Moving away from oil

Thirteen countries has voted to stop making and ban the importing of petrol or oil fuelled vehicles. The ban will take affect in Norway in 2025, China, Denmark, France, Ireland, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka in 2030 and Britain in 2040. 

The New Zealand government considered such a ban  however decided against it. Auckland city decided on implementing such a ban from 2030 – however there’s no indication how this would work.

Vehicle sales in New Zealand, along with Australia and America continue to be in favour of larger capacity motors. In New Zealand the Ford Ranger ute has been the best selling vehicle for the last three years. Last year 10,000 Rangers were sold, closely followed by Toyota Hilux of which 8,000 were sold.  

Book Review

A Communist in the family – Searching for Rewi Alley.

The author, Elspeth Sandys, is Rewi Alley’s niece and a member of a twenty strong group of Alley’s relations on tour visiting the places where Alley worked. This book is both the story of this tour and of Alley’s life and work. The result is an impressive sixty one chapter tome, four hundred pages of small type. 

Alley served in the First World War and was subsequently balloted one of the ill fated farm blocks in the hill country behind Whanganui. After toiling there unsuccessfully for twelve years, he, along with  the other farmers walked off. He had heard much about the turmoil in China and decided to go and have a look, working his passage on a tramp steamer. … Continue Reading

Christmas greetings

Wishing our readers all the joys of this Festive Season – the company of family and friends, fine food and children’s excitement. 

A special thanks to the Star advertisers who make this paper possible. And to the wonderful delivery folk who pop the Star into you letter box.

Lindie, Chris, David and the two Mikes

Painting: Nativity by Ghirlandaio Domenico 1449 – 94 (Fitzwilliam Museum University of Cambridge)

 Christmas poem 

Three wise birds are on their way

To Bethlehem to sing and pray

And welcome in the holy day 

When peace on earth will come to stay

And they will try and try again

To sing some love back into men

This old and weary mother hen

This tui and a tiny wren

Leunig