A chilling future
Antarctica scientist Dr Bella Duncan, living in Carterton, will speak at the next Wairarapa meeting of the Institute of International Affairs, 8pm at Rosewood, Queen Street, Masterton on Thursday, November 30. She will discuss what recent changes in Antarctica mean for the Wairarapa, New Zealand and the world. She will also briefly comment on the geo-political situation – the number of countries who claim an interest or foothold in the region and their ambitions.
Peddling progress
Cycling has many health and climate pluses, but it can also be a dangerous business. Montreal has taken a lead that Wairarapa civic leaders should note. Montreal is North America’s cycling capital. The city has 901km of bike lanes, making biking easy all over the city, through parks and along the river. Over 200km of the bike lanes are protected by concrete walls and poles, and more than 700km have ground markings and signage.
As well, the city’s bike-sharing programme, BIXI, has achieved impressive results with over 8400 bikes and 680 stations located around the city.
Winning winds
China, the undisputed global leader in green power, is demonstrating Beijing’s serious commitment to rapidly reducing its fossil fuel reliance. Renewable sources such as wind are crucial for China to reduce its dependence on coal and meet its 2060 net-zero emissions target. In 2021, it built more offshore wind capacity than the rest of the world in the last five years. Compared to 2022, it also expanded its solar generation by more than 27 per cent.
