frogblog

There is a vibrant food debate going on between New Zealand blogs Object Dart and In a Strange Land on the politics of food.
It began last week when No Right Turn pointed to this Guardian article about Jamie Oliver’s latest television show, where Oliver attempts to teach people to cook and eat healthy food.
Beginning with […]

You can normally tell a substance has become less food and more controversy when it acquires a name such as MON863.  That’s the moniker of one of Monsanto’s genetically modified varieties of maize. It struck controversy last year when an independent French study showed that, despite it being approved for human consumption in 2006, it […]

A Green Party member in the Hawkes Bay has just written to me to say that he hears that Napier City Council has decided not to use the poisonous chemical Endosulfan on its sports fields any more, following Sue Kedley’s campaign. If so, that’s great news.

National wants to spend a $300 million dollars building a new prison to lock up more criminals.  10 more criminals to be precise.  I could see why it would want to do that because it would be the first to admit that Labour’s three extra prisons so far have bought an end to violent crime.
But […]

Another sign that spring is springing and summer is on the way has been seeing the grounds-keepers preparing the pitch at the Basin Reserve over the last two mornings on my way to work.  I bet they’re glad they work at one of the cricket grounds in New Zealand that does not require them to […]

Freakonomics covers a some research from the Journal of the American Medical Association that argues voting may be dangerous for your health. The New York Post
remarks;
The study found that on average, 24 more people died in car crashes during voting hours on presidential election days than on other October and November Tuesdays. That amounts to […]

Following on from my previous post about the use of the highly toxic pesticide endosulfan on sports fields; I should note that also on Sue Kedgley’s list of fields that currently get a dose of endosulfan are Hamilton’s Seddon Park and Waikato Stadium, New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park and Yarrow Stadium, Rotorua’s International Rugby Stadium.
These are […]

Endosulfan, one of the more toxic chemicals in the world, and banned in over 50 countries, still has a couple of havens where it is still respected and welcomed.  One is on our tomatoes and other food crops. And the other is on our children’s sports fields.
Sue Kedgley has today released the results of survey […]

These two letters in The Press caught my eye today:

Heh heh. And on a more serious note:

Incidentally the preferential trade agreement with China comes into force tomorrow (1 October).  From that point on provisions that make it easier and faster for China to get its goods through our our customs and biosecurity take effect.  This […]