Govt taken to court for ignoring Climate Commission on ETS
Posted: May 10, 2023 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: Climate Change Commission, ETS, James Shaw, Marc Daalder, Minister of Climate Change, Newsroom Leave a commentNewsroom report from Marc Daalder says the lawyers group is saying the rejection of the Climate Commission recommendations was illegal as the law says the ETS must satisfy the Zero Carbon Act.
Read more: Govt taken to court for ignoring Climate Commission on ETSIt is reasonable to name the Climate Change Minister in the suit, though bizarre in that the Climate Change Minister opposed the cabinet decision.
Is James Shaw now in a position that he should resign as Climate Change Minister?
Is the ETS now in a position to be viewed honestly as being more about ‘trading’ than about ‘climate action’?
Is New Zealand ready to honestly and openly admit that it is acting as a desperate, cringing country deserving of the ‘fossil award’ for the third time?
Where to next for the Aukus ruckus?
Posted: May 10, 2024 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: 'There is no alternative', Aotearoa / New Zealand, AUKUS, Australia, China, neo-liberal, New Zealand, Newsroom, Nicholas Khoo, TINA Leave a commentAukus talk is in a political tangle. Nicholas Khoo looks at two key points in the high-stakes foreign policy pact debate – and asks if New Zealand can engage with as little drama as possible.
by Khoo: ‘The reaction to the pact is so heated because it illuminates the basic assumptions that politicians and commentators hold on international politics. And it’s a decent wager that these views are mirrored in public opinion. ‘
Read more: Where to next for the Aukus ruckus?Yes. But so often left out about this is that over the last 40 years there has been established a new organizational factor more impactful than left-right or open/closed trade. That is the neo-liberal viewpoint which in the 80s was promoted as TINA (There Is No Alternative). What this amounts to is a recognition that extraction and consumption needs to be organized by a global vertically integrated system which enriches the big and the rich. It was never going to address the future needs of living sustainably on this planet, but nevertheless has effectively become the global way. Even China is neo-liberal. The AUKUS project, likely to bankrupt the participants (especially Australia?), is a denial of the importance of the fundamental need to consume less and generally reduce impacts on ecosystems. In other words, a denial of fundamental priorities. Would we not expect the unexpected to emerge out of this? Best to stay out of AUKUS altogether. AUKUS Raukus? Raukus AUKUS?
Letter to The Listener – from Anne Salmond and Rob Campbell, how will voting public take the new government?
Posted: May 9, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Anne Salmond, National government, new Cluster government, Rob Campbell, The Listener, The Post Leave a commentThe Editor, The Listener, Auckland
30/04/ 2024
Dear Editor:
This new ‘cluster’ government is the angriest, most desperate, and will likely prove to be the most destructive government in the history of this country. Commentators like Dame Anne Salmond suggest that public trust in the new government will be lost. This is a reasonable expectation, but what is a ‘reasonable expectation’ in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream? There are first signs of such a loss of faith now.
In his The Post article last Friday, Rob Campbell comes up with a different ‘reasonable expectation’. He sees that the voting public might be slow to react to the dangers, partly due to deep seated prejudices, so the Cluster may be able to get re-elected, or at least stay in front on the polls for a good long while. He also suggests that a bigger threat to their support might be if they don’t ‘deliver’ on their promises to their base, the rich and rich aspiring. The base is already upping the ante by saying they need more ‘certainty’ and ‘support’ to go along with ‘change’ and ‘freedom’. That makes it likely that the cluster will go all the harder with their destructive policies.
Very insightful. But what he could add is that in this Post Truth Era, when we all know that only fundamental change away from exploitation will give us a chance for a sustainable future, that the terror of this knowledge may provide a temporary acceptance of that accelerated destruction.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Europe will not be able to fight the return of conscription
Posted: May 6, 2024 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: Aotearoa, Aotearoa / New Zealand, disaster relief, ecosphere, Newsroom, nuclear deterrence, Oliver Hartwich Leave a commentThe post-Cold War generation grew up with the blessings of peace – the freedom to travel and study, and never having to worry about their countries’ security. But that era is over.
by My response:
Read more: Europe will not be able to fight the return of conscriptionA larger context is needed to analyse this, as below:
New Zealand does not need a military fighting force. What A/NZ needs is specialized disaster relief – much cheaper and more directed at the larger threats to our ecospheres and our people. Global nuclear forces are a great threat to A/NZ and the world’s security. There is no such thing as nuclear deterrence and there never has been; it’s just been a figment of a collective insanity.
We have an emergency emergency
Posted: May 5, 2024 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: Climate Emergency, Crimp, disaster planning, emergency emergency, Newsroom, Post Truth Era, Shane Jones, Tom Kitchen, Work Safe, Worksafe Leave a commentThe climate may be changing but our response to disaster has remained the same – a hopeless lack of willingness to step up on emergency management
by Tom Kitchin
“We have not been learning, we have not been making the required changes,” Crimp says.
Read more: We have an emergency emergencyTo be ‘learning’ about disaster management is tantamount to admitting that such emergencies are now more frequent, or at least there are predictable expectations of increase indicated by the science of climate change. But we are desperate to deny; this is The Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream (global, not just here in NZ).
And there is one glaring example. The White Island investigation revealed many organizations came up short and were prosecuted. So many, in fact, that it appears that there was one more which came up the shortest of all – Worksafe. Worksafe was inherently unable to do their job in this case because the industry was ‘tourism’, an export industry. Any export industry in this country is sacrosanct, safe from proper regulation. Forestry, dairy. New Zealand has always been viewed primarily as a ‘resource source’ to the world, lesser as a steward of the ecosphere in which we live. Continuing this in the form it has been, and still is, into the longer future is not likely to end well.
You can see in the words of Shane Jones that there is recognition of this and there must be a full-scale attack on our ecosphere in order to desperately try to hold onto that dead past.
One aspect of disaster management planning and response is that occurrences are not frequent events. Even if the events are less rare (more frequent) today, it is easy to get complacent or fall out of preparedness. Keeping constant full preparedness can be very expensive unless the system is relevant.
Disaster research at the University of Delaware in the USA a while back suggested that the key was to identify key players and set up formal agreements between them. There is no need for a stand alone organization.
Letter (email) to Mayor Whanau
Posted: May 2, 2024 Filed under: Letters, Letters-to-Pols | Tags: Dave Armstrong, Mt Victoria traffic tunnel, neo-liberal, neo-liberal desperation, tunnels, WCC 1 CommentHello Mayor Whanau,
Yesterday’s (Tuesday, 30/04/24) column by Dave Armstrong hit the bullseye on what is going on at WCC. Take heed, please. There’s still time to ‘get back on track’. But you will have to realize and correct two main problems you brought with you to the mayoralty.
Read more: Letter (email) to Mayor Whanau1. You didn’t understand the deep neo-liberal ideology of the senior WCC staff. You must talk to them at their own depth of ideology (not their language, but their particular depth of desperation) to let them know you are (finally) on to them. That is, put them in their place as Armstrong suggests if you are going to have a chance.
2. You didn’t understand the raving desperation of the opposition on council. Don’t try to respond to that level of desperation, that level of raving. Rather, stick to what you say you believe in.
Keep in mind that you did not get a ‘compromise’ with the new government. The worst thing that could happen to Wellington would be another traffic tunnel under Mt Victoria, and that is what you gave them. They are out to destroy Wellington.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Lyall Bay
RNZ story – Green co-leader James Shaw came ‘very close’ to resigning as minister under Labour govt
Posted: May 1, 2024 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: climate change, Climate Change Minister, Green Party, James Shaw, Labour Party Leave a commentResigning would have helped the cause of combating climate change because the Labour government’s policies were so weak; they were Labour Party policy not Green Party policy. Green Party policy got buried all the time Shaw was Climate Change minister.
Letter to Editor – The Post
Posted: April 29, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Anne Salmond, cluster government, Dame Anne Salmond, Donna Miles, Luke Malpass, neo-liberal, Post Truth Era, Rob Campbell, Tracy Watkins Leave a commentHello The Post,
Copied below is a letter intended for publication. A bit long, but as Rob Campbell’s article on Friday illustrated, new relationships may be emerging which need to be looked at thoroughly. And importantly, in the international context. Your most important columnist has been Donna Miles as being an immigrant and refugee she is in the best position to help us understand our country in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream. To try to break through this toxic trance we are in (as evidenced by the new government, the angriest, most desperate, and looking like the most destructive government this country has ever had.)
BTW, I never read Luke Malpass as he never fails to sound pompous and self centered; how can he be helpful? Of course, I do realize you are a very manipulative editor and are trying to misrepresent who we are in favour of the neo-liberal desperation surrounding us.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Read more: Letter to Editor – The PostThe Editor, The Post, Wellington
29/04/ 2024
Dear Editor:
This new ‘cluster’ government is the angriest, most desperate, and will likely prove to be the most destructive government in the history of this country. Commentators like Dame Anne Salmond suggest that public trust in the new government will be lost. This is a reasonable expectation, but what is a ‘reasonable expectation’ in this Post Truth Era where denial has become mainstream? The latest poll shows there may be a turn in these early days.
In his The Post article last Friday, Rob Campbell comes up with a different ‘reasonable expectation’. He sees that the voting public might be slow to react to the dangers, partly due to deep seated prejudices, so the Cluster may be able to get re-elected, or at least stay in front on the polls for a good long while. He also suggests that a bigger threat to their support might be if they don’t ‘deliver’ on their promises to their base, the rich and rich aspiring. The base is already upping the ante by saying they need more ‘certainty’ and ‘support’ to go along with ‘change’ and ‘freedom’. That makes it likely that the cluster will go all the harder with their destructive policies.
Very insightful. But what he could add is that in this Post Truth Era, when we all know that only fundamental change away from exploitation will give us a chance for a sustainable future, that the terror of this knowledge may provide a temporary acceptance of that accelerated destruction.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Govt sidelines Climate Commission in seeking do-over of advice
Posted: April 28, 2024 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: climate change, exploitation, Garden of Eden, Hebrew Bible, sustainable farming Leave a commentThe methane review lays the groundwork for watering down climate targets while using science as cover for what is ultimately a political decision
by Marc Daalder
Yes, it’s about ‘farming’. Farming is an export industry (sacrosanct in NZ).
Read more: Govt sidelines Climate Commission in seeking do-over of adviceIn the grand cultural history of human civilization agriculture is now often seen as one of the ‘ultimate’ of human exploitative activities on the planet. Even to the point of suggesting that the biblical ‘fall’ in the Hebrew bible (Garden of Eden) is a story telling of the beginning of agriculture.
This new government will have a priority of preserving any and all of such fundamental exploitative activities because exploitation is the primary factor in their social and political philosophy. Further they know that period of history is over as everybody knows that the need to deal with the existential challenges of climate change, etc, rules out an exploitative philosophy.
Letter to the Editor of The Post, Tracy Watkins
Posted: April 25, 2024 Filed under: Letters | Tags: Reading Cinema, Simeon Brown, The Post, Tracey Watkins, tunnel desperation, WCC Leave a commentHello Editor,
The Reading Cinema deal is the most divisive issue? Come on. Why do you have so little respect for the people of Wellington. That’s easy; just tax them.
The biggest issue is the bizarre and destructive efforts of the new government led by Simeon Brown in transport. From the desperate tunnel to Kilbirnie to the worst thing that could happen to Wellington, namely another traffic tunnel under Mt Victoria, Brown is one out of control dude. It’s not even the government’s decision about this. The WCC council has made decisions and will continue to make decisions about transport.
It’s so transparent that you are just trying to attack the mayor.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Lyall Bay, Wellington
lettersbyrwk 