Announce protest actions, general chit chat or give your opinion on issues we haven’t covered for the day.
The Editor doesn’t moderate this blog, 3 volunteers do, they are very lenient to provide you a free speech space but if it’s just deranged abuse or putting words in bloggers mouths to have a pointless argument, we don’t bother publishing.
EDITORS NOTE: – By the way, here’s a list of shit that will get your comment dumped. Sexist language, homophobic language, racist language, anti-muslim hate, transphobic language, Chemtrails, 9/11 truthers, Qanon lunacy, climate deniers, anti-fluoride fanatics, anti-vaxxer lunatics, 5G conspiracy theories, the virus is a bioweapon, some weird bullshit about the UN taking over the world and ANYONE that links to fucking infowar.
Have we any two people who are not bent into a neoliberal shape (like a hairpin) and filled with extreme plans about building to the cheapest budget possible, something that is a monument like a modern pyramid, or a modern mass semi-slum dwelling-chicken hutch that is tied to either grasping or just commercial landlords, or has swingeing costs that can be demanded from resident?
Because those two people need to be planning for food supply and future exigencies. There apparently is a new virulent bird flu that has got into Europe and will kill off poultry, and we are dependent for eggs and hens (chickens!) for a regular part of our diets.
In NZ/AO we are big eaters of bananas which are a very useful food. But is being attacked – the popular Cavendish variety by disease. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/501024/cavendish-banana-plantations-doomed-as-virus-spreads-northland-grower
It may not affect other varieties quite as much but it is a bad sign of problems that will escalate. We have of course myrtle rust and the climate change encourages more insect reproduction, and the spread of locusts. and fire ants.
Red imported fire ant (363) – Lucid Apps
Lucidcentral
https://apps.lucidcentral.org › text › web_full › entities
An ant that favours disturbed, sunny habitats, agricultural and plantation forest areas – deforested areas are particularly susceptible to colonisation.
https://piat.org.nz/index.php?page=impacts-of-invasive-ants
2017 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/pacific-biosecurity-fight-against-yellow-crazy-ants-proving-a-success/UAWCLDDHEVCFO5DQCHNDRZ4MOQ/
2019 https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/379369/samoa-worried-about-little-fire-ants
NZ – https://www.cbd.int/doc/submissions/ias/ias-nz-ant-2007-en.pdf
NZ 2016 – https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/time-running-out-to-contain-fire-ant-infestation-in-australia/D5I6EW6PU5QT4KP66Z75D7UK44/
USA 2003-2007 https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/article/-pest-management–fire-ants–stinging-the-food-industry/
https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-and-garden/sustainable-fire-ant-control/
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/biosecurity/pests-and-diseases-not-in-new-zealand/horticultural-pests-and-diseases-not-in-nz/red-imported-fire-ant/ …The ants’ painful sting can make harvesting crops impossible. In other countries, people have had to abandon farms and orchards because of the ants. Farmers have needed to remove livestock from places
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/rifa?page=0%2C2infested with RIFA. Farm equipment can be damaged if a farmer drives over a nest.
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/biosecurity/animals/invasive/restricted/fire-ant
https://piat.org.nz/index.php?page=impacts-of-invasive-ants
Moeana Besa’s story
In French Polynesia, Moeana Besa’s life and her family’s have been completely transformed for the worse by little fire ants. They once got everything they needed from the land; she grew their food, as well as flowers to sell in town. Her extended family lived close by. In this video she describes her land before little fire ants as a paradise.
Invasion of little fire ants has changed all that.
Now the family’s crops of taro and pineapple are infested and inedible, many fruit trees and coconuts have died and she has to buy all their food. She can no longer grow flowers to sell, so instead makes and sells fabric flowers. Her children are not allowed to play in the yard. Her relatives that used to live nearby have all abandoned their land. Even wild animals, such as pigs, have disappeared from the infested area.
Shock, horror, how exciting for the media to report and publish image with shooter and gun,
whether in NZ or USA,
I despise this type of reporting – in this case by RadioNZ, RNZ or some alphabet.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/501034/active-shooter-reported-in-maine-suspect-at-large-officials
This is interesting. Picky rules that protect business interests more than consumers need to be changed to allow reasonable flexibility when extending the life of an appliance and enable sale with some limitations.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/501061/kiwis-deserve-a-right-to-repair-their-own-appliances