Make it 1000%!
OPINION: The appendage swinging contest between the US and China continues, with China hitting back with a new rate of 125% on the US, up from the 84% announced earlier.
OPINION: The Hound would be a rich canine if he got a dollar for every time he's heard multi-national, fundraising organisation Greenpeace claim the answer to NZ's climate change challenge is to ban synthetic fertiliser.
However, according to the latest figures of NZ's greenhouse gas inventory, published in April this year, banning synthetic fertiliser won't make much difference.
It shows that while ag emissions make up 50% of the country's GHGs, nitrous oxide from synthetic fertilisers only makes up 4% of these ag emissions and therefore just 2% of NZ's total GHG emissions.
So, banning synthetic fertilisers in NZ would make a negligible reduction in our country's GHG output.
Perhaps Greenpeace should spend more time doing the maths on what actually might have made a real difference to our emissions profile than making up silly claims that just don't add up.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
New Zealand's TBfree programme has made great progress in reducing the impact of the disease on livestock herds, but there’s still a long way to go, according to Beef+Lamb NZ.
With much of the North Island experiencing drought this summer and climate change projected to bring drier and hotter conditions, securing New Zealand’s freshwater resilience is vital, according to state-owned GNS Science.
OPINION: Otago farmer and NZ First MP Mark Patterson is humble about the role that he’s played in mandating government agencies to use wool wherever possible in new and refurbished buildings.
For Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms, the decision to open the service to those in rural areas is a personal one.
The golden age of orcharding in West Auckland was recently celebrated at the launch of a book which tells the story of its rise, then retreat in the face of industry change and urban expansion.