Open Mike Friday 11th October

1. The World’s Littlest Super Power.

   So who is this smallest of countries, that orders the Superpowers around?

   Well who knew?

   It was us.

   Prime Minister John Key has confirmed three Chinese warships will arrive in Auckland tomorrow on a friendship visit.

   They are a destroyer, a frigate and an oiler.

   Key said they had followed the requirements of the nuclear free law and they had given him the information he needed to approve the visit.

   China had said the ships were not nuclear powered and carried no nuclear weapons.

   Key said he welcomed foreign ship visits as long as they met the requirements of New Zealand’s law…..

   VERNON SMALL stuff.co.nz Oct. 10 2013 at 11:13 pm

   American War Ships of course are banned from passing through New Zealand’s territorial waters, or docking in New Zealand ports as long as they continue to refuse to declare themselves nuclear free and can verify it, to the satisfaction of, our government, our state forces answerable to that government, and ultimately the people of New Zealand who appoint that government..

   Prime Minister John Key said that, “If the Americans want to be in that position they would be more than welcome in a heartbeat.”< Of course the Americans refuse to do this.

   Because if they did, then other countries around the world would demand the same right. This would effectively ban the US nuclear Navy from most of the world's ports and coastal waters. This would seriously weakening the American military's ability to project their power around the world.

   But despite the fact that New Zealand has one of the smallest navies and military forces in the world. Our military forces are just big enough that they can't be ignored. (even by a Superpower). That is if it ever came to a clash over enforcing our nuclear weapons free policy. .

   This shows what a little country can do, if it is stands up. it is united. And it is determined.

   The greatest threat facing the world since the nuclear power stand off of the twentieth Century's Cold War era, is climate change. Climate change is projected to kill not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions human beings, (mostly in the third world), and wipe out whole ecosystems, including the world's coral reefs and most of the world's fisheries through ocean acidification caused by CO2 pollution.

   New Zealand being such a small country only emits 0.2% of the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change.

   But despite the fact that we are one of the smallest industrialised emitters in the world. New Zealand has the potential to make a huge qualitative impact in the fight against global climate change way beyond our quantitative contribution to it.

   Professor, Sir Peter Gluckman arguably one of this country's greatest living scientists, and recognised as such by being appointed chief scientific advisor to the Prime Minister, has argued on the govt.nz website that New Zealand's greatest contribution to fighting global climate change will be by setting an example.

   “New Zealand is a small emitter by world standards – only emitting some 0.2% of global green house gases. So anything we do as a nation will have little impact on the climate – our impact will be symbolic, moral, and political”

   Sir Peter Gluckman Chief Science adviser to the Prime Minister.

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

   • “ocean acidification caused by CO2 pollution”
     Can you please show me peer-reviewed data that shows that the sea anywhere is acidic? Acidic is defined as having pH less than 7 (i.e. pure water). The sea is over pH 8 at the moment (i.e. alkaline) and has been like that for a very long time, and will stay that way I reckon. A pH of 9 is very damaging for sea creatures.

     Professor Peter Gluckman is a paediatrician and has no qualifications that might help his understanding of climate.

     • Thanks for this CT. I am no chemist. But, I get my best leads from you in my deeper understanding of this topic. I will go and research these questions.

       Cheers

2. Not much prominence given to the Government’s push to reduce the number of members of university board of govenors from 20 to around 8. It was interesting to hear Massey University Vice Chancellor Steve Maharey say that he doesn’t know why they are doing it, and it will likely reduce the number of teacher and student representatives on the boards.

   There in lies the answer! By pushing teachers and students out, boards can be forced towards a business oriented model.

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