Afternoons for Wednesday 21 December 2022

 

1:15 Green cross campaign in full force for the summer

You might've noticed some green crosses popping up on fence lines on rural roads around Auckland.

We were wondering what they were all about, so we've done some digging.

It's the initial stages of Federated Farmers Auckland's 'Green Cross Campaign'.

You can visit yourfoodproducers.co.nz for more.

Beef Farmer and President of Federated Farmers Auckland Alan Cole talks to Jesse.

1:25 Taking bombing to the Olympics!

Over the weekend waves were made at the 2022 Tairāwhiti Regional Bomb Competition.

We are talking about jumping and splashing-into-the-water bombs, not playing around with pyrotechnics!

The event organisers were stoked with how it went and the big dream is the Olympics!

Event Organiser Barnard Huriwai talks to Jesse.

1:35 The Hello project to help out older neighbours

With most of us rushing around preparing for the holidays, it feels like there are very few moments left in the day.  But my next guest wants to encourage us to take just a few seconds for some of our older neighbours.

The Hello project is promoting the value of a simple "Hello".

Greg Partington can usually be found making ads for TV - and when tragedy struck his own life he turned to what he does best - making adverts - to try to make a difference and prevent the same thing happening to another family.  

He's created an ad campaign to encourage us to say hello and periodically check in with the older members of our community.

1:45 How to cope in the super hot summer ahead

Lots of us will have been checking the weather forecast over the last few days hoping for some good weather for the holidays or for that Christmas BBQ - but what about those occasions when the weather gets a bit TOO good....?

Metservice has launched a a summer heat alert trial to warn more New Zealanders of unusually - and possibly dangerously - hot weather.

MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths talks to Jesse.

2.12 Podcast Critic: Ximena Smith

Today Ximena talks to Jesse about The Evaporated and Cover Story: Seed Money.

2:25 Bookmarks with Sam Neill

For the last Bookmarks of the year we speak to Sir Sam Neill about his favourite books, tv shows and music.

3:10 How a World War II bomber pilot became the king of the fake Christmas tree!

One of the last surviving bomber pilots of World War II shares his incredible story of escape when his  B-17, the flying fortress, was hit during a bombing raid on Berlin in February 1945. He and his crew cash landed in Poland, on a frozen potato field  abandoned by retreating Germans. Si Spiegel and his crew made a daring escape in a another plane held together with spare parts and prayers. Why are we telling you this story now, less than a week before Christmas? Because  when Si returned to America, he modernized the artificial Christmas tree, inventing new ways of making them look natural and real.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Coming up on Our Changing World: University of Otago science communication student Amanda Konyn investigates whether gene editing technology could play a starring role in our pest control efforts.

This new technology could be essential for reaching our Predator Free 2050 goal, but it's at odds with New Zealand's anti-GM stance.

3:45 The Panel with Boopsie Maran and Steve McCabe