My personal existential doomsday clock ticked closer to midnight this week with the confirmation that while we devote and frustrate our energies trying to save endemic species like Māui dolphins here, unless humanity, takes dramatic action to change our trajectory, a million species across the planet are doomed.
An international panel of experts in the UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), this week released a summary of an upcoming 1,500-page report on the state of biodiversity on Earth. They said that land use changes including deforestation and wetland loss; exploitation and extraction; pollution; climate change, and pests threaten every ecosystem and every species group everywhere around the world.
The report acknowledges that we’ve already accelerated species loss, reducing biological and ecological diversity and resilience beyond the scale of usual natural forces. Our collective change and extinction impacts, especially since the ‘great acceleration’ after the Second World War are of geological scale. While species take millions of years to evolve, none can withstand the ravages of homo-capitalist, modern economic ‘man’. As we increase access to the world’s remaining remote places like deep oceans and remnant dense forests, and as we discover new species of fish or plants, we develop new ways of harvesting and exploiting them. They are appropriated for commercial use, and invariably them and their ecosystems are diminished. Capitalist extraction is effective at taking but not so good at giving back. So we consume the wilds, create property rights to alienate labour, land, resources and life, churn it up to make consumer goods – actually bads, that are ultimately destined for a landfill or an ocean sink. We swallow up all that’s rare and beautiful, and leave waste and despoliation in exchange. The IPBES report said our adverse impacts put our future human existence at stake, as well as that of planetary diversity and processes. And sadly, we saw this coming, looming doom is no surprise. No wonder there’s an extinction rebellion. What we need is a revolution.
The Government’s announced Zero Carbon Act proposals show the inadequacy of multi-party Parliamentary democracy to make big changes when they’re needed. Conservative political forces resist change in their own self-interest. It is disappointing, but no real surprise, to see our best chance at legislating for binding greenhouse gas emission reductions, traded off as agriculture wins exemptions. Just at the time we should be shining a spotlight on the multiple levels of harm inflicted on Earth by meat and dairy farming, we’re making concessions to let them off the hook for methane emissions. Add nutrient enrichment and habitat loss, there’s a big ecological footprint in your milk and your steak. It’s really disturbing, and Orwellian, to hear Green Party co-leader James Shaw blaming urban motorists for climate change, to placate farmers. We might understand this of National, and of New Zealand First, but it’s as if the Greens are now apologists for mediocrity and a lack of environmental ambition. They’re overseeing the continuation of existing privileges, not with a bang but a whimper. If this is our nuclear-free moment, then that moment has already passed, unfulfilled, hope withered on the vine.
Because the underwhelming decision on climate change follows the disappointments of the non-binding marijuana referendum, timid welfare responses, the jettison of a recommended capital-gains based redistributive tax system, labour reform limitations, and KiwiBuild’s failure to deliver affordable homes, I’m too cynical to expect much improvement in frameworks to protect endangered species from extraction, waste or exploitation. There’s no real foreseeable solution to the plastic production problem, and the clean up of the coastal contamination from the Fox River landfill is mostly left to volunteers. There’s a certain inevitable trajectory to what population and consumption pressures are doing to the limited capacity of the planet. Even the most progressive governments seem to have little real power to front change that’s required to tackle the major – truly existential -problems of our time, to stand up to established sectors and systems, and to deflect destruction that’s already in train. If we struggle here in New Zealand to alter the domestic economy’s contribution to human inequality and species and ecosystems loss, there’s little prospect of averting the anthropocene’s impact across the world, in countries bigger or smaller, richer or poorer.
There’s no appropriately radical Parliamentary agenda here in New Zealand to question the growth paradigm that accelerates the biodiversity crisis as well as the climate change emergency.
In geological time scales, nature cares for no individual or species, and all shall go. Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote in the poem “Memoriam’, ‘from scarped cliff and quarried stone, she cried, ten thousand types have gone, I care for nothing, all shall go’. But that humans have exercised their power to misuse and abuse nature so to leave it depleted and filled with plastic already, and to obliterate, and continue to threaten individuals, species, ecosystems and life, is an indictment on us, and on capitalism.
When you look at the way people and interest groups react when it’s suggested that they should pay more tax to address inequity, or to internalise environmental costs, or that they should eat less meat to ease the ecological burden on land and water (and animals), it’s clear few are prepared to sacrifice much for the greater biotic good. Heaven forbid that they might forego cell phones to save ancient rain forests in the Congo. Or products with palm oil to save Orangutans, or give up net caught fish for Māui and Hector’s dolphins. Government response is inadequate, but it reflects the apathy of humanity who want their cake and to eat it too.
Photos from space show us how fragile and finite is our beautiful planet. But if survival depends on us sacrificing growth and middle class quality of life luxuries and aspirations to attenuate our effects, then we’ve failed already and the planet’s also fucked.
I do not understand why Eugene Sage and the Greens are pro 1080 one of the most toxic materials known to mankind and we spread it around the country like lollie water
Because there’s currently no matter way to deal to the pests (rats, possums) that destroy swathes of our forests and bird life. Maybe one day genetically engineered rats to pass on genes for infertility may be a cleaner route.
The greens stopped any genetic research.
Rat plagues are recorded following poison drops http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/4570628/Rat-plagues-linked-to-1080-poison-drop
You were saying?
Pointing out facts, human deficits and likely scenarios doesn’t make you “cynical” as you claim more than once, just intelligent and realistic. It’s those who know the price and continue in the old, self-serving ways who are cynical.
Haven’t they heard of 1080 poison?
That’s the answer to everything innit?
Yes and no. Until we find something better.
Better for what?
Chucking out of helicopters?
Hey, FYI, DoC is maintaining their 13 plus percent mortality (a bit over 15 percent in this case) of kea per drop https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/kea-deaths-linked-to-1080-trial/ar-BBWkxAL?ocid=BHEA000
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/82491117/benefits-to-kea-from-1080-operations-uncertain
Population models show loss of adult birds is 4 x worse than loss of eggs or chicks to the kea population.
Napalm.
To achieve real change requires courageous leadership prepared to go out in front and lead, not follow, not wait until everyone is in agreement.
(We saw a glimmer of this type of leadership from Prime Minister Ardern at the beginning of her administration, when she took it on herself to unilaterally cancel the issuing of any new off shore oil and gas exploration permits.)
Change occurs only when someone takes a risk and goes out in front, challenging the rest of us, to either follow that lead, (or oppose it).
When Churchill unilaterally declared war on Nazi Germany Prime Minister Savage took Churchill’s lead and said, “Where Britain goes, we go.”
When someone takes action it changes things.
The new Zero Carbon bill will change nothing because it contains not one single concrete measure to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Action is what counts, and leading action is what counts most of all.
Greta Thunberg’s one person picket and school strike is an example.
Churchill didn’t wait for the League of Nations to agree to take action before he declared war on Nazi Germany. He didn’t even wait until he had the support of the Commonwealth or his other allies. (Churchill had a hard slog getting the US to support his actions let alone the rest of world).
He took action and by so doing challenged the rest to the world to take sides and match his actions..
The same with climate change. The missing ingredient in the fight against climate change is leadership.
In case they lose some competitive advantage, every country is waiting for every other country to take the lead.. It is the herd mentality, no one moves till everyone moves.
Someone, somewhere, needs to go out in front and take the lead.
Why not us?
We led the world in women’s suffrage, we led the world in founding the Welfare State, we led the world in banning nuclear weapons from our territory.
(On the negative side of the ledger we led the world in imposing neo-liberal economic reforms.)
New Zealand is a world leader.
We gave a global lead, when we collectively responded to terrorism and extremism with kindness and solidarity.
New Zealand is a global leader.
No country is better placed to take the lead on climate change. We are already at 80% renewable electricity, we could make it 100% with the stroke of a pen today. We could ban ‘ALL NEW’ oil and gas exploration and exploitation, both off-shore and in-shore, especially if it uses fracking.
To set an example our politicians could refuse to fly, (at least domestically).
As Greta Thunberg, who has given up flying, said, ‘If our leaders are not seen to take climate change seriously, how can anyone else?’
(Our Green Party MPs need to give a lead here.)
Burning coal has been identified as the number one cause of anthropogenic warming.
We could ban all new coal mine developments, and slowly grandfather out the established coal mines. This is comparably If easy for us, unlike many other countries our coal use is relatively minor. If we can’t do this, how can we ask other countries, that are more dependent on coal to give it up?
These actions though challenging, will be way out in front of the global herd. Let us set a shining example for other countries. Not least our nearest and dearest geographical and cultural cousin Australia, where the fear of climate change is palpable, and going into an election, climate change has become a major election issue. Australians are looking for a lead, let’s give it.
As chief science adviser to the last government, Professor Gluckman said, New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are only 0.2 percent of the world’s total. New Zealand’s greatest contribution to fighting climate change will be by setting an example.
Let us give that lead, let us be that ‘example’.
Let’s do this
Let’s do now, what Bernie Sanders is promising to do if he wins the Presidency of the United States.
Bernie Sanders ‘Raises the Bar Even Further’ on Climate With Vow to Ban Fracking, All New Fossil Fuel Projects
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/17/bernie-sanders-raises-bar-even-further-climate-vow-ban-fracking-all-new-fossil-fuel?fbclid=IwAR3WpP7HJDztCOfCRxhKMZRipy73xyarsSQKQE1hRxrE7pf4kRWeUw53xA8
Count me in here Jenny my sentiments entirely. 100%
Get a backbone Jacinda!!!
‘Let us give that lead, let us be that ‘example’.
‘Let’s do this’
My sentiments as well. If no one takes the lead we’re well and truly fucked. So far all I’ve seen or heard is rhetoric and we are past the time for talk. Cross party collaboration is political speak for ‘watering down’ not taking bold action.
Let’s do this and be bold.
Why not us? Because New Zealand is a tiny country at the bottom of the world that isn’t strategically significant.
It’s like a school kid waving from the last row in the stand trying to influence the direction of a test match, being played far below. He can sacrifice himself, if he wants, but hardly anyone will take notice let alone follow. Your prescription is unelectable and will cause much suffering as our systems collapse through lack of tax revenue.
In any case, NZ makes no difference to AGW, even if we all left tomorrow and let it return to trees.
Try something plausible. Like development of substitutions. Sacrifice and hair shirts won’t work.
“In any case, NZ makes no difference to AGW…”
And yet we led the way on the anti-nuclear movement…
Not one country followed.
It might make some people feel good to make a stand, but feeling good won’t solve the problem. Getting people to sacrifice their middle class existence is unelectable.
Therefore, it makes sense to pursue substitution. On that front, we could be leaders. Countries will adopt anything that substitutes at a similar price point.
Norway followed and they’re a NATO country with a no nukes policy that isn’t harming their economic prospects not one tiny little bit.
Norway has never excluded nuclear weapons. It is a member of NATO. From the late 1940s it has refused to *host* them, so hardly “followed” NZ.
Getting back to my point…..major countries do not follow New Zealand any more so than New Zealand follows the Seychelles. If we want people to “follow”, then provide them with substitutes. New Zealand sacrificing itself as a virtue signalling exercise just hurts New Zealanders and changes nothing.
That’s quite true, Pete. Norway has had a policy of not basing nuclear weapons since the 50’s. It wasn’t until 2018 did 70 signatories including Norway did they follow New Zealand’s example of nuclear disarmament in The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. During that time from the 1950’s to 2018 and today Norway has enjoyed 3% growth year on year.
You, Pete claim that New Zealand can not be a global leader and that all is lost. It’s all hopeless according to you, Pete. Your chicken little words are used in place of having the the capacity and intellect for foreign policy and energy policy because you have none. If you where to engage your brain on a topic that matters then you would first have to address the fact that Norway’s energy policy has not only secured its energy independence through large scale investments in renewables but it’s also secured its Nations financial reserves through a sovereign wealth fund, something New Zealand is trying on with Labours energy policy, you can use your own effort and look it up and read about yourself on there website.
So unlike any other nation on the planet New Zealand over the next 30 years will wean itself off petrochemicals, probably not totally. Society and industry is still yet to offer an alternative to nitrogen based fertilisers which comes from petrochemicals, and we’d still probably require offsetting high end combustion and jet engines with carbon credits and tree planting for a hundred years or so until New Zealand’s economy grows in technological sophistication that is sufficient enough to be totally self sufficient and efficient and all that good stuff and so on.
Norway sells $90B worth of oil per year. That’s how it can underwrite its “renewables” without compromising social spending.
If you were to engage your brain and use some intellect (aren’t insults just so easy!) you might address my point.
Self-sacrifice – to the level described – won’t work. It is unelectable, so much so that even the Green Party won’t go there, so how do you plan to do it?
Oil is what lit Americas industrial revolution 100 years ago. Controlling oil flows is what gives America it’s immense hegemony over the world, trade and sanctions. New Zealand is investing a billion dollars into the South Pacific and Growing Kiwi Saver into a $80 billion dollar and fund and that’s a big part of what New Zealand has to do. When the nutters are holding onto to America so tightly Y’know they’re trying to keep everyone semi conscious and the oil is the rising tide of unconsciousness.
New Zealand has to find peace and security in Oceania and apart of that peace includes both America and China. The fact that we are looking for a strategic guarantor means that our economy is not closed to international headwinds. New Zealand keeps up appearances by engaging in APEC, The Pacific Forum, The UN and so on and what underwrites all this activity is fear of abandonment from out of America’s military bosom. New Zealand gives the bully our lunch money to secure global trading routes so that we don’t have to pull our own weight. What a nutter you are Pete, you are absolutely surplus to requirements.
Your approach, and that of the thread starter, suits me fine.
I encourage you to purse it with vigour. Even better, persuade the Green Party to adopt it.
That’s where you are wrong Pete.
The Fijian Labour Government declared Fiji to be nuclear free until they were shot out of office in a US backed coup.
Palau also declared themselves nuclear free in a 75% vote. After massive US pressure, and 11 forced referendums on the issue, this huge majority was overturned, in a campaign marked by shots being fired and intimidation of voters and activists, by alcohol fueled gangs.
US pressure saw Prime Lange declare that our Nuclear free policy ‘Was not for export’.
Behind the scenes pressure here, thuggery, violence, and bribery and corruption in Palau, and a military coup in Fiji were all employed by the US to stop the spread of anti-nuclearism in the Pacific.
So, you’re saying Fiji adopted it then dropped it. The mighty Palau tried to adopt it, but didn’t.
You’re proving my point.
Secondly, nuclear free was relatively easy. It required no sacrifice for non-nuclear nations. Even then, it went nowhere.
Following hardline AGW moves will be much more difficult, but as stated above, I fully encourage you to pursue it. With vigour. Make it a bottom line for the Green Party next election.
The planet depends on it.
Yay, with NO nuclear power plants, with rare former visits by neither confirm or deny US and other navy vessels, what an heroic act, when the whole world was somewhat critical of the US and their failed war in Vietnam and so. also of the French still doing some testing at Muroroa.
It was then a bit of a fad also, it was fashionable and required little sacrifice.
There is the perspective that regardless of being neither leader nor follower, New Zealand could just, in fact, do the right thing.
Our per capita emissions is high, and there are countries and people currently suffering from climate change that have not contributed significantly to the situation. Reducing our emissions may provide them with the opportunity to repair and restore, while not increasing global emissions.
How much is enough for New Zealanders? Because, at present, we are taking more than our share. And any solution for climate change, must address the inequalities that exist.
Even if NZ Inc drags it’s feet, and if others may move before us, eventually NZers will have to change their wasteful and polluting lifestyles anyway. So they may as well start right now, rather than wait for others to lead the way. Saving energy and keeping the environment cleaner can only be a good and smart thing, but it must be honestly done, or else it is a waste of time and effort.
Following the TDB on this subject for several months, one can be pretty confident that there is sufficient critical mass among the contributors of the blog to install a “System Chance NOW!” platform in the NZ/AO parliamentary structure.
The philosophical, strategic, technical and communicative substance is available, what it lacks is moving from communication to a minimum level of institutionalization.
Whilst individual leadership can be helpful, the combined efforts of interested and motivated actors can substitute the absence of personalized leadership, at least for some period of time.
It would probably be helpful if the TDB could advise or support the initial steps into low-level organization or institutionalization, bringing the possibilities of the blog upon new political territory.
This would be a very, very interesting project, indeed.
Otherwise, this discussion may not mean much more than the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtOfjp9IJdA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txi2t75rGVs
Showing this week: what’s your superpower?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7imYeuAfkg
The dance between leader and people is a subtle one.
In many ways it can be described as a partnership. Sometimes the leaders are ahead sometimes the people are, as one advances they strengthen the other in a sort of feedback loop.
Good leadership strengthens and empowers the movement, a strong movement empowers the leadership.
That there has to be leaders is a given, in any human task that requires teamwork, we see leaders. But can the leaders lead with input from below?
No they can’t.
Every leader, especially leaders in a democracy, have to have a mandate.
“A mandate from the people to lead”.
Is a common phrase that politicians often use to explain their actions, it carries a hidden embedded assumption, that it is in fact the people who are leading, not the leaders.
The strange and seeming contradiction, is that leaders must be out in front giving a lead or they wouldn’t be leaders, and being out in front often means being ahead of where the people are.
But the leadership can never afford to be so far out in front that they become isolated.
All politics is pressure
Huge protests against nuclear ships created the space for MPs to the pass the anti-nuclear legislation.
The same thing must occur, if we are ever to do anything meaningful about climate change.
I think Extinction Rebellion have got the right idea. Their protests have got the issue on the political agenda. Their protests, if they grow and get bigger, will increase the space where our political leaders can act as their conscience and the science say they must.
In the climate change documentary @43:30 minutes, Labour Climate Change Minister in the Clark administration, Chris Hodges says that he used to phone up Greenpeace and say “can you please cane me harder for lack of action, be
cause I need to be told off by you guys….
….We’ve got a Greenhouse problem here and I’m losing it. I need you guys to beat up on me a little more.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGf4maDU7Ps
One of the reasons for the rapid decline of insects is the use of poison. You are an advocate for 1080 and if you believe that its harmless to the environment then all I can say to you is Monsanto. Roundup. Harmless.
Yes it makes you wonder.
Advocating for flying around in fossil fuel powered machines dropping a poison which has effects across the whole ecosystem from insects to birds to mammals to save (how is that going?) a handful of birds, then bemoaning climate change, ecological destruction and accelerated species loss.
Man is a peculiar creature.
Yes Christine, all of what you wrote PLUS continued human population growth, PLUS the insane economic narrative of increased consumption, which between them equate to even less natural world and even more pollution in the future, both globally and locally, until something ‘breaks’ catastrophically.
Short-term thinking reigns supreme, leading to an ever-declining quality of life for most of the inhabitants of this planet. And then extinction.
415 ppm CO2
1900 ppb CH4
Both rising inexorably
Thanks for today’s rising levels of climate emissions AFEWKNOWTHETRUTH.
I looked at them only two months ago, and they were rising but not then to that level so you are doing great recording and this increase is very disturbing now. so we are reaching the point of positive feedback which causes a virtual thermal runaway now, so we are in imminent danger now, so where are these “Climate deniers” now?.
And the sad fact is, most of our population is FIRMLY HOOKED into the existing fossil fuel based economic system, their jobs, businesses and personal property and so forth depend om the system and its framework as it stands.
To really change the system, a radical revolution would be necessary, but as we know, almost every individual is shit scared to risk the bit, or more than a bit, they do possess and own, and have entitlements to.
That is what the government is up against. And also consider that the whole global population is similarly hooked and locked into the same kind of fossil fuel based growth obsessed system, bringing in a ‘feelgood budget’ by tweaking some statistical figures and measurements, won’t change stuff all.
Economies also compete for investment, in growth, in trading stuff, and as long as the global system is not changed, it matters not much what little old New Zealand does.
So people carry on as per usual, heading determinedly towards the cliff of humanity’s end destination.
Meanwhile the MSM and Paddy Gower are working overtime in sweat and tears, to find the few mad and extreme white supremacists that there still are, and to expose them.
That may be important to highlight, but we get NO significant documentaries, education programs and news re the true and disastrous state of affairs of our environment, where things are mere commodities, and resources to burn and plunder.
Forget wasting money on saving Kiwis, dolphins and rare insects and plants, it will all be gone soon, it has no chance to survive the future wasted by trade, tourist streams, all bringing in ever more invasive species that do the rest of the job.
Yes. The old Values Party call in the 1970s for ZPG (zero population growth) should be renewed.
Yes To Tom.
‘agreed, as – “growth is not compatible with climate change”
Growth makes ‘activities’ from growth cause an ever increasing cycle of climate emissions.
Christine you are inspired and thank you for sharing that.
We are fucked, but lets not roll over without leaving mortal scars on the predatory rapists of this planet which once was home to many more species before humans bred to inflict wholesale indiscriminant destruction.
How we can do our best to heal what we can of the scars they have left on our mother.
That is the question for Mother’s Day and every other day we survive.
Earth abuse is rampant ans institutional by organised capitalist terrorists plundering and raping our mother and her family.
The power of community will to protect has yet to be felt.
Are we a family or slaves to a few greedy brats.
Politicians talk is cheap and often worthless as they ignore their Mother’s cries.
Yep. Fucked.
Or are we at the end of a cycle?
Everything wears out. Everything drops off. Everything will expire. In about 5 billion years the sun will swell up and eat it’s planets alive.
The single most vile and guilty element of our ‘immediate’ demise though is the banking ‘industry’. The banks are the gang head quarters of capitalism. Our planet is becoming a toxic landfill thanks entirely to them.
It was they who swaggered onto AO/NZ farms and forced farmers to abandon holistic farming practises and embrace a frantic activity of over fertilisation and over stocking. It’s the banksters who weigh down change and innovation, unless they’re lending money to capitalise from the back breaking work of others, of course.
And how could any politician with our best interests at heart possibly rise up and challenge the bankster gangs? The Banksters were behind our asset sell offs, they were used by fay and richwhite to fuck us over. Our very own reserve bankster was governed by don ‘ACT Man’ brash. The reserve bank sets the whole sale money rate that banksters can purchase cash at and farmers were dragged off their farms by the cops when retail interest rates hit + 20%. The problem with that dire con job, is that ANY government looking too closely at that swindle will find terrible truths and criminal activities the likes that’d boggle the mind. It’s like needing to get an electrician in to fix the plug in the bedroom but you can’t because you have abductees hand cuffed to the bed.
AO/NZ governments, and by that I mean the well intended ones, can never go near our financial woes and our farting, belching primary agricultural farming industry because to do so would upset an apple cart the size of the fucking Titanic and farmers can never be allowed to move away from meat, dairy and wool because then we’d see just how reliant the banksters had become on getting a cheap yet priceless commodity for fuck all and have been doing so for generations and generations.
I’m looking out my lounge window and I see vast acreage’s of green fields growing grass. For sheep and cattle. For as far as I can see, empty fields of grass. Not hemp, not vegetables, not fruits, nuts or berries. But grass. And during an election year, the Natzo’s will have their hoardings up out there like little blue tumours with photographs of smiling minions to a cadre of corrupt banksters who will take turns at cupping bankster balls. Drive through Balclutha and the flashiest buildings you will see are bankster buildings. Jonky’s ANZ, Fay / Richwhite’s once owned BNZ , ASB and ‘$555 million dollar six monthly profit’ Westpac. Poor little Kiwi Bank is hidden around the corner in the old post office building and they don’t even have an ATM machine in town. Those of us who bank with Kiwi Bank have to pay a dividend to The Big Four of we want to get cash out after banking hours.
The foreign banks are the problem and they must be removed from our beautiful AO/NZ. The global banking industry is literally poisoning the very planet we live upon.
With respect. Your intentions are true but your aim is off.
The banker brats who don’t give a fuck about anything but themselves.
They are a cancer we have allowed to grow by accepting the imposition of English law which gives them the power to take enormous wealth from our community continuously.
The so called Reserve Bank is a Govt institution in name only. It is run by the same old cabal who run the Westminster laws enabling theft on a grands scale each time a loan is given.
NZ law inherited
If banks have $1 “deposit” they can lend $10, 9 of which they don’t have but will get their greedy little hands on when Kiwis pay them that money plus interest. They get interest on $9 they never had in the first place as well as a gift to them of that same $9.
The NZRB admits that $97% of new money is issued by the privately owned banks.
What a racket and the tame politicians say nothing.
Most Kiwis don’t want to believe it.
Great protection for these international crooks. We even had one as PM recently, a hair pulling prick who ignored a national referendum and gave the energy sector to his mates for a song.
A state bank should be the only agency to create that sort of loan where the new money issued ends up in state coffers.
I know in my own family and Uncle had a crop failure and wanted a loan for new seed as he had just put in a new expensive drainage system and was short of cash.
The bank agreed to give him a loan but with proviso they assess his farming methods and setup.
The deal was signed up and seed planted.
Then the bank “Adviser” came around with a team. He recommended a new tractor, plow, irrigation system and storage shed upgrade which would have put him quite deeply in debt.
He had successfully grown this crop for several years. The seed was bad this time. My Uncle told them to get stuffed.
But contract signed them allowed to review the interest rate on the load which they tripled because of “risk” the bank claimed they were exposed to.
What risk as they produced 90% of the money out of fresh air.
Desperate farmer are “managed” into debt by these swine.
Certainly climate change will never be addressed while the banks control our money supply. There’s no money to be made by any implementation of any programme to that end. ( except funding IPCC scientists I suppose). There’s nothing for the banks in looking after the environment, and those who control the money control the world. While governments and people are in ever growing debt, as all credit is someone else’s debt and all money is someone’s debt they will remain decision takers not decision makers.
And it’s no use vilifying farmers for farming cows. No democratic government is going to destroy the nations primary income source.
It’s not only neoliberal capitalism that can’t possibly accommodate the changes necessary to become truly carbon neutral , neither can democracy.
D J S
Vilifying farmers won’t achieve much although I think many are dishonest about their position and the pollution that are a part of.
Dishonesty should not be supported.
If NZ had a state bank as the sole agency issuing fiat loans, then we could engineer the dairy/beef fiasco to a more future friendly path taking honest willing farmers and environment with us.
The money generation question is a key to moving away from BAU suicide.
Christine Rose well said.
as we asked for a lion hearted response and got a bloody lamb.
Not good at all; – so we are definitely staying up in the Osborne hills now afraid of living 8ft below sea level for our own ‘self served’ “wellbeing” and we won’t rely on Government any more.
Christine Rose well said.
Did they promise Jacinda and James a set on the last ark out of under future “undersea world?
As we asked for a lion hearted response and got a bloody lamb.
Not good at all; – so we are definitely staying up in the Osborne hills now afraid of living 8ft below sea level for our own ‘self served’ “wellbeing” and we won’t rely on Government any more.
Hit the nail on the head with that one Christine. The list of failures is now long enough that I can no longer support thr Greens. Rather appropriate dress from our leaders on the left. The effect of Jacindas clothes is pastel red as is James pastel green tie
I had hoped that at least their would be movement in a social equality direction but this hope now dashed and Littles redefining of binding is absurd
Wake up people https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=BC1l4geSTP8
Lies basically.
For Helena
https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018694833/the-early-climate-heroes-who-tried-to-warn-us
Atmospheric CO2 has risen about 57% above what it was in pre-industrial times.
Thank you John W for staying courteous.
I keep my solitary stand holding my flag which says “Look Up”.
My wish is for just one commenter to watch/listen just the first 10 minutes of this video and then do just a little research to see that it is truth in plain sight. Please remember that silence is consent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpw7Zhu3KiI
And would anyone like to comment on Bill Gates funded project lead by Harvard David Keith?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf4N3ylWZt8
Our silence is consent.
Damn straight.
The Green Party should make all these fantastic suggestions a bottom line immediately. Change the deal. A risk, but a risk that must be taken for the future of Aotearoa. Stand up for what is right, so that others may follow.
As you rightly point out, there is no time to waste.
Helena we are all in this together and while opinions vary, sharing perspectives helps community sort out common direction.
I sometimes offend but never set out to do so as not much is to be gained for anyone by creating bad feeling.
Strong emotions can push the boundaries of course and there is a lot to feel strongly about,
BUT if you make a mess then the least you can do is to have a go at cleaning it up.
Agenda 21 is talked about a lot and certainly to me it seems we have a tight tribal cabal who control world finance and power.
It looks as though they know where things are going and want to be on top of the rest – if we let them.
But as only a small amount of time is left I can’t see them achieving and agenda 21 goal.
It is an extreme dream by devious power brokers who have little regards for humanity.
Many will not cooperate and we see countries defying the UN such as Israel and the USA who are probably the main the main perpetrates of such sick thinking. So they use the UN as it suits them and ignore it when it doesn’t.
Others we see such as Russia, China, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Yemen not going along with the cabal not their demands. More power to them.
The assumption is that the cabal will go on accumulating power but vital resources will run out long before they get to where they have complete control.
Collapse may bring many things of which we can only be prepare for at a local level.
I take some notice of what happened to Cuba. You may have seen this but the message is community 101.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs6xoKmnYq8
Corporations will not and do not help community, they subvert it.
Community and strong leadership brought a solution without money or tribal deference.
Food and shelter first then family and community. All are needed. Money is not.
Notice than animals were used as partners in providing the energy to plow and produce food. An old solution that does not need hi tech, corporations not riches if communities work together and develop a sharing of responsibility.
The greedy get put into line.
Helena you may have seen this but if not.
https://envirowatchrangitikei.wordpress.com/privatization/
Jim Anderton was the last Politician who fought this. Winston mentions some aspects to collect votes but does little.
Thank you, John W. No I hadn’t seen the article. Pam Vernon is an amazing journalist.
WASTIF’d* The result of the growth madness and 35 years of neoliberalism plus unsustainable immigration. We are a nation of haves and have nots with the FIRE** sector tail with its speculator get rich crowd wagging the dog of government.
*We are so totally irretrievably fecked!
** Finance or foreign owned banks making a fortune out of us. Insurance increasingly unaffordable because of property mad inflation from greed.Real Estate the religion of NZ.
Environment? The human race is now functionally extinct! We just don’t know it yet due to exponential irreversible climate change and the 6th mass extinction in geological history caused by us. we need other species to survive and they’re going away forever Boo Hoo! Once the Arctic sea ice that’s up top is gone*** and we have a blue ocean there global Average temperature could rise by 6C in just a year or two.
We are heading for a hot house Earth similar to the cretacious period
So make your peace with all those property capital gain investments as time is short! We screwed the Planet and the homeless landlord bait work slaves
*** The Planet’s air conditioner
Christine and I find ourselves in the unenviable position as life long environemntal activists of publically bagging the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand for their absolutely pathetic stewardship of the environmental space and their electing a former corporate lobbyst to lead the party into oblivion.
I had a long email exchange with James Shaw prior to and after my public leaving of the GPNZ which was also covered on The Daily Blog.
My over-riding criticism is the blantant untruths coming from the party relative to the severity of the extinction crises we face.
We are being chaparoned to extinction and James Shaw is at the helm.
When the youth really work out how bad the crises are they will be chasing the likes of Shaw with pitchforks.
https://kevinhester.live/2018/10/06/climate-system-scientist-paul-beckwith-the-case-for-declaring-a-global-climate-emergency/?fbclid=IwAR2OsPXGNsGXaJU43Tl2B5XZxJ0ytSIoXQaV348wcINGV5BQnm3L66l7uBk
jacinda’s Orff to meet Macron in Paris where they’ll plot together to feck the internet being blamed for social unrest and terrorism, not greed neoliberalism militarism wars etc etc So shut down the info democracy of the people!
PM en route to Paris for ‘Christchurch Call’ meeting
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/388971/pm-en-route-to-paris-for-christchurch-call-meeting?fbclid=IwAR3DWJohJpCuK49dIzb
This is what the PM of New Zealand is colluding with and giving her tacit support
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVoJFrPFTDc
macron is the banker’s fascist boy.
Helena – you would believe the crooked industry based perspective by The Galileo Movement.
WTF!!!!
Best you see where they get funding from sunshine.
It is reported to be a climate denier.
read here.
https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Galileo_Movement
I replied, TDB rejected. No reason given.
Nobody is going to take action until it is too late. Fortunately for the planet it has regenerated life from mass extinctions on a regular basis. We of course may have proven Darwin correct and not be here to see it.
One hope we have is that we are well past the peak of easy to extract fossil fuels, the rest will be much harder to get at in terms of energy returned for energy invested. We may just be forced to mend our ways by physical reality.
Once we get to a critical mass, they’ll kill us all with plagues, which they’ll blame on us. Then, they’ll replace us with the slave hybrids and robots. Simple really. Here are the gruesome details:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2w_UPfm0Y
We have been getting these warnings since 1990 regarding the climate and environment and the those warnings have been getting more serious with each passing decade and no one has listened or acted as our overriding desire for money and insatiable excess has increased year on year.
I don’t believe we will be able to stop the inevitable as most people have already accepted the extinction of most of the worlds species as a foregone conclusion and if the world does get hotter then we will learn too live with it and adapt.
Until the effects are being felt personally and directly effect ones lavish lifestyle we will carry on regardless.
To get the change that is required a massive event would have to take place that forever changes the way we behave as humans and the current lives we lead are irreparably ended resulting in a back to basics existence.
All this talk about zero carbon targets by 2050 is just a feel good piece of garbage that will do nothing.
The Greens know it is too late and we can not control the world or its capitalist agenda that has no intention of lifting a finger to change anything.
Sorry Christine but it is too late and we are well down the road to our own and the planets extinction.
“It’s really disturbing, and Orwellian, to hear Green Party co-leader James Shaw blaming urban motorists for climate change, to placate farmers.”
Well, try getting rid of cows and cattle and so, and you need to replace it with other agricultural production of sorts.
All I would say is, the urban population lives in a total bubble and is full of self entitlement, particularly the middle and upper class members, thinking they need and deserve multiple cars per household.
Farmers at least produce food, yes, some may need to change, but the food is desperately needed, on a planet with starving millions, a number that will only increase.
It is damned easier for urban city dwellers to change and give up petrol and diesel powered cars and use alternatives, than stop farmers producing dairy and other foods.
New Zealand urban populations are amongst the most wasteful and least sustainable on the planet, in a suburban sprawl environment, where transport and much else is highly inefficient, due to poor planning and organisation.
Get the urban folks out of their cars, learn to bus, use the train, walk and ride a bike, ffs.
If that would happen, even just on a scale like in Copenhagen, we would be saving a lot of emissions per capita here.
‘but the food is desperately needed, on a planet with starving millions, a number that will only increase.’
Just one of many fundamental dilemmas/paradoxes is that most don’t recognise as a dilemma/paradox is that keeping ‘starving millions’ alive by the use of fossil fuels leads to increase in fossil fuel use, increase in pollution, and ultimately an increase in the number of ‘starving millions’.
A population crash of 6 to 8 billion is coming…we just don’t know when exactly.
Such a ‘crash’ will not happen, it will be a gradual process of impoverishment, of degeneration, starvation and infighting, be this civil wars or other wars, and also huge waves of refugees. People are by nature not inclined to commit mass suicide or simply suffer endlessly and just drop dead. Most will fight for survival, and when their own soil does no longer provide, they will go to ‘greener pastures’ which has fed immigration streams throughout human history.
So forget the Noah’s Ark NZ Inc, they will come here in droves also, those that can, and people will have to learn to fight, really fight, for survival of the fittest. That is going to be the future, unless we will before all this face nuclear war annihilation with a nuclear winter killing almost all humans on earth.
Isn’t NZ already going thru slow impoverishment?
NZ is a notch in China’s Belt and Road Initiative. I see China doing to NZ what it is already doing to Darwin.
Check the obesity rates in the world, and see where NZ Inc stands, while obesity may not show how much you have in your pocket (see the Pacific Island states and territories leading), it shows though, people are not necessarily starving, not here in NZ Inc:
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/29-most-obese-countries-in-the-world.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2920219/How-fat-country-nations-highest-obesity-rates-new-maps-surprise-you.html
And going through many suburbs in Auckland, there are some rather well off people, check also the many cars run by Kiwis on the roads.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_vehicles_per_capita
Even the poor can rely on foodbanks, but much of the food from there is not all that nutritious, I reckon. People in New Zealand are not that impoverished and starving at all, when compared with the rest of the world.
I see many fat school kids every day, also in low income areas.
White bread is poisonous.
It’s all on the web to read.
Along with dairy.
Sure is, if you put rat poison spread on it. White bread is otherwise harmless, but useless, as it has nothing much of dietary value in it.
Best breads are made in Europe, in my humble view, lots of choices especially in places like Germany, Austria and so forth.
Christine, your blog is impressive for its scope and punchiness, EXCEPT why shouldn’t you/we eat our cake – what’s the point of having cake and letting it go stale?
Subsidies to the ‘death machine’:
‘The world spent a staggering $4.7 trillion and $5.2 trillion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2015 and 2017, respectively, according to a new report from the International Monetary Fund. That means that in 2017 the world spent a whopping 6.5 percent of global GDP just to subsidize the consumption of fossil fuels.’…..
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Global-Fossil-Fuel-Subsidies-Hit-52-Trillion.html
Because without it, many humans will face economic hardship, starvation and so forth. Hence the fossil fuel exploitation and burning will continue, and subsidies will be demanded by the poor, if they will not get them, they will revolt and demand leaders who will continue giving them subsidies.
All just part of the dilemma we are in.
Yes AFEWKNOWTHETRUTH
We are paying for our own ‘funerals’ now by funding big oil aren’t we just?
Let’s not deny our ’84 regime freely recruits from the best — meritocracy. Hence Labour MPs. People whose personal interests lie with the elite, no matter Morrinsville or Matamata upbringing, can’t remember which. Something so lighthearted about Labour’s leaders — smooth CV all the way. Great that she has a child while PM without husband but it was more about her sense of ease as a, bright, ex-child, rather than the fight of the deprived against the powerful. Emoting isn’t near enough for the people.
Maybe the doomsday clock should be erected for all too see in every part of the world and on every monitor and phone and it can’t be removed.
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