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 5th Feb 2024

As the new government looks to cut costs, Salene Schloffel-Amstrong writes in NewsRoom on the importance of local public services

Her article discusses the important roles of local public services, and libraries in particular, as the new government lookss to make funding cuts. As battle lines are drawn, Salene suggests ways that we might centre the significant role of local public services more openly in public debate, and embrace the political potential of local pubilc service spaces to grow. The piece can be found here

 

  25th Jan 2024

Chris McMillan publishes an article in The Conversation on the future of cricket in climate-changing world. 

Chris considers the role of cricket in the poliitcs of climate activism and challenges New Zealand Cricket to “get some sustainability runs on the board”. The piece can be found here

 

 6th Dec 2023

Tom Baker writes in The Conversation on the coalition government’s social investment approach to public services, and a second co-authored piece on the challenges and opportunities in the rise of innovation in local government

The first piece can be found here

 

The second piece can be found here

3rd Oct 2023

PEP organiser, Tom Baker, co-authors a piece on the growing interest from governments around “mission” approaches to governmental challenges

You can read the article in The Policy Maker here

 32st Aug 2023

PEP members lead New Zealand Geographer Special Issue on Antipodean More-Than-Human Geographies

We’ve had a great response to the Special Issue just published in the New Zealand Geographer featuring 9 articles and commentaries on the topic of more-than-human geographies. This issue was guest edited by a group from PEP/School of Environment—Nikolai Siimes, Emma Sharp, Alice McSherry, and Kenzi Yee—with 5 of the papers coming from PEP authors (see below for details).

Many of the papers in this special edition were presented in various forms at the New Zealand Geographical Society Conference in November 2022 and now it’s great to see them in print. Congratulations to all the authors!

Antipodean more-than-human geographies: From the edges by Nikolai Siimes, Kenzi Yee, Alice McSherry, and Emma Sharp

Managing ubiquitous ‘forever chemicals’: More-than-human possibilities for the problem of PFAS by Eleanor Buttle, Emma Sharp, & Karen Fisher

Having a drink with awkward Brett: Brettanomyces, taste(s) and wine/markets by Nikolai Siimes

Complexities of care in insect-human relations by Kenzi Yee & Emma Sharp

Finding our place at the table: A more-than-human family reunion by Alice McSherry & Georgia McLellan

Aug 11,  2023

Visiting Professor & Auckland Geography alumnus Brett Christophers returns to NZ to invigorate discussions on asset ownership  

At the invitation by PEP organisers, Profesor of economic and social geography at Uppsala Univeristy in Sweden and Auckland Univeristy Human Geography alumnus, Brett Chirstophers, returned to Aotearoa for a series of talks on his new book. He prompted discussion at the recent Cumberland lecture on how we might attend to the dominant asset ownership regime unfolding globally and the key actors and processes to be aware of in the New Zealand context. A brilliant article on Brett’s work is written here by Dan Hitchens. Brett’s visit concided with a major announcement this week of an agreement between the New Zealand government and major asset management and finance company BlackRock to invest $2 Billion in green energy infrastructure. Brett has since been on a number of the major New Zealand news outlets providing a much needed critical take. You can read all about it here. 

Jun 20, 2023

Catch Salene Schloffel-Armstrong’s latest segment covering ghastly rental stories  on 95BFM

You can catch the recording here along with a range of helpful resources for renters

 

July, 5 2023

Tom Baker examines the Green Party’s recent “Pledge to Renters” and the debate surrounding rent controls

” A big part of the problem with New Zealand’s rent control “debate” is that it misses these kinds of nuance. A better discussion would involve looking at what kind of rent control might work, for what purpose, and with what trade-offs.”  – Tom Baker

 

You can read all about it here 

 

Jun 20, 2023

Catch Salene Schloffel-Armstrong’s latest segment covering ghastly rental stories  on 95BFM

You can catch the recording here along with a range of helpful resources for renters

 

Jun 20, 2023

Nick Lewis responds to divisive article on regenerative farming 

In repsonse to a heated opinion piece on regnerative farming and the naivety of student activism published in Stuff by a director of Dairy NZ, Jacqueline Rowarth, Nick Lewis writes back with a challenge to Rowarth’s business-as-usual approach. The comments rolled in fast for this piece. You can read all about it here

 

Oct 28, 2022

Nick Lewis and Ingrid Petersen check out Green Wave

In early October Ingrid Petersen and Nick Lewis were invited to attend the launch of GreenWave NZ. Inspired and developed with technical assistance from GreenWave and its founder Bren Smith, GreenWave NZ is a community-based regenerative ocean farming initiative

The initiative involves local mussel and seaweed farmers, environmental consultancy EnviroStrat, green investors, iwi entities, and long-time wild seaweed gathering whanau-based enterprise Agrisea. The initiative emphasises ecological restoration and cooperative marketing and research activities within the wider GreenWave community. It is centred on creating viable community economy model from seed to sale.

Aug 11 , 2022

Nick Lewis and Tom Baker make the case for bolder government

Having started a major Marsden Funded project on the role and influence of consultants in Aotearoa, Nick Lewis and Tom Baker weigh in on the Auckland Council mayoral candidates and make the case for a more ambitious council. They ask what the mayoral candidates might do leading the largest resourced council in Aotearoa and how they might use its finances and skills for the betterment of Auckland. The article is published in Stuff found here

July 17 , 2022

Nick Lewis is interviewed on emerging work assembling New Zealand’s Blue Economy

Nick draws on his insights as lead for the Blue Economy arm of the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge and makes the argument for doing economy differently to show that the our relations with the ocean need not be extractive. You can read the article by Andrea Vance here.

JUNE 17, 2022

Nick Lewis talks about the prospects of establishing a thriving blue economy in New Zealand

The notion of a blue economy has exploded onto international policy agendas in recent years. Rarely used less than five years ago, the idea of a blue economy is now a firmly entrenched in the lexicon of national and international development. It is used widely to refer to anything from accelerating the exploitation of oceanic resources to a deep green transformation of how humanity uses coastlines and oceans to support livelihoods or an active project to return the coasts and oceans to community ownership. What, however, does it, or might it mean for New Zealand. Nick Lewis has been talking to various public groups about the question and how New Zealand might go about making itself a distinctive blue economy:

Nick’s talk can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz_gDKwtnnU

The United Nations Association of New Zealand  

https://www.unanz.org.nz/learn/news-and-events/unleashing-potentials-transition-to-a-sustainable-marine-economy-blue-economy-what-we-could-do-in-new-zealand-context/

The New Zealand public in the Sustainable Seas Te Ao o te Moana webinar series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoDYWBg1G2M&list=PLcP5oYqZClK4XY8_NQf6ZsFSRKVkN85-0&index=3

Stakeholders and interested members of the public in the Sustainable Seas 2020 Webinar series

https://www.sustainableseaschallenge.co.nz/public/tools-and-resources/building-a-blue-economy/

The World Wildlife Foundation and Department of Conservation ocean resilience webinar series Changing Tides: Te Tai Tōrua. The workshop was titled: Marine Protection and Restoration in a Sustainable Blue Economy (see report https://wwfnz.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/tai_torua_workshop_report.pdf)

JUNE 14, 2021

EMILY STEVENS, TOM BAKER & NICK LEWIS DISCUSS THEIR RESEARCH IN NEWSROOM

Greyhound ‘rehoming’ has become a critical component of the racing industry’s social licence, but what we don’t know is how poorly equipped many ex-racing greyhounds are to cope with the expectations placed on them as pets

Negative reports of greyhound racing in New Zealand have prompted Sport and Racing Minister Grant Robertson to launch a review into the practice, while MP Chloë Swarbrick is set to propose a private member’s bill that looks to ban it entirely.

Greyhound ‘rehoming’ – the practice of rehabilitating former racing dogs into pets once they are no longer of economic value to their owners and trainers – has become a critical component of the racing industry’s social licence, after consistent reports of adverse animal welfare since 2013.

Read more

APRIL 3, 2021

TOM BAKER ON RNZ’S NINE TO NOON

There’s been a proliferation of crowdfunding iniatives particularly seeking donations to pay medical treatment, and new research provides information about how the key to success can involve how crowdfunding campaigners market illness to best capture the attention of potential donors. Campaigns for personal health expenses are rapidly growing globally but it is also a feature in New Zealand as a gap filler for people trying to access the stretched public health sector. One of the researchers, Dr Tom Baker is a University of Auckland senior lecturer in human geography – and he says the results of the study show it is difficult to get people to donate money for someone they don’t actually know.

Click on this link or listen below.

APRIL 28, 2021

CAITLIN NEUWELT-KEARNS & TOM BAKER DISCUSS THEIR RESEARCH IN THE CONVERSATION

How crowdfunding campaigners market illness to capture the attention of potential donors

Liam’s* crowdfunding campaign page is direct: his “sole purpose is to survive”. Before his diagnosis with inoperable brain cancer, Liam was a “healthy, fitness and sports minded 44-year-old, [who gave] his time and skills away freely by being a regular at charity events, fundraising for a number of organisations and more recently sponsoring amateur athletes”. Holly, Liam’s friend, caregiver and now crowdfunding campaign manager, appeals to the crowd: “It’s time for us to come together and help this amazing man out.” This narrative may be familiar — it provides a window into the high-stakes world of medical crowdfunding. In our new research, we explore who the people behind these campaigns are and how they work to capture the crowd’s attention in a competitive environment. Read more

APRIL 28, 2021

TOM BAKER SPOKE ON 95bFM

The Complications of Crowdfunding w/ Dr. Tom Baker

In a recent study, it was found when it comes to crowdfunding campaigns, not only is a large amount of pressure place on those fundraising for medical purposes, but there are also certain biasies which can determine how successfula  campaign is.

To understand why people campaign, what makes a good campaign, and what some of the stresses are, James talks to Dr. Tom Baker, one of the authours of the study about what was found. Listen here!

MARCH 11, 2021

SALENE SCHLOFFEL-ARMSTRONG PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE IN THE SPINOFF

Wellington Central Library has been at the centre of an increasingly bitter dispute in recent weeks, after the city council voted to sell off part of the library building as office space. In response to loud and wide condemnation, several councillors had a change of heart and the library was given a reprieve. Why was the debate over a small part of this single library building – whether the current structure or an imagined future building – so polarising and emotive? Read more

 

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