Cathrine Dyer & Bernard Hickey chat about the week's big climate news, including oil and gas industry disinformation, tipping points, lawsuits, and ocean warming.
Thank you again Bernard and Catherine. You’ve made me google alternatives to gas stoves and I’m a cook! Just wish those buttons on induction tops were easier to see and manipulate!
Finally - and terrifyingly worrying and it is, of course, the energy poor who will suffer first
As far as the little steps are concerned , the deal round turning off the gas and switching to electricity here is all sewn up by suppliers. Spent a depressing week researching the replacement of a (miraculously they say) 23 yr old gas infinity hot water system with electricity. Costs including installation are 3-4 times higher (and twice those in Australia), low interest loans are dependent on having an existing bank mortgage or being able to qualify for one - more than daunting for those managing on super or low income. Switching has to be easier, less expensive and supported - and that, most probably and so sadly, ain't part of the provider or government's picture.
We were discussing this very topic this morning (before I had read this). Having now read this, the switch on hot water as well as heating/cooling and drying is even more critical. And yes, one hundred percent with you; one has to be a particular level of privileged to be able to access cheaper finance and more cost effective options.
This is such an important point. Based on the data I can find there are over 600,000 households in NZ who rent; they cannot access the banks cheap funding themselves and the landlord isn’t incentivised to do so. There are options to fix this, wish Simeon would spend time on easy solutions like this rather than talking LNG and CCUS.
If this problem is to be solved then NZ should consider a emission free and affordable alternative in clean hydrogen. New technology being developed right here in our publicly funded research orgs using a "Turquoise" Hydrogen production method creates no C02 and actually produces a valuable solid carbon by product that can be used for EV batteries or water filtration.
As always there are solutions to existing problems and as always new ideas are struggling to get the R&D funding required to move them along the technology readiness levels to attract investment.
Mmm, I wonder how we might trick Erica Stanford into using the veto she seems to think she has over all-things education in this country to assign Andreas Malm's "How to blow up a pipeline" as a college curriculum text? Maybe we can convince her that it's just a harmless book about saving our precious kids from the 'woke-leftist-communist pipeline' on TikTok??
In my opinion carbon offsets while continuing to pollute is no different from when you need to lose weight and then eating more chocolate and having second helpings of pud and saying “I will do more exercise tomorrow to work it off”
If I was Jon Oliver I am sure I could deliver that line perfectly.
Thank you again Bernard and Catherine. You’ve made me google alternatives to gas stoves and I’m a cook! Just wish those buttons on induction tops were easier to see and manipulate!
Finally - and terrifyingly worrying and it is, of course, the energy poor who will suffer first
As far as the little steps are concerned , the deal round turning off the gas and switching to electricity here is all sewn up by suppliers. Spent a depressing week researching the replacement of a (miraculously they say) 23 yr old gas infinity hot water system with electricity. Costs including installation are 3-4 times higher (and twice those in Australia), low interest loans are dependent on having an existing bank mortgage or being able to qualify for one - more than daunting for those managing on super or low income. Switching has to be easier, less expensive and supported - and that, most probably and so sadly, ain't part of the provider or government's picture.
We were discussing this very topic this morning (before I had read this). Having now read this, the switch on hot water as well as heating/cooling and drying is even more critical. And yes, one hundred percent with you; one has to be a particular level of privileged to be able to access cheaper finance and more cost effective options.
Yes there is a particular feeling of powerlessness that comes with not being able to afford what you know is the right thing to do.
This is such an important point. Based on the data I can find there are over 600,000 households in NZ who rent; they cannot access the banks cheap funding themselves and the landlord isn’t incentivised to do so. There are options to fix this, wish Simeon would spend time on easy solutions like this rather than talking LNG and CCUS.
Thanks for the commentary on LNG and natural gas.
If this problem is to be solved then NZ should consider a emission free and affordable alternative in clean hydrogen. New technology being developed right here in our publicly funded research orgs using a "Turquoise" Hydrogen production method creates no C02 and actually produces a valuable solid carbon by product that can be used for EV batteries or water filtration.
As always there are solutions to existing problems and as always new ideas are struggling to get the R&D funding required to move them along the technology readiness levels to attract investment.
Wonders is its even worth fixing the pipes in the Wellington CBD, seems it will all be underwater in the near future
Mmm, I wonder how we might trick Erica Stanford into using the veto she seems to think she has over all-things education in this country to assign Andreas Malm's "How to blow up a pipeline" as a college curriculum text? Maybe we can convince her that it's just a harmless book about saving our precious kids from the 'woke-leftist-communist pipeline' on TikTok??
Thanks Bernard and Catherine.
Hopefully the Lawyers for Climate will also look at the LNG emissions evidence and drag the weasel before the court again.
In my opinion carbon offsets while continuing to pollute is no different from when you need to lose weight and then eating more chocolate and having second helpings of pud and saying “I will do more exercise tomorrow to work it off”
If I was Jon Oliver I am sure I could deliver that line perfectly.