Is there a solution to inflation?

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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?”

Welcome to a baby born at 416ppm CO2 and overshoot

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Welcome to a baby born at 416 ppm CO2 on the day that COP26 was meeting in Glasgow. This was said to be 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”

Re-localisation includes local currencies and local banking

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailIt is not uncommon these days to see advertisements urging us to buy local because local shops have done it hard during the Covid-19 lockdowns. This sentiment used to be confined to the Greens and the new economics groups, but it is now widely accepted. Continue reading “Re-localisation includes local currencies and local banking”

New Zealand’s agricultural emissions are high

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Nearly half of New Zealand’s emissions are from livestock. A shocking 46.1% for the year 2012 as calculated by the Ministry for the Environment. (MfE). A large proportion of this comes from beef and to a less extent sheep. The MfE paper tells us tells us that in 2012 we had 6.4 m dairy cattle, 3.8m beef cattle, 3.1 m sheep and 1 m deer. So a total of 14.3m ruminant livestock. Continue reading “New Zealand’s agricultural emissions are high”

Time to halt privatisation of high country

FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailAlthough about a fifth of the South Island high country is owned by Government and leased out to runholders, this is changing. Since 1992 the Government has allowed the privatisation of leasehold land. Called “tenure review” it involves an unusual deal and the government loses. The runholders because of their input into the farm claim the improvements belong to them. They end up getting part of the farm for a song. No I am wrong – they sometimes make money on the deal by a strange mechanism. And then they flip it on, making millions in the process. The less valuable land is kept for conservation. There is something strange about the land valuation process. Continue reading “Time to halt privatisation of high country”