Archive for July, 2007

  • frog

    and in other news of the bizarre….



    The US confirms plans to sell some $60 billion dollars worth of arms to the Middle East. That’ll help. read more
    July 31, 2007 5:56 pm - 12 Comments
  • frog

    jon stewart pokes fun…



    at the trés silly satire, denigrate and ridicule rules. this has been all over the interweb for some days, but if anyone hasn’t seen it yet … read more
    July 31, 2007 5:48 pm - 9 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Hockey players, fuel efficiency, the state and market failure



    An interesting article on hockey players and fuel efficiency in the New Yorker. Economist Thomas Schelling found in the 1970s that most hockey players didn’t wear helmets if given the chance, even though helmets reduce head injuries, because if you wore a helmet it slightly reduced your vision on the field and hence made you play [...] read more
    July 29, 2007 10:21 pm - 18 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Pros and cons of foreign investment



    Brian Gaynor has a thoughtful article in today’s Herald about the pros and cons of foreign investment, in light of the bid by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise for Auckland International Airport. I have raised concerns about the bid because the purchase would: further add to the foreign ownership of the NZ economy which is crippling our current [...] read more
    July 28, 2007 6:52 pm - 16 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    National and Waitakere ranges protection



    Interesting article in today’s Herald by Gary Taylor from Environmental Defence Society. He argues that a test of how serious Nats are on conservation and environmental issues is coming up with the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Bill. (The Nats have already failed on the protection of Card Creek ecological area with its rare lowland forest remnants [...] read more
    July 27, 2007 10:48 am - 5 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    IEA vs NZ Govt



    Interesting to compare IEA attitude to oil prices to the NZ Govt attitude. The IEA has had a recent conversion, if not to the idea of peak oil at least to the idea that we are facing rising prices over the next five years. And they are calling on governments to rapidly lead a process [...] read more
    July 26, 2007 10:33 pm - 38 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Electoral Finance Bill goes to all party committee



    The Greens have managed to get the Electoral Finance Bill to go to a select committee with all parties represented on it. The Justice and Electoral Committee will have all parties with voting rights for the purposes of considering this bill. My understanding is that the votes will be in the same proportion as the [...] read more
    July 26, 2007 9:12 pm - 9 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Inequality like this..



    It seems the ever expanding super wealthy have a new toy – their own private submarines. According to this article, the super rich are snapping up their own subs at US$80m a pop. In a world of shrinking resources and masses of people extremely short of resources surely there are better things that we can [...] read more
    July 26, 2007 8:56 pm - 11 Comments
  • Russel Norman

    Car stats



    Some interesting graphs from MfE website.  Vehicles per 1000 people in NZ is increasing: Cars per 1000 people now up to 620.”Today, 92 percent of trips are by car. One-third of all car rides cover less than two kilometres, and two-thirds are shorter than 5 kilometres.” Average engine size is increasing: But at least air lead levels are dropping read more
    July 26, 2007 4:35 pm - 78 Comments
  • frog

    disneyesque faux historic



    Sorry this is prehistorically old, but it’s a good explanation on on why the themepark by the big new road always looks so empty as you whizz past it…. read more
    July 25, 2007 6:09 pm - 13 Comments
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