The Daily Blog Open Mic – 5th May 2023

1. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/489300/hamilton-s-crown-solicitor-under-investigation-over-workplace-culture-allegations
   “Thanks for reaching out,” Hamilton responded when asked about the investigation. “I’m sorry, I can’t comment.”
   I can’t comment is expected response. But ‘reaching out’ is an anodyne comment, a modern cliche. I’m getting sick of hearing and seeing wimin in media and administration at every turn in the day; equality didn’t mean takeover.

   The feminist revolution of the 70’s achieved some good, but mainly for the advantaged, or university trained woman. It has ushered in a class society with low income women and mothers being brow-beaten for not achieving good outcomes when they have never had access to the resources, role models and assistance that the children of the ambitious middle class have had. Sisterhood was just an emotional call-sign. The sharp, judgmental upper class of Catherine Cookson’s historical novels is in ascendance.

2. “Right now, we’re all very busy being told by the Greatest Labor Cabinet since the last Great Labor Cabinet that the budget has to be responsible, whereby responsible means saying YES to hundreds of billions of dollars of tax cuts for the idle rich and not just no but FUCK NO WITH SPARKLERS to helping poor people pay for food and shelter.
   You could get upset at this, but your day would be better spent nursing your long-running grudge against cosmic background radiation.
   The problem with this budget is the same problem with every budget, which is you.
   You’re not rich enough. And if you were rich, the budget wouldn’t be a problem for you because no budget ever is.”
   This is John Birmingham referring to the Labor Government in Aus but it could just as easily be NZ.

3. Trees – want to put your Green ideals and practical methods into practice. – be the change in getting acceptance and action of this important research in NZ. This is interesting stuff I found.
   One word TREES.
   Advert in Nelson Weekly –
   Free
   3 hour workshops being held in 18 location this month. First on 9 May.
   Presented by NZ Farm Forestry Assocn – support from NZ Forest Service
   See locations here – https://www.nzffa.org.nz/

   Take note also – work on flame retarding growth.
   Lincoln University Continuing 2015 research – take note of this important stuff.
   https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128404707/low-flammability-plants-with-samuel-whitelock
   4/5/2023 Lincoln University – Plants with potential to stop fires (The Press also Linked In – but I can’t bring it on screen).

   Firing up the Plant Barbecue RNZ
   https://www.rnz.co.nz › ourchangingworld › audio › f…
   3/09/2015 — To find the best plants to use in green firebreaks, biologists are testing the flammability of … Tim Curran, ecologist, Lincoln University.

   Fire and Emergency NZ is active in testing for low flammability, informing and arousing interest.
   Flammability of Plant Species
   Fire and Emergency New Zealand
   https://fireandemergency.nz › flammability-of-plant-s…
   The replacement of high flammability species with lower flammability species can reduce fire hazard and help create a defensible space around your home that …

   Low Flammability Plants Fire and Emergency New Zealand
   https://www.fireandemergency.nz › low-flammability-…
   The videos explain the importance and purpose of low flammability plants and demonstrate plant flammability of two common plant species on the ‘Plant BBQ’ at…

   Mediterranean cypress https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-34116491
   “We observed that the Mediterranean cypress, because of the particular structure of its leaves, is able to maintain a high water content even in situations of extreme heat and drought, and this is a very favourable starting point concerning fire risk,” explains Mr Della Rocca.
   “The cuticle is thick and the stomata are arranged on the inside and protected side of the scale-like leaves and therefore less subject to high water loss”.

   This from Jim’s Mowing has some hard useful info, one:
   https://www.jimsmowing.co.nz/blog/fire-retardant-trees-and-plants/
   It is vital to keep on top of growth and foliage. If you have huge amounts of leaf litter, particularly from eucalypts or from things like melaleucas*, you creating a build-up of a fuel source for fire. It’s important to prune your native shrubs, to rake up the undergrowth. If you need to mulch, use things like gravel or pebbles rather than woodchips as wood chips just keep the fire going and actually invites it in to your house.

   (Note this on melaleucas and manuka as the difference is at the bottom of contesting claims about high value manuka honey from NZ.)
   * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca
   Commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of Leptospermum)…[Melaleucas] have economic value for producing fencing and oils such as “tea tree” oil. Most melaleucas are endemic to Australia,..

   https://www.tridge.com/market-guides/posts/what-is-the-difference-between-new-zealand-and-australian-manuka-honey
   Is Leptospermum the same as Manuka?
   In New Zealand, Manuka honey is derived from a plant called Leptospermum scoparium, which is part of the larger plant family Leptospermum, of which there are over 80 different species. In New Zealand, in order to be called Manuka, the honey can only be derived from the Leptospermum scoparium.19/09/2021

   More from Linooln: How flammable is your farm? Measuring … – Research@Lincoln
   Lincoln University
   https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz › handle
   by T Pagadala · 2023 — Measuring the flammability of crops and pastures, and other plant species commonly … One potential tool to help reduce fire spread is green firebreaks, …

   Lincoln University
   https://researchers.lincoln.ac.nz › search
   My PhD research focused on fire ecology, particularly the traits associated with plant flammability. I am also interested in mangrove ecology and lichen …

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