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President's Message
David Bradshaw
Presidents Notes - Rapport 31 July 2018.
 
RYLA meeting on Tuesday evening - Remuera Golf Club
 

Peter Bassett reports trees for survival is fully booked.

WCU updates future activities for members.
 
Duties - Fellows If you cannot undertake your duties as noted below please arrange for some-one else to stand in in your place.
 

Programme 7-Aug-2018 14-Aug-2018 21-Aug-2018
Topic Evening DG Visit  
Speaker RYLA at the Remuera GC Lunch at Ellerslie NO MEETING
Introduction Brian McMath David Bradshaw  
Thanks Richard Solomon David Bradshaw  
Rapport Colin Lucas Roger Gower  
AV Duty John Hawke David Weikart  
Cash Desk Colin Lucas Greg Carr  
Registration of Visitors Nigel Fowler Patrick Learmonth  
Presidents Table Fund Raising PR & Comms  
Host to Visitors Marcus Graham John Long  
  Ron Halls Bill Mabey  
Attendance Register Ben Mugisho Janette Searle  
Sunshine Boxes Alan Hayward Malcolm MacDonald  
  Richard Holden Alastair Macfarlane  
Sergeant Alastair Macfarlane John Meadowcroft  
Stories
Brian Leyland

Our guest speaker on Tuesday was Brian Leyland.

Brian was introduced by Roger Gower.

Brian’s address was entitled “if the planet is warming why is it so cold outside?”

In his address Brian opened by saying you need to believe half of what you see and half of what you hear. This is because, he contends, much of what we see and read about climate change, the health impacts of chemicals, the energy impact of wind or solar power is incorrect or just plain wrong.

In man-made global warming, sea level rise, the benefits if any of wind and solar power, possible fuel alternatives and electric cars.his

address Brian looked at the use of the DDT,

Dealing with each;

DDT - its use as approved by the World Health Organisation but many people than because of its apparent side-effects. The net effect of the ban is that other methods of mosquito control are used that are ineffective and possibly dangerous. In places where malaria should have been eliminated through the use of DDT, malaria is still present as other controlled substances have failed to work.

Man-made global warming;

Brian contends that the evidence does not support the assertion global warming is caused by human activity. Indeed Brian postulates that there is a cooling phase about to occur.

Brian pointed to the models which have been bandied about for now over three decades and notes that in general terms the models used do not match what happens in reality.

The inexorable rise of sea levels;

Brian accepts that there has been some sea level increase but it is no-where near extreme levels at some say. Rather than meters per year any increase can only be measured in millimetres a year.

 

Much has been said of the effect of sea level rise on coral atolls in the Pacific. Empirical analysis suggests according to Brian that atolls actually can increase in size through time as the coral grows on itself. The problems facing the atolls are caused by other things environmental problems, waste and population growth nothing to do with an increase in sea level.
 
Wind/solar power;
 
Brian has a very low impression of these two power sources. Reliance on such creates system instability.  Wind power is not available on calm days especially on cold calm days in winter when demand is high.
 
And then there are the effects of subsidies given to promoters of wind powered generation to build and maintain their devices. There is also the visual impact on the environment and in due course the cost of maintenance repair and ultimately removal of the wind turbines when they reach the end of their life spans.
 
Brian made the point that wind power is not cheap is its supporters claim. It requires subsidisation to get off the ground and is expensive to produce.
 
Brian is an advocate of nuclear power safe and environmentally friendly, indeed far safer he says than dams which can fail catastrophically. Witness recent dam failures in Laos and problems experienced in California with one of its major water supply dams last year.
 
Brian suggested as a hysterical reaction to the Fukushima earthquake and its effect on the Fukushima nuclear reactor. He made the point that more people were killed being moved out of the area then by any issues arising from the radiation issuing from the reactor - that is to say none.
 
Brian is not a fan of electric cars either. They are slow to recharge, and the costs of infrastructure will be exorbitant both for recharging facilities and added power production needed to fuel these vehicles.  
 
Brian is also not a fan of the current mania for trams. He contends that they are inconvenient, expensive and obsolete solution to a problem which could be resolved by way of fully automated vehicles such as autonomous cast taxis or buses providing on an Uber type basis the convenient on demand door-to-door transport system.
 
As always Brian is a provocative speaker about these issues and doesn't parrot the party line adopted by so many in the media.  Brian's address was enjoyed by members present.
 
Read more...
ROMAC
 
 
 
 
OPERATIONS MANAGER NEW ZEALAND
Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children
 
ROMAC is a key District Governor Rotary programme providing life-saving and dignity-restoring treatment to the children from developing countries in Oceania.
 
This Rotary programme spans the Australian and New Zealand regions, and between 20 and 30 children are referred to New Zealand (mostly to Starship hospital) for treatment each year.
 
We are looking for an Operations Manager, who is a current member of Rotary, to join our volunteer team, mostly based in Auckland. The primary role of the Operations Manager is to organise and manage the logistics of getting ROMAC patients from the Pacific islands to New Zealand for treatment. This includes the processes associated with obtaining and managing the appropriate passport, VISA and immigration requirements and ensuring ROMAC documentation is completed.  Travel documentation, itineraries and ticketing for child and carer travel to New Zealand and return home are also part of the role.
 
This role is part of the NZ Regional Committee with members who are supportive and have roles integral to the Operations Manager role. Generally, a commitment of between 7 and 14 hours per week may be required to fulfil this role, occasionally longer when uploading data and information into the ROMAC database and reporting.
 
If you are a Rotarian looking for a way to contribute directly to the objects of Rotary and are interested to find about more about this role please email NZ Region Chair Glenys Parton at newzealand@romac.org.au for a Role Description.
 
 
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