Looking at what EV's have been popular in China over the last couple of years:

2-3 years ago the most popular EV was the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV:

*removed externally hosted image*

This year it's the BYD Song Plus:

*removed externally hosted image*

The Wuling is still in the top five, but so are Tesla. Seems like SUV's are what people want - how could you change peoples minds? Perhaps offer larger rebates on smaller EV's? Or, tax luxury (SUV) EV's? Have to get rid of those oil burners first though!?

I think I get where you are coming from, but what are the alternatives? Most alternatives like electric public transport that allows commuters to travel into cities to work requires that intergenerational investment that, in NZ, just doesn't seem to happen. Or are you suggesting working from home (which some jobs can't do), or just a much simpler life in general (I'm pretty much there now). Or perhaps where consumerism ends, international trade ends, international travel ends etc., tourists disappear etc. I'm all in, but it simply is not going to happen until the water level rises, the temperature reaches extremes and the effects are actually felt by people first hand. It is the nature of humans, unfortunately?

I would suggest reconsidering. EVs make terrible cats.

Agree, they just don't purrrrr like real ones.

Everyone is gravitating to SUV EVs which are hideoisly inefficient. It’s like the McMansion-isation of personal transport.

I've heard this more than once recently - what a lot of rot. A medium size electric SUV is no more inefficient than a medium size electric car. It may carry a little more weight around and have a little more wind resistance, so may require/use a little more stored electricity, but not much. If the owner actually needs the extra space or clearance of an SUV (I do, but diesel at the moment not yet electric, mostly due to range issues), then I don't see anything wrong with that.

However, I do agree when it comes to those who buy and drive SUV/Utes etc., just for the Wank factor - I always suspect it is something to do with small penis syndrome ;)

I don't know how they are tracking now, but this comapny made some waves with their seaweed approach back in 2021

Terribly! They promised 80-90% reduction of methane back then, but recent trials in Aus show it having less than 30% reduction and the cow looses considerable weight. So the end result is more like 10% reduction and long term effects on the cow are still to come in.

There is another one available now that claims 30% reduction (forgot its name) but I've not seen any real trial results yet.

I think the focus on cars is a bigger problem than what energy source they use. EVs are taking over anyway, there is no standing in the way of that.

If there was an alternative that isn't likely to take multiple generations to implement, I would agree, but that is not the case?

If we want to reduce emissions (pollution isn’t much of a problem in windswept NZ) then we need to focus on more efficient modes of transport and lifestyles. Not more cars.

I suspect your definition of pollution doesn't match what most consider it to be. NZ is a terrible polluter of the environment, which includes green house gases (transport and agriculture) and the effects that has on climate change? I don't think the idea is to have more cars, but to replace existing polluting cars with more environmentally friendly EV's?

Completely nuts to get rid of it! Without incentives like this, most will just continue on as normal, which will result in a very prolonged, if ever, move away from high polluting fossil fuel vehicles.

Some other subjects are simply crazy too.

What children’s bedrooms look like around the world

Link from The Bulletin (Spinnoff) this morning gives an intriguing look into the world through the state of kids bedrooms. Those who have young kids might see their rooms a little differently after seeing these?

Minimum 1C last night and currently 2 going on 3C. Plenty of lambies around, some a bit muddy though.

Light frost last night meant a bit of cover for some plants that I've put out a bit early.

If fonterra owns the lab, do current dairy farmers just transition to being owners that aren’t contributing milk?

I suspect Frontera would 'pay' some farmers to transition to produce the raw ingredients required to produce alternatives. Thus, their expertise could continue to be utilised along with their export strengths. The issue will be with those stubborn farmers who refuse or are reluctant to change - the almighty dollar will speak to them eventually.

Forestry workers can drive from a bigger city...

Don't see that here. There are local Forestry, Sawmill, and Transport (logging) workers who live in the community and, of what I see, contribute more to the town than dairy workers. It takes very few people to run a modern, robotic dairy these days. Usually just the owner/manager and a couple of foreign workers - often seasonal, so they come and go, most living on the farms, not in the township. Very few farmers shop locally, they tend to travel into the "city" to purchase and/or get groceries delivered (as do I). A few spend a bit at the pub/club, but not as much as you would probably think.

I personally believe there would be an increase in population with a move away from dairy - but that's just my thinking based on what I see.

Thanks. Hadn't seen that one, but have seen similar stories.

I personally don't have a problem with 'lab grown' food, but I suspect some do. 'Plant based' is probably more palatable to the public opinion? I'm not sure if I want a lab grown food to necessarily replicate existing food, I'd rather just have good nutritious food that tastes good - plants do that already? Except for BACON, there is simply no substitute for BACON - sorry Miss Piggy@#@! If they make a lab grown BACON I'm all in!!!

Dipel was the product I couldn't remember the name of, but I can't find it for sale in New Zealand.

I found it on an Aussie Bunning's website: Yates 40g Natures Way Caterpillar Killer Dipel Insecticide but that's not helpful :(

I bought 1kg a couple of years ago, which will last me the rest of my life as long as it doesn't go off - I store it in a cool, dark, dry place. Have only used 20 - 30 grams in the last 3 years.

When I bought it, it was called Bactur Organic from SprayShop. It looks like that has been discontinued and replaced with Genius BT.

This was the most economical way to buy it for me at the time. It has gone up considerably by the looks. If you've got friends who garden, you could share it around to spread the cost - it goes a long way.

I think there is another more generic brand that sells it, but I can't remember what it's called, and they sell very small quantities for the price.

IIRC => Yep, BT produces a protein that blocks the digestive system of the insect/caterpillar, effectively starving it - we don't see any meaningful loss at all. It is not supposed to harm other beneficial insects, and that appears to be true - we don't spray it on bees, but haven't seen any dead bees or reduced bee numbers with its use.

Bacillus thuringiensis is the answer, for me anyway, for white butterfly. It's organic approved - from a natural bacteria found in soil.

It's the only spray I use (besides pyrethrum). It disrupts the catapiller and keeps brassicas from being eaten.

You buy it as a powder and mix a tiny amount with water (a drop of detergent helps) and spray about every two weeks. I highly recommend it.

Yes they do? Farmers are share holders and Frontera need to make a profit to pay back to farmers. If the industry tanks so do they?

Interestingly, the area where I live was once heavily invested in forestry, mostly native harvesting. The govt. put a stop to that, rightly due to disappearing native forestry. The town nose dived and the population halved. It's a shell of what it once was.

Forestry is beginning to reappear, so the town is unlikely to disappear as many try to report. It will just change. Hopefully some of the dairy will convert to crops (oats) which will see a future, possibly better than now.

My reading of the history of the area where I am, indicates that dairy has NOT contributed much to the prosperity of the area, but there are some wealthy dairy farmers who will sell up with plenty to retire on. And move away taking a lot with them.

Yep. We struggled for a year or two trying to keep them of gardens. Just use netting now, and don't have problems. Occasionally "catch" a cheeky sparrow that finds a gap somewhere, but they don't do any harm. When plants are big enough we take off the netting so the birds can have at the bugs. Mostly works for us.

Looks like a lot of IT types on Lemmy NZ by the discussion today (I'm one too). But I've had enough of that in my lifetime, so, another gardening topic:

I've been growing some Asparagus from seed over winter in our sun room and have just got them into the ground. They take a while to establish, so I probably won't start picking them until after next winter.

*removed externally hosted image*

Really easy to grow from seed, just have to wait a bit longer. These have gone into a no dig bed with pretty rough compost, but by the time they establish it will have rotted down well. I'll try to collect some seaweed sometime during summer and add that as well, which is recommended for Asparagus beds.

Netting to keep those hard-working blackbirds from moving the garden bed to somewhere I don't want it.

I'm still a kid at heart. When my wife makes me a stack of pikelets that are supposed to last a week, then leaves them on the kitchen bench, where I walk past often during the day. I do not know where they go, but they are usually gone within a day, 2 at most!!! (must be the dog)

Not sure why in NZ it seems that the government is always responsible, this should be driven by the industry e.g. Frontera. After all, it is their lively hood and they are the ones who have created the situation. Admittedly with some push from govt. at times.

The issue with Oat milk currently is that it's grown here, shipped to Sweden where it's processed into Oat Milk and then shipped back. Take that shipping out of the equation, and surely it will be a more reasonable price? Let's hope this Oat Milk factory gets built soon!