The Daily Blog Open Mic Sunday 11th October 2015

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openmike

 

Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Hot on the heels of the VW diesel cheating scandal, – NZ is caught in this issue also.

    http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34455338

    “How safe is the air that we breathe? The VW diesel emissions scandal has highlighted the issue of air pollution.
    The two pollutants which give most cause for concern are the toxic gas nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5), particles so small they can be ingested deep into the lungs.
    Earlier this year the UK’s highest court ruled the government must take action to cut NO2 pollution. The UK has been in breach of EU limits for nitrogen dioxide for several years.
    Last month the environment ministry DEFRA published a consultation on draft plans to improve air quality”

    Now air quality testing has found worsening urban traffic emissions are now causing dangerous human health effects from air quality in UK & Europe.

    This problem is now occurring in NZ in the same way also & rail is the answer for movement of freight & passengers.

    Previous Governments knew this here over 215yrs ago, so why has the treasury advised we close rail down in NZ with suspect advise from Goldman Sachs the same financial agency that killed Greece?

    The NZ Government in 1999 – produced “Impacts of Rail Transport on Local Air Quality.” PRODUCED BY “ MoT Fuels and Energy Management group report” which shows how extremely fuel efficient & low pollution rail transport really is.

    The buried archived Library reference is found in # 363.73926 RAI # 4037.

    MoT Rail Vs Road freight emissions report had confirmed that rail freight per tone per KM travelled showed that rail had extremely low NOx levels compared to truck freight per tone per km travelled (four times or in many cases of steady state travel many more lowered levels of all harmful pollution emissions. See our attached PDF pages of significance of the 1999 excellent 39 page MoT report.

    Quote from Page 34 of “Impacts of Rail Transport on Local Air Quality.” PRODUCED BY “ MoT Fuels and Energy Management group report”

    5.5 Locomotive Emissions; Opportunities for Reduction.
    “Based on these inventory results there does not appear to be a specific need to target the emissions from the rail sector in managing local air quality. The only emission of any significance from Locomotives is of NOx but the output relative to other combustion sources is still minimal in terms of total activity measures.”

    We requested to MoT in 2012 for an updated report to follow the 1999 report to be made by MOT and subsequently they explained that with little funding they could only fund a partial report that did not include the same emissions inventory report of Rail vs Road composite to the 1999 fuels & Energy report unfortunately.

    MoT latest Fuels & Energy report (2014) does not measure all air emissions as the 1999 MoT report did but included below this up to date important fuel energy graph that shows Truck freight efficiency is not improving as Rail is even more since 1999.
    Source Ministry of Transport new 2014 Fuel intensity V2 docx.
    Source: OMS analysis
    Quote;
    “We observe a slight downward trend prior to 2009 when the global financial crisis has impacted load factors and increased fuel intensity and especially in road freight by 2011 it has and reversed the gains made over the decade.” Un-quote.

    Why Government needs to support rail for Public urban residential Health & Safety.

    • Evidence emerging due to the Volkswagen scandal;
    • Doubts are emerging about our urban air quality, public health & safety and emissions of truck freight 24/7 through our urban residential zones.
    • This is of serious concerns to all.
    • Since the VW scandal there has been found reported that now diesel truck emissions were also exceeding emissions limits?
    • To try and rectify this an additive (Urea) is now added to the truck fuel mix during the road operation of road freight transport to “Appear” visually to lower black diesel smoke NOx levels?
    • As a residential community living near truck routes we need the protection of health & wellbeing for residential public health.
    • Public Health agencies along with MoT oversight with independent non commercial air quality laboratory monitoring of emissions inventory test be conducted with community input with MoT exhaust emissions updated “live” Physical roadside truck exhaust inspections & surveys and reporting to gather true up to date reporting of air quality emissions using EU/US EPA systems.
    • US EPA are conducting at random stopping/sampling of trucking while they are in “Operational mode” as they are now monitoring on road operation for ALL other contaminants also being elevated along with this additive called Ad Blue, (Urea).

    Summary; Use of rail.
    We do need a serious review of why rail as being the best option of carrying freight through our residential zones to our export ports and further destinations is the best choice for our health & safety of our entire communities now in harms way.
    “Quote”

    “In October 1998, a series of court settlements were reached between the EPA, Department of Justice, California ARB and engine manufacturers—Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, Volvo, Mack Trucks/Renault and Navistar—over the issue of high NOx emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines during certain driving modes. Since the early 1990’s, the manufacturers used engine control software that caused engines to switch to a more fuel efficient—but higher NOx—driving mode during steady highway cruising. The EPA considered this engine control strategy an illegal “emission defeat device”.

    http://www.equipmentworld.com/volkswagen-dieselgate-fallout-could-affect-everyone-who-makes-or-uses-big-trucks-and-construction-equipment/

  2. ‘Extraordinary person’ Donald Trump invited to visit Crimea – as US president’

    https://www.rt.com/politics/318004-extraordinary-person-donald-trump-invited/

    “Donald Trump a hit in Russia? You wouldn’t think so. But the mayor of Yalta in Crimea has wished the maverick Republican success in the 2016 presidential election and invited him to visit the city, hinting that a street may be renamed after him.
    “We are following the elections process in your country with great interest,” Yalta Mayor Andrey Rostenko wrote in an open letter to Trump published on the city’s website. “We like your election program and we like you as an extraordinary person.”

    The mayor added: “After your victory in the election you plan to establish friendly relations with President Putin – and this is an excellent decision.”

    Rostenko said that Trump’s approach to foreign policy was very similar to Russia’s, and he saw this as positive. “You want to be friends with China, and we want the same thing. You support Russia’s effort in fighting international terrorism and so do we. We have a lot in common and this is a fine excuse to arrange a meeting,” the letter read.”

    “Trump, a 69-year-old billionaire real estate mogul, entered the US presidential race in June, seeking the Republic nomination. He is currently leading in the polls.

    (Trump is also against the TPP

    https://www.rt.com/usa/317718-sanders-trump-candidates-tpp/ )

  3. Check out Wake up New Zealand ,Putin comments on what the west is doing to the world, especially Obama and his war machine.

    Putin States he is against One World Order and why,interesting reading.

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