Part of the game, you have to be given out. Similar to going down with a broken leg in football at the slightest touch. You use the rules to your best advantage.
Yeah, it's not like that at all. Shite analogy. Ever heard the expression 'it's just not cricket'. It's been said for a reason, and that reason is honesty and integrity by the players.
Koli walked for India and he didn't even hit it, he just thought he did, which is a perfect example of how the game should be played. For me, Kane let himself down here, but they won, so all good then.
Sorry the analogy is not up to your "Kohli and I would have walked" standards. Here's a few more examples, when batsmen are run out they usually know they're short. No need for the 3rd umpire then eh, most should be walking of their own admission, yet that's the exception. Then there's the no ball check when people get out. Why do batsmen wait on the field for the TV no ball check. Not in the spirit of the game for sure.
No, that's another dud example. After a run out, a batsman who knows they're short will typically keep going to the changing room. Unless it's a genuine 50/50, an umpire will often refer, just to be sure. A quite valid reason for the third umpire's involvement. Batsmen or women, will wait if the umpire decides to check a no ball, though this isn't a team review, and batters have been called back from the sheds before to resume an innings.
Definitely nothing like a footballer faking a broken leg to con a ref.
We're possibly watching different games… Hardly any international batsmen keep going to the changing room unless it's obvious and they're more than a metre short. Most wait on the pitch for the 3rd umpire replay to be shown that they're out, and most runouts are sent to the 3rd umpire because the onfield umpires are terrified of making the wrong decision. The game relies on the 3rd umpire so much now and that backs up the idea that players are not proactive in giving themselves out. Like I said when running in cricket you usually know when you're short of ground even if it's a close one.
Your first point "Hardly any international batsmen keep going to the changing room unless it's obvious " backs up what I wrote "a batsman who knows they're short will typically keep going to the changing room".
Your second point "most runouts are sent to the 3rd umpire because the onfield umpires are terrified of making the wrong decision" is almost exactly the same as my "Unless it's a genuine 50/50, an umpire will often refer, just to be sure", you just use impart a different reason for why.
Not really, the ball was not intentionally edged, didn't make the keeper and umpire ignore it, is commonplace for batsmen to not react to feint edges even when keepers do appeal, which in this case the keeper didn't.
Which gets to the hub of it, it is not the batsman's place to do the job of the other team’s wicketkeeper and bowler communicating with each other, nothing un cricket about that at all.
Further more, if a keeper takes a ground level catch, does the batsman then automatically walk, or wait to see the umpires decision if the ball hit the ground?
Look, he hit it, or ball hit bat, it doesn't matter. I believe he would have known and should have walked. As it was, he hit it and should have been out. The point is whether he knew.
Any player I've ever played with and against has known when they've got an edge, I always have. Never once have I ever been given out thinking I didn't hit it.
When there are complex situations in complex environments with complex politics and agendas at play, I always say, "Believe Taliban commanders even if their stories don't match."
Yeah, there were two of them. When they saw the helicopters they escaped without firing a shot. I gather one of them wasn't in the specific village (there are a cluster of small villages and they are referred to together as 'a village') but he was nearby and saw the action taking place.
It makes no difference to the basic claim of the book "Hit and Run" which I have read from cover to cover:
The NZ contingent – together with the American helicopters overhead – killed and injured villagers including a small child and failed to acknowledge their mistake. They see it as acceptable collateral damage I suppose.
In times of hostilities most people understand mistakes can be made. The problem is, when the perpetrators don't believe they have to admit to them. Imo they are wrong. At no time is it acceptable not to own one's mistakes and then make it worse by indulging in cover-ups which is what the NZDF (and the Americans involved if the truth were known) tried to do.
I must keep from breaking into the story by force
for if I do I will find myself with a war club in my hand
and the smoke of grief staggering toward the sun,
your nation dead beside you.
I keep walking away though it has been an eternity
and from each drop of blood
springs up sons and daughters, trees,
a mountain of sorrows, of songs.
I tell you this from the dusk of a small city in the north
not far from the birthplace of cars and industry.
Geese are returning to mate and crocuses have
broken through the frozen earth.
Soon they will come for me and I will make my stand
before the jury of destiny. Yes, I will answer in the clatter
of the new world, I have broken my addiction to war
and desire. Yes, I will reply, I have buried the dead
NZ history. What are we! Review on Radionz of Jock Phillips historian and gives me a feeling of having had the journey to understand NZ history, it's the journey that many of us have done, and are still traipsing along in his steps.
Jock Phillips: Making History
Photo: Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand.
Historian Jock Phillips has made his career bringing history to life and convincing New Zealanders that our past has real value. He is former editor of the Online Encyclopedia Te Ara, served as government Chief Historian, was the founding director of the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies, and was the conceptual leader for the history exhibitions at Te Papa, as well as publishing 15 books.
Now he has turned his deep historical skills on himself in his memoir called "Making History". He tells Kathryn the awakening of New Zealanders to their history has been one of the great revolutions of our time.
Note how Victoria Uni has decided to name itself now it has been talked down from calling itself 'Wellington'.
Audio later. A good idea while writing on here to follow up on our history through Jock's writing. What are we trying to protect, maintain, advance, treasure, prioritise?
Jock said for the purpose of learning history is to help interpret the world around you. Also lots of other interesting things to hear in this interview.
Agree. Same day enrolment is also a big plus. Both these changes will help lift the vote of low income people and disenfranchised people which will help the socially conscious left.
National and its follows will be furious about this. I'm surprised they didn't try to block it.
Only if they put up, then inact on left wing policy. Otherwise low income people and disenfranchised people will vote for populist demagogues like boris or trump.
One hundred million people, including those in the large cities of Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad, will soon be living in zero groundwater cities, according to the Niti Aayog report. This number will likely continue increasing, as the United Nations recently estimated that India's population will surge by almost 300 million by 2050, and it will become the world's most populous country.
Complicating the issue are the devastating effects of climate change. Monsoon rains have been more erratic and droughts more common, threatening farmer's harvests. This could cripple livelihoods across the predominantly agricultural country, where 80% of water is used to irrigate thirsty crops such as sugar cane and rice.
"Unless we adapt our water storage to suit the change in rain intensity, we're going to suffer really badly," said Sharma. "All parts of India — rural, urban, everybody."
Actually Marty, Chennai has been in a water crisis for years. My daughter's husband is from there and his parents and sister are there also. They have been living with Climate change for some time now. They rely on water tanks for water and what is trucked in. Farmers have been making a killing in suppling water to the city – indeed this is their main source of income now because they can earn more from selling the water rather than using it for farming. It really is no joke just how desperate they are for water. And then, when it does come, it can come in the form of a flood the like of which we can only imagine, and the majority of it just races away to the ocean.
They need to switch out those staples for things that aren't water hungry. Potatoes, cassava, sweet potato – all require much less water. I got massive kumara yields out front with very little watering through the drought.
The thing with sugar though, it gives one hell of a yield. There are sustainable sugar farmers appearing in the regions in India – I learn from them (painstakingly, it is in Indian) but without water… green credentials won't amount to a hill of beans (or sugar).
Oh, and beans, well, pigeon peas to be precise if you want low water for high protein.
Do we have pigeon peas in NZ – Robert? I love the idea of some nitrogen fixing shrubs with a decent yield to them. They could easily replace lupins in some sandy landscapes…
how about they just stop companies from draining the groundwater for bottling and coca cola.
And i honestly believe that we might just not be so fast as to tell the Indians what they can and can not grow in India, considering that the country is very large, with quite different climates, and people who have been vegans long before it became fashionable for a bunch of hipsters to fret about food..
This is not about a low water crisis, this is about a no water crisis, as in no ground water, all damns depleted, and i am not sure switching a country with a billion plus people over to kumara is gonna fix it.
The study of agricultural systems is my bread and butter.
Sugar needs 1500 – 2500 mm rain per year.
Cassava can produce heavily with 400 mm.
Kumara in high production can take 100 mm a month but will do well on half that. 4-5 months to maturation and the greens are edible too so production can kick off very early and last all season. THE highest yielding (nutrition) crop in this regard.
Average rainfall in India 300 – 650 but widely varied and unreliable to bank on. The monsoon seasons are becoming broken, more severe or piss weak, timing becoming more varied.
When the water's gone the food supply will follow. They could import or desalinate but the expense will leave not a drop for agriculture.
Agriculture then, has to take a long hard look at itself, as weather patterns will cease to be predictable. And the water required to grow sugar for the west… not really tenable at present. The future?
India has been producing for the western world on a large scale, and getting rorted in the process. Sabine makes a great point about Coca Cola (but is she too fast to say so lol), and the myriad other corporations over there gouging profits and trashing ecosystems.
The tragedy is we forget a drought as soon as it's passed. Again, the weather patterns will no longer be predictable, but they will get considerably worse. The writing has been on the wall and many of their politicians have done little but fill their coffers.
They really do need some changes, famine follows drought.
Seems the whole damn state is behind the eight ball.
The demand for water in Tamil Nadu is increasing at a fast rate both due to increasing population and also due to larger per capita needs triggered by economic growth. The per capita availability of water resources however, is just 900 cubic meters when compared to the national average of 2,200 cubic meters. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in the State using 75 per cent of the State’s water resources
"The current level of utilisation expressed as net ground water draft of 13.558 MCM is about 60 per cent of the available recharge, while 8875 MCM (40 per cent) is the balance available for use. Over the last five years, the percentage of safe blocks has declined from 35.6 per cent to 25.2 per cent while the semi-critical blocks have gone up by a similar percentage. Over-exploitation has already occurred in more than a third of the blocks (35.8 per cent) while eight blocks (2 per cent) have turned saline. "
You are concerned about the matter Sabine and McFlock and then chastise WtB for making suggestions. If India has run out of water they have to do things differently so it's not helpful to deride WtB's suggestions. NZ might hate change but when times force change we and India have to do so. So don't go shooting people in the foot when they don't want to just sit in a sob circle and say 'Isn't it terrible, and what will they do. And it just goes to show', or something like 'is an interesting question, but people are really hurting.'
You can't solve a problem if you make an incorrect assumption about the cause.
Chennai is using its groundwater at almost twice the replenishment rate. If that sustainability gap is due substantially to inapproriate crop selection, fair call. But if the bulk of it is due to water-intensive industries, a much better option would be to regulate those industries. If it's due simply to having to supply water to 4million people (and increasing), they need more water plants and storage. Maybe it's a mix of those things, and more.
There are lots of stories about inappropriate "aid" and "advice" being given to people in need because the donors didn't look past their assumptions.
Many farmers are not actually producing anything because they can get more money by selling their water directly. Food is mainly brought in from outside the region.
Exactly. It is pretty basic – doesn't need as much ego imo in some of the comments – this is a GROUNDWATER issue not a cropping issue. One is immediate the other is long term but obviously both on the same spectrum.
I've actually experienced a few weeks of no water in the pipes. There was a factory fire upstream on the banks of the Waihou river a silo of milk powder got in the river and everything died.
Milk tankers of water turned up and we in line with buckets and billy cans.
We had the only hot bath in the village, having borrowed a contraption to heat about 50 litres at a pop off our farming cuzzies.
When you're the only hot bath in town, you become very popular.
Round here, don't be coming up with smart ideas. Commiserate! Those poor smelly bastards with no bath…
This is an interesting read. Too many details to summarise.
An answer to 'What crops grow in Tamilnadu?' from Jan 2017. They were in deep shit then (The area Chennai is part of).
"In a desperate attempt to draw the government’s attention to their plight, farmers in the city of Tiruchi stood with dead rats in their mouths in front of the collector’s office last week, demanding loan wavers and relief measures."
"farmers in the city of Tiruchi stood with dead rats in their mouths"
Whoaaaa! Could this happen in New Zealand? Could our farmers, if driven to desperation by the banks (hello, Mr Key) stomach that sort of protest action?
I am not really concerned. Put me in the basket of those blasee at the knowledge that the train is derailed and we are now buckled in for the right. And then when we reach the end of our life we die. So don't consider me concerned.
I posted this link to more as an information about things to come here. We have been in a bit of drought lately. Having two days of drizzle per month since December last year does not look good, and rain patterns are pretty sketchy elsewhere too. Our water quality is fucked up generally, without waders i would not wade in, our selling of water for it to be bottled and sold elsewhere, our irrigation madness so that we can grow cows in the plains somewhere and so forth is what we need to rethink, not the planting of kumara in india – which is something they already do. I would assume that the Indians in India know what to grow in their areas with their soils and such. I would even assume them to save their seeds, compost, grow soil and do all that schnick schnack that makes us feel so super duper good about ourselfs.
and yes, i chastised (what a lovely word innit – to censure, castigate 🙂 ) WTB who looks at this problem that is of such a magnitude that it is hard to bend ones mind around – no water not just for one mega city in India but several; No Water for several 10s of millions of people – with the suggestion that maybe if they switch over to low water vegetables something would happen and the reservoirs and aquifiers would replenish and magic!!
So yeah, i am with McFlock there, it ain't the vegetable farmers that depleted the Water all by themselves and it might even be an arrogant assumption as to what people there do or not do, as non of us really would know. As for the farmers now selling the water at an inflated price to towners should tell us something about town planning and water rights and even be a lesson for us here in NZ where we too are selling the farm to the highest bidder with out any consideration about tomorrow or our young ones. And we are selling our water extra cheap and we don't think about the fact that once pumped and loaded it is gone pretty much forever. So yeah, its ok lets plant more kumaras, i love the purple ones baked until caramalised and crisp.
3/4 of the regions water goes to Ag. The crops they grow are for the most part water demanding. My advice is not simply 'grow kumara' so stop being misleading that that's all it was.
Their industry has fed the western machine and increasing western ways of their own society. We've done them no favors.
You talk about our drought and yet have at me for knowing a thing or two about what might be done. Half the rain requires crops that only need… guess how much?
"So yeah, i am with McFlock there, it ain't the vegetable farmers that depleted the Water all by themselves and it might even be an arrogant assumption as to what people there do or not do, as non of us really would know"
Well actually, I was right. So go suck a…. kumara.
it actually does not matter what you know, how much you know, or not. You are an arrogant little pisser like all of us are without any consequences in the larger realm of things. Firstly. Secondly, you are an angry little pisser, when some don't agree with you or immediatly bows to your snakr and wisdom and might even find you a little small minded and single focused or blinded by thy own grandness (take your pick) and you have shown that on more then one occasion, so really, go eat a snickers or some kale chips, cause you seem petty and angry when hungry.
Thirdly, yes your idea of switching to low water foods and the likes is recommendable and i am sure that the Indians will be more then happy to entertain your idea should they get to listen to you, cause clearly the Indians would not know how to grow low water use vegetables to save their million people mega cities from running out of water.
Fourth, as has been pointed out below by McFlock we are talking about Cities. You know those places with few farms but lots of peoples and businesses and cars an such. but i am sure if all these people living in the cities without water will suck a kumara then all will be well and you get to feel all grand and super duper about yourself and your kumara.
A bit tropical for pigeon peas, for the moment, I expect, but someone somewhere in NZ will be growing them in anticipation (no one is Southland…yet).
WTB's thinking is sound and the search for suitable crops is paramount. Some will already be here: it'll just be a case of adjusting the management to new conditions, as well as eco-sensitivity (go organic, or something better).
India, WTB? Your view on its place in the destruction of the natural environment; just an off-shoot of the Occidental war against nature?
Agricultural land use is often a big factor, yes. But there are other issues at play in a city of 4 million. Industrial water use, grey water (non) use, leaking reticulation systems, failure to plan infrastructure for increasing populations, and so on are all worthy of examination.
Good points. Especially where they can reuse, and minimise current waste.
Infrastructure, dare I poke my head up and think about it?
These mental exercises could help our Aussie neighbors, and drought prone regions here too.
Earthworks, swales, ground storage. Passive solar desalination. I'd make them with clay sealed depressions, and glass tops. Get a glass factory and some clay quarried and go large. Top quality drinking water once you add a bit of the salts back. And salt…
Briefly touched on it (thoughts on Indian Ag) above.
So many amazing innovators and farmers, some impressive permaculture and initiatives that spring up – and these get talked about a lot. The people are absolutely into the sustainable farming alternatives where presented. Whole villages turn up for the earthworks, there is hope there.
But the government reticence to change BAU, is BAU.
I agree that there's "fertile ground" there, for innovation, but I'm thinking that despite the "foreignness" the "Indians" seem to be just a chapter in our own story; Agriculture is King, rather than a completely different line, such as the Amazonians might represent. Peter Procter spent half his time in India working with biodynamic farmers (One cow, one planet) and the other here in NZ. I do think the continent is an example of ruination through agriculture culture.
Some of the locals blame excessive industry, farmers, soda bottlers, government and corporate collusion, various ticket clipping agencies…
Sounds mighty familiar.
"The major crops sown in Tamilnadu are rice, jowar, ragi, bajra, maize, and pulses. Few other crops that are highly cultivated in the regions of Tamilnadu are cotton, sugarcane, tea, coffee, and coconut. Tamilnadu has also gained a commendable status is the horticultural sector in its agricultural department. The horticultural products of Tamilnadu include cash crops and oil seed crops. Bananas and mangoes are cash crops while groundnuts, sesame, and sunflower are oil seed crops. Paddy is the most leading crop in Tamilnadu and is found in 3 kinds namely Kuruvai, Thaladi, and Samba that varies from season to season."
They've commended themselves for their efforts. Yet now people are wondering if it's worth even trying to grow food there, only two years on. These systems crash hard.
Time to ditch the Ag advisers and bring in the permies.
The idea began in 2000, when Mr Statham senior left the wool industry for wine grapes and, in place of investors for the vineyard, his son came up with the idea of a strata title model of organic farming.
Now, the 140-hectare multiple-occupancy farm at Canowindra, New South Wales, is home to 22 people on a dozen plots united by an organic covenant and a commitment to developing their own agribusinesses.
Rivers Road Organic Farms was set up as a "hybrid" between farming community lifestyle blocks and a standard strata title scheme, sharing skills and resources — without a formal business structure.
That's a great idea. Mate of mine does the books for a number of wealthy individuals near Christchurch. They own lifestyle blocks of one kind or another, but find the effort of doing anything with them excessive. The market is structurally rejecting the kind of young folk who could make something of them.
The idea is, if you can't manage the land you have, you are actually land poor. You spend all your time battling uphill and have no life. A slave to, rather than steward of, your lot.
But with a small plot you can get really high production.
And all kinds of in between.
With a reasonable sized plot and a few helping hands – Eden is there for the making*
"Time to ditch the Ag advisers and bring in the permies."
Convert those Ag advisors to permaculture, or something better, and we'll be on the way; It's a Big Ask, but it's a Big Challenge, so let's pull on our Big Pants.
“India can’t afford to ignore its water crisis. Neither can South Asia or the world. Water scarcity is a clear and present danger, not a distant threat, and global warming heightens this threat. This month, international researchers from the U.S. and South and Central Asia released new research on major river basins at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. Their findings reveal that snowmelt accounts for nearly three-quarters of the water in two of India’s key basins — the Brahmaputra and Indus — and nearly half of the water in the Ganga, the country’s largest river basin.”
Miuse/allocation obviously an issue but it appears that it will be exacerbated by reducing future availability…..those dismissing societal collapse within 30 years may wish to consider how organised society functions without sufficient water
In a corner stone report released, by the ‘Government’s Principal transport advisory agency’ the Ministry of Transport entitled ‘Emission Factors for Contaminants Released by Motor Vehicles in New Zealand’ it clearly shows graphs and tables confirming our worst fears that surfaces of rough surface roads will increase the tyre to road ‘friction’ that will greatly increase the tyre wear and tyre dust ‘emissions’ from all tyres if the roads are made from a chip seal or worse from metal or gravel road surface.
The tables and literature shows that as the weight of the freight carried on trucks increases the tyre dust emissions increases dramatically.
We have located documents that show that scientists have now found traces of tyre dust being carried on sea tidal currents to the polar ice and are now speeding up the melting of the ice caps, due to the black tyre dust attracting the suns heat. Ministry of Transport. – ‘Emission Factors for Contaminant s Released by Motor Vehicles in New Zealand’ is a serious wake up call to our regional Governments who are now beginning to write changes and intent to their future planning to reduce the climate emissions after signing the ‘Climate change emergency declaration.’ Our HB Regional Council are also signing onto this climate change emergency declaration;
Rail is the answer as “steel wheels on a steel track” has no friction or tyre dust emissions and therefore is the ‘environmental gold standard’ for our future economic growth of our regions increased business development to avoid any increase harm to our environment or climate.
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
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TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
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Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
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Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
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TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
Open access notablesImproving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society:To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024. “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane. “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says. “This will be our third visit to ...
Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum. While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation. “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan. “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says. “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests. Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone. Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
Last summer when Matairangi burned, Ginny and Tom stood at the window of their lounge, watching kākā shoot skyward from the burning trees. From the distance, they looked to Ginny like pages torn from books and thrown into a bonfire. It was Tom, voice tight, who told her it was ...
Opinion: The Canadian short story writer Alice Munro – winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013 – died in May at the age of 92. Her work was about “the damage people inflict on one another in the name of love”, Deborah Treisman wrote in the New Yorker. ...
This month marks two years since the most powerful telescope ever built sent its first pictures back to earth. From its lofty vantage point, beyond the moon in orbit around the sun, the James Webb Space Telescope was tuned to observe the first stars and galaxies being born soon after ...
Comment: After Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ preview several weeks ago, I had some optimism about the Government’s emissions reduction plan. Now I’ve read the discussion document, that hope has been dashed. How can the Government propose a plan that wants to take New Zealand taxpayers’ hard-earned money, and spend ...
Christopher Luxon: hurdles The little man from National jumps hurdles in his sleep. He’s quite good at it in his dreams and even though the reality doesn’t quite match up you have to give him credit for getting up every morning and crashing into the very first hurdle of the ...
Comment: It was a good two hours into the conversation when Tyrone Marks raised the most basic of questions when I first spoke to him in 2017. “They didn’t explain the things they did to me. They never told me why. And they still haven’t. There’s no explanation for it. ...
Madeleine Chapman rounds out Death Week on The Spinoff with a final recommendation. You can read all of our Death Week coverage here. Nothing forces you to reflect on your life and relationships quite like proximity to death. For those whose nearest and dearest have died, there are reasonably obvious ...
Whitney Greene takes us through her life in television, including the TV character she’d like to plan a funeral for and her cow lung catastrophe on The Traitors NZ. “If the phone rings, I have to answer it,” Whitney Greene from The Traitors NZ warns as we begin our My ...
Maddie Ballard reviews the debut essay collection of Pōneke writer Flora Feltham.In ‘The Raw Material’, the longest essay in Flora Feltham’s dazzling debut collection, the author heads out for a run after hours of weaving and sees the world turn to textile. “Pounding along the Parade, I saw the ...
Andy Christiansen, one half of the experimental rock-pop duo TRiPS, shares the tunes inspiring the band’s perfect weekend and new release. “Good speakers, good food, good music, no distractions”: that’s all you need to enjoy the psychedelic stylings of TRiPS, a new band formed by Fly My Pretties’ Barnaby Weir ...
Celebrating our quadrennial opportunity to become experts in a bunch of sports we never normally watch.The games of the XXXIII Olympiad are upon us. Paris will host this year’s showcase of sporting and athletic prowess, which means some late-night and early-morning viewing for us in Aotearoa.But what sports ...
The photograph is striking and beautiful, but also disturbing – a reminder that my love for John was often entangled in shame.The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand.In the spring of 1980, in Dunedin, shortly before his death, someone took a photograph ...
Get to know Babushka, our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Babu’s humans, Jo and Isabel, for their support. Dog name: Babushka (Babu for short) Age: 2Breed: Border Collie X poodleIf rescued, ...
Pacific Media Watch A Lebanese photojournalist who was severely wounded during an Israeli air strike in south Lebanon carried the Olympic torch in Paris this week in honour of her peers who have been wounded and killed in the field — especially in Gaza and Lebanon. Christina Assi of Agence ...
The first report in a five-part web series focused on the 15th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women taking place in the Marshall Islands this week.SPECIAL REPORT:By Netani Rika in Majuro Women continue to fight for justice 70 years after the first nuclear tests by the United States caused ...
Christopher Luxon has joined with Australia and Canada's leaders in voicing support for US President Joe Biden's ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The 2022 election brought the “teal wave” into parliament. The next election will test whether teals, who occupy what were Liberal seats, and other independents can maintain their momentum. Joining us on the Podcast ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Musgrave, Senior lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Adelaide Pixavri/Shutterstock A major Federal Court class action has been dismissed this week after Justice Michael Lee ruled there was not enough evidence to prove the weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiff Kelvin ...
In The Week in Politics: politicians have to decide what to do about child abuse, Health NZ is booked in for major surgery and Darleen Tana returns. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clare Corbould, Associate Professor, Contemporary Histories Research Group, Deakin University Mainstream media are surprisingly muted at the prospect of the world’s most powerful nation being led for the first time by a woman – specifically a woman of colour, Vice President Kamala ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Bennett, PhD Student, Associate Research Fellow, Deakin University Last week, a drone delivery company called Wing (owned by Google’s parent company, Alphabet) started operating in Melbourne. Some 250,000 residents in parts of the city’s eastern suburbs can now order food from ...
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Another great job by the Black Caps at the cricket world cup international stage for NZ
Cricket was the winner (again)
Black Caps were the the winners on the day (again)
Win Win the NZ way!
Impressive eh
Pretty much guaranteeing finals place, while simultaneously taking out the Saffers.
Shame he didn't walk when he bottom edged Tahir. It could well have changed the outcome of the match.
A bit of a fraud to laud winning “the NZ way” when the skipper cheated.
Probably thought it was a creak in the handle of his bat.
I think anyone who has ever batted before knows when you nick one, and sure as eggs, he would have done here.
https://twitter.com/PaulAdams39/status/1141423388453494784/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1141423388453494784&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nzherald.co.nz%2Fsport%2Fnews%2Farticle.cfm%3Fc_id%3D4%26objectid%3D12242107
Fair enough, he got away with it, but lets keep all the win the NZ way for the fantasy leagues.
Rub of the green, dude.
https://twitter.com/CzanB/status/1141430308442501121
Like I wrote, he got away with one.
Part of the game, you have to be given out. Similar to going down with a broken leg in football at the slightest touch. You use the rules to your best advantage.
Yeah, it's not like that at all. Shite analogy. Ever heard the expression 'it's just not cricket'. It's been said for a reason, and that reason is honesty and integrity by the players.
Koli walked for India and he didn't even hit it, he just thought he did, which is a perfect example of how the game should be played. For me, Kane let himself down here, but they won, so all good then.
There was no appeal and I don't think it's entirely true that you know you've nicked one.
What is true is that neither bowler nor keeper appealed so they was both sure it wasn't out.
Not sure Williamson could do much else in that situation.
The bowler Tahir appealed. "Only Tahir appealed against the bottom edge by Williamson who was given not out"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket/cricket-world-cup/113631599/why-didnt-black-caps-hero-kane-williamson-walk
I'm sure he knew he hit it, as he watched it onto the bat, but even though he didn't admit it, it would have been given out if reviewed.
I would have walked.
I'm sure he will take your concern on board.
I'm sure you can suck a hard one
Sorry the analogy is not up to your "Kohli and I would have walked" standards. Here's a few more examples, when batsmen are run out they usually know they're short. No need for the 3rd umpire then eh, most should be walking of their own admission, yet that's the exception. Then there's the no ball check when people get out. Why do batsmen wait on the field for the TV no ball check. Not in the spirit of the game for sure.
No, that's another dud example. After a run out, a batsman who knows they're short will typically keep going to the changing room. Unless it's a genuine 50/50, an umpire will often refer, just to be sure. A quite valid reason for the third umpire's involvement. Batsmen or women, will wait if the umpire decides to check a no ball, though this isn't a team review, and batters have been called back from the sheds before to resume an innings.
Definitely nothing like a footballer faking a broken leg to con a ref.
We're possibly watching different games… Hardly any international batsmen keep going to the changing room unless it's obvious and they're more than a metre short. Most wait on the pitch for the 3rd umpire replay to be shown that they're out, and most runouts are sent to the 3rd umpire because the onfield umpires are terrified of making the wrong decision. The game relies on the 3rd umpire so much now and that backs up the idea that players are not proactive in giving themselves out. Like I said when running in cricket you usually know when you're short of ground even if it's a close one.
Your first point "Hardly any international batsmen keep going to the changing room unless it's obvious " backs up what I wrote "a batsman who knows they're short will typically keep going to the changing room".
Your second point "most runouts are sent to the 3rd umpire because the onfield umpires are terrified of making the wrong decision" is almost exactly the same as my "Unless it's a genuine 50/50, an umpire will often refer, just to be sure", you just use impart a different reason for why.
A bit of a fraud to laud winning “the NZ way” when the skipper cheated.
So how did New Zealand "win" the Rugby World Cup in 2011? Was there a cheating skipper involved in that shambles, or did our eyes deceive us?
Not really, the ball was not intentionally edged, didn't make the keeper and umpire ignore it, is commonplace for batsmen to not react to feint edges even when keepers do appeal, which in this case the keeper didn't.
Which gets to the hub of it, it is not the batsman's place to do the job of the other team’s wicketkeeper and bowler communicating with each other, nothing un cricket about that at all.
Further more, if a keeper takes a ground level catch, does the batsman then automatically walk, or wait to see the umpires decision if the ball hit the ground?
Look, he hit it, or ball hit bat, it doesn't matter. I believe he would have known and should have walked. As it was, he hit it and should have been out. The point is whether he knew.
Any player I've ever played with and against has known when they've got an edge, I always have. Never once have I ever been given out thinking I didn't hit it.
Fresh timeline of NZ women singers who cracked the Top 10 of the NZ singles & album charts from 1975-2005 is a window on our broader social history.
https://www.audioculture.co.nz/scenes/new-zealand-women-in-the-nz-top-10
Who would of thought. The villagers where full of shit..https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/113621206/insurgent-leaders-admit-they-were-in-afghanistan-village-raided-during-nz-sass-operation-burnham
When there are complex situations in complex environments with complex politics and agendas at play, I always say, "Believe Taliban commanders even if their stories don't match."
Absolutely, what would Taliban Commanders have to gain from sowing discord. They sound like real swell folk.
The basic claim that at least 6 unarmed civilians were killed still stands. Try reading the whole article Buster.
Given Buster12's apparent inability to construct even a basic English sentence, I think you're asking way too much there.
Yeah, there were two of them. When they saw the helicopters they escaped without firing a shot. I gather one of them wasn't in the specific village (there are a cluster of small villages and they are referred to together as 'a village') but he was nearby and saw the action taking place.
It makes no difference to the basic claim of the book "Hit and Run" which I have read from cover to cover:
The NZ contingent – together with the American helicopters overhead – killed and injured villagers including a small child and failed to acknowledge their mistake. They see it as acceptable collateral damage I suppose.
In times of hostilities most people understand mistakes can be made. The problem is, when the perpetrators don't believe they have to admit to them. Imo they are wrong. At no time is it acceptable not to own one's mistakes and then make it worse by indulging in cover-ups which is what the NZDF (and the Americans involved if the truth were known) tried to do.
I find that highly believable Bluster.
????
Someone contact the insane asylum. There's a sub-moron loose.
Joy Harjo – 1st Native American Poet Laureate:
I must keep from breaking into the story by force
for if I do I will find myself with a war club in my hand
and the smoke of grief staggering toward the sun,
your nation dead beside you.
I keep walking away though it has been an eternity
and from each drop of blood
springs up sons and daughters, trees,
a mountain of sorrows, of songs.
I tell you this from the dusk of a small city in the north
not far from the birthplace of cars and industry.
Geese are returning to mate and crocuses have
broken through the frozen earth.
Soon they will come for me and I will make my stand
before the jury of destiny. Yes, I will answer in the clatter
of the new world, I have broken my addiction to war
and desire. Yes, I will reply, I have buried the dead
and made songs of the blood, the marrow.
NZ history. What are we! Review on Radionz of Jock Phillips historian and gives me a feeling of having had the journey to understand NZ history, it's the journey that many of us have done, and are still traipsing along in his steps.
Jock Phillips: Making History
Photo: Victoria University of WellingtonNew Zealand.
Historian Jock Phillips has made his career bringing history to life and convincing New Zealanders that our past has real value. He is former editor of the Online Encyclopedia Te Ara, served as government Chief Historian, was the founding director of the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies, and was the conceptual leader for the history exhibitions at Te Papa, as well as publishing 15 books.
Now he has turned his deep historical skills on himself in his memoir called "Making History". He tells Kathryn the awakening of New Zealanders to their history has been one of the great revolutions of our time.
Note how Victoria Uni has decided to name itself now it has been talked down from calling itself 'Wellington'.
Audio later. A good idea while writing on here to follow up on our history through Jock's writing. What are we trying to protect, maintain, advance, treasure, prioritise?
Jock said for the purpose of learning history is to help interpret the world around you. Also lots of other interesting things to hear in this interview.
Audio – Jock Phillips https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018700527/jock-phillips-making-history
Phillips was, and remains, something of a twit.
Stand by for Borisovian Britain, something like medieval Rus.
Good move by Minister Little to enable polling booths for voting in malls and supermarkets.
Hopefully greater access gets us to 80%+ voting turnout.
Good for our democracy.
Agree. Same day enrolment is also a big plus. Both these changes will help lift the vote of low income people and disenfranchised people which will help the socially conscious left.
National and its follows will be furious about this. I'm surprised they didn't try to block it.
Only if they put up, then inact on left wing policy. Otherwise low income people and disenfranchised people will vote for populist demagogues like boris or trump.
But you knew that already 🙂
water, who really needs it, right?
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/19/india/chennai-water-crisis-intl-hnk/index.html
+1 yep – I saw this yesterday
Actually Marty, Chennai has been in a water crisis for years. My daughter's husband is from there and his parents and sister are there also. They have been living with Climate change for some time now. They rely on water tanks for water and what is trucked in. Farmers have been making a killing in suppling water to the city – indeed this is their main source of income now because they can earn more from selling the water rather than using it for farming. It really is no joke just how desperate they are for water. And then, when it does come, it can come in the form of a flood the like of which we can only imagine, and the majority of it just races away to the ocean.
They need to switch out those staples for things that aren't water hungry. Potatoes, cassava, sweet potato – all require much less water. I got massive kumara yields out front with very little watering through the drought.
The thing with sugar though, it gives one hell of a yield. There are sustainable sugar farmers appearing in the regions in India – I learn from them (painstakingly, it is in Indian) but without water… green credentials won't amount to a hill of beans (or sugar).
Oh, and beans, well, pigeon peas to be precise if you want low water for high protein.
Do we have pigeon peas in NZ – Robert? I love the idea of some nitrogen fixing shrubs with a decent yield to them. They could easily replace lupins in some sandy landscapes…
how about they just stop companies from draining the groundwater for bottling and coca cola.
And i honestly believe that we might just not be so fast as to tell the Indians what they can and can not grow in India, considering that the country is very large, with quite different climates, and people who have been vegans long before it became fashionable for a bunch of hipsters to fret about food..
This is not about a low water crisis, this is about a no water crisis, as in no ground water, all damns depleted, and i am not sure switching a country with a billion plus people over to kumara is gonna fix it.
pretty much.
Whether it's more to do with population density, climate change, or urban planning is an interesting question, but people are really hurting.
The study of agricultural systems is my bread and butter.
Sugar needs 1500 – 2500 mm rain per year.
Cassava can produce heavily with 400 mm.
Kumara in high production can take 100 mm a month but will do well on half that. 4-5 months to maturation and the greens are edible too so production can kick off very early and last all season. THE highest yielding (nutrition) crop in this regard.
Average rainfall in India 300 – 650 but widely varied and unreliable to bank on. The monsoon seasons are becoming broken, more severe or piss weak, timing becoming more varied.
I'll comment if I want WTF would you know.
Ever hear the saying that to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail?
Ever hear the saying: McFlock off?
When the water's gone the food supply will follow. They could import or desalinate but the expense will leave not a drop for agriculture.
Agriculture then, has to take a long hard look at itself, as weather patterns will cease to be predictable. And the water required to grow sugar for the west… not really tenable at present. The future?
India has been producing for the western world on a large scale, and getting rorted in the process. Sabine makes a great point about Coca Cola (but is she too fast to say so lol), and the myriad other corporations over there gouging profits and trashing ecosystems.
The tragedy is we forget a drought as soon as it's passed. Again, the weather patterns will no longer be predictable, but they will get considerably worse. The writing has been on the wall and many of their politicians have done little but fill their coffers.
They really do need some changes, famine follows drought.
Yes dear. Kumara will save them. They don't need to do anything else. 🙄
Geez I try but you're a whinging twat. I mentioned a bunch of crops and you've contributed McFlock all, again.
OK, how much of Chennai's groundwater take is due to agriculture?
How about you go away and learn, then come back and tell us all about it.
Contribute or fuck off.
You can start here
https://chennaimetrowater.tn.gov.in/watersupplysystem.html
That link doesn't actually answer the question, does it.
edit: this overview suggests that over half the water use is residential, with another chunk being industrial (probably includes your cane fields). And another lot “unknown”. But agriculture won’t fix it.
Seems the whole damn state is behind the eight ball.
The demand for water in Tamil Nadu is increasing at a fast rate both due to increasing population and also due to larger per capita needs triggered by economic growth. The per capita availability of water resources however, is just 900 cubic meters when compared to the national average of 2,200 cubic meters. Agriculture is the largest consumer of water in the State using 75 per cent of the State’s water resources
http://tnenvis.nic.in/Database/TN-ENVIS_791.aspx
McFlock – it was a damn good link to start with. Gives a clear picture of the history and methods of water capture employed.
I didn't say 'here's your answer' did I…
But joe90 found it. Thanks.
Interesting. Things are bad and getting worse.
"The current level of utilisation expressed as net ground water draft of 13.558 MCM is about 60 per cent of the available recharge, while 8875 MCM (40 per cent) is the balance available for use. Over the last five years, the percentage of safe blocks has declined from 35.6 per cent to 25.2 per cent while the semi-critical blocks have gone up by a similar percentage. Over-exploitation has already occurred in more than a third of the blocks (35.8 per cent) while eight blocks (2 per cent) have turned saline. "
You are concerned about the matter Sabine and McFlock and then chastise WtB for making suggestions. If India has run out of water they have to do things differently so it's not helpful to deride WtB's suggestions. NZ might hate change but when times force change we and India have to do so. So don't go shooting people in the foot when they don't want to just sit in a sob circle and say 'Isn't it terrible, and what will they do. And it just goes to show', or something like 'is an interesting question, but people are really hurting.'
You can't solve a problem if you make an incorrect assumption about the cause.
Chennai is using its groundwater at almost twice the replenishment rate. If that sustainability gap is due substantially to inapproriate crop selection, fair call. But if the bulk of it is due to water-intensive industries, a much better option would be to regulate those industries. If it's due simply to having to supply water to 4million people (and increasing), they need more water plants and storage. Maybe it's a mix of those things, and more.
There are lots of stories about inappropriate "aid" and "advice" being given to people in need because the donors didn't look past their assumptions.
Many farmers are not actually producing anything because they can get more money by selling their water directly. Food is mainly brought in from outside the region.
Exactly. It is pretty basic – doesn't need as much ego imo in some of the comments – this is a GROUNDWATER issue not a cropping issue. One is immediate the other is long term but obviously both on the same spectrum.
What used all the groundwater?
I've actually experienced a few weeks of no water in the pipes. There was a factory fire upstream on the banks of the Waihou river a silo of milk powder got in the river and everything died.
Milk tankers of water turned up and we in line with buckets and billy cans.
We had the only hot bath in the village, having borrowed a contraption to heat about 50 litres at a pop off our farming cuzzies.
When you're the only hot bath in town, you become very popular.
Round here, don't be coming up with smart ideas. Commiserate! Those poor smelly bastards with no bath…
This is an interesting read. Too many details to summarise.
An answer to 'What crops grow in Tamilnadu?' from Jan 2017. They were in deep shit then (The area Chennai is part of).
"In a desperate attempt to draw the government’s attention to their plight, farmers in the city of Tiruchi stood with dead rats in their mouths in front of the collector’s office last week, demanding loan wavers and relief measures."
https://www.quora.com/Which-are-the-crops-cultivated-in-Tamil-Nadu-How-many-crops-do-TN-farmers-cultivate-in-a-year-What-is-the-plight-of-2016-crops
"farmers in the city of Tiruchi stood with dead rats in their mouths"
Whoaaaa! Could this happen in New Zealand? Could our farmers, if driven to desperation by the banks (hello, Mr Key) stomach that sort of protest action?
I am not really concerned. Put me in the basket of those blasee at the knowledge that the train is derailed and we are now buckled in for the right. And then when we reach the end of our life we die. So don't consider me concerned.
I posted this link to more as an information about things to come here. We have been in a bit of drought lately. Having two days of drizzle per month since December last year does not look good, and rain patterns are pretty sketchy elsewhere too. Our water quality is fucked up generally, without waders i would not wade in, our selling of water for it to be bottled and sold elsewhere, our irrigation madness so that we can grow cows in the plains somewhere and so forth is what we need to rethink, not the planting of kumara in india – which is something they already do. I would assume that the Indians in India know what to grow in their areas with their soils and such. I would even assume them to save their seeds, compost, grow soil and do all that schnick schnack that makes us feel so super duper good about ourselfs.
and yes, i chastised (what a lovely word innit – to censure, castigate 🙂 ) WTB who looks at this problem that is of such a magnitude that it is hard to bend ones mind around – no water not just for one mega city in India but several; No Water for several 10s of millions of people – with the suggestion that maybe if they switch over to low water vegetables something would happen and the reservoirs and aquifiers would replenish and magic!!
So yeah, i am with McFlock there, it ain't the vegetable farmers that depleted the Water all by themselves and it might even be an arrogant assumption as to what people there do or not do, as non of us really would know. As for the farmers now selling the water at an inflated price to towners should tell us something about town planning and water rights and even be a lesson for us here in NZ where we too are selling the farm to the highest bidder with out any consideration about tomorrow or our young ones. And we are selling our water extra cheap and we don't think about the fact that once pumped and loaded it is gone pretty much forever. So yeah, its ok lets plant more kumaras, i love the purple ones baked until caramalised and crisp.
Does the Kumara might be from India. https://www.ndtv.com/food/sweet-potato-is-native-to-india-not-america-says-new-research-top-4-health-benefits-of-the-tuber-1856317
3/4 of the regions water goes to Ag. The crops they grow are for the most part water demanding. My advice is not simply 'grow kumara' so stop being misleading that that's all it was.
Their industry has fed the western machine and increasing western ways of their own society. We've done them no favors.
You talk about our drought and yet have at me for knowing a thing or two about what might be done. Half the rain requires crops that only need… guess how much?
"So yeah, i am with McFlock there, it ain't the vegetable farmers that depleted the Water all by themselves and it might even be an arrogant assumption as to what people there do or not do, as non of us really would know"
Well actually, I was right. So go suck a…. kumara.
3/4 of the state's water goes to agriculture.
the state is bigger than Chennai itself.
The state is depleting its water resources, but still has reserves. Chennai has run out. Most of Chennai's water use was residential a few years ago.
wow.
suck the kumara
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Presumably because both a corpse and kumara (“sweet potato”) are buried.
Verb[edit]
suck the kumara
Synonyms[edit]
it actually does not matter what you know, how much you know, or not. You are an arrogant little pisser like all of us are without any consequences in the larger realm of things. Firstly. Secondly, you are an angry little pisser, when some don't agree with you or immediatly bows to your snakr and wisdom and might even find you a little small minded and single focused or blinded by thy own grandness (take your pick) and you have shown that on more then one occasion, so really, go eat a snickers or some kale chips, cause you seem petty and angry when hungry.
Thirdly, yes your idea of switching to low water foods and the likes is recommendable and i am sure that the Indians will be more then happy to entertain your idea should they get to listen to you, cause clearly the Indians would not know how to grow low water use vegetables to save their million people mega cities from running out of water.
Fourth, as has been pointed out below by McFlock we are talking about Cities. You know those places with few farms but lots of peoples and businesses and cars an such. but i am sure if all these people living in the cities without water will suck a kumara then all will be well and you get to feel all grand and super duper about yourself and your kumara.
bye now.
They grew temperate crops in an arid region. Ecocide. The big global trading system that cares not for nature but bends her to their will.
That's where the majority of the water goes/went.
For someone who doesn't care you come across as a hysterical twat looking for any old shit to be outraged about.
And what’s with the narrow focused obsession with kumara and Chennai, get with the big picture or STFU.
Yes the situation sucks. Wringing your hands wont help.
+ 1 yep pretty basic stuff I would have thought but there you go.
A bit tropical for pigeon peas, for the moment, I expect, but someone somewhere in NZ will be growing them in anticipation (no one is Southland…yet).
WTB's thinking is sound and the search for suitable crops is paramount. Some will already be here: it'll just be a case of adjusting the management to new conditions, as well as eco-sensitivity (go organic, or something better).
India, WTB? Your view on its place in the destruction of the natural environment; just an off-shoot of the Occidental war against nature?
Agricultural land use is often a big factor, yes. But there are other issues at play in a city of 4 million. Industrial water use, grey water (non) use, leaking reticulation systems, failure to plan infrastructure for increasing populations, and so on are all worthy of examination.
Good points. Especially where they can reuse, and minimise current waste.
Infrastructure, dare I poke my head up and think about it?
These mental exercises could help our Aussie neighbors, and drought prone regions here too.
Earthworks, swales, ground storage. Passive solar desalination. I'd make them with clay sealed depressions, and glass tops. Get a glass factory and some clay quarried and go large. Top quality drinking water once you add a bit of the salts back. And salt…
Is that too salty?
Briefly touched on it (thoughts on Indian Ag) above.
So many amazing innovators and farmers, some impressive permaculture and initiatives that spring up – and these get talked about a lot. The people are absolutely into the sustainable farming alternatives where presented. Whole villages turn up for the earthworks, there is hope there.
But the government reticence to change BAU, is BAU.
I agree that there's "fertile ground" there, for innovation, but I'm thinking that despite the "foreignness" the "Indians" seem to be just a chapter in our own story; Agriculture is King, rather than a completely different line, such as the Amazonians might represent. Peter Procter spent half his time in India working with biodynamic farmers (One cow, one planet) and the other here in NZ. I do think the continent is an example of ruination through agriculture culture.
Yep. But you can't go saying things like that.
Some of the locals blame excessive industry, farmers, soda bottlers, government and corporate collusion, various ticket clipping agencies…
Sounds mighty familiar.
"The major crops sown in Tamilnadu are rice, jowar, ragi, bajra, maize, and pulses. Few other crops that are highly cultivated in the regions of Tamilnadu are cotton, sugarcane, tea, coffee, and coconut. Tamilnadu has also gained a commendable status is the horticultural sector in its agricultural department. The horticultural products of Tamilnadu include cash crops and oil seed crops. Bananas and mangoes are cash crops while groundnuts, sesame, and sunflower are oil seed crops. Paddy is the most leading crop in Tamilnadu and is found in 3 kinds namely Kuruvai, Thaladi, and Samba that varies from season to season."
They've commended themselves for their efforts. Yet now people are wondering if it's worth even trying to grow food there, only two years on. These systems crash hard.
Time to ditch the Ag advisers and bring in the permies.
You'll like this WTB:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-06-18/organic-farmer-village-helps-shoulder-the-burden-together/11215732
That's a great idea. Mate of mine does the books for a number of wealthy individuals near Christchurch. They own lifestyle blocks of one kind or another, but find the effort of doing anything with them excessive. The market is structurally rejecting the kind of young folk who could make something of them.
Have you heard the saying 'Land Poor' Stuart?
The idea is, if you can't manage the land you have, you are actually land poor. You spend all your time battling uphill and have no life. A slave to, rather than steward of, your lot.
But with a small plot you can get really high production.
And all kinds of in between.
With a reasonable sized plot and a few helping hands – Eden is there for the making*
*For a limited time only.
Nice find. That's a good model where they've not become enmeshed in each others business but share skills, company and gear. Smart.
"Time to ditch the Ag advisers and bring in the permies."
Convert those Ag advisors to permaculture, or something better, and we'll be on the way; It's a Big Ask, but it's a Big Challenge, so let's pull on our Big Pants.
That's a bloody good point. Will the Nuns of NPK convert.
Brothers and Sisters, we need a miracle!
A decade or two and they'll be lucky if they can grow anything.
https://twitter.com/NASAEarth/status/1139699078873452544
Bangladesh may have it harder – a 50cm sealevel rise is estimated to cost them 11% of their land – Greenland will do more than that.
Meanwhile, back in Noddy Town
North Island coastal property values are surging by as much as 66 percent, new research by OneRoof shows…
“India can’t afford to ignore its water crisis. Neither can South Asia or the world. Water scarcity is a clear and present danger, not a distant threat, and global warming heightens this threat. This month, international researchers from the U.S. and South and Central Asia released new research on major river basins at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. Their findings reveal that snowmelt accounts for nearly three-quarters of the water in two of India’s key basins — the Brahmaputra and Indus — and nearly half of the water in the Ganga, the country’s largest river basin.”
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/water-woes/article25814399.ece
Miuse/allocation obviously an issue but it appears that it will be exacerbated by reducing future availability…..those dismissing societal collapse within 30 years may wish to consider how organised society functions without sufficient water
In a Ministry of Transport official documented study released shows that tyre wear from a truck is at least 100 times more than an average car.
https://transport.govt.nz/assets/Import/Documents/9fa2b3a10b/stormwater-emission-factors.pdf •
In a corner stone report released, by the ‘Government’s Principal transport advisory agency’ the Ministry of Transport entitled ‘Emission Factors for Contaminants Released by Motor Vehicles in New Zealand’ it clearly shows graphs and tables confirming our worst fears that surfaces of rough surface roads will increase the tyre to road ‘friction’ that will greatly increase the tyre wear and tyre dust ‘emissions’ from all tyres if the roads are made from a chip seal or worse from metal or gravel road surface.
The tables and literature shows that as the weight of the freight carried on trucks increases the tyre dust emissions increases dramatically.
We have located documents that show that scientists have now found traces of tyre dust being carried on sea tidal currents to the polar ice and are now speeding up the melting of the ice caps, due to the black tyre dust attracting the suns heat. Ministry of Transport. – ‘Emission Factors for Contaminant s Released by Motor Vehicles in New Zealand’ is a serious wake up call to our regional Governments who are now beginning to write changes and intent to their future planning to reduce the climate emissions after signing the ‘Climate change emergency declaration.’ Our HB Regional Council are also signing onto this climate change emergency declaration;
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1906/S00449/hawkes-bay-support-for-climate-emergency-declaration.htm
Rail is the answer as “steel wheels on a steel track” has no friction or tyre dust emissions and therefore is the ‘environmental gold standard’ for our future economic growth of our regions increased business development to avoid any increase harm to our environment or climate.
Keep up the good work man. And onya HB Council.
Trains!