On science communication . . .
Uploaded: May 7, 2012. TheXRelease.
The Lorax By Dr Seuss’s (1972)WebRiP XviD_X-Release
Copyright for this special is owned by “The Cat in the Hat Productions” and current distributors. This is for Entertainment/Educational Purposes only.
“The Lorax is a children’s book written by Dr. Seuss and first published in 1971. It chronicles the plight of the environment and the Lorax, who speaks for the trees against the greedy Once-ler. As in most Dr. Seuss works, most of the creatures mentioned are original to the book. [text]
![The Lorax, book cover [en.wikipedia.org]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/the-lorax-book-cover-en-wikipedia-org.jpg)
The book is commonly recognised as a fable concerning industrialised society and the danger it poses to nature, using the literary element of personification to give life to industry as the Once-ler (whose face is never shown in any of the story’s illustrations or in the television special) and to the environment as the Lorax.
The book was adapted as an animated musical television special produced by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises, directed by Hawley Pratt and starring the voices of Eddie Albert and Bob Holt. The line about Lake Erie was spoken by one of the Humming-Fish as they marched out of the river at the foot of the Once-ler’s factory. The special also features more of an in-depth look at the problems, including the Once-ler arguing with himself about what he is doing, and at one point asking the Lorax if shutting down his factory (and putting hundreds of people out of a job) is really the answer. Many of the Lorax’s arguments seem to be focused on how “progress progresses too fast”, in a sense arguing that things might’ve been better if the Once-Ler had come to a balance with the forest and slowed down production of the Thneeds.”
Wikipedia: The Lorax | Dr. Seuss | Political messages of Dr. Seuss
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Related Posts and Comments:
13.1.14 Taking to water like a duck on oil
24.12.13 Daaave’s $47 million Christmas present to Jinty. We’re paying.
Russell Garbutt at ODT Online:
20.1.14 Global vs the DCC
Jinty MacTavish at ODT Online:
9.1.14 On ethics and hypocrisy…
12.1.14 Climate change policy, cycle investments
20.1.14 Fossil fuel position based on science, best interests
20.1.14 Renewables, jobs and local governance
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
Daaave does OK with this (how not to annoy his sponsors) but could do to drop a large percentage of his climate change hysteria and dump his girlfriend that lives in the Truffula Tree (er, to personify).
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### ODT Online Wed, 22 Jan 2014
Opinion: Opportunity, challenge in gas exploration
By Dave Cull
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull presents his views on how Dunedin should respond to gas exploration off the Otago coast. The possibility of gas (or oil) off our coast presents an economic opportunity.
Read more
Actually I think Dave Cull did a reasoned assessment of the oil/gas exploration possibilities off the Otago coast. He pointed out the pros and cons of the issue well. I worry about his conviction that Climate Change is a given, but that is another issue. The plain fact of the matter is that the decision will be made by others and Dunedin would be simply ‘shooting itself in the foot’ to not welcome the opportunity to obtain benefits for our citizens. The opponents would do well to keep out of the scene as they do nothing for their cause by ‘rabble rousing’ at meetings and on site. For elected councillor Jinty MacTavish to preach ‘ethical’ practice being breached by council in supporting the fossil fuel industry is ‘Luddite’ thinking which doesn’t fit the 21st century. She should know as well as anybody that progress and development of alternative technologies come by evolution and commercial imperatives. There are, as she would know many rapid changes taking place as we speak in the fields of energy conservation and production. Let’s support these actions by not opposing the very people best placed to bring about these developments.
### ODT Online Wed, 22 Jan 2014
Shock at speed of Macraes lay-offs
By Vaughan Elder
The speed at which Oceana Gold has pushed through job cuts at Macraes gold mine has shocked workers and the fall-out is expected to continue with losses at other firms. Amalgamated Workers Union New Zealand secretary Calvin Fisher said that last Thursday and Friday, Oceana Gold made about 76 of its open-pit staff redundant, less than two weeks after the cuts were announced as a response to falling gold prices.
Read more
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Grickle Grass Hollow, NZ…
### dunedintv.co.nz January 22, 2014 – 6:26pm
Oceana Gold announces record production for the year
The company that cut more than 100 jobs at its Macraes gold mine in Otago has announced record production for the year. Oceana Gold announced the job cuts early this month at its open pit mine near Palmerston, and 76 have already been made redundant, just two weeks later. The company’s full year production report boasts record gold production of 325,000 ounces. Managing Director Mick Wilkes says in the report the company reduced its cost base in New Zealand, where it ”responded to the new economic realities in a decisive manner”. Oceana Gold shares were up 9.1% to $2.14 today.
Ch39 Link [no video available]
### ODT Online Wed, 22 Jan 2014
Your Say
Mayor’s leadership
By russandbev
OPINION. Dave Cull’s opinion piece, so closely after Cr MacTavish’s piece, is full of “challenges” but short on workable solutions. Indeed, in searching the piece there is a recurrent phrase worthy of closer examination. “Transitioning to viable low-carbon alternatives” sounds important and worthy, but not once in his article does Mayor Cull spell out just what he sees that those low-carbon alternatives are.
Petroleum products pervade our world in all sorts of ways as do the minerals stored in the earth’s crust and the world’s economy and well-being has relied on the exploitation of those resources for a very long time. Ignoring for a moment whether climate change is as rapid or potentially damaging as many claim, the answer is not to simply somehow stop the use of fossil fuels, but to provide viable, workable and economically sustainable alternatives.
What are Mayor Cull’s suggestions as to these alternatives? It is impossible to tell from his piece.
Read more
Russell Garbutt says [via Elizabeth’s comment @ January 22, 2014 at 3:11 pm]:
“Transitioning to viable low-carbon alternatives” sounds important and worthy, but not once in his article does Mayor Cull spell out just what he sees that those low-carbon alternatives are.”
But this whole notion is so out of date. The whole industrial world is abandoning this failed idea for alternative energy to drive industry and provide its living environment. The most ‘green’ of these is the EU. This is where they are heading.
Meanwhile in the EU “Die Welt” says:
“The European Commission is beginning to shift away from its current climate policy: “For an industrial renaissance”, the needs of the economy should play a key role in setting environmental objectives in the future.
The EU Commission has re-discovered the importance of industry for economic development. On Wednesday, it will adopt a message that is entitled: “For an industrial renaissance” and states: “Without a strong industrial base, Europe will not be able to prosper.” Industry is “at the core of European economic revival and competitiveness”.
The importance of industry has been falling incessantly.
However, it is already clear that the new energy targets are set in a less binding way than the climate targets for 2020. Commission President José Manuel Barroso does no longer want to impose binding goals on the Member States regarding the development of wind and solar energy.
There should be no binding expansion targets. Instead, there should be a binding overall EU target for the development of renewable energy sources.
Another piece of the puzzle makes the signal of a more pragmatic EU climate policy even more evident. Fracking, the extraction of natural gas from shale rock, is largely responsible for the huge benefits the United States enjoys in energy costs for businesses. In Europe, the extraction is more difficult, also technically, perhaps because one would have to drill deeper.
However, the EU does not want to turn down this opportunity. A paper by Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, which is also on the Wednesday agenda, provides minimum standards for the protection of the environment and health – but fracking will not be prohibited or restricted.”
Die Welt, 20 January 2014
As I say Jinty and the mayor are well and truly out of date.
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{Correct attribution made. -Eds}
Low-carbon alternatives? Being a carbon-based life form I’m a nervous wreck now. What are they planning to transition me to?
“Exterminate, exterminate!”
As reported by RNZ News today:
Quarantine Island Fight for Their Right to Oppose Deep Sea Drilling
Posted on January 21, 2014 by Oil Free Otago
Press Release
no drill
In late October 2013 the St Martin Island Community Inc erected a NO
DRILL sign on our jetty on Quarantine Island, Otago Harbour. The sign
was provided by Oil Free Otago on our request after we initiated a
meeting between the two groups.
On the 10th January 2014 we were issued with an abatement notice from
the Otago Regional Council to remove the NO DRILL signage from the jetty
on Quarantine Island. We are appealing this abatement notice.
In the abatement notice ORC state that the signage is advertising and
that the coastal permit for the jetty does not allow this, but SMIC
believe the signage provides a prudent safety message.
The RMA legislation is effects based – this signage is all about
reducing our environmental effects’ SMIC spokesperson Francine Vella said.
The St Martin Island Community have lodged an appeal against the
abatement notice with the Environment Court.
Francine Vella on Behalf of the St Martin Island Community Inc,
Quarantine Island, Otago Harbour.
http://oilfreeotago.com/2014/01/21/quarantine-island-fight-for-their-right-to-oppose-deep-sea-drilling/
Woo-hoo, here’s a go! Place your bets now ladies and gentlemen. The pious vs the pompous.
I just wanted to congratulate you on your turn of phrase whether original (in the manner of James Joyce) or plagiarised!
### ODT Online Thu, 23 Jan 2014
Bid to keep ‘No Drill’ sign on Quarantine Is jetty
By Rebecca Fox
An anti-oil drilling sign on the jetty of Quarantine Island, considered advertising by the Otago Regional Council, will remain until an appeal to the Environment Court for a ”stay” is decided.
Read more
I think Dave, as with the stadium, is trying to have a bob each way to placate both sides. That is what annoys many people, but to be fair he won the last election in a landslide so, politically, it may work for him.
He has to try to keep his Green supporters on side as well as be chummy with the oil boys.
The argument that central government decides what will happen, so we may as well get any benefit that may happen, may have merit on one level, but, hey, if for argument’s sake, I was manufacturing P, I may as well benefit rather than leave it to others to manufacture and profit from. That, I think, is what Jinty may be referring to as ethical investment, investing in something for the benefit of all, rather than just the oil boy profiteers.
Yet again, as with the stadium, we are promised a mountain when we might get a rise.
Peter: I think that it would be morally wrong for the DCC to profit from making P, because it causes harm. On the other hand, there is no problem with the DCC investing in petroleum production because this activity is, on the whole, beneficial to the people of the planet. In fact, it would be reckless, and morally wrong, to follow Jinty’s global de-energizing plan and deprive current and future generations of this low-cost energy source and the consequently good standard of living that we now enjoy. Prosperity builds on prosperity, and so global increases in energy and transport costs will also cause harm to our children and grandchildren as well as ourselves.
Jinty and her Sustainable friends keep preaching the perils of Global Warming, and can’t believe that there has been no warming for the last 15 years. The Climate Crusaders at the IPCC are struggling to explain this “hiatus” as they call it. The inability to explain the last 15 years of no warming, destroys the credibility of their claim that the warming period of 1975 to 1998 was caused by human activities. More here >> http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/your-say/288838/ipcc-and-climate-science#comment-52097
@January 23, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Jimmy Jones said:
“Jinty’s global de-energizing plan and deprive current and future generations of this low-cost energy source and the consequently good standard of living that we now enjoy. Prosperity builds on prosperity, and so global increases in energy and transport costs will also cause harm to our children and grandchildren as well as ourselves.”
This is so true. As I said before, the mayor and Jinty and the NZ greens are so far behind the ‘8 ball’ it isn’t funny. For example in Germany, that centre of ‘greenism’, the reality of this is biting home. We read today that Germany’s energy revolution has gone sour, as have its efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “Energiewende” policy aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent between 1990 and 2020, mostly by closing coal-fired power plants and boosting renewable energy. Yet in 2013, coal burning soared to its highest level for more than 20 years.
Then, last week, economy and energy minister Sigmar Gabriel said he will slash wind and solar subsidies by a third, to cut rising energy bills. Subsidies for renewables currently cost German consumers €23 billion a year.
Merkel is also shutting down Germany’s nuclear power plants, its largest source of low-carbon energy. This means emissions, which had fallen by 27 per cent by 2011, are now on the rise.
The fact of the matter is that to sustain its industry and to maintain its standard of living it has to maintain its energy supply. So do we.
### dunedintv.co.nz January 22, 2014 – 7:12pm
Your word on the economic benefits of offshore drilling
Anadarko’s plans to drill off the coast of Otago has divided the region, with many people voicing their opinions on the issue. Some are concerned about the environmental effects the drilling could cause, while others feel it could boost the Dunedin economy and produce more jobs.
Video
Now that Shearer’s gone from the top at Labour, is Norman still pushing this? (too tired of greenie rubbish to check it out)
Received Wednesday, 22 January 2014 4:36 p.m.
Anonymous says:
Press release from the Greens. Dr Norman telling the world that it is the Greens’ intention if elected to have cheaper petrol. That would seem to be a contradiction to them wanting to slow down and stop the use of fossil fuels. Cheaper petrol will only encourage people to use their cars etc more. It would appear that Dr Norman and his cronies at the Greens are only publicity seekers, and just make statements to suit the issue of the day. I wonder if Jinty and Dave support cheaper petrol ?
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### whaleoil.co.nz April 19, 2013
Labour/Green co-press release on Petrol
by Cameron Slater
NEW ZEALAND GREEN PARTY PRESS RELEASE
EMBARGO: Noon, Friday 19 April 2013
Bolstered by our success with the joint-policy statement between the Green Party and the Labour Party made yesterday, Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman and Labour Party leader David Shearer announce that the next New Zealand government will make petrol cheaper for everyone.
“New Zealanders are sick of seeing their petrol prices rise year after year. They are at the behest of greedy multi-nationals that charge whatever the market is willing to pay”, said Dr Russel Norman.
“When the New Zealand dollar goes up, it takes them weeks to lower the price, but when the New Zealand dollar goes down, every service station increases the price overnight. Even when a manufactured overseas crisis causes fake threats to our fuel supply, the petrol companies are the first to increase our pricing, keeping them artificially high for as long as possible”.
“I am proud to announce our new initiative, Kiwi-Fuel. A single bulk-buying entity that will purchase all fuel in New Zealand at a highly competitive rate, and then on-sell it to the consumer at a modest markup.”
“Using the Pharmac model, and our much lauded Kiwi-Power initiative announced yesterday, Kiwi-Fuel will guarantee an efficient, state-run, country-wide fuel supply for all kiwis.”
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2013/04/labourgreen-co-press-release-on-petrol/
To cch (climate change hysteria), the ducal say ‘phooey’. We’ll worry about that rubbish when the Shoreline is at Hillside. Ned Ludd, by the way, wasnt opposed to new tech, just to its ill advised and wrongful application.
Dr. Norman and the Greenies policy is for cheaper petrol = more petrol used = more use of fossil fuels = more climate change. Whose side are the Greenies on ?
Page 7 today’s ODT: “2013 among hottest since 1880.” So what? Around 1880 was the end of the ‘little Ice Age’ so it has been a warming trend on and off ever since. In the same time the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere has moved from 285 parts per million to 400 ppm now. That’s 0.0280% to 0.0400%, a gain of 0.0115%. To believe that these “margin of error” numbers herald the end of the earth is really drawing a very long bow. Think about it, the rest of the atmosphere is made up of 999,720 or 999,600 parts of other gases. A difference of 120 parts.
“Another concerning effect of global warming is the melting of sea ice in the Arctic, which is expected to cause sea-level to rises that will in time endanger coastal communities around the world.”
Now every third former who does science will know that melting of sea ice has absolutely no effect on sea level. If that is the calibre of science Mr Tom Karl director of NOAA’s Climatic Data Centre displays then I rest my case. Dave and Jinty, please take note.
Cavin: I’m interested in how you got your “margin of error” here – just because something’s very small doesn’t mean it has a large margin of error, and to discard a number as unworkable just because it’s very small would mean that we would have no silicon chips which are nowadays manufactured to sizes of 0.0000000200M – but with an error limit that is far lower – without people being able to.
(and a note about percentages you may have missed in high school: 10,000 parts per million is 1%, 115 parts per million is 0.0115%, not 0.000115%).
### ODT Online Wed, 29 Jan 2014
Opinion
Oil users cannot deny drillers
By Bill Wells
Those who drive cars and oppose petroleum drilling off Dunedin are exhibiting classic “not-in-my-back-yard” attitudes, writes Bill Wells, of Dunedin. They let others assume the risks they are unwilling to shoulder.
Read more
• Dr Wells, a part-time lecturer in the chemistry department at the University of Otago, has more than 35 years of industrial experience, nearly all in alternative fuels to replace petrol. He has delivered more than 50 papers at international symposiums, and served as a White House adviser on oxygenated fuels.
### dunedintv.co.nz January 30, 2014 – 7:00pm
Oil Free Otago planning protest for Anadarko arrival
Anti-oil and gas group Oil Free Otago is planning a sea-borne protest for the arrival the Anadarko oil drilling vessel.
Video
### ODT Online Fri, 31 Jan 2014
Protests planned against drill ship
By Chris Morris
Protesters are vowing to ”peacefully confront” Anadarko’s drill ship when it arrives off Otago’s coast, but another seismic survey vessel working for oil giant Shell has already slipped into the area. Aquila Explorer was yesterday beginning work on a two-dimensional seismic survey in the Great South Basin, southeast of Otago Peninsula.
Read more
Mike, I admit I posted one 0 too many. But my point is that I believe that far too much emphasis is placed on the CO2 effect. Why? Because there have been times in the past when the rates have been as high or higher and the world didn’t come to an end. When you have people like the director of the world body NOAA making the claim (as recently reported in the ODT) that the melting of the Arctic sea ice is threatening sea rises in turn threatening low lying communities, I have to wonder. It is very basic science which shows that sea ice melting has no effect on the levels, no more than the freezing does. When water freezes it expands in volume but not weight. By around 10% in fact depending on salinity. But that 10% increase rises above the sea level as in icebergs. When it melts it simply reduces in volume and reverts to the mean. No change. It is land based ice which would make the rise if it melted and ended up in the oceans. It is an accepted fact that the Antarctic land based ice is growing incrementally as we speak. So if anything, one might see ocean levels dropping, albeit it in a very minor way.
It is these type of ‘gaffs’ which make me wonder.
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{Calvin’s earlier comment has been corrected. -Eds}
(it’s 2 extra 0s remember making a percentage involves multiplying by 100)
I agree that arctic sea ice isn’t an issue – it’s Greenland and Antarctica that’s a real issue though.
Like that ‘Turkey’ that got stuck in the ice down there around Christmas?
Hey don’t make light Mick, all that build-up at the poles makes it hell for shipping ;) make sure you got a heavy duty icebreaker at your disposal, always.
The worry in Antarctica is of course that the ice that’s sitting on land will head for the ocean – global warming is expected to make the glaciers speed up, the result would be MORE sea ice around Antarctica, not less – I guess we’ll start seeing things like icebergs floating past our coast or something
Remember ~60% of the world’s fresh water, if it all melted the sea would rise by ~70m – if 2% melted South Dunedin would be gone
In yer dreams Mike. Ain’t gonna happen. Here we are cycling and plagued by scientific drivel about end of the world climate change. At the same time we’re destroying pine seedlings since carbon credits are now worth nothing. My retreat with the flat earth society continues.
yeah! rrrrrrrrrrright.
Mike, the Greenland ice disappeared largely during the Medieval Warming Period, to the extent that a Viking pastoral society settled and survived through to the Little Ice Age when they retreated. The Little Ice Age petered out by around the mid/late 1800s and we have been in a warming trend since. I guess the much dreaded methane escaped from the frozen tundra then as well. Strangely, the world didn’t come to an end then either. But of course, the IPCC have never acknowledged the MWP nor the LIA. Didn’t fit their computer models. Nor did the RomanWP nor the Dark Ages which followed, up until the MWP.
People used to live in Dogerland too
I don’t believe that the Greenland ice sheet has largely melted in recent history – I’m pretty sure scientists use it for collecting historic ice cores going back up to 100,000 years – I think it has probably melted around the edges though
Just in…
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/289976/antarctic-ice-shelves-risk-collapse
yes but they themselves breaking free wont raise the sea level, they’re already floating in it – as I said we’ll likely see more icebergs wandering past Dunedin – what they will do is free up the glaciers they are currently fed by speed up as they have less holding them back – it’s having more ice coming off the continent into the sea that’s the problem
Elizabeth
January 31, 2014 at 10:07 pm
replying to Elizabeth. Yesterday I sat through 2 hours of a televised broadcast of a hearing of the UK parliamentary committee for Energy and Climate Change. Giving evidence were Protagonists Brian Hoskins, Myles Allen and Peter Stott, with the sceptics – Lindzen, Laframboise and Lewis.
It is perfectly plain that they have absolutely no idea of what causes climate change or what to do about it.
The main ‘take away’ for me could be summarised with this exchange between the Chairman of the committee, Tim Yeo and Professor Lindzen.
Tim Yeo: Are there any areas of climate science you would consider settled?
Lindzen: I think we agree that man should have some effect. And I think we agree that climate changes. And these are the areas that people point to when they say there is consensus. But none of this tells us there is a problem.
Yeo: Do you go further and say we shouldn’t do anything about it?
Lindzen: I’m saying that not only we don’t know what to do about it but that almost everything proposed would have very certain consequences for people – and very uncertain consequences for the environment . . . It is clear that there is no policy that is better than doing nothing.”
Like you Elizabeth I have retreated from the ‘Flat Earth’ society.
Mick, thanks for that. I feel much better. China can ‘mandate and control’ clean-up of its gross misuse of environment… And NZ can fly a new brand flag to distract from dairying’s ruination of the great percentage of our waterways. Better than wasting time on worrying climate change myths.
Elizabeth
There is a great saying that is even written into a song that says “Watch the Doughnut not the Hole” which pretty much sums up this whole distraction affair. It’s a bit like the peanut and thimble trick. Politicians are adept with it. But Lindzen is saying much more. He is referring to the enormous waste of resources that this inanity has already caused. It is presently causing poverty in Europe and could result in their economic ruin if not checked. That is certain while the other issue regarding climate is simply not known. As to sea level rise – the data shows that we know even less. We are being led by blatant speculation. “Chicken Licken” anyone?
Elizabeth, that’s the word. POLLUTION! Forget about anthropogenic global warming, think about all the crap gathering in the oceans, land fills and just tossed anywhere, that’s what Jinty and her mates should be concerned about. Fossil fuels are not the great OGRE! we really need to face.
Calvin, I rest my case.
### ODT Online Sat, 1 Feb 2014
Pro-drilling councillor criticises MP’s stance
By Chris Morris
A Dunedin city councillor has accused Dunedin North Labour MP David Clark of putting votes before jobs as the debate over exploratory gas drilling heats up in the South. The comments by Cr Andrew Whiley – a vocal supporter of gas exploration off the Otago coast – were made in his new role as spokesman for the gas supporters’ group Pro Gas Otago.
Read more