Posts Tagged ‘rare earth metals’
Mining our national parks for the US war-machine
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 pm, March 23rd, 2010 - 23 comments
Most of the world’s supply of the key rare earth metals comes from China. That’s a strategic problem for the US, which needs rare earths for high-tech military equipment. They don’t want to be dependent on the world’s other superpower, and potential adversary, for their military hardware. Is it a coincidence that the Nats are so keen to let foreigners mine for rare earths in our national parks?
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristine Crous, Senior Lecturer, School of Science and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University Researchers study leaves in the Daintree rainforest in North Queensland, Australia, using a canopy crane. Alexander Cheesman On the east coast of Australia, in tropical ...12 hours ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Baur, Professor, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney World Obesity Federation Obesity is linked to many common diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and knee osteoarthritis. Obesity is currently defined using ...12 hours ago
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology Sad, anxious or lacking in motivation? Chances are you have just returned to work after a summer break. January is the month when people are most likely to quit ...13 hours ago
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- The fate of Māori seats on councils lies with those who vote
With dozens of Māori seats up for referendum, this year’s local elections will reveal where Aotearoa truly stands on representation. Last year, the government introduced legislation requiring all local authorities that had established Māori wards and constituencies to hold a referendum on these seats during this year’s local government elections. ...14 hours ago
- The prime minister started his unofficial re-election campaign in Queensland. It’s a telling polit...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Williams, Associate Professor, Griffith University, Griffith University Queensland’s Bruce Highway is a bit like a 1980s family sedan: dated, worn in places, and often more than a little dangerous. But it’s also a necessary part of life for people just trying ...16 hours ago
- Nothing new under the sun: Australia’s long history of missed chances to build sustainable homes
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Collins, Research Fellow and Curator, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia South Australian Home Builders’ Club members at work. SAHBC collection S284, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia Australians are no strangers to housing crises. Some will even remember the crisis ...16 hours ago
- How banks can make climate pledges – then keep funding fossil fuels
A new report from Australian charity Action Aid reveals how the New Zealand banks’ Australian owners manage to sign up to international climate goals while continuing to fund fossil fuel companies. Most people in New Zealand bank with four large banks, all of which are owned by overseas companies. BNZ’s ...16 hours ago
- Government Prepares New Anti-strike Law
The only way forward is for workers to build a new party that fights for the socialist reorganisation of society, on the basis of human need, not private profit. This is the program of the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand and the International ...16 hours ago - The ‘hot hand’ and the gambler’s fallacy: why our brains struggle to believe in randomness
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney MIA Studio We are surrounded by random events every day. Will the stock market rise or fall tomorrow? Will the next penalty kick in a soccer match go left or ...16 hours ago
- Aboriginal message sticks are a fascinating insight into a complex system of written communication
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Athena Lee, Lecturer and Researcher, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University When we think of writing systems we likely think of an Alphabetic writing system, where each symbol (letter) in the alphabet represents a basic sound unit, such ...16 hours ago
- Treaty bill submissions have closed. Now what?
David Seymour has welcomed the huge amount of public interest in his controversial proposed law, explains The Bulletin’s Stewart Sowman-Lund. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...18 hours ago
- Treaty Principles Bill: Number of total submissions to be revealed on Thursday
Parliament's justice committee will find out tomorrow how many submissions were made on the Treaty Principles Bill after the deadline was extended by nearly a week after website issues. ...19 hours ago - ‘She knew before she could read’: The reality of raising a trans child
A parent shares their experience and fears as public submissions are sought on the use of puberty blockers for gender-affirming care. Both the author and daughter’s names have been changed to protect their privacy. When my daughter Marie was born, everyone, including me, thought she was a boy. She started ...20 hours ago
- What’s all the fuss about the bill to regulate regulations?
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- Newsroom daily quiz, Wednesday 15 January
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Summer reissue: Shortsightedness in kids is skyrocketing overseas. Is New Zealand next? The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member today. “Hey bro, are you blind now?” ...20 hours ago
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While mediator Qatar says a Gaza ceasefire deal is at the closest point it has been in the past few months — adding that many of the obstacles in the negotiations have been ironed out — a special report for Drop Site News reveals the escalation in attacks on Palestinians ...23 hours ago
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In our latest in-depth podcast investigation, Fractured, Melanie Reid and her team delve deep into a complex case involving a controversial medical diagnosis and its fallout on a young family. While Fractured is a forensic examination of this case here in New Zealand, the diagnosis that started it all is ...1 day ago
- Global elections to watch in 2025
While last year was termed the ‘year of elections’, 2025 will see some highly significant elections set to take place throughout the world that could have significant impacts on countries, their regions, and the wider global picture.AfricaThe presidential elections in Cameroon this October see the world’s oldest head of state ...1 day ago
- Indonesia joins BRICS: What now for West Papuan goal of independence?
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- Australia has a new autism strategy but questions remain for those who don’t get NDIS support
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Rinehart, Nicole Rinehart, Professor, Clinical Psychology, Director of the Neurodevelopment Program, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Alex and Maria photo/Shutterstock Today the federal government released Australia’s first National Autism Strategy, with A$42 ...1 day ago
- The world’s largest gathering: how India plans to keep 400 million pilgrims safe at the Maha Kumbh...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney Imagine a gathering so large it dwarfs any concert, festival, or sporting event you’ve ever seen. In the Kumbh Mela, a religious festival held in India, millions of Hindu pilgrims come ...1 day ago
- The Australian dollar has hit a 5 year low. Sounds bad but don’t panic
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Motortion Films/Shutterstock You may have seen stories the Australian dollar has “plummeted”. Sounds bad. But what does it mean and should you be worried? The most-commonly quoted ...1 day ago
- Live updates: 16/7/84, one of the wildest days in New Zealand politics
Summer reissue: Lange and Muldoon clash, two days after the election. Our live updates editor is on the case. The Spinoff needs to double the number of paying members we have to continue telling these kinds of stories. Please read our open letter and sign up to be a member ...1 day ago
- The infamous Stanford prison experiment was flawed – so why is it still so influential today?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gina Perry, Science historian with a specific interest in the history of social psychology., The University of Melbourne ‘Guards’ with a blindfolded ‘prisoner’. PrisonExp.org A new translation of a 2018 book by French science historian Thibault Le Texier challenges the claims of ...1 day ago
- Long-acting contraceptives seem to be as safe as the pill when it comes to cancer risk: new study
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Susan Jordan, Professor of Epidemiology, The University of Queensland Peakstock/Shutterstock Many women worry hormonal contraceptives have dangerous side-effects including increased cancer risk. But this perception is often out of proportion with the actual risks. So, what does the research actually say ...1 day ago
- Surveillance tech is changing our behaviour – and our brains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kiley Seymour, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Behaviour, University of Technology Sydney Vector Tradition/Shutterstock From self-service checkouts to public streets to stadiums – surveillance technology is everywhere. This pervasive monitoring is often justified in the name of safety and security. ...1 day ago
- The Regulatory Standards Bill: What you need to know
About 23,000 submissions have been received on the bill which is set to pass under National and ACT's coalition deal. ...1 day ago
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