Problems arise though, when the photoshopping – both metaphorical and literal – is carried out with a bit too much gusto.
Just ask Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who found himself the butt of ridicule when his staff botched an unnecessary photoshop job, by pasting hip new sneakers over his tired old kicks.
Mistakenly giving the embattled leader two left feet in the process was just too good for the internet to let slide. More seriously, the gaffe served to highlight the level of detail a leader’s army of press secretaries will go to, to control their image.
New Zealand’s politicians are no different in that regard.
Whether it’s Clark Gayford breaking a month-long Instagram hiatus to poke self-deprecating fun at his “christmas belly”, National leader Simon Bridges guzzling a beer in a floral shirt, or Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern signing on for a round of soft media in the gossip mags.
None of these images tell us anything worth knowing about them. All are designed to give the illusion that they do.
Sadly, in the case of women, it’s more closely aligned to the subject’s looks. But as it applies to male political leaders, it could perhaps be more accurately described as the “beer test”, as in “he seems like a good guy to have a beer with”.
Hence the beer gut, the drinking shot, and myriad softly-lit photo shoots.
But that only gets a politician so far and this is the year where the rubber hits the road for the leaders of both major parties.
The Government’s stalled as long as it can with sundry working groups. The trouble with appointing experts to these things is that they’re incredibly earnest in their responsibilities to come up with solutions.
Solutions which cost money, of which the Government has plenty but still not enough to fulfil the promises it’s made.
Health, mental health, education reform, justice reform, public service pay, climate change and tax issues are all crying out for bold decisions and tankers of cash.
For the Opposition, getting through the inevitable return of Jami-Lee Ross unscathed, and avoiding a significant drop in the polls, will be what decides Simon Bridges’ leadership.
It looks likely it will be a make or break year for the leadership Bridges. More of the same is not going to do it.
It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.
perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.
Maybe it’s all a kneejerk reaction to Keys cult of personality.
Clark Gayford isn’t a politician so you need to retract that BS. Then after actually talking about MP’s (being in social media means you aint working) you bring in the opposition to appear balanced.
Kind of dishonest wrapped in cheese.
You got nothing but you’re gonna have a jab anyway.
Could be make or break for James Shaw and climate change measures – he has to start coming up with substantial and credible and affordable plans or many Green supporters and potential supporters will be disillusioned (there’s already some signs of that).
It could also be make or break for the Green Party, whose less popular social reform faction seems to get much more media attention than their environmental faction. A split vote may make 5% difficult to achieve. There were warning signs last election.
Nah, they’ll be fine. It’s Bridges who’ll be sweating bricks. No one’s got his back and it’s a knife-magnet. His yapping in the House is annoying all those inside and even his own “family” think he needs time on the porch. What can he do, cease his constant wimpering and hope to allowed to stay inside, or bark louder to convince the Household he’s indispensable as a guard dog?
There’s really nothing a dog can do.
Could be make or break for the new Conservatives! Lack of solid backing makes 5% unlikely and it’s not clear which electorate the Nats will gift them – or if the coat-tailing provisions will survive long enough for it to pay off.
(How am I doing at this distraction thing?)
…many Green supporters and potential supporters will be disillusioned…
Always a problem for political parties. Even in opposition you can’t be all things for all people. It gets harder in government. And all political parties are coalitions internally. They are always annoying supporters.
This is why Labour often leaks support to the Greens and NZ First and there are the floaters who leak between NZ First, Labour to and from National.
However the harder line Green supporters have the same problem as the remaining hardline NAct supporters. Where are they going to go? Their choice really is to vote for their best party to:-
1. express vaguely something like their views and hope.
2. not vote – something that extremists don’t usually do.
3. waste their vote on a party that has no hope of hitting the threshold – which most of the time is a zero sum game (the extremists from all angles generally cancel themselves out). Think mana, conservatives, and united future (the beige extremists).
4. get involved in a viable political party and try to shift their positions.
With the greens of all flavors, once you get outside of the flaky fashion voters (useless damn voters for any party to pursue in my opinion), then they usually do something like 1 or 4 and almost invariably within the Greens.
It is pretty damn apparent to any green voter that they either figure out how to tolerate each other ( for instance the the conservationists and social equity crowds ) or they they just forget about having any say in parliament.
This isn’t exactly rocket science. After all the Nats are a complete anathema to almost every consistent green voter I have ever run across outside of the fashion victims. National have a very long and extended history of being environmental and social terrorists – and are complete hypocrites about it. And they don’t think that Labour is much better.
Sure in theory a new party could form. But that is so virtually impossible with a 5% threshold that I feel it is unlikely to happen. I suspect that any attempt to do so will just cause the Green supporters to vote tactically to make sure that National won’t get in (and I think that a lot of NZ First voters feel the same way).
“It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.
perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.”
Yes to all that pete, I agree fully.
Jacinda made us vote for her on her solid performance with her famous “auckland town Hall speech” which still remains to be largely fulllfilled in it’s promises made.
Things such as “Climate Change” ‘This is my generations nuclear moment’ – has been left on the back burner along with getting regional rail freight moving again, because labour in their last time in Government in 2008 bought the rail back for us all, and now in power she has done little to restore regional rail freight, as it and free up roads for tourists and Kiwi people to travel fafer, but all we see so far is Labour pouring more god money after bad into minior alterations to make roads better for trucks so that is dumb as trucks are now wrecking our climat change emisions targets.
Next was Labour Jacinda promised was to bring us a Government that was a softer, gentler, caring, inclusive, considerate and transperant Government who will listen to our concerns, and provide ousing for all and jobs, but this was the basic plan Jacinda made us believe, and sadly so far the opposite has occurred here.
The clock is ticking jacinda so please make this wish come true for us all this year. ‘Lets do this’. – (Jacinda called her plea as in pre-election 2017.)
Sometimes the symbolism of one small action that goes against the flow can make all the difference.
Regional rail to Gisborne could be one such example.
Electrifying the main trunk line could be another. Doubling the rail line to Northland another.
All of sudden you have a nation that is seen on the world stage as being serious in standing up to roading lobby.
The fact that there is such antipathy, to even taking this one small first step, is an , indication that the roading and trucking lobby know the power of symbolism. And fear it.
“That’s not surprising given that Americans by a similarly large plurality agree with the proposition that “the U.S. has been engaged in too many military conflicts in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan for too long and should prioritize getting Americans out of harm’s way” far more than they agree with the pro-war view that “the U.S. needs to keep troops in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan to help support our allies fight terrorism and maintain our foreign policy interests in the region.””
Greenwald reports the evidence that the real warmongers are the Democrats: “But what is remarkable about the new polling data on Syria is that the vast bulk of support for keeping troops there comes from Democratic Party voters, while Republicans and independents overwhelming favor their removal. The numbers are stark: Of people who voted for Clinton in 2016, only 26 percent support withdrawing troops from Syria, while 59 percent oppose it. Trump voters overwhelmingly support withdraw by 76 percent to 14 percent.”
There is zero evidence that the Ukrainian political consultant ..note ..Ukrainian not Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik , has ties to the Russian security services.
The long bow being strung here is that when Kilimkin applied for his job at the International Republican Institute(strongly associated with the US govt), he was perfectly open about where he learned his fluent English…at a Soviet military school ,pretty standard for Soviet citizens, and later worked as a translator for the Russian army.He was jokingly referred to as GRU.and not considered a security risk
Kilimnik worked for Manafort’s consultancy in Ukraine, which was advising Yanukovich to turn towards the west and pursue admittance to the EU.Yanukovich straddled a line between Russia and Europe and tried to play both off against each other as a way to tread water
(In the event, the EU aid package didnt weigh up against the loss of Ukraine’s biggest trading partner, Russia , some 60 billion dollars down according to Yanukovich’s own treasury advisors.The Russian offer along with cheap gas was the only workable one.
When Yanukovich pleaded with the EU to cut him a better deal, they refused.)
So working with an American flash Harry who’s advising a Ukrainian despot to turn west is apparently the work of a “Russian operative”… but these are the times we live in , where journalism is in thrall to partisan, old and tired geopolitical agendas .
And we the consumers have to pretend not to gag on outlandish bullshit .
Repeat after me, Black is White
Here’s the Nation , rather more Democrat aligned than Republican
Heh. The most libertarian free-marketeer in the US Senate rejects the services available from his home free market and goes to a foreign country with a socialist system and socialized service providers to get his medical care.
I think we are going to have to bring back the death penalty. Such behaviour as this mean that this person should never be let out into society again. With a planet full of people, and not able to look after the innocent and vulnerable now, those who cross over into viciousness have no place in the world and should be humanely put down.
Yellow shirts argue for tax reform… …on the rich. How about banning foriegn multi millionaires? over say 100 million from travel overseas. Those individuals that rich are incapable of spend even a smidgen in a foreign country, except on homes,so reek havoc to the global economy in inequality, and it’s not like their numbers are growing, in fact wealth is falling to fewer and fewer. When there is a threat to the people our leaders must act… …and it’s not like the wealthy will have it hard, they are swimming in money, they can fly the four star French chef over and simulate the world economy for a change. And it’s not like they are thick, they have the ability to give to charity, raise wages of faithful employees, or family…etc. Why would we create and maintain a system of economic value, that allows value to be acrued, yet then once acrued inhibits wider wealth dissipation, or we could, as the yellow shirts want, just tax them more to pay for the troubles tgey are producing. although a few Saudi princes kept at home might have redirected their locus of perception and saved a journalist.
Up to €9,807: 0%
€9,807–27,086: 14%
€27,086–72,617: 30%
€72,617–153,783: 41%
€153,783+: 45%
………………
In addition to the basic rates of income tax those fortunate few with a taxable income of upwards of €250,000 pa are liable for a special tax called contribution exceptionnelle sur les hauts revenus.
This tax is at the rate of 3% on income up to €500,000, and at the rate of 4% on income above €500,000.
Married couples and those in a civil partnership are exempt up to €500,000, when they then become liable at the rate of 3% to €1m, and 4% above this figure.
The tax is imposed on net income, after determination of the tax liability under the standard scale rates.
…………….
They also rebate tax liability for dependants.
A couple with 2 kids pay no tax until €47,452
So how are the rich not paying there fair share of tax. They are already not far off the only ones paying.
In practice, less than 50% of inhabitants in France pay any income tax at all; only around 14% pay at the rate of 30%, and less than 1% pay at the rate of 45%.
My guess is the ones protesting are in that 50% figure and pay no tax.
Tax was lowered on the wealthiest. Still you miss the point, great wealth can buy real estate in nz that harms our economy, pushing up housing costs for citizens here. The idea is either raise taxes on the wealthy, or stop them travelling and using that wealth to collude, distort and open unproductive relationships. Sure we want the good investments just have the debate also about the bad. giving someone bragging rights over multiple homes, boats, etc in multiple dominion is wealth pollution. Look a fail maker who moves here and invests great, a psuedo journalist who never made a buck anyone actually needed… …why expose ourselves to wealth acquired by colluding in foreign. We don’t allow free movement of people, why should we want fire movement of wealth people who have all the same spectrum of infalliabilities just more money to damage economies.
John Key millionarie exception brought in dotcom… …really can’t we debate now was that good policy, is it good to have nonproductive ownership…
Get down where you belong NZs – where tourism is king and queen or Irish or something. Tote that barge, lift that rubbish, joyride in a car and you’ll really be rubbished.
Guess what – all the same group. The Brits won the pools and came to rubbish us,
supposed to be Irish but who knows. For the reporter this was the gift that kept on giving. Watch out they might be headed your way and ready for some hooliganism.
soddenleaf says what about banning multi millionaires?
What about getting $100 per tourist up front, plus an insurance policy against damage and possible costs they incur in this country. We don’t know actually how much profit we get from this people invasion. And then if there is profit, how much of it stays in NZ. Bet they set up here as foreigners, get cheap people from overseas, arrange to receive all their country’s people so they can speak their own language, so easy, and then pocket everything and send the profit to a tax haven with us getting diddleysquat and I don’t know what that is, but it looks like trouble!
Bruce That’s very informative – I had heard that some Chinese were getting offered very cheap tours, but finding that they were subject to stand-over tactics by tour organisers.
I wonder if countries are allowed to set up their own tourist offices in China.
This would ensure that the idea of being shown the country to the Chines as guests being cared for by the host country might go down well. With more Chinese speakers being churned out of course to talk face to face with the people.
I don’t think so , but it’s easy to see the country from local perspective esp now with google maps, not sure about China but here we just pick a place thats looks interesting and try to find the bus, truck or whatever to get there. And if your lucky enough to get lost and end up in the hands of the locals to get back to civilisation the fun really begins. These days though, I stay around one area so have to wait till it looks like rain, head off into the hills, get caught in the rain find shelter, wait for some locals to take pity on me and take me home. I used to feel uncomfortable with the disparity in wealth and circumstance but have since learned that the hill people have no idea of how we live and are quite content in their lives and are happy to share, there are always ways to appropriately respond.
Have you ever toured in the Shansi province north of Xian? I was fascinated by the story of the little woman missionary Gladys Aylward who managed to raise her own money to get herself to a mission in China in that province.
She went by sea, then railway, then sea again, and I think finally by donkey
to a lower mountain walled township. They seemed to be very able people, in a hard climate. The remote mountain villages had scattered gardens of millet as their main food I think. I have thought of going there but it is getting off the main tourist drag and of course I have to save up a fair bit.
Have you been there? I think she was in Feng Yang. Or have you been to where Rewi Alley established a school over in the west?
No never into China, Mong la on the border in Shan State but it’s just a casino so no interest back to Kentung.
It’s only the airfare that costs and with an eye on the specials you can get to Bangkok for under a thousand and then 30 or 40 a day is ample. 12 to 15 for nice room, I’m fussy and immune suppressed so choosy. Meals are dollar or two, buses are generally safe $40 gets 1000 ks . Just stay as long as possible to dilute the airfare cost .
It’s an international problem, not just Chinese. All group / package tourism markets have this aspect.
Probably the most blatant is the cruise ship industry who are there to fleece their punters in every way they can and demand huge commissions from any outside operator they might throw a few crumbs to.
Mmm. Venice has been cutting down hard on day trippers etc. I Think that NZ is fooled a bit – we are making money from dairying – but what is the net return when you deduct the lost or damaged resources. Tourism – what clever ways of siphoning off profits and minimising taxes and the crowds needing resources!
Try to set up some hiousing project and a fair proportion of the group are from
the USA. When can we have our own country as a resource for ourselves? Of course what Maori have been asking for years.
We could set up a little enclave in Todd McClay’s Rotovegas and call it Benedorm.
Just think of all the opportunities for development and growth going forward.
It’d be a ‘win win’ situation for all. We could even schedule a RoNS extension from Paengaroa and capture the cruise ship market calling in at Tearwronga
The tourist spend was $11.8 billion.
There were 3,733,707 visitors.
So each visitor spends $3160.
So if they are charged $100, if >1 in 31.6 visiters decides not to come to NZ then we loose income.
If you use tax gained from the activity at the immediate level you have GST but also Tax on wages, fuel, Buisiness profits, etc. Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up. It should be similar to the result. The % of the economy the government takes in taxes. Our Tax to GDP rate is 32%.
So the government gets about. $1,011 a tourist.
Tax vs Levi. If >1 in 10 tourists doesn’t come to NZ the Government gets less taxes.
Other issue.
How much does the tourist have to spend. If they only have $3160 then they including the Levi will still spend $3160. So it won’t be $3160, plus all of the $100.
So the income figure, and tax figure would be affected by that change in figures.
It could end up generating more revenue if numbers are less affected, and spend is less affected by an additional $100 levy.
But nothing expands exponentially. The way we are is one of the pleasures of coming here. Are we too nice? We will gradually get sourer as numbers mount.
And the hospitality industry is dependent on tourists, and they are poorly paid.
Revenue isn’t everything, it can’t buy us pristine water for instance.
And some visitors don’t spend a lot, are quite poor, these are woofers. And they often are very genuinely interested in the country and people and put a lot of effort into helping horticulture etc.
Just taking averages is interesting but not really informative. Some nations spend more than others according to the stats.
A lot of Australians come here for short holidays; some are Kiwis and stay with family. Not much to feed the hopeful tourist businesses. Then the very wealthy, do they go off to a remote hacienda and fish fine trout or something.
Not much expenditure for the locals, except for the guide to the best spots.
Plus @DJW, each tourist shits on average 1kg per day, and the average length of stay is between 19 and 22 days.
So lets be fair and say the average excrement load per tourist is 20 kilograms.
So lets multiply that by the record breaking 3.7 million tourists per year.
That’s approximately 74,000,000 kilograms of shit per annum or 74,000 tonnes looking for prospects.
Admittedly some of it will be high quality shit but a lot of it will be pretty average but it seems to me there must be a business opportunity for some entrepreneurial ‘type’ such as yourself.
Money money money ……etc.
Oh, and by the way “Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up.”
I could probably arrange for a few Dalits to come and assist with the enterprise if you’d like – strictly below minimum wage of course and they’ll spend all they earn.
Well as a former minimum/low wage worker for a good part of my early life I had to make hard choices. I left a Job that over time was paying OK to study, living on the bones of my arse as it took to September to get a allowance approved. I moved city ariving with $5 to my name to start a new job that led to my position today. I abandoned that job to study a subject I needed to learn but new little about. I worked 8 to 12 hour night shifts and studied during the day. I moved city again and luckily got a job I wanted, again with nothing. My pay effectively doubled but your making a mistake if you think I don’t know how hard it is.
Money, money, money!
As a stay at home dad that chooses to work part time so I can have a quality life with my kids while they are young, I got my priorities and balance spot on.
Yes I know @ DJ. Some of us have had similar experiences and so if everybody just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps like you and me, the world would be a much better place.
It’s so good to be able to just sit back in the knowledge we’re both the self-made man
Yep. The Trump and Bush Senior hard worker driven types with the silver spoon are rare. The rest like Bush junior not so much.
There is other rarities like Musc.
The hard parts of life help show the value of the free things all around you.
My brother who I had to take custody when I was 19 left school young to go on the independent youth benifit, on the day he qualified. Eventually he decided to do something with himself. He door knocked, offered his services for free to a business starting by sweeping the floor. Obviously that’s exploitation by the buisness but he learnt a skill that led to a job, a better job, his present job where he earns over 6 figures, flash vehicle, and boss to about 60 staff.
Yea yea, understand mate. Fully! Fully!
But you know what? as me dear ole mum said on her death bed just before she popped her clogs …. she said “son, I know its been a hard life with that useless git of a father of yours and all, and I couldn’t have done it without ya. I’m proud of ya son”
And I said “yea mum, I know ya struggled but I didn’t get where I am today with all that bleeding heart liberal stuff”
And I thought, if I an do it, ANYBODY can!
And just before she departed this glorious world, she said “son, just remember, ya don’t owe noone nuttin”.
I ‘ve remembered that to this very day. It’s what drives me in every thing I do
And if anybody still thinks Orwell’s 1984 is fiction, that things are more extreme in the US and similar conditions can’t happen here… where have these dreamers been since 1984? Chris Hedges nails it.
‘Neoliberalism argues that the essence of freedom is free enterprise, while never addressing workers’ surrender of basic freedoms. Neoliberalism holds out the promise, which has not been true since before the Industrial Revolution, that workers can become self-employed if they are hardworking and innovative. We all have the ability to achieve economic independence or become industry leaders if we draw on our inner resources, according to the neoliberal mantra, one popularized by mass culture. […] This is a con.’
Well you can start your own Buisiness if you like can’t you. I’m self imployed. I was a worker on a wage. I was a worker on a salary. But I’ve always had the choice to be self employed, or start a Buisiness. Starting a Buisiness however takes commitment, hard work, and the willingness to risk ones own money and pay taxes on profits.
What does the worker risk?
Men get paid more for the risky jobs they do vs females low risk jobs, shows worker risk gets rewarded.
People who start Buisiness.
The very same people who create those modern day slavery workers jobs.
Imagine what the workers would do if nobody created jobs.
You are the master of your own destiny in a free society.
Change job it it’s not making you happy.
No guarantees, but with a good social system to help the unfortunate, or lazy.
If you wish to start a Buisiness there is free classes, and grants. There’s nothing stopping you, other than your own glass ceiling.
To a certain extent that’s right. But it takes a careful man or woman to keep a business going. Got to get paid and be carefully regular checking and working out payments with the strugglers and others. You actually have to have some spare money or assets to get started. Lots of businesses go down because they are under capitalised, and can’t get that extra loan to tide them over. You are in a business that needs your skills. So good luck with that.
If you have a family your children might never see you and you slave away all hours, and have to live on tick while you work at getting the money in. And if the business doesn’t work out, it can sap all your energy. You have a change of lifestyle, have to give up your house and buy a caravan and start all over in another direction.
“Good on you for cutting him off, Wallace!”
Wallace Chapman, Hero. Or is he? The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 15 January 2019
Wallace Chapman, David Cormack, Janet Wilson, Caitlin Cherry
First item for the day: a discussion about the wisdom or otherwise of police car chase policies. The “expert” for this topic was one John Lambert, an Australian road safety expert. However, this came to an abrupt end when Lambert claimed that Maori were more likely to break the law than Pakeha. This elicited gasps from David Cormack and host Wallace Chapman, who said: “We can’t accept that” and quickly got rid of him. He then condemned “that bizarre and woeful comment.”
Five minutes later…..
WALLACE CHAPMAN: A lot of responses about the gentleman from Australia. A lot of people hated the way I cut him off, but then a lot of people said “Good on you for cutting him off.”
DAVID CORMACK: Good ON you for cutting him off, Wallace!
You will never be 100% happy with any reporter, journalist or media commentator other than the handful of ones you idolize. I’m sure the file you have on Wallace is better ranked than the one on Mora, so be thankful there’s been a change on The Panel 🙂
I expect them to do their job, which is to understand their subject to an expert level, report the facts, and to rigorously hold politicians and propagandists to account. Some reporters—Glenn Greenwald, Jon Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Robert Fisk, Jeremy Scahill—do exactly those things. Some, on the other hand—Jim Mora, Rachel Maddow, and as I showed in those three references, Wallace Chapman—fail to do those things.
Yes, I’m thankful there’s been a change on The Panel. Today we saw a new Wallace Chapman. Time will tell whether he keeps challenging people like he did John Lambert this afternoon, or whether he will be as supine and indolent as he was when he let Lee Child vomit his disgusting views.
WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha! I mean: “Painful and real disincentive against holding pistols again until they have healed, which could be a long time depending on their approach to nutrition and antisepsis.” [nervously] Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
LEE CHILD: Ha ha ha ha! Well, that’s the thing with Reacher. He’s got a heart of gold, but he’s not a goody-goody. You know, he will get the job done in the most brutal way imaginable. Which I think also resonates with people.
WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha ha!
LEE CHILD: I mean, people are FED UP with all these rules—
WALLACE CHAPMAN: Ha ha!
LEE CHILD: I mean, if you want to do something, just DO it.
Gang members break into a property you own, say they own it (they don’t), and move in.
Police are brought in and those squatting in the property are trespassed, but tough shit for you the property owner because nothing else happens and you run out of money paying for the mortgage, and legal bills.
I’m all for tenant rights but the scale needs balance if only to stop incidents like this, rare though it is. WHY AREN’T THEY ARRESTED FOR TRESPASS AGAIN? Useless cops.
Did you notice that the gang used to own the property. They don’t now as they got bankrupted? Or had it taken off them when they got had on drug dealing.
But they had built it themselves. If we had legalised marijuana back then they could have been encouraged to drop the meth and go legit on quality, tested grass.
If only.
Yes I know, a little dream. My quote – ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would
ride.’ If only, about the saddest most evocative words there are in the language.
After I read this story I new google shonky + tara Iti golf club and sure enough he is linked in this mess he goal was to serve his rich amercian m8 he would have bulldozed through all the laws we have to protect OUR indangered animals to get this golf club built and worse still the named the club after the Bird that they are causing the EXTINCTION of both links below. We have a obligation to protect these TARONGA birds of Aotearoa FROM the greedy wealthy men
New Zealand’s rarest bird on the brink of extinction: ‘This is a crisis year’
A disastrous breeding season has plunged one of the world’s rarest birds even deeper into crisis.
The critically endangered fairy tern/tara iti, the country’s rarest native bird species with fewer than 40 individuals, has had only three chicks hatch this season.
New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust convenor Heather Rogan says one chick has gone missing, which could make this the worst breeding season in at least 27 years.
The Department of Conservation maintained on Monday that all three chicks were alive and well. If that’s the case and they all fledge, this would still be the worst season since 1996-7, the last time three chicks fledged.
The luxury Tara Iti Golf Club has been built nearby and exclusive housing developments are planned in the old Mangawhai Forest, bought by Te Uri o Hau in its Treaty settlement. As part of the developments, a public reserve is to be created.
“It just seems one thing after the other has been piling pressure on,” says Rogan.
It appears, however, that DOC has dropped the ball. A 10-year fairy tern recovery plan was produced in 2005 but the recovery group was disbanded before the term was finished.
“If all the things that were in there had been followed, we might be a bit better off,” says Rogan.
(Iftikar didn’t know why the group was disbanded.)
SLOW PROGRESS
Progress also seems slow. DOC called a meeting of interested groups in March last year to discuss some of the strategies and priorities for saving the fairy tern. A recovery group was one of the top priorities, yet it’s still not established.
Looking back five years, the Fairy Tern Trust, set up in ka kite ano links below. P.S I can see the money mens spin doctors are using the media one story I found stated the Tara iti had a good season what lies the alt right throw at us.
The moon
Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon
A small cotton shoot is growing onboard Chang’e 4 lunar lander, scientists confirm
A small green shoot is growing on the moon after a cotton seed germinated onboard a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said.
The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister after the Chang’e 4 lander touched down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University.
“This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface,” said Xie Gengxin, who led the design of the experiment, on Tuesday.
Plants have been grown previously on the International Space Station, but this is the first time a seed has sprouted on the moon. The ability to grow plants in space is seen as crucial for long-term space missions and establishing human outposts elsewhere in the solar system, such as Mars.
Harvesting food in space, ideally using locally extracted water, would mean astronauts could survive for far longer without returning to Earth for supplies.
The Chang’e 4 probe – named after the Chinese moon goddess – made the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the moon on 3 January,
Chang’e 4 is also equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the moon’s surface.
Sign up for Lab Notes – the Guardian’s weekly science update
Read more
The lander released a rover, nicknamed Yutu 2 (Jade Rabbit), that will perform experiments in the Von Kármán crater.
The agency said four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of Chang’e 5 by the end of the year, which will be the first probe to return samples of the moon to Earth since the 1970s. ka kite ano links below
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
Health
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
Search »
International Edition+
U.S.
Arabic
Español
Set edition preference:
U.S.
International
Confirm
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
US carbon emissions on the rise again 06:24
(CNN)There may actually be a way to keep the worst of climate change at bay, but it’s going to take a herculean effort, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
Climate change is well underway already, the time to act and limit its human causes is now, many studies have shown. This latest report maps out what it may take to get there.
Antarctica ice melt has accelerated by 280% in the last 4 decades
It posits that if the world was to phase out its “carbon-intensive infrastructure” at the end of its design lifetime starting from the end of 2018, there’s a 64% chance that the planet’s peak temperature can remain below the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Above that, scientists predict the planet will see even more extreme weather events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, massive animal die offs and food shortages for millions. The planet is already two-thirds of the way there, with global temperatures having warmed about 1 degree Celsius.
To keep the global median temperature within this optimal 1.5 degree-Celsius limit, according to this study, change would have to happen across all sectors, not just in the energy sector. Power plants would need to be replaced, but so would gas and diesel-fueled cars, aircraft, ships and and industrial plants. Even cows would have to go — essentially, anything that contributes to global warming.
Under this scenario, infrastructure such as power plants wouldn’t have to be scrapped and replaced with a non-carbon emitting technology — at least, not immediately. The researchers are talking about a “design lifetime.” In the case of power plants, the average lifetime based on historic data, is about 40 years. The average lifetime of a car on the road now is more than 11 years, according to Consumer Reports, but could last for about 200,000 miles, or 15 years, US estimates show. Once they wear out, stop working or die, they’d be replaced with technology or products that do not contribute to climate change Ka kite ano link below
I see the alt right reporters are using cunning sly tact ticks to scare people off the ideas that a fare tax system in Needed .I SAY that it’s is need a tax on people who can afford it .The way s honky has setup the tax system a the minute the people who are broke are paying a higher tax % than a person making millions in proffets in the share market and that ain’t correct. The the more money the government gives the wealthy they take that money out of the system under there mattresses. The more money the government’s give the poor the money keeps flowing through the systems and is good for a capitalist based system. The wealthy people let there greed replace any logically humane way of thinking with bigotry. Ka kite ano. P.S we need to make this country fare that will fix some of the problems we have now links below https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/366876/two-options-proposed-for-taxing-capital-gain https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/359921/cap-gains-would-cut-house-prices-increase-ownership-study
Goods need to be made to last a life time not 2 to 5 years
frustrating: you buy a new appliance then just after the warranty runs out, it gives up the ghost.
You can’t repair it and can’t find anyone else to at a decent price, so it joins the global mountain of junk.
You’re forced to buy a replacement, which fuels climate change from the greenhouse gases released in the manufacturing process.
No captionPhoto: 123RF
But help is at hand, because people in Europe and parts of the USA will soon get a right to repair – of sorts.
Libby Peake is senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, a UK charity and environmental think tank, she tells Summer Times it’s a problem all over the world.
“The right to repair movement really stems from consumer frustrations with products that break long before they should and can’t be repaired because it’s either too expensive, or it’s too much of a hassle. Increasingly, it’s because products aren’t designed to be repaired,”
She says consumer goods such as washing machines are often designed with sealed drums that prevent consumers and repairers from accessing parts that would be easily and cheaply replaced, such as ball bearings. Faced with the choice of an expensive repair, consumers often choose to simply buy a new machine – “and it’s no wonder”, she says.
The movement started in the United States, where lawmakers in Massachusetts passed legislation that forced car manufacturers to provide information to consumers which would allow them to make repairs to vehicles themselves.
Increasingly, it’s moved into consumer electronics. Eighteen states across the US have now passed legislation for the right to repair and now the European Union is gearing up to do the same. Already, the EU is looking at improving product standards for things such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions.
No captionLibby Peake. Photo: Supplied
Ms Peake says the movement would be hugely beneficial to the environment.
“There are massively environmental consequences to the growing mountain of electronic waste that’s being created. It’s the fastest growing waste stream – not just the products, but the manufacturing itself which includes mining, water, and electricity use. It’s an energy intensive process.”
Previously the EU had focused on the eco-design directive which dictates standards on energy use, for instance LED lightbulbs and electricity or water use. Now it’s moving onto resource efficiency, product lifetime and the ease of repair.
Peake says several manufacturers have protested the proposed changes and argue only professional repairs should be conducted on their products. But the legislation has support from higher-end manufacturers who believe that if everyone were forced to meet minimum standards, it would make the industry more competitive and drive the least efficient products off the market.
Planned product obsolescence used to make sense for manufacturers to force new purchases of defunct electronics, but consumers are increasingly in favour of long-lasting products and Speake says their frustrations will begin to hit manufacturer bottom lines as consumers seek out more robust products. Ka kite ano
Peake says, now that jumps in technological advances have decreased, manufacturers could design things like phones and televisions with disassembly in mind, so the parts can be re-used or recycled. In terms of the losses they would incur by selling more robust phones for example, she says manufacturers may need to pivot to charging for things like software upgrades or repair services.
“People are increasingly sick of ‘take, make, dispose’ economy we’ve got. They want something that’s much more circular and doesn’t damage the planet so much – and ultimately – doesn’t damage their wallets.
Kia ora Newshub
History is in the making in Britain
Cryto currency is getting hacked Alot costing them billions they must have some power full computers to achieve that.
A fire at sea in Australia one has to be careful as on Tangaroa a fire at sea is a nightmare never seen one tho.
It must be a bad feeling knowing that you have a short time to live I could not fathom it.
Falling in love can turn Papatuanukue upside down.
A ride a horse in fast food outlet in Australia that’s a cool photo there are no shops were I rode my horses.
Tom its good to see one of the Football Ferns best players come back to play for them under a new coach. Ka kite ano
Time to listen to the people who’s only interest is saving OUR Papatuanuku and not the amount of interest there share’s are making while they are poisioning our Earth
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE COMPANYS AND CONSUMERS PAY MORE so there is a good price payed for plastic waste reclycling that will provide jobs and $$ for poor people .
1 billion is a drop in the bucket . NZ need to invest that amount alone let alone the hole planet investing 1 billion and trying to grab positive head lines in the media
Industry alliance sets out $1bn to tackle oceans’ plastic waste
Greenpeace sceptical about corporate polluters as alliance launched to reduce waste
Forbes, global plastics project leader at Greenpeace, said: “This is a desperate attempt from corporate polluters to maintain the status quo on plastics. In 2018 people all over the world spoke up and rejected the single-use plastics that companies like Procter & Gamble churn out on a daily basis, urging the industry to invest in refill and reuse systems and innovation. Instead of answering that call, P&G preferred to double down on a failed approach with fossil fuel giants Exxon, Dow and Total [which] fuel destructive climate change.”
He added: “Make no mistake, plastics are a lifeline for the dying fossil fuel industry, and this announcement goes to show how far companies will go to preserve it.”
Rob Kaplan, chief executive of Circulate Capital, which invests in recycling and other projects to reduce plastic waste, said businesses would provide the answer to plastic waste, but it would take many billions in investment. “There is no silver bullet to the plastic problem. Different parties are trying to push their own agenda, but there does not seem to be an alternative at present,” Ka kite ano links below
I hope this Goverment is going to back renewable Energy as fast as the Papatuanuku needs to . So we can guarantee a bright clean happy future for ALL Eco Maoris Wero to this Goverment.
Low-carbon electricity from wind and solar farms will be cheaper than gas and effectively subsidy-free by 2020, says the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
In a new report, the government’s official climate change advisor says that low-carbon supplies will be the most cost-effective way to fill the looming generation gap in the 2020s, as the UK’s ageing coal and nuclear plants retire. A more flexible grid will be a crucial complement to this shift.
However, the CCC also rows back from the stretching 2030 power decarbonisation target it once advocated, citing delays to the deployment of nuclear and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The report is a prelude to the CCC’s fifth carbon budget advice. On 26 November this advice will recommend a UK emissions cap for the five years from 2028 to 2032. S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
“When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
“Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming Ka kite ano links below P.S I say The NZ Goverment should be investing in solar and wind on the industrial and roof top solar make the power companys pay a net metering price that is the same as they charge us for the power.
A post from my phone gets them to stop there bullstuff you see people I post a post putting down the alt right and there sirens went off = alt right climate change denieing red necks the sandflys are ka kite ano
S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.
Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
“When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
“Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming
Ikea Investment in New Plastic Recycling Technology at Port of Amsterdam
Plastic Recycling Amsterdam, a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
Plastic Recycling Amsterdam (PRA), a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
The organisation explained that the new facility, which can be expanded on a modular basis, will initially process 17,000 tonnes of plastics annually and prepare them to be reused.
The development is part of its move expand its circular plastics hub. Once operational it will first wash incoming plastic waste, shred it and then route through a magnetic bath. Using Magnetic Density Separation (MDS) technology, the plastics can be separated with a purity of 99% because different plastics have different weights.
The technology was originally developed at Delft University of Technology. The sorted plastics can then be processed into high-quality new packaging materials.
According to PRA the technology also represents a breakthrough in sustainable plastics recycling. Compared with traditional plastics, 90% of CO2 and 75% of costs in the supply chain are saved by using this circular process.
“With its existing large-scale collection of plastics and the growth of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in the years ahead, the Port of Amsterdam is the ideal location for
establishing PRA,” commented Jaap Vandehoek, CEO of Umincorp.
Last week, Ingka, Ikea’s parent company, announced last week that it will invest in Umincorp.
“We are determined to make the difference in plastics recycling with our unique MDS technology and the recent investment by Ingka Group,” said Vandehoek
Roon van Maanen, Director Circular & Renewable Industry at Port of Amsterdam added: “PRA transforms recyclable plastics into raw materials for new plastics, while non-recyclable plastics are converted into transport fuel by Integrated Green Energy Solutions Amsterdam, which is also established in our Port. Ka kite ano limks below
There you go whano I went to the courthouse to sort my false fines I get a paper take it to the bank expecting it to be filed. Because ECO MAORI trust no system I check it out today and what do you know the sandflys have been in the bank after me and flashed there shiny badge and bin the papers I filed to pay there false fine I will load the payment by Internet banking. The only system these redneck sandflys want to share with Maori is there jail system everything else they keep the best for them selves and let Maori have what falls of the side of their overflowing plates and encourage US to fight over it Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub like the professor said the information is on the Internet.
Australia is behaving badly the way they are treating the People who imagrated their and locking them on Manu Island treating them worsted animals.
Its up to the Auckland Council to make sure that there suburbs are clean and healthy without rubbish making the place smell. Was that a advert advertiseing that ladys miss fortunes WTF that’s not on hope that PBS gets sued but one has to have heaps of money to get justice in NZ. Newshub we need to move away from plastic waste wrapping product ASAP.
That’s cool that the kuia got some of her belongings back Ana to kai the offenders got name and shame on the net.
That a natural phenomenon A ice disk in Main America
I seen the story of that boy down a borehole hope they find him safely and unhurt. Even though China.s plants ended up freezing on the far side of the Marama it still gives a sign that plants can grow on the moon. Ka kite ano
Diaspora: perception departs from reality In this collection of articles are two papers currently captivating the attention of people following the science and emergence of climate change, especially the rapid variety we've accidentally unleashed and which is now unfolding around us. The synthesis and review article Earth's Ice Imbalance by Slater ...
The ultra-rich have done very, very well out of the pandemic. Globally, the wealth of the ten richest people rose by US$540 billion last year, enough money to pay for the pandemic in its entirity. And in New Zealand, local billionaire Graeme Hart saw his wealth increase by almost NZ$3.5 ...
Postmodernism has long been looked upon as an indecipherable ideology and a source of amusement. In 1996 Alan Sokal, a physics professor at New York University, had a hoax article published in ‘Social Text’ an academic journal of postmodern cultural studies. In ‘Transgressing the Boundaries: Towards a Transformative Hermeneutics of ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Anew study in Nature Sustainability incorporates the damages that climate change does to healthy ecosystems into standard climate-economics models. The key finding in the study by Bernardo Bastien-Olvera and Frances Moore from the University of California at Davis: The models have been underestimating the ...
In a recent interview with RNZ (14th of January), NZ Council of Civil Liberties Chair Thomas Beagle, in response to Simon Bridges condemnation of the post-Trump Twitter purge of local far Right and other accounts, said the following: “Cos the thing about freedom of expression is that it’s not just ...
Let’s be clear: if Trump is not politically killed off once and for all, he will become a MAGA Dracula, rising from the dead to haunt US politics for years to come and giving inspiration to his wretched family of grifters and thousands of deplorables well into the next decade. ...
Since its demise as an imperial power, and especially its deindustrialisation under Thatcher, the UK's primary economic engine has been its role as a money laundry, using its network of overseas territories as tax havens to enable rich people around the world to steal from the societies they live in. ...
Last month OMV quit the Great South Basin and surrendered its offshore exploration permits outside of Taranaki. This month, Australian-owned Beach Energy has done the same: Beach Energy Resources New Zealand has decided to abandon all of its oil and gas exploration permits off the South Island coast, including ...
The new Northland case has been linked to the South African strain of Covid-19, one of a number of new, more contagious Covid variants. Here’s how they emerge and why. Let’s start with the basics. The genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19 is a strand of RNA ...
MARVIN HUBBARD, US citizen by birth, New Zealand citizen by choice, Quaker and left-wing activist, has been broadcasting his show, "Community or Chaos", on Otago Access Radio for the best part of 30 years. On 24 November last year, I spoke with him about the outcome of the 2020 General ...
This is a guest blog post by Daniel Tamberg, Potsdam, co-founder and director of SCIARA GmbH. The non-profit organisation SCIARA is developing and operating a flexible software platform for scientific simulation games that allows thousands of players to explore, design and understand possible climate futures together. Decision-makers in politics, business, ...
Yesterday's Gone: Cold shivers are running up and down the spines of conservatives everywhere. Donald Trump may have gone, but all the signs point to there being something much more momentous in the wind-shift than a simple return to the status quo ante. A change is gonna come. ONE COULD ...
Is it possible to live and let live in the post-Trump era? The online campaign to vilify Christopher Liddell, ex-White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to Trump, makes for an interesting case study. Liddell is a New Zealander whose illustrious career in corporate America once earned him plaudits ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 17, 2021 through Sat, Jan 23, 2021Editor's Choice12 new books explore fresh approaches to act on climate changeAuthors explore scientific, economic, and political avenues for climate action ...
This discussion is from a Twitter thread by Martin Kulldorff on 20 December 2020. He is a Professor at Harvard Medical School specialising in disease surveillance methods, infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety. His Twitter handle is @MartinKulldorff #1 Public health is about all health outcomes, not just a single ...
The Treasury forecasts suggest the economy is doing better than expected after the Covid Shock. John Kenneth Galbraith was wont to say that economic forecasting was designed to make astrology look good. Unfair, but it raises the question of the purpose of economic forecasts. Certainly the public may treat them ...
Q: Will the COVID-19 vaccines prevent the transmission of the coronavirus and bring about community immunity (aka herd immunity)? A: Jury not in yet but vaccines do not have to be perfect to thwart the spread of infection. While vaccines induce protection against illness, they do not always stop actual ...
Joe Biden seems to be everything that Donald Trump was not – decent, straightforward, considerate of others, mindful of his responsibilities – but none of that means that he has an easy path ahead of him. The pandemic still rages, American standing in the world is grievously low, and the ...
Keana VirmaniFrom healthcare robots to data privacy, to sea level rise and Antarctica under the ice: in the four years since its establishment, the Aotearoa New Zealand Science Journalism Fund has supported over 30 projects.Rebecca Priestley, receiving the PM Science Communication Prize (Photo by Mark Tantrum) Associate Professor ...
Nothing more from me today - I'm off to Wellington, to participate in the city's annual roleplaying convention (which has also eaten my time for the whole week, limiting blogging despite there being interesting things happening). Normal bloggage will resume Tuesday. ...
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weaponscame into force today, making the development, possession, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons illegal in international law. Every nuclear-armed state is now a criminal regime. The corporations and scientists who design, build and maintain their illegal weapons are now ...
"Come The Revolution!" The key objective of Bernard Hickey’s revolutionary solution to the housing crisis is a 50 percent reduction in the price of the average family home. This will be achieved by the introduction of Capital Gains, Land, and Wealth taxes, and by the opening up of currently RMA-protected ...
by Daphna Whitmore Twitter and Facebook shutting down Trump’s accounts after his supporters stormed Capitol Hill is old news now but the debates continue over whether the actions against Trump are a good thing or not. Those in favour of banning Trump say Twitter and Facebook are private companies and ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Democrats now control the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives for the first time in a decade, albeit with razor thin Congressional majorities. The last time, in the 111th Congress (2009-2011), House Democrats passed a carbon cap and trade bill, but it died ...
Session thirty-three was highly abbreviated, via having to move house in a short space of time. Oh well. The party decided to ignore the tree-monster and continue the attack on the Giant Troll. Tarsin – flying on a giant summoned bat – dumped some high-grade oil over the ...
Last night I stayed up till 3am just to see then-President Donald Trump leave the White House, get on a plane, and fly off to Florida, hopefully never to return. And when I woke up this morning, America was different. Not perfect, because it never was. Probably not even good, ...
Watching today’s inauguration of Joe Biden as the United States’ 46th president, there’s not a lot in common with the inauguration of Donald Trump just four destructive years ago. Where Trump warned of carnage, Biden dared to hope for unity and decency. But the one place they converge is that ...
Dan FalkBritons who switched on their TVs to “Good Morning Britain” on the morning of Sept. 15, 2020, were greeted by news not from our own troubled world, but from neighboring Venus. Piers Morgan, one of the hosts, was talking about a major science story that had surfaced the ...
Sara LutermanGrowing up autistic in a non-autistic world can be very isolating. We are often strange and out of sync with peers, despite our best efforts. Autistic adults have, until very recently, been largely absent from media and the public sphere. Finding role models is difficult. Finding useful advice ...
Doug JohnsonThe alien-like blooms and putrid stench of Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower, draw big crowds and media coverage to botanical gardens each year. In 2015, for instance, around 75,000 people visited the Chicago Botanic Garden to see one of their corpse flowers bloom. More than ...
Getting to Browser Tab Zero so I can reboot the computer is awfully hard when the one open tab is a Table of Contents for the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and every issue has more stuff I want to read. A few highlights: Gugler et al demonstrating ...
Michael Cowling, CQUniversity AustraliaWe’ve probably all been there. We buy some new smart gadget and when we plug it in for the first time it requires an update to work. So we end up spending hours downloading and updating before we can even play with our new toy. But ...
Timothy Ford, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts AmherstTo mitigate health inequities and promote social justice, coronavirus vaccines need to get to underserved populations and hard-to-reach communities. There are few places in the U.S. that are unreachable by road, but other factors – many ...
Israel chose to pay a bit over the odds for the Pfizer vaccine to get earlier access. Here’s The Times of Israel from 16 November. American government will be charged $39 for each two-shot dose, and the European bloc even less, but Jerusalem said to agree to pay $56. Israel ...
Orla is a gender critical Marxist in Ireland. She gave a presentation on 15 January 2021 on the connection between postmodern/transgender identity politics and the current attacks on democratic and free speech rights. Orla has been active previously in the Irish Socialist Workers Party and the People Before Profit electoral ...
. . America: The Empire Strikes Back (at itself) Further to my comments in the first part of 2020: The History That Was, the following should be considered regarding the current state of the US. They most likely will be by future historians pondering the critical decades of ...
Nathaniel ScharpingIn March, as the Covid-19 pandemic began to shut down major cities in the U.S., researchers were thinking about blood. In particular, they were worried about the U.S. blood supply — the millions of donations every year that help keep hospital patients alive when they need a transfusion. ...
Sarah L Caddy, University of CambridgeVaccines are a marvel of medicine. Few interventions can claim to have saved as many lives. But it may surprise you to know that not all vaccines provide the same level of protection. Some vaccines stop you getting symptomatic disease, but others stop you ...
Back in 2016, the Portuguese government announced plans to stop burning coal by 2030. But progress has come much quicker, and they're now scheduled to close their last coal plant by the end of this year: The Sines coal plant in Portugal went offline at midnight yesterday evening (14 ...
The Sincerest Form Of Flattery: As anybody with the intestinal fortitude to brave the commentary threads of local news-sites, large and small, will attest, the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding. IT’S SO DIFFICULT to resist the temptation to be smug. From the distant perspective of New Zealand, ...
RNZ reports on continued arbitrariness on decisions at the border. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include drag queen RuPaul and musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival. The vice-president of the ...
As families around the world mourn more than two million people dead from Covid-19, the Plan B academics and their PR industry collaborator continue to argue that the New Zealand government should stop focusing on our managed isolation and quarantine system and instead protect the elderly so that they can ...
A chronological listing of news articles linked to on the Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Jan 10, 2021 through Sat, Jan 16, 2021Editor's ChoiceNASA says 2020 tied for hottest year on record — here’s what you can do to helpPhoto by Michael Held on Unsplash ...
Health authorities in Norway are reporting some concerns about deaths in frail elderly after receiving their COVID-19 vaccine. Is this causally related to the vaccine? Probably not but here are the things to consider. According to the news there have been 23 deaths in Norway shortly after vaccine administration and ...
Happy New Year! No, experts are not concerned that “…one of New Zealand’s COIVD-1( vaccines will fail to protect the country” Here is why. But first I wish to issue an expletive about this journalism (First in Australia and then in NZ). It exhibits utter failure to actually truly consult ...
All nations have shadows; some acknowledge them. For others they shape their image in uncomfortable ways.The staunch Labour supporter was in despair at what her Rogernomics Government was doing. But she finished ‘at least, we got rid of Muldoon’, a response which tells us that then, and today, one’s views ...
Grigori GuitchountsIn November, Springer Nature, one of the world’s largest publishers of scientific journals, made an attention-grabbing announcement: More than 30 of its most prestigious journals, including the flagship Nature, will now allow authors to pay a fee of US$11,390 to make their papers freely available for anyone to read ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Gary Yohe, Henry Jacoby, Richard Richels, and Benjamin Santer Imagine a major climate change law passing the U.S. Congress unanimously? Don’t bother. It turns out that you don’t need to imagine it. Get this: The Global Change Research Act of 1990 was passed ...
“They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”WHO CAN FORGET the penultimate scene of the 1956 movie classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers? The wild-eyed doctor, stumbling down the highway, trying desperately to warn his fellow citizens: “They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next! You’re next!”Ostensibly science-fiction, the movie ...
TheOneRing.Net has got its paws on the official synopsis of the upcoming Amazon Tolkien TV series. It’s a development that brings to mind the line about Sauron deliberately releasing Gollum from the dungeons of Barad-dûr. Amazon knew exactly what they were doing here, in terms of drumming up publicity: ...
Since Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953, US presidents have joined an informal club intended to provide support - and occasionally rivalry - between those few who have been ‘leaders of the free world’. Donald Trump, elected on a promise to ‘drain the swamp’ and a constant mocker of his predecessors, ...
For over a decade commentators have noted the rise of a new brand of explicitly ideological politics throughout the world. By this they usually refer to the re-emergence of national populism and avowedly illiberal approaches to governance throughout the “advanced” democratic community, but they also extend the thought to the ...
The US House of Representatives has just impeached Donald Trump, giving him the dubious honour of being the only US President to be impeached twice. Ten Republicans voted for impeachement, making it the most bipartisan impeachment ever. The question now is whether the Senate will rise to the occasion, and ...
Kieren Mitchell; Alice Mouton, Université de Liège; Angela Perri, Durham University, and Laurent Frantz, Ludwig Maximilian University of MunichThanks to the hit television series Game of Thrones, the dire wolf has gained a near-mythical status. But it was a real animal that roamed the Americas for at least 250,000 ...
Tide of tidal data rises Having cast our own fate to include rising sea level, there's a degree of urgency in learning the history of mean sea level in any given spot, beyond idle curiosity. Sea level rise (SLR) isn't equal from one place to another and even at a particular ...
Well, some of those chickens sure came home bigly, didn’t they… and proceeded to shit all over the nice carpet in the Capitol. What we were seeing here are societal forces that have long had difficulty trying to reconcile people to the “idea” of America and the reality of ...
In the wake of Donald Trump's incitement of an assault on the US capitol, Twitter finally enforced its terms of service and suspended his account. They've since followed that up with action against prominent QAnon accounts and Trumpers, including in New Zealand. I'm not unhappy with this: Trump regularly violated ...
Peter S. Ross, University of British ColumbiaThe Arctic has long proven to be a barometer of the health of our planet. This remote part of the world faces unprecedented environmental assaults, as climate change and industrial chemicals threaten a way of life for Inuit and other Indigenous and northern ...
A growing public housing waiting list and continued increase of house prices must be urgently addressed by Government, Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today. ...
A Waitomo-based Jobs for Nature project will keep up to ten people employed in the village as the tourism sector recovers post Covid-19 Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “This $500,000 project will save ten local jobs by deploying workers from Discover Waitomo into nature-based jobs. They will be undertaking local ...
Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw spoke yesterday with President Biden’s Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. “I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak with Mr. Kerry this morning about the urgency with which our governments must confront the climate emergency. I am grateful to him and ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Nanaia Mahuta today announced three diplomatic appointments: Alana Hudson as Ambassador to Poland John Riley as Consul-General to Hong Kong Stephen Wong as Consul-General to Shanghai Poland “New Zealand’s relationship with Poland is built on enduring personal, economic and historical connections. Poland is also an important ...
Work begins today at Wainuiomata High School to ensure buildings and teaching spaces are fit for purpose, Education Minister Chris Hipkins says. The Minister joined principal Janette Melrose and board chair Lynda Koia to kick off demolition for the project, which is worth close to $40 million, as the site ...
A skilled and experienced group of people have been named as the newly established Oranga Tamariki Ministerial Advisory Board by Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis today. The Board will provide independent advice and assurance to the Minister for Children across three key areas of Oranga Tamariki: relationships with families, whānau, and ...
The green light for New Zealand’s first COVID-19 vaccine could be granted in just over a week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today. “We’re making swift progress towards vaccinating New Zealanders against the virus, but we’re also absolutely committed to ensuring the vaccines are safe and effective,” Jacinda Ardern said. ...
The Minister for ACC is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to join the Board of ACC on 1 February 2021. “All three bring diverse skills and experience to provide strong governance oversight to lead the direction of ACC” said Hon Carmel Sepuloni. Bella Takiari-Brame from Hamilton ...
The Government is investing $9 million to upgrade a significant community facility in Invercargill, creating economic stimulus and jobs, Infrastructure Minister Grant Robertson and Te Tai Tonga MP Rino Tirikatene have announced. The grant for Waihōpai Rūnaka Inc to make improvements to Murihiku Marae comes from the $3 billion set ...
[Opening comments, welcome and thank you to Auckland University etc] It is a great pleasure to be here this afternoon to celebrate such an historic occasion - the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This is a moment many feared would never come, but ...
The Government is providing $3 million in one-off seed funding to help disabled people around New Zealand stay connected and access support in their communities, Minister for Disability Issues, Carmel Sepuloni announced today. The funding will allow disability service providers to develop digital and community-based solutions over the next two ...
Border workers in quarantine facilities will be offered voluntary daily COVID-19 saliva tests in addition to their regular weekly testing, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. This additional option will be rolled out at the Jet Park Quarantine facility in Auckland starting on Monday 25 January, and then to ...
The next steps in the Government’s ambitious firearms reform programme to include a three-month buy-back have been announced by Police Minister Poto Williams today. “The last buy-back and amnesty was unprecedented for New Zealand and was successful in collecting 60,297 firearms, modifying a further 5,630 firearms, and collecting 299,837 prohibited ...
Upscaling work already underway to restore two iconic ecosystems will deliver jobs and a lasting legacy, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The Jobs for Nature programme provides $1.25 billion over four years to offer employment opportunities for people whose livelihoods have been impacted by the COVID-19 recession. “Two new projects ...
The Government has released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024 which outlines the intention of where 8,000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020, will go. “The Government is committed to continuing its public house build programme at pace and scale. The extra 8,000 homes – 6000 public ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has congratulated President Joe Biden on his inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America. “I look forward to building a close relationship with President Biden and working with him on issues that matter to both our countries,” Jacinda Ardern said. “New Zealand ...
A major investment to tackle wilding pines in Mt Richmond will create jobs and help protect the area’s unique ecosystems, Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor says. The Mt Richmond Forest Park has unique ecosystems developed on mineral-rich geology, including taonga plant species found nowhere else in the country. “These special plant ...
To further protect New Zealand from COVID-19, the Government is extending pre-departure testing to all passengers to New Zealand except from Australia, Antarctica and most Pacific Islands, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The change will come into force for all flights arriving in New Zealand after 11:59pm (NZT) on Monday ...
Bay Conservation Cadets launched with first intake Supported with $3.5 million grant Part of $1.245b Jobs for Nature programme to accelerate recover from Covid Cadets will learn skills to protect and enhance environment Environment Minister David Parker today welcomed the first intake of cadets at the launch of the Bay ...
The Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown have announced passengers from the Cook Islands can resume quarantine-free travel into New Zealand from 21 January, enabling access to essential services such as health. “Following confirmation of the Cook Islands’ COVID ...
Jobs for Nature funding is being made available to conservation groups and landowners to employ staff and contractors in a move aimed at boosting local biodiversity-focused projects, Conservation Minister Kiritapu Allan has announced. It is estimated some 400-plus jobs will be created with employment opportunities in ecology, restoration, trapping, ...
The Government has approved an exception class for 1000 international tertiary students, degree level and above, who began their study in New Zealand but were caught offshore when border restrictions began. The exception will allow students to return to New Zealand in stages from April 2021. “Our top priority continues ...
Today’s deal between Meridian and Rio Tinto for the Tiwai smelter to remain open another four years provides time for a managed transition for Southland. “The deal provides welcome certainty to the Southland community by protecting jobs and incomes as the region plans for the future. The Government is committed ...
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has appointed Anna Curzon to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The leader of each APEC economy appoints three private sector representatives to ABAC. ABAC provides advice to leaders annually on business priorities. “ABAC helps ensure that APEC’s work programme is informed by business community perspectives ...
The Government’s prudent fiscal management and strong policy programme in the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic have been acknowledged by the credit rating agency Fitch. Fitch has today affirmed New Zealand’s local currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook and foreign currency rating at AA with a positive ...
The Government is putting in place a suite of additional actions to protect New Zealand from COVID-19, including new emerging variants, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “Given the high rates of infection in many countries and evidence of the global spread of more transmissible variants, it’s clear that ...
$36 million of Government funding alongside councils and others for 19 projects Investment will clean up and protect waterways and create local jobs Boots on the ground expected in Q2 of 2021 Funding part of the Jobs for Nature policy package A package of 19 projects will help clean up ...
The commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka represents an opportunity for all New Zealanders to reflect on the role these conflicts have had in creating our modern nation, says Associate Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Kiri Allan. “The Battle at Te Ruapekapeka Pā, which took ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Dunn, Associate professor, University of Sydney The government is rolling out a new public information campaign this week to reassure the public about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, which one expert has said “couldn’t be more crucial” to people actually getting ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Therese O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, Edith Cowan University The COVID vaccine rollout has placed the issue of vaccination firmly in the spotlight. A successful rollout will depend on a variety of factors, one of which is vaccine acceptance. One potential hurdle to vaccine ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bernard Walker, Associate Professor in Organisations and Leadership, University of Canterbury Kiwis know what it’s like when life throws curveballs. We’ve had major quakes, floods, fires, an eruption, a terrorist attack and now a pandemic. In those situations, it’s the ability to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Irwin, Emeritus professor, Murdoch University While we continue to be occupied with the COVID pandemic, another life-threatening disease has emerged in northern Australia, one that’s cause for considerable alarm for the millions of dog owners around the country. This disease — ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cath Ferguson, Academic, Edith Cowan University Almost half of Australian adults struggle with reading. Similar levels of struggling readers are reported in the United Kingdom and United States. This does not mean all struggling readers are illiterate. It means they often struggle ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Abbas Shieh, Assistant Professor of Urban Planning and Design, Islamic Azad University The industrial revolution transformed cities, resulting in places of residence and work becoming more distant than ever before. This spatial segregation is still largely embedded in the design of our ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Mattes, Lecturer in Communications and Media, University of Notre Dame Australia Review: Occupation: Rainfall, written and directed by Luke Sparke Historically, when a sequel to a film was greenlit, you could rest assured this was because the first film made a ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 28, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nzOur members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us ...
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Tourism suffers in the shadow of Covid-19, two new positive cases in Auckland confirmed, and National will contest the Māori electorates.The front page of the January 4 Greymouth Star carried grim tidings for several of the glacier towns on the ...
*This article first appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. Two people who left managed isolation on January 15 have been confirmed as positive Covid-19 cases, with the Ministry of Health urging anyone who visited the same locations during the same time period as the infected pair in Auckland to ...
The watchlist of 'offensive or unreasonable' babies' names is to be reviewed, to include more names from other languages. Generations of the Īhaka family have played a meaningful role in bringing Te Reo and stories of Māori to our wider community. Archdeacon Sir Kīngi Matutaera Īhaka (Te Aupōuri, 1921-93) was known as the orator of ...
After Morocco’s flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire in Western Sahara on Friday 13 November 2020 war broke out between the two sides. In the midst of this war Tauranga based Ballance Agri-Nutrients has decided to carry on importing phosphate ...
Nicholas Agar suggests that our handling of the pandemic could be partly down to our distinctive Treaty of Waitangi relationship, and Māori ideas that enabled us to make it through without tens of thousands of deaths A mission for universities in the coming decade will be a deep understanding of the meaning ...
A young girl who once sent $5 to an embattled America's Cup team is now among the women on the water helping run the contest for the Auld Mug. As an eager and generous nine-year-old, Melanie Roberts posted a letter, with a $5 note, to OneAustralia’s America’s Cup team. It was 1995, ...
At 5am today, cock’s crow, the embargo lifted on the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards longlist. Here are the books in the race, followed by thoughts from poetry editor Chris Tse and books editor Catherine Woulfe. A shortlist of four books in each category will be announced March 3, with ...
Ignoring those QR codes when you drop into the supermarket? Can’t be bothered when you grab a coffee? The people serving you notice, and you’re freaking them out.So far, New Zealanders’ use of the Covid-19 Tracer app has been notably woeful. Food industry workers who’ve watched streams of customers walk ...
Steve Braunias reveals the longlist of the 2021 Ockham New Zealand book awards Apart from one or two unfortunate omissions which cast doubt on the sanity and intellectual acumen of judges, especially the nobodies who judged this year's non-fiction, the longlist for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand book awards is ...
By Lulu Mark in Port Moresby Papua New Guinea’s biggest hospital is straining to provide medical services to the growing population of the capital Port Moresby – with an estimated growth rate of 3 percent annually, a medical executive says. Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Nationals who attend Thursday’s memorial service in Tweed Heads for Doug Anthony, who died last month aged 90, may muse on the contrast between the state of their party when he led it and now. ...
Returning to quarantine-free travel in 2021 doesn't just need a vaccine, but a way to check whether arriving passengers are actually immune to the virus. A smart Kiwi science start-up is working with a global biometrics giant to make that happen. A deal signed between Kiwi research and development company Orbis Diagnostics, ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlyn Forster, PhD Candidate, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney This summer’s wetter conditions have created great conditions for flowering plants. Flowers provide sweet nectar and protein-rich pollen, attracting many insects, including bees. Commercial honey bees are also thriving: ...
Lotto scratchie tickets featuring the pop band Six60 are being withdrawn after a public backlash. In a statement, Lotto NZ said there had been a mutual decision made with the band to remove the tickets from sale following the negative feedback, and it offered an apology. The band faced criticism, both ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Russell Dean Christopher Bicknell, Post-doctoral researcher in Palaeobiology , University of New England Shell-crushing predation was already in full swing half a billion years ago, as our new research published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B reveals. A hyena devouring ...
Vodafone has suspended advertising on the radio station amid calls for talkback host John Banks to be taken off air after yet another racist outburst. Alex Braae reports. In an alarming segment of talkback radio, former Auckland mayor John Banks endorsed the views of a caller who described Māori as a ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Welch, Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland When a COVID-19 case was found in Northland last Sunday, Aotearoa’s second-longest period with no detected community case came to an end. ESR scientists worked late into Sunday night to obtain a whole genome sequence ...
He has the perfect moustache, an exceptional mullet, and he uses terms like ‘face hole’ on national TV. Who or what is Dr Joel Rindelaub?I was drawn in by the moustache, but it was the mullet that really kept me there. Watching TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday morning I was fixated. Often, ...
We’ll never be royals with nearly a quarter of declined baby names featuring “Royal” in some form or another. Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs has released the list of names declined in 2020 by the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and ...
After a raft of inquiries delving into and recommending what should be done about the politically beleaguered Orangi Tamaraki, along with the briefing papers we suppose he has been given, we imagined Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis would have no more need for expert advice. Wrong. He has ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Senior Lecturer and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University There’s a common assumption men take longer than women to poo. People say so on Twitter, in memes, and elsewhereonline. But is that right? What could explain it? And if ...
Just as sexuality is a spectrum, so too is asexuality. In Ace of Hearts, members of New Zealand’s asexual community talk about the challenges and misconceptions of identifying as ace.First published November 17, 2020.Ace of Hearts is part of Frame, a series of short documentaries produced by Wrestler for The Spinoff.“A ...
Sam Brooks wasn’t allowed to watch kids TV as a kid. Now, as a 30 year old man, he watches it for the first time.My mother’s approach to parenting was unorthodox. I wrote weekly book reports on top of my actual homework, I did maths equations in Roman numerals and ...
Pacific Media Watch newsdesk More leading Indonesian figures have made racial slurs against Natalius Pigai, former chair of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) – and all West Papuans, says United Liberation Movement of West Papua (ULMWP) interim president Benny Wenda. “Since the illegal Indonesian invasion in 1963, Indonesian ...
“The Government’s failure to even conduct a standard cost-benefit analysis for the most expensive infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history is mind-bogglingly arrogant,” says New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Louis Houlbrooke. “A ...
The Ministry of Health is today drawing backlash from the local New Zealand vaping industry following its release of proposed regulations for the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act. Vaping Trade Association New Zealand (VTANZ) President, ...
Sophie Gilmour and Simon Day are joined by special guest Hugo Baird, co-owner of Grey Lynn’s Honey Bones and Lilian, to talk about opening new pub Hotel Ponsonby.Auckland is a city of many bars but few really good pubs – the kind of places you’d be just as comfortable going ...
The appointment of an advisory board for Oranga Tamariki is welcome and should be a step toward a total transformation of the care and protection system to a by Māori, for Māori approach, Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft said today. Minister ...
Taking control of your financial wellbeing can have cascading positive impacts for your life and it can also be fun. With the help of the team at Kiwi Wealth, we’ve compiled some simple tricks for balancing your books in 2021. There’s something about the beginning of a new year, especially after ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology As we know, getting into New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult. There are practicalities, such as high airfare and managed isolation costs. And there are legal requirements, including pre-flight testing, mandatory ...
New Zealand faces the risk of a generation being locked out of the housing market unless land is freed up and more houses built, National Party leader Judith Collins says. ...
On Sunday, Stuff published a months-long investigation by Alison Mau detailing allegations of harassment and exploitation within the local music industry.The piece, ‘Music industry professionals demand change after speaking out about its dark side’, includes allegations of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power by male artists, international acts and executives; ...
“The Government is all at sea on timelines for Australia and New Zealand’s respective vaccine roll-outs, with the worst news coming from the mouth of Pfizer Australia CEO Anne Harris,” says ACT Leader David Seymour. “Yesterday, under increasing ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Claire Higgins, Senior Research Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden promised the US would demonstrate “global leadership on refugees”. Once elected, he pledged to vastly increase refugee resettlement in the US. If history is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Baumann, Casual Academic, School of Social Sciences & Psychology, Western Sydney University Among the many hard truths exposed by COVID-19 is the huge disparity between the world’s rich and poor. As economies went into freefall, the world’s billionaires increased their already ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jan Lanicek, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History and Jewish History, UNSW On January 27 communities worldwide commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz — the largest complex of concentration camps and extermination centres during the Holocaust. This is the first year the International ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lorinda Cramer, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Australian Catholic University The summer break is over, marking a return to the office. For some, this ends almost a year of working from home in lockdown. Some analysts are predicting it might also mark an enduring ...
Welcome to The Spinoff’s live updates for January 27, keeping you up to date with the latest local and international news. Reach me on stewart@thespinoff.co.nzOur members make The Spinoff happen! Every dollar contributed directly funds our editorial team – click here to learn more about how you can support us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Gillespie, Professor of Law, University of Waikato New Zealand has a strong history of protecting and promoting human rights at home and internationally, and prides itself on being an outspoken critic and global leader in this area. So, when the most ...
Good morning and welcome to the Bulletin. In today’s edition: Collins outlines the plan forward for National, no spread of Covid spotted yet in Northland, and students return for climate protest.In front of a Rotary Club at the Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland, National leader Judith Collins yesterday set out her ...
*This articlefirst appeared on RNZ and is republished with permission. The tourism industry isn't holding its breath for a trans-Tasman travel bubble being in place after Australia temporarily closed its borders to New Zealand. New Zealanders could be waiting even longer for a full trans-Tasman bubble, with the ...
We continue our week-long examination of New Zealand writer Roderick Finlayson with an essay by Anahera Gildea on cultural appropriation Every night at 7pm sharp, my Irish Catholic father and his eight siblings would have to kneel on the carpet of the living room, facing the freshly polished nudity of ...
Children's Minister Kelvin Davis will have independent eyes and ears across Oranga Tamariki over the next five months as the Government tries to change the work and practices of the ministry. The Government has created a Māori-led watchdog to oversee how the children's ministry, Oranga Tamariki, deals with parents and ...
A Covid reset will force costly and inflexible cities to take a hard look at their planning systems, or people will vote with their feet. Broken urban planning systems make for misery even in the best of times. If land use and housing regulations prevent metropolitan areas from growing up or out as ...
When an Auckland school classroom went up in flames in December last year, exploding asbestos over neighbouring houses, five separate government agencies were involved. Yet stressed residents dealing with the aftermath on their homes say the response felt chaotic and uncoordinated; even local MPs who got involved couldn't get the information they wanted. Hundreds of thousands of ...
The pandemic has accelerated the trend of doing our banking online instead of in person. This rapid digital embrace has, in turn, sped up the closure of many smaller bank branches. But, as Mark Jennings writes, there are new branches springing up with a different look and purpose. Auckland’s Wynyard ...
Corrina Gage has represented New Zealand in a trio of water sports. But it's her love for waka ama - and the opportunities it gives paddlers from 5 to 85 - that keeps her racing and coaching around the world. Lake Karāpiro is quiet and still now. But last week, it was all noise ...
Telling a Rotary Club audience that housing is a serious problem and they should care deeply about it landed flat but took some daring from the National leader, writes Justin Giovannetti.Judith Collins’ level of control over the National Party is still a question best answered by a shrug.Elevated to her ...
A gang turf war gripped the South Auckland suburb in late 2020, forcing schools to lock down and armed police to patrol the streets. Community leaders are now warning the cycle of violent retribution could continue in 2021, unless radical interventions are made.The violent altercations that loomed large in Ōtara ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Véronique Duché, A.R. Chisholm Professor of French, University of Melbourne In this series, writers pay tribute to fictional detectives on the page and on screen. When I first heard that Rowan Atkinson was to put on Maigret’s velvet-collared overcoat, I wondered ...
Auckland writer Olivia Hayfield* explains how she resurrected 16th-century playwright Christopher Marlowe to star in her new novel, Sister to Sister. Olivia Hayfield is a pen name. Real name: Sue Copsey. When I’m planning my modern retellings of historical tales, I read widely on the characters and see who leaps out at ...
More on PR versus substance – from Stacey Kirk at Stuff: No amount of photoshop will paste over broken promises or scandal in 2019
It looks likely it will be a make or break year for the leadership Bridges. More of the same is not going to do it.
It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.
perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.
Maybe it’s all a kneejerk reaction to Keys cult of personality.
Clark Gayford isn’t a politician so you need to retract that BS. Then after actually talking about MP’s (being in social media means you aint working) you bring in the opposition to appear balanced.
Kind of dishonest wrapped in cheese.
You got nothing but you’re gonna have a jab anyway.
Real class.
He’s just quoting a disgraceful hack from parliament’s press gallery. That’s who you need to complain about.
That Stacey Kirk is dreadful. I suspect Scott Morrison’s helpers were trying to cover the branding of his shoes rather than their age.
The *style* of his shoes is the theory.
Did scomofo get caught wearing Chinese shoes without an ocky tag sewn on?
Make or break for Bridges?
How could he possibly make it???
You’ve seen his “Chrissy-drinks” photo.
Could be make or break for James Shaw and climate change measures – he has to start coming up with substantial and credible and affordable plans or many Green supporters and potential supporters will be disillusioned (there’s already some signs of that).
It could also be make or break for the Green Party, whose less popular social reform faction seems to get much more media attention than their environmental faction. A split vote may make 5% difficult to achieve. There were warning signs last election.
Nah, they’ll be fine. It’s Bridges who’ll be sweating bricks. No one’s got his back and it’s a knife-magnet. His yapping in the House is annoying all those inside and even his own “family” think he needs time on the porch. What can he do, cease his constant wimpering and hope to allowed to stay inside, or bark louder to convince the Household he’s indispensable as a guard dog?
There’s really nothing a dog can do.
Could be make or break for the new Conservatives! Lack of solid backing makes 5% unlikely and it’s not clear which electorate the Nats will gift them – or if the coat-tailing provisions will survive long enough for it to pay off.
(How am I doing at this distraction thing?)
Robert priceless lol.
‘Affordable’?
Does life just pass you by in a blur Pete?
Where are well beyond the point where CC policies need to be affordable.
Always a problem for political parties. Even in opposition you can’t be all things for all people. It gets harder in government. And all political parties are coalitions internally. They are always annoying supporters.
This is why Labour often leaks support to the Greens and NZ First and there are the floaters who leak between NZ First, Labour to and from National.
However the harder line Green supporters have the same problem as the remaining hardline NAct supporters. Where are they going to go? Their choice really is to vote for their best party to:-
1. express vaguely something like their views and hope.
2. not vote – something that extremists don’t usually do.
3. waste their vote on a party that has no hope of hitting the threshold – which most of the time is a zero sum game (the extremists from all angles generally cancel themselves out). Think mana, conservatives, and united future (the beige extremists).
4. get involved in a viable political party and try to shift their positions.
With the greens of all flavors, once you get outside of the flaky fashion voters (useless damn voters for any party to pursue in my opinion), then they usually do something like 1 or 4 and almost invariably within the Greens.
It is pretty damn apparent to any green voter that they either figure out how to tolerate each other ( for instance the the conservationists and social equity crowds ) or they they just forget about having any say in parliament.
This isn’t exactly rocket science. After all the Nats are a complete anathema to almost every consistent green voter I have ever run across outside of the fashion victims. National have a very long and extended history of being environmental and social terrorists – and are complete hypocrites about it. And they don’t think that Labour is much better.
Sure in theory a new party could form. But that is so virtually impossible with a 5% threshold that I feel it is unlikely to happen. I suspect that any attempt to do so will just cause the Green supporters to vote tactically to make sure that National won’t get in (and I think that a lot of NZ First voters feel the same way).
“It could also be the making or breaking of the current Government. They will have to make tangible moves on fulfilling a number of significant promises.
perhaps the media will shift more focus from PR onto substance too. There are signs this may be happening from some of them, but there is little sign yet what the Prime Minister’s priorities and plans will be, and her Government is yet to get going in a crucial year for them.”
Yes to all that pete, I agree fully.
Jacinda made us vote for her on her solid performance with her famous “auckland town Hall speech” which still remains to be largely fulllfilled in it’s promises made.
Things such as “Climate Change” ‘This is my generations nuclear moment’ – has been left on the back burner along with getting regional rail freight moving again, because labour in their last time in Government in 2008 bought the rail back for us all, and now in power she has done little to restore regional rail freight, as it and free up roads for tourists and Kiwi people to travel fafer, but all we see so far is Labour pouring more god money after bad into minior alterations to make roads better for trucks so that is dumb as trucks are now wrecking our climat change emisions targets.
Next was Labour Jacinda promised was to bring us a Government that was a softer, gentler, caring, inclusive, considerate and transperant Government who will listen to our concerns, and provide ousing for all and jobs, but this was the basic plan Jacinda made us believe, and sadly so far the opposite has occurred here.
The clock is ticking jacinda so please make this wish come true for us all this year. ‘Lets do this’. – (Jacinda called her plea as in pre-election 2017.)
Wow! Two curmudgeons! Is there a conference somewhere?
Couldn’t agree on a caterer, much less a venue.
Oh, oh, Pete! It’s a wee pile-on!
Regional rail to Gisborne won’t solve climate change. Deal with it.
‘Collins CRUSH‘ climate change!
https://www.scidev.net/global/climate-change/news/un-gives-12-year-deadline-to-crush-climate-change.html
Every little bit helps.
And, With human beings perception is everything.
Sometimes the symbolism of one small action that goes against the flow can make all the difference.
Regional rail to Gisborne could be one such example.
Electrifying the main trunk line could be another. Doubling the rail line to Northland another.
All of sudden you have a nation that is seen on the world stage as being serious in standing up to roading lobby.
The fact that there is such antipathy, to even taking this one small first step, is an , indication that the roading and trucking lobby know the power of symbolism. And fear it.
Cleangreen, Did you think it would happen in a year?
Latest examination of US imperialism leads to surprising identification of the cause: https://exhalantblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/generals-gathered-in-their-masses-the-expansion-of-empire-continues-unabated/
“But while official Washington united in opposition, new polling data from Morning Consult/Politico shows that a large plurality of Americans support Trump’s Syria withdrawal announcement: 49 percent support to 33 percent opposition.” https://theintercept.com/2019/01/11/as-democratic-elites-reunite-with-neocons-the-partys-voters-are-becoming-far-more-militaristic-and-pro-war-than-republicans/
“That’s not surprising given that Americans by a similarly large plurality agree with the proposition that “the U.S. has been engaged in too many military conflicts in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan for too long and should prioritize getting Americans out of harm’s way” far more than they agree with the pro-war view that “the U.S. needs to keep troops in places such as Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan to help support our allies fight terrorism and maintain our foreign policy interests in the region.””
Greenwald reports the evidence that the real warmongers are the Democrats: “But what is remarkable about the new polling data on Syria is that the vast bulk of support for keeping troops there comes from Democratic Party voters, while Republicans and independents overwhelming favor their removal. The numbers are stark: Of people who voted for Clinton in 2016, only 26 percent support withdrawing troops from Syria, while 59 percent oppose it. Trump voters overwhelmingly support withdraw by 76 percent to 14 percent.”
Let’s wait and see if the withdrawal happens in praxis franxie. Til then it’s just words.
There’s a cold shower of reality falling on all those here who keep pretending that the Democrats are the good guys:
“Democratic policy elites in Washington are once again formally aligning with neoconservatives, even to the point of creating joint foreign policy advocacy groups (a reunion that predated Trump). The leading Democratic Party think tank, the Center for American Progress, donated $200,000 to the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute and has multilevel alliances with warmongering institutions.” https://theintercept.com/2019/01/11/as-democratic-elites-reunite-with-neocons-the-partys-voters-are-becoming-far-more-militaristic-and-pro-war-than-republicans/
There is zero evidence that the Ukrainian political consultant ..note ..Ukrainian not Russian, Konstantin Kilimnik , has ties to the Russian security services.
The long bow being strung here is that when Kilimkin applied for his job at the International Republican Institute(strongly associated with the US govt), he was perfectly open about where he learned his fluent English…at a Soviet military school ,pretty standard for Soviet citizens, and later worked as a translator for the Russian army.He was jokingly referred to as GRU.and not considered a security risk
Kilimnik worked for Manafort’s consultancy in Ukraine, which was advising Yanukovich to turn towards the west and pursue admittance to the EU.Yanukovich straddled a line between Russia and Europe and tried to play both off against each other as a way to tread water
(In the event, the EU aid package didnt weigh up against the loss of Ukraine’s biggest trading partner, Russia , some 60 billion dollars down according to Yanukovich’s own treasury advisors.The Russian offer along with cheap gas was the only workable one.
When Yanukovich pleaded with the EU to cut him a better deal, they refused.)
So working with an American flash Harry who’s advising a Ukrainian despot to turn west is apparently the work of a “Russian operative”… but these are the times we live in , where journalism is in thrall to partisan, old and tired geopolitical agendas .
And we the consumers have to pretend not to gag on outlandish bullshit .
Repeat after me, Black is White
Here’s the Nation , rather more Democrat aligned than Republican
https://www.thenation.com/article/manafort-no-smoking-gun-collusion/
Heh. The most libertarian free-marketeer in the US Senate rejects the services available from his home free market and goes to a foreign country with a socialist system and socialized service providers to get his medical care.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/14/rand-paul-canada-surgery-neighbor-attack-1099485
I think we are going to have to bring back the death penalty. Such behaviour as this mean that this person should never be let out into society again. With a planet full of people, and not able to look after the innocent and vulnerable now, those who cross over into viciousness have no place in the world and should be humanely put down.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/380139/jayme-closs-kidnap-suspect-tells-police-he-picked-her-at-random
What’s that about adam. Can you explain its relevance?
Some men are so smart they can out smart scientists by decades. Even after death they can continue to show how smart they were.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/health/2017/10/science-backs-up-hugh-hefner-s-number-one-rule.html
What is the purpose of this comment? The objectification of women by one man is supported by others who regard sexual objectification as meritorious?
Yellow shirts argue for tax reform… …on the rich. How about banning foriegn multi millionaires? over say 100 million from travel overseas. Those individuals that rich are incapable of spend even a smidgen in a foreign country, except on homes,so reek havoc to the global economy in inequality, and it’s not like their numbers are growing, in fact wealth is falling to fewer and fewer. When there is a threat to the people our leaders must act… …and it’s not like the wealthy will have it hard, they are swimming in money, they can fly the four star French chef over and simulate the world economy for a change. And it’s not like they are thick, they have the ability to give to charity, raise wages of faithful employees, or family…etc. Why would we create and maintain a system of economic value, that allows value to be acrued, yet then once acrued inhibits wider wealth dissipation, or we could, as the yellow shirts want, just tax them more to pay for the troubles tgey are producing. although a few Saudi princes kept at home might have redirected their locus of perception and saved a journalist.
These are the present tax rates in France.
Up to €9,807: 0%
€9,807–27,086: 14%
€27,086–72,617: 30%
€72,617–153,783: 41%
€153,783+: 45%
………………
In addition to the basic rates of income tax those fortunate few with a taxable income of upwards of €250,000 pa are liable for a special tax called contribution exceptionnelle sur les hauts revenus.
This tax is at the rate of 3% on income up to €500,000, and at the rate of 4% on income above €500,000.
Married couples and those in a civil partnership are exempt up to €500,000, when they then become liable at the rate of 3% to €1m, and 4% above this figure.
The tax is imposed on net income, after determination of the tax liability under the standard scale rates.
…………….
They also rebate tax liability for dependants.
A couple with 2 kids pay no tax until €47,452
So how are the rich not paying there fair share of tax. They are already not far off the only ones paying.
In practice, less than 50% of inhabitants in France pay any income tax at all; only around 14% pay at the rate of 30%, and less than 1% pay at the rate of 45%.
My guess is the ones protesting are in that 50% figure and pay no tax.
Tax was lowered on the wealthiest. Still you miss the point, great wealth can buy real estate in nz that harms our economy, pushing up housing costs for citizens here. The idea is either raise taxes on the wealthy, or stop them travelling and using that wealth to collude, distort and open unproductive relationships. Sure we want the good investments just have the debate also about the bad. giving someone bragging rights over multiple homes, boats, etc in multiple dominion is wealth pollution. Look a fail maker who moves here and invests great, a psuedo journalist who never made a buck anyone actually needed… …why expose ourselves to wealth acquired by colluding in foreign. We don’t allow free movement of people, why should we want fire movement of wealth people who have all the same spectrum of infalliabilities just more money to damage economies.
John Key millionarie exception brought in dotcom… …really can’t we debate now was that good policy, is it good to have nonproductive ownership…
Get down where you belong NZs – where tourism is king and queen or Irish or something. Tote that barge, lift that rubbish, joyride in a car and you’ll really be rubbished.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz//nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12190151&ref=clavis
Bad tourists: Group refused to pay for food in restaurant ‘scam’, bullied staff
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12190060
Worst flight we’ve had’: Alleged chaos on travellers’ flight to NZ
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12189846
‘I’ll knock your brains out’: Unruly tourists dump rubbish at Takapuna Beach, threaten locals
(This from a 9 year old?)
Guess what – all the same group. The Brits won the pools and came to rubbish us,
supposed to be Irish but who knows. For the reporter this was the gift that kept on giving. Watch out they might be headed your way and ready for some hooliganism.
soddenleaf says what about banning multi millionaires?
What about getting $100 per tourist up front, plus an insurance policy against damage and possible costs they incur in this country. We don’t know actually how much profit we get from this people invasion. And then if there is profit, how much of it stays in NZ. Bet they set up here as foreigners, get cheap people from overseas, arrange to receive all their country’s people so they can speak their own language, so easy, and then pocket everything and send the profit to a tax haven with us getting diddleysquat and I don’t know what that is, but it looks like trouble!
I think Zero Dollar Tours is the term,
https://theaseanpost.com/article/zero-dollar-tourists-not-welcome
Bruce That’s very informative – I had heard that some Chinese were getting offered very cheap tours, but finding that they were subject to stand-over tactics by tour organisers.
I wonder if countries are allowed to set up their own tourist offices in China.
This would ensure that the idea of being shown the country to the Chines as guests being cared for by the host country might go down well. With more Chinese speakers being churned out of course to talk face to face with the people.
I don’t think so , but it’s easy to see the country from local perspective esp now with google maps, not sure about China but here we just pick a place thats looks interesting and try to find the bus, truck or whatever to get there. And if your lucky enough to get lost and end up in the hands of the locals to get back to civilisation the fun really begins. These days though, I stay around one area so have to wait till it looks like rain, head off into the hills, get caught in the rain find shelter, wait for some locals to take pity on me and take me home. I used to feel uncomfortable with the disparity in wealth and circumstance but have since learned that the hill people have no idea of how we live and are quite content in their lives and are happy to share, there are always ways to appropriately respond.
Have you ever toured in the Shansi province north of Xian? I was fascinated by the story of the little woman missionary Gladys Aylward who managed to raise her own money to get herself to a mission in China in that province.
She went by sea, then railway, then sea again, and I think finally by donkey
to a lower mountain walled township. They seemed to be very able people, in a hard climate. The remote mountain villages had scattered gardens of millet as their main food I think. I have thought of going there but it is getting off the main tourist drag and of course I have to save up a fair bit.
Have you been there? I think she was in Feng Yang. Or have you been to where Rewi Alley established a school over in the west?
No never into China, Mong la on the border in Shan State but it’s just a casino so no interest back to Kentung.
It’s only the airfare that costs and with an eye on the specials you can get to Bangkok for under a thousand and then 30 or 40 a day is ample. 12 to 15 for nice room, I’m fussy and immune suppressed so choosy. Meals are dollar or two, buses are generally safe $40 gets 1000 ks . Just stay as long as possible to dilute the airfare cost .
It’s an international problem, not just Chinese. All group / package tourism markets have this aspect.
Probably the most blatant is the cruise ship industry who are there to fleece their punters in every way they can and demand huge commissions from any outside operator they might throw a few crumbs to.
Spare a thought for Mediterranean tourist spot locals. They’ve had decades worth of the same shit.
Mmm. Venice has been cutting down hard on day trippers etc. I Think that NZ is fooled a bit – we are making money from dairying – but what is the net return when you deduct the lost or damaged resources. Tourism – what clever ways of siphoning off profits and minimising taxes and the crowds needing resources!
Try to set up some hiousing project and a fair proportion of the group are from
the USA. When can we have our own country as a resource for ourselves? Of course what Maori have been asking for years.
We could set up a little enclave in Todd McClay’s Rotovegas and call it Benedorm.
Just think of all the opportunities for development and growth going forward.
It’d be a ‘win win’ situation for all. We could even schedule a RoNS extension from Paengaroa and capture the cruise ship market calling in at Tearwronga
The tourist spend was $11.8 billion.
There were 3,733,707 visitors.
So each visitor spends $3160.
So if they are charged $100, if >1 in 31.6 visiters decides not to come to NZ then we loose income.
If you use tax gained from the activity at the immediate level you have GST but also Tax on wages, fuel, Buisiness profits, etc. Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up. It should be similar to the result. The % of the economy the government takes in taxes. Our Tax to GDP rate is 32%.
So the government gets about. $1,011 a tourist.
Tax vs Levi. If >1 in 10 tourists doesn’t come to NZ the Government gets less taxes.
Other issue.
How much does the tourist have to spend. If they only have $3160 then they including the Levi will still spend $3160. So it won’t be $3160, plus all of the $100.
So the income figure, and tax figure would be affected by that change in figures.
It could end up generating more revenue if numbers are less affected, and spend is less affected by an additional $100 levy.
But nothing expands exponentially. The way we are is one of the pleasures of coming here. Are we too nice? We will gradually get sourer as numbers mount.
And the hospitality industry is dependent on tourists, and they are poorly paid.
Revenue isn’t everything, it can’t buy us pristine water for instance.
And some visitors don’t spend a lot, are quite poor, these are woofers. And they often are very genuinely interested in the country and people and put a lot of effort into helping horticulture etc.
Just taking averages is interesting but not really informative. Some nations spend more than others according to the stats.
A lot of Australians come here for short holidays; some are Kiwis and stay with family. Not much to feed the hopeful tourist businesses. Then the very wealthy, do they go off to a remote hacienda and fish fine trout or something.
Not much expenditure for the locals, except for the guide to the best spots.
Plus @DJW, each tourist shits on average 1kg per day, and the average length of stay is between 19 and 22 days.
So lets be fair and say the average excrement load per tourist is 20 kilograms.
So lets multiply that by the record breaking 3.7 million tourists per year.
That’s approximately 74,000,000 kilograms of shit per annum or 74,000 tonnes looking for prospects.
Admittedly some of it will be high quality shit but a lot of it will be pretty average but it seems to me there must be a business opportunity for some entrepreneurial ‘type’ such as yourself.
Money money money ……etc.
Oh, and by the way “Once you count flow on activity like the worker spending wages the Tax generated begins to add up.”
I could probably arrange for a few Dalits to come and assist with the enterprise if you’d like – strictly below minimum wage of course and they’ll spend all they earn.
Well as a former minimum/low wage worker for a good part of my early life I had to make hard choices. I left a Job that over time was paying OK to study, living on the bones of my arse as it took to September to get a allowance approved. I moved city ariving with $5 to my name to start a new job that led to my position today. I abandoned that job to study a subject I needed to learn but new little about. I worked 8 to 12 hour night shifts and studied during the day. I moved city again and luckily got a job I wanted, again with nothing. My pay effectively doubled but your making a mistake if you think I don’t know how hard it is.
Money, money, money!
As a stay at home dad that chooses to work part time so I can have a quality life with my kids while they are young, I got my priorities and balance spot on.
Yes I know @ DJ. Some of us have had similar experiences and so if everybody just pulled themselves up by their bootstraps like you and me, the world would be a much better place.
It’s so good to be able to just sit back in the knowledge we’re both the self-made man
Yep. The Trump and Bush Senior hard worker driven types with the silver spoon are rare. The rest like Bush junior not so much.
There is other rarities like Musc.
The hard parts of life help show the value of the free things all around you.
My brother who I had to take custody when I was 19 left school young to go on the independent youth benifit, on the day he qualified. Eventually he decided to do something with himself. He door knocked, offered his services for free to a business starting by sweeping the floor. Obviously that’s exploitation by the buisness but he learnt a skill that led to a job, a better job, his present job where he earns over 6 figures, flash vehicle, and boss to about 60 staff.
Yea yea, understand mate. Fully! Fully!
But you know what? as me dear ole mum said on her death bed just before she popped her clogs …. she said “son, I know its been a hard life with that useless git of a father of yours and all, and I couldn’t have done it without ya. I’m proud of ya son”
And I said “yea mum, I know ya struggled but I didn’t get where I am today with all that bleeding heart liberal stuff”
And I thought, if I an do it, ANYBODY can!
And just before she departed this glorious world, she said “son, just remember, ya don’t owe noone nuttin”.
I ‘ve remembered that to this very day. It’s what drives me in every thing I do
I just love it when sarcasm goes right over the recipient’s head!
Well done, OwT.
One way to look at it is they helped to capture 74,000 tonnes of carbon rich matter. Doing a good deed for climate change. Sequestered.
All all up to our poo production strategy to save the world.
And if anybody still thinks Orwell’s 1984 is fiction, that things are more extreme in the US and similar conditions can’t happen here… where have these dreamers been since 1984? Chris Hedges nails it.
‘Neoliberalism argues that the essence of freedom is free enterprise, while never addressing workers’ surrender of basic freedoms. Neoliberalism holds out the promise, which has not been true since before the Industrial Revolution, that workers can become self-employed if they are hardworking and innovative. We all have the ability to achieve economic independence or become industry leaders if we draw on our inner resources, according to the neoliberal mantra, one popularized by mass culture. […] This is a con.’
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/the-private-governments-that-subjugate-u-s-workers/
Well you can start your own Buisiness if you like can’t you. I’m self imployed. I was a worker on a wage. I was a worker on a salary. But I’ve always had the choice to be self employed, or start a Buisiness. Starting a Buisiness however takes commitment, hard work, and the willingness to risk ones own money and pay taxes on profits.
What does the worker risk?
Men get paid more for the risky jobs they do vs females low risk jobs, shows worker risk gets rewarded.
People who start Buisiness.
The very same people who create those modern day slavery workers jobs.
Imagine what the workers would do if nobody created jobs.
You are the master of your own destiny in a free society.
Change job it it’s not making you happy.
No guarantees, but with a good social system to help the unfortunate, or lazy.
If you wish to start a Buisiness there is free classes, and grants. There’s nothing stopping you, other than your own glass ceiling.
To a certain extent that’s right. But it takes a careful man or woman to keep a business going. Got to get paid and be carefully regular checking and working out payments with the strugglers and others. You actually have to have some spare money or assets to get started. Lots of businesses go down because they are under capitalised, and can’t get that extra loan to tide them over. You are in a business that needs your skills. So good luck with that.
If you have a family your children might never see you and you slave away all hours, and have to live on tick while you work at getting the money in. And if the business doesn’t work out, it can sap all your energy. You have a change of lifestyle, have to give up your house and buy a caravan and start all over in another direction.
“Good on you for cutting him off, Wallace!”
Wallace Chapman, Hero. Or is he?
The Panel, RNZ National, Tuesday 15 January 2019
Wallace Chapman, David Cormack, Janet Wilson, Caitlin Cherry
First item for the day: a discussion about the wisdom or otherwise of police car chase policies. The “expert” for this topic was one John Lambert, an Australian road safety expert. However, this came to an abrupt end when Lambert claimed that Maori were more likely to break the law than Pakeha. This elicited gasps from David Cormack and host Wallace Chapman, who said: “We can’t accept that” and quickly got rid of him. He then condemned “that bizarre and woeful comment.”
Five minutes later…..
WALLACE CHAPMAN: A lot of responses about the gentleman from Australia. A lot of people hated the way I cut him off, but then a lot of people said “Good on you for cutting him off.”
DAVID CORMACK: Good ON you for cutting him off, Wallace!
“Good on you for cutting him off, Wallace.” So why, Wallace, did you let that scumbag Lee Child get away with the most disgusting bilge?
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/wallace-chapmans-simpering-interview.html
We note you said nothing to challenge Marilyn Garson….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/04/wallace-chapman-is-repeatedly-failing.html
or these fools….
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/sue-moroneys-dismal-delusional-anti.html
But now you’ve grown a backbone. That’s encouraging.
You will never be 100% happy with any reporter, journalist or media commentator other than the handful of ones you idolize. I’m sure the file you have on Wallace is better ranked than the one on Mora, so be thankful there’s been a change on The Panel 🙂
I “idolize” some reporters, do I?
I expect them to do their job, which is to understand their subject to an expert level, report the facts, and to rigorously hold politicians and propagandists to account. Some reporters—Glenn Greenwald, Jon Stephenson, Nicky Hager, Robert Fisk, Jeremy Scahill—do exactly those things. Some, on the other hand—Jim Mora, Rachel Maddow, and as I showed in those three references, Wallace Chapman—fail to do those things.
Yes, I’m thankful there’s been a change on The Panel. Today we saw a new Wallace Chapman. Time will tell whether he keeps challenging people like he did John Lambert this afternoon, or whether he will be as supine and indolent as he was when he let Lee Child vomit his disgusting views.
https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/03/wallace-chapmans-simpering-interview.html
Norman, and Tucker.
I’m sure at least one of those two.
Having said all that, one has to admit that THIS is a great reporter….
Gang members break into a property you own, say they own it (they don’t), and move in.
Police are brought in and those squatting in the property are trespassed, but tough shit for you the property owner because nothing else happens and you run out of money paying for the mortgage, and legal bills.
I’m all for tenant rights but the scale needs balance if only to stop incidents like this, rare though it is. WHY AREN’T THEY ARRESTED FOR TRESPASS AGAIN? Useless cops.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12188893
This could happen to anyone of us and needs sorting asap.
Did you notice that the gang used to own the property. They don’t now as they got bankrupted? Or had it taken off them when they got had on drug dealing.
But they had built it themselves. If we had legalised marijuana back then they could have been encouraged to drop the meth and go legit on quality, tested grass.
If only.
If Aunty had bollocks she’d be uncle. What you say about that eh ?
If green was legal they’d still be pushing meth as it’s addictive, green has less repeat business. If if if if…..laws been broken, end of story.
Yes I know, a little dream. My quote – ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would
ride.’ If only, about the saddest most evocative words there are in the language.
Gathering support for new ideas, working teams for new projects?
http://betterworktogether.co/
Pikies
Racially vilifying these folk is okay because…..
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/15/acceptable-racism-gypsies-travellers-prejudice
After I read this story I new google shonky + tara Iti golf club and sure enough he is linked in this mess he goal was to serve his rich amercian m8 he would have bulldozed through all the laws we have to protect OUR indangered animals to get this golf club built and worse still the named the club after the Bird that they are causing the EXTINCTION of both links below. We have a obligation to protect these TARONGA birds of Aotearoa FROM the greedy wealthy men
New Zealand’s rarest bird on the brink of extinction: ‘This is a crisis year’
A disastrous breeding season has plunged one of the world’s rarest birds even deeper into crisis.
The critically endangered fairy tern/tara iti, the country’s rarest native bird species with fewer than 40 individuals, has had only three chicks hatch this season.
New Zealand Fairy Tern Charitable Trust convenor Heather Rogan says one chick has gone missing, which could make this the worst breeding season in at least 27 years.
The Department of Conservation maintained on Monday that all three chicks were alive and well. If that’s the case and they all fledge, this would still be the worst season since 1996-7, the last time three chicks fledged.
The luxury Tara Iti Golf Club has been built nearby and exclusive housing developments are planned in the old Mangawhai Forest, bought by Te Uri o Hau in its Treaty settlement. As part of the developments, a public reserve is to be created.
“It just seems one thing after the other has been piling pressure on,” says Rogan.
It appears, however, that DOC has dropped the ball. A 10-year fairy tern recovery plan was produced in 2005 but the recovery group was disbanded before the term was finished.
“If all the things that were in there had been followed, we might be a bit better off,” says Rogan.
(Iftikar didn’t know why the group was disbanded.)
SLOW PROGRESS
Progress also seems slow. DOC called a meeting of interested groups in March last year to discuss some of the strategies and priorities for saving the fairy tern. A recovery group was one of the top priorities, yet it’s still not established.
Looking back five years, the Fairy Tern Trust, set up in ka kite ano links below. P.S I can see the money mens spin doctors are using the media one story I found stated the Tara iti had a good season what lies the alt right throw at us.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/109953299/new-zealands-rarest-bird-on-the-brink-of-extinction-this-is-a-crisis-year
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/105059172/sir-john-key-lobbied-government-for-overseas-buyers-ban-exemption
The moon
Giant leaf for mankind? China germinates first seed on moon
A small cotton shoot is growing onboard Chang’e 4 lunar lander, scientists confirm
A small green shoot is growing on the moon after a cotton seed germinated onboard a Chinese lunar lander, scientists said.
The sprout has emerged from a lattice-like structure inside a canister after the Chang’e 4 lander touched down earlier this month, according to a series of photos released by the Advanced Technology Research Institute at Chongqing University.
“This is the first time humans have done biological growth experiments on the lunar surface,” said Xie Gengxin, who led the design of the experiment, on Tuesday.
Plants have been grown previously on the International Space Station, but this is the first time a seed has sprouted on the moon. The ability to grow plants in space is seen as crucial for long-term space missions and establishing human outposts elsewhere in the solar system, such as Mars.
Harvesting food in space, ideally using locally extracted water, would mean astronauts could survive for far longer without returning to Earth for supplies.
The Chang’e 4 probe – named after the Chinese moon goddess – made the world’s first soft landing on the far side of the moon on 3 January,
Chang’e 4 is also equipped with instruments developed by scientists from Sweden, Germany and China to study the lunar environment, cosmic radiation and the interaction between solar wind and the moon’s surface.
Sign up for Lab Notes – the Guardian’s weekly science update
Read more
The lander released a rover, nicknamed Yutu 2 (Jade Rabbit), that will perform experiments in the Von Kármán crater.
The agency said four more lunar missions are planned, confirming the launch of Chang’e 5 by the end of the year, which will be the first probe to return samples of the moon to Earth since the 1970s. ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/15/china-germinates-first-seed-on-moon-cotton-shoot-change-4
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
Health
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
Search »
International Edition+
U.S.
Arabic
Español
Set edition preference:
U.S.
International
Confirm
One simple — but really hard — solution to stop climate change
US carbon emissions on the rise again 06:24
(CNN)There may actually be a way to keep the worst of climate change at bay, but it’s going to take a herculean effort, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
Climate change is well underway already, the time to act and limit its human causes is now, many studies have shown. This latest report maps out what it may take to get there.
Antarctica ice melt has accelerated by 280% in the last 4 decades
It posits that if the world was to phase out its “carbon-intensive infrastructure” at the end of its design lifetime starting from the end of 2018, there’s a 64% chance that the planet’s peak temperature can remain below the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Above that, scientists predict the planet will see even more extreme weather events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, massive animal die offs and food shortages for millions. The planet is already two-thirds of the way there, with global temperatures having warmed about 1 degree Celsius.
To keep the global median temperature within this optimal 1.5 degree-Celsius limit, according to this study, change would have to happen across all sectors, not just in the energy sector. Power plants would need to be replaced, but so would gas and diesel-fueled cars, aircraft, ships and and industrial plants. Even cows would have to go — essentially, anything that contributes to global warming.
Under this scenario, infrastructure such as power plants wouldn’t have to be scrapped and replaced with a non-carbon emitting technology — at least, not immediately. The researchers are talking about a “design lifetime.” In the case of power plants, the average lifetime based on historic data, is about 40 years. The average lifetime of a car on the road now is more than 11 years, according to Consumer Reports, but could last for about 200,000 miles, or 15 years, US estimates show. Once they wear out, stop working or die, they’d be replaced with technology or products that do not contribute to climate change Ka kite ano link below
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/15/health/climate-change-phase-out-infrastructure-study/index.html
The sandflys must be in the kaka every time Eco Maori goes outside they play with there sirens ana to kai ka kite ano
Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
I see the alt right reporters are using cunning sly tact ticks to scare people off the ideas that a fare tax system in Needed .I SAY that it’s is need a tax on people who can afford it .The way s honky has setup the tax system a the minute the people who are broke are paying a higher tax % than a person making millions in proffets in the share market and that ain’t correct. The the more money the government gives the wealthy they take that money out of the system under there mattresses. The more money the government’s give the poor the money keeps flowing through the systems and is good for a capitalist based system. The wealthy people let there greed replace any logically humane way of thinking with bigotry. Ka kite ano. P.S we need to make this country fare that will fix some of the problems we have now links below
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/366876/two-options-proposed-for-taxing-capital-gain
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/business/359921/cap-gains-would-cut-house-prices-increase-ownership-study
Goods need to be made to last a life time not 2 to 5 years
frustrating: you buy a new appliance then just after the warranty runs out, it gives up the ghost.
You can’t repair it and can’t find anyone else to at a decent price, so it joins the global mountain of junk.
You’re forced to buy a replacement, which fuels climate change from the greenhouse gases released in the manufacturing process.
No captionPhoto: 123RF
But help is at hand, because people in Europe and parts of the USA will soon get a right to repair – of sorts.
Libby Peake is senior policy adviser at Green Alliance, a UK charity and environmental think tank, she tells Summer Times it’s a problem all over the world.
“The right to repair movement really stems from consumer frustrations with products that break long before they should and can’t be repaired because it’s either too expensive, or it’s too much of a hassle. Increasingly, it’s because products aren’t designed to be repaired,”
She says consumer goods such as washing machines are often designed with sealed drums that prevent consumers and repairers from accessing parts that would be easily and cheaply replaced, such as ball bearings. Faced with the choice of an expensive repair, consumers often choose to simply buy a new machine – “and it’s no wonder”, she says.
The movement started in the United States, where lawmakers in Massachusetts passed legislation that forced car manufacturers to provide information to consumers which would allow them to make repairs to vehicles themselves.
Increasingly, it’s moved into consumer electronics. Eighteen states across the US have now passed legislation for the right to repair and now the European Union is gearing up to do the same. Already, the EU is looking at improving product standards for things such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions.
No captionLibby Peake. Photo: Supplied
Ms Peake says the movement would be hugely beneficial to the environment.
“There are massively environmental consequences to the growing mountain of electronic waste that’s being created. It’s the fastest growing waste stream – not just the products, but the manufacturing itself which includes mining, water, and electricity use. It’s an energy intensive process.”
Previously the EU had focused on the eco-design directive which dictates standards on energy use, for instance LED lightbulbs and electricity or water use. Now it’s moving onto resource efficiency, product lifetime and the ease of repair.
Peake says several manufacturers have protested the proposed changes and argue only professional repairs should be conducted on their products. But the legislation has support from higher-end manufacturers who believe that if everyone were forced to meet minimum standards, it would make the industry more competitive and drive the least efficient products off the market.
Planned product obsolescence used to make sense for manufacturers to force new purchases of defunct electronics, but consumers are increasingly in favour of long-lasting products and Speake says their frustrations will begin to hit manufacturer bottom lines as consumers seek out more robust products. Ka kite ano
Peake says, now that jumps in technological advances have decreased, manufacturers could design things like phones and televisions with disassembly in mind, so the parts can be re-used or recycled. In terms of the losses they would incur by selling more robust phones for example, she says manufacturers may need to pivot to charging for things like software upgrades or repair services.
“People are increasingly sick of ‘take, make, dispose’ economy we’ve got. They want something that’s much more circular and doesn’t damage the planet so much – and ultimately – doesn’t damage their wallets.
Here is a link to vote for Steven Adams to become the first Kiwi to get into the NBA AllStars Kia kaha kite ano he need Aotearoa tau toko. Link below.
https://vote.nba.com/#/confirm
Kia ora Newshub
History is in the making in Britain
Cryto currency is getting hacked Alot costing them billions they must have some power full computers to achieve that.
A fire at sea in Australia one has to be careful as on Tangaroa a fire at sea is a nightmare never seen one tho.
It must be a bad feeling knowing that you have a short time to live I could not fathom it.
Falling in love can turn Papatuanukue upside down.
A ride a horse in fast food outlet in Australia that’s a cool photo there are no shops were I rode my horses.
Tom its good to see one of the Football Ferns best players come back to play for them under a new coach. Ka kite ano
Time to listen to the people who’s only interest is saving OUR Papatuanuku and not the amount of interest there share’s are making while they are poisioning our Earth
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE COMPANYS AND CONSUMERS PAY MORE so there is a good price payed for plastic waste reclycling that will provide jobs and $$ for poor people .
1 billion is a drop in the bucket . NZ need to invest that amount alone let alone the hole planet investing 1 billion and trying to grab positive head lines in the media
Industry alliance sets out $1bn to tackle oceans’ plastic waste
Greenpeace sceptical about corporate polluters as alliance launched to reduce waste
Forbes, global plastics project leader at Greenpeace, said: “This is a desperate attempt from corporate polluters to maintain the status quo on plastics. In 2018 people all over the world spoke up and rejected the single-use plastics that companies like Procter & Gamble churn out on a daily basis, urging the industry to invest in refill and reuse systems and innovation. Instead of answering that call, P&G preferred to double down on a failed approach with fossil fuel giants Exxon, Dow and Total [which] fuel destructive climate change.”
He added: “Make no mistake, plastics are a lifeline for the dying fossil fuel industry, and this announcement goes to show how far companies will go to preserve it.”
Rob Kaplan, chief executive of Circulate Capital, which invests in recycling and other projects to reduce plastic waste, said businesses would provide the answer to plastic waste, but it would take many billions in investment. “There is no silver bullet to the plastic problem. Different parties are trying to push their own agenda, but there does not seem to be an alternative at present,” Ka kite ano links below
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/16/industry-alliance-sets-out-1bn-to-tackle-oceans-plastic-waste
I hope this Goverment is going to back renewable Energy as fast as the Papatuanuku needs to . So we can guarantee a bright clean happy future for ALL Eco Maoris Wero to this Goverment.
Low-carbon electricity from wind and solar farms will be cheaper than gas and effectively subsidy-free by 2020, says the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
In a new report, the government’s official climate change advisor says that low-carbon supplies will be the most cost-effective way to fill the looming generation gap in the 2020s, as the UK’s ageing coal and nuclear plants retire. A more flexible grid will be a crucial complement to this shift.
However, the CCC also rows back from the stretching 2030 power decarbonisation target it once advocated, citing delays to the deployment of nuclear and carbon capture and storage (CCS). The report is a prelude to the CCC’s fifth carbon budget advice. On 26 November this advice will recommend a UK emissions cap for the five years from 2028 to 2032. S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
“When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
“Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming Ka kite ano links below P.S I say The NZ Goverment should be investing in solar and wind on the industrial and roof top solar make the power companys pay a net metering price that is the same as they charge us for the power.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/01/13/solar-storage-half-the-cost-of-gas-peaker-plants-8minuteenergy/
The sandflys have found away to block my post fools on my computer this is my HUAWEI phone Ka kite ano
A post from my phone gets them to stop there bullstuff you see people I post a post putting down the alt right and there sirens went off = alt right climate change denieing red necks the sandflys are ka kite ano
S&P Global reports the cost of solar with battery backup dropped precipitously in 2018. In a few cases in the sunny Southwest region of the United States, several tenders for solar plus storage came in at under $30 per megawatt-hour last year. Stand alone prices for installed battery storage — based on a 20 megawatt-hour system with 4 hours of storage — dropped 40% from the previous year to $357 per kilowatt-hour and are expected to keep falling. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects a further 52% reduction by 2030.
Such tumbling prices have led Wood Mackenzie to forecast that as the market for solar plus storage matures, it could put more than 6,400 MW of new natural gas-fired peaking capacity in the US at risk by 2027. “I can beat a gas peaker anywhere in the country today with a solar-plus-storage power plant,” says Tom Buttgenbach, CEO of developer 8minutenergy Renewables. “Who in their right mind today would build a new gas peaker? We are a factor of two cheaper.”
Progress in battery storage was uneven around the world last year. South Korea has put significant incentives in place, which have led to a boom in that country. So much so, in fact, that Korean battery manufacturers have dedicated much of their production to meeting that demand at the expense of automakers hungry for EV batteries and residential storage products.
“When you see projects now being planned at over 1 GWh in scale, when only 18 months ago a 300 MWh installation was something to behold, you know you have entered a new era,” says Simon Moores, managing director of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.. “It has been quite interesting to watch the battery makers’ dilemma of where to send the lithium ion cells. Of course they have contracts to honor with automotive producers, but the order inquiries from [energy storage] producers have been incredible.”
Some CleanTechnica readers have been wondering why Kia and Hyundai have such low production targets for their newest EV offerings. The clamor for battery cells to meet the energy storage demand may be part of the reason for those low numbers.
“Even though progress was uneven, there was a much greater consensus in 2018 over the importance of energy storage, even in the near term, in major markets,” says Logan Goldie-Scot, head of energy storage at Bloomberg NEF. “In 2017, there were still a lot of people talking about how energy storage was not necessarily a competitive solution and was going to be limited. I hear those conversations much less now. Energy storage is now becoming
I deleted this post above because my first one went up 15 minutes later its part of my first one ka kite ano
Ikea Investment in New Plastic Recycling Technology at Port of Amsterdam
Plastic Recycling Amsterdam, a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
Plastic Recycling Amsterdam (PRA), a collaboration between Umincorp and Milieu Service Nederland, is constructing a new plastics recycling plant is to be built at the Port of Amsterdam.
The organisation explained that the new facility, which can be expanded on a modular basis, will initially process 17,000 tonnes of plastics annually and prepare them to be reused.
The development is part of its move expand its circular plastics hub. Once operational it will first wash incoming plastic waste, shred it and then route through a magnetic bath. Using Magnetic Density Separation (MDS) technology, the plastics can be separated with a purity of 99% because different plastics have different weights.
The technology was originally developed at Delft University of Technology. The sorted plastics can then be processed into high-quality new packaging materials.
According to PRA the technology also represents a breakthrough in sustainable plastics recycling. Compared with traditional plastics, 90% of CO2 and 75% of costs in the supply chain are saved by using this circular process.
“With its existing large-scale collection of plastics and the growth of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in the years ahead, the Port of Amsterdam is the ideal location for
establishing PRA,” commented Jaap Vandehoek, CEO of Umincorp.
Last week, Ingka, Ikea’s parent company, announced last week that it will invest in Umincorp.
“We are determined to make the difference in plastics recycling with our unique MDS technology and the recent investment by Ingka Group,” said Vandehoek
Roon van Maanen, Director Circular & Renewable Industry at Port of Amsterdam added: “PRA transforms recyclable plastics into raw materials for new plastics, while non-recyclable plastics are converted into transport fuel by Integrated Green Energy Solutions Amsterdam, which is also established in our Port. Ka kite ano limks below
https://waste-management-world.com/a/ikea-investment-in-new-plastic-recycling-technology-at-port-of-amsterdam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VT9Yrv1ZOs
There you go whano I went to the courthouse to sort my false fines I get a paper take it to the bank expecting it to be filed. Because ECO MAORI trust no system I check it out today and what do you know the sandflys have been in the bank after me and flashed there shiny badge and bin the papers I filed to pay there false fine I will load the payment by Internet banking. The only system these redneck sandflys want to share with Maori is there jail system everything else they keep the best for them selves and let Maori have what falls of the side of their overflowing plates and encourage US to fight over it Ka kite ano
Kia ora Newshub like the professor said the information is on the Internet.
Australia is behaving badly the way they are treating the People who imagrated their and locking them on Manu Island treating them worsted animals.
Its up to the Auckland Council to make sure that there suburbs are clean and healthy without rubbish making the place smell. Was that a advert advertiseing that ladys miss fortunes WTF that’s not on hope that PBS gets sued but one has to have heaps of money to get justice in NZ. Newshub we need to move away from plastic waste wrapping product ASAP.
That’s cool that the kuia got some of her belongings back Ana to kai the offenders got name and shame on the net.
That a natural phenomenon A ice disk in Main America
I seen the story of that boy down a borehole hope they find him safely and unhurt. Even though China.s plants ended up freezing on the far side of the Marama it still gives a sign that plants can grow on the moon. Ka kite ano