Nine To Noon for Tuesday 19 October 2021

 

 

09:05 Climate Leaders Coalition signatories commit $9.5 billion to reduce emissions

With just two weeks until governments meet to review progress on efforts to fight climate change, New Zealand businesses are also doing their bit to invest in climate action. The Climate Leaders Coalition was formed three years ago with 60 signatories and now has 105. Together they account for almost 60 per cent of New Zealand's gross emissions, around 38 per cent of GDP, and employ almost 220,000 people. The Coalition has today released its third-anniversary snapshot report, which shows its signatories have committed to invest $9.5 billion over the next five years to reduce emissions from their businesses. The snapshot report also looks at the individual and collective progress in delivering the Coalition's commitments. Kathryn discusses the report with convenor Mike Bennetts, CEO of Z Energy and steering group member Jolie Hodson, CEO of Spark.

09:30 Air New Zealand and Airbus partner up to research hydrogen-powered aircraft

Air New Zealand and aircraft manufacturing giant Airbus have launched a joint initiative to investigate the future of hydrogen-powered aircraft. Under a memorandum of understanding, Air New Zealand will investigate how hydrogen aircraft could affect its network, operations and infrastructure, and Airbus will provide hydrogen aircraft performance requirements and ground operations characteristics. So how realistic is the prospect of hydrogen-powered flight for commercial aircraft... and what will it take to make it viable? Kathryn finds out from David Morgan, chief operational integrity and safety officer at Air New Zealand. 

09:45 USA correspondent Ron Elving

Two Democrats are holding up the passage of President Biden's infrastructure bill.  Also there is much attention to the January 6 riot at the Capitol, the investigating committee goes forward with subpoenas and Contempt of Congress citations for the refuseniks.  Steven Bannon is among them. Former President Donald  Trump is claiming "executive privilege." And the first Black US secretary of state, Colin Powell has died of Covid-19 complications.

 

Ron Elving is Senior Editor and Correspondent on the Washington Desk for NPR News.

10:05 The kiwi innovation at Expo 2020 in Dubai

Product inventor Kayne Horsham's innovative architectural product Kaynemaile is the striking centrepiece of Expo 2020's entrance canopy in Dubai. During his time as the artistic director of Creatures, Armour and Weapons on the Lord of the Rings trilogy -  Kaynemaile made its debut. The patented product is made in Petone but in demand globally. It not only forms Expo 2020's canopy, but also adorns the New Zealand Pavilion there. And here's an example of Kaynemaile adorning a carpark building in Columbus, Ohio.

10:35 Book review:  The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin     

Ralph McAllister reviews The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin, published by Canongate Trade

10:45 The Reading

11:05 Business commentator Pattrick Smellie

The proposals relating to the Fonterra Shareholders Fund which Pattrick says appear to perpetuate the cooperative's inability to deal with the contradiction at the heart of its existence - that what farmers want doesn't necessarily make Fonterra a great company. Also the huge challenge facing employers - how to deal with the unvaccinated, including workers, visitors, clients, contractors. 

Pattrick Smellie is the editor and co-founder of BusinessDesk and has reported on the New Zealand economy and business since 1983.

11:30 Dick Frizzell on his love of the cosmos and new book

'The Sun is a Star' has been written by renowned New Zealand painter Dick Frizzell, who developed a life-long interest in cosmology after the Big Bang theory emerged as the most popular explanation for the origin of the universe in the early 60s.  The project started off as a kids' book, sparked by his granddaughter's sharing of her revelation that the sun was, indeed, a star. Dick fully admits to, as he puts it, "conning" his artist friends and family into contributing, and was helped in his research by astronomer Samantha Lord. The result is a colourful, scientific and often humourous look at everything from the Big Bang and black holes, to AI and nano-technology.

 

11:45 Media commentator Andrew Holden

Andrew talks to Kathryn about two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: Filipino-American Maria Ressa and Russian editor Dmitry Muratov. The last journalist to be awarded the Peace Prize was a German editor in 1936 who was sent to a Nazi concentration camp. The Norwegian Nobel Committee described the latest recipients as "representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions."

Andrew Holden is a journalist for more than 30 years including five as Editor of The Press (in Christchurch) and four as Editor-in-Chief of The Age in Melbourne. 

 

Music played in this show

Track: Rock Steady
Artist: Aretha Franklin
Broadcast time: 9:35am 

Track: Back Pocket 
Artist: Vulfpeck 
Broadcast time: 10:35am 

Track: Samson 
Artist: Reb Fountain
Broadcast time: 10:40am 

Track: Bitter Streets  
Artist: Sault 
Broadcast time: 11:30am