Robert McLachlan
@robertmclachlan.bsky.social
š¤ 685
š„ 206
š 1006
New Zealand mathematician, writing on climate & the environment at
http://planetaryecology.org
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
David Hall
1 day ago
1
20
7
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Giulio Mattioli
2 days ago
Here is also a blog summarising the talk and pointing to interesting related research from New Zealand / Aotearoa
livingstreets.org.nz/car-dependen...
loading . . .
Car dependence: understanding barriers to change through the decades - Living Streets Aotearoa
The first Transport Research Webinar was hosted a couple of weeks ago by Living Streets Aotearoa, Transport Research Network (TRN), and Cycle Action Network (CAN). The webinar speaker was Dr Giulio Mattioli from TU Dortmund University who spoke about āCar dependence: understanding barriers to change through the decadesā. The session was chaired by Dr Angela [ā¦]
https://livingstreets.org.nz/car-dependence-understanding-barriers-to-change-through-the-decades/
0
8
1
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Giulio Mattioli
2 days ago
My talk on car dependence research for the Otago Transport Research Network & Living Streets Aotearoa Webinar Series is now on YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUu-...
loading . . .
Dr Giulio Mattioli: Car dependence: understanding barriers to change through the decades
YouTube video by University of Otago - ÅtÄkou Whakaihu Waka
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUu-j8m9Jv0
1
16
6
Diesel from $1.85 up to $4.09 Petrol from $2.55 up to $3.52 Last year NZ used 3.9 billion litres diesel, extra cost $8.7b and 2.9 billion litres petrol, extra cost $2.8b Total if prices stay high for a year: $11.5 billion
add a skeleton here at some point
3 days ago
1
4
2
Here is similar data for 2024, showing the proportion of solar energy in final energy demand, per
@ourworldindata.org
. In 2019 only 5 countries were >3%: Greece, Chile, Japan, Italy, & Germany.
add a skeleton here at some point
3 days ago
0
2
0
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Jason Kemp
3 days ago
"Keat said that had two components - 100 percent renewable electricity generation and slowly electrifying the transport fleet. "Most other countries in the world outside MAGA US states and New Zealand are doing that now, at pace. For some reason, New Zealand's going down the 1980s path."
loading . . .
NZ has lined up with 'MAGA US states' on oil, former Marsden Point boss says
While others are switching to renewables, we're "going down the 1980s path", David Keat says.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/589466/nz-has-lined-up-with-maga-us-states-on-oil-former-marsden-point-boss-says
6
66
32
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Simon Wilson
3 days ago
Weird how some people are saying Luxon and Willis are handling the fuel crisis well. Looking ācredibleā aināt the same as doing the right thing. Iāve got a piece today at The Spinoff on 3 big things the govt is not doing and should be
thespinoff.co.nz/politics/09-...
loading . . .
The many ways our government is failing in its response to the fuel crisis
The opportunity is here for a cultural reset. Why wonāt the government take it?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/09-04-2026/the-many-ways-our-government-is-failing-in-its-response-to-the-fuel-crisis
5
87
37
An article Paul Callister and I published in The Post on 7 April.
3 days ago
0
5
1
Stats NZ have released new data showing gross greenhouse gas emissions for 2025. 2019-2023: gross emissions fall 7.84 Mt CO2e or 9.1% (GDP: +8.6%) 2023-2025: gross emissions fall 0.30 Mt CO2e or 0.4% (GDP: ā0.3%) What happened?
www.stats.govt.nz/information-...
3 days ago
3
16
10
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Daniel Huppmann
4 days ago
How can
#climate
pathways be used by the
#finance
community to set decarbonization targets for individual sectors? Over the past months,
@unep.org
developed an interactive tool together with
#IIASAvienna
&
@pik-potsdam.bsky.social
. Based on the
#AR6
scenarios and the
#ScenarioCompass
ā¦
loading . . .
Climate Pathways Navigator Version 1.0
A comprehensive tool by the UNEP Finance Initiative providing financial institutions with science-based data and insights to set credible climate targets, assess sectoral emissions pathways, and align...
https://unep-fi.apps.ece.iiasa.ac.at
0
5
3
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
AFP News Agency
3 days ago
BREAKING It will take months for jet fuel supplies and prices to normalise even if the Strait of Hormuz remains open, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) says
4
57
49
"Having built a political brand around the idea that the previous government overreacted during an emergency, the coalition now faces its own crisis. But it has encouraged voters to distrust the kind of rapid, interventionist measures that might be most effective.
theconversation.com/the-governme...
loading . . .
The government has boxed itself in over fuel saving strategies ā but there is a way out
Promoting fuel saving measures as vital to energy security would help frame the oil shock as a technical problem to be solved, not a political issue to be fought.
https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-boxed-itself-in-over-fuel-saving-strategies-but-there-is-a-way-out-280131
3 days ago
0
9
4
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Tim Welch
4 days ago
Every effective tool for reducing fuel demand right now (free PT, cycling, EVs, lower speed limits) is a policy the NZ coalition government has spent two years dismantling. My new piece in The Conversation on why they've gone quiet and how they get out of it.
theconversation.com/the-governme...
loading . . .
The government has boxed itself in over fuel saving strategies ā but there is a way out
Promoting fuel saving measures as vital to energy security would help frame the oil shock as a technical problem to be solved, not a political issue to be fought.
https://theconversation.com/the-government-has-boxed-itself-in-over-fuel-saving-strategies-but-there-is-a-way-out-280131
4
122
66
Can anyone explain why there was a huge jump in sales of light commercial vehicles in New Zealand in March? 4708 sales, the highest in years. Nearly all diesel at 230 gCO2/km. Don't they know there's a war on?
4 days ago
4
7
1
And right on cue:
www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines...
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
0
1
0
You probably know how the coalition Govt cancelled/weakened road transport policies. In this article in The Post, Paul Callister and I look at how the same is true for air transport, a sector is even more exposed to severe disruption.
www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3609...
loading . . .
Severe turbulence ahead for aviation industry
OPINION: The sudden rise in the price of oil and the prospect of shortages has led many people to reflect on how we can cut back on oil for transport. How can this be done fairly, and with the least d...
https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360979536/severe-turbulence-ahead-aviation-industry
5 days ago
0
3
4
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Connor Sharp
5 days ago
Normally when a government makes terrible decisions, the consequences don't happen for awhile. But this fuel crisis has shown how almost every single transport policy choice made by the current govt has meant NZ less prepared and more exposed to fossil fuel shocks.
#nzpol
1
28
10
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Te Ara Paerangi Com - Research Advocacy Capability
5 days ago
The NZAS klaxons are going full tilt. I'm too bloody tired to boost enough. Friends, please give me a helping hand here.
#NZPOL
add a skeleton here at some point
0
24
15
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
ChrisO_wiki
6 days ago
11/ India and South Korea face the loss of 100% of their jet fuel supplies, with Japan, Taiwan and China also badly affected. The UK is worst affected outside the Gulf, with a 41% loss. Jet fuel requires specialised storage and transportation, so reserves are often limited.
1
238
38
A view of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand taken by NASA astronaut and Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman at 9.55am on 3 April, 2026. It was a hot nor'wester that day with a high of 25 ĀŗC āĀ the nor'west arch cloud formation can be seen to the west (right). (Source:
images.nasa.gov/details/art0...
)
6 days ago
1
11
2
We should be shifting freight from truck to train where possible. Any statement from KiwiRail since the oil crisis started?
thefutureisrail.org/addressing-t...
loading . . .
Addressing truck subsidies in a fossil fuel crisis
To reduce our dependency on imported fuels, we need to shift more freight onto electric trains, while also reviving our electric passenger rail network. This requires more investment in rail than roads. Research by the Infrastructure Commission shows, when compared with peer nations, we under invest in rail but over invest in roads. One policy that would help level out the playing field is charging trucks the full cost of damage to roads.
https://thefutureisrail.org/addressing-truck-subsidies-in-a-fossil-fuel-crisis
6 days ago
4
79
20
NZ solar power generation has grown >60% in each of the past two years. 2025 generation was 0.5 kWh per person per day, enough for everyone in the country to power 10 5W light bulbs for 5 hours, boil water for 3 cups of tea, and travel 15 km on their e-bikes.
7 days ago
0
8
2
Bit of a departure for me, I wrote about a jigsaw! But I managed to squeeze climate change in there a bit too.
temanawamuseumsociety.org/2026/04/05/n...
loading . . .
NAC Jigsaw
Robert McLachlan āA New Zealand souvenir jig-saw puzzleā, made by Holdson for the New Zealand National Airways Corporation, c. 1965. Donated by Christina McKenzie, 1993. Te Manawa Museums Trust, 19ā¦
https://temanawamuseumsociety.org/2026/04/05/nac-jigsaw/
7 days ago
0
0
0
#30DayChartChallenge
theme 'slope' makes me wonder if society has over-internalized relative over absolute rates of change. Have we had percentages drummed into us so much that we think exponential growth is the default? Good attempt here from
@ourworldindata.org
showing population slope ā¬ļø 1999-2013
7 days ago
0
5
1
New Zealand ranks 2nd or 4th for geothermal power generation, depending on how you measure it.
#30DayChartChallenge
, Excel Recommended Charts category
7 days ago
0
6
2
āThe Prime Minister has had to cut short his crucial Middle East talks seeking continuation of our oil supplies⦠The introduction of fuel rationing has given the union cause a large measure of public sympathyā¦ā Dougal Stevenson reads the TV1 news in the opening scene of Sleeping Dogs (1977)
8 days ago
1
19
7
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
RadReduction (Larry Edwards)
8 days ago
"One of our activities in 2026 [will be a] video series "Lifestyles of the NOT Jet Set," by Dr.
@parkewilde.bsky.social
of Tufts Uniā¦sharing lessons learned from experiments in personal & professional life with less flying by people in the United States and Europe."
stay-grounded.org/us-fundraiser/
loading . . .
US Fundraiser
https://stay-grounded.org/us-fundraiser/
0
4
1
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Patrick Reynolds for a greater Auckland
9 days ago
āOur Councils would today be facing an extra bill of about $50,000 a month or $600,000 a year if we had decided to stick with diesel busesā. The service has no risk from fuel shortages, is reducing the regionās emissions, PM10 + nitrous oxide + is also quieter.
www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK26...
loading . . .
Demand For Nelsonās Electric Buses Up Amid Fuel Crisis
The increase in demand for public transport comes as eBus prepares to launch earlier services on Tuesday 7 April.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2604/S00067/demand-for-nelsons-electric-buses-up-amid-fuel-crisis.htm
3
73
33
Also note that NZ is not only in the top 10 wealthiest countries, it is also one of the most equal of those countries. Average wealth is 1.9x median, compared to 4-5 in Sweden, Switzerland, Singapore, and the US.
add a skeleton here at some point
9 days ago
1
0
1
There is a consultation on reverting to the lower speed limit, and reducing speeds on several other roads in the area, open until 9 April. Looks like NZTA have realized their mistake on this one.
www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/drivi...
add a skeleton here at some point
9 days ago
0
4
2
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
John Lang
9 days ago
Climate and energy are hard to get your head around, unless you're in the climate Bluesky community. Over the last year, Iāve been building something to help everyone else:
@climatetrunk.bsky.social
š³ One visual a week, for a year. Probably two years now, given I've already drafted more than 52.
1
10
7
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Bike Auckland
9 days ago
The Horowai Connection, the most northerly section of Te Whau Pathway has opened. But continuing construction isnāt in Councilās budget.
#HaveYourSay
https://www.bikeauckland.org.nz/news/stunning-te-whau-pathway-opens-today-now-lets-fund-the-rest-of-it/
šø Auckland Council
1
7
2
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
David Hood
9 days ago
Southland and neighbours
add a skeleton here at some point
2
4
1
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Andrew
10 days ago
tl;dr Flying is about to stop again, inbound tourism will fall off a cliff again, people flying north for a holiday might not be able to get back to Aotearoa.
add a skeleton here at some point
2
11
5
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Troy Baisden
9 days ago
Our initial reaction to the Prioritisation Report, that would cut existing science areas by up to 22% to pay new Tech development, expresses deep concerns. Do you think the report has strayed into policy-based evidence making?
scientists.org.nz/news/13616237
1
11
6
Tourism professor Susanne Becken: "Tourismās dependence on (affordable and available) jet fuel has long been a known issue; yet the sector choses to ignore this massive challenge." New post on the impact of the oil crisis on the aviation sector:
blog.planetaryecology.org/2026/04/02/f...
loading . . .
Fasten your seat belts
By Robert McLachlan Just a few weeks ago New Zealandās aviation and tourism sectors were riding high. Summer flights were up 7% on the previous year, and returned to their pre-Covid levels foā¦
https://blog.planetaryecology.org/2026/04/02/fasten-your-seat-belts/
10 days ago
1
9
7
UK to receive last shipment of jet fuel this week. No other tankers en route or ordered. Also widely reported by the BBC and the Financial Times.
www.msn.com/en-gb/news/w...
10 days ago
0
1
1
Long may it continue... but I expect it will not be so cheap or easy to replace the stock of EVs for sale. Source:
evdb.nz
11 days ago
1
5
2
864 new BEV cars sold in New Zealand last week. Also 22 new BEV utes, the most in 18 months - has been 1 or 2 per week for over a year. But dealers will run out soon and with the same demand spike worldwide it won't be easy to quick to get more in.
13 days ago
0
30
18
Cool, New Zealand gets a bonus week of unlimited oil
add a skeleton here at some point
13 days ago
0
3
2
The NZ Ministry of Transport's fuel consumption & supply tracker:
www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-a...
13 days ago
0
3
0
OK keyboard warriors, get at it. NZ Government wants your ideas on how to change our laws and regulations in response to the fuel crisis
consultation.regulation.govt.nz/regulatory-i...
14 days ago
1
1
0
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Christina Hood
14 days ago
However ongoing, there's 10-20% reduction in global supply, so we should expect to reduce demand by that amount as baseline & have proper contigency plans for more if supply is cut further. The government's blithe advice to carry on as usual isn't adding up. 3/3
1
3
2
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Kent Lundberg
14 days ago
Free PT in Victoria Australia for April.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
loading . . .
Victorians get free public transport for a month in bid to ease surge in fuel demand
Allan government says measure is temporary as energy shock from Middle East conflict sees petrol prices soar
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/mar/29/victoria-free-public-transport-april-petrol-prices
3
36
15
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Laurie Winkless
15 days ago
An essential read for anyone in
#nz
- the fuel crisis is far, far worse than the govt is letting on
energyandresilience.substack.com/p/every-coun...
loading . . .
Every Country in Our Supply Chain Has Declared an Emergency. NZ just launched an Ad Campaign.
What the ministerial press conference got wrong about NZ's fuel supply, and what it didn't mention at all.
https://energyandresilience.substack.com/p/every-country-in-our-supply-chain?r=qrzbl&utm_medium=ios&fbclid=PAb21jcAQzyKdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAac0qRZT5FJGGBimdYYnC0r9ehOcC2LPxDcN0RZENBL4tAHcrPYp4Tl1bdJn8A_aem_uPlC4ghxNE9pFmT01MT8GA&triedRedirect=true
10
139
103
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Idiot/Savant
16 days ago
The government is busy telling everyone about fuel shipments headed to NZ. I want to know about shipments of EVs, eBikes, eBuses, trains, and solar panels, so we don't need to worry about that other shit anymore.
4
90
25
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Tim Welch
16 days ago
In my latest for
@newsroom.co.nz
, I argue the government should make public transport free for at least three months. The $50 fuel payment costs $373M/year and doesn't cut a single litre of consumption. Free fares would cost less and actually reduce petrol demand.
newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/27/f...
loading . . .
Free public transport the fuel crisis response that makes sense
Opinion from Auckland University: Targeted fuel relief doesnāt reduce a single litre of consumption. Free public transport, however, delivers household relief, eases congestion, and conserves fuel for...
https://newsroom.co.nz/2026/03/27/free-public-transport-the-fuel-crisis-response-that-makes-sense/
8
113
52
Yes, why is New Zealand's oil consumption at a 5-year high?
theconversation.com/driving-in-t...
loading . . .
Driving in the wrong direction: why NZās oil consumption is at a 5-year high
New Zealandās electricity generation now accounts for only 5% of emissions, but oil use in transport is on the rise, outweighing the shift to electric vehicles.
https://theconversation.com/driving-in-the-wrong-direction-why-nzs-oil-consumption-is-at-a-5-year-high-278524
17 days ago
1
26
14
reposted by
Robert McLachlan
Ketan Joshi
17 days ago
The life cycle emissions of this luxury grocery collection monstrosity are probably higher than some small fossil fuel combustion cars
add a skeleton here at some point
23
133
28
The ongoing shift from cars to utes is driving emissions higher & undoing the benefit of electrification
blog.planetaryecology.org/2026/03/25/w...
loading . . .
We should have weaned off oil long ago
By Robert McLachlan Yes, we should have weaned off oil long ago. The oil shocks of the 1970s would have been a good time to start. Failing that, the 2007 oil price spike that was one of the triggerā¦
https://blog.planetaryecology.org/2026/03/25/we-should-have-weaned-off-oil-long-ago/
18 days ago
1
22
10
Load more
feeds!
log in