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The invasion of the Icebergs - first time they have been seen in New Zealand waters for 75 years!

 

 

Just an update of the very cold phenomenon that has been occurring south of New Zealand - my "Scotch on the Rocks" - the invasion of the icebergs!

As I wrote earlier the proposed flights to see the icebergs would be popular - dozens of helicopter flights have actually taken place during the last week; a number of Australians among them too! Bringing in the tourist money as well!

Somebody stated yesterday that people are probably tired of watching Kangaroos over in the Aussie bush - they can fly out and see something that hasn't been seen in seventy five years - an invasion of icebergs.

Good for blogging subjects and uses for money too! Bit of humor goes a long way for the writers of blogs as well!

Some of the smaller icebergs are melting but the bigger ones will be around a lot longer. One monster is about a kilometer in length. It will keep bringing in the tourist money for a while yet!

Update Monday: Another giant iceberg has been spotted south of Stewart Island. Also claims that people are actually getting down onto the icebergs for a walk on the cool side!

Paranoid US State Department condemned for its bullying tactics - vetoes the sale of obsolete NZ Defence Force Equipment!

A paranoid US State Department vetoed the sale of obsolete New Zealand Defence Force equipment - airforce strike aircraft sale delayed indefinately, and army armoured personnel carriers sold only for scrap.

The NZ Army has sold off its Vietnam era fleet of 48 APC for scrap.The M113 tracked carriers have been sold for NZ$500,000 - half the deal it had negotiated in good faith last year with a private Australian collector.

The deal was stopped in its tracks by the US State Department, who vetoed the sale under the terms of the original 1969 purchase agreement.

Now the carriers will be melted down under NZ Defence Force supervision, during the six weeks before Christmas. Fourteen of the vehicles will be retained by the NZ Army Museum in the Waiouru Army Base in the central North Island.

It is outdated 1950's technology - which would hardly come back to bite the US on the backside even if they got into the wrong hands - and the best price based on what could be done with the obsolete vehicles in the final analysis.

Each vehicle will be destroyed, witnessed by Defence Force personnel, and a destruction certificate issued for each vehicle. That meets the terms of the US State Department and the successful bid company in Australia - a very detailed process.

The NZ Government's decision to sell off its Vietnam era Skyhawk strike aircraft and Macchi airtrainers to private US interests, has been stymied by the US State Department. For a number of years the NZ Government has had to spend millions of dollars maintaining the aircraft.

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team are on the road to the Rugby World Cup in France next year - end of year northern tour!

 

The New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team are on the road to the Rugby World Cup in France next year.

They played England yesterday morning our time and won by 41-20, then two tests against France, and then Wales.They have selected a thirty man squad that is very interchangeable in some positions - but headed by the best open side flanker in the world, skipper, Richie McCaw, and the man often described as the best rugby player in world rugby, No 10, Dan Carter.

Australia and South Africa are also touring Britain, Australia struggling to a draw with Wales overnight.

The All Blacks have come off a very good season with only one loss against South Africa, after the tri-nations tournament against them and Australia was already won. The All Blacks also won the Bledisloe Cup against Australia this year.

Their goal is to win the Rugby World Cup in France next year.This is now the Holy Grail of rugby, something which has eluded the greatest brand in world rugby since the very first world cup held in New Zealand in 1987.

Despite the Kyoto protocol the industrial world's greenhouse gas emissions grow - what next?

 

Despite the Kyoto protocol the industrial world's greenhouse gas emissions are growing again.What will it mean in the future?

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change claimed in its annual update that the US is firmly entrenched as the world's biggest pollutor.Somehow the US will have to reduce its pollution to help the rest of the world.Continued global warming and greenhouse gas emissions are not inevitable.

Emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat trapping gases actually fell in the 1990's after the collapse of the old Soviet bloc and the shutdown of old polluting factories and power plants in Eastern Europe.

Now that tells you that it is possible to reduce the problems of greenhouse gases and global warming - where there is a will there must be a way. Lets find it!

But we have to look at why the old Eastern European economies are now rebounding and contributing to a 2.4% a year rise in emissions by the 41 industrial nations between 2000 and 2004.

Yvo de Boer, head of the UN climate treaty secreteriat, said that industrialised countries will need to intensify their efforts to implement strong policies which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Scientists attribute a rise of .06 degrees celsius in global temperatures in the past century at least in part to the accumalation of greenhouse gases, a trend they say will lead to climate disruptions. Perhaps the six year drought in Australia, and forest fires in the US are clear examples of climatic disruption. Even adverse winter conditions in Europe in recent years could be attributal to climatic disruption as well.

Britain has reacted to the UN report by stating that it is looking at a series of green measures to help combat climate change, including higher taxes on cars, air travel, fuel and lighting.

The world awaits the biggest pollutor, the US, on ways it proposes to combat future global warming and greenhouse emissions.How will China contribute towards a reduction in global warming, considering its increased industrialisation?

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