Labour vows to watch work and the new economy
The Labour Party’s Future of Work Commission will include analysis of the impacts on work of climate change and the low-carbon economy. The commission was announced by Labour leader Andrew Little at a business briefing in Auckland this morning. It will be led by finance spokesman Grant Robertson, who told Carbon News that clean-tech opportunities are at the forefront of the party’s thinking.
Govt hopes Kyoto credits will cover emissions blow-out
The Government will use international Kyoto credits received in what’s known as the KP1 true-up to cover its emissions blow-out. But it doesn’t yet know how much of a help they will be.
Memo farmers: Learn to manage your methanotrophs
Farmers could cut their future exposure to carbon prices by looking after the methanotrophs in their soils, a soil scientist says.
Lima climate talks ‘stepping stone’ for universal treaty
A new round of talks in Lima is an opportunity to raise immediate awareness on climate change and lay the foundation for a new universal agreement to be adopted in 2015, says a top UN official.
Why playing around with the climate could make things a whole lot worse
Geoengineering – which sometimes seems to be the despairing climate scientist’s Plan B – simply won’t work.
Cities key to economic growth and fighting climate crisis
How cities develop will be critical to achieve economic growth and tackle climate change, according to a new series of studies.
Fitzsimons putting her money where her heart is
Due diligence in investments has a slightly different connotation for retired politician Jeanette Fitzsimons.
One Plan water approval seen as ground-breaking
The signing of the Horizon Regional Council’s One Plan after a decade of debate, legal action and controversy is being hailed by Fish & Game as a landmark in the battle to protect the nation’s water quality.
How climate fund pledges stack up to what’s needed
By Elizabeth Douglass: Depending on who you ask, the $9.6 billion in pledges for the Green Climate Fund is either a woeful start or an encouraging sign that wealthy nations are serious about helping poorer ones deal with climate change.
Mighty River contests paying for carbon units
MightyRiverPower has claimed in the High Court that it shouldn’t have to pay for carbon units issued for years prior to the start of its contract with New Zealand Carbon Farming in 2013, which it entered as part of its effort to offset emissions from electricity generation.
Climate change health action urgent, say doctors
The need for rapid action on climate change in New Zealand in order to protect health is clear, according to a group of climate and health experts.
Why Australian investment in renewable energy has stalled
Investment in Australia’s renewable energy sector in the year to September 2014 was down 70 per cent on investment during the previous 12 months.
Getting out of fossil fuel investment is the right way to go
The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important questions about divestment from assets such as fossil fuels.
Queensland risks running the well dry by gifting water to coal
The Queensland parliament has passed water reform legislation that will make it easier to take and use water, particularly for large mining and agriculture projects.
Beyond the poo bus — the many uses of human waste
A British went into service last week, powered by biomethane energy derived from human waste at a sewage plant.
Sydney’s green energy plans impress judges
The City of Sydney’s Renewable Energy Master Plan- including plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030 – has scooped the prestigious European Solar Prize 2014 award for excellence and innovation.
Scientists find new fuel job for sawdust
Researchers at KU Leuven’s Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, in Belgium, have converted sawdust into building blocks for gasoline.
On the web: Plastics to be banned from European landfill
Two join Green Building Council board
Hawkins Construction chief executive Gary Walker and INZIDE Commercial co-owner Steve Aschebrock have joined the board of the Green Building Council.
Spot NZUs jump
New Zealand carbon jumped 20 cents on Friday; spot NZUs closed $4.55 bid on CommTrade with about 40K volume, OMFinancial reports.
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I know that one shouldn’t mock the afflicted, but there is so much good, simple humour to be found over at Treadgold’s Climate Swamp, that I had to share such gems of deep insight as the following regarding that perfidious Commie rag “The Herald”:
Treadgold is delusional if he thinks the Herald is left leaning. The Herald strikes a reasonable balance, consider that they have left leaning writers like Rudman and de Boni, but many right leaning writers like Rodney Hide, Bob Jones, Damien Grant, and Fran OSullivan.
Brian Fallows climate change articles are open to public comment and get deluged by the sceptics and lobbyists (usually making dumb comments).
Treadgold is a cry baby. A sore loser.
Let’s hope Richie McCaw can follow this courageous lead:
https://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/news/article/-/25656740/pocock-warned-by-aru-after-arrest/
Cheers for Pocock
hear hear! We need him over here!
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1409/S00382/hundreds-protest-against-mining-in-the-karangahake-gorge.htm
At last, someone brave enough to reveal the Truth about global warming!
According to US Senator Jim Inhofe, who will soon hean up the Senate Environmental Committee, it’s all a cruel hoax, masterminded by none other than – Barbara Streisand.
http://www.salon.com/2014/12/03/barbra_streisand_strikes_back_at_climate_denying_senator/
So, Bryan, Andy and Joe, it looks looks like you were right all along…
What’s a good collective noun for this sad lot?
A baffle? A loon? A twist? A glib? A Dunning? A vacuum?
(I thought Streisand handled that rather well! Truly it is impossible to satirize these people…)
A cackle of loons?
A garble of cranks?
A morass of morons?
I think “loon” is a good candidate for inclusion somewhere. It beggars the imagination that Inhofe could get elected to “high office” in any state with (reasonably) sane electors.
But loons are such a pretty bird – and the call of the loon quite eerie.. I came across a pair on a lake near Haliburton in Ontario on Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend early last month. A memorable experience.
No! it has to capture the essence of fundamentalist fervour :
the “brass monkey sect”, “The church of the brass monkey”, the “Parkies”
A hosannah? A tabernacle? A revival? A fervour?
Plague
Thesaurus.com offers “nicompoop”, wich (I am out on a limb here) would pluralize perhaps as “nicompoopers” or “nincompoopists”. 😉
A fervour of nincompoops! – I like it.
The origin of Nincompoops:
“ORIGIN late 17th cent.: perhaps from the given name Nicholas or from Nicodemus (by association with the Pharisee of this name, and his naive questioning of Christ; compare with French nicodème ‘simpleton’).”
Little ice age – check
Naive questioning – check
Religious nutter – check
Simpleton – check
Ticks all the boxes.
We need to convince Monty Python to get together once again and take on Inhofe and his fellowship of nicompoopers. Satire is often the best remedy against evil. 😉
A blunder of dunderheads…