Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4h

Well this cheers me up

Foxy @foxylustygrover.bsky.social · 10h

@shakingstick.bsky.social please I need to know what/where this is?

Robert Hernandez @webjournalist.bsky.social · 16h

It’s tradition that when you see the frogs, you show them respect 🫡

(Someone should do the Creed cut with the footage)

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 12h

‘Never pick a fight with people who order ink by the barrel’ is an old truism, but do they any more? Probably need a new paradigm in the post-mass media age…

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 12h

Auckland’s once paper of record, the Herald, senior local affairs reporter wrote 0 articles on the race, even taking an overseas holiday as the campaign reached its peak. ‘No-one cares about city politics’ no doubt is the excuse, well no one can if all they are feed is imported gossip, for clicks.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 12h

Well done media, you achieved this brilliantly, your campaign to nearly completely ignore AKL’s local elections has flowed on to its inevitable outcome. Accelerating your own irrelevance simultaneously -> www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Auckland records lowest turnout in local elections

“Vote today or let someone else choose Auckland's representatives for you,” Aucklanders are told, with local body elections entering the home straight.

www.thepost.co.nz

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 14h

LA and Auckland are sister cities. AKL followed LA last mid-century in ripping out its tram network and going all in on highways and sprawl. Now both are trying to retro-fit Rapid transit networks, and legalise more compact living.
Necessary correction.

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 15h

California legalizes life near public transit! Governor Newsom has signed SB 79. My thoughts: humantransit.org/2025/10/cali...

California Legalizes Life Near Public Transit — Human Transit

OK, the headline is a little exaggerated, but California’s Senate Bill 79, authored by Senator Scott Wiener and just signed by Governor Newsom, is a game-changer. It prohibits most cities from forbid...

humantransit.org

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

Jennifer Ward @jenospeno.bsky.social · 1d

“…the proven merits of renewables and the work already underway to grow their contribution must be central to the continuing debate. “ theconversation.com/why-does-nzs...

Why does NZ’s new energy plan sideline renewables and ignore progress made already?

The government’s energy package is unnecessarily preoccupied with fossil fuels and ignores important reform work already underway.

theconversation.com

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

The Spinoff @thespinoff.bsky.social · 1d

Nation upset at the inevitable result of its own actions

Step one: push people out of work and onto the streets. Step two: get mad at people being out of work or on the streets...

thespinoff.co.nz

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 2d

Penthouse and Listener. Oh dear.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 2d

“World’s Most Liveable City”
-interview to follow.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 2d

Last week I caught up with the grand-daddy of the City Rail Link, the first Auckland Plan, and first City Centre Master Plan. The combined Auckland Council OG Mayor Len Brown. A great deal of good things are now completing that he began. Most important lesson - it all begins with vision:

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 2d

The historically volatile Texas grid was entirely stable this summer, despite extreme temperatures. Grid operators never once had to ask Texans to conserve energy or shut off their air conditioners.

Why? Solar & batteries. Want a stable grid? Try solar & batteries.

Solar and batteries had a record-setting, grid-stabilizing summer in…

Solar has set 17 power generation records in Texas so far this year, shoring up the grid alongside batteries as some gas plant developers step back.

www.canarymedia.com

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 13d

Looks like a good time in the news cycle to tackle three big myths 🧵
❌ NZ pension costs are an unsustainable burden ❌
Seriously, no, for lots of reasons.
1. Our current Govt spending on pensions is low compared to most other advanced economies. And... [1/n]

Graph of public pension costs as % of GDP for OECD countries in 2021 (latest data). NZ is lower quartile at around 5.1%. OECD average is 7.8%. Plenty of Euro countries are around 10% or above.

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

Margaret Stanley @ecostanley.bsky.social · 3d

Check out NZ Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment's report: 3 points politicians should agree on: 1) our economy is a subset of the environment, not vice versa, 2) critical importance of high-quality spatial data, 3) be realistic about time frames/costs of tackling env. problems. #Aotearoa 🧪🌏

Annual report for the year ended 30 June 2025

The Commissioner has released his annual report for the year ended 30 June 2025. Here is an abbreviated version of his overview. The full version can be read here.

pce.parliament.nz

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 3d

What makes biz go delusional about the economy? Oh yeah, their party in power.
How great is the gap between reality + generally agreed right-wing public policy? Dead wrong about public finances + society, no matter how good they are at running own businesses? Via @bernardchickey.bsky.social

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Reposted by Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland

Mark Gongloff @markgongloff.bsky.social · 8d

"Spain’s rapid renewables build-out means its power prices were set by fossil generation just 19% of the time, down from 75% in 2019. As a result, wholesale electricity was almost a third cheaper than the EU average"

Imagine having cheaper power

Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Spain’s Renewable-Energy Boom Loosens Gas’s Grip on Power Prices

Soaring renewables output in Spain is weakening gas’s grip on electricity prices, setting the country apart from much of Europe where fossil fuels still dictate the cost of power.

www.bloomberg.com

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

Well, Modernism is so last century… (heheh)

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

^Cartoon above by Auckland architect Malcolm Walker

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

Robbie says:

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

*Sculpture by Toby Twiss

Auckland Rapid Transit Network (RTN) plan with red showing combined rail and busway network as will be in 2027, and two further busways ‘in design’ in green. One thing I will do if elected is push for unified branding of this top tier system as ART Auckland Rapid Transit.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

Here with great Auckland Mayor Sir Dove-Meyer ‘Robbie’ Robinson, in office 1968-80, famous for trying to build a Rapid Transit systems ‘Robbie’s Rail’. So overdue, but also now within reach. My top priority, and what really started my involvement in AKl policy:

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 4d

Two great heritage buildings in downtown Auckland, shot on my phone. The Old Customs House 1888, now ironically a duty free store, and West Plaza 1974 by Neville Price. Both buildings more than a little derivative, the later inspired by Ponti’s Pirelli Tower 1958, Milan. The former, well obviously..

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 5d

96.59% is broad gauge. Of which 97.05% (Feb 2025) is electrified.
I think it’s reasonable to describe that as ‘almost 100%’

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 5d

But, the logistics of running a library and fixing the building around it, is much worse. The is about creating a much better up to date purpose built library. And it can stay as it is, where it is, until the new home is ready.

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Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland @patrickreynolds.bsky.social · 5d

Yes. India is both electrifying its remaining population + decarbonising what is still a dirty system. Direction of travel is already impressive (2024: 10% solar + wind). Both China + India have already made the massive achievement of halting fossil growth. Detail below:
youtu.be/qMrn-JewoCo?...

What India Gets Right About The Energy Transition | Ep226: Dr Arunabha Ghosh

YouTube video by Cleaning Up Podcast

youtu.be

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