Archive for July, 2008

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  Scoping your teacher’s facebook page - by frog

  
  
  
  There’s an interesting debate here in The Press this morning about the Teachers Council’s process for monitoring teachers’ registration and how it might relate to teachers’ private lives and especially on-line records: The new clause in the Teachers Council code brings censure for “any conduct that brings or is likely to bring discredit to the [...] read more
  July 29, 2008 9:50 am - 18 Comments
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  Putting it on the national credit card - by frog

  
  
  
  The trade deficit hit $1.9 billion today.  Which using one of those ‘bringing it down to a scale you can comprehend’ metaphors means that you owe someone overseas $475 dollars for the stuff you bought this year. You can add that debt to the rest of the money you own from similar size debts you [...] read more
  July 28, 2008 3:18 pm - 18 Comments
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  MFish and Maori - by frog

  
  
  
  Last week, during te Wiki or Reo Maori, the Ministry of Fish decided to consult on how it consults with Maori. It put out this consultation paper [pdf], where it says that, apart from its statutory obligations to consult M�?ori on policy issues, it wants to ensure its Treaty Strategy has a robust input and [...] read more
  July 28, 2008 2:29 pm - 11 Comments
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  Second generation nuclear a bigger scam that the first. - by frog

  
  
  
  It seems that even America’s most pro-nuclear department is admitting that the economics of nuclear power simply do not stack up. I started to write a rant, then realised that Harvey over at The Smirking Chimp had said it all, and well: A devastating blow to the much-hyped revival of atomic power has been delivered [...] read more
  July 28, 2008 12:26 pm - 15 Comments
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  Stephanie Alexander talks food in schools - by frog

  
  
  
  Sue Kedgley has been putting her journalism skills to work and talking to Australian chef Stephanie Alexander about the Kitchen Gardens in Schools she initiated. Kitchen Gardens in Schools is described as such: In the Kitchen Garden Program children across Years 3 to 6 spend a minimum of 40 minutes a week in an extensive [...] read more
  July 28, 2008 7:38 am - 2 Comments
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  Toyota’s RAV4 greenwash - by frog

  
  
  
  The Green Party’s recently selected candidate for Botany, Peter Cooper, spotted this greenwash ad for a Toyota RAV4 (I’ve taken a screenshot below).  He rang up Toyota and complained but it seems they were not keen to hear: I saw red, when I came across this greenwash ad, and was motivated to give them feedback [...] read more
  July 28, 2008 7:17 am - 74 Comments
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  Reducing emissions – regulation or trading? - by Jeanette Fitzsimons

  
  
  
  Idiot Savant, don’t you know such straightforward common sense is really out of fashion? We have to have trading so that people who have no interest in reducing emissions – lots of them are lawyers and accountants and stock exchange agents – can make heaps of money clipping the ticket every time there is a [...] read more
  July 27, 2008 8:54 pm - 23 Comments
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  Vettori on Zimbabwe and politics - by frog

  
  
  
  The Sunday Star Times has an extract from Daniel Vettori’s impending book Turning Point where he talks about the politics of touring oppressive regimes, and Zimbabwe in 2005 in particular. The last time time we went to Zimbabwe – in 2005 – there was almost fury over us going. The Green Party were signing petitions and [...] read more
  July 27, 2008 3:42 pm - 8 Comments
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  Transparency should be king - by frog

  
  
  
  Once again, our papers are filled with speculations and allegations about who gave money to whom and when, as well as to what end. The self-declared King of Transparency has lost his crown. This is precisely the reason that the EFA was needed. We can debate all day about the efficacy (or not) of that [...] read more
  July 27, 2008 2:05 pm - 30 Comments
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  Hooton is half right - by frog

  
  
  
  Matthew Hooton lashes out a Chris Trotter today in the Sunday Star Times. He gets so personal that after I write this, I’ll dig up Trotter’s article from last week and have a read. I don’t know how I missed Trotter being vitriolic!. In the middle of his article, Hooton makes an interesting assertion: The [...] read more
  July 27, 2008 12:32 pm - 24 Comments
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  Open Green Map: Social Mapping - by frog

  
  
  
  Some days I would rather just surf than spend time posting. Like today, when there is a southerly winter  gale building and it’s just a bit too uncomfortable for outdoor pursuits. My first port of call is often EcoGeek, in search of the latest new toy or idea to save the world. Today the Geek [...] read more
  July 26, 2008 4:42 pm - 1 Comment
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  Competition – draw a fish & win a book - by frog

  
  
  
  Mark Kurlansky, the author of several bestselling non-fiction titles including Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World and Salt: A World History, has just written a new book called The Last Fish Tale – the fate of the Atlantic and our disappearing fisheries.  And we’ve got two copies to give away to [...] read more
  July 25, 2008 2:26 pm - 17 Comments
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  Bits and pieces - by frog

  
  
  
  One Fewer SUV, via Treehugger, has the story of Ryan Mickle who wants to get rid of his inner city SUV in a way that makes sure it stops polluting for good: Ryan wants your suggestions. Should he blow it up or convert it to biodiesel? Donate it to some organization? Convert it to electric? [...] read more
  July 25, 2008 2:12 pm - 6 Comments
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  Gastronomic globalisation complete - by frog

  
  
  
  Well, on this news, we can consider any battle against gastronomic globalisation over. The Latest gastronomic sensation in France is the burger — and not just any beef patty in a bun. Only the McDo will do. You can ignore anti-globalisation protests, French cultural snobbery and antipathy over Iraq, the monkeys have not merely surrendered [...] read more
  July 25, 2008 1:10 pm - 9 Comments
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  The end of a long working week - by frog

  
  
  
  NZPA reports today that: More than 150 years after a carpenter in Petone famously insisted on working an eight-hour day, one in three full-time workers are clocking up more than 50 hours a week. Meanwhile the Dominion Post reports: National  Party  plans to allow workers to cash in one week of annual leave will effectively [...] read more
  July 25, 2008 9:01 am - 94 Comments
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  $5000 for the arrest of Rice - by frog

  
  
  
  Everyone seems to be talking about the $5000 reward being offered for the citizen’s arrest of United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during her visit to the country this weekend.  If I were Condi I’d be worried the arrest could be led by Winston Peters.  He’ll be one of the few to get close [...] read more
  July 25, 2008 8:10 am - 46 Comments
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  The Southland farming debate continues - by frog

  
  
  
  P Clifford and Fulton Long’s ongoing letter writing debate exploded across the letters page of the Southland Times yesterday with 4 letters dedicated to refuting Long’s assertion that a few dirty rivers is an acceptable price to pay for economic prosperity. I promised I’d keep you up to date, so here are not just P [...] read more
  July 24, 2008 2:07 pm - 17 Comments
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  It’s irrational but I can’t help myself - by frog

  
  
  
  I just came across this post on Scienceblogs: The underlying assumption, of course, is that issues matter, that voters are fundamentally rational agents who vote for candidates based on a coherent set of principles. In other words, they assume that my political preferences reflect some mixture of ideology and selfish calculation. I’ll vote for the [...] read more
  July 24, 2008 10:01 am - 22 Comments
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  A green disabilities policy - by frog

  
  
  
  Earlier this week Metiria released the Greens’ disabilities policy.  It’s a typically detailed policy that covers a wide range of issues, and thus, because it doesn’t deal in flashy tax cuts or giving cops guns it has not received the sort of media attention and public debate that some less considered policies have. (Although the [...] read more
  July 24, 2008 9:30 am - 27 Comments
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  Tax cuts for leaving us - by frog

  
  
  
  Last night the Taxation International Taxation, Life Insurance and Remedial Matters Bill came before the house for its first reading. This is a 445 page tome of mind numbing discussion about various matters tax related including rights of non disclosure, joint ventures, and portfolio investment entity rules. But, what it also contains is an exemption [...] read more
  July 24, 2008 9:26 am - 7 Comments