Local Bodies

  I recently attended a conference organised by WEALL ( Wellbeing Economy Alliance ) Aotearoa. WEALL defines 'economy' differently from the current neoliberal approach and that is simply 'the way that we produce and provide for one another'.  Attending this conference made me even more aware of how far we have drifted away from what the core purpose of what an economy should be.  A common definition of an economy, through a Google search, is: "A system that involves how people produce, trade and use goods and services". Early economies, and certainly those of most indigenous peoples, are essentially about ensuring that the resources and wealth generated within a community are equitably shared to support the wellbeing of that community. When the needs of that community were met, any surplus could then be traded with other communities for things that they were not able to produce. Prior to colonisation, the  Māori economy was primarily based around hapu where l...

I find ANZAC Day creates a dilemma for me, consequently I rarely attend dawn parades. I fully support people recognising the human cost of wars and remembering family members who lost their lives on battlefields. A grandfather of mine fought in WW1 and was gassed in the French trenches, which compromised his health for the rest of his life. His wife (my grandmother) lost her young brother in WW2. The sacrifices and human costs of war should never be minimalised. However, while speeches at ANZAC parades are full of statements promoting peace and the futility of war, those who campaign hardest for peace, promote nonviolence and call for weapons reductions are often treated like criminals. Anyone who dares to mention our own war crimes or that of our allies are generally shut down or demonised. It has become a sort of cultural heresy to question the reputation and glorification of the ANZACs.  I would love to see greater balance in how we talk about war and properly recognise those wh...

The 2023 elections will potentially be one of the most ideologically divided elections we will experience. The real solutions for most pressing social and environmental issues confronting us at the moment will involve systemic change and will necessarily challenge the neoliberal mindset that has dominated governance over the last four decades. The 3 Waters debate is a good example of how difficult introducing systems change is and how partisan politics limits productive discourse.  Nanaia Mahuta's intent when developing 3 Waters was to address a rapidly growing crisis. The demands on local government to provide clean drinking water and manage human waste and storm water was becoming too great a financial burden. There have been numerous examples of whole communities experiencing serious health consequences because of contaminated drinking water and for some time local authorities have struggled to maintain core water and waste infrastructure from a limited rates base. The status q...

 CLIMATE CHANGE UPDATE IN IMAGES 2022 I am just wondering how hot is too hot before we commit to real global action to reduce our emissions and save our climate and natural environment. The images below are what has occurred in the northern hemisphere summer and it is likely we will experience something similar in the southern hemisphere in a few months.  The Loire River is the longest in France and in 2022 it has almost disappeared.  The source of the Thames dried up.  Lake Mead The United States' largest reservoir is at its lowest level since first filled in 1937. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is disappearing. Heat wave in Europe breaks all records. The Arctic is heating up 4 times faster than the rest of the planet. Italy has declared a state of emergency in its drought stricken north. East Africa is suffering from a severe drought. Almost 16 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are in need of urgent food assistance. Southwest China is suffering from the wo...

In 2007 an organisation  chose its name based on the scientific consensus that 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was the uppermost level to avoid a climate tipping point. We are currently just short of 420pp of carbon and the last seven years have been the hottest on record. 2021 is breaking more records of extreme weather events and the rate of climate change is occurring faster than scientists have predicted. We have clearly passed the tipping point and the impacts are increasingly obvious. Here is an attempt at an overview, using reputable links (click on them for more detail), of what we are experiencing in 2021 as we move well beyond the tipping point towards a climate armageddon: RATE OF CHANGE Faster pace of change is 'scary', former chief scientist says. New Study Warns: We have underestimated the pace at which the Arctic is melting New study warns that sea levels will rise faster than expected Loss of ice, melting of permafrost and other climate...