998 days ago

Taumata Arawai

Paul from Levin

I sent the following email to Taumata Arowai, the new water protection agency. It proposes to increase the allowable amounts of 17 toxic substances in drinking water and there will be no restriction at all on the amount of nitrate in water.

Dear Teara Atawai,
I understand that the Government’s new water protection agency - Taumata Arowai - is proposing to increase the allowable limits of 17 toxic and poisonous substances in drinking water and that there will be no limit at all for the amount of nitrates in drinking water.

I am dismayed and deeply disappointed that a New Zealand government would consider any relaxation of drinking water standards. I have considerable knowledge regarding the cumulative and long-term effects on a population of toxic chemicals and elements in water. I lived for years in Japan during the 1960s and repeatedly in later decades as well. From 1969, for 34 years I lectured on Japanese history and current affairs at a New Zealand university. Environmental pollution and solutions were very important issues then as now but we should learn from past mistakes. That our government would allow industry, agriculture and city populations even greater freedom to pollute is for me anyway, beyond belief.

Yours faithfully,

More messages from your neighbours
3 days ago

Worst Xmas ever?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.

Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...

Share your Christmas mishaps below!

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14 days ago

⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️

The Team from SPCA New Zealand

It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:

👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️

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5 hours ago

Kotare 0158-1

Paul from Levin

Pine cones. They are not just good for lighting fires.

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