Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Charlie

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 6h

Grid scale batteries are changing our electricity system. Excellent new visual story on batteries in FT today shows just how far this technology has evolved.

Fasten your seatbelts, this is just the beginning.

ig.ft.com/mega-batteri...

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Reposted by Charlie

T&E @transportenvironment.org · 4d

Today, the equivalent of 100 mn bottles of vegetable oil are burned in cars every day, meaning a fifth of all vegetable oil is never even used for food.

By 2030, biofuels crops will require land the size of France, which would make it the 6th largest country in terms of arable land use globally.
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Reposted by Charlie

EV Curve Futurist @evcurvefuturist.com · 8h

People think we’d need to cover half of Australia in solar panels — the truth is much different. Replacing all coal power with solar would use less than 0.016% of our land, smaller than Kangaroo Island. The challenge isn’t space, it’s political will, grid upgrades & storage. ☀️⚡ #Solar #Lithium #LFP

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Reposted by Charlie

Mountain Tui @mountaintui.bsky.social · 2d

Nicola Willis promised affordable tax cuts and zero borrowings - OR she would resign.

Instead, Willis borrowed $12,000 million i.e. $12 billion & has created another $8 billion hole in the budget. She's now down $20 billion and counting #nzpol #kiwi

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Charlie @ichaber.bsky.social · 9h

It’ll be interesting to see the outcome of that.

Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 10h

WORLD’S FIRST INDUSTRIAL ELECTRIFICATION AUCTION: EU Commission releases final T&Cs for a €1B Innovation Fund pilot to decarbonise industrial process heat — scaling electrification & direct renewable heat, paving the way for the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. climate.ec.europa.eu/news-other-r...

Commission publishes Terms and Conditions for the first pilot auction for industrial heat decarbonisation with a budget of €1 billion

For the first time, the Innovation Fund will launch an auction to decarbonise industrial process heat, awarding subsidies linked to carbon abatement and paving the way for the future Industrial Decarb...

climate.ec.europa.eu

Reposted by Charlie

Climate Tracker @climate.skyfleet.blue · 12h

New Zealand accused of ‘full-blown climate denial’ over cuts to methane reduction targets #Climate

New Zealand accused of ‘full-blown climate denial’ over cuts to methane reduction targets

Farmers praised the move, but scientists and opposition parties criticised it as ‘weak’ and ‘unambitious’

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Charlie

Kieran @nug.monster · 11h

why are you talking about it as if it's up to you, you worthless cunt. You're never getting another term and I 100% guarantee you're out of the country the day after you're out.

Christopher Luxon 'very open' to Electoral Commission running local elections

Currently, local elections are run by the councils themselves.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Kirsty Johnston @kirstyjohnston.bsky.social · 13h

I thought I’d have a go at answering the question: what’s the flow on effect on emissions budgets from the methane cuts?

The answer was worse than I had anticipated

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Scientists fear weaker methane target signals wider retreat from climate action

After cutting methane targets, New Zealand has a choice: shoulder the burden at huge cost - or cause more warming to the planet.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Paul Le Comte 🇳🇿🇨🇦📷 @paullecomtephoto.nz · 13h

Absolutely heartbreaking visit to NZ's temperate glaciers on Te Tai Poutini West Coast.

Here's Kā Roimata-o-Hinehukatere Franz Joseph Glacier & Waiau (Waiho) River in Kā Tiritiri-o-te-moana the Southern Alps.

NZ's glaciers are in fast retreat due to Climate Change (see 2009 position drawn in).

View up a glacial valley towards mountains, with a flat valley floor & snow capped mountains. Lush rainforest frames the valley

This image shows how far the glacier has retreated just in 16 years - absolutely heartbreaking. The place where I took the photo was the terminal of the glacier in 1905

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Reposted by Charlie

Marc Daalder @marcdaalder.bsky.social · 18h

My analysis: The Government’s methane announcement is the policy equivalent of a steaming cowpat on cross-partisan climate consensus and international efforts to tackle the crisis.

The headline effect of a new, weaker climate target is a warmer, more dangerous world.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/13/f...

Farmers off the hook on climate means rest of us pick up the slack

Comment: The Government's methane announcement is the policy equivalent of a steaming cowpat on cross-partisan climate consensus.

newsroom.co.nz

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Charlie @ichaber.bsky.social · 15h

Good summary actually,… 😳

the Juice Media @thejuicemedia.com · 3d

The Government of New Zealand has made a new tourism ad and it's surprsingly honest and informative!

Honest Government Ad | Visit New Zealand!

YouTube video by thejuicemedia

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Charlie

Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 16h

"Hudson told Stuff his client wanted to be clear that he was not part of any protest activity outside Peters’ house." And he's being charged with burglary. So, er, not a deranged left-wing protester after all? www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Stuff

www.stuff.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Ms Hooper @mshooper.bsky.social · 23h

“ “If you want a job, go where the jobs are.”

“he told a broke, exhausted nation in recession that he was “wealthy and sorted”.

“ telling parents of poor kids that if they didn’t like the prison slop on offer in schools, make a marmite sandwich.”

“He’s a dead man walking.”
#nzpol

Christopher Luxon, like a modern day Marie Antoinette

Opinion: In his head, I think the prime minister is doing the whole tough guy bit.

www.stuff.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Russel Norman @russelnorman.bsky.social · 1d

One of the symptoms of the 'resource curse' is that Govt becomes captured by one industry. In NZ that is dairy. Methane is the dominant GHG for NZ but it is now exempt from prices or regulations to cut it, which means all other sectors have to carry the weight of emissions reductions.

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Reposted by Charlie

Nick Young @nickofnz.bsky.social · 1d

Mind blowing.

The Luxon Government has confirmed it will rewrite NZ’s once bipartisan climate change law to dilute methane reduction targets and PERMANENTLY exclude dairy from the Emissions Trading Scheme – a move Greenpeace says amounts to full-blown climate denial.
#nzpol

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Reposted by Charlie

Dave @dpdiver.bsky.social · 3d

God she's a fool. As the debt-holder, and with the debt being something she is talking about selling off, the Chorus debt *is* a bloody government asset. If someone owes you, it's an asset on your balance sheet! This is ACCY101 stuff. Most inept Minister of Finance ever! #nzpol

RNZ News Feeds @rnzrss.bsky.social · 3d

Selling Chorus securities is 'hocking off' debt not assets, Finance Minister says

The government had invested $1 billion in Chorus' fibre network.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Huia Sue @huiasue.bsky.social · 3d

1. Anne Salmond: Hunger Games in the Beehive
Radical libertarian ideologies are generating extreme inequality and ripping the social fabric of NZ, writes Anne Salmond. Don’t we want to be a place where talent wants to live?
newsroom.co.nz/2025/01/04/a...

Anne Salmond: Hunger Games in the Beehive

Comment: Radical libertarian ideologies are generating extreme inequality and ripping the social fabric of NZ, writes Anne Salmond. Don’t we want to be a place where talent wants to live?

newsroom.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Huia Sue @huiasue.bsky.social · 3d

2. Hudson told Stuff his client ( #Burglar ) wanted to be clear that he was not part of any #protest activity outside #WinstonPeters’ house

www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Man accused of burglary at Winston Peters’ house pleads not guilty, keeps name secret

The man pleaded not guilty and is not allowed to go within 1km of Winston Peters’ home.

www.stuff.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 3d

Here's the rest of the world, taking $12.6bn over the last year in net interest income (compared to $1.1bn central Govt). INCREDIBLE that is it the Govt interest payments that get the media coverage. [4/n]

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Reposted by Charlie

Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 4d

New Zealand oceans warming 34% faster than global average, putting homes and industry at risk, report finds

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...

New Zealand oceans warming 34% faster than global average, putting homes and industry at risk, report finds

NZ$180bn worth of housing and $26bn of infrastructure at risk of flooding and storm damage, new government report finds

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Charlie

James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 5d

Interesting to consider this in the context of arguments that we will not need to replace 100% of fossil fuel energy systems because renewables are much more efficient.

Christian Breyer @christianonre.bsky.social · 6d

1/ New research @lut.fi presents the first global analysis of inter-annual storage for #100RE systems in 145 regions doi.org/10.1016/j.ap.... Strategic generation overcapacity is a significantly more cost-effective solution than building massive storage.

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Reposted by Charlie

Branden McEuen but he’s spooky @bmceuen.bsky.social · 4d

I really feel like millennials especially resent the copyright theft part of these AI data centers because of this.

Strange Days at Blake Hol(e)sey High 👻 🍑 @reactionordinary.bsky.social · 4d

The RIAA was suing teenagers. We had to sit through ⬇️ this shit anytime we wanted to watch a DVD. A whole generation shamed for using Limewire and torrents. Only for these silicone valley assholes to now find copyright infringement a necessary evil they shouldn’t have to answer for

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Reposted by Charlie

RNZ News Feeds @rnzrss.bsky.social · 5d

Is this New Zealand's highest marginal tax rate?

New Jobseeker rules for teenagers mean households on certain incomes would be better off if the parents worked less, commentators say.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Charlie

Mountain Tui @mountaintui.bsky.social · 6d

Luxonomics is really killing NZ's economy #nzpol #kiwi

As economy tanks, the Coalition relishes the chance for distraction & an excuse to clamp down on protest

The right's frenzy is complete. Each step advances a clear strategy and the Greens are in their way.

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Charlie

Paul Thistoll @pault.bsky.social · 6d

The economy is not going to recover in time to give Luxon an election boost.
This means Winston, Luxon, and Seymour will try to stir up culture wars to distract us.
Don't get sucked in - just hammer home the lousy economic performance, the incredibly high cost of living, and the general despair.

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