Reports & Media

In the classic Simpsons’ episode “The Old Man and the Lisa”, young environmentalist Lisa Simpson finally convinced the rather evil Mr Burns of the merits of recycling. Of course, it did not go well. Read more

When you think about who could suffer the most from the sweeping reforms proposed by the Climate Change Commission, the ceramics industry is probably not the first on your list. But the threat from the Commission’s plan is real for the artists, clubs, students, collectors, and employers who use LPG and gas-fired kilns to craft their pottery. Read more

The Climate Change Commission’s draft plan for how New Zealand will reduce emissions is nothing if not ambitious. The commission recommends re-shaping cities to walk and cycle more, less coal and more renewables. Read more

The Climate Change Response Act 2000, the Climate Change response (Zero carbon) Amendment Act and the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice have two things in common. First, their purported primary goal is to reduce global net greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

It’s a good thing I don’t vape. If I did, I’d be depressed about the Ministry of Health’s proposed vaping regulations. Read more

Once upon a time, Arthur Miller said, “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.” These days, many media outlets are talking only to segments of the population. For the New Zealand media, 2021 has been a year of cancellations. Read more

As a commentator on European affairs, there is no question I have heard more often in recent months than who will replace Angela Merkel. Two years ago, Germany’s long-serving Chancellor announced she would not be running for a fifth term in the 2021 election. Read more

Amid all of the discussions of the Climate Commission’s draft report on New Zealand’s climate change response, it is too easy to lose track of the target. The goal isn’t to reach specific electric vehicle targets, though we would expect more people to shift away from petrol as petrol costs increase and as electric vehicles become more competitive. Read more

Humans are complicated. We are intelligent species that dominated the world with our knowledge and brilliance. Read more

During the pilot episode of M*A*S*H, surgeon ‘Hawkeye’ Pierce wrote a letter home explaining the difference between surgery at a Korean War mobile surgical hospital, and the surgery back home. In normal surgery, you have time to get everything right. Read more

In the last twelve months, there have been a growing number of stories about New Zealand’s educational decline. Stories of falling mathematics performance and illiterate teenagers in the media make for grim reading. Read more