Category: Climate Change
This paper is in three sections. The first is a paper I wrote examining claims made by the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2016 on transitioning New Zealand to a low carbon economy. The second is the correspondence with the editor of the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. The third deals with the editor of the Journal of New Zealand Studies. While the referees thought the approach to the research was to be lauded, they could not agree with the results, and used the old ruse of nit-picking instead of unravelling the substantive arguments...
On December 10 and 11 New Zealand is expected to attend an intergovernmental conference in Marrakech, Morocco, to adopt the United Nation’s Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The Compact not only legitimises illegal migration and promotes it as a human right, but it makes climate change a new ground for asylum.
Jacinda Ardern's Government wants to ban the plastic shopping bags, that households find so useful, even though there is no evidence that New Zealand bags are harming our environment. So what does the consultation document say that might justify banning their use? In short, nothing. This is Nanny State Government at its worst.
Like Helen Clark, Jacinda Ardern is using global warming to create a political platform on the international stage - and perhaps a career path at the United Nations. But her game plan - to lead the world through zero carbon legislation - will come at a significant economic cost to New Zealand.
Much has been written recently about the misrepresentation of the effectiveness of methane as a Greenhouse Gas (GHG). Our paper published in The Journal, the official publication of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management in September concludes that methane is irrelevant as a GHG and so is nitrous oxide.
The cost of living is on the rise due largely to the record prices that New Zealanders are now paying at the petrol pump. Petrol hit $2.40 and more for the first-time last week, but over the weekend, the “no new taxes” Labour Government imposed a new petrol excise tax adding another 3.5 cents per litre – plus GST - onto the cost of fuel.
Ever since Meremere power station was commissioned in the 1950s, New Zealand has relied on coal-fired power stations supplemented by gas and oil to provide the 10% of annual energy needed in a 1:20 dry year to replace the shortfall in hydropower generation. To make up for the shortfall we need to have an energy store that can be converted into electricity over a four month dry period.
For nine years in opposition, Labour vilified wealth creators for political gain, only to find their tax revenue now depends on them! It's not easy for a Party that’s beholden to the anti-business trade union movement for funding and electoral support, and totally reliant on the extremist Greens to stay in Government, to revive business confidence.
Politics is a battle of ideology and influence. While social media has the virtuous intent of connecting people and communities, it has also become the frontline for a colossal struggle between propaganda and the truth.
At the Electricity Engineers Association annual conference a few weeks ago many of the speakers seemed to have forgotten that, as technological advisers to the government, it is their duty to tell the government what it needs to know rather than what they think it wants to hear.
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