I believe in the science and the science tells us overwhelmingly that human made pollution since the industrial revolution is super heating our planet at a rate that has never been seen naturally.
I believe the science when it tells us that the speed and magnitude of the climate change poses an existential threat to us as a species…
Climate crisis: 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’
The world’s people face “untold suffering due to the climate crisis” unless there are major transformations to global society, according to a stark warning from more than 11,000 scientists.
“We declare clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency,” it states. “To secure a sustainable future, we must change how we live. [This] entails major transformations in the ways our global society functions and interacts with natural ecosystems.”
There is no time to lose, the scientists say: “The climate crisis has arrived and is accelerating faster than most scientists expected. It is more severe than anticipated, threatening natural ecosystems and the fate of humanity.”
…I believe that only radical action now that places the economy on a war footing can speed the adaptation required for us to survive what is coming and I believe that the current political spectrum is simply incapable of that magnitude of speed.
Here are tow pieces of evidence from last week that proves my point.
The first is Chloe Swarbricks use of ‘Ok Boomer’ as a put down in Parliament. Isn’t it jaw dropping that her making boomers feel slightly uncomfortable by pricking their narcissism and reminding them of their privilege received more global media attention than what she was actually saying, which was the desperate need to change because of the climate crisis.
Boomers hurt feels are more important than radical change to enable adaptation to the largest threat our species has faced.
The second piece of evidence that proves the climate crisis will doom us is the meaningless sophistry of the Carbon Zero Bill. The sanctimonious smug self congratulations those who have crowed what a game changer this meaningless bit of legislation really is are delusional if they think being carbon zero in 31 years is any type of solution.
The only people cheering this bullshit are Politicians so that they can pretend to be taking climate change seriously and middle class NGOs who send their Millennial reps to swanky overseas climate conferences.
Being Carbon Zero in 31 years and having the audacity to pretend that’s some type of win is proof positive that Fortress Aotearoa is an inevitability.
While the Politicians and middle class NGOs clap themselves on the back, the planet will continue to super heat…
…the impotence of the current political spectrum and its subservience to the existing corporate interests that profit from pollution and free market neoliberalism will become increasingly apparent to a frightened and angry electorate.
That’s when Fortress Aotearoa as a movement will gain traction.
The current political spectrum in New Zealand can not radically adapt fast enough to adopt the changes we must make if we are to survive the climate crisis. It will require a radical Political Movement that elects a Party to implement Fortress Aotearoa…
- Move away from intensive farming and look to become domestically self sustainable in terms of food.
- Immediately ban all water exports
- 5 year Parliamentary term.
- Upper and Lower House (Upper House 50-50 split between Māori & Pakeha that can hold up legislation if unhappy about Treaty issues)
- Massive investment into R&D from Government with the understanding research is to benefit NZ first before sold offshore.
- Large scale increase in Navy, Army & Airforce.
- Mass limiting of tourism numbers with increased tourist taxes.
- Only citizens can vote.
- Sustainable immigration and an end to exploitative migrant workers.
- Resettlement Programms for all pacific island neighbours.
- Increase refugee in take to 10 000 per year
- Fully funded public services.
- Mass Green housing rebuild.
- 100% renewable energy for entire country.
- Massive tree planting across previous farming land.
- Wholesale re-write of state services act to end commercial values.
- Investment into basic pharmaceutical production.
- Financial transaction tax
- Wealth tax
- Multinational tax
- Inheritance tax
On a rapidly warming planet, NZ will increasingly be the life boat for Earth and the tyranny of our distance will become our blessing.
As the climate crisis unfolds more and more people in fury will turn against the current political system too wedded to the economic profits margins of the polluters. It is just a matter of time before the NZ electorate rejects the limitations of the current political spectrum.
The only thing that makes the Carbon Zero Act ‘historic’ is the future generations who will look back in spite & anger that we thought this sophistry was a legitimate response to the climate crisis – if you think maybe acting in 31 years is a solution, you are the problem.
Today our NGO speaks out; – This is our truthful press release ‘expose’ of the corrupt collection of NZ environmental agency data on our poisoned environment by industry who use false data to cover their tracks.
Continued use of false data that today masks the real truth that international scientists truthfully warn us that climate change is real and now we are in harms way must be taken seriously.
“CEAC finds – Huge’ data gaps in environmental stewardship”
Monday, 11th November 2019,
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
We agree with the (PCE) : Parliamentary Commissioner For The Environment
In our own experience CEAC as a Environmental NGO’s involvement with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE), CEAC has found “Huge’ data gaps in environmental stewardship” just as the PCE has identified in his report released on 7/11/19.
Firstly, when we had our early involvement into regard for the (urban) “built environment” and the public urban health, safety, and wellbeing, we found many ‘data gaps’ in our own investigations going back to 2002 when our registered Environmental Laboratory CERL was formed.
Specifically,
1/ Noise measurement “descriptors” a term used by science to offer ways, means, and choices how to measure’.
We found very large ‘data gaps’ in the Road Controlling Agency, (RTA) (Transit NZ) and later when (NZTA) 2009 replaced the name of the (RTA).
The large data gaps were made when both used the wrong procedures/descriptors used to measure truck noise on their roads.
We had previously carried out our studies at US/Canadian Universities under our human health projects and since 2001, carried out OSH courses at Massey University so we had a global prospective of how to measure data of the environment.
It was there that we found that Transit NZ/NZTA had old out of date systems to measure the environment of their road emissions noise, vibrations, air pollution emissions of motor vehicles.
In 2010 National Government begun an attempt to cover one of the recommendations of the PCE report entitled HB Expressway noise and air quality issues; as that report was critical of the lack of a NZ Standard of road noise, so we and other Acoustic (noise) Consultants placed submissions to the committee tasked with producing a “NZ Standard for road noise” but the government then was reluctant to adopt overseas standards of noise measurement assessments descriptors and reverted to the outdated use of what is termed as dBA or a general perceived ‘hearing by ear’ wide frequency received noise.
We found that international science has found that ‘LFN’ (Low Frequency Noise) is the most destructive frequency vibration to human health and property damage, and we are advised this descriptor to measure for (LFN) ‘Low Frequency Noise’ must now be adopted for use when measuring noise especially “Industrial noise is present in large amounts”.
Secondly our Environmental Monitoring Company CERL also carried out a one year Air quality of local suburban homes located near the HB Expressway during 2002/3, is partnership with NIWA scientist and Watercare and we found very high levels of air pollution in summer/ and especially at times around seasons when no wood burning was used for home fires. We did this under advisement that home fires would taint the traffic study results.
The air pollution results of the study came out in the press in the Dominion Post on Monday March 10th 2003 under the headline news; “Pollution regularly exceeds guidelines” with;
• QUOTE; “Watercare Services scientist confirming that the air quality at the site was unacceptable by national and international standards and would create adverse health effects for those living and working in the area”
• NIWA Scientist said the study was carried out correctly and the study result was accurate.
No current data was ever produced or carried out by any other agency since then at this location since which does accurately confirm the PCE allegation’s quote; “Huge’ data gaps in environmental stewardship” unquote; just as the PCE has identified in his report released on 7/11/19.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1911/S00091/huge-data-gaps-undermine-environmental-stewardship.htm
QUOTE; “Huge’ data gaps undermine environmental stewardship” quote (PCE)
Thursday, 7 November 2019, 4:17 pm
Press Release: Parliamentary Commissioner For The Environment
“Environment Commissioner Simon Upton says ‘huge’ gaps in data and knowledge undermine our stewardship of the environment and is calling for concerted action to improve the system.
The Commissioner says data gaps, along with inconsistent data collection and analysis, make it hard to construct a clear national picture of the state of our environment – and whether it is getting better or worse.
“Huge gaps in environmental data and knowledge bedevil our understanding. This is in stark contrast with our economy where we are much more reliably informed. In addition, the entire system is fragmented – multiple pieces of legislation create a mosaic of requirements with unclear responsibilities across organisations,” he said.
“To say we have designed a national reporting system would be to overstate its coherence. Ours has been a passive system that has harvested whatever data is there and done the best it can to navigate what’s missing. In my judgment what there is, is clearly inadequate.
“New Zealand lacks consistent, authoritative time-series data and comprehensive spatial coverage.
“Every year we delay the collection of data identified as a significant gap, we commit New Zealand to flying blind in that area.”
“Further, the costs are not just environmental – they have real consequences for the economy, society and our wellbeing.
“We can’t make economically efficient or socially fair environmental rules if we can’t measure authoritatively what’s happening to the physical resource base on which our wellbeing ultimately depends.”
CEAC; Past history of PCE involvement in ‘our urban stewardship of the ‘built’ environment’.
In 2004/5 the PCE then under the stewardship of ‘Bob McClymont’, DipTP and his staff, all became engaged with us at CEAC and our community, for a one year study of the ‘HB Expressway’ heavy truck traffic noise, vibrations and air quality issues’ impacting on the health and wellbeing of those residents living alongside the heavy traffic route through Napier’s ‘western residential areas.’
We operate a registered Monitoring laboratory company (CERL) who were also used in data collection for excessive road noise levels on the controversial high noise road.
This as increased truck volumes were developing as all truck traffic was planned to be rerouted to only one route through Napier .
This has since trebled the truck movements daily from a low camera count of 900 in 2009 to a staggering level now of over 2700 truck movements each day today.
https://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/pdfs/Hawkes-Bay-Expressway-Noise-and-air-quality-issues-June-2005.pdf
We congratulate the PCE in 2005 for finding the 12 recommendations in the report which directed the current labour government of the day to undertake those recommendations to mitigate and protect the health and wellbeing of those urban residential zones.
For the three years following 2005 after the release of that PCE report (still sitting in PCE file for completion) we had seen considerable tangible signs of Government moves to mitigate towards improving the health and wellbeing of those residents living alongside the heavy traffic route through Napier’s ‘western residential areas.’
For instance;
• 1/ Heavy foliage was placed alongside the expressway from the southern end of the HB Expressway where it enters the Napier boundary to the Kennedy Rd overbridge at the area of high density urban dwellings were situated.
• 2/ Minster of Finance Michael Cullen was by then involved with us and instrumental in 2004 in providing a fund of two million dollars for a smooth ‘quiet road surfacing’ for part of the Napier areas of Kennedy Rd overbridge to the Napier Airport.
• 3/ PM Helen Clark and Michael Cullen both facilitated the ‘political will’ and funding to restore the whole rail system again to Government ownership just as the PCE recommended that ‘rail be used to lower truck freight volumes’.
We at CEAC representing the community had requested;
• for use of rail,
• traffic noise walls where needed, seen in Auckland now.
• Lower urban speed to 80kms.
• More quiet noise road surfacing all through the entire ‘7kms’ of HB Expressway inside the Napier City Council controlled urban boundary.
• Speed/traffic calming measures, cameras, chicanes, median barriers, police surveillance and traffic squad car presence.
Then sadly in 2008 labour Government failed to win the 2008 election and the 12 recommendations for mitigation since then have been over-ridden or completely ignored,- and the health and wellbeing of those residents living alongside the heavy traffic route through Napier’s ‘western residential areas’ has deteriorated significantly and placed the community in harm’s way.
NZTA – Bad stewardship signs of our urban environment since 2009.
In 2014 NZTA (without any consultation or public notification to affected residents alongside the HB Expressway) with stealth had removed the ‘two million dollar’ quiet road surface Labour had placed in 2004 and replaced it with a chip seal surface that has now produced a far higher emission of noise and abrasion of tyre noise on the road resulting ‘tyre dust’ pollution’ that now threatens the health and wellbeing of all 1200 residents as the black dust now covers all homes alongside the HB Expressway signalling a ‘public health hazard’.
https://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/277na4_en.pdf
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/air-pollution-cars-tire-waste_n_5a6896e3e4b0dc592a0e6f8e
CEAC has been at the forefront of advocating for the health and wellbeing of all citizens of NZ including the residents environment where- ever they live including those residents living alongside heavy traffic routes such as the one through Napier’s ‘western residential areas and CEAC now has some hope and encouragement that this current Labour coalition Government with it’s own focus on restoring the ‘natural and ‘built – urban community’s environment from the years of neglect since 2008.
This is just a glimpse at the result of what the PCE refers to as: Quote-
“Further, the costs are not just environmental – they have real consequences for the economy, society and our wellbeing.”
We support PCE recommendations to improve the monitoring our environment; with several recommendations; RE; “establishing a standing science advisory panel”
If government is to consider establishing a standing science advisory panel as the PCE recommends, then; we want to see the following committed to;
• The science panel must first conduct an incorporated solid robust review of seriously updating their use of international monitoring standards not just restoring to the outdated data collection descriptors as agencies have done so far.
• Important documentation of environmental effects to humans, animals and environment will suffer loss from the lack of adequate data that we have discussed here, and we have found through using ‘international standards’ have uncovered serious loss of health and wellbeing to citizens already.
• The science advisory panel must not allow continued use of ‘the out of data system’ as agencies use in NZ today to produce inaccurate studies.
• Improvements can be made by the following;
• By inclusion using ‘active physical meetings’ with;
• affected community citizens/groups/NGO’s.
• independent environmental monitoring companies active with studies such as ours and others in their planning of future recommendations to the Government from a “science advisory’ panel”.
quote; The Commissioner says data gaps, along with inconsistent data collection and analysis, stewardship of the environment and his calling for concerted action to improve the system; Unquote.
CEAC encourage to see a Government who is caring, considerate inclusive and responsive to citizens concerns.
I think you should try to find a more flattering image of your heroine Martyn. This one is not kind.
The commentary on this subject on this blog seems to have dried up a bit. I think I just caught Peter W on Magic radio say the other day that Stuff has decided not to print comment that argues against the theory of man made climate change. Does this apply to TDB as well. I notice my last on the subject never appeared.
I’m getting the feeling that as the issue is in general coming into more focus , and the climate change narrative is getting more and more desperate and shrill , it is having the effect on many people like myself, who have long assumed that there must be a problem but left it to the authorities to attend to, are now, because of the attention it is getting in the media, deciding that they had better try and understand it for themselves. With the result that they are paying more attention not only to Greta ,but also to people like the guests Peter has had on over the past few weeks and trying to follow the science themselves rather than be persuaded by the warn out record of 97% of scientists or now 11000 scientists, one of whom is apparently named Micky Mouse according to Peter. With the overall result that climate panic is being quietly overtaken by scepticism.
More and more the sceptics discuss technical facts, and the advocates discuss emotion.
The legislation just passed , while concerning Peter because it gives the minister some sweeping powers, is in fact very much aspirational rathe than specific. This might reflect some prudence . 2050 is a long way off, plenty of time to see what really happens over the next decade before crippling the countries’ major and essential export industry. The only rival for that industry would have to go too if we were to become carbon neutral.
Have fun at the pub folks , i have a prior engagement unfortunately and won’t be able to catch it live. I hope I can get it later.
Cheers D J S
“… rather than be persuaded by the warn out record of 97% of scientists or now 11000 scientists, one of whom is apparently named Micky Mouse according to Peter.”
Would be nice to have a citation to back up that claim. “Reckons” are hardly fact-based science.
Ok boomer.
DJS has written: ‘More and more the sceptics discuss technical facts,’
Really? Such as what technical facts? Where are the citations? Where are papers published in technical journals?
Methinks denial of planetary meltdown [as a consequence of industrial humans outpacing natural CO2 removal systems by pouring billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere] is based on unsubstantiated opinion and deliberate avoidance of facts.
Sorry Frank I just caught Peter in a moment whey I stopped the saw for an adjustment , I don’t think he quoted a source either though, so it’s hearsay.
But you might help answer a question I’m going to put to Afewknowthetruth.
D J S
Sorry Frank I just caught Peter in a moment whey I stopped the saw for an adjustment , I don’t think he quoted a source either though, so it’s hearsay.
But you might help answer a question I’m going to put to Afewknowthetruth.
D J S
As an Xer my observation of Swarbrick is that it is she and her ilk that are smug and narcissist thinking that she has all the answers and the right to wave her sanctimonious finger at everyone.
If only she would shut her mouth long enough to learn something.
Most people grow out of their know all attitude
Unfortunately people like this have such an overwhelming case of Dunning-Kruger that they never figure out how completely useless they are.
Good to see you use the word ‘doom’, Martyn, because that’s the word I first used in 2001 when writing about the the economy and the environment… and got vilified for doing so, of course.
The millions of dollars poured into denial of the fundamental science and the obfuscation of actual observations by corporate interests -particularly fossil fuel corporations- means the window of opportunity to prevent catastrphe.
Even as Australia suffers unprecedented drought and fires (and fire-related deaths) the government says ‘buy burn coal’.
Though daily results vary, they do indicate where things are headed:
Daily CO2 Nov 8 2019 410.28 ppm
Nov 8 2018 407.06 ppm
The NZ government is doing its best to push the global atmospheric CO2 level even further from the historic norm [of 280 ppm] via promotion of internal-combustion-driven road transport, airport extensions, and promotion of tourism etc. And the NZ government is doing nothing of significance to prepare NZ for conditions anticipated in a decade or so, when atmospheric CO2 will likely break through 450 ppm. BAU continues to reign supreme.
The 800,000-year graph of atmospheric CO2 pretty much says it all:
https://scripps.ucsd.edu/programs/keelingcurve/wp-content/plugins/sio-bluemoon/graphs/co2_800k.png
Correction:
The millions of dollars poured into denial of the fundamental science and the obfuscation of actual observations by corporate interests -particularly fossil fuel corporations- means the window of opportunity to prevent catastrophe has closed.
Greens encouraging more discrimination based on identity issues…. not sure that is what their educated voters want to see, and I am not a boomer!
The thing women struggle with most at work isn’t sexism, it’s ageism
https://qz.com/1742646/ageism-not-sexism-is-becoming-womens-biggest-work-concern/?_lrsc=4ffaf7b2-b47a-4e59-9c7b-7959fa9b7c16
Google settles ‘age-discrimination’ class-action lawsuit with more than 200 workers for $11 million
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/07/23/google-settles-age-discrimination-class-action-lawsuit-with-more-than-200-workers-for-11-million/
IBM is currently being sued in the US for laying off so many of it’s workers over 40 and then making them sign removal rights of collectively suing under aged discrimination, to get their severance package.
https://insights.dice.com/2019/03/29/ibm-age-discrimination-lawsuit/
In NZ we have huge rates of redundancy during a laughably called worker shortage which should more likely be called reducing wages and conditions and removing ethical people from the workforce in many cases, using redundancy and restructuring to reshape corporations for individual benefits….
Whistleblowers tell of ‘incredible’ day their jobs were axed
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/331250/whistleblowers-tell-of-incredible-day-their-jobs-were-axed
Why being made redundant in NZ is so tough
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/365540/why-being-made-redundant-in-nz-is-so-tough
Also what happened to the huge amounts of money and how the Cadbury was destroyed Mondelez and the ensuing redundancies came about.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201843153/business-commentator-rod-oram
Chloe Swarbricks retort should have been ok climate denier, not ok boomer – and this is why her comments are being echoed around the globe to help climate change deniers by creating fake identity issues about it being boomers fault, not concentrating on environmental issues for business.
And that is what is so sad about the Green Party in NZ today, they don’t even realise they are helping their enemies all the time with all their actions and why they are destroying the Green Party brand in NZ.
Politicians, every poltician has to be able to dominate not just there electorate and parliament, they have to dominate the media debate, they have to dominat the bureaucrazy AND they have to dominat social media. People are giving way to much mysticism and myth to memes as having some sort of special power as if a meme can syphon energy away from an opponent. If your squad is losing momentum and energy it’s because you’ve lost the debate and got caught out lying and everyone is having a laugh via meme culture.
So it’s about winning the debate and you do that by being honest and truthful. Y’know when you’re arguments are honest all the 50/50 margin calls go your way. The speaker could have easily asked Swarbrick withdraw and apologise and National could have easily sought out that resolution but no one did because Chloe’s argument was an honest and everyone including the speaker accepted her argument as being true. So if you have a frame work for propositional logic, even if it’s an incomplete one you’ll be able to beat people who don’t have a frame work. And that’s what makar da meme ar extra spicy.
saveNZ….I am a fan of yours ( who ever you are) and everything you write!…always well researched, well written and well argued…and moderate. You should be PM!
My bet is that you were once in the Internet/Mana Party ( it was a real Kiwi party with brains). I am so pissed off that that Party was done in…can it not be revived?
Do you regularly react that way when I’m not around?
And I doubt there is enough support for a radical left wing indigenous party with country wide appeal.
‘We’re part of a growing phenomenon’: the retirees still caring for their parents
Thanks to longevity, children in their 60s and 70s are spending their retirement caring for parents in their 90s and beyond
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/nov/10/were-part-of-a-growing-phenomenon-the-retirees-still-caring-for-their-parents
Ok Bomber…
Gonna need a mighty big military to repel them pesky Aussies as they flee their vaporised desert. We will be politically annexed by the wealthy elite well before that.
I think its jaw dropping that you martyn cannot recognise Chloe Swarbricks remark for what it was
Ageist and irresponsible . the only good that has come from it is entertainment for the worlds twitteratie,
and good for the climate deniers who are more than happy to see the focus being taken off the reality of the causes of whats happening to our planet earth .
shame on the greens for what they have become . shame on me for the years I supported them and the shoe leather I wore out putting their flyers into letter boxs . never again .
” 11,000 scientists warn of ‘untold suffering’” – included in this list of scientists are such heavyweights as Professors Micky Mouse and Albus Dumbledore – its a con
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