. How was Napier able – 113 years ago – to get a tram service up and running just six months after starting to lay tram tracks, and why, today, in an age of superior technology, is it likely to take several years to lay a not dissimilar length of track, and establish a modern service in Auckland?"

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/10/04/840483/stop-bickering-start-building

    Why indeed

    • Dukeofurl 1.1

      Lots different . Those Napier trams would have been ultra light with short bodies and power lines didnt exist for the streets then.

      Modern articulated trams are very heavy and required serious power supply separate from the existing roadside system. All the traffic signals are changed, and no longer safe for passengers to hop on and off in centre of road like it was back in 1905 so pedestrian islands, road layout changes to go with that.

      Ive seen in parts of Melbourne where the original tram lines had to be major rebuild as newer and heavier trams came along

      • Sacha 1.1.1

        Like the CRL and other recent projects, they also have to shift and rebuild lots of pipes and cable lines at the same time.

    • Molly 1.2

      I'm actually not in favour of the light rail option, and have a lot of time for Mike Lee who has been involved with looking at transport in Auckland for many years.

      Greater Auckland has been very influential in transport issues in recent years, and this has impacted on public discussions on this issue, to the detriment of good solutions. I remember attending a seminar with Patrick Reynolds, proudly answering to a question that he tends to frame posts to identify specific problems and then provide the answer to that framework. From then on, I read the posts with a more critical eye, and saw that this appeared to be true. There was no space for different questions on issues. I only rarely visit that site now, when I was previously a regular reader.

      Alongside this, was the closer relationship with AT that has developed, which makes their influence quite alarming given that is is not reflective of actual public consultation but does influence a great number of readers. I read the small print in a recent (last two years) AT Strategy plan that identified that the primary source of determining priority spending was public contact. This can result in a circular pattern that is hard to disrupt with areas in need, but with no high profile or public attention, being ignored while other areas get more and more attention, services and funding.

      The justification of light rail and benefits to housing and business only contributes to show how badly some proposals are in terms of cost/benefit analysis.

      • Dukeofurl 1.2.1

        Im with you on that view . I wish light rail was the answer here but it doesnt seem to be well thought at all for Dominion Rd.

        And airports are terrible places to spend vast sums on public transport when they can always create ever bigger carparks which make airports money. When I looked at Sydneys airport rail stations, the on/off boardings is so low to be laughable in the context of Sydneys train system, and the biggest users seem to be passengers transferring between domestic and international terminals. The Traffic numbers are normally buried in the overall suburban line which continues on to the CBD

        The so called Westgate light rail might be a better approach

        • OnceWasTim 1.2.1.1

          IMHO, NuZull's problem has always been (well at least since No8 wire became dangerous and only to be handled by someone in a flourescent vest) short term thinking.

          I'll bet (almost put money on it) that whatever 'loit rail' system is implemented, it'll be different from narrow guage heavy rail. That'll be so that JUST THE POSSIBILITY of existing infrastucture in places won't be possible – such as tramtrains. The reasons it can't be done will already be forming the basis for proposalsn that will be deemed impractical (going forward), and cost-benefit analyses, and consultant's template-driven advice to officials as I write.

        • Ad 1.2.1.2

          Anything using the existing NZTA corridors will be reasonably easy. Beyond that into the suburban network you are into trench warfare – particularly if you are at grade. There are many dead corridor 'improvements' proposed for Dominion Road over the last 20 years that have cost political careers. They will oppose everything that takes away just 1 car park as if their children were being sacrificed to Baal.

          Auckland International Airport are deeply motivated to get the NZSuper version underway. The build can integrate with their second runway and integrated terminal. After that they will need to generate a new masterplan.

          A tunneled line down Queen Street, after CRL's experience and that of George Street in Sydney, is a whole bunch easier so long as its alignments stays within the public corridor rather than having to buy underground title rights.

      • Ad 1.2.2

        Patrick Reynolds is now on the NZTA Board, and as a long time proponent of the AT/NZTA light rail proposal, he will continue to be against the NZSuperFund light rail proposal.

        • Molly 1.2.2.1

          Yes, it appears his self-promotion has been effective. His ability to not consult and consider opinions other than his own probably will remain intact. His social media use after being appointed should not have been required to be monitored or censured.

          I do think he has skills to offer, just wary about his being the loudest voice on the board, and also about his influence on decision making. I’m all for less roading, but often Greater Auckland discussed and delivered more for the already served rather than the under-served. I’m concerned that some people are very good at advocating for the sphere that they move in, rather than reflective of the wider community. He strikes me as one of those – unwitting, perhaps – advisors.

    • Ad 1.3

      As stupid as comparing Riverton to Los Angeles.

  2. is this setting a new benchmark in delayed-reforms/incrementalism..?

    we are gouged by the power companies..

    (that much is a given – so urgent reform is needed..of this there is no doubt..)

    but the minister sez that any reforms wd kick in in a labour 3rd term in gummint…?

    you could ask – is she kidding..?

    but no…five years it is…

    and get this..!…the minister is selling it as a positive…

    (why am i suddenly feeling weary…?..)

    oh..!..and i nearly forgot – after these reforms..old people/low-users on fixed rates will be the losers..

    they will pay more for their power..

    isn't neoliberal-incrementalist reform just bloody brilliant…eh..?

    personally – i'd re-nationalise the profiteering bastards – and be done with it..

    • Tiger Mountain 2.1

      Ditto, power generation and supply should be returned to full public ownership.

      This particular major privatisation handover, would never have happened if there had not been a massive public infrastructure to prey upon. There is no way the likes of Genesis and the other parasites would have been in a position to build hydro and all the rest of the network.

      • phillip ure 2.1.1

        to me it is one of the latest examples/iterations of the taking of the commons from us…

        and i wd argue that the re-taking back of that commons is going to become one of the issues in the near future..

        for aside from putting right that historical/ongoing theft from the rest of us..

        any coherent/effective measures against climate-change – must entail the taking back of the commons – by the people…

        and re-nationalising electric power is the low-hanging fruit in that process..

        so let's do it..!

      • cleangreen 2.1.2

        Never mind there are a pair of “safe hands” about to be available soon as he relinquishes his position on the ANZ bank board?

        Johnny Key may need to leave his cushy spot on a rouge ANZ bank.
        https://www.odt.co.nz/business/john-key-may-have-relinquish-banking-role

        Friday, 4 October 2019
        John Key may have to relinquish banking role

  3. ScottGN 3

    Dunne really has made an art form of his ability to churn out a so-called political column that has nothing useful to say.
    You’d think if he was going to venture an opinion about the delay around the delivery of light rail across the isthmus in Auckland he might have more to say than, well, Napier managed it in short order in 1913 so why not now in Auckland?
    You’d hope maybe that he might offer some insights into the complex negotiations between the government and the Super Fund who have stepped in and offered to finance and run the project. And why that might be a very desirable outcome for the government. You’d need to look way back to Labour’s fury at the way the incoming National government in 2008 summarily discontinued contributions to the Cullen Fund and how this and other infrastructure projects could prevent a future National government disrupting the Fund’s funding stream again.
    He might have cast an eye over the relationship between the National Party and the National-aligned local politicians and NIMBYs in Mt Eden, Balmoral, Sandringham who are determined to stop light rail along Dominion Road in order to thwart any urban intensification of their lovely, leafy, inner city suburbs. Too bad about anybody else.
    He might have paused to wonder why it is that National are so resolutely wedded to the private ICE motor vehicle and what can be done to shift that party’s thinking away from endless road building towards other more sustainable, diverse and resilient transport options for our biggest cities.

    • Dukeofurl 3.1

      Dont let the Super fund step in . Its a rip off private finance play where we pay and pay for decades. They link up with a Tram builder so we pay top dollar for that, plus running costs. And instead of borrowing money as the government can for 2.5% we will pay 9.5% or more to The Super Fund plus their 'partners' costs.

      Running a tram service isnt rocket science and itsnt so arcane and difficult that it cant be done ourselves.

      • Climaction 3.1.1

        light rail is a con. If it’s not rocket science how Come it hasn’t been done yet?

        heavy rail north to south and east to west with full time bus corridors on all major arterial roads.

        Light rail makes traffic worse as cars still have to use the same space a la melbourne

        • Ad 3.1.1.1

          This government is spending just under $5 billion to build 3.3 kilometers of rail in Auckland's CBD. That's over $1 billion per kilometer, and they haven't even opened it, or got to the operating costs yet.

          Melbourne has the best managed transport system in the southern hemisphere, and the best public transport. Some of it is modern trams, some of it light rail to border suburbs, and some is heavy rail as well to the periphery and outlying towns.

          Our mix is different. Auckland public transport usage is now doing just fine with a mix of heavy rail and dedicated busways. Based mostly on buses within dedicated corridors, it's growing in use faster than it ever has.

          But don't be fooled into thinking any future government is gong to spend billions more per kilometre on extending heavy rail lines beyond the existing corridors.

    • if there is one preventable death – it will be on their heads/by their hands…..

      and y'know..!..alcohol-sodden old men – who celebrate their sodden-ness..

      saying: 'just don't do it..!..and if you do do it..and die..that's yr own fault..!'..to young people..

      stretches the boundaries of irony..to breaking point..

      (is that 'polite' enough..?..asking for a friend..)

      • Dukeofurl 4.1.1

        " it will be on their heads/by their hands…."

        No it wont. Far better to have police drug dogs at the entrances to these festivals checking what people are carrying. Too often they catch the drug dealers loaded with their wares

        people who take drugs or any harmful substance without knowing what it really is cant offload their lack of care onto others.

        I can just laugh at the idea that those pills tested and found to be harmful wont be onsold during the festival to recoup money spent

        • McFlock 4.1.1.1

          But that's one advantage:

          person gets the drug tested. Drug is safe, or at least contains other drugs so the user can make an informed decision. fine.

          The drug is tested and found to be poisonous. So the tester says "we can nix that for you". User takes drug back, supplies it to someone else. Someone else goes to hospital, but there is the possibility that their supplier gets firmly fingered not just as the supplier, but as knowing that the drug was spiked. "Supply" becomes "demonstrable murder".

          As opposed to "ooo, supply, but I didn't know the shit was bad".

          • weka 4.1.1.1.1

            Can the tester also put out the word that there's a bad batch of E or whatever on the site (and what it looks like)?

            • McFlock 4.1.1.1.1.1

              I would expect so, especially if it was lethal (as opposed to say being cut with a fellow traveller). Especially at gigs it would really get the word out quickly.

              • WeTheBleeple

                Yeah social media would lap up information like this. Been out a lot lately and everything's changed due to everyone having a phone. A venue can be empty then some hipsters turn up take photos and instagram they've arrived next minute the joints hopping. Amazing to see. The information sharing and response today is almost instant.

    • Jilly Bee 4.2

      I filled in the survey in favour of drug testing and I was totally civil with my comment at the end. I'm also of an age which NZ First would consider as voter friendly (I'm not though)wink

  4. Anne 5

    We're well into the realms of fantasy-land now. Trump is calling on China to conduct an investigation into Biden and his son on the grounds they were involved in a corrupt business relationship in China.

    He's in the throes of an impeachment process over the Ukraine nonsense and he's doing it again. The mind just boggles:

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/03/trump-biden-china-investigation-demand

    • Tiger Mountain 5.1

      Mr Trump’s mind anyway–is boggled–in many observers view. Who knows what technical term applies to his behaviour, because no one officially wants to go there!

      Republicans/religious zealots enable him because they get the policy they want unhindered. While the rest of us watch uncomfortably, and wonder how the American people could do this to themselves.

      • phillip ure 5.1.1

        a person who i follow on twitter – who worked closely with him on all of his television shows..

        sez he has an adderral and a cocaine habit..

        we are told he crushes up and snorts the adderall during the day – and moves onto the cocaine in the evening..this is/was his habit/pattern..

        (it does help explain the cascades of tweets he does – late into the nite..)

        he also sez that the crew on those shows – to a man/woman – loathed the orange ball of pus…

        and that he treated them as badly as you may imagine..

  5. TM

    Same with the UK. Is it mass hysteria, or early dementia, frontal lobe stuff or whatever? It took off Terry Pratchett, a fine imaginative mind. Perhaps there is a cumulative effect of our polluting effects that have been going into the air and our bodies and mixing for decades.

  6. When will the UK Labour Israel-activists stop their whiteanting?
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/03/jeremy-corbyn-urged-intervene-labour-members-table-confidence/

    The Irish Premier Leo Varadkar is hitting back at Boris Johnson. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/03/brexit-latest-news-brexit-news-latest-deal-boris-johnson-northern/ Leo Varadkar accused of attempting to derail Brexit deal by claiming Britain wants to stay in the EU

    …The Irish premier said that “all the polls” since Mr Johnson became Prime Minister showed the UK wanted to Remain, but “their political system isn't able to give them that choice”.

    The DUP described his comments as “incendiary and outrageous” and said they “exposed the reality” that the Irish government’s true intention was to keep Britain in the EU.

  7. We need to look after our reputation. Now people found we were not 100% Pure environmentally, nor 100% pure in our financial transactions, nor 100% pure in our building methods and materials quality, what will show up next as a stain on the country, and show us to be casual liars?

    Radionz have inspected an education outfit advertising on-line since the beginning of the year it seems.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/400282/the-invisible-college-that-wants-your-cash

    NZQA acting deputy chief executive quality assurance Eve McMahon describes the college as a "purported" provider of education and appears to be taking steps to remove the site.

    "NZQA has inquired with the Domain Name Commission and the Department of Internal Affairs regarding this website and will take appropriate action."

    The Domain Name Commission has the ability to remove the domain name, effectively removing the site from public access.

    Please act quickly gummint. We have rorted enough Indians and other trusting people, let's be quick here and clean up our act. And not give other immigrants the idea that they will be in good company if they run rorts here, or rort us by not paying tax as was the case recently.

    • cleangreen 9.1

      Well said Greywarshark 100% correct.

      "We need to look after our reputation. Now people found we were not 100% Pure environmentally, nor 100% pure in our financial transactions, nor 100% pure in our building methods and materials quality, what will show up next as a stain on the country, and show us to be casual liars?"

  8. I had a look at what the Ozzies are doing about CC. The Mulloon Natural Farming Sequence people are still carrying on spreading their message.

    This is about a recent meeting; Australia is systematically being made arid and hot by unwise agricultural and land management practices. Chief among these is tree clearing, which breaks the hydrological link, the link between soil and rain. Rain does notfollow the plough, that's an old myth — it follows the trees.

    To cool the planet we must work with the dominant greenhouse gas, water vapour. Water governs 95% of the heat dynamics of our planet. We’ve been ignoring its role in climate control for far too long.

    Walter Jehne will explain practical ways to restore the hydrological cooling system AND restore the “soil carbon sponge” AND draw down massive amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere AND regenerate our soils AND enhance agricultural productivity.

    About the speaker Walter Jehne:

    Walter Jehne is a retired scientist with a specialist back­ground in soil micro-biology and plant ecology. He has worked in Australia and overseas, and retired from the CSIRO some 15 years ago to concentrate on regenerating Australia's landscape and improving its agricultural and pastoral sectors. He is also a member of The Mulloon Institute’s Science Advisory Council.

    He is passionate about educating farmers, policymakers and others about the “soil carbon sponge” and its crucial role in reversing and mitigating flooding, drought, wildfires, and searing global temperatures. He shows how we can safely cool the climate and restore essential biodiversity by repairing our disrupted hydrological cycles. We thus return excess carbon to the soils, where it can build a sponge that soaks up water and revives the biosphere.

    His ideas are gaining international attention. In 2017 he took part in an invitation-only United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization conference in Paris aimed at bringing soil into the next Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

    Later this year he has been invited to India to present at a conference on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), a promising method of farming which uses no-till, no-chemical methods and only local materials to regenerate the soils.

    https://themullooninstitute.org/events/2019/9/18/walter-jehne-cooling-the-climate
    .

    Also some more points and a video available.

    https://www.slowfoodcanberra.com/coming-events

    Conversations from the edge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD2DXBERTeg

    [deleted the bits where it wasn’t clear who had said them or where they were from – weka]

    • weka 10.1

      Mod note above. The general thing is to use your own words to make a point and provide contextual quotes and links. This isn't an absolute, we all like to just cut and paste something we find interesting, but there are limits around length and numbers of links. Formatting matters too.

      • greywarshark 10.1.1

        Yes I just felt it was important to hear all about what is happening there. We have a dearth of factual stuff about wht is happening and such a lot of details about protests. Links are good too. I left them in because we just have to get informed. And Mulloon Farm things are important for Oz and also for us. Please don't start getting too picky about perfection. We get worrying about following exact rules and forget that we are the few who are actually thinking about this. So let us please do it, and bring in our ideas even if they aren't passed by the Central Committee.

        Please ban me if you think I am out of order as i spend far too much time here trying to bring matters up and not knowing whether it is read and worthwhile. I get moans about it so if it isn't wanted tell me and I can stop trying with more time to attend to looking after No.1.

        • weka 10.1.1.1

          links that come with the cut and paste are fine. Links that commenters put into a comment manually need to be part of the comment. Lots of links without a comment aren't necessarily going to get mod attention, but long cut and pastes will. Your comments are ending up in moderation because of the number of links. Probably the ones you are cutting and pasting as much as anything, but it's still something to be aware of.

          More of an issue this time was that the formatting was unclear, so I had to use my time to figure out what was going on and it was just easier to delete. This isn't about you, it's about the number of comments like this currently especially from regulars who should know better. It's pretty easy to look at a comment after it's made and then edit it if there's a format issue.

          Fwiw, in terms of reading and engagement, I think it's better to make a point in your own words, cut and paste some bits to illustrate what you want to share, and provide a link. This takes more time as a commenter, but there's more reward too in terms of responses. Long walls of text, especially if poorly formatted are less likely to be read.

    • WeTheBleeple 10.2

      Water is definitely being undervalued in Climate Change response. No water, no trees. No trees, no water. Earthworks and judicious planting en-masse required!

  9. Velcro 12

    Will someone please explain to Chloe – THERE IS NO CLIMATE CRISIS

    [no climate change denial under my posts – weka]

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

    • weka 12.1

      mod note for you.

    • Robert Guyton 12.2

      Hey, Velcro, you stickler! Have a go yourself, at "explaining" to Chloe; I suspect you'd be eviscerated by her and her clarity of thought, but don't be deterred; it'd be great entertainment and a great experience for you; your first in the real world and once you've recovered from your stropping, you might have something worthwhile to add to the conversation!

  10. Velcro 13

    National school bunk-off day. Tell them please – there is no climate crisis

    [weka has already warned you once today about no climate change denial but you seem to wilfully ignore these hints. Perhaps you are angling for a ban, in which case I am happy to oblige – Incognito]

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

  11. Eco maori 14

    It's excellent to see this device working cleaning up the Plastic Waste in Our Pacific Ocean. I have been watching the progress on this device it like any idea /invention one doesn't really know how it's going to work until it tried in Te real. Papatuanuku a few tweets here and there a it working Ka Pai it's a passive device so the device will have a low carbon footprint thanks to Boyan and his team for this Great invention

    Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time

    Floating boom finally retains debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, creator says

    A huge floating device designed by Dutch scientists to clean up an island of rubbish in the Pacific Ocean that is three times the size of France has successfully picked up plastic from the high seas for the first time.

    Boyan Slat, the creator of the Ocean Cleanup project, tweeted that the 600 metre-long (2,000ft) free-floating boom had captured and retained debris from what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

    About 600,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes of fishing gear is abandoned or lost at sea each year. Another 8m tonnes of plastic waste flows in from beaches.

    Ocean currents have brought a vast patch of such detritus together halfway between Hawaii and California, where it is kept in rough formation by an ocean gyre, a whirlpool of currents. It is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world’s oceans

    We now have a self-contained system in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that is using the natural forces of the ocean to passively catch and concentrate plastics … This now gives us sufficient confidence in the general concept to keep going on this project.”

    The plastic gathered so far will be brought to shore in December for recycling. The project believes there may be a premium market for items that have been made using plastic reclaimed from the ocean.

    “I think in a few years’ time when we have the full-scale fleet out there, I think it should be possible to cover the operational cost of the cleanup operation using the plastic harvested,” Slat said.

    The plan is to now scale up the device and make it more durable so it can retain plastic for up to a year or possibly longer before collection is necessary

    Ka kite Ano link below below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/03/ocean-cleanup-device-successfully-collects-plastic-for-first-time

  12. Eco maori 15

    Solar paint this technology has the potential to drastically reduce the cost of solar. We could have our planes painted with all our vehicles builting whare.

    Our future is bright we just have to change to clean and green everything

    How solar paint is shaking up the renewable energy industry

    In 2016, the US solar industry contributed more than $150 billion in economic activity. When that kind of serious cash starts flooding an industry, you know new innovation isn't far behind.

    Spray-on solar cells. Image source: wonderfulengineering.com

    And what sounds more innovative than ‘solar paint’? A paint that can generate electricity, but still works as normal paint? The ability to turn not only a roof, but an entire building into a solar-generating surface? If that doesn't scream innovation, then I don't know what does.

    So far, the lifeblood of the solar industry has been traditional photovoltaic solar panels. Solar panels are a well-proven technology that save homeowners a ton of money. However, the hassle and expense of rooftop panel installations often deter people from switching to solar energy.

    Now imagine a world where we could simply paint our roofs and walls with a type of paint that can generate electricity. Though we're pretty far off from actually implementing this technology, it's still exciting to think about.

    So, what is solar paint? The most important thing to know is that it isn’t a single product; currently there are three different technologies that are referred to as 'solar paint'.

    The 3 types of solar paint

    The idea of using a paint-like substance to generate electricity has been discussed within the scientific community for many years. Only recently have the potential for real-world applications emerged.

    There are three separate innovations that are classified as solar paints. Here we explore what they are and what they might mean for the future of solar energy Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.solar-estimate.org/news/solar-paint-hydrogen-quantum-dot-perovskite-solar-cells

  13. Eco maori 16

    Kia Ora Newshub

    As far as I'm concerned every bit of data that is linked to the Internet can be hacked. Eco Maori data is being stolen every minute of the day and spread around Te Papatuanuku a lot of my facts are manipulated to make me look bad.

    State highway 4 got a big slip on it caused by to much rain that's you no what.

    There you go the Royals data being hacked by rotten people.

    Know Your Stuff is doing A great Mahi drugs need to be tested at all concerts.

    Every one knows my opinion on Bernie.

    Its cool that the new radiation machine that can focus radiation treatment on a tumor you see what a good government does invested it technology that helps all people not just the wealth like the last lot

    Ka kite Ano

  14. Eco maori 17

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    I have learned that Te Kooti was a great Tane he was ripped off his whenua and locked up sent to the Chatham Islands. My first opinion was from a story from someone who had a radu with his Iwi so it was bias against him.

    Tipene funerals I watched the show many times.

    First Nations Dornie yes the Canadian tangata whenua are being treated badly like Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa is being treated badly Kia Kaha to all Indigenous Tangata. I believe it Eco Maori was not Tangata Whenua this BULLSHIT would not be happening to Me thanks for the Fame.

    Esports tangata grab it with both hands it can generate heaps of putea they are basing it on culture values.

    Ka kite Ano

  15. Eco maori 19

    This is a great read just a couple of points Eco Maori want to make.

    One huge forest canopies created their own environment they hold water in the Papatuanuku they don't dry out there environment they draw in rain clouds.

    The other ones quite obvious we should plant 10 trees per person trillion of trees in all the correct places will enhance the local environment just like sun sails do during the hot summer days I'm not going to quote one of my favourite TV series The Big Bang theory. Famous line

    If Each of Us Planted a Tree, Would It Slow Global Warming?

    Ask a physicist: Just how much carbon could 7.5 billion new trees pull out of the atmosphere?

    Here are some self-evident truths: Humans need to produce less carbon dioxide—assuming we care a fig about our children’s well-being. But even that’s no longer enough. CO2 levels in the atmosphere have reached 400 parts per million, a huge increase over historical levels of around 300 ppm. The fact is, we also need to figure out how to remove some of the CO2 that’s already out there.

    As a short-term solution, intrepid climate activist Greta Thunberg suggests we plant more trees. It’s a lovely idea. Who doesn't like trees? While R&D labs struggle to come up with viable carbon-capture technologies, we already have this “magic machine,” as her video says, that “sucks carbon out of the air, cost very little, and builds itself.” And we don't need to wait for craven politicians to get on board

    I really want to believe in this. What if every person on Earth took it upon themself to plant a tree. One treetop per child. Just how much carbon dioxide could we hope to scrub out of the atmosphere? Would it help reverse climate change? Let’s do the math!

    trees instead of pine trees— you can click the pencil icon to edit it. Click Play to run the calculation.

    trees instead of pine trees— you can click the pencil icon to edit it. Click Play to run the calculation.

    Hey, that's not bad! This says that if every one of us took a couple of hours this weekend to plant a tree, it would eventually reduce the carbon dioxide level by around 6 percent from the current level

    How about one more quick estimation. If everyone planted a tree, how much land would that require? Let's say they’re planted in a square grid, 5 meters apart, so that each tree takes up an area of 25 square meters. With 7.5 billion trees, that requires 1.8 x 1011square meters of land, or 72,000 square miles. That's roughly the size of North Dakota

    I think we could do that. And with all due respect, North Dakota could use some more trees. Oh, for comparison, the Amazon rain forest has an area of 2.1 million square miles. Please don't burn it down.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.wired.com/story/plant-a-tree-for-climate-change/

    • Dukeofurl 19.1

      North Dakota natural environment is grasslands not forests like you suggest, as its known as a Prairie state.

  16. Eco maori 20

    Egmont Fisheries owner is trying to blame the demise of Our Maui Dolphin on cat urine get off the grass. He would rather see our Maui Dolphin go extinct.

    He will still be here if the reservation are put in place to protect our Maui Dolphin. If we don't put in proper protection for Our Maui Dolphin they will not be here they will go into our books of extinct wildlife.

    He is also lieing about only catching one dolphin in 9 years YEA RIGHT.

    Let's look after our Wildlife Taonga so Our mokopuna can be proud of Aotearoa conservation reputation

    Ka kite Ano.

  17. Eco maori 21

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    More Alcohol related problems for our Rangatahi.

    I have warned people about going to Countrys that are not a safe as Aotearoa and Australia be careful we you travel.

    Was alcohol involved in that shooting in America that's a good reason to restrict people who have guns no guns no-one gets shot.

    Ka kite Ano

  18. Eco maori 22

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News

    All the criminal imports from Australia's are joining the local gangs a recruiting young boys they have a different Levels of criminals in Australia coming Here making Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa look bad they are a small minority of Tangata Whenua.

    That's great our government is making the health sector healthier how about making there buildings more environmentaly friendly ie get coal out of the heating system of hospitals.

    Ka kite Ano

  19. Eco maori 23

    Sounds like the sports commentator for the Rugby is selling PEE with all his wize cracks he thinks it's a joke it ain't no joke muppet.

  20. Eco maori 24

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    Niki that's a good yarn to try and cover the Eco Maori effect.

    Its excellent that KiwiRail New Zealand is transporting more logs its better for our environment roads and tangata using our road safety.

    Its good to see people are supportive of a logical move to save our Rangatahi lives there are many factors to why people end up taking that stuff ie some muppet putting it in someone's drink with out them knowing so it will be nice to know that the stuff is tested.

    Hone hows the boys on the Rock. The way I see it they see the big man in front of them then duck for cover next minute yellow card.

    Bully

    Ka kite Ano

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