One whole semester down, who would believe. I don’t know about you guys, but it has gone way too fast for me, but I mean time flies when you’re having fun (or reading Canta).
Starting the second semester can be like going out after a long drinking detox: a struggle, full of sickness, and feeling a bit rusty. That is why we are here once again prepped with another six issues to get you through those lectures and the winter months ahead.
For this first issue we have decided to focus on our environment and everything sustainable and unstainable happening in it in 2023. Sometimes when people start talking about the environment lots of people, including myself, tune out because it’s too complicated, sometimes pretty scary and a bit of admin. We acknowledge you are all students with your own shit going on, so we have tried to explain things easily and to talk about stuff that’s genuinely interesting instead of your usual “climate change fuck” stories that bombard us every day.
Throughout these pages you will see stories about sportswashing, which of your favourite shops are offending in the environment and how music artists are keeping it green. It’s pretty sick, give it a geez.
As for my contribution (blessing) for your eyes this issue, I’ve decided to make some hot tips to stop the climate stress, and to deal with the climate itself going balls deep into winter.
Canta’s Climate Hot (and cold lol) Tips:
1. Stop gaslighting people about the Alpine Fault.
2. Stop forgetting reusable bags to the supermarket. Brown bags = annoying.
3. Buy an electric blanket or oil heater, and don’t be afraid to blast that bad boy.
4. On cold days, wear slippers and PJ’s to uni (no shame).
5. Get a brazier/fire pit for your backyard, just don’t set shit on fire.
6. Don’t rely on an alcohol blanket when you go out.
7. BDSM: Blanket, dryer (find a mate and scab), socks, Milo.
8. Learn how to use your bins (we have a great how to guide in the centre-fold chur).
9. Don’t then forget to put your bins out.
10. Host. Heaps of people= free heating.
Overall, this winter is already bloody freezing and recent weather events can be kind of scary. Take a breather, make sure you stay warm and if you’re feeling overwhelmed turn off the news (I know weird advice coming from media outlet). Make the most of the start of semester and go to the sick events that are on in the coming weeks before you are buried in uni work.
Anyways, that’s more than enough from me.
Get amongst it you good things.
Go hard or go home, Maddy
17th 18th 20th
July July July
First day of semester two Clubs Day
22nd 26th
Re-Ori : Sachi & Friends
Womens FIFA World Cup starts
28th
July July July
Re-Ori: The Big Doof CUBA Jib OpSoc Charity Auction
CUSSC Learners day @ Mt Cheeseman
29th
30th
5th
July July August
All Blacks VS Wallabies Mt Hutt Moon Ski ENSOC Eclipse
I hope that everyone has had the opportunity to rest and recharge over the semester break. It is always a great time to take stock of how the year has gone thusfar, and to quietly plan for the year ahead. Further, hopefully the exams went swell too!
Semester 2 is shaping up to be just as busy as the first. To kick things off, Re-Ori is already firmly underway! Kicking it off straight away we have Te Rourou a Haere | Lunch on the Lawn and the International Board Games Night on Monday the 17th, Silent Disco on the 19th (in Haere-roa), Big ticket events – SACHI (20th of July), the Big Doof (22nd of July), MUSOC’s Moulin Rouge Ball (29th of July), and ENSOC’s Eclipse (5th August).
The International Food Festival is on the 25th of July (yummy), Rainbow BBQ on the 26th of July, and the Winter Wellness Expo on the 27th of July will be a great opportunity to enjoy some feel-good stalls – all free and all ages!
The UCSA Half-AGM is also coming up on the 26th of July (Wednesday Week 2 at 12 noon) in Undercroft 101. I recommend coming along to see how the year is tracking, and get the UCSA Half-Yearly updates! There will be free food, vouchers and some prizes to go around.
Immediately after, the nomination period for the UCSA elections will open. Being on the UCSA has been such a privilege, and an even greater opportunity. Also, it is a pretty great time, and you get to work with and meet some awesome people. It you are at all interested, keep an eye out for info sessions, including one immediately after the HalfAGM. Or, if you have any questions you can email me at president@ucsa.org.nz or just come by my office to chat!
Very information-dump type president’s piece – but so excited to see everyone back on campus soon!
Pierce
Mauri ora e te whānau, Anna ki kōnei! Just sharing a pānui of our upcoming kaupapa this semester!
Pānui:
Te Huinga Tauira ki te ao Mārama 4th - 8th of September
4th - Pōwhiri, hui ā tau
5th - Kapa Haka Day
6th - Rā Hākinakina at Lincoln
7th - Awheawhe
8th - Rā Whakamutunga
Ko au ko te taiao, ko au. Ko te taiao ko au. (I am the environment, the environment is me)
This is a well-known whakataukī (proverb) which talks about the connection between Māori and te taiao (the environment).
For the issue this month on environment, in order to talk about the environment, we must speak on the importance of ‘kaitiakitanga’.
Kaitiakitanga (Guardianship) talks about the connection between tangata Māori and the environment. The importance of looking after Papatūānuku and her children to ensure a sustainable future for iwi Māori and their future generations to come. For those who are unsure on why Māori have a holistic connection to their whenua, awa, maunga, and environment, it all starts with whakapapa.
Whakapapa (genealogy) connects Māori to the gods above, to the soil on the ground. Starting from the atua (gods) down to our current generations, we are all interconnected through whakapapa. In Māori mythology, in the beginning there were Ranginui (skyfather) and Papatūānuku (earth mother), and their children. Amongst them was Tāne Mahuta (god of knowledge and the forests), who is also the creator of mankind in the mythologies. Within the creation story of Hineahuone, Tāne created the human body figure from soil and clay. After he gave her the breath of life through a hongī he stated “Tīhei” to which she arose with a sneeze stating the well known phrase “Mauri Ora”. (This phrase is commonly used today to the equivalent of ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes)
From this mythology, Māori are connected to the atua, thus connected to the whenua and resources around us. From the forests through Tāne, to the oceans from Tangaroa (god of the sea), to the soil and ground of Papatūānuku. It is our duty to look after our land, resources around us to ensure our earth is wellkept and sustainable for future generations to enjoy. Iwi Māori are doing their part by setting up Rāhui (temporary ban) to ensure the reproduction and habitats of our mahinga kai are safe. Ngāi Tahu have a Rāhui on Foveaux Straight to protect bluff oysters. Iwi Māori are not only protecting the environment and our mahinga kai, they are also setting an example for the community and younger generation to connect and care for our land, for our earth mother and her children.
“Mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei” (for us and our children after us) - Ngāi Tahu
This Matariki, go out and harvest your own food! Connect with the environment and our surroundings. Join Te Akatoki on their Matariki harvest workshop this semester!!\
Nāku noa, Anna
Georgia Walker (she/her)
Student vapers are everywhere in Ilam and can be spotted enjoying a puff on their way to uni or in their flats.
However, the suburb of Ilam might see a decline in vaping from August this year, as students - people notorious for being brokewill no longer be able to buy cheap disposable vapes.
One UC student, Rachel*, said vaping has become a coping mechanism for “stressful times at uni.”
The Government recently announced a crackdown set to take effect in August, halting the sale of disposable vapes, restricting appealing vape flavour names and keeping vape stores away from schools and marae.
The $10 disposables sold at local diaries will no longer line the shelves, as all vaping devices sold in Aotearoa will need to have removable or replaceable batteries.
This is to limit the sale of cheap vapes that have become increasingly popular amongst young people.
After examining Shosha's website, the average price for vapes with removable or replaceable batteries come at a whopping $50 – and this does not even include the addictive nicotine.
Student vapers will have no option but to regularly purchase new vape juice and replacement pods - meaning vaping will become an expensive habit.
In a climate where two-thirds of students regularly lack sufficient funds to purchase food, clothing, pay bills, access healthcare or
obtain other basic necessities, it remains unclear how student vapers will be able to fuel their addictions.
Rachel said that it is a good thing vapes are less accessible because it makes it easier to quit. “I can’t afford it, I can’t buy it” she said.
In addition to banning disposables, fancy vape juice names such as "Blackcurrant Soft Drink” “Cotton Candy" and "Strawberry Jelly Donut" will also be prohibited.
Only generic names which accurately describe the flavours, like "berry", will be permitted to make vaping appear less enticing to youth.
To further ensure that young people stay away from vape products, locations within a 300-metre radius of schools or marae will be off-limits to new shops.
Health Minister Hon Dr Ayesha Verral said in a Beehive press release, that Aotearoa is making strides to establish a future “where tobacco products are no longer addictive, appealing or as readily available, and the same needs to apply to vaping.”
The vape crackdown, setting in in a months time, is set to present an intriguing situation worth observing in this student dense area. Will hazy smoke and the smell of cotton candy persist in flats? Or will the wider Ilam community make strides toward becoming smoke-free?
*Name changed to protect identity
Matteo Zhang (he/him)
The government has announced a $128 million support package over two years for the struggling tertiary sector as job cuts loom.
Education Minister Jan Tinetti made the funding announcement in late June, with the government to also review the whole higher education funding model.
“This funding will help maintain the quality and breadth of higher education offerings and research capability in our tertiary institution. It will not resolve all the issues that universities are facing, but it should make a positive difference,” she said.
National President of the Education Union, Dr Julie Douglas, said the government’s decision had come better late than never.
“We are cautiously optimistic that this will be enough to stop the cuts, but given it is not targeted at the institutions that are struggling the most, we are concerned the money may be spread too thin,” she said.
“We now need to ensure that this money will be used by the Vice-Chancellors to stop the cuts, and we need to come together as a sector to work on a long-term fix.”
The $128 million represents a 4% increase in degree subsidies, this comes on top of an already 5% increase which was announced in the 2023 Budget.
Finance Minister Grant Robinson said that the extra funding would come from the reallocated spending.
“Tertiary institutions are autonomous and make their own
decisions on how best to respond to their financial situation,” he said.
However, there are fears that the extra funding won’t be enough to stop universities from cutting entire programs and hundreds of staff.
Victoria University is facing a $33 million deficit in 2023 and is forecast to receive $12.3 million in extra funding in 2024. Victoria has proposed to cut 229 full time-equivalent roles as well as disestablish and restructure entire programs.
Massey University is considering slashing up to 300 to 400 roles with the university suffering a $17.4 million deficit in 2023. Massey could receive a forecast extra 14.9 million extra funding in 2024.
Otago University is facing a $60 million budget hole and is looking to cut 182 full time equivalent positions. Otago will only get a forecast total of $24 million in 2024.
Auckland University of Technology has also proposed hundreds of job cuts and has asked for voluntary redundancies. Waikato University has only announced a proposal for the disestablishment of eight general staff full time equivalent roles. So far Auckland University has not announced any new job cuts, neither has Lincoln University.
Canta reported in May that the University of Canterbury was not facing the same enrolment woes as other universities and was on track to recruit more staff.
As Cyclone Gabrielle has demonstrated, severe weather is no joke, with climate change an issue that won’t go away.
In 2020, Parliament declared a “climate emergency” with former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern describing it as “one of the greatest challenges of our time.”
Since then, this year the IPCC delivered its sixth report (AR6). What they call the “final warning” on the climate crisis, is likely the last report where the world still has a chance to intervene before temperatures rise.
In 2019, the Zero Carbon Act was passed by the coalition government with support from the National party.
It established the Climate Change Commission, an independent body which recommends emission targets to bring New Zealand to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In the transition to a low emission economy, Labour has committed to a billion trees to offset current emissions, with more than 474 million planted so far according to MPI.
The Labour government emission reduction policies include the clean car discount, a carbon-neutral public sector by 2025, clean car standards, investment in public transport, as well as walking and cycling infrastructure. It also saw an increase of investment in rail.
Recently, the Labour government has announced its largest emissions reduction project to transition Glenbrook steel plant from coal to renewable electricity.
The project will remove 1% of New Zealand’s total emissions, equivalent to 300,00 cars.
Despite this, the Climate Change Commission has called for
faster implementation of these policies and greater emphasis on emission reduction over forestry offsetting for reduction targets to be met.
James Shaw, co-leader of the Green Party, is currently the Climate Change Minister and has faced the difficult role of managing his Party’s priorities with Labour’s.
At the Green Party’s “State of the Planet” speech in March, the Greens said they were proud of the work done over the last five years.
However, they believed that more could be done, and that progress was too slow, warning other parties if they want Green Party support to form a government they would have to do better.
“The Green Party will not accept anything less than the strongest possible climate action. The stakes are too high, the consequences of failure too great” said Shaw.
The Act Party does not support the Zero Carbon Act and states that its position is to repeal it and replace it with a “no-nonsense climate change plan.”
National, while supporting the Zero Carbon Act, has said it will change aspects if elected and that its approach to emission reduction differs from Labour and the Greens.
National’s Climate Change spokesperson Simon Watts said that a National government will meet New Zealand’s climate change targets by super-charging renewable energy and unlocking new technology to reduce agricultural emissions.
Its full climate change policy has not been published yet but it says it will release it before the election.
Maddy Croad (she/her)
University of Canterbury’s Māori student association Te Akatoki have finally been given the same pay as their UCSA counterparts.
The proposal from the UCSA is “signed, sealed and delivered” said UCSA president Pierce Crowley. With the change in pay having already come into effect.
Pay equality between the two associations has been an ongoing topic of discussion, after it was found in 2021 that the Te Akatoki representative on the UCSA board, was paid $3600 less per year than general exec members.
“In terms of the relationship between Te Akatoki and the UCSA this is just affirming a commitment to the relationship and that its just in its beginning" said Crowley.
Te Akatoki Tumuaki Anna Pohatu, spoke on the ability Te Akatoki now have to start and expand their relationships with others within the university. “We are quite isolated over at the whare… its quite hard for us to make those connections” she said.
“The UCSA has been a great step into that.”
Pay for Te Akatoki will now be completely the same, with Crowley and Pohatu receiving the same wages, as well as their vicepresidents and general exec respectively.
“Once pay is recognised that allows for people to dedicate more time, it allows for growth, it just allows for more,” said Crowley. “It’s just a reflection that their roles are equivalent.”
Māori voice has become more vital than ever within the university, with Māori student numbers and enrolments increasing steadily over the past four year's, shown in UC’s 2022 annual report.
Pohatu explained how important it is to have Te Akatoki in the university space, and how it reassures students that they have a voice at decision making tables.
“It gives the UCSA a breather because they have someone that has the knowledge, the cultural competency and the confidence to able to advocate for Māori.”
Crowley acknowledged the vital role of a Māori voice, “we are changing as an organisation” he said, “I think for me as president I’m in a position where I can be a voice for everyone, but I don’t have the lived experience of a Māori student or a Pasifika student.”
“That voice needs to be at the table and always needs to be there.”
Former Te Akatoki Tumuaki Rosa Hibbert-Schooner, who quit in 2021 due to the pay inequality, spoke on the progress that has been made.
She acknowledged how much better the relationship between the UCSA and Te Akatoki now is, “100% percent” she said, “that whole year we didn’t get a whole lot of give back from the exec that we should do things together.”
“It’s been way better recently, especially this year for them.”
Regardless of the work that is yet to be done, Te Akatoki and the UCSA have set the benchmark for other universities.
Pohatu explained how other association presidents have been getting in touch with her on how to move forward with their student associations.
“We showed that if we can do it in Christchurch... then they can do it anywhere.”
UC students are frustrated and confused after the university quietly pulled the plug on its popular December graduation ceremonies.
The University of Canterbury’s summer graduation ceremonies are popular with last year's figures showing over double the applications for the December graduation than the mid-year.
Still unknown to most students, the university decided in late last year to can its summer ceremonies and instead stick with a graduation option in April and August. The decision was not widely released – there has been no communication to students and the council minutes from the decision-making meetings say nothing above the move.
Even UCSA president Pierce Crowley, who was present at the council meeting when the December graduation was pulled, was confused about the communication, “we had these meetings last year and were told that it was going to be clear communication from the get-go about the changes and the rationale. We don’t feel like that’s happened which is really disappointing” he said.
However, Crowley stated that the UCSA are neutral on the topic and just wanted to see it be done in the “best way possible.”
Students who are only now catching up with the news, say the cancellation is disappointing.
UC engineering student Nicole Willoughby, said she thought “we were out of the woods with cancelling ceremonies”.
Willoughby had already booked travel for next year, thinking she’d leave after graduating in December, and now faces deferring her graduation until 2025. That means she won’t be graduating with any of her friends.
Several international students in their final year are also now facing challenges and may not be able to graduate at all.
International UCSA representative and student Kartikey Kartikey said that students such as himself have study visas that will run out at the end of March, meaning he will now have to get a visitor’s visa to attend graduation. “With the ceremony being in April it just doesn’t make sense for us” he said.
International student from Malaysia Ishwaar Raveenthar is in the same boat and said “because my visa is expiring on the 31st of March, I have to apply for another visa that’s on my own costs.”
Graduating for Raveenthar may not be an option anymore. “I’m not sure, it really depends on what the situation is next year because it is super uncertain right now” he said. “If we are lucky, we will try to come.”
Kartikey felt the same way, “it doesn’t feel right to get your degree by post.”
Other students said they’ve no idea what's happened due to the lack of information, and they feel the university has left them in the dark.
Sophie Smith, a third-year communications student, said the lack of clarity was causing her stress.
“It would be nice to finish the academic year and graduate within that same timeframe, instead of having to wait four months to do it.”
Sarah Hovell is in the same boat. After graduating from a BSc at the end of this semester, she will leave for Europe, before returning for a graduate roll.
“I felt pretty gutted, I felt like the university kind of robbed me of
the celebration.”
A Canta poll of 253 students posted at the end of March on UCSA noticeboard found over half of students graduating in 2023 expected to be living somewhere else in New Zealand or overseas in 2024, meaning they would have to travel a long way to get to graduation.
Willoughby is asking herself, “do I bother?”
Smith said pushing graduation into the following year had an impact on the way she now views the ceremony. “It’s just not the same, it’s not as exciting.”
Both students are critical of the university’s lack of communication. It appears many students are still unaware of the cancellation.
“So many people don’t know, I think a lot of people regarded December graduation as the main graduation, the biggest one,” Willoughby said.
Hovell said the university’s communication was “pretty poor”. “I wish they had sent out an informal email about it.”
When approached for comment, the university said in a statement that the December graduations were “unsustainable” because of an increase in student numbers and timeframes.
Instead, enabling students to mark graduation during Spring and Autumn outside of the busy, often pressured end of the year, showed UC’s values, it said.
In an OIA submitted by Canta, it was found that the vote to cancel graduation was unanimous.
Despite UC providing a comment, a formal announcement is still yet to be made, with the information only found in a deep dive on UC’s website under “future graduation dates”.
Crowley and the UCSA are remaining neutral but are against the “poor communication” by the university.
International students Kartikey and Raveenthar are pleading for the university to consider how the cancellation affects international students.
Kartikey says a ceremony in late 2023, or early 2024 for international students should be considered. “Spending 3-4 years at university and not getting a graduation, that’s just not right” he said.
“It doesn’t have to be a massive one… just having a decent farewell.”
Troops from the Wagner mercenary group held a short-lived mutiny in Russia as its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded a meeting with key Russian military figures.
Prigozhin forces took the Russian city of Rostov-onDon with no resistance and threatened to march 25,000 fighters to Moscow, where he claimed he did not intend a coup but a “march of justice” against Russian military leaders. The mutiny came to an end as quickly as it began in a negotiated deal with Yevgeny Prigozhin exiled to Belarus and immunity for Wagner forces who participated.
The mutiny is seen to have shaken the grip on power held by Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the negotiated end of mutiny, Putin appeared on Russian State TV thanking the Russian military for having “stopped a civil war.”
Despite the mutiny, the war in Ukraine continues to rage as Ukrainian forces make advances in its counteroffensive. Ukrainian officials have confirmed that combat brigades are still being held back in reserve as the main push has not yet begun.
A Russian rocket attack on a packed restaurant in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk killed 11, including four children, and injured 56 people.
A cat in the wrong place at the wrong time is thought to be the cause of a power cut to thousands of Hawke’s Bay households.
The power cut occurred at the Redclyffe substation with the lights going out in Hastings and Napier.
National grid operator Transpower said in a statement on social media that, “the outage was unfortunately caused by a cat connecting with live electrical equipment which caused an electrical flashover (or explosion).”
Unfortunately, the cat did not survive the electrical explosion. Transpower grid delivery general manager Mark Ryall told The NZ Herald that they did not know how the cat got in.
“We also don’t know if it was someone’s pet but, given the location of the substation [near Napier City Council’s Redclyffe Refuse Transfer Station], it is more likely to be a wild cat,” he said.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins was warmly welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in a high-level meeting in Beijing.
The PM was on a diplomatic mission to shore up trade links with the country’s largest export market. The two leaders discussed US–China relations, the war in Ukraine, the Pacific, and issues of human rights during the 40-minute meeting.
The relationship with China has been tense as China has expanded its security presence and influence into the Pacific. New Zealand has worked towards reducing its trade reliance on China with Free Trade Agreements with the UK and the EU.
As the two leaders met in Beijing, New Zealand hosted a Five Eyes ministerial meeting in Wellington. On the agenda for the five countries is immigration, national security, child sex abuse, democratic resilience, cyber security and foreign espionage at universities
The National party has u-turned on its support for Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS).
The National party previously supported a bipartisan effort to pass the legislation in 2021 with Deputy Leader Nicola Willis having worked with Jacinda Ardern to pass the Bill. The MDRS streamlines the process for developers to build medium density housing in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.
It was designed to speed up the supply of housing without the need for greater urban sprawl. The MDRS allowed three dwellings on each site, each being up to three stories, without needing to apply for a resource consent if other rules were complied with.
National have instead unveiled a new housing policy which would require councils to zone 30 years of growth either through greenfield development, or intensification, as well making MDRS optional for councils.
Labour said that the move showed that New Zealanders could not trust National to hold a consistent position.
On November 1st, 2021, a fire broke out at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant whilst maintenance was being performed on the roof of the facility. The fire spewed toxic smoke over the city and took 50 firefighters and three hours to bring it under control.
Once the fire was extinguished and the smoke subsided a new problem became apparent, the air was full of the stench of sewerage. The whole city was affected, but most affected was the suburb of Bromley where the plant was located.
The Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant was first opened in 1887, but the plant as we know it was built in 1962. In the 1980s, a roof was built to contain the smell produced by the plant as the smell was a source of complaints for many residents.
In 2005, work was started to create an ocean outfall, which is a pipeline that connects the plant to the sea water. A tunnel was created underneath the Avon Estuary and New Brighton. The work was completed in 2010, a shocking 18 months behind schedule, costing the Christchurch City Council 85 million dollars.
The plant was damaged in the 2011 Earthquake, with broken pipes leaking sewerage into the Avon Estuary.
The Fire Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) report noted that maintenance work was being performed on the plants two trickling tanks in the preceding 12 months before the fire. The day of the fire was no different. The work being done included cleaning and repair of the fibreglass components of the roof by contractors.
FENZ received the first notice of the fire at 3:07pm and first responders were on scene less than ten minutes later.
Residents close to the plant were ordered to evacuate the area as toxic black smoke filled the air. As
well as evacuation orders, public health warnings being issued to the entire city. With those who were sensitive to smoke such as those with asthma or heart disease being warned about the smoke worsening their conditions. People with smoke sensitivities as well as those affected by the smoke were advised to stay indoors and close doors and windows by the then Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB).
In an interview to Stuff the day of the fire, local resident Ashley Nutley said that her and her flatmate Brad Saunders fled their house at 4pm after it was engulfed by smoke from the fire. Nutley noted that Saunders had an asthma attack as a result of inhaling the smoke.
Even the central city was affected the smell from the smoke with Christchurch’s main library, Tūranga broadcasting an apology to those inside the building at the time, according to Stuff.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured or killed.
With the fire extinguished, a new problem began to plague Christchurch, the smell of rotting, unprocessed human waste. In an interview to One News, Christchurch City Council Chief Executive Officer, Dawn Baxendale said, "we know the local residents have had a terrible time coping with odours after the fire destroyed about 60% of the plant's capacity to treat wastewater."
Residents closest to the waste treatment plant were most affected by the stench caused by the damage from the fire.
The investigation undertaken by FENZ was released on the 16th of December in 2022 and with it came a supposed cause of the fire. The report noted that, “the fire cause has been classified as accidental with the most likely cause being the ignition of the maintenance tape ‘Sika MultiSeal’ or roof structure with an open flame heating tool in use at the time.”
Even today, residents of Bromley are still having to deal with the stench and the associated mental and physical health effects.
In a recent City Council meeting from June the 21st, residents spoke of the issues from the stench that are still being felt nearly two years after the fire. Bruce King speaks of the spores being carried by the wind, which has bought Legionnaires disease as well as strains on mental health.
“I think that’s a joke,” King said after being told the plant would be closed in 3-5 year's, residents were originally told it would be one year. King went on, “It’s going to be another stinker” when talking about the upcoming summer, in which the stench would usually get worse.
Vickie Walker also spoke of how the stench affected her well-being and broke down in tears during the meeting calling the process a “rinse and repeat.” Walker unfortunately has experienced pneumonia, asthma and shingles in the space of five months, and it has had wide-reaching effects on her life. She notes that she can’t open the windows, can’t use her HRV, can’t walk and that children can’t walk to school. Walker feels like “a prisoner in [her] own home, captured by a foul odour,” and expressed that “fresh air shouldn’t be a privilege for the privileged.”
Cathy Baker is a teacher at Bromley School and a resident of the suburb for over 20 years. Baker said she felt like they have been treated like second class citizens and noted that when the council sent scouts to inspect the smell, they only stayed for ten minutes, “ten minutes, is that all we’re worth?”
Baker also spoke of her students and how the stench has been affecting their well-being.
She said that student absences cause by illnesses such as sore stomachs and chest infections is “huge” and that “we don’t know what’s happening inside their lungs.” Walker presented letters from students to Mayor Phil Mauger for him to, “read tonight in bed.”
Despite the Christchurch City Council announcing on the 12th of August 2022 in a blog post titled That’s It Folks that, “with the trickling filter material removal work completed, the new activated sludge system is online and the community support package closing today, we are closing this blog.” As far as the council are concerned, the problem is gone and life can go on, but for the residents of Bromley, such a view does not match the realities they are having to endure.
As well as affecting the lives of residents nearby, the local environment has been damaged by the plant fire and resulting issues.
The first of which is the effect on the quality of air. The fire damaged the buildings containing the trickling filter, where wastewater is filtered of its pollutants before going into the oxidation ponds and then out to sea. Unfortunately, the fire has rendered the filters unserviceable, meaning that the oxidation ponds and eventually the ocean are filled with raw sewerage that is unable to be treated to previous standards.
The oxidisation ponds surrounding the plants have higher levels of organic
matter which has caused the population of midges, a small fly that looks like a mosquito to go down. This has resulted in the number of certain wetland birds such as gulls and terns to decrease as the birds are unable to source food in their old habitat. Local resident Damian Elley in an interview with Radio New Zealand said that "the reason the wildlife's gone is because the water's dead, there's no oxygen in the water and nothing can live in it."
What Elley is describing is excess nutrients such as nitrogen being pumped into the water, via a process known as eutrophication.
Eutrophication is harmful to wildlife as according to the British Natural History Museum, “a large amount of algae has an impact on the rest of the ecosystem, such as blocking out the light that plants need for photosynthesis. When these plants, and the algae itself, start to die, they are eaten by a lot of bacteria which reduces oxygen in the water, killing fish and other organisms.”
Eutrophication can also create issues in the ocean as well, harming sea life
and potentially spreading diseases to people who consume fish harvested from areas affected.
In April 2023, Christchurch City Council installed 16 aerators to churn oxygen into one of the oxidisation ponds , this was done in an attempt to restore the health of the ponds back to pre-fire levels. The council notes that, “in the long term, these aerators will ensure the entire pond continues to stay healthy and function well as they have done over summer.”
As of now, Christchurch City Council is waiting for insurance negotiations to be completed. Once that is done, the council says that “[they] will provide an update on the timing to restore the full treatment capacity of the plant.” When this will happen is the question Bromley residents are awaiting an answer for, as they continue to be trapped indoors, sick and tired of the smell they have had to endure for year's.
air shouldn't be a privilege for the privileged "Heidi Slade (she/her)
One step closer to naming Ōtautahi’s best student rockers
Dig the Gig is a step closer to naming its 2023 winner. And, in true DTG style, the final say will once again be down to the crowd.
The UC semi-finals saw eight acts perform three songs for a chance to win a live performance music video, produced by award-winning music director Mark Russel, the opportunity to play at the Go Live festival and more.
Rounds are judged using a decibel meter, which measures the roar of the audience that determines winners.
So, the people have spoken with FLOODGATE taking first place, followed by Crown in second, Red Weekend and The Norwesters tied at third and Tusekah in fourth.
The four remaining bands will compete again on July 12th, at A Rolling Stone.
“To be in the finals feels like incredible recognition,” FLOODGATE said.
The band has been together for about 10 months, playing what they describe as “music for people with short attention spans.”
FLOODGATE, while preparing for finals, is also putting the finishing touches on a debut EP and mixing up material for an album that they say is rapidly taking shape.
Second-place band Crown, say they entered DTG to have their song recorded and to perform for their mates.
Taking inspiration from Sticky Fingers and Foo Fighters, Crown describe their music in three words: Tunes, sexy and energetic.
“We’re pumped,” they said. “All the bands are super talented, and we’re excited to be playing with them.”
Red Weekend and The Norwesters tied for third, could not be more different. In the true spirit of rock and roll, Red Weekend take inspiration from ACDC.
The Norwesters, however, say their music resonates with an “older crowd”
due to its inspiration from Irish/Celtic folk music.
“To be in the final is an absolute dream come true especially for it to be happening while we are still figuring out what works for us as a four-piece,” The Norwesters said.
In fourth place, Tusekah lead singer said the band are grateful for the support they’ve received so far.
“We’re hoping we can get more of that support in the finals round so we can bring the title,” she said.
“We received a lot of comments in our semi-final round that we were way tighter as a band which was great. We want to bring those vibes up a notch for the finals.”
But either way, no band will walk away from the final empty-handed.
All acts who have made it to the final will win a day recording/mixing a single at Orange Studios.
“We’re really passionate about what we’re doing,” Dig the Gig founder and organizer Matt Johnson said.
“Dig the Gig is really about the fans.”
Semi-final acts that didn’t make it through, will still leave with something to show for their success.
Tealskie entered Dig the Gig to “have a blast” and get to know other local acts.
Despite not getting into the final, like all the other bands that entered, they’ll leave the competition with Recycle Boutique and Sal’s pizza vouchers, and a chance to perform at Rhythm & Alps.
“It’s an amazing experience and opportunity for any band,” said Tim, from Tealskie.
“It would have been an incredible feeling to get to the finals, but we’re stoked to have just been a part of the competition. For us it was about truly representing ourselves, having a blast and supporting some local bands,” Bekah said.
Beccy Arnold (she/her)
The pinnacle of haute-couture rests among the Holy Quartet of fashion weeks across New York, Milan, Paris and London. These shows strike the emergence of fashions’ most iconic moments like Bella Hadid’s spray on dress at Coperni’s Paris Fashion Week last year, and Alexander McQueen’s equally as transfixing 1998 London Fashion Week show, where model Shalom Harlow was sprayed with dark paint by a pair of robotic arms as she spun on a rotating circle.
We’ve seen many of statements in the 79 years since the origin of fashion weeks, including model Bones Tan-Jones rebelling against Gucci’s use of straitjackets as a fashion piece, writing “mental health is not fashion” on her hands which she displayed while she solemnly walked down the catwalk. Runways have been flooded with water to act as a visual display of rising sea levels and models have strutted across a catwalk covered in popcorn at Calvin Kleins’ 2018 New York Fashion Week show. Chanel even launched a rocket at their 2017 Paris show while Elton Johns’ “RocketMan” graced the audience.
Runway shows, and by extension haute-couture, are nothing if not extravagant. But with this level of near profligacy, the environmental sustainability of these shows comes into question. Can runway shows ever be sustainable?
the typical fashion week and completely showing up the Holy Quartet in the process.
Back in the shit-storm that was 2020, they unveiled one of the only good things to come out of that year, a new sustainability action plan. Essentially, this plan means that every brand on their schedule must meet 18 requirements covering six key areas; strategic direction, smart material choices, design, working conditions, consumer engagement and show production.
Additionally, Copenhagen Fashion Week is offsetting all carbon emissions from its own activities and has reduced its carbon emissions by 50% compared to 2019, as reported by Vogue. CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, Cecilie Thorsmark believes their sustainability efforts and framework, “does accelerate change in the industry and a lot of progress has been made.” As CFW gains more traction in the global industry and is now being referred to as the ‘fifth fashion week’ after Paris, Milan and London, Thorsmark hopes their successful work encourages other fashion weeks to adopt their framework, “we hope we can inspire other fashion weeks to go in the same direction.”
New Zealand Fashion Week has, “drawn inspiration from leading sustainable fashion events like CFW. By learning from their successful transition towards sustainability, NZFW are working to evolve their practices to meet the highest standards in sustainability,” as revealed by Robynne Roodt, PR Account Manager for NZFW.
The sheer amount of work and resources that go into a 20 minute event is enormous. From designers to caterers, venue staff and security, to A-list celebrities and influencers flying out from across the globe to attend. Every aspect of these shows have an impact on the environment. The difficult reality for most designers is creating new shows that are distinguishable from the rest, each attempting to capture the attention of an overstimulated and easily distracted audience.
As fashion weeks get more extravagant each season, pressures for the fashion industry to respond to climate change are mounting. Thankfully, there are particular brands and fashion councils who are reworking the format of the traditional fashion show to be more sustainable.
Scandinavian fashion is on the up this year, thanks to influencers like Matilda Djerf and Pernille Teisbaek, so it only makes sense that Scandi haute-couture is making headlines too. Copenhagen Fashion Week is redefining
New Zealand Fashion Week began in 2001 as a launching pad for designers to expand their businesses and annually showcases fashion, arts and culture to an audience of over 25,000. This year’s show will be held in Auckland from August 2nd to September 3rd after a three-year hiatus. NZFW said it is, “committed to supporting Aotearoa’s evolving circular fashion ecosystem, a sustainable model that prioritises the reuse and recycling of fashion for the benefit of the planet.”
Roodt explains that NZFW’s vision is to be
“We hope we can inspire other fashion weeks to go in the same direction”
the “most innovative, sustainable and inclusive event platform that empowers Aotearoa’s creative fashion community while supporting the development of a circular fashion system.”
Within almost every conversation about sustainable fashion, the term “circular fashion system” pops up continually. This kind of fashion model prioritises the reuse and recycling of fashion for the benefit of the planet. The model is about ensuring the things produced for fashion weeks have a circular life and is not strictly limited to just clothing. LVMH Prize finalist Bethany Williams’ brand reused wooden rails from her exhibition to hold sample garments in her studio, and props from the show have reappeared in campaigns and later projects. It means everything is created with purpose and intentionality, limiting its environmental impact.
Part of NZFW’s commitment to a more sustainable future is their recent partnership with Go Well Consulting. This collaboration will result in a comprehensive sustainability strategy and roadmap for the next five years, according to Roodt. As this is such a recent partnership, no specific actions have been implemented yet but the sustainability plan will outline key objectives and initiatives to ensure that sustainability, “will be integrated into every aspect of [NZFW] over the next five years.” NZFW aims to move towards a zero-waste event and reduce resource consumption, waste creation and reducing its event impact on the climate.
It’s a step in the right direction and hopefully some of the larger fashion weeks will take note of how CFW and NZFW are running things. Sure, some of the plans are loose and tad ambiguous, as with almost all sustainability plans within the fashion industry, but at least the future of fashion weeks are looking a little bit greener.
As a Kiwi teen, part-time jobs in high school are pretty limited. For the most part, you either go into hospitality (god speed), or the slightly less hellish experience of retail. I, living just an eight minute drive from the mall, chose the latter. I don't know why my manager decided to hire freshly 16 year old me. Nevertheless, here I am almost five years on, working at the exact same store.
Having spent a fair chunk of my late adolescence in an airconditioned cube selling dresses to Karen’s who drove in from Merivale, at some point you just question everything. And if you’ve worked retail for any amount of time, you are going to know exactly what I mean. The nagging thing that kept popping up to me as I unwrapped countless items of clothing from its plastic enclosure or took a third trip to the massive rubbish skips around the outskirts of the mall was that all this waste cannot be good for the environment.
And honestly, the fashion industry is no joke. Annually, 100 billion items are produced by 60 million people in the global fashion industry and obviously, that takes its toll on the environment.
Every year Tearfund New Zealand partners with Baptist World Aid Australia to put together an annual Ethical Fashion Report and their 2022 report has assessed 120 companies representing 581 brands. It’s stuffed full of statistics and insights into the realm of fashion and retailers, but it's renowned for its comprehensive ranking of companies against one another. Each retailer is graded against 5 categories - policies and governance, tracing and risk, supplier relationships and human rights, and worker empowerment and environmental Sustainability. They are then given a score out of 100.
Let me tell you, that list is shocking. Obviously, all the usual offenders were at the bottom of the pack, like Shein, but joining them are some real cult favourites. Granola girls everywhere will not be pleased to hear that those Boston Birkenstocks are almost as sustainable as a cheap Shein dupe. joining them in the fiery armpit of TearFund’s sustainability list of doom is Farmers with a final score of 2, Culture Kings sitting at a solid 5 and Novo who couldn’t even get a single point on the board. Big fat zero for you Novo.
But more surprisingly, the stores I expected to fall short well surpassed expectations. H&M who have been punished time and time again by media trolls and eco-warrior Insta girlies got a staggering score of 56, considering that’s only 12 points away from environmental giant, Patagonia, this is actually a weirdly high score. Turns out they fell short in the worker empowerment category, scoring a tiny little 6 out of a possible 25. Their lofty score is mostly from the environmental sustainability category (19/20), and supplier relationships & human rights monitoring (14/34). Another retail ranking system, Good On You, said that “H&M has published detailed information about its suppliers and supply chain policies but it creates short-lived, fast fashion products.” So their progress is a start, but the pace at which styles are created and consumed by buyers ends up partially counteracting their sustainability efforts.
Another fascinating reveal from Tearfund’s report was their hot take on footwear companies. Well, not so much a hot take, as it is a highly educated, authentic piece of info. As it happens, shoes are hecka expensive, and for good reason.
There’s over 65 separate parts and 360 assembly steps for each pair of shoes. As a result, not a single footwear company on Tearfund’s list could evidence trace all input suppliers, and 56% of footwear companies “lack knowledge of names and addresses for any of their raw material suppliers.” So it’s not surprising that Novo, Windsor Smith, Overland and Birkenstock have ended up with such low scores. Typical footwear brands that also sell apparel like ASICS, Nike and Under Armour ended up with a mid-range score, most likely brought down by those pesky shoes that require so many materials.
But let’s stop doom-scrolling Tearfund’s list of shit retailers and focus on the not-so-shit ones.
Companies with the biggest improvement from the previous year were Forever New and R.M Williams, respectively improving by over 20 points, followed by Lorna Jane, Princess Polly and Universal Store who all improved by at least 8-10 points.
The highest score by a simply enormous margin went to a brand that I’ve never even heard of. Crowned with a whopping score of 86 is Australian-based retailer, Mighty Good Basics (MGB). Even Patagonia couldn’t come close, trailing behind by 18 points. For all the car fanatics and motorsport geeks, let me put that in perspective for you; if environmental sustainability was a Formula 1 race, MGB is Verstappen who absolutely annihilates the competition in that damn RB19 while almost every other retailer lags behind in what may as well be a Williams at this point. Patagonia is, of course, the ever-consistent Alonso who even after being around for so long, still manages to show everyone up. Sure, the metaphor isn’t perfect, but it just makes so much sense.
Even though MGB doesn’t have a lot of selection in terms of styles, the ones they do have are not only staples that transcend speedy trends but are relatively affordable considering their low environmental impact. Tank tops go for $25 each, crops for $38 and underwear for $15. It’s no 2 for $35 at Glassons, but it’s not that far off. Their transparency really is unparalleled which is evident even from a quick peek at their website. With a single click on their ‘transparency’ tab, MGB lists by name their entire supply chain, organic cotton suppliers and factory partners, which is very, very, rare that a brand will reveal. Often, retailers will hide behind sustainability goals (carbon-zero by *insert date here* is a popular one) and what they’ve achieved so far, but it takes a lot of scrolling to find actual names of suppliers, if they’re even listed at all. Transparency is key, right?
I don’t think it gets more transparent than announcing to the world that you’re giving a billion-dollar company back to, well, the world. In September of last year, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard announced that each year, the money they make “will be distributed as a dividend to help fight the climate crisis.”
Patagonia’s communications and PR Rep, Gin Ando, took a few minutes to answer some of my burning questions about the environmental frontrunner and the logistics of transferring the ownership of a company to the Earth (and before you ask! No, I didn’t get sent any free clothes, a girl can dream).
Beccy Arnold (she/her)According to Gin, Yvon has always been a reluctant businessman, so it “really isn’t surprising something like this has happened.” Gin broke down the ownership transfer, saying “the Chouinard’s transferred ownership of the company to two separate entities, the Patagonia Purpose Trust (PPT) and the Holdfast Collective. The PPT holds 2% of the company’s stock and all voting shares. This was done to ensure that Patagonia as a company cannot change its mission or anything significant without a vote of people who truly know the company’s spirit and philosophies. The other 98% of stock, the non-voting stock, was transferred to the Holdfast Collective, which is a 501c4 non-profit organisation set up to receive all profits of the company that are not reinvested back into the business. We expect the Holdfast Collective to receive and disperse about $100 million USD per year to groups on the frontlines of fighting the climate crisis.”
One of the most interesting things Gin said to me was that Patagonia recognises, “that we as a company aren’t ‘sustainable’. Until all parts of our business are regenerative and give back as much as we take from the planet, we cannot truthfully consider ourselves sustainable.” Every aspect of the multi-faceted company is guided by the idea of lessening their footprint which materialises itself in the way of investing in solar power for their suppliers, developing microfiber filters with Samsung and initiating climate campaigns to name a few examples.
While other companies stop at simply creating apparel with less of an environmental impact, Patagonia goes so far beyond that. Their honesty with themselves and their community in places they fall short is refreshing and tenderly transparent.
Patagonia creates more than clothes and equipment but fosters a revolutionary approach to the boundaries of what a retail business can achieve. They are activists in their own right, leaders at the forefront of environmental sustainability and a company that truly ‘walks the walk’.
On a level a little closer to home, Christchurch retailer Infinite Definite is taking a different approach to sustainability. Located on High Street near makeup giant Mecca, Inf Def is an independent, high-end, eclectic mix of designers and products from New Zealand and beyond. Their sustainability efforts are focussed on low impact operations, material consciousness, ethical production and buying local products.
Founders Jono and Sarah Moran curate a store that contains high-quality clothing which stands the test of time so is less likely to end up in landfill. Jono says that choosing brands for Inf Def is, “ultimately design focused and we are always looking for goods that have integrity in their own right.” Inf Def makes an honest effort to support brands, “leading in sustainability and transparency” like Kowtow, Twenty-Seven Names and Veja. What started as a simple menswear label has evolved into a small store that continues to actively demonstrate a more sustainable retail future.
And yeah, you might read that last paragraph that's low-key a really good ad and wonder if I’m getting paid to say all these nice things. But I promise I’m not! These are just brands that I think are really cool and so does the environment.
So the next time you’re walking around the dwindling number of stores at the mall, maybe have a think about some of the choices you’re about to make. Clothes that are both affordable and sustainably-made are not mutually exclusive and they do exist! Make smart choices kids.
Sportswashing, it’s a phenomenon wherein sport is used to improve an owner or government’s reputation. But it’s way more complicated than that – and far more relevant than you might think.
Occurrences go back many decades, to the 1936 Olympics, an innumerable amount of rugby union tours and a 1973 boxing match in apartheid South Africa; the most famous example, as of late, involves Saudi Arabia.
The Crown Prince, and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia is Mohammed bin Salman, he has a complex reputation. To focus on his women’s rights record specifically, his government removed the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia, but also arrested and tortured feminists advocating for the freedom to drive. The Prince has also been accused of domestic abuse himself.
He recently attempted to sponsor the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
It didn’t make any sense, to anyone, and the widespread controversy led the contract to be dropped. FIFA President Gianni Infantino, a friend of Mohammed bin Salman, said that there, “wouldn’t be anything bad in having sponsorships from Saudi Arabia,” dismissing the situation as a “storm in a teacup”.
Women and girls were banned from sports stadiums, as players and as spectators, until just five years ago. Many players competing at the FIFA World Cup are queer women. In Saudi Arabia, same-sex sexual activity is punishable by life imprisonment and flogging. So why was the Saudi government even interested in funding women’s sport?
Steve Jackson is a Professor and Associate Dean (Research) at the University of Otago, working within the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences. Much of his work focuses on the globalisation of sport, and the relationship between sport and national identity.
Steve says that sportswashing can be considered on, “a continuum from minor
to extreme,” and acts as a way for nation-states to, “improve their international image […] and to mask or erase the negative things associated with how they’re viewed by the rest of the world…things like human rights and political violations.”
Petroleum was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938, now they’re the world’s largest oil exporter. Along with crude oil, Saudi Arabia are closely associated with an abysmal record for women’s rights, forced repatriation, allegations of torture, human trafficking, mass executions, violent discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and refusal to treat patients with HIV/ AIDS.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia’s image-conscious Public Investment Fund (PIF) proposed a deal to purchase British football team Newcastle United. There was an enormously negative response calling on the Premier League to block the deal. The purchase was completed that October, after the Crown Prince allegedly threatened then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson with financial punishment for the UK if he didn’t intervene to offer his support.
Clearly, Saudi Arabia wanted to buy this team, very, very badly. Perhaps Mohammed bin Salman was just a big fan who happened to have an enormous amount of power and money. Probably not.
The most shocking and electrifying sportswashing story of recent months comes from the world of golf. The ninetyfour-year-old PGA Tour has recently developed a complicated rivalry with the young-and-hungry organisation LIV Golf, founded in 2021 and backed by the Saudi PIF.
While the PGA can’t offer all their players sparkling piles of money, LIV are different. LIV have reportedly offered contracts in the hundreds of millions, while the top PGA earner only receives $4.5 million USD. Turning down an offer of that magnitude requires a lot of willpower.
But some PGA players indeed rejected the big bucks from LIV, such as golf superstars Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. McIlroy was reportedly offered $500 million USD, with Woods offered more than $700 million, a lot of the big boys weren’t biting.
Some were, American golfer Phil Mickelson controversially signed with LIV. Journalist Alan Shipnuck then released statements from Mickelson where he acknowledged Saudi Arabia’s appalling
“Whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf… would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy?”
human rights record. Mickelson even referred to Saudi Arabians as “scary motherfuckers”, regarding the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Nonetheless, Mickelson signed with the company, ignoring all the massive, un-ignorable ethical nightmares. He said that he did so because of an opportunity to rework the PGA Tour. After a few weeks of silence, he stated that, “the player experience here is incredible,” I’m sure it was.
Then some Game of Thrones shit went down. In June, the PGA announced that they had agreed to a merger with LIV, meaning all PGA and LIV players were now funded by Saudi Arabia. ESPN called it, “the most unlikely union in professional golf history,” somehow that’s an understatement.
Even more baffling, the deal was negotiated by Jimmy Dunne, PGA board member and a founder of an investment bank previously located in the World Trade Center. He was hailed as an American hero for his life-saving actions during the 9/11 attacks in 2001, becoming known as the “man with the red bandana”.
He’s been asked many times for his thoughts regarding Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks. His response, “I am quite certain, and I have had conversations with a lot of very knowledgeable people, that the people I’m dealing with had nothing to do with it… and if someone can find someone that unequivocally was involved with it, I’ll kill them myself.”
Some truly insane words for a fittingly insane situation. What is most shocking is the continual acknowledgement from power players that human rights calamities are rife in Saudi Arabia; followed by between-the-lines acknowledgements that people with power like to attain even more of it.
Those who had turned down hundreds of millions from LIV in favour of remaining with the PGA, only for their organisation to get Saudi funding anyway, were rightfully pissed off. McIlroy said he felt like a “sacrificial lamb”, adding this haunting statement, “whether you like it or not, the PIF are going to keep spending money in golf… would you rather have them as a partner or an enemy?”
Steve says that ‘sportswashing’ often overlaps with ‘greenwashing’. Greenwashing is a similar concept wherein the environmental impact of a product or operation is covered up or falsely presented. “We can see it with INEOS, for example – which is rebranded from British Petroleum – a chemical company.”
We know ‘petroleum’, boo, bad news. INEOS is spacey and unusual, it sounds a bit like ‘Theranos’, weird start-up vibes, but it doesn’t sound like an enormous fossil fuel succubus eating away at the natural world. However it indeed is. INEOS are major investors in various sports, from rugby to Formula One. Steve says, “they’re definitely greenwashing and sportswashing at the same time.”
Sport couldn’t be a better candidate for an image revival. Sport is so global and massively popular, that it breaks language barriers. There’s plenty of it; if football doesn’t work, try golf, or rugby, or ice skating. It’s competitive, often
stereotypically masculine, and unlikely to be automated soon and it’s based in a never-ending circular battle that easily keeps players, coaches and owners in a temporarily highstakes, permanently low-stakes news cycle.
“We have these events where nations who might have different kinds of political or geopolitical conflicts will participate together. So, it’s back to the sort of ancient, Greek and Roman days of setting aside warfare for a certain period while you can collaborate and play sport,” Steve says.
Stripped to its most basic definition, sport is a game. Steve adds that sport is an industry which “many would consider trivial.” For some people and nations known for some fuckedup shit, ‘trivial’ is incredibly desirable.
Pretty much any sports team owner, whether an individual or a business or a country, is attempting a kind of image improvement. Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney own Wrexham FC; their documentary series Welcome to Wrexham is sweet, funny and satisfying, it’s good PR.
Those reasons for nation-states to choose sport still apply for Reynolds and McElhenney, who benefit from the trivial competition of televised celebrity team ownership. But as far as I know, neither Reynolds nor McElhenney have threatened any world leaders or violated the Geneva Convention, fingers crossed.
And that’s where the Saudi purchases differ. The PGA-LIV merger, the attempted sponsorship of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the purchase of Newcastle United are ‘just sports’, yes, but they are massively influential on the geopolitical reputation of Saudi Arabia.
Sportswashing is terribly effective in another insidious way: the coverage of Saudi team ownership, rejections, acceptances and threats within sport, dominate exposure of human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia itself.
We acknowledge that Saudi Arabia is using sport to occlude some true horrors, but they’re using it so effectively that we don’t know what many of those horrors are. Maybe we never will.
Steve says that sportswashing can show us more than we might think, “we’re talking about very, very serious geopolitical things that are beyond sport, that are beyond golf.”
“You have the Saudis signing deals now with Russia and China… there’s a major global struggle for power going on.”
“Parts of the West are so dependent on Saudi oil and Chinese trade that it’s coming for a reckoning, I would suggest.”
Sustainability holds a handful of different meanings in the music industry, all equally as interesting. The first that comes to mind for me is the well-documented struggle of making the musician lifestyle a financially viable primary career. In a world plagued with covetous streaming services and rising living costs, the sustainability of artistic endeavours is sadly decaying. Another interpretation is the sustainment of music as cultural heritage. I definitely recommend making the most of your uni JSTOR access and looking deeper into this idea since there is a selection of academic journal articles on this topic that are actually compelling to read. Lastly, and of focus today, is sustainability in the music industry as it relates to good ol’ mother earth.
In our orientation issue, Beccy wrote an awesome piece titled “concerts & capitalism” where she talked about ballooning concert ticket prices. Truth is, capitalism and the music industry are intrinsically tied together, with capitalism being the dagger in artistic freedom’s side. Live performances tend to revel in breaking the bank for the sake of showmanship. Between wondrous set designs, world-wide flight expenses, merch galore and lighting extravaganzas so intricate they’d put aurora borealis to shame, there are a multitude of sustainability issues in question. However, the good news for the enviro-junkies out there is that there are many big-name artists using their elevated positions to develop more sustainable touring practices and promote green behaviour.
In terms of album release tours, no one is giving back to the environment more than Coldplay. The innovative efforts of their Music of the Spheres World Tour is an unprecedented example of how you can still have your cake and eat it too when it comes to putting on a show and keeping green. The design of the tour is built upon three key principles: to reduce, reinvent, and restore (as opposed to the familiar reduce, reuse, recycle). Ultimately, in sticking to their core values, the band hopes to reduce more CO2 than the tour itself produces, which involves cutting their emissions down to less than 50% of their previous tour. The list of ways in which they’re planning to put on as green a show as possible is genuinely impressive. Between utilising sustainable biofuels, providing plantbased food, and building the stage and merch out of high quality recyclable elements, they’ve got all their bases covered. To top it off, they have been partially powering the stage with photovoltaic solar panels, energy bikes and kinetic floors that transform the crowd’s dancing into electricity. How unique is that!
When it comes to artists getting vocal about environmentalism, who can forget rapper Jaden Smith’s, “Can we talk about, like, the political and economic state of the world right now? Can we talk about what’s going on with the environment?” attack on our chronically online generation. Is it pretentious? Without a doubt, but is he all talk? Absolutely not. Even before his music career kicked off, a twelve-year-old Jaden founded the spring water company Just Water, which uses plant-based materials and recycled aluminium to make water bottles. Since then, he’s also been a major advocate for electric vehicles and vegetarianism. Speaking of such, pop, hip-hop, and whatnot icon Lizzo is a well-known and enthusiastic vegan, using her platform to share the benefits and joy of eating sustainable meals. During the 2020 Australian bushfires, she just happened to be in Melbourne at the time, and in response to the crisis worked with Foodbank Australia to feed affected families and promoted Farms to Families, a programme that prioritises sustainability in local agriculture.
As it turns out, when cultural phenomenon Pharrell Williams isn’t changing the music industry from inside the studio, he is the creative director of material engineering company Bionic Yarn. The crew at Bionic Yarn are all about recycling coastal and marine plastics into highperformance apparel whether that be athletic gear, workplace wear, or everyday clothing. Matty Healy and The 1975 also give a damn when it comes to producing environmentally-friendly clothing, as their recent merchandise is made out of repurposed material of old merch.
While many artists attempt to introduce more sustainable practices into the participation of music as an event, few have offered much in the way of finding more sustainable ways to listen to music. Carrying on Bob Marley’s love for the earth, the House of Marley addressed this deficit, releasing the environmentally-friendly Liberate Air wireless earbuds in 2019. These Apple AirPod alternatives are made from bamboo, sawdust, and recycled aluminium. The only significant difference between the Liberate Air and AirPods per se is the brand and the latter’s overwhelmingly more positive impact on the environment.
All in all, songs about our dying planet can only do so much, so it’s inspiring to see so many artists using their platforms to turn talk into actual action and try to improve the environmental impact of the music industry bit-by-bit.
The red, yellow, and green bins, name a more iconic trio. We all know the trafficlight-ish drill; red for rubbish, yellow for recycling, green for organics. We’re actually part of a small group that gets the itty-bitty green bin. I was shocked to discover that Ōtautahi Christchurch, Timaru and the Mackenzie District are the only areas in Aotearoa that have kerbside organics collection.
Aotearoa doesn’t have the absolute best record with waste. In 2018 the World Bank ranked us as the tenth-most wasteful country in the world. I know we want to outrank Australia any chance we get but maybe not here.
You’ll see “refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rot” on some signs around campus. It’s just good advice, and accurate disposal improves recycling rates as well as the quality of mass compost.
But it can be hard to keep up. Unbelievably, some of the numbers; 3, 4, 6, and 7, inside the recycling symbol indicate that they’re not recyclable. I’ve never been very good with maths so in just a few minutes I will certainly forget which number is which.
I once got a sticker on my red bin telling me I should be putting tissues and paper towels with organics instead. As a chronic people pleaser and lifelong teachers’ pet, I still shudder at the image of a hypothetical garbageman shaking his head at my bin in disappointment.
The Council’s Bin Good booklet has the most extensive instructions, but it’s a tricky-to-remember eight pages that can take up sought-after kitchen wall real estate. Here’s the gist put very, very simply, to clip out and put on the fridge (or to memorise if you still have spongey
exam-brain.)
Shouldn’t biodegradable plastics go in the green bin? It would be nice, but Aotearoa’s not quite ready yet. Most of the country doesn’t have access to systems that can process these materials. The Council advises to dispose of these in the red bin – or better yet, in your home compost.
Composting at home is majorly underrated, as are worms, match made in heaven. If you want to start composting but don’t know where to begin, UC’s got the club for you.
Kaitlyn Lamb is the President of the UC Compost Club; her twin sister Jessica, is the Vice-President. They started as volunteers for UC Sustain, later becoming Compost Assistants; in semester two the club will be starting flat visits to educate students on composting at home.
The Waiutuutu Community Garden is located near the Engineering buildings. Jessica says that their working bees guide students on growing their own food. Outside Chilton’s there’s a worm farm with a glass door which allows people to have a look inside.
Jessica says, “there’s a lack of knowledge around what to put in what bin, so we have a high contamination rate of organics going in the landfill bin.”
“A third of what makes up our rubbish bin is genuinely compostable stuff… [composting] is such a simple step to reduce your methane emissions” says Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn says that even if you don’t want to compost at home, you can bring your
food scraps to Waiutuutu Garden. She also recommends the app ShareWaste which can connect you with people who can take your organics off your hands and compost them for you.
While there’s plenty that Cantabrians can do for sustainability, Kaitlyn emphasises that corporations should be held accountable for their environmental impacts, “I think that it shouldn’t be up to the consumer, because you already have so much to think about.”
Jessica says that she hopes for a future of sustainability “focusing on small communities based in trust.” Till then, reusing what you already own is the best and simplest form of sustainability, “whatever you already have – just, like, a container!”
For all you cottagecore girlies out there, Jessica says that “lots of students have houseplants, and so if you make compost, that’s really good for your houseplants!”
Kaitlyn says that the Compost Club’s focus is to “inspire, educate, and promote all things composting on campus.” To find out more – and to sign up for a flat visit –head to @uc_compost_club on Instagram or email uccompostclub@gmail.com.
It’s hard to be flawless, though I try. But trying makes all the difference, and composting can help your garden, your schedule, and your brain. We’re always asking if people would love us if we were worms – what we should be doing is caring for the worms we have right now. Chuck ‘em an apple and some bread crusts and make that forgotten corner of your backyard into the green bin of the future.
Introduce yourself and your role
George “Horn Dog” Turner - CUSSC PresidentTell us a bit about CUSSC!
CUSSC was born July 1941 by a bunch of hardy students and old timers who were scoping out a location for the raddest ski field in New Zealand. Our founding Daddy’s and tbh mostly Mummies, christened this wonderful location of excellence as Temple Basin. A few rope tows were promptly erected and a shack they called ‘The Lodge’, thus began the story of CUSSC.
Founded by a bunch of people from all walks of life who congregate around the greatest lifestyle known: ski bum. Which the core elements still remain today: the best terrain in New Zealand, the most farmyard “she’ll be right” atmosphere, and great people who all share the passion of snow sports.
In the last few years we’ve gotten involved with Protect Our Winters NZ and Kea Conservation Trust. Raising awareness and funds through various events to preserve our alpine playground and friends.
Obviously running these events involves a lot of costs and fuel to get out to the rad places we love! To offset this we began a tree planting initiative last year. We continue to care for our two biota nodes out at Tūhaitara Coastal Park by getting our members together out there working and planting. This initiative is our way of offsetting our carbon emissions for the season and giving back to our environment.
Other than being the best skiers on the mountain, we try to be as sustainable as possible by recycling and reusing materials, and always carpooling to events. HINT: Get around the CUSSC Transport Forum Facebook page to get your butt in a seat whenever people are heading up the mountains.
What are some events activities you have planned for the rest of the year?
Taking home UCSA’s ‘Best Social Programme’ award for our events calendar in 2022, we are still ramping it up with more events than you can poke a stick at!
First big events we have are:
Saturday 22 July - Learner’s Day up Mt Cheeseman for everyone to get involved in the snow! Wednesday 26 July - Members BBQ and Waxing night to get that gear prepped for a thrashing. 29-30 July - Intro to Temple: Our first weekend trip at the Basin for the snow season! Plus more leading up to our biggest event of the year Bivouac Freeride & Ski week - a week of madness and radness including visitors from ski clubs across the country!
Throughout the winter months we’ll have an event on the snow weekly! We’ll also have off-mountain events such as our famous Bus Party, POW movie night and tree planting days.
Promote your club to a newbie, how would you sell it?
So what does CUSSC mean for you my friend? Whether you’re set on the snow or just like to socialise, CUSSC has it all. Get amongst some of NZ’s best skiing with some of the best people you’ll ever meet. We are running more events than you can wave a stick at, so there’s something guaranteed to take your fancy. Our trips away will have you skiing from dawn to dusk and raving from dusk til dawn. For a modestly priced event ticket you get: transport to and from Temple Basin, food and accommodation. Not to mention a whole bunch of off-mountain banter and antics. We really aren’t just a ski club (although we bloody froth it), so sign up, strap in, and get ready for the time of your life.
How can people get involved?
So has this tickled your pickle? It sure as hell makes me wanna boogie so you might ask: “how do I know what’s going on?” Member sign up links are on all our pages!
Instagram: @cussc
Facebook: Canterbury University Snow Sports Club - CUSSC
Website: www.cussc.nz
In p-tex we trust. Xoxo CUSSC
Do you see yourself in Government?
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Which streaming services are you subscribed to?
A. Neon, Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Shudder, Tubi, Mubi, and a VPN. Just the basics.
B. Uh... DVDs?
C. The free YouTube app and an adblocker
What's your morning routine?
A. Grab a coffee and a multi-vitamin and at uni by 8.
B. Go back to sleep, wake up, go back to sleep, wake up, repeat.
C. Wash the dishes, do the laundry, gym, study for an hour or two, then have breakfast.
How do group projects go for you?
A. Collaborative work is my favourite kind!
B. I ignore the groupchat and hope for the best.
C. I try to spread the work evenly but I usually end up doing everything
What's this 'song of the Summer' everyone's talking about?
A. 'Bejeweled' by Taylor Swift. Or 'Anti-Hero'. Or 'Karma'.
B. Honestly? I'm still really into 'Uptown Funk'.
C. We don't know what it is because I haven't written it yet.
How do you deal with conflict?
A. Take a breath and try to keep calm.
B. Dissolve at the first sign of trouble.
C. Take it head-on and treat it as a learning experience.
you’ll feel way lighter. Sorry we keep forgetting to bring you to the supermarket and now we have too many paper bags.
You’re shouldering some emotional weight right now. Talk to a friend, share the load, and
Mostly C: Reusable Shopping Bag
complete. Stay soggy, my friend
replaces those little plastic cups with paper ones, your quest for world domination will be
You ewfl under the radar for a bit – now you’re the talk of the town. Once Air New Zealand
Mostly B: Paper Straw
lie, you do ‘stay cooler longer’ – you’re way ahead of your time. Ironically, you need to drink more water.
You’ve had a few viral TikToks but you haven’t let the fame go to your head. The ads don’t
Mostly A: Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are one of the many ways everyday Kiwis can do their bit and help reduce emissions to save the planet, after all, they produce no emissions to operate. That is indeed true, but one thing that also needs to be taken into consideration is the emissions produced in other stages of the car’s lifetime, such as production.
That’s not to say that EVs are not better for the environment than internal combustion engine cars (ICE), they are. But they are not a silver bullet solution to climate change.
The first issue that needs to be taken into consideration when looking at the emissions produced by EVs over their lifetime is when resources are being collected to build the vehicles. Emissions are still being emitted to mine for the metals needed to make electric cars. An EECA Life Cycle Assessment of EVs notes that regarding resource depletion (excluding fossil fuels), “differences in net resource depletion were not significant.”
Production and transportation of EVs must also be taken into consideration when discussing the impacts they have on the environment. After all, steel still must be produced, and the cars still must be shipped on very inefficient car carrying ships. A recent study from China showed that 10.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced to make one ICE car. To produce one electric car however 13 tonnes of carbon dioxide is produced, this number includes the production of the battery as well.
When it comes to transporting the vehicles to customers it’s worth noting that container ships are some of the worst transportation polluters. The Economist notes that, “by burning heavy fuel oil, just 15 of the biggest ships emit more of the noxious oxides of nitrogen and sulphur than all the world’s cars put together.” Work needs to be done in both production and transportation of vehicles in order to reduce the impact on the environment.
Whilst driving an electric car produces no emissions, there are still emissions produced whilst charging an electric car. The amount of emissions produced to create the electricity to charge an EV however differs from country to country, it all depends on how renewable a nations power grid is.
Comparing the power grids of Australia and New Zealand shows how emissions produced by an electric car can differ. As of 2018, 21% of power generated in Australia was produced by renewable
means. In New Zealand the number was 84%. Taking this into account, one can conclude that the impact running an electric car has differs from country to country, with less emissions being produced by running an electric car in New Zealand than in Australia.
The obvious solution to cutting back on the running emission of an EV is to produce more renewable energy, to do so power grids will need to shift from polluting forms of electricity production such as coal and gas and move to hydro or wind, perhaps even nuclear for some countries.
When it comes to recycling cars, both ICE and electric cars have similar impacts on the environment. However, electric cars produce slightly higher emissions when compared to ICE cars. The difference can be put down to recycling the batteries. There is one thing to note however, recycled EV components as well as their batteries can be reused and recycled to produce new cars and batteries, and with more environmentally friendly methods, emissions produced by recycling EVs can be minimised.
Now despite EVs producing more emissions than ICE cars in some areas it is worth knowing that over all EVs are better for the environment than petrol burning cars. The EECA notes that, “while EVs have a higher manufacturing footprint, this is offset by the lower operating footprint, such that lifecycle impact of EVs used in NZ was approx. 60% less than an equivalent ICE.”
EVs are over all better for the environment than ICE cars and they are a step in the right direction. However, at the end of the day EVs are still cars. Like ICE cars they produce tire dust which in turn creates microplastics that get into water, they are still a rather inefficient form of transport considering how little people they transport compared to how much space they take up in our cities. Of course, regardless of how the car is powered, congestion is a problem.
The only way those problems can be addressed is reducing reliance on personal vehicles and improving public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure. It can be done and with it the world can make progress towards reducing emissions.
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No material represents the Anthropocene quite like concrete does. Even in the Garden City, our day-to-day field of vision is often dominated by ubiquitous, greyscale seas that serve as a constant reminder of rapid urbanisation.
Following water (the champ of consumption), concrete is the most used substance on the planet with thirty billion tonnes of it being used per year. What is even more wild about this, is that on a per capita basis, this figure is triple that of forty years ago. At the same time, urbanisation and industrialisation have heavily contributed towards the average temperature of earth rising. The past nine years have been the hottest years on record since 1880 and greenhouse gas emissions have everything to do with it.
As of today, cement production alone accounts for an astounding 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. In fact, carbon dioxide emissions in the industry are double what they were at the turn of the century with 2.9 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide being pumped out into the atmosphere annually. Carbon dioxide absorbs infrared energy, which heat reradiated off the surface of the earth, redisperses it and effectively traps it in our atmosphere. This gives us what we call the greenhouse effect.
In the production of concrete, it is the creation of cement which releases carbon dioxide en masse. Concrete is comprised of an aggregate of sand and gravel mixed with cement. Cement is made through heating a mixture of limestone and clay together at over ~1400 degrees Celsius in a kiln. This heating is primarily done through the use of fossil fuels, which release greenhouse gases out into the air. This part of the process is incredibly energy-intensive and carbonintensive. When limestone is calcined like this, it has a chemical reaction which unleashes even more carbon dioxide to run amuck. In combination,
the entire process of making cement is estimated to produce 621kg worth of carbon dioxide for every metric tonne of cement. Yikes.
The environmental impact of producing concrete and cement doesn’t end at solely infiltrating the atmosphere with carbon dioxide. To add another issue to the mix, cement production is also exceedingly waterintensive. Nature Magazine estimates that in the process of cooling after cooking up a storm in the kiln, the concrete industry is responsible for up to 9% percent of industry freshwater withdrawals from the ground. And as I mentioned in the introduction, with rapid urbanisation, concrete is finding its way into every nook and cranny.
This has had a disastrous effect on local ecosystems and the flora and fauna that inhabit them. By paving here, there, and everywhere, the spread of urban areas has directly hindered biodiversity, led to the homogenisation of many species and caused the subsequent disruption of food chains. Lastly, most folks will be familiar with mistakenly walking on the concrete sidewalk in the peak of January barefoot. On the right day, that can be a quick way to sear your soles. In urban areas that are decorated head-to-toe in concrete, the absorption and magnification of heat can increase the local temperature by a certifiably stupid 13 Degrees Celsius in some cases.
As the production of cement continues to vault carbon dioxide emissions to depressingly high figures, carbonation rates in concrete structures are an ongoing area of interest among academics. Carbonation is the process in which carbon dioxide manages to penetrate pores in the concrete and react with calcium hydroxide, creating calcium carbonate in the concrete. Concrete pores are the result of surplus water evaporating from the mixture upon being newly poured. With rising temperatures and carbon dioxide concentrations in the
air, many academics are expecting to see higher rates of carbonation in reinforced concrete structures, which can result in corrosion. Carbonation is a natural process concrete undergoes regardless of how much we manage to ruin our environment, our tampering with carbon dioxide just happens to accelerate this process.
So… what are we even doing about this? The Holcim Group, the world’s biggest concrete company, is taking personal responsibility in attacking the problem head-on. They’re committed to working towards hitting net-zero emissions, having already cut their carbon emissions by 25% since 1990. The reality is though, smaller companies don’t have the luxury to follow suit, especially with concrete production being as cheap, simple and reliable as it is.
The search for alternatives or “green concrete” is happening, but many potential replacements are still in their infancy and not ready for large scale implementation. The commonly accepted definition for green concrete is concrete that either use some form of waste material, have a sustainable life cycle, or simply do not lead to environmental destruction. Some alternatives involve the recycling of leftover materials such as slag and fly ash and silica fume, in the place of cement as a binder. Solidia, a company set on finding a sustainable solution, is developing a green cement which involves curing the cement in a room of carbon dioxide in an ultimately more energy, cost, and carbon efficient method.
With the cement industry being one the third biggest consumer of energy globally the importance of sustainability and improvement is vital. Other ideas and studies floating around include utilising hydrogen, biomass, or even electricity instead of fossil fuels in calcining limestone, thus reducing one side of the process’s emissions.
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Brody
Adam
Nickname: Horsey
Flat Role: Constantly being in debt on Splitwise
Dustiest Moment: Destroying Pongsoc tables despite being the Pongsoc inventory manager
Darcy
Nickname: D Choppa Box
Flat Role: Leaving the stove and oven on constantly
Dustiest Moment: It's a tie. Using dishwashing liquid instead of cooking oil, or hitting a stud trying to put his head through the wall
Dan
Nickname: Big Dan the Flushie Muncher
Flat Role: Cleaner and flat personal trainer
Dustiest Moment: Breaking his hand after punching his own door
Nickname: Beans
Flat Role: Cooking the most extravagant 3kg feeds every week
Dustiest Moment: Dropping and breaking the fridge while moving in, after spending an hour cleaning it
Following the $2.5 million takeover of Welsh soccer team Wrexham AFC in November 2020, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny have now set their sights on Formula One.
The pair became minority investors in Alpine F1 Team as part of a group of investors that acquired a 24% stake in the team. This group includes Otro Capital, RedBird Capital Partners and Maximum Effort Investments, led by Reynolds.
Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly both expressed their enthusiasm about the A-List investors at the Austrian Grand Prix media conference, with Gasly fan-girling over Reynolds stating, “I must admit I am personally a fan of Reynolds and his work. He is definitely one of my favourite actors […] definitely super excited to meet him at some point during the season.”
Alpine currently ranks 5th in the Constructors’ Championship, sitting comfortably above McLaren and Alfa Romeo.
Joining Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga, Sam Whitelock, Leicester Fainga’anuku and Aaron Smith in leaving New Zealand rugby after 2023 is midfield favourite Jack Goodhue.
The announcement comes after the Crusaders’ thrilling 2520 win against the Chiefs in the 2023 Super Rugby Final. Goodhue has signed a two-year deal with French club Castres Olympique following 81 games in the Crusaders’ jersey and 19 tests for the All Blacks.
Crusaders coach Scott Robinson said that Goodhue, “epitomised everything we champion as a team and an organisation.” Goodhue and his wife Sophie have expressed their excitement for a new adventure and are looking forward to their time in France.
Netflix releases full season of "Break Point" in time for Wimbledon 2023
Netflix continued their onslaught of sporting docu-series as they released the final five episodes of ‘Break Point.’ The show features in depth insights into the illustrious world of elite tennis, with interviews from all-time greats such as Maria Sharapova, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to name a few.
Taylor Fritzs’ dedicated episode managed to capture his iconic win at Indian Wells against Rafael Nadal. The new episodes include highlights on Nick Kyrgios’ 2022 Wimbledon scandals and Ajla Tomljanovic’s struggles after breaking up with tennis pro Matteo Berrettini. Conveniently released before this years’ Wimbledon tournament, the new episodes surely ignite viewers once again in the hope of increasing viewership of the tournament.
Netflix’s docu-series like Formula One’s ‘Drive To Survive’ and hit show ‘Cheer’ have opened up an accessible way to
gain new, and notably younger viewers, into ageing sporting populations. In the past year alone, Netflix has released three new sporting docuseries covering tennis, golf and the Tour De France, aiming to replicate the success of past series.
Football Ferns head coach Jitka Klimková released her squad for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, featuring ten players who will make their World Cup debut.
The 23 player squad includes experienced players like Annalie Longo and Ria Percival, but also balances that with fresh talent from 17-year-old Wellington Phoenix striker Milly Clegg. The tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, kicks off July 20th where the Ferns match up against Norway at Eden Park.
Porirua golden boy Daniel Hillier claimed his maiden DP World Tour Title at the British Masters, finishing 10-under-par for the tournament.
Hillier reached the turn in just 35 strokes, thanks to two birdies and a bogey on the front nine and finished his round with finesse hitting an eagle-birdie-eagle from the 15th to open up a two-shot lead.
The 24-year-old will walk away with a pay cheque of $970,000NZD and a spot in the British Open at Royal Liverpool in late July.
O’Keefe receives hate after Super Rugby final New Zealand rugby referee Ben O’Keefe received an onslaught of on and off-line abuse following the Crusaders’ victory over the Chiefs.
O’Keefe spoke out about the hate on his Instagram, saying he is so accustomed to it that it barely affects him, but doesn’t condone it in any way. Other game officials as well as O’Keefe were loudly booed by supporters during the post-match presentation after several controversial calls during the game.
New Zealand Rugby have expressed their support for O’Keefe, saying that “New Zealand Rugby firmly stands behind Ben and all referees who are involved in our game. Ben is a hugely respected member of our rugby community and an outstanding match official.”
In this special edition of Lucky Dip, Lucky Dip Live, Canta played matchmaker with over 100 UC students setting them up with their perfect match. We picked a few lucky couples to receive a Rollickin’ voucher and record their experience for Canta. In the hopes they would be a Lucky Dip success story.
Here are the raw unedited results of this week’s lucky dippers…
A lot was on my mind that day. The day before, I read a letter from a previous owner of a secondhand book I had purchased. The contents of the letter I feel is too heavy to share in this format, but know that since I read that letter, it’s as though my eyes haven’t left the page. The gravity of such a message…It would’ve been wonderful to have met them.
With Google Maps steering me down a wrong turn and my limited knowledge of Christchurch roads ensuring I followed no questions asked, it was clear I would be a teensy bit late. Hastily, I parked and sent an apology email to dipper two for the five-minute delay. With a sheepish smile at what a great first impression I was making, I was slightly relieved to see an impressively fast “no worries :)” response as I headed their way. We met in the upstairs of Rollickin New Regent Street, exchanged hellos over an expectedly awkward handshake, and ventured downstairs to order. Soon into conversation, we discovered we were both surf lifeguards and began exchanging stories. I loved hearing about her experiences, and she was really captivating to listen to. We enjoyed ourselves and shared in plenty of laughter. Her company was lovely, and I found myself gazing deeper into her brown eyes as time passed. As the date began to come to an end, she mentioned she would be catching up with a friend after. I walked her to her friend’s car, and we finished the date with a hug.
I ventured on towards the art gallery and pondered the date. I felt the traffic and bustle of the city melt away as I delved into my thoughts. I rewound the conversation slowly. She was very observant, and I appreciate that. Unfortunately, the gallery was closed, so I planned my visit for the following day. She was very sweet, and it was a pleasure to have met her. It was now dusk, and the gentle swing of New Regent Street’s Latin music followed me as I meandered back to my car.
Over the next week, I reflected on the date, knowing I would be home for the next two weeks. I think I haven’t moved on fully from my ex yet, and I need to allow for more time to pass. This will always remain a fond memory, and hopefully the same can be said for dipper two - I wish you all the best.
Thank you CantaI walked into Rollickin and I’ll be honest my heart was in my throat, entering Lucky Dip was one of those “for the plot” moments that you kind of just have to stand by and trust your past self about later. He was a little late, but because we were matched through Lucky Dip Live we had each other’s emails and he sent a very polite message saying he’d taken a wrong turn and would be late.
We got off to a slightly rocky start, he walked in, and I stood up to greet him, I went for a handshake he went for a hug, and it took a minute to get the ball rolling on the conversation. Halfway through the date a rather large and loud family group moved to the table next to us, so we shifted to a nearby couch, which is about when we discovered we were both ex-north island lifeguards. We exchanged a few rescue stories, I won’t lie, his were significantly more dramatic than mine.
A little over an hour in I got a call from a friend who did not know I was on a Lucky Dip date, saying she’d be in town in 15 or so minutes on her way back from work. It was a wee bit sad to end the date there, but I explained I’d promised her a town debrief from the previous weekend and he seemed understanding.
In any case the last half hour of the date was lovely, we sat and chatted for a while longer at Rollickin before taking a wander towards where my friend was parked. He told me about his interest in art, and I mentioned that I read/write a lot, and much to my chagrin he replied that he’d actually found my good reads before the date, cue some intense mental calculations to try and figure out what the last book I’d read would have been when he found it.
Overall, I enjoyed myself, no regrets, but I didn’t really feel much of a spark, so I wish him all the best and thank you to Canta for the ice cream.
How many words (at least three letters) can you make with the word...
Jun 21 Jul 22
This month everything is going to be different, I promise. Keep your head held up high and do your absolute best to see the happy things in life. Everyone here at Canta believes in you, so you should too!
Sep 23 Oct 22
What do you mean you’ve already prepped for uni and done all your readings for the term? Oh that’s right, you haven’t even opened Learn. If you are reading this and nodding, go make a start ASAP. The term has already started!
Dec 22 Jan 19
You all have a record for being the most annoying. However, this month that will all change! Go you for making a change and bettering yourselves and those around you. I am so overwhelmingly proud.
March 21 April 19
Dude, what the hell!!! Are you okay??? No one has heard from you in weeks! Snap people back, post something and reply to those messages please. No one knows that you exist or are alive. Please, we just want to check up on you.
Jul 23 Aug 22
You are really giving everything a go this month! I am so proud. Keep it up and I bet you that you won’t regret it. I know it is tough doing things outside of your comfort zone but the more you do it, the better it’ll be. You’re doing amazing sweetie.
Oct 23 Nov 21
I know I usually rip into you guys but I’ll be nice. You guys have serious cupid vibes coming your way. Whether you’re already in a relationship or looking for one, this month is all yours to receive all the love and attention you deserve xoxo!
Jan 20 Feb 18
Oh you gorgeous specimen. You really are the star of the show. Keep being you and everyone will finally start to notice how amazing you are this month. You do you boo and keep going!
Apr 20 May 20
Yeah, I know, I know what you have been doing! Don’t lie to me! I know you basically partied too hard during study week, crashed, crammed, sat your exams and then burned. Sem break was just “not enough” when in reality you were too tired to do anything. Your fault.
Aug 23 Sep 22
Eat, sleep and shower more please, from everyone who sits next to you. Pretty please, I will even recommend some nice soap brands just for you to try. Deodorant also works really well too. Just thought you should know. By eat, I mean anything but two minute noodles, come on.
Nov 22 Dec 21
I am not going to lie; it’s been a while since I have done these. Once I finally worked out how to spell Sagittarius correctly, I realised that about sums up just how irrelevant you all are to me. Sorry not sorry, I guess.
Feb 19 March 20
Yeah, okay so, congratulations on somehow managing to get through semester one. No one believed in you. How about this semester we try do better, okay? And I am not just talking about your grades…
May 21 Jun 20
I am rooting for you this month; it is your time to shine. Do whatever your heart desires because you know you deserve it. Just don’t forget to still turn up to lectures cause you know; you still have to do that.
If you wish to make a complaint or offer some feedback, please email ‘editor@canta.co.nz.’
