Archive for September, 2006

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  Many things - by frog

  
  
  
  I have been remiss, and there is much to comment on! The Government’s disappointing decision not to back a rescue package for the Overlander was not entirely surprising, but still gutting. Now it’s in Toll’s hands, but the prospects don’t look great. At least the track will be maintained to allow another service in future, [...] read more
  September 27, 2006 11:22 am - 39 Comments
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  Russel and Rodney’s chatroom of scandal - by frog

  
  
  
  Keith Ng from Public Address and David Farrar of Kiwiblog conducted a chat session yesterday with Russel Norman and Rodney Hide on recent behaviour in and around Parliament, which you can read on Keith’s blog. Rodney doesn’t seem to think the small parties’ threatened walkout had much effect, but I disagree. In a similar vein, [...] read more
  September 21, 2006 3:10 pm - 12 Comments
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  You’ve got to hand it to Arnie - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s a lot you can say about Arnold Schwarzenegger being Governor of California, but to his credit, he doesn’t have a bad record on global warming and emissions. Not only has the state passed tough CO2 emissions laws, it is now suing six carmakers for the costs associated with the emissions their cars produce. It [...] read more
  September 21, 2006 12:48 pm - 16 Comments
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  Tragic loss of Dr Peter Lloyd - by frog

  
  
  
  Condolences to the family of Dr Peter Lloyd, a committed and inspiring environmentalist from the Hawkes Bay who tragically collapsed while cycling to work on Monday morning. Here’s the obituary which appeared in Hawkes Bay Today yesterday, and here’s a profile of Dr Lloyd which appeared in August. He will be sadly missed. read more
  September 20, 2006 12:20 pm - 3 Comments
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  Brethren strike again - by frog

  
  
  
  One really has to wonder at the extent of Brethren involvement in the electoral process worldwide. It seems wherever there’s an election, they are there, spending mega-bucks campaigning to support conservative parties and/or demonise Green parties and centre-left governments. And we only know of the instances where the involvement has come to light. This time [...] read more
  September 19, 2006 9:53 am - 29 Comments
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  Vote for Bird of the Year! - by frog

  
  
  
  Voting has opened for Forest and Bird’s annual Bird of the Year poll – you can vote online here. Personally, my vote’s with the Kakapo: There are only 86 of them left, they are totally unique, and they make the coolest booming sound. read more
  September 18, 2006 11:47 am - 16 Comments
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  Pledge to support locked-out NDU workers - by frog

  
  
  
  Idiot/Savant over at No Right Turn has started a pledge to support locked-out NDU workers: to donate $20 per week to the workers’ fund, but only if ten other New Zealanders do. There are currently nine people signed up… read more
  September 12, 2006 2:05 pm - 18 Comments
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  Al Gore on Campbell Live - by frog

  
  
  
  Last night, Campbell Live made the admirable decision not to run a 9/11 anniversary story as its lead, but to focus on a much bigger threat than terrorism – global warming. Campbell flew to Sydney to interview Al Gore on the eve of the Australasian Premiere of his climate change documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. You [...] read more
  September 12, 2006 1:00 pm - 30 Comments
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  Family Integrity – foot in mouth again - by frog

  
  
  
  Oh dear. Family Integrity (the group behind a controversial child discipline handbook exhorting parents to administer physical discipline to their children for up to 10 minutes) have pulled a poll asking whether parents should be allowed to use reasonable force to discipline their children from their website after too many people voted no! This Barnados [...] read more
  September 11, 2006 10:09 am - 73 Comments
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  Congratulations Queensland Greens! - by frog

  
  
  
  The Queensland Greens have posted a record 8 percent of first preference votes in the state’s election on Saturday (up from 6.76 in 2004). Great to see fellow Greens doing well at the ballot box, and just another sign that the general public are increasingly tuning into “Green” issues. Of course an unpopular and foolish [...] read more
  September 11, 2006 9:28 am - 2 Comments
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  Sue B on poverty - by frog

  
  
  
  Here’s a link to Sue B discussing the issue of poverty in New Zealand – if it’s really a problem and how bad it is – on Inspirationaltv.net, a Wellington-based videoblog run by a Christian group. read more
  September 6, 2006 9:19 am - 82 Comments
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  Can atomic power be Green? - by frog

  
  
  
  What if we could build a nuclear reactor that offered no possibility of a meltdown, generated its power inexpensively, created no weapons-grade by-products, and burnt up existing high-level waste as well as old nuclear weapon stockpiles? And what if the waste produced by such a reactor was radioactive for a mere few hundred years rather [...] read more
  September 5, 2006 3:08 pm - 53 Comments
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  Fancy Christchurch suburbs have heads in sand - by frog

  
  
  
  Anyone who’s seen The End of Suburbia will be understandably outraged at news that residents of two upmarket Christchurch suburbs are campaigning against the introduction of bus services to their area. Not only does it smack of snobbery, but it’s exactly these kinds of suburbs – remote, expensive, wholly reliant on commuting – that are [...] read more
  September 5, 2006 12:56 pm - 10 Comments