Nine To Noon for Thursday 13 February 2025

 

 

09:05 Dame Patsy Reddy: Rugby, climate and being a passionate Wellingtonian

Dame Patsy Reddy stepped down as Chair of New Zealand rugby two weeks ago, and last week,  started a new job:  as Chair of the Climate Change Commission. During her time on the board of New Zealand Rugby, an independent investigation recommended major change to the sport's governance structures, where the board would be made up of nine fully independently appointed members. The former Governor General supported the plan - saying she would resign as chair if it was not agreed to. The proposal was voted down, and Dame Patsy resigned. She's in studio with Kathryn Ryan.

 

09:30 How food producers can build soil health even in dry areas

Nicole Masters is an agro-ecologist who works across almost all production sectors - including dairy, sheep and beef, viticulture, and large scale cropping. A New Zealander who lives in Montana, she's the founder of Integrity Soils, a company specialising in regenerative agriculture and the author of For the Love of Soil. She says while New Zealand isn't facing the desertification that some parts of the world are, some regions here facing drought do need a re-think on how the soil is treated. Nicole Masters is in Aotearoa for the Underground Festival next week - a two day event in Canterbury celebrating soil, food and farming.

09:45 UK: Ukraine response, economic growth, Nottingham attacks inquiry

UK correspondent Harriet Line explains that Britain has said the focus 'for now' should be on ensuring Kyiv is in a strong position going in to any peace talks, after Donald Trump said he had agreed with Vladimir Putin to start negotiations. Who's leaking the government economic growth forecasts and what's Treasury doing about it, and there's to be a judge-led public inquiry shortly into deadly attacks in Nottingham by a man who was receiving mental health care.

Harriet Line is Deputy Political Editor of the Daily Mail

10:05 Te Manga Herewini: Jail saved my life

Late last year, Te Manga Herewini was asked to speak to a group of young people doing a six week Limited Service Volunteer programme: a residential skills course run by the army. It was the first time he had shared his life story publicly - and he wanted to do it to help the rangitahi in the room to change their thinking and their lives. Te Manga stole his first car at age 14, was expelled from school age 15 for selling weed, left home at 17, and did his first stint in jail in his early 20s. In total he spent 10 years in prison, during which time he was diagnosed with cancer. Te Manga Herewini says jail saved his life. He's been cancer free for 16 years now, and has turned his life around. He's married, has his own construction business, and last year travelled through Europe for four months with his wife - something he never thought he'd be able to do. His message to the rangitahi he spoke to last year: you can change the outcome of your life and break the cycle.

10:35 Book review: Three of the best from 2024

Claudia Hertz Jardine of Scorpio Books reviews three of her favourite books from last year: All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot by Lucinda 'Froomes' Price, published by Pantera Press, Six-legged Ghosts: The Insects of Aotearoa by Lily Duval, published by Canterbury University Press, Hopurangi | Song Catcher by Robert Sullivan, published by Auckland University Press.

10:45 Around the motu: Natalie Akoorie in Hamilton

Natalie discusses the country's first 3D-printed show home, the latest in the murder of pig hunter Kevin Mabbott, the Hamilton Arts Festival, and the City Council's involvement in three waters.

Natalie Akoorie is a RNZ Senior Reporter based in Waikato.

11:05 Tech: Google pushes 'go' on AI in weapons, AI music company's discord

Technology commentator Mark Pesce looks at a big shift in the tech world toward embracing AI. Google's updated AI principles no longer pledge to avoid using the technology to develop weapons or surveillance tools that violate international norms. What happened to "Don't be evil"? Also gone: diversity policies. Meanwhile an AI music company CEO has claimed most people don't enjoy how much time it takes to make music, and ChatGPT rival Anthropic has warned job seekers not to use AI in their applications.

Mark Pesce is a futurist, writer, educator and broadcaster. 

11:25 Paediatrician Leila Masson on children's health from A to Z

What's the best way to keep children healthy - and how can you help them when things go wrong? Paediatrician Dr Leila Masson has spent over 25 years working with kids considering these very issues - she specialises in nutritional and environmental medicine.  She's the author of Children's Health A to Z, a practical guide that looks at what foods are best for children, how much sleep they should have, mental health issues and common symptoms of illness and what they can mean. The book also encourages parents to consider environmental toxicity - as things like mould and exposure to certain chemicals can have a big impact on kids.

Footnote: In this interview, Dr Masson referred to apples being “covered in pesticides” and recommended that the fruit be washed. A 2010 study by the US Drug Administration found New Zealand apples as having the lowest average number of residues per sample, when compared to American and Chilean fruit (Warner 2012).

11:45 Screentime: White Lotus s3, American Primeval, Nightbitch

Film and TV reviewer Chris Schulz looks at the latest season of White Lotus (Neon), a whodunnit that takes place this time at the luxury resort's Thailand base. American Primeval (Netflix) explores the gritty birth of the West and Nightbitch stars Amy Adams as a stay-at-home mum whose domestic life takes a surreal turn.