Tag: Rod Oram

SOS Roadshow Still Travelling

The last time we reported on the Jim Salinger, Rod Oram and Caroline Saunders roadshow was after their Hamilton visit in July which I attended. They haven’t finished yet, and their itinerary for September to November is posted below. Jim Salinger comments on their visits since they were in Hamilton:

“Since our Bay of Plenty/Waikato tour we have been to a few places in the South Island with great reception. First up was Tasman District and we had an enthusiastic audience of 110 at Siegfried Estate, near Richmond, followed by 60 in Nelson (we were competing with three other events going on concurrently in Nelson!). This was followed the next day by 60
in Masterton. Then the following week we spoke in Timaru to an audience of 160 – our best yet. By the time we have finished the roadshow we will have given 33 presentation presentations throughout New Zealand.”

The Nelson Mail reported their message in terms of the need for cities and businesses to focus on sustainability and innovation in order to survive and combat climate change. It’s an impressive service the three are providing, spreading out across the country and speaking in terms relevant to New Zealand and to the region they are visiting. Continue reading “SOS Roadshow Still Travelling”

SOS roadshow comes to Hamilton

I attended the Hamilton stop of the Saunders/Oram/Salinger roadshow yesterday. It was a very worthwhile occasion.  Around seventy present and the speakers introduced by the Chair of the Regional Council, himself a farmer.  Caroline Saunders was unfortunately unable to be present, but Rod Oram included her material in his talk. I won’t try to cover what he and Jim Salinger had to say in any detail, as I simply sat back and enjoyed the expertise they displayed without any thought of reporting. But Gareth wondered about a short review, so in broadest outline from an untrustworthy ageing memory… Continue reading “SOS roadshow comes to Hamilton”

Things to do in Wellington and Dargaville

Late notice, for which I apologise, but climate scientist Kevin Trenberth is giving a public lecture in Wellington on Friday (July 15th) on The Russian heatwave and other recent climate extremes. Trenberth’s talk is being organised by the NZ Climate Change Research Institute and will be at the Old Government Buildings Lecture Theatre 2, from 12:30 – 1:30pm. If you can’t make it, you can get a good idea of what he will discuss from this guest article by KT posted at Skeptical Science this week. Well worth a read. Trenberth is also holding a media briefing for the Science Media Centre tomorrow afternoon, which I hope to report on in due course.

Also this week, the Saunders, Oram and Salinger road show has added an extra gig into their Northland tour — in Dargaville tomorrow at 1-30 pm at the Kaipara District Council, 42 Hokianga Road, Dargaville. Contact Chris Donahoe for more information. Jim S also asks me to note that the title of the urban talks ( in Timaru, Auckland and Dunedin) has changed to Preparing for White Swans: Climate change and opportunities for the economy. Full tour details here (pdf).

The CCRI has just released the July edition of their What’s Hot newsletter, full of recent climate related news, linked to the original articles. It’s a good digest of recent news, worth the download.

On the road again

The Saunders, Oram and Salinger road show — a joint presentation on Maintaining farm productivity and profits in an uncertain climate — is about to go back out on the road, with a busy schedule of meetings lined up for coming months. The first talks are in Whangarei, Kaikohe and Kaitaia on July 14 & 15. Times and organiser details for the full tour, which sees the intrepid trio travel from Kaiatai to Invercargill, are below the fold. I’ll have to see if I can persuade them to add Amberley to their itinerary…

Continue reading “On the road again”

Supporting Jim: Saunders, Oram and Salinger on tour

With James Hansen arriving in New Zealand next week to tour much (but not all) of the country talking climate action and coal, three NZ-based climate experts have announced a regional speaking tour designed to complement Hansen’s efforts. Climate scientist Jim Salinger will be joined by Professor Caroline Saunders from Lincoln University (well-known for her work on the carbon footprinting of agricultural exports) and business commentator Rod Oram to present a session on “Maintaining farm productivity and profits in an uncertain climate”. They’ll explain:

…the nature of climate change, its impacts on New Zealanders’ health, properties, infrastructure, environment and rural industries. They will bring the latest information on climate change science and how it affects rural industries in regional New Zealand.

They’ll be visiting Wanganui, Hawera, New Plymouth, Stratford, Gisborne, Napier and Hastings in May, with visits to Northland, Bay of Plenty/Waikato, Nelson/Marlborough, South Canterbury and Westland planned for July/August. Sounds like a very worthwhile session for anyone with an interest in agriculture, climate and New Zealand’s future. Schedule below the fold…

Continue reading “Supporting Jim: Saunders, Oram and Salinger on tour”