The Daily Blog Open Mic – Sunday – 19th January 2020

1. The struggles at Birthright Hawke’s Bay and other agencies have intensified due to the huge pay gap with Oranga Tamariki (OT) social workers.

   A year on from when government social workers got a 30 percent pay rise, non-government organisations (NGOs) are still counting the cost of being unable to keep up, or pay up.
   “For a small agency, it’s quite devastating,” said Libby Robins, who heads the Family Help Trust in Christchurch.
   They had lost four social workers due to the pay gap and the costs to recruit to fill the gaps were mounting, she said.
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/407527/ngo-social-work-agencies-feeling-the-pinch-after-oranga-tamariki-pay-rise
   I suggest that government is not interested in assisting citizens who are parents to manage their roles well, which can be improved with a mixture of education, opportunities for workshops and weekend camps, and training with certification that would reflect well on them if seeking employment. If the government can pay huge amounts in accommodation subsidies, why not pay out money to assist with this serious social deficit.
   The trend I think is a callous, and denigrating attitude to those not managing their lives well although government itself has brought about the loss of decent living opportunities and reliable regular work, wages
   and housing.

2. The case for using rail transport freight and passenger services. Rail has steel wheels on steel track;
   Results are – no tyre dust particulates; – (micro-plastics pollution)
   Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre – compendium of evidence for “low plastics emissions from rail transport.
   17th January; 2020.

   CEAC – now recommends the NZ Government speed up revival of rail freight and passenger services all throughout NZ provincial regional areas.
   https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/car-tyres-responsible-thousands-tonnes-uk-plastic-pollution
   QUOTE; “Car tyres responsible for thousands of tonnes of UK plastic pollution – (Up to 19,000 tonnes of microplastic pollution could be entering UK waterways every year from vehicle tyres.”)

   Sourced from; https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/car-tyres-responsible-thousands-tonnes-uk-plastic-pollution

   SHARE:
   Upcoming government waste strategy must act on ‘invisible’ microplastics pollution

   Published: 22 Nov 2018 | 4 minute read
   Car tyres responsible for thousands of tonnes of UK plastic pollution – Friends of the Earth report

   Up to 19,000 tonnes of microplastic pollution could be entering UK waterways every year from vehicle tyres, says a new report for Friends of the Earth published today [1,2].

   The environmental campaign group is calling on the government’s resources and waste strategy – expected later this month – to include measures for tackling microplastics as part of a comprehensive action plan.

   Vehicle tyres shed tiny bits of plastic (a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber, and well as various additives) during driving, and are believed to be responsible for the greatest proportion of microplastic pollution entering EU surface waters [3].

   Microplastics can also absorb and concentrate toxic pollutants from the surrounding seawater, making them even more poisonous to animals that mistake them for food or absorb them through their gills and skin.

   Last month (October) new research revealed that plastic had been discovered in the faeces of people who took part in a Europe-wide study [4].

   Friends of the Earth’s new report – Reducing Household Contributions to Marine Plastic Pollution – estimates that between 9,000 and 32,000 tonnes of microplastic pollution enter UK waterways each year from just four sources.

   This figure is of the same magnitude as large plastic waste (estimated to be between 10,000 and 26,000 tonnes), such as plastic bottles and takeaway containers, that’s estimated to enter UK waterways annually.

   The report looks at four key sources of microplastic pollution and estimates that [5]:

   1. Vehicle tyres: 68,000 tonnes of microplastics from tyre tread abrasion are generated in the UK every year with between 7,000 and 19,000 tonnes entering surface waters.

   2. Clothing: As much as two thirds of UK clothing could be made from synthetic plastic material. The report says the washing of synthetic clothing could result in the generation of 2,300-5,900 tonnes of fibres annually in the UK. Somewhere between 150 and 2,900 tonnes of this could be passing through wastewater treatment into our rivers and estuaries [6].

   3. Plastic pellets are the ‘feedstock’ used to manufacture plastic items. Between 200 and 5,900 tonnes are lost to surface waters in the UK every year.

   4. Paints on buildings and road markings weather and flake off resulting in between 1,400 and 3,700 tonnes of this ending up in surface water per year.

   Friends of the Earth is urging the government to consider a number of measures to tackle tyre car pollution, including:

   • A standardised test to measure tyre tread abrasion rate, and integration into the current tyre labelling scheme

   • A car tyre levy, to pay for research into solutions, and for mitigation measures. Once the test method has been developed, the levy could ultimately be varied based on the tyre tread abrasion rate

   • The better management of mitigation measures such as roadside ‘gully pots’ and the use of porous asphalt to capture microplastic pollution before it enter drains

   • Industry to prioritise the development of tyres with a reduced tread abrasion rate, while also seeking to reduce airborne particulate emissions from tyres
   • Measures to encourage less driving, such as better public transport and cycling facilities.

   The environmental campaign group is also urging industry and ministers to do far more to address the torrent of microplastic pollution pouring into our environment every day. Friends of the Earth is calling on the government to introduce a Plastics Pollution Action Plan.

   The plan should aim for near zero plastic pollution by 2042, beginning with the phase-out of unnecessary plastics and the setting up of an expert Committee on Plastics Pollution to advise ministers.

   Friends of the Earth plastics campaigner Julian Kirby said:

   “It’s staggering that so little is being done to prevent thousands of tonnes of microplastic pollution from car tyres, clothing and paints pouring into our rivers and seas every year.
   “Microplastic pollution may be largely invisible, but it’s having a potentially devastating effect on our natural environment – especially as it can be mistaken for food by some our smallest ocean creatures, which are then eaten by bigger creatures as part of the food chain.

   “Ministers are right to be concerned about the impact of bags, straws and single-use coffee cups on our environment, but we mustn’t ignore the threat from tiny bits of plastic too.”

   The Eunomia report also identifies a list of 10 consumer items that are causing plastic pollution and which should be a priority for action by households, business and government.

   The report suggests a number of steps that need to be taken to cut pollution (along with relevant page number). A summary of the items listed below can be found on pages IV, V and VI). Friends of the Earth is urging the government to act on these items too.

   The list is: • Tyre wear (p.72)
   • Synthetic fibres in clothing (p.50)
   • Skin-care products including make-up and sunscreen (p.48)
   • Wet wipes (p.26)
   • Sanitary towels and tampons (p.40)
   • Cotton buds (p.44)
   • Drink bottles and tops (p.56)
   • Take-away food containers (p.61)
   • On-the-go utensils (p.65)
   • Crisp packets (p.68)
   ENDS

   Notes to editors: 1. The new report, Reducing Household Contributions to Marine Plastic Pollution, by Eunomia Research and Consulting, examines the contribution of a ‘top ten’ list of plastic pollution sources that the public should be aware of in their daily lives.
   2. Microplastic pollution figures are based on a 2018 study for the European Commission which sought to quantify the releases of microplastics from land-based sources into surface waters, and UK specific data.
   3. Eunomia report  on behalf of the European commission [2018].
   4. Microplastics discovered  in human stools across the globe in ‘first study of its kind.
   5. Another significant source of microplastic pollution is skin care products, including make-up and sunscreen. Microplastics – often called microbeads – have been included in cosmetic products for years. A UK ban on microbeads only covers ‘rinse-off’ products and toothpastes.
   6. Clothing firms urged to act on plastic pollution | Friends of the Earth press release.

   Sourced from; https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics/car-tyres-responsible-thousands-tonnes-uk-plastic-pollution

3. interesting interesting > bernie sanders stance on legalising marajuana with some views from people in the healthcare industry.

4. Interesting concept for a show
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjLWuzGVyew

   • What is it? Because broadcast television is dying.

     • It’s one of the latest hit shows on Netflix.

       The concept is largely based upon what could potentially be the second coming and how Governments via the CIA etc react to this mysterious character.

5. Tuvalu has been calling to our attention their vulnerable position. Now hit by Cyclone ? it is time to open our hearts like real, kindly people before there are large numbers of dead.
   Resettlement here. We can cut right down on new visas, except for exceptional needs, deal with the old ones and start a Tuvalu channel here for people as they need to come. And there will be specially assigned people who will help them.

   At the same time trade training and all jobs available will be co-ordinated and the newcomers will be settled in where they feel okay and can manage along with NZ residents who are also getting training. Then there will be little resentment. I’m impressed by how good they are at weaving natural roofs as in this image with a hurricane blowing over it.
   https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/407611/it-swept-right-over-tuvalu-inundated-by-waves-whipped-up-by-cyclone-tino

   Few of the country’s [Tuvalu] 14* islands were spared damage, said Sumeo Silu, the director of the country’s disaster management office. Two hundred people had been evacuated on main island Funafuti alone, he said, as reports of significant damage to infrastructure came in from outer islands….

   But most damaging were the large waves that were whipped up by a cyclone that combined with a king tide to strike the low-lying nation. In the open waters, there were waves as high as eight metres, Mr Silu said. In a country where the highest point is four metres, damage was inevitable.
   “The waves are so huge they’ve been overtopping the roads and there is a lot of debris around the island,” Mr Silu said. “Of course there’s a lot of erosion around the islands too.”

   In narrower parts of Funafuti, the raging Pacific rushed right over into the lagoon on the other side, in some cases, an already retreating coastline has been eroded back by metres. The centre of Funafuti, where the government offices, airport and two hotels are, land that was reclaimed for the convention centre that hosted August’s Pacific Islands Forum was washed over….

   *Tuvalu
   Country in Oceania
   Description
   Tuvalu, in the South Pacific, is an independent island nation within the British Commonwealth. Its 9 islands comprise small, thinly populated atolls and reef islands with palm-fringed beaches and WWII sites. Off Funafuti, the capital, the Funafuti Conservation Area offers calm waters for diving and snorkelling among sea turtles and tropical fish, plus several uninhabited islets sheltering sea birds.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuvalu

6. https://thestandard.org.nz/federated-farmers-launches-petition-against-its-business-model/#comment-1679857

   In the above link is a reply by Ross on the standard that is being moderated on by Incognito. The contention arises because the woke (of which there are many) are accusing Ross of being a climate denier.

   The issue is that Ross is not using a logical proposition that will lead logically onto a conclusion as if a question and/or proposition is true then both must be true. But if either question and/or proposition can be proven false as they woke claim they have proven to Ross, then Ross must be lying so the woke can assume VICTORY!

   The issue is that Ross is not using proportional logic. He is using an L1-structure which simply states 2 choices with an undetermined conclusion between an indeterminate trillion dollar a year price tag for solving Climate Change and humanities ability to make good on that price. And we ain’t even close. America alone is going way the other way with its trillion dollar a year Pentagon budget. The woke are just living in this fantasy world. Here’s a link to L1-structures: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_connective

   Okay the woke made me black out a bit because they’re just so complex they phase in and out of conscious thought. It all comes down to whether you or I are convinced there is economic demand and easy alternatives available to solve Climate Change in this context.

   So I’m not accepting any of this as my claim but by now the woke has gone beyond the consumer end of Climate Change which is beyond the consumer end of the supply chain.

   So we lefties with half a brain are going after the consumer end. The woke are going after the supply chain so if a consumer shows up who just so happens to be a farmer or white or racist or what ever woke bullshit they DON’T SEE A RECRUIT, THEY SEE THE ENEMY. But as Ross points out there are reasonable alternatives that are not irrational such as ruthlessly crushing poverty (it’s in his reply).

   Me: So I understand all positions, I’m not willing to agree at this point but what sets the woke apart from me is I am willing to be convinced. If there is a product or service out there that will achieve what it sets out to do which is to overcome Climate Change then I am willing to take a look with a critical eye.

   • Sam that argument is a perfect example of how precious preparation and change time before matters go beyond human intervention, can be wasted as those concerned must meet requirements set as best practice. Unfortunately we are not studying for a certificate that will set us off into a worthwhile career and a living. We need to look at ideas to enable us to stop the present world practices, so we can get off and set up new paradigms.

     We need to see where ideas envisaged shed light on the subject, or are good to be put into practice as tests which then can be a basis for future happenings. What is needed are ideas, thoughts, that range around the subject; look at the past situation, survey the effects of recent measures, and judge them of value and if not, why. And offer them with reliable sources to trigger thought in others, and join together in projects helping others who want to go in new and practical ways, or make useful changes in present practices. At present, often complacency or procrastination Rules, Okay! I know it so well.

     And all this against the backdrop that we are living through devastating times and if we don’t go at our beliefs with a broad brush, ready to start making small changes that could act as ‘the whole being greater than the sum of its parts’. If all cannot, at least try measures that offer good effect with the least negatives, then we are just talking heads, moving mouths, and pinheads that have out-lived our era. People who have refined their understandings into separate silos with high walls to ensure purity, and have lost touch with the idea of inter-connectedness between people and everything, under the conformist bourgeois and middle-class sensibilities and standards, knowing the price of everything but not the value of the human spirit and general love for each other and our planet.

     We mainly lack full appreciation of the world, and gratitude for having been born; remembering each is an original given huge opportunities for grand understandings, usually never realised, and often expressed in a dying dedication of a will leaving ‘All my worldly goods to a cat’s home’. Our main resource protecting us from understanding our present civilisation’s futility is humour and satire, and music I think. So those who find their ideas rejected because of some footling convention and narrowness of mind, seek an outlet in clever but not spiteful humour and music, take a break and then carry on trying and helping others trying for the good kindly and practical outcome; that’s my idea!

     In the meantime read Oscar Kightley’s take on life. He has a grasp and sensitivity that seems valid.
     https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/118779141/being-human-why-oscar-kightly-thinks-happiness-is-overrated

Comments are closed.