Posts
It
will be only apparent to those paying attention but New Zealand is
collapsing environmentally, socially, financially and politically, not to mention socially.
Every
day we read headlines like this. The detail with which these
questions are dealt with are usually in inverse proportion to the
importance of the crisis in question.
People
who react emotionally to things,mostly on social media, but are
incapable (or unwilling) to analyse why this might be the case just
blame the government.
It is really only the symptoms of social collapse that get any public attention.
While
the previous government with its socially-destructive policies of
austerity took this breakdown to new, unseen levels. But there is
nothing unique in this and the result probably end up being the same.
We cannot look solely to economic policies.
What
we are seeing is a neo-liberal response to a very real problem to
ongoing and progressive collapse as a result of economic crisis
arising out of energy decline along with ecological degradation and
accelerating climate change.
NZ
glaciers shrank 30 percent in hot summer
Fox
Glacier on the West Coast (file photo). Photo: 123RF
10
May, 2018
The
meltback was observed by the annual Glacier Snowline Survey, a
collaboration between NIWA and Victoria University.
Survey
founder Trevor Chinn said it was one of the largest glacier meltbacks
since he began the survey in 1977.
"A
glacier is the best climate change indicator you can use," he
said.
Whether
these dramatic results could be directly attributed to climate change
"is the $64,000 question", Niwa climate scientist Andrew
Lorrey said.
Niwa
said it was embarking on formal testing in collaboration with
Victoria University and the University of Melbourne to see if a
definitive correlation could be found.
"Can
you actually get a natural event like this, or is it something where
climate change has loaded the dice and it's pushed us over some sort
of threshold?" Dr Lorrey said.
"Those
are the questions we're looking to answer."
Natural
Disaster Fund drops from $6 4b to $287m in 8 years
The
Earthquake Commission's assets are now as low as $287 million, and
will soon reach the $200m mark that triggers the Crown guarantee to
top up the Natural Disaster Fund.
What is underpinning the New Zealand economy (apart from immigration)? Dairying
First
north Canterbury farm confirmed to have mycoplasma bovis
9
May, 2018
Cattle
disease mycoplasma bovis has been found on a mixed sheep and beef
farm in north Canterbury.
It
is the first time the disease has been found in this region after it
was first detected on a south Canterbury farm in July last year.
The
farm was identified through animal movements from other infected
farms.
Ministry
for Primary Industries (MPI) Mycoplasma bovis response incident
controller Catherine Duthie says the discovery of new infected
properties is not because the disease is spreading.
"All
the infected farms we know about are in quarantine lockdown and no
movements of risk goods, including animals, are allowed off them.
"Rather,
the new finds are the result of our tracing uncovering historical
movements of animals and then confirming the infection through
testing.
These
movements, in many cases, took place before we even knew mycoplasma
bovis was in the country."
There
are currently are 36 infected properties across the country in
Southland, Otago, Canterbury, Hawkes' Bay and Manawatu.
In
March, MPI announced more than 22,000 cattle will be culled in a
effort to control the spread of the disease.
Mycoplasma
bovis does not infect humans and is not a food safety risk.
However
it can cause mastitis, pneumonia, arthritis and late-term abortions
in cattle
Faulty
Chinese steel thought to be behind Britomart train derailment
11
May, 2018
Newshub
understands the train derailment in Auckland's Britomart on Wednesday
morning may have been caused by potentially faulty Chinese steel.
The
derailment caused a huge mess, both for passengers on board at the
time and with severe delays due to the clean-up affecting others.
KiwiRail
chief operating officer Todd Moyer confirmed to Newshub there is
Chinese steel in the Britomart tracks, along with other kinds of
steel.
The
company said it can't rule out Chinese steel being used at the point
the train came off the tracks, but it needs to see what comes out of
the investigation.
The
union representing steel workers has long held fears about the
quality of steel imported from China.
"For
some time I've highlighted that I believe that there are quality
issues, and there's no checks and balances with the quality of the
steel that's coming into New Zealand," E tū union spokesperson
Joe Gallagher told Newshub.
E
tū is also concerned about the use of that steel on railway tracks.
"It's
a major concern, I mean you know you're talking about people being
transported, the general public being transported, on these
railways," Mr Gallagher said.
"We're
talking about shifting our freight. We've only just rebuilt Kaikōura.
We can least afford to have another major derailment."
Chinese
steel was also used in Te Matau ā Pohe bridge in Whangarei; the
entire opening section is made with it.
Four
years after it was opened, with much fanfare, the bridge had to
undergo major maintenance and some of the Chinese steel was cut out.
The
Whangarei District Council told Newshub some of the steel edge was
cut off so the bridge can expand during summer.
A
source familiar with the Britomart derailment told Newshub when
trains derail it's often at the railroad switch point, but usually at
the thinner blade end.
But
they said in Britomart it was a crack at the opposite, thick end -
something that is highly unusual.
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