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Yep. Just a vote grab. Absolutely nothing to see here.
The only party that is taking Climate Change seriously is the Greens. Unfortunately, both the major parties are seriously overlooking what will happen to NZ's trade if they continue down this path - National are worse than Labour. The effects on trade, hence NZ income, will, l believe, happen over a much shorter period than most think, leaving no time to catch up.
Perhaps Labour will still come home strong before the election, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. Labour+Green I can stomach. National+/-anyone I cannot.
What is needed is a full on CGT and a shift in tax thresholds that reduces tax on the poor and increases tax on the rich, along with some serious Climate Change action. Healthcare needs to be number two behind Climate Change.
It's all about perception? When the killings happen in your own backyard, it's meaningful. If it happens in a foreign country, not so much.
Perhaps you miss the point of what The Conversation is about.
Our mission is to share knowledge and inform decisions.
Inform decisions, not make decisions.
Typically, the stories are written by Academics not Journo's, and often they are written to just present some detail/facts, it is up to the reader to come to their own conclusion. I pretty much always find them informative, though sometimes, as in this one, much of the detail can be found in the papers/details that the story links to.
I think you'll find the point/conclusion in the title.
Where are you getting the logs from?
About half our property (~2 ha) is native bush - they tell me it has never been harvested, so it is as it was before whoever came here first. Actually, it was Europeans that stripped most of the bush for sheep/beef/dairy and some crops around here. I'll either limb a couple of Southland Beech and try them, or there is a Gum overhanging our fence line that needs to go. Need to find out which is likely to be best - I'd prefer to use the Southland Beech as it's native, and I can continually trim a few without any impact.
A slow process, but I'm happy to post in 6-12-24 months, or however long it takes, how things progress. I was considering growing some in bags, but the idea of growing in logs means so much less input in time and $'s. I'll probably have a play with some wood chip beds in the meantime.
Pretty much. I think crop rotation is a bit overstated personally. If I find a spot that a particular veg. grows well in, why would I not keep growing it there. If you've got healthy soil and don't introduce infected soil, all should be good, though some diseases can blow in with the wind, but here, where I am, due to geography, it's not known to be an issue.
Some plants can build up bugs like nematodes in the soil if continually cropped in the same spot. However, that can be managed, either by planting companion plants that repel the pest, or growing a crop that inhibits it in the off season. I don't go overboard on this type of thing, but it can be helpful in some cases.
With potatoes, the issue is spreading the disease - I'm not intending to sell or give-away potatoes as seed, so that's not a problem. I'm more likely to bring in disease if I buy in seed potatoes, but certified seed potato should be okay.
Probably both since I collected a heap of seeds. If I find a spud that we like I'll try to build up the numbers. We are in a particularly good spot for spuds as we don't get any diseases carried in here.
Which part of the country are you?
About as far South and West as you can get. Have a good sized hot house, so can get things started early. The weather says 0C or maybe -1C tonight but day temps get above 18 behind glass/polycarbonate.
Which mushroom kit did you get?
Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kit - Splash & Grow Block
I'll likely buy 1000 dowels when we decide which we prefer.
Many locals shut shop in the garden here over winter, but I manage some reasonable growth with the right plants.
First time planting potato seeds. It's supposed to be a bit hit and miss on what you get, but it leads to you to creating your own potato i.e. not a clone like when you plant seed potatoes.
I'm trying to get to a point where I don't have to buy in much each year. Produce my own everything including seeds. Just something to have a go at, no doubt some things won't go to plan. But that's the fun.
In the last couple of days I've planted some Butternut Pumpkin, Zucchini and Yams, into pots to get a start for when it warms up.
Potato seeds (yes seeds, not seed potatoes) I planted a little while ago have sprouted. First time I've planted potato seeds. I'm interested in how they grow and what the results are like. I collected the seeds last year.
The Grey Oyster mushrooms I bought last weekend have come on strong, and I've ordered some Shiitake mushrooms to try as well. Testing which ones the boss likes the best before inoculating some logs.
Setting aside the Te Reo argument, in my opinion the OP is guilty of much of what they accuse others of and appears to taunt others into further participation (again, my opinion). If lemmy.nz is going to become a closed community, it will simply become an echo chamber of that closed community - this is the biggest failure of social media - is that what users want lemmy.nz to become?
Keep it open. If it becomes a closed community, I'll probably wander off.
I suspect Lemmy will grow (or die) to allow those that create continual problems to be banned or similar - perhaps we just need to wait a little longer for those features? Defederation seems far too coarse/broad brush to me for what I perceive to be, at this point in time, just a nuisance that can be ignored.
Looking at what EV's have been popular in China over the last couple of years:
2-3 years ago the most popular EV was the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV:
This year it's the BYD Song Plus:
The Wuling is still in the top five, but so are Tesla. Seems like SUV's are what people want - how could you change peoples minds? Perhaps offer larger rebates on smaller EV's? Or, tax luxury (SUV) EV's? Have to get rid of those oil burners first though!?
I think I get where you are coming from, but what are the alternatives? Most alternatives like electric public transport that allows commuters to travel into cities to work requires that intergenerational investment that, in NZ, just doesn't seem to happen. Or are you suggesting working from home (which some jobs can't do), or just a much simpler life in general (I'm pretty much there now). Or perhaps where consumerism ends, international trade ends, international travel ends etc., tourists disappear etc. I'm all in, but it simply is not going to happen until the water level rises, the temperature reaches extremes and the effects are actually felt by people first hand. It is the nature of humans, unfortunately?
I would suggest reconsidering. EVs make terrible cats.
Agree, they just don't purrrrr like real ones.
Everyone is gravitating to SUV EVs which are hideoisly inefficient. It’s like the McMansion-isation of personal transport.
I've heard this more than once recently - what a lot of rot. A medium size electric SUV is no more inefficient than a medium size electric car. It may carry a little more weight around and have a little more wind resistance, so may require/use a little more stored electricity, but not much. If the owner actually needs the extra space or clearance of an SUV (I do, but diesel at the moment not yet electric, mostly due to range issues), then I don't see anything wrong with that.
However, I do agree when it comes to those who buy and drive SUV/Utes etc., just for the Wank factor - I always suspect it is something to do with small penis syndrome ;)
I don't know how they are tracking now, but this comapny made some waves with their seaweed approach back in 2021
Terribly! They promised 80-90% reduction of methane back then, but recent trials in Aus show it having less than 30% reduction and the cow looses considerable weight. So the end result is more like 10% reduction and long term effects on the cow are still to come in.
There is another one available now that claims 30% reduction (forgot its name) but I've not seen any real trial results yet.
I think the focus on cars is a bigger problem than what energy source they use. EVs are taking over anyway, there is no standing in the way of that.
If there was an alternative that isn't likely to take multiple generations to implement, I would agree, but that is not the case?
If we want to reduce emissions (pollution isn’t much of a problem in windswept NZ) then we need to focus on more efficient modes of transport and lifestyles. Not more cars.
I suspect your definition of pollution doesn't match what most consider it to be. NZ is a terrible polluter of the environment, which includes green house gases (transport and agriculture) and the effects that has on climate change? I don't think the idea is to have more cars, but to replace existing polluting cars with more environmentally friendly EV's?
Completely nuts to get rid of it! Without incentives like this, most will just continue on as normal, which will result in a very prolonged, if ever, move away from high polluting fossil fuel vehicles.
Some other subjects are simply crazy too.
Under pressure from overseas markets, big customers and banks to improve sustainability, Fonterra is turning its focus to farmers who supply its milk.
![Fonterra is getting ready to tackle its biggest source of emissions - farmers](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/4c7fbdc2-4a44-4bc2-ac9c-002b9955ce25.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
For those who have been following the "Dairy/Emissions/Climate Change" saga the last few days, this story highlights the role that Fronterra will/must play in turning the industry around to be accepted on the World stage. This includes at least some move to plant based production. Fronterra can dictate to farmers what practices are acceptable, or it won't collect the milk, this has been done before, so Fronterra has the power to force the change.
As one of the early commenters below the story highlights, this does nothing for the pollution of NZ Rivers that continues, though. It IS time for the Farmers to pay, and I suspect many are going to pay dearly.
What children’s bedrooms look like around the world
Link from The Bulletin (Spinnoff) this morning gives an intriguing look into the world through the state of kids bedrooms. Those who have young kids might see their rooms a little differently after seeing these?
Minimum 1C last night and currently 2 going on 3C. Plenty of lambies around, some a bit muddy though.
Light frost last night meant a bit of cover for some plants that I've put out a bit early.
EU/US: ‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds
Analysis of EU and US shows livestock farmers receive about 1,000 times more public funding than plant-based and cultivated meat
![‘Gigantic’ power of meat industry blocking green alternatives, study finds](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/c17a80e2-e40b-4113-b7ea-fd73429d6d90.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Unsurprising! So I guess meat and dairy products are going to become astronomically expensive?
The one thing that I can't find is a palatable alternative to cheese. Are there any yet?
Aussie: Consultant hired to consult on other Consultants
Exclusive: Department’s $32,000 contract, which comes after PwC tax leak scandal, slammed as ‘laughable scenario’
![Finance department hires consultant to advise on hiring consultants in move compared to ABC’s Utopia](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/8ff48415-61d8-4fe1-92b6-d79e53665bf8.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Just laughable...
The decision panel said it made the decision ''with a heavy heart'' but the effects of the farm would have adverse effects which are more than minor.
![Independent panel declines Ngāi Tahu's plans for a salmon farm off the coast of Stewart Island](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/f3765e64-9b1b-4804-8562-dd1ceee96866.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Another Southland major project looking like a non-starter. Cannot seem to catch a break, though I feel some of our "leaders" might be the root of the problems?
Too deep of a comment, or just a bug?
![](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/f66ea9be-563e-4e72-9cff-7e20866aa3f1.png?format=webp&thumbnail=128)
![](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/f66ea9be-563e-4e72-9cff-7e20866aa3f1.png?format=webp)
Not sure if this is something new with the update, but the above shows an endless loop of repeating the same comment rather than opening the next.
This crashes Jerboa, and appears the same on Desktop and Mobile Chrome browser.
What is the future of "Money"?
![](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/5e5a3cba-e652-40ca-9314-4bbfc961ee06.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=128)
![](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/5e5a3cba-e652-40ca-9314-4bbfc961ee06.jpeg?format=webp)
Having had my Visa Debit card blocked twice in as many weeks, I'm beginning to question if our current "Plastic" cards are fit for purpose. A somewhat long story follows with a question at the end:
About 2 weeks ago, Skinny decided not to honour my perfectly valid Visa card. I contacted my bank to find out why my card was being rejected. They let me know that some businesses won't take payment on cards that are approaching expiry and Skinny, apparently, won't take payment if the card expires in the following month. The card was due to expire in 8 weeks!
I find it ridiculous to reject payments that far from expiry! What would you do if you only had access to one credit card?
I switched cards on the account and in the process the Skinny interface initiated three transactions in quick succession, of which two should not have occurred. Another long story, but it took four hours (yes 4) to sort that out. These transactions triggered my bank to block the newly registered card and warned me via text message. Thankfully, a quick reply text was all that was needed to unblock the card.
My new card arrived a week or two later (they sent it out early) - all good once I used it to make a local purchase via EFTPOS. (This card had the same card number but different CVV)
A little over a week later, I receive a text message from my bank:
> We've blocked your Visa Debit Card due to some suspicious transactions to Google YouTube Super. If this was you, please reply AUTHORISED. If not, please give us a call on #### or pop into your local branch
These were not my transactions, so a call was made. Apparently, the card number was/had been used on multiple (21) relatively small transactions in Australia. The bank's only option was to cancel the card and re-issue me a new one. How these transactions were being validated without the CVV (unless they had 'cracked' it), I don't know. These were Google transactions, so I would expect them to have been validated?
Luckily, I was due to travel to town - a little over two hours round trip! So I went into my closest branch and received a new card (with a new card number this time). Another EFTPOS transaction at a local shop and it's good to go again.
I've no doubt there are others who have had similar experiences?
I can't remember the last time I used cash, though I always carry some. For me, a cashless society mostly works.
The discussion I had with my bank suggests that these type of blocks, due to unauthorised transactions, are on the rise significantly.
So what is the future of "money"? How can transactions be made without inconvenience, but still be secure and safe from unauthorised access?
Really just a topic starter and I felt I needed to tell the story.
A planned Southland plant-based milk manufacturing factory will now be built elsewhere, most likely in Canterbury.
![Planned Southland plant-based milk factory now heading elsewhere](https://lemmy.nz/pictrs/image/7740f430-179f-426b-89c8-e64abceff003.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
Southland just can't seem to get decent investment rolling :( I had been looking forward to a locally manufactured, plant based milk alternative.
You can use wefwef.app to import your subreddits
Recently wefwef.app added an option to add the link to all of your reddit subscriptions (multireddit link from old.reddit) and search for replacement subs. You can pick which communities/instances you want to subscribe for each sub. You should know this because it can make your life easier if you wa...
I tried this out and picked up a few that I hadn't found manually.