The Daily Blog Open Mic – Sunday 12 March 2017

1. Gawd Strewth!
   Have a listen to the latest RNZ ‘Insight’ and the closing track from the Minister for MPI that has never inhaled. The state of the fishing industry and the competence of his munstry
   He’s “hugely exited” – whereupon he’s about to lapse into a narcolepsy fit,
   ….. next
   Last week I watched (actually a better word would be ‘observed’) this munster swanning his way through Wellington’s golden mile.
   It reminded me of an Aaron Gilmore “don’t you know who I am” episode.
   Lap it up Nafe while you can

2. Thanks for saving me from wasting my time to “listen to the latest RNZ ‘Insight’ and the closing track from the Minister for MPI”

   He is a wasted space liken many in cabinet now just waiting to complete their 3 terms so they collect their Government Parliamentary pension.

   We need to do what Trump is doing’ “drain our Parliamentary swamp” also.

3. …and from RT…NOT the mainstream media…an intelligent discussion

   ‘Vault 7’

   https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/380116-us-surveillance-cia-leaks/

   “Wikileaks strikes again – on full display are the CIA’s spy tools and methods. Snowden provided a briefing book on US surveillance, but the CIA leaks could provide the blueprints. And your Samsung TV and iPhone are a big part of this.

   CrossTalking with Larry Johnson, Suzanne Nossel and Patrick Henningsen.”

   …and ‘Keiser Report’ Episode 1043

   https://www.rt.com/shows/keiser-report/380246-episode-max-keiser-1043/

   “In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max and Stacy discuss that the robots are coming for white-collar jobs. And they ask why, if workers can be replaced by more efficient robots, then can’t the US insurance-based ‘healthcare’ system be replaced by the more efficient Medicare For All?

   In the second half, Max interviews Wolf Richter of WolfStreet.com about why it is worse than before the last three crashes as ‘multiple compressions’ are on the Trumpland horizon.”

   • It’s funny how all thoughs who said russia hacks ect have finally stu. But the most disturbing aspect of all this is that neoliberals still believe they do better, than doing nothing.

     And who are neoliberals by my standards? Any one who owns a bank copy of what a bank owes them. Thats a lot of people working hard to repay some one else’s schedule.

     Hope every one has an exit plan, I know only a small fraction do, the rest rely on voting or not voting, or some other kind of lottery, as a means to escape some one elses schedule.

     I said there would be a crash 4 years ago because i wouldn’t believe the public would be cool any more with the government transferring all this wealth to a fraction of the 1%, I was wrong of course. And I ain’t even mad.

     Being indifferent to every one elses missery takes a bit of work. Surviving The Great Anthropocene of human destruction of species makes it a bit easier to ignore every one who ignores reality.

4. Thom Hartman interviews Michael Mann

   “Have We Passed The Tipping Point”

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC-Qls_3E-c

   “It’s not that complicated. The underlying physics are pretty basic. For each degree of Fahrenheit warming of the globe, we expect roughly a three percent increase in the amount of moisture in the atmosphere…..

   …..So we are at 1.75 degrees Fahrenheit right now. [above base line]*.

   So that there is now, (more or less), more than 5 percent more moisture in the atmosphere already. And that means, when it does rain, it is literally more likely to pour. You are more likely to see floods, you are more likely to see blizzards.

   *[my clarification]

5. The The Opportunity Party, (TOP), held a Launch for the release of their Climate Change Policy in Dunedin South on Saturday.

   You can watch the policy release launch HERE

   There are three main takeaways from the TOP Climate Change Policy revealed in the launch.

   They are:

   1/ TOP want to rehabilitate the ETS

   2/ TOP want 2050 as the target date for New Zealand to become carbon neutral

   3/ TOP want to install programs for climate change remediation and adaptation, starting in South Dunedin, which is the most immediately threatened area by sea level rise related to climate change.

   The following is an opinion piece of what I think should be included in any progressive climate change policy:

   New Zealand’s total Greenhouse gas emissions (from all sources) amount to 0.2% of the world total.
   Writing on the government website, Professor Gluckman says, that because of this above fact, New Zealand’s greatest contribution to fighting climate change will be by setting an example.

   ”New Zealand is a small emitter by world standards – only emitting some 0.2% of global greenhouse gases. So anything we do as a nation will in itself have little impact on the climate – our impact will be symbolic, moral and political.”
   Sir Peter Gluckman
   Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor

   http://www.pmcsa.org.nz/climate-change/

   To me, what Professor Gluckman’s statement means, is that any policy program by a New Zealand political party that wants to make a meaningful contribution to the global fight against climate change, must include at least one iconic action against climate change that the world will sit up and take notice of.
   When considering what iconic actions to take: There are 3 actions that come to my mind that our political leaders can take right now that would make the world take notice that this country takes climate change seriously, (And, that they should too).
   They are:
   1/ The repudiation of all existing and proposed deep sea oil drilling and exploration contracts and operations in New Zealand’s greater economic zone, and all other marine territories under New Zealand’s jurisdiction. These contracts must be torn up under grounds of national and international emergency.
   2/ A complete and total, and immediate, imposition of a ‘moratorium’ on all Fracking operations ,a href=’ http://www.ecowatch.com/fracking-explosion-texas-2309352363.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=1353773f92-MailChimp+Email+Blast&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-1353773f92-86023073’>on environmental grounds. With the option of making this moratorium permanent, incumbent on the oil companies presenting, (or not) evidence that Fracking, (and other similar extreme unconventional forms of fossil fuel extraction) do not overly contribute to climate change, over conventional forms of fossil fuel extraction.
   3/ Immediate steps to wind down the New Zealand coal industry.
   In recognition of the fact that globally coal is the number 1 most dangerous and damaging of all the fossil fuels to the climate and the environment.
   3/a A permanent ban on all import and export of coal across our borders.
   3/b A permanent ban on all new coal mines, and a winding down of existing coal mines.
   (In line with this wind down it be incumbent on the government and the coal industry to provide for a just transition of the coal miners to jobs that don’t fry the planet.)
   These 3 iconic actions must be part of any serious climate change strategy for any political party that wants to be taken seriously by the voting public, as wanting to take meaningful action on climate change.
   I maintain that there is a constituency out there that is receptive to this message.
   In 2007 a TV3 News poll indicated that 81% of New Zealanders believed climate change was real, and 55% of New Zealanders want the government to do more on climate change. These are serious numbers. They are greater numbers than the current levels of support held by the two biggest opposition parties, (combined).
   If the TOP party (or any other party), can tap into this constituency, with bold and iconic climate policies, there can be little doubt that they could make serious electoral gains.

   Disclosure: Pat O’Dea is the Mana Movement Spokesperson for Climate Change Issues.

   • And dirty dairy, fertiliser use, public transport, designing workplace and residences so travel is reduces, smaller scale horticulture with a permaculture base and reduction of cement use etc.

     2050 for phasing out fossil fuel is far too late.
     That should have started 40 years ago and been complete 20 years ago.

     The market and the economy are excuses for inaction and more damage being done. We may well be past a tipping pointy already.

     Chasing votes will not stop disaster for this country and the world human population.

     Gluckman is not a climate scientist but a tame Govt mouth piece.

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