Threat to South will increase with release of Aucklanders
Posted: September 18, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: air travel, auckland, bus travel, challenge of Covid-19, Christchurch, COVID-19, fear, novel coronavirus, South, train travel, Wellington Leave a commentThe Editor, The Press, Christchurch
16/09/2020
There is irony in the move to Level 1 in the South at the same time as Level 2 will let the Aucklander’s loose into the South. The threat of transmitting Covid-19 will actually increase for the South. Read the rest of this entry »
Denial of science is wider than you think
Posted: September 17, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: 9/11, 9/11/01, Building #7, climate denialism, COVID-19, Deep State, Jerry Brownlee, Mt Roskill, NIST, science denial, September 11, sunday star times, United States, University of Alaska, USA, World Trade Center Leave a commentThe Editor, The Sunday Star Times, Wellington
10/09/ 2020
Dear Editor:
Again we see reports of denial of health science at an American inspired church in Mt Roskill. Remember Brownlee’s recent conspiracy theory type accusations against the motivations of the government’s approach to Covid-19?
Denial is more main stream than it may seem, the most important one being the denial of the massive changes required to combat climate change.
The denial is worse in the USA with accusations of the so-called “deep state” (what does that even mean?), where historical racism is denied as well as climate change and Covid. Also, with the 9/11/01 anniversary upon us it is appropriate to note the science of high rise building collapse is still denied in the NIST ‘official’ explanation of how the World Trade Center Building #7 came down, as debunked in a recent study from The University of Alaska.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Irony in move to Level One
Posted: September 16, 2020 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: air travel, Ashley Bloomfield, auckland, bus travel, challenge of Covid-19, COVID-19, Jacinda Ardern, novel coronavirus, PM Ardern, public transport, South Island, South of North Island, train travel 1 CommentThere is irony in the move to Level 1 in the South at the same time as Level 2 will let the Aucklander’s loose into the South. The threat of transmitting Covid-19 will actually increase for the South. 100,000 plane tickets sold in Auckland in two hours after removal of the the need to distance on planes, trains, and busses is a startling change in movement of people which means a big change in the chance of the virus being carried around. Look at how the virus went global so widely and so fast: plane travel. So called criticisms of government ‘fear mongering’ are actually open attempts by those critics to display their ignorance of the virus. By now it is clear that the worlds of the humans and the viruses are different. The unknowns about the spread, deadliness, and the long term effects, as well as the unknowns about vaccines, are still too potentially devastating. As time goes by virus experts in the health field are learning more and their advice is paramount. Interesting that Dr Bloomfield and PM Ardern have for the first time expressed differences of opinion during this phase.
Denial of science rampant globally, including New Zealand
Posted: September 16, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: car parking, Carole naylor, climate change, climate denialism, climate science, conspiracy theory, COVID-19, Deep State, health sciences, neo-liberal economics, New Zealand, NIST, Papakowhai, racism, science denial, Simon Woolf, University of Alaska Leave a commentThe Editor, The Dom Post, Wellington
07/09/ 2020
Dear Editor:
Congratulations to Carole Naylor for taking public transport (from Papakowhai) and walking into town to shop, with appropriate consumer discipline. Read the rest of this entry »
Note to Dom Post complaining of propaganda in the ‘This Day in History” section.
Posted: September 12, 2020 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: 9/11, 9/11/01, Dom Post, This Day in History, University of Alaska, World Trade Center 1 CommentHello Dom Post,
Science denial apparent in many ways.
Posted: September 10, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: 9/11, Alaska, Building #7, climate change, climate denialism, Climate Emergency, climate science, conspiracy theory, cultural history, cultural/historical, culture, Deep State, health sciences, roading, Roads of National Significance, science denial, transport, University of Alaska, vehicle traffic, World Trade Center 2 CommentsThe Editor, The Dom Post, Wellington
30/08/ 2020
Dear Editor:
Incredibly there is still wide conversation and support in NZ (Wellington!) for more roads even though one of the best known facts of public policy globally is that building more roads increases congestion.
But when you look at the longer and deeper cultural/historical period we have come to, where denial of the fundamental change required to address the worst of climate change is rampant, it may not be such a surprise. This denial illustrates a distrust of science. In NZ, we also see the health sciences distrusted in conspiracy theory type accusations against the motivations of the government’s approach to Covid-19. The denial is worse in the USA with accusations of the so-called “deep state” (what does that even mean?). More subtly, the science of high rise building collapse is still denied in the NIST ‘official’ explanation of how the World Trade Center Building #7 came down on 9/11/01, as revealed in a recent study from The University of Alaska.
These are all examples of science denial in this Post Truth Era. We must look deeply into our larger cultural/historical context to understand the times and craft a courageous determination to make the fundamental changes required to address climate change.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
The hatred of the Greens is visceral
Posted: September 7, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: capital gains tax, climate change, fear, Green Party, inequality, James Shaw, Labour Party, New Zealand First, nuclear weapons, Sharon Murdoch, Winston Peters 2 CommentsThe Editor, The DomPost, Wellington
04/09/2020
New Zealand First has been the destroyer of many of the main promises of the Labour Party from the last election (Cap Gains Tax), but where have been the complaints and insults of Winston? (Thanks to Sharon Murdock, Friday, for illustrating this reality, as she always manages to do.) Contrast that to the wave of heat against Greens Co-Leader James Shaw for a comparatively minor offence.
Yes, the Green private school grant and loan was against Green Party policy, and yes, Shaw has been out of step with the party membership for some time. But that doesn’t explain the vitriol from pundits and politicians. The visceral hatred of the Greens is always close to the surface. The Greens have been right too many times in vocalizing the challenging (terrifying) changes necessary to move forward in a nuclear weapon filled, climate change world with growing inequality that they exist unforgiven.
Sincerely,
Richard Keller
Response to Helene Ritchie article on 2013 structural report on the Library.
Posted: September 5, 2020 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: Helene Ritchie, neo-liberal, The Library, WCC, WCC officials, Wellington City Council, Wellington Public Library Leave a commentOur current waiata singing council has great potential. But experience like that displayed here by Helene Ritchie is essential for that to mature. Read the rest of this entry »
Wealth tax needed
Posted: September 3, 2020 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "future ready", "shovel ready", billionaires, Capital in the 21st Century, CO2 emissions, Thomas Piketty, wealth tax Leave a commentThe Editor, The Dominion Post, Wellington
01/09/2020
The world’s billionaires have increased their total wealth by hundreds of billions ($) during the pandemic while many people and businesses are losing income. Read the rest of this entry »
