Hot Topic

Paris: winners and losers

Cindy Baxter • Dec 21, 2015

• climate change,
• COP21,
• Environment and Ecology,
• global warming,
• Paris

What can I add to the millions of words in dozens of languages that have already been written by the thousands of journalists and commentators around the Paris Agreement? We now have a globally binding agreement that really looks like it could curtail the use of a fuel that has been central to our way of life for more than … Read More

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Will the Paris agreement side with the angels?

Cindy Baxter • Dec 11, 2015

• climate change,
• COP21,
• emissions,
• Environment and Ecology,
• global warming

One of the most beautiful things I saw on my facebook feed last week were some angels at Republique, the scene of the attacks last month.  Those same angels appeared at the entrance to the UN zone at the climate talks out at Le Bourget the other day as we walked into the centre. Today it was the Greenpeace polar bear, … Read More

1.5 to stay alive: big issues for small countries as Paris climate talks get down to nitty gritty

Cindy Baxter • Dec 09, 2015

• carbon,
• climate change,
• COP21,
• emissions targets,
• Environment and Ecology,
• Paris,
• paris climate summit

I’ve been in Paris for over a week now, and the speed at which everything goes past, including time, is frightening.   I think the 40,000 expected have now all arrived.  I’m getting worried the only Eiffel Tower I’ll see is the one made of red folding chairs at the end of the “Champs Elysee” at the meeting. We began last … Read More

Funding climate action: Sarah Thomson’s judicial review of NZ climate policy

Gareth Renowden • Dec 09, 2015

• climate change,
• climate march,
• climate protests,
• COP21,
• Environment and Ecology,
• paris climate summit,
• sarah thomson

Sarah Thomson, the Waikato law student who made news last month when she announced her intention to sue the New Zealand government for its weak climate targets, has launched a crowd-funding campaign to help cover the costs of a judicial review. The Give A Little campaign, created by former Hamilton City councillor Daphne Bell, launched today. At … Read More

A climate of peace in Paris?

Cindy Baxter • Nov 27, 2015

• climate change,
• COP21,
• Paris,
• Uncategorized

The World Meteorological Organisation has now confirmed that 2010-2015 have been the hottest five year period in recorded history, and 2015 is shaping up to be the hottest ever.  We’re heading into possibly the strongest El Nino ever recorded, with its full fury yet to really hit. Baton down the hatches people, it’s going to be a wild ride. Read More

Postcards from La La Land: Wishart falls through Thin Ice

Gareth Renowden • Sep 28, 2015

• Environment and Ecology

Allow me to pose a question. Which fearless investigative reporter, magazine publisher and author could be bothered to attend a school showing of Thin Ice, the excellent climate documentary put together Simon Lamb and scientists from VUW and Oxford? And did he stand up at the end and make a fool of himself? Well, by his … Read More

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The advice of fools: Newman and Kelly risible on rising seas

Gareth Renowden • Sep 16, 2015

• Environment and Ecology

Former ACT MP Muriel Newman — an extreme right-winger and no stranger to the wilder shores of climate denial — has waded into the debate about sea level rise and coastal hazards in Christchurch in a long-winded and unhelpful article at her NZ “Centre for Policy Research” web site. In many respects, her piece is par … Read More

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How Climate Change Deniers Sound to Normal People

Gareth Renowden • Sep 11, 2015

• Environment and Ecology

Ssomething for the weekend: US comedy team Girl Pants Productions with a commentary on denier arguments. John Cook will be particularly pleased with the condom consensus argument… And a date for the diary of Wellingtonians: next Tuesday Steve Rintoul from CSIRO’s Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre in … Read More

The Age Of Resilience starts tonight

Gareth Renowden • Aug 26, 2015

• Environment and Ecology

A quick heads up that the Royal Society of New Zealand’s panel discussion series on the theme of The Age Of Resilience starts tonight at the Auckland Museum at 6pm. French and NZ experts will consider the “economic conundrum” of transitioning to a low-carbon economy and at the same time deliver a “high and sustainable level of human well-being”. Read More

The latest NZ Emissions Trading Scheme report

Gareth Renowden • Aug 21, 2015

• Environment and Ecology

This is a guest post by Professor Euan Mason of the School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury. It is cross-posted from his Photosynthesis blog. New Zealand’s climate change policy failure is the main feature of the 2014 report on New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme (ETS). More than 95% of surrendered credits were imports, and the … Read More