Hot Topic covers climate change and its impacts on New Zealand. It is the companion web site to Hot Topic: Global Warming And The Future Of New Zealand, by Gareth Renowden, published by AUT Media in August 2007. Gareth and a motley collection of guests blog on climate news as it happens: interesting new science, political developments in NZ and on the international scene, and the antics of climate cranks — with special reference to NZ’s own Climate “Science” Coalition. Subscribe to the site’s RSS feed or follow the Hot Topic Twitter feed to keep up-to-date with the latest climate change news.
Gareth Renowden‘s most recent book is The Aviator, a science fiction comedy satire set in a climate changed future. Hot Topic was shortlisted for the Royal Society of New Zealand’s first science book prize, and his book on truffles — The Truffle Book (Limestone Hills 2005) — won the special jury award at the 2007 Gourmand world cookbook awards in Beijing. Gareth has written for and worked on a wide variety of magazines and newspapers in Britain, NZ and the US. He grows truffles, olives and grapes on a small farm in North Canterbury, and is a former president of the NZ Truffle Association. He is chairman of the North Canterbury Radio Trust which operates and fundraises for Compass FM, the community radio station for the Hurunui and Waimakari districts of North Canterbury, and was a founder member of the Waipara River Protection Group.
Bryan Walker is a long-retired English teacher who lives in Hamilton and has contributed many articles and book reviews to Hot Topic over the years. Failing eyesight means that he now unable to contribute as often as in the past, but his moral and ethical perspective on the climate problem is always welcome.
I like the magazine and its general theme of bringing together articles from around the world. Lovelock is most probably right as the NASA website has just recorded a new CO2 record level of 389ppm.
Each country needs to work on its own plan and I don't think the New Zealand government can be taken seriously about climate change and its green credentials until it has a plan to close Huntly power station. We have plenty of alternative energy sources and should have a real plan of action to utilize them.