I did wonder.
Jinters gave a bright breezy “Kia ora Elizabeth” as I stepped into the Council Chamber today. A changed woman.
Ah! Daaave was back from China.
And this:
Email received from ‘Senior Communications Advisor, Communications and Marketing’, Dunedin City Council
Subject: Media release – DCC welcomes global coalition on climate change
The international Compact of Mayors – which the DCC has committed to – has joined forces with the European Union Covenant of Mayors to tackle climate change. The new Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy will be the world’s largest collation of mayors supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low carbon economy – a coalition the DCC has welcomed.
More details are in the attached release.
This will also be sent to media shortly.
Best regards
Dunedin City Council – Media Release
DCC welcomes global coalition on climate changeDunedin (Mon, 27 June 2016) – Dunedin City Council has welcomed the international Compact of Mayors joining forces with the European Union Covenant of Mayors to tackle climate change. The world’s two primary city-led climate change and energy initiatives last week announced they will combine efforts and leadership to accelerate climate action at the local level across the globe. The new Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy will be the world’s largest coalition of mayors supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low carbon economy.
Dunedin City Council last year passed a series of resolutions aimed at addressing climate change, including a commitment to the Compact of Mayors.
Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, “I am pleased to see the Compact of Mayors join forces with the EU Covenant of Mayors. The coalition recognises the need for significant and urgent action on climate change and allows for greater collaboration between cities across the globe to achieve this. This strong, global agreement also demonstrates that climate change is now a core issue for communities throughout the world. On my recent visit to China, civic leaders from Shanghai, Qingdao and Qingyuan all acknowledged the growing challenges to their cities of climate induced inundation of one type or another.”
As a Compact of Mayors signatory, the DCC has already committed to measuring greenhouse gas emissions, setting and reporting against reduction targets and adopting an action plan. Mr Cull says work is already underway on achieving both first and second year compliance within the first year of commitment. This involves completing a community-wide emissions inventory and identifying vulnerabilities and hazards. The next steps will be meeting third year compliance which involves developing strategic actions to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change.
“The DCC is committed to mitigating the effects of climate change. We’ve taken a number of significant first steps in this direction in recent times including divesting our shares from fossil fuel companies, agreeing to gradually introduce electric vehicles to the DCC fleet, investing in more active transport and adopting an Energy Plan just to name a few. As we move into implementation of our Energy Plan and the setting of our Compact greenhouse gas target, we will be doing so as part of a network of cities committed to action on climate change.”
The Covenant of Mayors was launched in 2008 by the European Union after the adoption of the 2020 European Union Climate and Energy Package.
The Compact of Mayors was launched in September 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R Bloomberg.
Both initiatives have supported participating local governments in setting ambitious climate reduction goals, taking ambitious action to meet those objectives and measuring their progress publicly and transparently.
The new single initiative builds on the commitment of more than 7,100 cities from 119 countries and six continents, representing more than 600 million people.
More information about the new initiative is available at http://www.compactofmayors.org
For more information
Dave Cull
Mayor of Dunedin
027 434 6917
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![The side that is far. Gary Larson [via funnyjunk.com]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/the-side-that-is-far-gary-larson-via-funnyjunk-com.jpg)
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Updated post Tue, 28 Jun 2016
Comment at ODT Online:
Mayors
Submitted by Otakou on Tue, 28/06/2016 – 4:43am.With the proliferation of cycleways around the world and the new conclave of mayors all tilting like Don Quixote at the climate, none of them obviously having read of King Canute’s bureacracy inspired attempts to stop the tide on Hastings beach, I hereby offer a new declension of a group of city mayors.
An inanity of Mayors.
Let us hope we do not get an inane one in October!
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
*Image: funnyjunk.com – the side that is far. Day 14. The penguins still haven’t realized I am in fact a polar bear. Gary Larson.
What if? Dunedin... 
The parade of Lemmings.
Lead by Celia Wade-Brown, Dave Cull and Lawrence Yule.
If it did not have such unfavourable likelihood of large attacks on our wallets, it might have been amusing.
The fables of the emperor without clothes and chicken little come to mind.
Life imitating art!
Ah, I knew there was a better one. Mick Field could do a beaut of this one.
Don Mayor Cull- Quixote on his fabulous camel complete with Hopples (shackles) accompanied by Sancho MacTavish on a brand new donated bike from the bike barn, down in South Dunedin tilting at the South Dunedin police station being inundated by flooding mudtanks!!
Go Mick!
Johnny Fever was seen all perky downtown. When asked ‘What’s up?’, he replied ‘What if? You mean. Tilda has been released and writing Broadsides again’. ‘But, Doctor Febrile’, posited I, ‘broadsides is artillery’. ‘Broadsides’, said John, ‘is the Free Press, only online. You know what they say’.
‘No, what do they say, superannuated DJ?’
‘Nihil utile quod non honestum, that’s what’.
“Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, “I am pleased to see the Compact of Mayors join forces with the EU Covenant of Mayors.” ‘
I could go with compactum of mayors, for tidy storage. Compactor of mayors, reducing space needed for storage. Other than those I’ll go with Otakou, http://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/387939/learning-cycleway-errors#comment-85524
“….An inanity of Mayors.
Let us hope we do not get an inane one in October!”
Thankyou. Thankyou. Thankyou.
I think Otakou deserves to be cited in full, in an update to our post on the Compact Short-man Mayor.
Haaaaaa *guffaw
The Short-man Mayor struts The Planet,
leaving Dunedin ratepayers and residents with burning holes in their pockets. Fairness and assistance to the Dunedin community is not on the Ego-automatic Cull-o-meter —Not, when Our Leader is to save penguins from thick furry polar bears, and ensure there is “building business” for the seaside sharks ready to throw people out of their first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth generation homes at South Dunedin on the Sea. What a fucking hero!
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Tue, 28 Jun 2016
ODT: Cull praises climate move
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull has lauded the latest efforts by international cities to tackle climate change. […] “On my recent visit to China, civic leaders from Shanghai, Qingdao and Qingyuan all acknowledged the growing challenges to their cities of climate induced inundation of one type or another.” […] Mr Cull said the council was working on achieving first and second-year compliance within the first year of commitment.
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Lesson: Too much of the Minties and you’re freaking stuffed.
Another cheap silk scarf or three from Communist China for decoration and sexy slaying.
“Seven thousand one hundred” cities from “one hundred and nineteen countries”? I wonder if Dave Cull or Cr MacTavish can confirm just which cities these are, and their actual commitments? At least it is not “ninety seven per cent,” like the scientists reputedly backing Climate Change.
This smacks of ill-informed good intentions aimed at the slaying of ‘non existent Dragons’ based not on any ’empirical’ data, but on the non performing computer models conjured up by dim witted people that don’t understand how they have been duped by the UN backed IPCC.
If King Dave would only pause for a moment and ask himself: ‘where is the empirical evidence of this supposed happening and why is it that there is not actually any measurable rise in the world’s median temperature over the last eighteen years’? Indeed why is it that the only definitive sea level data over no less than 100 years, shows a constant average rise of just 1.4mm per year? Is it foolish, if not reckless, to embark on serious costing mitigation moves against something which may not in fact be happening? Is this the correct move in the best interests of the ratepayers?
Incredible as it may seem, this Mayor and a majority of council seem beholden to this nonsense, which is a concerning factor that ought to be seriously considered by all voters come October.
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{From an earlier comment by JimmyJones (our bolding):
“By the way, at the officially established rate of sea-level rise of 1.3mm/yr, it would take many centuries to reach that level. See Hannah+Bell (2012) for details Regional sea level trends in New Zealand -Eds}
I took the opportunity at Eds. suggestion to read in full the paper, ‘Regional sea level trends in New Zealand’ (2012), by Hannah + Bell, University of Otago.
This is a fascinating paper which does tend to confirm Dunedin’s ‘mean sea level rise at a consistent 1.3mm/yr.’ However the figure of 1.7mm +/- 0.1mm I mentioned per year seems to be an overall NZ wide average. Extrapolating this figure by 85 years to 2100 it is plain to see that sea level rise by then will be just 144.5mm increase from today. A very far cry from the apocalyptic projections of our mayor, and aspiring mayoral candidate Aaron Hawkins, or Cr Jinty MacTavish, who slavishly follow the dictates of the IPCC and the report of Ms Wright commissioned by the central government. Those predictions forecast sea level rises of between 800mm and 1.6metres in that time period.
This of course brings up the point of why it is that both Hannah and Bell are silent on this discussion. One could be excused from thinking that perhaps these two have been cautioned from going public in defense of their findings, (or indeed those of Prof Blair Harris’ counter opinions given in response to requests from the DCC) by the University of Otago or the government’s policies. This could involve the matter of study grants being available or not, the life blood of these bodies.
Whatever, it certainly behoves the mayor and council to look very seriously for evidence that empirically supports their fears. Failure to do so would be an act of irresponsible recklessness in the ratepayers’ interests.
The only way “predictions forecast sea level rises of between 800mm and 1.6metres” can work out, is if there is a great acceleration in the rate of rise.
Has anyone seen the climate change “experts’ ” calculations or other bases for this necessary condition for their depth predictions to be within coo-ee of real?
Douglas Field supplied this useful link and the comment “God knows what motivated Maurice Strong – he was bit into oil in the early days – but then it seems he became power hungry. He buggered off to live in China – I think (from memory) to avoid going to jail.”
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### wattsupwiththat.com June 26, 2016
Watts Up With That ? :
The Tangled Web of Global Warming Activism
By Guest Blogger / 2 days ago
Guest Opinion: Dr. Tim Ball
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) wrote,
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”
There were several actions required to create the tangled web of deception relating to the claim that human-produced CO2 caused global warming. It involved creating smaller deceptions to control the narrative that instead of creating well-woven cloth became the tangled web. The weavers needed control of the political, scientific, economic inputs, as well as the final message to the politicians to turn total attention on CO2.
Their problem was the overarching need for scientific justification, because science, if practiced properly, inherently precludes control. Properly, you go where the science takes you, by disproving the hypothesis. However, before the planners could get to the science, they had to establish the political framework.
The framework was built around the need to prove the anthropogenic global warming hypothesis (AGW), which held that global warming was inevitable. The assumptions, required of any hypothesis, were that:
● CO2 was a greenhouse gas that slowed the rate of heat escape from the atmosphere.
● An increase in CO2 would cause a global temperature increase,
● Atmospheric CO2 would increase because of human activity,
● Industrial development achieved by burning fossil fuels was the major source of human CO2, production
● Industrial development would increase,
● Temperature increase was inevitable in a ‘business as usual’ world.
Politics […] The overall objectives of Agenda 21 (details here: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/outcomedocuments/agenda21 ) are masked in platitudes and the moral high ground of saving the planet, but the reality is to use the environment in general as the basis for a political agenda……
Science […] The next political objective was to narrow the science to CO2. This was achieved by limiting the scientific target through a definition of climate change produced by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This eliminated almost all natural causes of climate and climate change for a predetermined result……
Economics […] From the first report in 1990, IPCC predictions were wrong. It quickly endangered the objective of blaming CO2 and required a different more controlled approach. The response was to change from predictions based on climate variables to creating projections that put CO2 at the centre……
Read more
Maurice Strong, Canadian, undersec to the UN Sec Gen, could hardly ‘bugger off The Live’ in China. He’s dead. (Think I’ll go up to Alberta, weather’s fine there in the Fall..)
Wikipedia: Strong was an active honorary professor at Peking University and honorary chairman of its Environmental Foundation.
LOL.
That’s not to say he didn’t go to live in China to avoid jail. But what a good tale if true. I shall feather some research, a commission to find either way.
No one’s saying M Strong did a ‘lively’. Mr and Mrs Strong look a ‘slow boat’ to Calcutta, 1954. At the tiller was a sex crazed gorilla, and Calcutta’s a long, long way.
But I do like Mr T Ball.
alanbec
We KNOW he’s dead – but he did f*** off to China before returning to Canada. Strong died at the age of 86 on November 27, 2015 in Ottawa !
This year’s Christmas presents are coming Early to enhance the Nest, while the voting public SLEEP —and while ODT makes tiny wee mentions we all can miss away from the Front Page. Did I say, Miss !
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ODT 28.6.16 (page 4)
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Received from Jeff Dickie [ODT declined to publish]
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 at 12:03 p.m.
DCC rates rise
[DCC] again expose their fiscal ineptitude and try and hoodwink ratepayers that a 3% rise is acceptable. Inflation has now been at 0.1% for quite a while, making a 3% rise 30 times inflation! It isn’t too far back that inflation was 3%. How acceptable would a 90% increase in rates have been? Dunedin desperately needs new leadership that isn’t obsessed with populist silly projects like cycleways, endless trips to China, Japan, Edinburgh, and ratepayer part-funded trips to Oxford UK. The shameful handling of the South Dunedin flooding, mudtank failures, pumping station failure and general idiotic ego-fuelled obsession with trivia needs to be held to account in October. Please, not 3 more years of these incompetents! Vote Cull out!
LOCAL BODY RAT-BAG RORT ALERT
Link supplied.
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 at 6:00 p.m.
Here’s another example of WHY DCC ratepayers should NOT fund the fricking gilt-edged Mosgiel Pool project – or cycleways, or anything else, until DCC’s +$600million consolidated debt is paid off.
Are you listening Cull and seedy green-tinged Councillors ?!
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### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 18:09, June 29 2016
Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust wants more council support for performing arts
By Elena McPhee – The Marlborough Express
Marlborough’s theatre trust wants performing arts to receive more support from the council, considering Blenheim’s sports stadium receives more than $800,000 a year. The Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust is set to receive $200,000 a year for the ASB Theatre, a figure which may be increased by $190,000 at a council meeting on Thursday. By contrast, the Marlborough Lines Stadium 2000 has been receiving $839,000 a year from the Marlborough District Council. […] The suggestion to increase the ASB Theatre’s operating grant to $390,000 was part of a proposal before the council. The proposal would also see the council repaying the theatre’s $5m loans from the ASB Bank and the Rata Foundation. The council was the trust’s guarantor and it would decide on Thursday whether it starts to repay the $5m debt immediately, or waits until the loans were due. […] A report prepared for the council by Fletcher and council chief executive Mark Wheeler said the income patterns for the ASB Theatre might not be known with “a relatively high level of certainty” until 2018 or 2019. A deficit of about $190,000 was predicted for the ASB Theatre in the coming financial year.
Read more
****
### whaleoil.co.nz June 29, 2016 at 3:30pm
What the hell is going on in Marlborough?
By Cameron Slater
Brian “Where’s my Theatre?” Rudman would do well to look at the massive cost overrun of the “world-class theatre” in Marlborough. The luvvies got their cherished theatre but, being luvvies, couldn’t fund it so had to stitch up the council to get it to go ahead. A review of the new theatre’s finances has revealed the theatre trust cannot pay off its loans, as it turns to council once more to keep the project afloat. […] I detest politicians who announce grandiose plans for something to be world-class. In fifty years time, when the ratepayers of Marlborough are still paying off this boondoggle, I will guarantee you that there will be plenty more world-class theatres built to surpass this one….and likely funded by other deluded councils run by ratbags.
Read more
For Theatre read Stadium, for luvvies read sports administration, and suddenly the amount of money and the need to be world class are the absolute minimum, indeed the best possible use of rates and taxes!
Posturings and mincing gate! And that’s just sporting venues.
Total Fun! Whaleoil is having a great week on Local Body Sly.
He publishes a short email exchange over the ASB Theatre RORT at Marlborough.
Link supplied.
Thu, 30 Jun 2016 at 6:17 p.m.
Message: How the wealthy privatise profits and socialise any losses.
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### whaleoil.co.nz June 30, 2016 at 2:20pm
Bullying Mayor sends threatening late night email
By Cameron Slater
The ongoing scandal over the mismanagement of the theatre in Marlborough seems to be boiling over, with the Mayor staying up late at night sending threatening emails to a constituent.
Word on the street is that Mayor Sowman, as he signs his threatening late night emails, is feeling the pressure after being called upon to resign over the massive spending blow out on the “World-class Theatre”. This is the theatre that has projected revenue of $28,000 per week from a district with about 45,000 people, as we highlighted earlier today.
Here is the email thread.
“From: Corey Hebberd
Sent: Wednesday, 29 June 2016 8:18 p.m.
To: Mayor Sowman-7100; Jenny Andrews; Jamie Arbuckle; votejessica@[]co.nz; Graeme Barsanti; Cynthia Brooks; Brian Dawson; B Dawson – 2nd email address; Geoff Evans; Trevor Hook; Peter Jerram; John Leggett; David Oddie; Laressa Shenfield; Terry Sloan
Subject: ASB Theatre Funding
Importance: High
Dear Councillors
ASB Theatre Funding
Tomorrow, you face an incredibly hard decision on the ASB Theatre project…..”
Read what Corey says and the Mayor’s reply at http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2016/06/asb-theatre-funding/#more-258516
A lovely exploration! VOTE CULL OUT IN OCTOBER
Douglas Field Published Jul 13, 2016 | Republished Aug 17, 2016
maurice stokes the flames
The Dunedin Mayor is still in la la land. He justifies his obsession of demonising CO2 at every opportunity. Here he makes a statement as meaningless as his Chinese hosts made obscure. Here is what he said: “On my recent visit to China, civic leaders from Shanghai, Qingdao and Qingyuan all acknowledged the growing challenges to their cities of climate induced inundation of one type or another.”
Work it out! Dream on baby.