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 🧪🌏

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

"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...

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:

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..

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

The only pathway to true abundance.

Not nearly enough is made of the incredibly impressive feat Indian Railways has made to electrify almost 100% of its 135,000km of track, while also growing renewable sourcing. Huge: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/ind...

OECD comparison of changes in unemployment relative to 2019 average. Second image shows all oecd countries. I remain baffled by the media not asking the obvious questions here: 'How have we fked up so badly? Who is accountable?'

The data in this article is absolutely damning. In the face of this, Nicola Willis’ response is idiotic. It’s a long article. If you don’t have time for all the words, the graphs tell the story. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

'After decades of market-first thinking, ministers still default to the belief that competition will fix it even when the evidence shows it won’t.' archive.ph/iebQT

💚 Walking the talk: Signed deed cements Waitākere Ranges partnership www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Spain's wholesale electricity prices were 32% lower than the European average in the first half of 2025 -- thanks to wind and solar reducing the influence of costly fossil fuels on prices. ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

One council candidate’s plan for this empty centre in downtown Auckland www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Here's a plan to complete* Auckland's Rapid Transit Network plan well before 2030. * = with interim 'BRT Lite' services on future routes while permanent rapid transit plans and funding is sorted.

Density done well in Auckland. architecturenow.co.nz/articles/gen...

Great to see AKL Council on the rational side of this. Private helipads in residential areas is absurd. But of course it never should have got to this. Long-standing councillors have been careless on this issue for decades. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

How to do a special vote for local elections. Didn’t get a voting pack? You can still vote in the local elections thespinoff.co.nz/politics/03-...

This is leadership in the energy space now: youtu.be/uoYMRU5O9nE?...

this ⬇️

Goldsmith “exploring ideas for cutting down (special) votes” We see you and your imported anti-democratic strategies. www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

Here’s my daily newsletter, podcast and email. Why didn’t the Government look at a solar and battery option instead of LNG? It would have been much faster and cheaper and the new Ruakaka battery shows it can soften wholesale price inflation. #nzpol thekaka.substack.com/p/thursdays-...

For the first time ever, London has met legal limits for nitrogen dioxide. When I became Mayor, we were told it would take 193 years. We did it 184 years earlier than expected. Cleaner air means a healthier city and big savings for the NHS.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solu... Paris too

I Mike Lee was correct about the city centre, that all it needs is to prioritise cars over people to thrive, then Newmarket, nothing but traffic and parking, would be booming. Reader, clearly this diagnosis is wrong:

Would! archello.com/project/spir...

Like Trump, the Luxon Govt wants to tax us to pay for subsidies for fossil fuel cos: Oil/gas exploration subsidies; LNG import facility subsidies; new coal generation subsidies. Meanwhile it cancelled the Gas Transition Plan; NZ Battery Project; Offshore Wind; Govt Investment to Decarbonise Industry

China's XCMG will supply up to 200 massive 240-ton battery-electric haul trucks, to Australia's Fortescue, one of the world’s largest iron ore exporters. Truck can carry payloads >550,000 lb; deliver ~2,550 hp, enough to climb ~17% grades & reach ~35 mph interestingengineering.com/energy/china...

The Great Leap Backwards (continues) www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

They do not need new equity capital. They just need to pay lower dividends.

This would be ideal but is a poor use of funds. What govt should do instead is incentivise a huge solar/battery build out in homes and businesses, a la Australia. This is real competition to the gentailers.

“New Zealand hasn’t had a significant new discovery of gas for over 20 years. Rather than doubling down on past failure, we should be focused on developing renewable energy, which is cheap and abundant.” Good to see reality based leadership in energy from Labour. www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/...

You should see the other guy… #WorldBollardAssociation 😏

This battery can pump 50MW of power into the system in 8 hours. Might it solve our low lake level issue? #nzpol #climate www.theguardian.com/environment/...

There's a really nice new study using phone data from Americans who relocated from one city to another to look at the effect of walkable environments on physical activity. E.g., people move TO New York and walk more, they move FROM New York and walk less www.nature.com/articles/s41...

NEW STARTER PACK! This time I’m hoping to encourage and support global urbanists from OUTSIDE North America here on Bluesky, so hopefully this will help! Who’ve I missed? Just joined? Let me know! I’ll keep updating, so please keep checking & sharing this pack! And let’s try using #GlobalUrbanists.

EIA: Distributed solar is the fastest-growing power source in Brazil: "Distributed solar generation capacity grew from less than 1 gigawatt (GW) in 2018 to 40 GW in 2025 through June, accounting for 43% of all electricity capacity additions over that period." www.eia.gov/todayinenerg... 🔌💡

We want both states to have peace and security… well apart from the one state which we today confirmed we are not sure when we want to or if we want to recognise. But both states… I mean this is incoherent.

Vote @patrickreynolds.bsky.social for a people-centred and vibrant Auckland City Centre. Mike Lee wants more cars, more pollution, and more noise - against the wishes of the 40k residents who live there

Had to witness this for myself – it’s real, and even worse as seen from the footpath. (Context: these narrow back-streets had a community-supported 30kmh speed limit… but in mid-2025, were forcibly reverted to 50kmh by the current govt.) Dangerous, petty, ridiculous kneejerk vice-signalling, ugh.

Now, this is interesting… ‘The demand for secondhand EV batteries is surging, with buyers repurposing them for everything from solar storage units to off-grid energy systems that can replace diesel generators.’ #batteries #ProductStewardship www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This, but with Light Rail running on Dom Rd: “Visitors were advised to use public transport to travel to and from the event, as parking was likely to be limited.”

Super useful thread here from @musicalchairs.bsky.social

👈🏽

City Centres everywhere, shape your city streets wisely, for people, and vibrancy: www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Amazing to see how many new builds Omakau has. A town of nothing but thriving because of the Central Rail Trail! 🚲

OBAMA: It's fair to say that 80% of the world's problems involve old men hanging on who are afraid of death and insignificance, and they won't let go. They build pyramids, and they put their names on everything. They get very anxious about it.

A viable cycling network is a vital safety-net for people and the economy. Is the cheapest transport network to install and maintain. A measure of a city’s competence and civility. www.rnz.co.nz/news/pinchpo...

The richest man on earth owns X. The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok. The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post. See the problem here?

Should be New Zealand too, so easily: 85% to 100% is a lot easier than 0 to 100. But instead we gave the sector to the money guys. So now it’s an economy ruining, poverty creating, industry killing, forex wasting, cash cow for the few. An extra tax. Not generation but extraction.