Ethics Gradient

A great typically British take on the state of our roads. Very funny but sadly true. Where is all of the tax money going ? Not on repairing potholes that’s for sure. Please share

Ladies, a genuine question out of pure curiosity: Why does First Lady Melania Trump never, ever wear stockings, on any occasion, in any weather, with any outfit? Really, never, never, never Does anyone know the reason? 🇺🇸👠

The Weekend Read - was this week's rainmaker a "climate change" event? As the cleanup from this week's unnamed ex tropical cyclone continues, the usual suspects wasted no time trying to capitalize on it. "Warmer climate to blame for heavier than normal rainfall - experts", read a headline in the Herald's live coverage feed yesterday. "Two (of) New Zealand’s experts have weighed in on the damaging weather - with one saying a warmer climate is responsible for heavier than normal rainfall. "Areas in Northland and Auckland have received more than a month's average rainfall in just 24 hours, according to MetService. "This kind of exceptional rainfall is exactly what is expected in a warmer climate,” said Victoria University of Wellington professor of climate science James Renwick. “Warmer air contains more moisture (water vapour) which is fuel for rainfall. So when there is a storm, rainfalls tend to be heavier in warmer conditions. Plus, a big storm like this acts like a bit of a vacuum cleaner, drawing in air over a wide radius, and wringing that air out as it rises. "As the climate continues to warm, we will see more of this kind of thing, and even heavier rainfalls in future.” "University of Auckland associate professor in river science Dr Jon Tunnicliffe said the shortened interval between storms is increasing the damage..." So there you have it: it's a record rainfall because of global warming (more intense), and we're getting less recovery time between storms (more frequent). Let's inject a little sanity back into the picture here. It's more frequent now, he says. Really? The Herald reported Kawakawa suffering its sixth flood in eight months in March 1935. "Creeks quickly overflowed the flats and flooded the roads, and communication was blocked both to the north and the south. The rain has now ceased, but the bowling green, the racecourse and adjacent flats are inundated to a depth of 3ft. to 4ft., and the water is still rising! This is the sixth flood during the last eight months." Which became a seventh flood by July 1935, cutting off road and rail links between Auckland and Whangarei. Further north, in a village 4ks south of Kaitaia, a rain gauge recorded an incredible five inches (127mm) in only 90 minutes, as reported by Kaitaia newspaper the Northland Age on July 26: "On Wednesday, particularly heavy rain fell in and around Kaitaia, and the rivers were all running bank high, and the lowly sections of land flooded. At Rangitihi, 5 inches of rain was recorded between 1.30 and 3 p.m. that afternoon. The culverts on the main street at Kaitaia were unable to carry the water, and the road and footpaths were flooded." By August 1935, one month later, Whangarei newspaper the Northern Advocate had crunched the numbers and counted 13 major floods in 18 months: "The weather is getting back to normal,” a Whangarei man remarked this morning, and although he meant to be sarcastic’, he was very nearly right. The wet weather that has been experienced this winter throughout the North has become almost a fixed state. Last night rain began to fall and this morning, with the holding up of traffic on some routes, it looked as if the thirteenth flood that has occurred in the North since February, 1934, was coming into being." While there's no question Northlanders mopping up from the third flood this year, 2026, have a right to be upset, it's not unprecedented in that region. So, no - extreme weather events are not more frequent than they were 90 years ago. Oh, but - interjects Renwick - the rainfall is exceptionally bigger now because we have a warmer climate. Really? Let's test that theory. This week's storm deliivered about 300mm across two days. In contrast, the December 1934 storm delivered 19 inches (498mm) to Kaikohe in 48 hours with a further 4.21 inches on the third day, for a total event of 605mm. The Mangakahia river rose 65ft (20m). There's photos of the bridge before and after the flood.

Since it’s officially spring, I have to ask: How are all the unvaccinated who were supposed to perish 5 winters ago? Check in.