The harsh reality of climate change
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- Date published:
11:45 am, June 19th, 2010 - 1,346 comments
Categories: climate change -
Tags: CCDs, climategate, useful idiots
The most comprehensive collection and analysis of global temperature trends comes from NOAA (the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) who collect data worldwide through the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) Global Telecommunication System (GTS) from more than 200 countries world wide. In the context of the debate over climate change from global warming, the report for May 2010 makes sobering reading. Highlights for the global climate (skipped a regional highlight) in May include
- It was the warmest May on record for the global surface temperature as a whole, and for the land surfaces of the globe.
- It was the warmest May on record for the Northern Hemisphere and for land areas of the Northern Hemisphere.
- This was the 303rd consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th Century average. The last month with below average temperatures was February 1985.
This is a fact that the CCDs (Climate Change Deniers and skeptics) seem to neglect to observe.
Climate is an overall pattern of change over significant periods of time – it is statistical in nature. Instead they prefer to look at short regional patterns of weather like the cool winter in Northern Europe and the Northern America. They ignore the relative warmth in neighboring areas in the Arctic from where that cold spilled over from. I’ve commented on this nitpicking tendency in a previous post – A note to idiots – Weather is not Climate. The climb in world averaged temperature anomalies against the 20th century average is clearly apparent in the chart on the right. Click it for a larger image.
NOAA highlights for the early part of this year include:-
- It was the warmest March-May on record for the global surface temperature as a whole, and for the land surfaces of the globe.
- Each of the months of March, April and May 2010 were the warmest on record. This ties 2010 with 1998 (Feb, Jul, Aug) for the most ‘warmest months’ in any calendar year. Other years with ‘warmest months’: 2005 (Jun, Sep); 2003 (Oct); 2004 (Nov); 2006 (Dec); 2007 (Jan);
- The year-to-date (Jan-May) temperature is the warmest first five months on record.
- The two years which were ultimately the warmest on record (2005 and 1998), like 2010, began in the middle of an El Nino which faded to neutral conditions during the spring.
The hottest year globally to date was in 2005 (not 1998 as many myth-believers seem to prefer for ideological reasons) because it had a warmer overall year from June to December. This year is shaping up to be even warmer. Moreover, we’re still at a low point in the solar sunspot cycle and it will only get warmer from now until after that peaks in 2013. But regardless of the solar cycle, it is still getting hotter globally in the early part of this century as the sunspots have been subsiding. The Earths atmosphere and oceans are retaining more heat than they are releasing – exactly what you’d expect from pumping excess greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – click the image left. The same rapid rise is seen in CO2 and other greenhouse gases worldwide.
Comparing 20 years of Global Temperature Trends
Each of the 10 warmest average global temperatures recorded since 1880 have occurred in the last fifteen years. The warmest year-to-date on record, through May, was 1998, and 2010 is warmer so far (note: although 1998 was the warmest year through May, a late-year warm surge in 2005 made that year the warmest total year). Analysis by the National Climatic Data Center reveals that May of 2010 was the warmest global average for that month on record, and is also the warmest year-to-date from January to May.
NOAA display most of their information as temperature anomalies against the average for the 20th century, measured in a grid of 5 degrees of latitude and longitude. The reason for this is to remove the issues with the siting of measurement stations, and the sparseness of weather stations in some regions of the world.
Temperature anomaly refers to the difference from average. The global temperature is calculated using anomalies because they give a more accurate picture of temperature change. If calculating an average temperature for a region, factors like station location or elevation affect the data, but when looking at the difference from the average for that same location, those factors are less critical. For example, while the actual temperature on a hilltop will be different than in a nearby valley on a given day or month, stations in both places will show a similar trend in temperature when you calculate the change in temperature compared to average for that station.
Using anomalies also helps minimize problems when stations are added to or removed from the monitoring network. The above diagram helps show how even if one station were removed from the record or did not report data for some period of time, the average anomaly would not change significantly, whereas the overall average temperature could change significantly depending on which station dropped out of the record.
The weather stations are unevenly distributed around the globe with large holes in data collection in the polar and mid-ocean areas. Some of this is supplemented with satellite information calibrated against the actual earth surface readings. However the sparseness can be seen in the image on the right (click on it for a animation showing a typical monthly collection cycle).
Sure, it’d be nice to have more data collection points. However it is the accelerating global trend that is interesting, not the nitpicking of self-deluding fools like singularian. They prefer to avoid looking at the real issue by nitpicking at relatively inconsequential details – which will not affect the overall picture.
Getting a more accurate picture would help with the modeling of the consequences of rapid climate change. It will not help with stopping or slowing the process – which is increasing looking like it will run out of our control in the next few decades. The underlying personal motivation for that type of pathetic nitpicking appears to be to avoid having to pay a relatively small cost now to start curtailing the dramatic escalation of greenhouse gas emissions. That will wind up with a far bigger and more costly problem in the future.
In their own, the population migrations required as shifting climate patterns this century (and probably even in the next few decades) destroy our thousands of years of farming practices will dwarf any previous human undertakings in size and resources required. Human society can barely handle the current small famines in regional areas, or severe weather events like New Orleans (in the richest country in the world).
As the amount of energy geometrically mounts in the atmosphere and oceans, the frequency of such events will rise geometrically as well. No part of the world will be unaffected. If the weather doesn’t cause them a problem, then the people spilling over borders as migrants or starving warriors will.
Pedantic muttering like another commentator (Ulf) made on the ‘climategate’ e-mails might satisfy their ability to avoid looking at the bigger issues. But they don’t do anything to change the causal reasons producing the increasing signs of impending global problems from an addiction to a carbon based economy. To me, I’m really uninterested in the detail of the operation of a British research institution. You may be useful idiots for the spinsters of the carbon industry to divert immediate attention from the issues, but frankly your concerns have nothing to do with the science and everything to do with avoidance behaviors. It is pathetic.
What I find more worrying is the detail of the recent temperature anomalies around Antarctica. Recent NOAA charts have shown a cooling anomaly at the edge of that continent. Antarctica is circled by circumpolar trough winds driving from east to west pushing the circumpolar current. This has effectively been maintaining the continent in a deep freeze. I’ve commented at the end of last year that all hell would break loose if that system started to fail. An increasing cooling anomaly compared to the historical pattern of the 20th century suggests this may be happening.
Movement of too much cold air out of Antarctica would allow for rapid changes in the rest of the worlds climate. It would also lead to the defrosting of large quantities of ice in the West Antarctica ice sheet (WAIS). Historical geological evidence indicates that when this has happened in the past it has been fairly rapid because it is a tipping trigger operating on a feedback. The more breakdown there is, then the faster the ice melts, which then speeds up the breakdown in cold containment.
I’ll leave you with that unhappy thought for pondering with over the weekend…
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- Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...4 days ago
- Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...4 days ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...21 hours ago - Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...21 hours ago - Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...3 days ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...3 days ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...4 days ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fireThe Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...4 days ago
- Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...5 days ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...1 week ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...1 week ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...1 week ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...3 weeks ago
- PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...4 hours ago - $41m to support clean energy in South East AsiaNew Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...21 hours ago
- Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...23 hours ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...24 hours ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...1 day ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...1 day ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...1 day ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...1 day ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...2 days ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...2 days ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...2 days ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...2 days ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...2 days ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...2 days ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...2 days ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...2 days ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...3 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...3 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...3 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...3 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...3 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...4 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...4 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...4 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...5 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...5 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...5 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...5 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...5 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...5 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...6 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...1 week ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...1 week ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...1 week ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...1 week ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...1 week ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...1 week ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...1 week ago
- Focus on Politics: Luxon boosts defence amid rising global tensions
As global tensions escalated this week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was touring Southeast Asia, strengthening defence and security ties. ...59 mins ago - Why the pathology bulk-billing campaign is more about driving industry profits than saving you money
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...2 hours ago - All about Emma: Three writers talk about the name they share in common
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...2 hours ago - Restoring coastal habitat boosts wildlife numbers by 61% – but puzzling failures mean we can still...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...3 hours ago
- Public sector job cuts: Affected staff criticise leaders' handling of announcementsStaff are shell shocked and frustrated, and say leaders handled the announcements poorly. ...3 hours ago
- ‘The room went dead quiet’: Josh Thomson on his worst 7 Days momentJosh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...4 hours ago
- Shadow-boxing turns real for Israel and Iran
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...5 hours ago - Prime Minister Christopher Luxon meets KPIs on Southeast Asia missionPower Play - Asked for his own assessment of the visit, the prime minister said he was returning home "excited and energised". ...6 hours ago
- Embracing Māori Representation Enriches Democracy, Not Divides It
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...6 hours ago - Anne Salmond: My open submission on this radical, flawed fast-track billThis week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...7 hours ago
- Short story: Finally, by Caoimhe McKeoghThe summer was wonderful. Evie was wonderful, too; finally a teenager, finally worthy of long, hot days. She shaved her legs for the first time and bought cut-off shorts from the op-shop that made them look long. She got a Warehouse singlet so tight on her new shape that her ...7 hours ago
- Thomas James is a master of inventionWhen Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...7 hours ago
- All 28 road tunnels in New Zealand ranked from worst to bestFrom the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...8 hours ago
- How to make the most of your market haulLucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...8 hours ago
- From a library basement comes a fashion historyZoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...8 hours ago
- Rousing farewell for Kiwi doctors flying out to Gaza aid flotillaKia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...15 hours ago
- Communities Against The Fast-track Heartened By ‘Overwhelming’ Public Response; Disgusted By ‘...With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...16 hours ago
- Renters Rights To Drastically Reduce Under Landlord GovernmentThe Government’s announced changes around tenancy rules set renters’ rights back by nearly a decade. ...16 hours ago
- NZPI Submission on Fast Track Approvals BillOur response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...16 hours ago
- Fast Track Invite List Includes Most Destructive Industries In New ZealandThe new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...17 hours ago
- Eugene Doyle: Helen Clark on why AUKUS isn’t in New Zealand’s national interestCOMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...17 hours ago
- Government releases list of organisations shoulder-tapped for fast-track consentsThe government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...18 hours ago
- The Week in Politics: Job cuts surge and Waitangi Tribunal troubleAnalysis - It's been a grim week for public servants, while trouble is also brewing between the government and Waitangi Tribunal. ...19 hours ago
- It never rains but it pours: intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...19 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaThe PM has defended how he's talked up NZ trade on his trip to Southeast Asia, after criticism from his own delegation. ...19 hours ago
- ‘It could be the death of the museum’: why research cuts at a South Australian institution have ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...20 hours ago
- Government signs off $41m clean energy deal with Asian Development BankThe government has committed $41 million to clean energy transition at the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition Mechanism. ...20 hours ago
- Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...22 hours ago
- Luxon: Waitangi Tribunal comments from coalition parties 'ill considered'Comments from ACT and NZ First ministers about the Tribunal were "ill considered" and "that message will be underscored" to them, the PM says. ...22 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation Facing Staff Cuts From Govt Funding SqueezeThe Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...22 hours ago
- I wholeheartedly recommend The President: a brilliant revival of a play of decay, terror and revulsi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...23 hours ago
- How the coolest little capital is shrinkingIt's not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it. ...23 hours ago
- Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...23 hours ago
- Ministers accused of Cabinet Manual breach with threats to Waitangi TribunalPrime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...23 hours ago
- Good news: midlife health is about more than a waist measurement. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...23 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford GrahamA new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...23 hours ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) Hot off the press, this debut ...23 hours ago
- Department of Conservation closing Dunedin centre, but no jobs lostVisitor habits are changing and DOC needs to adapt in a financially sustainable way, its operations director says. ...23 hours ago
- Unions Collaborate With Thousands Of Job CutsWith New Zealand officially in recession, a swathe of mass sackings is currently sending shockwaves through the entire working class. ...23 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters in Manila after pledging greater defence cooperation with the Philippines. Watch live. ...24 hours ago
- Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreementThe contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...24 hours ago
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I guess we are doomed then
Pretty much but that became true when we encouraged exponential population growth and resource use.
One study showed that inorder to stabilise at 350 ppm, the same concentration of Carbon in the atmosphere, per capita emissions would have to decrease to 0.37 mt by 2050.
The Greens@Vic are organising a debate on this issue. It will be entitled “Are We F*cked?”
Students from various environment focused groups will be debating that we are f*cked and Catherine Dela-Hunty, Celia Wade-Brown and hopefully Geoff Keey will be asserting that we are not yet F*cked.
It should be great, Student Union building, vic uni, July the 20th.
Looking forward to a better summer. Hopefully I can use my BBQ this year.
Solution.
Stop spewing climate altering chemicals or gasses into the atmosphere. And for that to happen you have a couple of very simple choices to make.
Will you stop participating in activities that directly add to the total mass of climate altering gasses and chemicals?
Will you further disengage from activities that support other activities that add directly to the total mass of climate altering gasses and chemicals?
Obviously, we’re not talking about ceasing to breath out CO2. We’re talking about activities that would fail a reasonably objective test of necessity and need…ie a test where parameters are not determined by various propagandas that might seek to peddle particular political/ business agendas nor by a test focussed on selfish needs and necessities, because it’s not about us.
But rather allowing our actions and behaviours and our engagement in various activities to be guided by a simple heeding of the science and the simple fact that our world can’t accommodate any more of what we have been doing without massive ( and deleterious for us) shifts occurring in our climate and oceans and probably crucial aspects of all the known interlocking eco-systems that current conditions accommodate?
Or are you going to throw up the “I was only the train driver! ….and anyway how was I to know they weren’t holiday camps?!” defence?…. the modern version of which might run “I was just doing my job…I had kids to feed and bills to pay! And how was I to know it wouldn’t just be sunnier summers?!”
Taken for a ride. Climate change is made up by govts, to increase the tax in-take. It’s a crock the science is based on lies and propaganda. You need to read Wishart’s Air Con for an objective overview.
Welcome to ChristianOutpost.com
Our mission is to spread the news of Salvation through Jesus, to a dying world
wow. Go Tanya, go!
We need a sharp decrease in world population, which we can achieve in a number of ways:
Forced sterilization.
Euthanasia
Nuclear War.
Global recession causing widespread poverty and starvation
Introduction of a global pandemic.
Any other ideas?
Any takers?
Problem is that all of those affect me more than reducing carbon footprints, and increasing female education (the most effective route to permanent drops in population growth).
The Chinese are building a new coal fired power station every week, and will continue to do so for the next 10 years.
We buy their products
We export coal to them
We invite them to our country
Their are leading the way to 900ppm CO2 by the end of the century.
How is lowering your carbon footprint going to help?
Are you serious? But given your rather strange comments around here, I guess you are..
Wishart can’t think straight, and it is clear from reading his book that he knows absolutely nothing about earth sciences (or indeed any science). He should also be advised to have a talk to the professionals about his paranoid tendencies.
Have a read of Ken Perrotts (Open Parachute) recent review of AirCon – “Alarmist Con”. As a retired research scientist you can just feel his fingers recoiling from such a travesty of ‘research’.
But really you should have a read of what one of our previous semi-resident (umm) expressive eccentrics (robinsod) wrote about one of Wisharts previous works of fundamentalist religious fiction masquerading as fact. When even the semi-crazed think that someone is insane, you know that the material should only be read for pure entertainment value.
What other solutions do you have to climate change?
Really?
May I respectfully suggest you read “The Constant Economy – how to create a stable economy” by Zac Goldsmith published 2009 by Atlantic Books. I gather Fred you are of conservative leanings. Zac Goldsmith was the conservative Parliamentary candidate for Richmond Park in London. I’m not sure if he was elected or not – but I would vote for him. Together with the conservitive MP John Gummer he worked to produce the current Conservative Policy on environment. Whatever you think it’s worth a read.
Hi Tanya your viewpoint would be ok if there were not heaps of physical evidence of climate change observable by any doubting Thomas! Where do I start? Sea levels are rising observed by scientists. The North Pole ice cap is thinning and receding year by year making the North west passage open for shipping.There was a very cold Winter in the North this year which bucked the trend. The Russians are planning for when trade from Japan to Europe will go across the north of their land. Huge Ice Shelves are breaking off in Antarctica. Glaciers round the World are retreating. Permanent snows on mountains are disappearing such as on Kilimanjaro. Tundra and peat Bogs in Alaska and Siberia are melting and giving off huge amounts of methane observed and measured by scientists and foundations are collapsing for buildings and telecom poles. hurricanes are now more frequent and extreme with increased heatwaves in Europe far beyond what they used to have.The climate of the oceans is also changing as they become more acidic killing coral and impairing the whole eco system as they soak up all the CO2 we are pumping into the atmosphere. year by year Co2 levels increase in the atmosphere which ice core science has directly correlated with increased temperatures in the past.
However I have good news for you If you are a member of the Nact party climate change is not proven and very likely is baloney. John Key the other day said that probably,he wasn’t committing himself (Oh No!)mind you, that climate change is happening.
John,
I completely agree with you, but there is nothing we can do
We need to kill ourselves
I am beginning to better understand now as to why whales, also an otherwise intelligent creature, mysteriously beach themselves too!
Here’s a link about James Lovelock’s view on climate
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article25838.htm
Maybe,Tanya, you need to read Gareth Morgan and John McCrystal’s ‘poles apart’ for a slightly less ideological overview. No-one could accuse Gareth Morgan of being a propagandist for the left.
Is Gareth Morgan a climate scientist?
Did he not pay someone to do the research work on his book for him?
Does he not have several investments in green technologies?
Fred – um yes, that would be the other author John McCrystal and yes, why not? he’s a businessman/economist. I certainly don’t agree with GM’s point of view on economics, but hey, the man at least attempted to deal with climate change science not the ideology and the book does present both sides of the argument for non-scientists.
Wishart is an excellent, concise, well-informed writer, but the Left will never champion him, obviously. Why are my comments strange? Because they don’t agree with your globalist, UN aligned worldview? Thank goodness for freedom of speech and thought and a centre-right govt.
Tanya, LOL
Wishart writing on AirCon is talking about one of the fields that I trained in – Earth Sciences. He looks like a idiot in both in his selection of ‘facts’ and in how he chooses to interpret those facts.
I’ve also been campaigning and helping to run campaigns in the Mt Albert electorate for over 20 years and have come to know Helen pretty well. His previous book about Helen was full of outright lies, unfounded speculation, and a sort of puerile voyeurism that would be reprehensible in a 13 year old boy.
Personally I find his writing is turgid, repetitive and overly given to quoting other people. Basically the guy is an arsehole of the highest order. He deliberately lies for political effects when it is clear that he knows better.
The funny thing is that some of the writing he did a decade or so ago was actually pretty good. But since he pushed off on his own and out of the control of his editors, his writing and research has deteriorated towards the unintelligible. It is targeted to the paranoid faithful.
That you find his writing ok says more about the type of person you are than anything else.
But do you have any practical solutions to climate change?
Does anyone?
Yes Fred.
Now, over to you.
I have already provided my “final solution”
Your post was mere piffle
You engage in a blog discussion, in a technology network powered primarily by fossil fuel.
Chances are, you have a fridge, within which are several plastic containers made from petroleum products.
Look at the labels on your clothes. Are they made in China? Do they contain petroleum based products?
Time to face up to facts.
Maybe a few “climate suicides” or “hunger strikes” are needed?
Yep. Start reducing the amount of fossil carbon being burnt into greenhouse gases. We have tech to change the underlying energy basis of our society at a reasonably small increase in overall costs at current efficiencies. So increase the cost of fossil fuels to account for their true costs at the well/mine head by say 5-10% per year by straight taxation. That can help pay for the cleanup. Do an excise tax
Then let the market take its course. It will start to use the alternatives.
Indeed, we can reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use. But NZ’s electricity sector only accounts for 10% of our GHG emissions.
So if we go completely renewable for electricity, we will reduce by a max of 10%
We would need to eliminate the entire agricultural sector (48% of GHG emissions) and then some on top, to achieve the NZ’s stated goal of 50% reduction by 2050.
Even the govt acknowledge on their website that the projected emissions by 2020 will be equal to of higher than now, even with the ETS
So the ETS is a complete waste of time. We will spend billions on mitigating emissions that will be outstripped by the Chinese in a matter of days.
Really, the best option is population reduction.
The EU has chosen the route of economic suicide, but I feel that this will be uncomfortable for many people
Euthanasia is the best option.
Like putting a dog to sleep.
“But do you have any practical solutions to climate change?
Does anyone?”
Stop uncontrolled breeding.
@Daveosaurus
You are correct, and I am glad that so many are in agreement with me.
Mass sterilization is the way forward
Please don’t let me stop you from responding to my actual comment, rather than something which exists only in your febrile imagination.
“Wishart is an excellent, concise, well-informed writer”
If that is the case, then why, in “Air Con”, did he write of environmentalists, that: “they want ordinary families and kids to become extinct, leaving space for the Green elite to run the planet and enjoy exclusive bird-watching excursions while feasting on the bones of six year olds who’d earlier been sold to Asian brothels.” ?
I may not be a climate scientist myself, but I know blood libel when I see it. If one side to the argument can quote science, but the other side can only indulge in blood libel, then it’s fairly obvious which side to the argument has the facts to back up its case.
Legal verdict: Manmade global warming science doesn’t withstand scrutiny
By Lawrence Solomon June 6, 2010 – 10:47 pm
A cross examination of global warming science conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law and Economics has concluded that virtually every claim advanced by global warming proponents fails to stand up to scrutiny.
The cross-examination, carried out by Jason Scott Johnston, Professor and Director of the Program on Law, Environment and Economy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, found that “on virtually every major issue in climate change science, the [reports of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] and other summarizing work by leading climate establishment scientists have adopted various rhetorical strategies that seem to systematically conceal or minimize what appear to be fundamental scientific uncertainties or even disagreements.”
Professor Johnson, who expressed surprise that the case for global warming was so weak, systematically examined the claims made in IPCC publications and other similar work by leading climate establishment scientists and compared them with what is found in the peer-edited climate science literature. He found that the climate establishment does not follow the scientific method. Instead, it “seems overall to comprise an effort to marshal evidence in favor of a predetermined policy preference.”
Lawrence Solomon is executive director of Energy Probe the author of The Deniers.
http://www.probeinternational.org/UPennCross.pdf
Interesting mostly because they used someone with no scientific background whatsoever. Sounds more like a spinster exercise and than anything with any substance.
Got anything that isn’t simply uninformed opinion? Probably paid uninformed opinion. In other words if you can’t put up people who actually know what they’re talking about then I’ll treat your ideas as being full of shit. The guy doesn’t even have a science background for gods sake…
Interesting.
Got anything that isn’t simply uninformed opinion? Probably paid uninformed opinion. In other words if you can’t put up people who actually know what they’re talking about then I’ll treat your ideas as being full of shit. The guy doesn’t even have a science background for gods sake
Al Gore, John Key, Margaret Thatcher??
Margaret Thatcher was originally a biochemist. She didn’t have a lot to do with earth sciences, but knew the limits to research and probabilities. She was approached with the available evidence and decided that something needed to be started.
At the time in the 80’s I was skeptical about the evidence. Her view was that we needed to initiate research into the problem to find out, and have a framework for making political decisions in.
I may dislike everything else she did in office, but she did a very good job at pushing for what became the Kyoto protocol.
The others are just politicians with little idea of the processes and limits of science.
I stopped reading at that point. Economists don’t know how the economy works never mind the environment.
“Tanya 19 June 2010 at 4:10 pm
Wishart is an excellent, concise, well-informed writer, but the Left will never champion him, obviously.”
Drivel! He’s as mad as a meat-axe, and anyone who believes anything he says is naive and gullible – and that’s putting it politely. Oh, and don’t claim he knows more about it than I do. He didn’t spend 24 years in the Met Service.
Coming out with that kind of statement, Tanya needs to be medicated asap or she has already been subjected to heavy drug dosing. Or, more charitably, she is being mischievous.
or Euthanazed.
Precisely, I am glad you are coming round to my point of view
I tried reading the intro to Absolute Power in a Whitcoulls one time, and had to put it down after three pages because my cackling was disturbing other shoppers.
The prose though Q. I’ve had a crack at some of his longer pieces. Usually failing on the first attempt. Get through more than a page and I find myself helplessly lost, and having to backtrack to try and find the turn where we got from ‘perhaps x’, to ‘x is undeniably true, and to doubt it is satan/UN/Islamafascfaggotism’.
It’s pretty much mountaineering. You need base camps, oxygen and a sackful of factory made intellectual hooks and hangups.
Fred, your list is very negative and extreme.
Personally I will go for:
improvement in position of women
Access to reliable fertility technology and information
Improvement in human rights
Improvement in education
Improvement in living standards.
Incidentally, not only will this help reduce population increases it will help communities to adapt to the inevitable effects if climate change.
Ken,
This is a great list.
Then why do we support Islamic Extremists, who oppose every single thing in your list?
Why does Europe embrace these people?
Why will Islamo-fascism overcome the Western world and destroy our very culture?
You may live in NZ. Try living in Europe where this is a reality.
“why do we support Islamic Extremists”
Citation needed.
http://biased-bbc.blogspot.com/2010/06/bbc-and-islam.html
This may come as a surprise to you, but neither myself, nor, I imagine, anyone else here, speak for the BBC. And that’s even assuming that the site you linked to isn’t the grubby little hate-site it appears to be upon first viewing it.
citation please
I realise it is a bit much to expect any sort of attention span from commentators nowadays, but are you really so forgetful that you can’t recall a citation you yourself gave less than an hour previously?
Borrowing Anne’s quote of Tanya:
And I tend to agree with Wishart’s critics above. I have a good look at Absolute Power. I checked back through some of his sources, and they were far from providing sound supporing evidence. Often the sources just refer to other people’s opinions, but Wishart presents them as facts because he is quoting a source. he also uses hearsay quite a bit, presenting it as sound evidence, but totally unverifiable.
Furthermore, often his arguments were constructed by associations rather than following a well- reasoned line: eg Clark was into de Beauvoir when she was young. de beauvoir had relationships with women and was a socialist, so this shows Clark must be like that too, etc, etc.
And as for his amateur psychoanalysis of Clark?
I haven’t checked Wishart out on climate change, but, based on Absolute Power, he doesn’t seem to be a credible investigative journalist to me.
I also heard that Wishart was a very good journalist/researcher once. That would have been during the time I was living overseas.
Wishhart was a reporter with TVNZ in the 1990s and I can recall him fronting some good stuff at the time. But around the late 90s he became a Born Again (read Fundamentalist?) Christian and that seems to be when the lunatic stuff set in.
Funny, this thread degenerates into an ad hom attack on Ian Wishart, ignoring the mathematical truth that we cannot alter our effect on the climate without massive population reduction.
I have come to expect this,
complete shut-eye denial
I think there has just been a response to claims of Wishart’s reliability as a source, or commentator on climate change. We didn’t raise the issue of his relliability.
Over-population is not such a straightforward thing. I checked around online about it recently, because someone I know was making the argument that overpopulation is the REAL issue, not climate change.
Overpopulation is always something that relates to HOW resources are used, because over-population occurs when the community has over-used it’s available resources. But a shift in how resources are used, is just as likely to relieve the situation as deliberately working on the population issue.
Also, I discovered that the rate over population growth has slowed in the last decade.
But even if the population didn’t increased, or noticeably reduced, the idea of never-ending improvement in material conditions for all, and endless capitalist growth, would still mean that the environmental resources were being stretched beyond their capacity.
But there were also a lot of complicated issues in there, which I did not have time to investigate. There’s a whole area of scientific research into the relationship between population and environment.
Carol
In New Zealand, the carbon footprint per capita has decreased from its 1990 levels
So, per person, we are consuming less resources than we were 20 years ago.
And our population has increased by how much?
http://www.statistics.govt.nz
The info is all on there
I’m rounding numbers for effect but…
In 1990, the population was slightly over 3.4 million in NZ. (wikipedia)
Right now according the stats department we are slightly under 4.4 million (freds link above).
So we have increased in NZ population by 1 million on the base of 3.4 million, which is slightly less than a 30% increase.
So is the per capita decrease in carbon footprint in that order? No?
You used a pretty stupid basic argument. The per capita doesn’t matter in absolute terms if the population rises.
The population projections showed (last time I looked at them) that we should peak out just over 9 billion in 2050 based on current trends.
Ummm wikipedia..
I was referring specifically to NZ figures, but I accept Wikipedia’s “opinion” on world figures.
The fact is that NZ’s per capita GHG emissions have decreased since 1990. There is a graph on the stats NZ website somewhere – sorry can’t find it right now
But you are right, 9 billion people is a worry. I don’t think “education” is the answer.
See my reply above.
At least the population projections are down. When I was a kid the projections at that time were more in the order of 14 or 15 billion in 2050.
We’re now heading towards 7 billion. When I was born they’d just gone over 2 billion.
Round up all the Blank Franks and have them deliver us piles of Dead Freds.
You want start the ball rolling there Fred? You obviously don’t need to be topped by someone since you already know and apparently accept what your role is. Cheers. Well done.
Cool! Thanks Bill, I appreciate your warm comments.
That was because some ignorant clown claimed he was a respected journo – pretty much the exact opposite of the truth.
I suppose if you want to be respected by people who can’t think, then I suppose it could be correct.
Fred , I agree that extremist Islam (and Christianity) oppose these things.
Part of the improvement in education, human rights and living standards will inolve attacking the power of extremist religion.
Ken,
I’m glad that we agree here.
But we have to accept that there is a “left-liberal” bias in the MSM that is allowing Islamic extremism to flourish, particularly in Europe.
This is a major problem in some countries such as the Netherlands and the UK\
Does this also apply to allowing the Roman Catholic Church to continue to flourish? Or is it just these “Islamic extremists” you are worried about when it comes to overpopulation? And not the US government who, under Bush, declared to Africa that any nation teaching anything other than abstinence-only sex ed would not receive further aid?
Christian extremists are just as culpable as any Islamic ones when it comes to the argument on overpopulation.
But Christian “extremists” don’t stone adulterers, proclaim that the Jewish state needs to be destroyed, that homosexuals should be tortured and thrown off cliffs, that women should be subjected to “honour killings”….
Or am I mistaken. Maybe you can help me
No. They just terrorize people offering legitimate planned parenting options and abortions, “purity pledges” to fathers at “purity” balls, our (Western) treatment of homosexuals up until 30-40years ago was aptly demonstrated with Alan Turing (chemical castration followed shortly after by suicide), militias formed on fundamentalist principles against immigration in the US running around heavily armed shooting at illegals…
The list can go on. I wasn’t actually intending this as a pissing competition over “who has the longest list of horrible shit fundies do”. Your statements just reflect a very ethnocentric view that doesn’t dare turn the eye in on itself – because the way we and our cultural partners (such as UK, Australia and US) act within our societys are considered “normal” and less horrible. In a lot of ways we have merely exchanged physical brutality with emotional blackmail.
Good try Fred. You seem to be fully accepting of the reality of climate change, stating without analysis that the only solution is genocide and your last comment that “we have to accept that there is a “left-liberal’ bias in the MSM” really had me wondering.
Are you taking the piss? Are you trying to frame the argument to suggest that the only solution is something that is unacceptable so that people agree to not do anything?
Let’s not be hypocritical here guys.. extremism afflicts any area of human belief, and none less so than environmentalism!
Yes, none less so.
By 2100, the climate is expected to warm 5 oC to 6 oC or more above pre-IR values. During the Pliocene, about 2.5 to 5 million years ago, CO2 levels were comparable to today’s levels (near 400 ppm) and the climate was about 3 oC to 5 oC warmer than pre-IR. Geographically, the Earth was also very similar to today so the Pliocene offers a glimpse of what the world may look like by the year 2100.
Federov, Brierley, & Emanuel (2010) modeled the expected TC activity in the early Pliocene world. Fig. 7.21c (Ibid) is a comparison of modern TC activity (a) and that of the Pliocene (b). This image is a sobering look at what may lie ahead in our world by 2100.
http://bit.ly/cLFl7y
Scott A. Mandia, Professor of Physical Sciences
Selden, NY
Good (and as you say sobering) look at cyclones. Do you have a link to the paper that is from? Higher energy levels are going to be expressed in more vigorous energy transfers.
I particularly didn’t like the look of the cyclones coming down and hitting NZ with such a high frequency.
Here you go:
http://www.seas.harvard.edu/climate/seminars/pdfs/FedorovBrierleyEmanuel.FinalArticle.pdf
Reading the comments on this post on how to deal with climate change, all sorts of orwellian and malthusian solutions have been raised, from mass sterialisation and euthanasia to the suppression of religious belief. One thing that is not mentioned is curtailing the unconstrained power of the free market which has delivered us to this position in the first place.
Practical solutions are available, but are considered anathema to supporters of the profit driven free market model.
The 600 million private automobiles in the world concentrated mainly in cities are responsible for up to 25% of global CO2 pollution.
The following is one practical solution to the problem caused by the private motor car that has a dramatic proven effect on private car use yet is bitterly opposed by supporters of the market as being impractical and too expensive..
Free the buses
A ragingly successful way to cut green house gases resulting from private automobile use, has been the introduction in some cities of the world of free public transport.
Though the right scream that these systems are “too expensive“,
in fact, when all the hidden costs of private automobile use is taken into account, the public provision of free public transport is cheaper.
Why this is so successful a way of cutting the use of private automobiles and unclogging the roads and motorways and cleaning the air, is that there is no compulsion.
Fare Free New Zealand have estimated that if the $2billion currently earmarked for motorway expansion in Auckland was instead switched to free public transport. Auckland could buy 2 thousand new buses and run them for free 24/7 for 25 years.
Considering that Auckland, a city of more than a million people is currently served by only 800 buses operated by private companies. The improvement in traffic congestion would be immediate.
The dramatic reduction in traffic congestion would mean that the proposed motorway expansion would not be needed anyway. In the Belgium city of Hasselt, the introduction of the free city wide bus service allowed the cancelling of a proposed new ring road motorway around the city and even the existing inner ring road was able to be turned into a green zone.
Hasselt which ranks as one of the highest cities for car ownership ranks as one of the lowest for car usage. With the introduction of free public transport, usage grew by an incredible 800% within the first few days and since increased 1200%.
Not only did this free the buses, but it freed the cars as well, to be used only for leisure.
Private cars for private use. Buses (and trains) for public commuting.
Sensible, liberating, good for the environment. The only down side being the drop in profits and power for the oil companies and the private transport and roading lobbies. Umm… on second thoughts that’s a good thing.
Jenny – Look at the masses of subsidies the coal and oil industries get in countries like the US (Halliburton and BP are big recipients of such subsidies many other countries are of course guilty too) and the government contracts (21 billion to Halliburton). Would it not be good to end such subsidies? How about removing corporate limited liability protection and others such as the 75 million dollar liability cap on oil spill damages that the US has in place (thankfully now it looks like they’re removing that and retroactively increasing BPs liability) removing the risk shifting and moral hazard involved in such government bestowed privileges? How about governments like our own (this one and the last) stop their orgiastic building of motorways and leave to the private sector which having to bear all the costs itself and not having the privilege of eminent domain may find it very difficult indeed? How about the state return more property to the commons (which is privatisation) which has time and again been shown to be managed better for environmental outcomes than state owned land? How about the state repeal meddlesome regulations that hinders direct action from communities to clean up the environment themselves? Or how about rolling back excessive intellectual property protections (or just getting rid of them altogether) which encumbers the adoption of cleaner technologies? I could go on but you wouldn’t want to hear it because these are free market proposals.
I take your point QTR. I support all those things. Maybe Free Market is a misnomer. As you wisely point out the ‘market’ is not free at all, but has skewed the playing surface to maximise profit taking.
So much so, that even planet destroying technologies gain government subsidies to do what they do.
And please continue to raise these ideas.
capcha – peace
QTR, a small point. You have repeatedly asserted that ownership in common is private ownership, and here you say that creating a commons is the same as “privatisation”. You seem to use the term ‘private’ (property) to cover everything that is not state-owned. This is a very idiosyncratic use of the term. As the link you pointed to on the work of Elinor Ostrom states:
“Elinor Ostrom has challenged the conventional wisdom that common property is poorly managed and should be either regulated by central authorities or privatized.”
“or privatized”, as I read it, refers to ownership in one individual (this includes companies because of the legal fiction that these are individual persons under the law). This is why it is contrasted with “ownership in common”. It is ‘private’ in a sense but an equally strong (I’d say stronger) argument can be erected for terming “ownership in common” ‘public ownership’ (because it is owned by more than one individual).
As I say, a small point but one that I think gets in the way (by being unnecessarily provocative).
BTW, have you read Hayek’s work on neural models? Same ideas, different context.
You seem to use the term ‘private’ (property) to cover everything that is not state-owned.This is a very idiosyncratic use of the term.
Yes by private I mean anything not state-owned. Many use it in exactly the same way and many don’t. We need some word to mean removing from state-ownership and privatisation seems as good as any – transference of ownership from the state to the private sector.
It is ‘private’ in a sense but an equally strong (I’d say stronger) argument can be erected for terming “ownership in common’ ‘public ownership’
Public ownership is already widely used ot refer to state-ownership (kind of a misnomer). But it is the transference of ownership that of taking it out of the state’s hands not the particular form of ownership that it goes to. That’s why I say privatization.
(because it is owned by more than one individual).
So is a corporation except for the legal fiction 🙂
BTW I haven’t read that of Hayek’s. Haven’t read much of Hayek’s at all.
Good point about corporations (ownership by more than one individual), but ownership in common is not, of course, like shareholding.
With shareholding each individual can trade his/her part (share) of what is held. No individual in a situation of ‘ownership in common’ can trade their ‘part’ – they don’t have one. The ‘whole’ is collectively owned. They can leave the collective, if they like, but wouldn’t take anything with them.
You’re right, ‘public ownership’ is almost universally understood as state (or local government) owned. But, like ownership in common, none of us can trade our bit of the ‘publicly owned’ infrastructure (e.g., I can’t cash in ‘my bit’ of Kiwibank, not because I don’t own any of it but because I own it all – as everyone else does. Sounds paradoxical but it isn’t. We could, of course, ‘all’ choose to sell it, where ‘all’ here refers to whatever collective decision making process is in place.) That’s why I say an argument could be made to call ‘ownership in common’, ‘public ownership’. It’s not the state or local government that owns whatever, but it is some collective.