Nine To Noon for Tuesday 21 November 2017

 

 

09:05 “It’s time to take the politics out of it” - Children’s Commission

The government is moving to set child poverty reduction targets into law. New legislation is being drafted which the government wants introduced in its first 100 days. Is a cross-party consensus on this issue possible? The Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft says the time is right for all political parties to come together to improve the lives of tens of thousands of children - and he's ready to broker talks.

09:30 Revolution on a plate: what does synthetic meat mean for our farmers?

Technology futurist Dr Rosie Bosworth, Honorary Professor of Agri-Food Systems at Lincoln University Keith Woodford and CE of Beef + Lamb NZ Sam McIvor discuss how much of a disruptive factor synthetic meats are likely to be to New Zealand's agricultural sector.

09:45 USA correspondent Susan Milligan

The latest from the US with our correspondent, Susan Milligan.

10:50 Mafia Mushrooms: underground cooperation and intimidation

Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Toby Kiers is interested in millenia-old underground biological 'markets', entwined in the roots of plants and trees. Toby is researching plants' relationships with microbes, and the economics behind their co-operation, or lack of it, in a thriving trade of essential phosphorus, nitrates and sugars between plants and fungi. In another partnership Toby is interested in - science and design - her lab has produced a stop motion video and a video game to help communicate how fungal networks trade nutrients with host plants.

10:35 Book review

Phil Vine reviews Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, published by Hachette.

10:45 the Reading: Into the Wider World by Brian Turner - Part 2

11:05 Business commentator Rod Oram

Rod Oram gives his assessment of Fonterra’s goals for tackling climate change which were released last week.

11:30 NZ sculptor designs a US Mint coin

US based New Zealand, LeRoy Transfield has designed a special coin for the US Mint to commemorate the contributions of Americans to World War 1. He entered his design as part of a competition run by the US Mint, where he will go next week to see the first coin come off the press.

11:45 Media commentator Gavin Ellis

Gavin looks at Fairfax's move to replace Sydney suburban newspapers with a magazine and TVNZ falling foul of a 'comment for hire' set up. Gavin is a media commentator and former editor of the New Zealand Herald.  He can be contacted on gavin.ellis@xtra.co.nz

Music played in this show

Artist: The Miltones
Song: Wildfire
Composer: Pratt/Tabak
Album: Miltones
Label: The Miltones
Time: 11:25

Artist:  Lou Reed & The Velevet Underground
Song: Sweet Jane
Composer: Reed
Album: Loaded
Label: BMG
Time: 11:43