Afternoons for Wednesday 12 June 2024

 

1:15 Electrifying farms - the way of the future

Fieldays, the largest agri-tech showcase in the Southern Hemisphere, kicks off today and of course many of the major innovations will centre on electrification.

It's timely then that a new report from Rewiring Aotearoa explores the benefits of electrifying our farms.

They say it's an exciting time for farms and rural communities to reduce their costs, diversify their income, and greatly contribute to New Zealand's renewable energy system.

Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey speaks to Charlotte.

1:25 Historic Auckland building falls victim to seismic upgrade costs 

The Auckland city councils latest Long Term Plan has called for a halt on spending on seismic upgrades of council properties.

The historic Ponsonby Library and neighbouring gymnasium and community space, known as the Ley's Institute is one of those affected by the councils decision.

The Ley's Institute has been closed since 2019 due to needing earthquake strengthening and restoration.

The decision comes with much backlash, as the Leys Institute are considered nationally significant heritage buildings and are already in a state of disrepair due to years of postponed maintenance.

1:35 Fulbright Creative NZ Pacific Writer's Residency recipient announced

David Fane has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency.

After failing his comedy module at Toi Whakaari Drama School, David went on to establish a career entertaining audiences across New Zealand with his work as a writer, director, actor, and above all, storyteller - all with a comedic flair.

Dave will be known to many by the eclectic characters he's created on stage and screen - including being a founding member of the Naked Samoans, his leading role in Sione's Wedding, and a writer and voice artist with bro'Town.

As part of the residency he'll be living in Hawai'i for three months, while he cultivates a new work.

David speaks to Charlotte.

1:45 Heading Off: Blue Duck Station

This week for Heading Off we're visiting Blue Duck Station near Whanganui National Park.

It's been recommended by some non-bird watching types as a place to go, if not just for seeing the blue ducks.

To tell us more we're joined by Blue Duck Station owner Dan Steele.

2.12 Podcast Critic: Elliott Childs

Today Elliott talks to Charlotte about Let The Kids Dance and What Happened in Alabama?

2:20 Easy Eats with Sam Parish: Chinese Sausage ginger fried rice

This week on Easy Eats Sam has a fabulous recipe for a mid-week fakeaway.

She shares her simple but super tasty recipe to make Chinese Sausage ginger fried rice. It's also ready in under 30 minutes, so even faster than getting a take out.

You can find the recipe ingredients and instructions here.

2:30 Bookmarks with Mark Sagar

Our bookmarks guest this week is business man, academic and Academy Award winner Mark Sagar

His work focused on recreating the human face. He's previously worked on films at Weta digital and Sony Pictures

These days he's mainly to be found running The Auckland University Bio-engineering Institute's Laboratory for Animate Technologies

As well as his own company Soul Machines, which specialises in Biological AI.

3:10 How Yuppie culture has influenced current division and inequality

The 80's are known as the decade of the Yuppie, the Young Urban Professional obsessed with money, status and materialism in their expensive t-shirts and skinny jeans sipping Perrier. 

The choices they made then set the stage for the cultural division and inequality we have now says writer Tom Mcgrath.

He draws the line between the choices they made 40 years ago about food, fashion and urban living to society today in his book, Triumph of the Yuppies: America, the Eighties, and the Creation of an Unequal Nation.

3:35 Stories from Our Changing World

Coming up, Our Changing World producer William Ray looks at the potential of drone technology to revolutionise pest control.

3:45 The pre-Panel