Posts Tagged ‘science’

New Year. Good News.

Written By: - Date published: 5:43 pm, January 1st, 2022 - 92 comments

This one goes out to all those good people running round like their hair’s on fire.

Has the EU failed during COVID-19?

Written By: - Date published: 5:16 am, April 10th, 2020 - 20 comments

Originally posted on Nick Kelly’s blog 

For global governance organisations, this is an important moment. This is the chance for them to demonstrate their worth and coordinate the response. In many ways how these structures respond becomes more important than the response of nation-states. This also is where the deficiencies and shortcomings of such organisations become very apparent. The noise coming from the EU in the last 48 hours is far from reassuring.

Power and Knowledge.

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, October 25th, 2018 - 54 comments

We say that knowledge is power…

The Mariana Trench Fix.

Written By: - Date published: 1:53 pm, October 21st, 2018 - 59 comments

The Mariana Trench is pretty huge. And deep. And if the idea is to fill a hole in the ground with ‘stuff’, then it’s a fair sized hole to be filling, right?

The parties on science

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, August 13th, 2017 - 40 comments

There’s an interesting piece by Peter Griffin over at Sciblogs on various parties’ positions on science in NZ. Not many Kiwis vote on the basis of science – and that’s one of our problems.

March for Science

Written By: - Date published: 12:12 am, April 21st, 2017 - 100 comments

“We, the people, march for science and knowledge to be reaffirmed as fundamental to the democratic decision making that supports society in Aotearoa New Zealand.

We add our voices to the chorus supporting US and international scientists who oppose recent political events that damage and undermine science and its use in the public interest.”

A message for our anti-science government

Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, May 18th, 2016 - 37 comments

Here’s some more science for the government to hate on: “Paris climate agreement cannot be met without emissions reduction target for agriculture”.

Silencing scientists integral to National’s anti-science DNA

Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, May 11th, 2016 - 40 comments

“It’s gone too far. The spin and message control has got stronger. They are less willing to put scientists out there to talk to the public because of the inability to control the message” – Shaun Hendy.

Not all research is created equal

Written By: - Date published: 12:59 pm, January 17th, 2016 - 193 comments

A recent “research” report on alcohol, funded by brewing company Lion, has been in the news lately. Sadly, not everything that purports to be research is honest research.

Portugal

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, October 27th, 2015 - 38 comments

This is going to end well…

Let them drink beer

Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, October 25th, 2015 - 30 comments

Health Minister Coleman provides another salient example of the surreal lengths that National will go to in order to avoid facing up to truths that they don’t approve of.

NRT: An empty strategy

Written By: - Date published: 9:01 am, October 8th, 2015 - 14 comments

I/S at No Right Turn on the government’s National Statement of Science Investment . (Meant to repost this earlier in the week!)

Dear John Roughan

Written By: - Date published: 8:04 am, July 19th, 2015 - 41 comments

Dear John Roughan – I don’t think you’re a stupid person, but sometimes you use your platform in The Herald to say stupid things.

Generous welfare makes people more likely to want to work

Written By: - Date published: 7:36 am, April 2nd, 2015 - 49 comments

Evidence on levels of welfare and willingness to work suggests that yet another nasty right-wing myth is wrong. Reality and its well known liberal bias strikes again.

North of 2

Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, February 1st, 2015 - 138 comments

The international energy agency’s (IEA) view on climate change is that we are “on track for a 3.5°C rise by 2040” (i.e. 4.2°C relative to pre-industrial).

Fatih Birol – IEA chief economist said (3 years ago)

When I look at this data, the trend is perfectly in line with a temperature increase of 6 degrees Celsius, which would have devastating consequences for the planet….we have 5 years to change the energy system – or have it changed

 

PM’s science award winners on the sell-off

Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, January 31st, 2015 - 27 comments

“The Government’s continuing attempts to divest itself of state housing overlook the enormous benefits to society which these homes produce in alleviating severe housing shortages. They were built up by successive generations of New Zealanders, and to “sell them off” under the pretence of efficiency is a disservice to all of us, whether we’re homeowners or renters.”

Nats’ selective science

Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, November 7th, 2014 - 87 comments

Dita De Boni in the Herald takes the Nats to task for their selective use of science, and Sir Peter Gluckman proposes gagging scientists.

Lowly science

Written By: - Date published: 5:42 pm, October 30th, 2014 - 15 comments

I’m sure it’s true, but…

Idiots, Cowards and Bastards.

Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, September 22nd, 2014 - 47 comments

When they write about it at all, the media tends to produce a lot of smash on the issue of global warming, and I’ve had enough of the crap. I apologise for both the length of this post and the number of data chewing links (pdfs and video). I’m hoping to write a number of posts looking at global warming from a variety of perspectives, and hopefully, it’ll be possible to keep others somewhat briefer than this one.

NRT: National’s “innovation” agenda

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, May 19th, 2013 - 65 comments

No Right Turn on National’s science funding scam. Read it in conjunction with this piece in Stuff today on falling numbers of senior students following National’s axing of the postgrad student allowance. Welcome to the Brighter Future.

Sunday Reading

Written By: - Date published: 9:14 am, July 22nd, 2012 - 6 comments

My regular Sunday piece of interesting, longer, deeper stories I found during the week. It’s also a chance for you to share what you found this week too. Those stimulating links you wanted to share, but just didn’t fit in anywhere (no linkwhoring).  This week: The Olympics, some interesting science on inequality and performance pay, and what does history look like when it’s not the propaganda of the victor?

John Key: Evidence please!

Written By: - Date published: 6:17 am, June 2nd, 2011 - 55 comments

John Key prefers his gut to real evidence, and it means that the policies he is implementing aren’t the ones that are best for our country.
Also: Steven Joyce & the Rail Loop.

Twin peaks

Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, April 22nd, 2008 - 50 comments

We have all heard of the peak oil crisis that is already manifesting itself in fuel prices. Now, consider peak food, the point where our ability to produce food peaks even as demand grows. Wheat was the first plant to be domesticated, around 10,000 years ago. Our civilisations are built on the excess calories available […]

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