Review ETS YES!

Image via Wikipedia National Party Emmissions Trading Scheme Review announced.

The MfE led ETS consultation was a sham and an embarrassment to due process. (and if the Nats had half the integrity they profess - arses should be kicked)



When Nick Smith spoke prior to the election at the Canterbury historic "Provincial Chambers" a well known proponent if C&C discreetly asked Nick about National's follow the leader on climate initiatives noting that ^Great Britain and *Australia seemed to be preferred notables.. upon which Nick agreed. (see ^UK Climate Bill and *Garnaut - C&C "adds-up")

So we can look forward to a conservative precautionary "Contraction and Convergence" new deal on climate response getting the a just and equitable evaluation in a fair and considered "select committee" hearing under National. With ACT on board, I can see "property rights" defining the climate solution space, and welcome Rodney's considered input.

United Future's Peter Dunne will no doubt consider the 'constitutional basis' for C&C and see the common revenue neutral merits, (C&C at least provides numerate analysis) and centrist values while Nick has ostensibly, and publicly, agreed "that any framework Australia and Great Britain adopts National should seriously consider...". (see http://www.gci.org.uk)

While I laud this politically inspired reevaluation... questions should be seriously asked as to how we so consistently 'ignored' what Treasury officials described (at the Christchurch ETS consultations)as the "conscience behind the policy". Such overt and exclusionary prejudice to a good idea must be fodder for a good story, as I for one could not support a now former Prime Minister who at the Christchurch launch of ETS still had never heard of C&C.

Consider:Image via Wikipedia

“C&C is supported not only by China, India, and most African nations, but also by the European Commission and the European Parliament, which endorsed it in 1998. I can’t imagine that the developing nations would accept any plan that did not eventually converge on equal per-capita emission rights. Although C&C is the fair solution, it is not “ideological.” It is dictated not only by fairness but also by practicality and realism: The nations of the world will agree on nothing less. ” see American Physical Society – October 2008 http://www.aps.org/units/fps/newsletters/200810/upload/october08.pdf

The Climate Issue 're-visiting' must be accompanied by a full and unfettered public engagement elsewise any proposed solution will fail to bring onboard those whom it is designed to protect.

/Blair Anderson,Republican Party of New Zealand, Shadow Spokesperson on Environment and Climate Change. cell 027 2657219

Vest Monitors 'Individual' Air Pollution

Scientists have used the novel idea of a "pollution vest" to determine that individual exposure to air pollution can harm a person's heart health beyond whatever damage that community-level exposure can cause. WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- By Amanda Gardner / HealthDay Reporter

"The challenge of air pollution is that what people are exposed to and what most studies talk about . . . rarely represent the micro environment of what's in your house," explained American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Russell Luepker, Mayo professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

"People have been working to try to get individual monitors that people can wear, so they can know what people are really inhaling as opposed to what they might be inhaling a mile away from where the monitor was."Image via Wikipedia

"People shouldn't panic, but it's important that people be aware that air pollution is a contributor to cardiovascular disease," said Robert Bard, co-investigator of a study that was presented Wednesday at the heart association's annual scientific sessions, in New Orleans. "Things people can do include supporting legislation for cleaner air initiatives and, if somebody has cardiovascular disease, they may consider avoiding exposures to air pollution during peak levels, because this can potentially be a trigger for a cardiovascular event. Things everyone can do include limiting commutes and contributing less to production of pollutants."

Previous research has drawn an association between fine particulate matter air pollution and an increased risk for cardiovascular events.

It's unclear however, if daily changes in particulate matter might affect the heart and if ambient (outside) sources of air pollution have different effects than non-ambient (inside) sources.

The authors of this study were able to determine just that.Image by marielito via Flickr

Sixty-five participants in the cardiovascular sub-study of the Detroit Exposure and Aerosol Research Study (DEARS) wore vests outfitted with monitors to collect both personal and community-based levels of air pollutants on five consecutive days during both the summer and the winter. All volunteers were nonsmokers and lived in nonsmoking households in three different areas of Detroit.

"We specifically looked at the pollution they were individually exposed to," explained Bard, who is a research associate in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

The average person in the study experienced increased blood pressure (1.6 millimeter of mercury) and a narrowing of blood vessels related to personal air pollution within two days of exposure. These changes could lead to heart attacks, strokes and heart failure, the authors stated.

Broader, community exposure was linked with poorer blood vessel functioning, but not Image via Wikipediahigher blood pressure. The air pollution measured was within parameters considered acceptable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

And almost one-third of volunteers were exposed to secondhand smoke, even though they were nonsmokers living in nonsmoking households.

According to the study authors, a 10-microgram per cubic meter increase in air pollution at the community level leads to a 1% chance of dying the day after exposure, amounting to about one extra death per day in an area of 1 million to 5 million people.

SOURCES: Robert L. Bard, M.S., research associate, division of cardiovascular medicine, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor; Russell V. Luepker, M.D., American Heart Association spokesman, Mayo professor, department of epidemiology and community health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; Nov. 12, 2008, presentation, American Heart Association annual scientific sessions, New Orleans

Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved

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SAFE CITY - Yeah Right!

Safe City Officers will begin patrolling Christchurch's central city streets from next Monday (20 October).

Up to 12 officers, working in pairs, will walk the central city streets from 9pm to 5.30am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights helping to raise residents and visitors perception of safety in the central city after dark.

Last year's Quality of Life in 12 of New Zealand's Cities report found Christchurch had the lowest percentage of residents who felt safe in their city centre after dark which Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker says was unacceptable.

"Perceptions of safety take the longest to change but the Council is committed to making Christchurch the safest Image by publik16 via Flickrcity in New Zealand and will look to introduce whatever is necessary to make our city safer for both residents and visitors.

"Statistics show in cities where Safe City Officer programmes operate the perception of safety after dark is 76 per cent higher."

Mr Parker says with the Safe City Officers and 25 additional crime prevention cameras, which will be operational in the city before Christmas, Council is looking for a significant improvement in the public's perception of safety in the city.

The Safe City Officers will focus on being highly visible in public areas already identified as high-risk for criminal offending and anti-social behaviour. Their prime roles will be to provide people with information and assistance; deter crime and anti-social behaviour through their visibility; collaborate and provide information to the police, Council and other agencies; and help identify hazards and other issues to help create a safe, vibrant night-time environment.

by Ewan-M via Flickr(Actually Bob, this is about Alcohol... and a ratepayer funded grift based on systemically flawed drug policy that only serves to pretend to fix the real problem. It will satisfy 'the public' who have been unjustly deluded into supporting more cameras and those for whom getting ugly on youth is an aging pastime. If we really fixed what is broken we wouldn't need to sanitise the sale of alcohol. /Blair)

The Safe City Officer programme will be operated by a local security company during the first six months while Council scopes the long-term operating requirements of the programme.
Mr Parker says the safe city officers will be easily identified in their uniform and yellow and black high-visibility jacket.

"It is great to have this new safety initiative operating in the week the city will be hosting 500 delegates from 28 countries at the 17th International Safe Communities Conference."

HOWEVER Consider what "working together to make a difference" really looks like....

In an August 2007 letter to the Denver City Council, Seattle [Christchurch's Sister City]councilmen Nick Licata and Tom Rasmussen referred to their city’s "cannabis" ordinance as “safe, effective, and inexpensive.” They also noted that, “In the three years since [the measure] was adopted, Seattle has experienced a significant decline in the number of marijuana arrests and prosecutions undertaken.” In fact, Seattle handled just 125 marijuana possession cases in 2006, compared to approximately 1,400 in Denver, despite it having a smaller population.

Fortunately for Denver citizens, however, there is an intervention – and a very public discussion – underway. As a result of the successful initiative in 2007, Mayor John Hickenlooper appointed a Marijuana Policy Review Panel, which is officially charged with implementing the “lowest priority” ordinance to the greatest extent possible.

The panel includes representatives of the police department and city attorney’s office, two marijuana policy reform advocates, three defense attorneys, a drug and alcohol abuse prevention counselor, and a domestic violence prevention advocate. The Denver District Attorney’s office was also supposed to be represented, but it refused to participate – a perfect example of the stubbornness and ignorance that lies at the heart of marijuana prohibition.

Image by mastermaq

We'll Bugger Me! Seattle SAFER than Christchurch, WHO's deciding......?

See how ALL the participants in the Safer Christchurch initiative (notable for its exclusion of pro-reform policy stakeholders, contrary to Ottawa Charter Principles) avoid discussion from any quarter - NZ Police, Civic Leaders, Politicians etc. refuse to meet Harm Reductionists such as Judge Paradis etc. yet mutually laud the efforts of compatriot prohibitionists... Yuk, it makes me sick reading this...

Consultation on Urban Design/Sustainability

A National Policy on Urban Design?

Image via WikipediaThe Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is currently seeking submissions on the development of a National Policy Statement (NPS) on Urban Design. Urban design is about the design of the buildings, places, spaces and networks that make up towns and cities, and the ways people use them. The Ministry is asking whether an NPS on Urban Design should be developed, and if so what issues of national significance it should address, and in what order. Submissions close on 30 September 2008. They go to greg.vossler@mfe.govt.nz, or to the Ministry for the Environment, PO Box 10362, Wellington 6143. A background paper is at http://www.mfe.

Building Sustainable Communities: Have Your Say

Discussion paper called "Building sustainable urban communities – designing a place-based approach to sustainable urban development in NZ" has been published by The Department of Internal Affairs.

Image via WikipediaSustainable urban development is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural quality of life in a city without leaving a burden on future generations. According to the NZ Urban Design Protocol, sustainable towns and cities are liveable, environmentally responsible and competitive, thriving, creative and innovative. They also offer opportunities for all, and have a distinctive identity, a shared vision and good governance.

By world standards, NZ is a highly urbanised nation, with 72% of the population living in the 16 main urban areas - around 33% of the population live in the Auckland urban region alone - and another Image via Wikipedia14% live in smaller towns. The way NZ's towns and cities have developed is the result of both deliberate planning and the choices and decisions made by investors, property developers and home buyers. The location and type of housing available has a big influence on economic performance, social cohesion, and the ability of a large number of NZers to lead sustainable, productive and enjoyable lives. The quality and location of retail and commercial buildings, of our community services and amenities like schools and recreational facilities also matter, because people need to be able to get between home, work, shops, offices, schools, parks and playgrounds relatively easily.

NZ is increasingly seeing significant economic, social, environmental and cultural changes in its urban areas. It is also dealing with issues such as affordable housing, increased fuel prices, congestion, pollution, social disadvantage, climate change, population growth, rapid technological change and changing demographics.

The discussion paper outlines a possible approach to sustainable urban development with a view to encouraging the development of sustainable urban areas that contain a number of housing choices.

Submissions close on 28 November 2008. They go to sudu@dia.govt.nz or Sustainable Urban Development Unit, DIA, PO Box 805, Wellington 6011. The discussion paper is at

http://www.dia.govt.nz/diawebsite.nsf/wpg_URL/Resourcematerial-Building-Sustainable-Urban-Communities-Index?OpenDocument .

Copies are also in public libraries and the offices of local authorities, or you can email

sudu@dia.govt.nz or tel freephone 0800 824 824 for one
--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Spokesperson on Climate Change, Environment and Associate 'Shadow' Law And Order.
#6 'on the list' http://www.republicans.org.nz/

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

THE SHIFT [Movie]

DVThrombosis and PM10

Image via Wikipedia

Air pollution produced by the burning of fossil fuels can drastically increase people's risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"We have known for some time that air pollution has been associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke," said Beverley Hunt, medical director of the nonprofit organization Lifeblood. "This study shows for the very first time that air pollution also increases the risk of clots in the veins and tells us why."

In a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), blood clots form in the legs. In certain cases, these clots have been known to become dislodged and then travel to the lungs, where they can fatally block
the flow of blood. The risk of DVT is known to increase with long periods of immobility, such as on long-haul flights or from spending long hours at a desk without getting up.

Researchers compared levels of particulate air pollution around the dwelling places of 870 DVT patients and 1,210 people without the condition, all in the Lombardy region of Italy. They found that for every 10 microgram per square meter increase in particulate concentration, a person's risk of DVT increased by 70 percent.

Image via WikipediaThe particulate matter in the study, only about one 40th the width of a human hair, is produced by the burning of fossil fuels, including in vehicle engines and power plants.

"Given the magnitude of the effects, our findings introduce a novel and common risk factor into the development of DVT," lead researcher Andrea Baccarelli said. "And, at the same time, they give further substance to the call for tighter standards and continued efforts aimed at reducing the impact of urban air pollutants on human health."

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk, http://www.washingtonpost.com/.

--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

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Meltdown in the Arctic is speeding up

Scientists warn that the North Pole could be free of ice in just five years' time instead of 60

• Robin McKie, science editor
• The Observer,
• Sunday August 10 2008
• Article history

Ice at the North Pole melted at an unprecedented rate last week, with leading scientists warning that the Arctic could be ice-free in summer by 2013.

Satellite images show that ice caps started to disintegrate dramatically several days ago as storms over Alaska's Beaufort Sea began sucking streams of warm air into the Arctic.

As a result, scientists say that the disappearance of sea ice at the North Pole could exceed last year's record loss. More than a million square kilometres melted over the summer of 2007 as global warming tightened its grip on the Arctic. But such destruction could now be matched, or even topped, this year.

'It is a neck-and-neck race between 2007 and this year over the issue of ice loss,' said Mark Serreze, of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Boulder, Colorado. 'We thought Arctic ice cover might recover after last year's unprecedented melting - and indeed the picture didn't look too bad last month. Cover was significantly below normal, but at least it was up on last year.

'But the Beaufort Sea storms triggered steep ice losses and it now looks as if it will be a very close call indeed whether 2007 or 2008 is the worst year on record for ice cover over the Arctic. We will only find out when the cover reaches its minimum in mid-September.'

This startling loss of Arctic sea ice has major meteorological, environmental and ecological implications. The region acts like a giant refrigerator that has a strong effect on the northern hemisphere's meteorology. Without its cooling influence, weather patterns will be badly disrupted, including storms set to sweep over Britain.

At the same time, creatures such as polar bears and seals - which use sea ice for hunting and resting - face major threats. Similarly, coastlines will no longer be insulated by ice from wave damage and will suffer erosion, as is already happening in Alaska.

Other environmental changes are likely to follow. Without sea ice to bolster them, land ice - including glaciers - could topple into the ocean and raise global sea levels, threatening many low-lying areas, including Bangladesh and scores of Pacific islands. In addition, the disappearance of reflective ice over the Arctic means that solar radiation would no longer be bounced back into space, thus heating the planet even further.

On top of these issues, there are fears that water released by the melting caps will disrupt the Gulf Stream, while an ice-free Arctic in summer offers new opportunities for oil and gas drilling there - and for political disputes over territorial rights.

What really unsettles scientists, however, is their inability to forecast precisely what is happening in the Arctic, the part of the world most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. 'When we did the first climate change computer models, we thought the Arctic's summer ice cover would last until around 2070,' said Professor Peter Wadhams of Cambridge University. 'It is now clear we did not understand how thin the ice cap had already become - for Arctic ice cover has since been disappearing at ever increasing rates. Every few years we have to revise our estimates downwards. Now the most detailed computer models suggest the Arctic's summer ice is going to last for only a few more years - and given what we have seen happen last week, I think they are probably correct.'

The most important of these computer studies of ice cover was carried out a few months ago by Professor Wieslaw Maslowski of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Using US navy supercomputers, his team produced a forecast which indicated that by 2013 there will be no ice in the Arctic - other than a few outcrops on islands near Greenland and Canada - between mid-July and mid-September.

'It does not really matter whether 2007 or 2008 is the worst year on record for Arctic ice,' Maslowski said. 'The crucial point is that ice is clearly not building up enough over winter to restore cover and that when you combine current estimates of ice thickness with the extent of the ice cap, you get a very clear indication that the Arctic is going to be ice-free in summer in five years. And when that happens, there will be consequences.'

This point was backed by Serreze. 'The trouble is that sea ice is now disappearing from the Arctic faster than our ability to develop new computer models and to understand what is happening there. We always knew it would be the first region on Earth to feel the impact of climate change, but not at anything like this speed. What is happening now indicates that global warming is occurring far earlier than any of us expected.'

Meltdown in the Arctic is speeding up ?  The question that needs to be deliberated on is 'what consequence will stem from the subsequent and undoubted albedo effect' ???

Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›
ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Richard Stallman comes to Town

Image via Wikipedia

Kim Hill listeners on Canterbury Public Issues Forum (CPIF) may have heard yesterday's Richard Stallman interview:

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday

http://podcast.radionz.co.nz/sat/sat-20080809-0845-Richard_Stallman_Freedom.ogg

Computer users who value telecommunications independence know who this gentleman is, through his historic achievement - the GNU/Linux operating system - aided and abetted by a cast of thousands of computer programmers around the world. This real-time, borderless, perhaps futurist online community offers one of the best examples available as to what "sustainability" actually is, keeping alive as it does the sharing principle without which computing could never have developed. The message, networks, and interoperability are important - fundamental even - to human survival in the face of emerging global crisis.

Other examples of the level of influence held by the international innovation stable out of which GNU/Linux comes, are: the Internet itself; Wikipedia (based on GNU copyleft licensing); Mozilla Firefox web browser (free software); Google search engine (GNU/Linux-based); and OnlineGroups.Net <http://onlinegroups.net/> (the E-Democracy.Org <http://e-democracy.org/> platform). So, it is with great and sincere appreciation that this card-carrying netizen can announce the Christchurch speaking details for Richard M Stallman ('RMS'), thanks to the University of Canterbury's Computer Science & Software Engineering <http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/> department, and their Free Culture Club <http://www.cosc.canterbury.ac.nz/freeculture/>.

Date: Saturday 16 August
Time: 2:00-4:30pm
Place: Lecture Theatre Arts 1 - A1, east of James Hight Library -
University of Canterbury
Topic: Computers, GNU and Free Culture.

A1 has capacity for 320 persons, and expect it to be packed

hat tip: Rik Tindall

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Full-body Armour for Police?

Police consider full-body armour as assaults increase
(or Iraqi style militarised Police for warrant serving?)

10:00AM Monday July 28, 2008 NZH - Police culture

Increasing violence against police could result in officers being kitted out in full-body armour. Police headquarters has confirmed it is considering full-body protection for frontline staff, as the number of assaults on officers continues to rise.

They have yet to determine exactly what sort of armour would be used but The Dominion Post reported that the possibilities ranged from extra protection for arms and legs to an all-over suit - similar in appearance to that in the film Robocop.

The number of assaults against police increased to 2248 last year, the equivalent of one in four officers being assaulted. In 2006, there were 2123 assaults on police. Of the 2007 incidents, 88 involved a weapon, including a gun or knife. Police began a $10.4 million programme last year, to provide stab-proof vests to every frontline officer. There were delays because of size and heat problems. Police said discussions about new armour were at an early stage. Any upgraded protection would be reserved for police called to deal with disorder incidents. The Police Association said it had not heard of the proposal.

- NZPA

recommended reading:
Civilian Forces Acquiring Army-Style Look, Approach

POLICE DEVELOP 'MILITARY MIND SET' / by Diane Cecilia Weber

Needless to say, the madness around meth is driving this shite.
/Blair

Satellites see it "is Maori Language Week"

Is this great Koru in the sky? this is just too darned amazing - yesterdays midday satellite image from METVU.

http://www.metvuw.com/satellite/small/200807220000.jpg

Is this the unwritten language of climate change?-- Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

rights and science "beyond ETS"

The diabolical challenge of climate change is to solve it faster than we cause it, and C&C is a science-based way of getting to grips with the scale of the contraction requirement along with a rights-based way of internationally sharing the contraction requirement in a non-random manner; /Aubrey Meyer see: - http://www.gci.org.uk/Animations/BENN_C&C_Animation.exe

“If you read only one book on climate change—its past and future, politics and solutions—read this one. This is the global picture and the key to a global solution.” —Tom Spencer, Professor of Global Governance, University of Surrey and President, GLOBE International 1994-99
--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Sniffer dog checks bite into our civil liberties

Following the broader issues relating to civil society it is increasingly seen as acceptable that 'dogs' are able to give evidential 'cause for suspicion' based on the inherent quality of its nose, the efficacy of its training, the enviroment it is in, the ability of its handler to not give cues, and of course... as we are all paying the bill here, the cost benefit that demonstrates any outcomes.

It authored by a chap that I know through my work in drug policy [· Sebastian Saville is executive director of drugs charity Release.]

However, while the core initiative is about targeting drugs and drug users and it is another jurisdiction, the increasingly 'get tough' calls for more police and resources to catch 'neer do wells' will inevitably bring up policy and actions that are being 'seen to be doing something'. This is one such case. A case I would argue that the 'end does not justify the means', it was published in the British newspaper, the Guardian. see http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/%20…%20andalcohol

I welcome feedback from readers. What is your thoughts on this use of dogs?Sniffer dog checks bite into our civil liberties. Replies can be made either here via the bloggers comment box below, or the at the popular NZ website 'doglinks' forums link (requires registration... good if you have a dog)

http://www.doglinks.co.nz/myforums/viewtopic.php?pid=376#p376

British, C&C most favoured method!

The agreement G8 officials reached overnight on climate change represents a small step forward for politicians on the tortuous path to a framework agreement next year, but it is hardly a giant leap for mankind.

(snip)

The British government has some modelling under way in the most favoured method - contraction and convergence - but there is no diplomatic agreement that this is the best way to proceed.

 

Patrick Wintour, political editor / guardian.co.uk,

Tuesday July 8, 2008

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/08/g8.climatechange

--

Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

The Side-Effects of Abstinence-Only Education

One in three teenage girls in the US becomes pregnant. Recent media hype and movies like Juno give teen pregnancy a certain kind of treatment.

If sex education impacts the rate at which men impregnate teenage girls, then these results are effects. Calling them side-effects is equivocation.

RE: Side-Effects? / Posted by: MildGreens on Jul 7, 2008 2:36 PM

The appearance of prejudices fails to do justice to the debate. Men impregnate woman, true enough, but woman can only be impregnated by men.

The inference that men are DOING THIS to teenage girls carries baggage, firstly because it misrepresents the facts and secondly it stereotypes men.

Teen pregnancy AND STD's is for the greater part a teen issue for BOTH males and females.

Both suffer consequences.

It represents a larger systemic failure in health promotion as evidenced by the bio-psychosocial health indicators in jurisdictions where age of consensual sex is much lower.

Where the rules say 'you just cant, its not allowed' (ie: zero tolerance with disproportionate punishment) the harms are maximised. With rules like these we may as well line them up and shoot some of them arbitrarily.

Intolerance sets up failure as 'proof we have a problem, justifying more inevitable failure'. The corollary with youth drug policy is also useful in this case.

There are impediments to [sex ed and other stuff] health promotion, the Ottawa Charter (the bible of Public Health) says where these can be identified, remove them.

There is no place for artificial red-lines in the dynamics of teen angst. This creates a climate dishonesty and mistrust that masks what is really going on. It creates a perception of safety without delivering.

The teen health data correlated to age of consent makes for revealing reading.

The 'shocking' (ie moral panic) driven data set is completely unsurprising to educators who think about this problem. It is almost a determinate outcome. We, by 'doing nothing' to change the policy base are guilty of creating the problem we set out to solve. We are as it were, collectively responsible making girls pregnant. And that requires an adult maturity to 'see'.

Ipso facto, teen pregnancy is a symptom of a larger problem adults as instruments of change are just not talking about.

Thus, it is more accurate to say older Men AND Woman are making teens pregnant and saddling teens AND society with unnessary burdens.

We have to, as adult rule makers, realise no policy is going to solve all the problems and that an optimal policy has to embrace harm minimisation in a reality based education paradigm.

Those for whom this reality check is objectional... are witness to the harms they are creating and the evidence, in this case, is on my side.

To get significant change one has to make significant change. It is long overdue.

--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Image via Wikipedia

The worst offenders are not those who use medpot, rather they are the gormless and morally illiterate politicians who pander to ignorance AND dishonor the parliamentary prayer everyday.

Not one of these people should be re-elected ever.

Blair's Brain - Canvassing for Opinion, Jul 2008

Reforming liquor laws to combat crime (Cant Issues)

Image via Wikipedia

The issues surrounding liquor and violence in Canterbury can be roundly brought into the local perspective where we have seen Police District Commander (and relevant officers in charge of the inner city and alcohol laws) participate in the NATIONAL Party (MP Nicky Wagner) city crime/violence meeting at the Limes Room (Town Hall) followed recently by his participation at the LABOUR (MP wannabe Brendan Burns) meeting on Alcohol Policy. Mayor Parker participated as well but seemingly continues to be offended (I wont meet with you while you say nasty things about me) by the writers call  'that inner city property developer David Henderson, whose developments are characterised by a Bar on every corner was his primary, some say sole, election funder'.

Why should the District Commander meet and discuss 'drug policy' ? (a) because he said he would listen to the community. (b) the implementation of zero tolerance intersects with drug policy (c) there is a national debate and a bill before the house (d) there is an international debate and ten year UN review (e) and the NZ LAW COMMISSION is examining drug laws and the respective UN international conventions.Why is he not willing or prepared to do so? 

A birdy tells me the excuse is 'it's to close to the election'.

Retiring Christchurch Central MP Tim Barnett said several years ago that "the centre of NZ's drug reform is in Canterbury". It is sincerely hoped that our District Commander gives some respect and equity to this issue and accepts public delegations as he has committed to do.  He may recall a comment heard at both of the recent political huis - Our NATIONAL DRUG POLICY formulation documents highly recommended a holistic approach such that failure to address this in a 'communitarian all drug' context was just continuing pithing into the wind.

The Canterbury POLICE are participants in and signatories to "HEALTHY CHRISTCHURCH" and its principles embodied word for word in the Ottawa Charter.

Or is he (and his ilk) addicted to the 'drug war' funding?

Somewhat ironically, MP and Minister of Commerce Lianne Dalziel was at the last 'its acohol' meeting, and she is a 'cost benefits' kinda gal. It may yet be Canterbury at the centre of the drug policy maelstrom! Those who think otherwise may regale but we have here the best research 'evidence based' engine and data in the Otago School of Medicine's longitudinal and multidisciplinary studies.

We are an educated lot, its in our nature and heritage, and Police have a precedent in having had this discussion some ten years ago with both then Acting District Commanders Dave Haslett and Paul Fitzharris. It was generally agreed that were a enlightened social directive to treat cannabis either as a 'lowest possible priority' or by 'means other than arrest' it should logically apply consistently to the whole South Island. But that was before HEALTHY CHRISTCHURCH. 

Canterbury is the global home to the Needle Exchange (NEPS) and by dint of its uptake of Party Pills' the Anderton GoodFriday2004 "Class D" legislative model for controlled drugs. We are as it were "at the cutting edge of reform' - like it or not.

More premature deaths than previously thought from particles in vehicle exhaust

More premature deaths than previously thought from particles in vehicle exhaust
New research reveals significant new information

SACRAMENTO - The California Air Resources Board was presented with research today showing long-term exposures to fine particle pollution pose a greater health threat than previously estimated.

Annually, 14,000 to 24,000 premature deaths are estimated to be associated with exposures to PM2.5, a mix of microscopic particles less than 2.5 microns in size. A majority of these deaths occur in highly populated areas around the state, including the South Coast, San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay air basins.

"Particle pollution is a silent killer," said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "We must work even harder to cut these life-shortening emissions by further addressing pollution sources head-on."

Particulate matter (PM) is a complex blend of substances ranging from dry solid fragments, solid-cores fragments with liquid coatings, and small droplets of liquid. These particles vary in shape, size and chemical composition, and may include metals, soot, soil and dust.

At the request of the board in 2006, ARB researchers carefully reviewed all scientific studies on the subject and consulted with health scientists. While exposures to particulate matter have long been known as a serious health threat, new information suggests that the pollutant is even more toxic than previously thought.

Hospitalizations, emergency room visits and doctor visits for respiratory illnesses or heart disease have been associated with PM2.5 exposure. Other studies suggest that PM2.5 exposure may influence asthma symptoms and acute and chronic bronchitis. Children, the elderly and people with pre-existing chronic disease are most at risk of experiencing adverse health effects from PM2.5 exposure. Even small increases in PM2.5 exposures may increase health risks.

Major contributors to PM2.5 include trucks, passenger cars, off-road equipment, electric power generation and industrial processes, residential wood burning, and forest and agricultural burning. All combustion processes generally produce PM2.5.

While the new data reveals a greater threat from PM2.5, the state's previous efforts to reduce emissions throughout the state have been successful. The ARB in coordination with the 35 air districts throughout the state continues to develop and implement strategies of aggressive air pollution control. These measures have been so effective for the last two decades that PM exposures have been reduced in California's major populated areas. Since the official year-round monitoring of ambient PM2.5 began in 1999, concentrations have decreased 30 percent across California, most notably in the South Coast and the San Joaquin Valley regions.

Additionally, in 2000 ARB adopted an aggressive risk reduction plan that targets all diesel PM sources in California. As part of the plan, cleaner diesel fuels and new diesel engines (both on-road and off-road) have been developed. In concert with regulations aimed at requiring cleaner new engines, other regulations have been adopted to address diesel engines already on the road, including those in waste collection vehicles, transit fleet, school buses, stationary engines, transport refrigeration units and portable engines. Later this year, ARB will consider rules to significantly cut diesel particulate emissions from private truck fleets.

For more information, see: http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/health/pm-mort/pm-mort.htm .


--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Coastal thinking, and C&C

Harder Rain, More Snow
Meteorologists See Future of Increasingly Extreme Weather Events

 

Computer models based on nine different countries' climate data indicate every country will be hit with climate change throughout this century.

The potential effects are far reaching; the computer models have accurately simulated past weather events and now some experts believe these simulations of future climates are likely to be correct. Scientists, however, disagree on what can or should be done, but know something needs to be done.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research [N-CAR] scientists expect the average global temperature to increase by three degrees over this century. Three degrees may not seem like a large amount, but in a heat wave, a three-degree difference could be dangerously hot for more people and create one-foot higher storm surges.

 

As these evidence based theories mature and reports become increasingly both regular and convincing, one must ask, what [quantative] measures are we taking to ensure the global community stays under two degrees. The only environmental framework that addresses itself to optimal economic imperatives while remaining both ethical and constitutional is "Contraction and Convergence".

 

It is now obvious to many that we have a problem. We just need the conversation. Those who live on and invest in the coastal margins and our collective civic infrastructure are at grave risk. The risk is a mere 'in our childrens children lifetime, and for some, sooner.' 

--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Butterfly Biologist Develops New Evidence For Global Warming

University Of Texas Austin Biologist Develops New Evidence For Global Warming

 

 

Science News

University Of Texas Austin Biologist Develops New Evidence For Global Warming

ScienceDaily (Oct. 10, 2000) — AUSTIN, Texas -- Dr. Camille Parmesan, an assistant professor of biology at The University of Texas at Austin and an expert on non-migratory butterfly species, has worked with world climate experts to document new evidence of global warming. The research is featured in the Sept. 22 issue of the journal Science.

According to scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, temperature and precipitation records collected for the past century point to a slight increase in warmer weather throughout the world, accompanied by an increase in both the number and the severity of extreme weather events.

The scientists documented that rising temperatures and extreme weather also are having an impact on population, behavior, distribution and even the physical appearance of a wide variety of animals and plants in the wild. Dr. David R. Easterling, scientific director of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C., is lead author on the paper.

Parmesan said the paper is especially significant because it coordinates data collected through the years on climate change with basic research on wildlife and with recent trends in wildlife attributed to climate change.

Scientists have plenty of evidence that extreme weather events can cause everything from bleaching of coral reefs and smaller beak size in some species of birds to changes in mating behavior of African elephants. Parmesan said the increasingly rapid extinction rate of species around the globe make it critical "to understand the specific impacts of climate change on those trends."

Parmesan said that, over many decades, a series of extreme weather events is believed to underlie a gradual range shift in the Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas Editha), a butterfly named for the checked patterns on its black, orange and cream-colored wings. This butterfly, found in the western part of North America, has moved northward and to higher altitudes over the past 100 years. Parmesan linked extreme weather events to the permanent disappearance of entire local populations of the colorful insects.

Parmesan said when reviewing research by other biologists, what really surprised her was that "every time (a Checkerspot) population went extinct, it was connected with an extreme climate year. The l976-77 California drought caused a lot of local population extinctions, and 20 years later they were still extinct." Due to the l983 El Nino, the snow never melted in some areas of Northern California's Gold Lake and the butterflies never emerged, she said.

Extreme weather events, from hurricanes to blizzards, are nothing new. But in the past, populations of animals were larger. When, for example, they shifted territory in response to a drought, they didn't run into farmland or urban areas. "Especially when you are talking about an endangered species that already is restricted to a very small habitat, one severe weather event can wipe out an entire species," Parmesan said.

Weather records reviewed for the study document an increase in the average global temperature of about 0.6 degrees centigrade since the beginning of the 20th century and a decrease in the number of days each year below freezing. Climate researchers have been looking for a link between the changes and increasing greenhouse gases from human activities. While some uncertainty remains, the evidence of such a link, especially in the past few decades, is growing stronger. Parmesan said a one or two-degree increase in global temperature in the next century doesn't sound like very much, but the increase "makes local extreme weather events even more extreme. In a particular year, the maximum high temperature in the summer could be 10 degrees hotter, and precipitation increasingly is coming down as floods," Parmesan said. "This is something that is happening now."

Adapted from materials provided by University Of Texas, Austin.

ETS contradictions render it climatically ineffective.

Subject: ETS contradictions render it climatically ineffective.
To: Editorial/ RadioNews <ninetonoon@radionz.co.nz>

All trading systems that involve the allocation of large quantities of free emissions rights by the state to business and agriculture[delayed or otherwise]  are prone to a fundamental contradiction, the inequitable burden renders such systems climatically ineffective.  Contraction and Convergence, which involves a nominal or theoretical egalitarian pre-distribution of private property rights in the earth's carbon cycling capacity, overcomes some of the political difficulties associated with trading systems that rely on 'grandfathering' of rights. Contraction and Convergence was ommited from the MfE consulations but still remains the only baseline upon which all other proposals including ETS can be measured against. (see www.gci.org.uk )

Blair Anderson  ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://blair4mayor.com
ph (643) 389 4065   cell 027 265 7219

--
Blair Anderson  ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065   cell 027 265 7219

Someone Else Thinks Beyond Kyoto

18 May 2006 'Kyoto and Beyond: a Global Strategy' Conference, Commonwealth Club, London

Contributions were made by distinguished speakers: Tom Spencer (Institute of Environmental Security); Sir Crispin Tickell (former UK permanent representative at the UN); Andrew Simms (Policy Director, New Economics Foundation); Elliot Morley MP (former Minister of State for Climate Change & Environment); Lord Redesdale (Vice-chair Parliamentary Group on Climate Change); Ritu Kumar (Director of TERI-Europe); John Gummer MP (former Secretary of State for Environment); and Aubrey Meyer (Director of Global Commons Institute).

Key points included the following. The arguments on climate change are not now technological but political, with the US administration doing all it can to avoid the evidence for it until time runs out. There are a number of tipping points into irreversible climate change, which will shortly be examined in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's fourth report. CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are now higher than they have been for the last 650,000 years! No solution to stabilising CO2 concentrations is possible without contraction and convergence in some form.

220 Cities World Wide... and its this weekend.

Outdoor Pursuits and Climate Change

The Canyoning incident reports, from experts, observers and victims  and the public discussions  thus far have omitted one crucial 'factor' in this tragedy.  [Six students and one teacher have died after a school adventure course turned to tragedy.]

 

The role of localised intense rainfall in NZ is a function of our geographics AND weather systems. The increased capacity of the atmosphere to hold water vapor AND the the increased polar/tropic climate differentials [energy] is under a climate change scenario likely to increase the incidence and severity of river and weather related events. 

 

Just as the burden of uninsured risk is increasing seven times faster than growth in GDP (ask the Insurance Actuaries) every time we send our kids into wilderness areas we present them with the  burden of exposure to the increasing risk of adverse climatological events.

 

Bellwethers marking climate change can be the scale of Sub-Saharan Africa or just as logically, a bad weekend at the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre.

Some would be critical of linking this to climate change, but in the words of Pete Hodgson after the Manawatu floods, 'this is what climate change looks like'.

 

It was as it were, our kind of New Orleans.

 

 

--
Blair Anderson  ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com

ph (643) 389 4065   cell 027 265 7219

About Earth Day Network

Founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day Network (EDN) promotes environmental citizenship and year round progressive action worldwide.

Web: www.earthday.net Earth Day Network is a driving force steering environmental awareness around the world. Through Earth Day Network, activists connect, interact, and have an impact on their communities, and create positive change in local, national, and global policies.

EDN's international network reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries, while the USA domestic program engages 5,000 groups and over 25,000 educators coordinating millions of community development and environmental protection activities throughout the year.

Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in our campaigns every year.

Our mission is to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. We pursue our mission through education, politics, events, and consumer activism.

Earthday 2008 Canterbury is presented by CQuestNZ see http://ww2.earthday.net/node/12236

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Dynamotive Ships BioOil and Char

Dynamotive Ships BioOil and Char from West Lorne and Guelph Plants
(as included in the "CHCH Tallows Report" and as presented to EECA,  and various Territorial Authorities / Blair )

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation (OTCBB:DYMTF), a leader in cellulose based fuels technology, reported today that it has shipped biofuels from its plants in Ontario.

West Lorne shipped 22 tonnes of BioOil to the U.S. and 50 cubic meters of char to a soy bean farm in Ontario, Canada, to be used as soil enhancer, as well as a number of sample shipments to potential customers. The shipments mark the restart of commercial operations since the completion of the plant upgrade to a 130 tonnes-per-day facility in late February. The Company further reported that it is planning deliveries of fuel and char in April as customers confirm orders under existing contracts.

The Company informed that its on-site 2.5 megawatt electric cogeneration package, developed by Magellan Aerospace, is expected to commence operations in April. Dynamotive has an existing power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority for the generation output.

The plant's first shipments followed testing of fuel at Dynamotive's and the client's facilities, and acceptance by the Company's client. The shipment marks commencement of revenue deriving from operations at the plant.

During the month of March, the Company operated the plant completing progressively longer production runs. The first two operational runs occurred on the 29^th of February - four 5 hour runs at 20 tonnes per day average feed rate and 2 hours feeding at an average capacity of 25 tonnes per day. Further production runs were conducted with continuous feeding runs on March 9^th through the 11^th and the 15^th through the 17^th, and March 20^th at similar average capacity rates. Peak capacity feed was verified by Tecna engineers at 83.3 kgs per minute of sawdust representing 119.9 tonnes per day feed rate or 92.2% of revised nominal plant capacity. After each run fuel quality was measured and adjustments on plant equipment were conducted where needed.

In April, the Company plans to run the plant at higher feed rate capacities with shorter intervals between runs as the commissioning adjustments are completed. The limitation in increased rate capacity in March was due to reduced feedstock availability at the plant. Feedstock availability is increasing at site and the Company has secured alternative sources to ensure a higher rate of plant utilization.

Operations at the plant were conducted by Dynamotive operators and engineers with the support of Tecna and Tepsi staff. Dynamotive engineers and staff included three operators from West Lorne, four engineers from the Vancouver office, four from the Waterloo Research Laboratory and one engineer from the U.S. operations.

More information on West Lorne operations will be posted on Dynamotive's website.

Guelph shipped 22 tonnes of fuel to Illinois, USA, where Dynamotive will burn BioOil Plus and BioOil at Eclipse's combustion facility on the 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th of April with potential clients present, and the following week with independent testing agencies. A number of tests will be made to compare the combustion profile of BioOil Plus and BioOil against #2 and #6 fuel and mixing/combining with #6 at the burner tip. The performance data will be further used for Dynamotive's product application and customer development.

The plant had previously undergone testing and inspection processes by regulatory and technical authorities in readiness for continuous operation in late 2007. The tests conducted demonstrated the capacity of the plant to operate at its nominal design capacity of 200 tonnes per day biomass input.

Dynamotive and Evolution Biofuels produced, during the months of January and February, sufficient fuel to meet the testing requirements from potential customers. The plant is in standby mode with biomass available for the production of biofuel. Production at the plant will commence upon completion of fuel testing programs by clients, and orders being confirmed for the fuel produced.

The Guelph plant, with a capacity to convert 200 tonnes of biomass into BioOil per day, was developed in partnership with MegaCity Recycling Inc. and operates under the name Evolution Biofuels Inc. When fully operational, the plant will process 66,000 dry tons of biomass per year with an energy output equivalent to 130,000 barrels of oil.

About BioOil^® Biofuel

BioOil^® is an industrial fuel produced from cellulose waste material. When combusted it produces substantially less smog-precursor nitrogen oxides ('NOx') emissions than conventional oil as well as little or no sulfur oxide gases ('SOx'), which are a prime cause of acid rain. BioOil^® and BioOil Plus^™ are price-competitive replacements for heating oils #2 and #6 that are widely used in industrial boilers and furnaces. They have been EcoLogo certified, having met stringent environmental criteria for industrial fuels as measured by Environment Canada's Environmental Choice Program. BioOil^® can be produced from a variety of residue cellulosic biomass resources and is not dependent on food-crop production.

About Dynamotive

Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation is an energy solutions provider headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, with offices Waterloo Ontario (Research) in the USA, and Argentina. Its carbon/greenhouse gas neutral fast pyrolysis technology uses medium temperatures and oxygen-less conditions to turn dry, waste cellulosic biomass into BioOil for power and heat generation. BioOil can be further converted into vehicle fuels and chemicals. The final stages of the commissioning process at the Guelph plant and the reconstruction of the West Lorne plant may be seen by viewing photographs regularly posted on the company's website at www.dynamotive.com.