GWPF Newsletter: Record Rainfalls A Thing Of The Past

University Fires Prof Who Said Texas Deserved Hurricane Harvey

Because It Voted Republican

In this newsletter:

1) Record Rainfalls A Thing Of The Past
Not A Lot Of People Know That, 30 August 2017 
 
2) Flooding Not Increasing In North America And Europe, New Study Confirms
G.A. Hodgkins et al., Journal of Hydrology, September 2017

GWPF Newsletter: Hurricane Harvey Ends 12-Year U.S. Hurricane Drought

Why Houston Flooding Isn’t a Sign of Climate Change

In this newsletter:

1) Why Houston Flooding Isn’t a Sign of Climate Change
Roy W Spencer 28 August 2017 
 
2) Hurricane Harvey Ends 12-Year U.S. Hurricane Drought
CNS News, 26 August 2017 

David Skilling & Michael O’Sullivan: The beginning of the end

At the 10th anniversary of the start of the global financial crisis, the remedies put in place to staunch its financial and economic effects remain. However, in a sign that the global economy has stabilized, central bankers are signaling the end of their super-accommodative monetary policies.

The “great normalization” began with the U.S. Federal Reserve raising rates three times amid deafening silence from low-volatility markets. Other authorities have followed, notably the European Central Bank, with markets egging on the end of quantitative easing, and the Bank of England, where a debate on inflation is underway. Both the euro and the pound have risen against the dollar, but in both cases diminished political risk has played a role.

Frank Newman: Red-faced regional council

The Northland Regional Council (NRC) has got itself into a bit of strife. The High Court has determined that between 2012 and 2016 it illegally collected some $14.4m worth of rates from ratepayers in Kaipara.

Before the High Court was an application for judicial review. In essence it was a challenge that the NRC did not act in accordance with the Rating Powers Act, and as a result the rates were set unlawfully.

The case was taken by the Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents' Association and Bruce & Heather Rogan. It related to the Kaipara district only, but the NRC rates for Whangarei and Far North districts were set and assessed on the same basis as Kaipara and there is now a compelling precedent for those areas if anyone is minded to challenge the rates. If that were to happen, the amount involved would be close to $100m not $14.4m.

Sylvain Charlebois from Canada: The End of Supply Management?

Canada’s supply management system is a textbook case for food sovereignty. But the social contract the system represents may need to be redrafted as we head toward North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) renegotiations.

Supply management is a social contract between farmers and consumers. Canada’s heavily-criticized quota regime for the dairy, egg and poultry industries was set up decades ago to protect strategic agricultural sectors by implementing high tariffs on imports. Farmers produce what the domestic market needs and we import very little.

Karl du Fresne: Looks like we've got ourselves an election campaign

It’s hard to recall a more dramatic – you might even say enthralling – election campaign. And there’s still a month to go.

Last time around, there was the noise and smoke surrounding Kim Dotcom and Nicky Hager. But that was manufactured drama, and voters were unmoved. This election is different. The drama is real.

A former British prime minister, Harold Wilson, famously said that a week was a long time in politics. That may have been true in the 1960s, but time frames have been greatly compressed.

NZCPR Weekly: Bureaucracy Rules

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we look into bureaucratic madness both in the UK and here in New Zealand, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Christopher Snowden reflects on the nature of officials who mindlessly apply the letter of the law instead of using their discretion, and this week’s poll asks whether you think the Food Act should be replaced with more practical regulations.

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GWPF Newsletter: Fat Polar Bears (And Lots of Them) Signal The End Of A Climate Icon

Gaia In Action: Melting Sea Ice May Help Cool The Planet

In this newsletter:

1) Fat Polar Bears (And Lots Of Them) Signal The End Of A Climate Change Icon
Susan Crockford, Polar Bear Science, 23 August 2017
 
2) Gaia In Action: Melting Sea Ice May Help Cool The Planet
The Australian, 18 August 2017

GWPF Newsletter: Modern Warm Period Not Unprecedented, Chinese Academy Of Sciences Study Finds

Dakota Access Pipeline Owner Sues Greenpeace

For $300 Million In Damages

In this newsletter:

1) Modern Warm Period Not Unprecedented, Chinese Academy Of Sciences Study Finds
Chinese Academy Of Sciences, 8 August 2017 

2) Characteristics Of Temperature Change In China Over The Last 2000 Years And Spatial Patterns Of Dryness/Wetness During Cold And Warm Period
Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, August 2017

Marc Morano: Review of Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Sequel - Truth to Power’

I went to a local suburban mall cineplex on a Saturday night to see Gore’s sequel. There were only about 12 other people in the theater to watch. The film held many surprises and a very satisfying ending. Who would have thought that a film that featured weather disasters and apocalyptic predictions of climate doom would have a happy ending!

The ending has a stand up and cheer moment when President Donald Trump announces the U.S. is exiting the UN climate pact. It also features Trump announcing the end to EPA “climate regulations” and reveals that former President Barack Obama’s global warming agenda was being dismantled. Just when you think the U.S. is doomed to give up sovereignty, and become entangled in the most expensive treaty in world history, along comes the hero of the film, Trump, restoring sanity to the U.S. domestic and international climate policy.

GWPF Newsletter - New Paper: Most Of The Recent Warming Could Be Natural

Big Data Finds The Medieval Warm Period - No Denial Here

In this newsletter:

1) Big Data Finds The Medieval Warm Period – No Denial Here
Jennifer Marohasy, The Spectator, 22 August 2017 
 
2) Most Of The Recent Warming Could Be Natural
Jennifer Marohasy, 21 August 2017

GWPF Newsletter: India’s 50-Year Dry Spell Ends As Monsoons Strengthen Over Past 15 Years

Good News Ignored by Global News Media

In this newsletter:

1) India’s 50-Year Dry Spell Ends As Monsoons Strengthen Over Last 15 Years
India New England News, 8 August 2017
 
2) False Alarm: Climate Change Threatens India's Monsoons
The Daily Telegraph, 28 August 2009 

Nicholas Kerr: New Zealand’s reforms and lessons for Washington

This is the text of a speech delivered to the Washington Policy Center monthly breakfast on June 27, 2017.

Many of you may be familiar with New Zealand’s reforms from an economic perspective, so I’m going to spend more of my talk focused on two other areas:

1. How policies before and after the reforms impacted individuals
2. How the key players succeeded in implementing the reforms

As a young New Zealander in the period before 1984 and the following decade of reforms, I’ll be speaking from personal experience about their impact. And I’ll be discussing their implementation as the son of an economist who was a key figure in making them come about.

Frank Newman: Money matters and mediation

Last week was Money Week. I thought every week was money week but apparently we only need to think about money one week of the year and the remainder of the time we can think about the various other causes that have weeks attached to them.

One of the major daily newspapers has been running a series of columns with money tips from our political leaders. I am not sure why one would actually ask a politician for money advice when the government consistently spends more than it earns. It would be more logical to ask for money advice from those who are good at managing money - but then they are not chasing votes and most do not seek publicity.

Seton Motley: Silicon Valley’s ‘News’ Services Bad News for Less Government Everywhere

For decades now, all of America’s major institutions – have been broadly, unquestionably Leftist, and rigidly opposed to any deviance from the entrenched doctrine.

Colleges and universities, Hollywood and entertainment, the Sciences and the News Media – all deeply in Leftism’s thrall.

And then there is the Silicon Valley – now the biggest, baddest, broadest institution of them all. Because of their dominance of the Internet – they have their hands in all of the legacy institutions.

NZCPR Weekly: The Water Debate

Dear NZCPR Reader,   

This week, we look at political manipulation in the debate over fresh water, our NZCPR Guest Commentator Michael Coote examines Maori plans to create a perpetual revenue stream of royalties from commercial water levies, and this week’s poll asks whether you support a charge on the commercial use of water.

And with the election fast approaching, please feel free to forward our newsletters on to others that you believe would be interested in our research and commentary. Anyone is welcome to register for our free weekly newsletter.

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GWPF Newsletter: U.S. Shale Flooding World Markets

Shale Forever: A Near Infinite Energy Resource?

In this newsletter:

1) U.S. Shale Flooding World Markets: Henry Hub Emerges as Global Natural Gas Benchmark
The Wall Street Journal, 17 August 2017 
 
2) Shale Forever: A Near Infinite Energy Resource?
David Blackmon, Forbes, 17 August 2017 

Melanie Phillips: How totalitarianism is winning in the west

Credit to the left-leaning Atlantic magazine for running a piece by Peter Beinart, who has actually looked at what is happening in American society and reached an uncomfortable conclusion which would be hard to find elsewhere in the media – and which is all-too pertinent in the wake of Charlottesville.

For Beinart warns that the left is lurching into totalitarianism and violence. “Antifa” purport to be anti-fascist. But they define as fascist anyone they disagree with including mainstream conservatives. Hence their violent suppression of commentators and scholars such as the conservative columnist Ann Coulter, the Breitbart controversialist Milo Yiannopoulos and the political scientist Charles Murray.

Bryan Leyland: Things you know that ain't so - Auckland airport must have rapid transport

Things you know that ain't so - Auckland airport must have rapid transport.

At the moment, the politicians are going all out with promises of rapid transport – Winston Peters favours heavy rail, while Jacinda promises light rail within a few years.

GWPF Newsletter: All Time Record - India Set For Best-Ever Foodgrain Production

Breaking: Drilling Begins At Cuadrilla’s Lancashire Shale Gas Site

In this newsletter:

1) All Time Record: India Set For Best-Ever Foodgrain Production
Times of India, 17 August 2017 
 
2) India’s Foodgrain Output Up 5-Fold In 60 Years
India Spend, August 2017