Yes, it’s an awful word but we won’t try and change it because there are already over 500 academic articles on degrowth. The movement is strong in Europe. Continue reading “Degrowth – the word to hate and then accept”
With the prospect of New Zealand one day going as far as negative interest rates, we need to examine the consequences of that. The trouble is that those of us who know a little about demurrage currencies tend to think they are the same, whereas they are very different. Continue reading “Negative interest rates are very different from a demurrage currency”
Recently I saw the Minister for the Environment Hon David Parker react to the Horticultural growers on TV1. Horticulture New Zealand is getting increasingly concerned that valuable horticultural land is being swallowed up by housing or by lifestyle blocks. Continue reading “We should be rating properties on their land value”
I am going to start with my beliefs and assumptions and you can refer to this blog when you puzzle about why I am saying something. Continue reading “Retirement Villages – land, capital gains”
In July 2022 New Zealand inflation hit 7.3%. It was worse in some other countries. Both US and UK were at 9.1%. In US 85% thought the economy is getting worse, a figure that should make us all think hard.
The usual solution to inflation is for the Reserve Bank to raise interest rates, but we will never win this way. Inflation is here to stay until we see the light regarding currencies. This at least will resolve food price inflation to some extent. Continue reading “Is there a solution to inflation?”
Mining professor Simon Michaux has done a mammoth study on electrifying the global transport sector. He worked out how many cars, trucks, ships there were and how far they travel. Since most are still ICE(internal combustion engines) vehicles he figured a great many things from there. Among his calculations were:
Continue reading “We need 700 times as much lithium as we are currently mining to electrify global transport”
Welcome to a baby born at 416 ppm CO2 on the day of COP26 in Glasgow. This is the last chance to turn around runaway climate change. Mind you they said that last time and the time before.
Continue reading “Welcome to a baby born at 416ppm CO2 and overshoot”
Often during the last twenty years, climate activists have had high hopes that humanity will avert a climate catastrophe. Continue reading “Climate catastrophe or inevitable after COP26?”
When New Zealand hydroelectric power stations ran low last summer, we beefed up electricity generation with another coal fired unit in Huntly. Environmentalists were shocked. How was New Zealand going to meet its climate targets now?
Continue reading “Renewables – can we ever get there – when energy and climate clash”
Is it too late for the Great Mother archetype?
