Louis speaks with Dr Lara Greaves of the University of Auckland around the legislation on the election law changes.

A Palestinian solidarity group is calling on the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand to apologise to citizens for their country’s treatment of palestinian refugees. Israel has been criticised by the United Nations and other groups for its refusal to let refugees return to their homeland, which contravenes international law. Lachlan spoke with John Minto from the Palestinian Solidarity Network about Israel’s treatmnet of Palestinian refugees.

A Palestinian solidarity group is calling on the Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand to apologise to citizens for their country’s treatment of palestinian refugees. Israel has been criticised by the United Nations and other groups for its refusal to let refugees return to their homeland, which contravenes international law. Lachlan spoke with John Minto from the Palestinian Solidarity Network about Israel’s treatmnet of Palestinian refugees.

When speaking to people about sex education in their experience, you'll have a variety of responses. Some people had a single day of sex education in their entire time at school, some are concerned about the lack of concent education and some say they don’t even remember what they were taught in amongst their sex education. Michelle Kasey is a sex and relationship councilor who believes sex education should be more sex positive. While she’s not an expert on the sex ed curriculum she says she works with people every day who have been affected by a fear based approach to sex education. She joined Laura Kvigstad to discuss her work. If you'd like to find our more, you can find free resources on her website here or find her on Facebook or Instagram. 

Sherry speaks to Carl, a member of loop group, a community recyling group specialising in rejigging up old bikes. Carl talks about corporate responsibility and reducing consumption. Sherry begin by asking him what loop groop does?

Sherry has looking into a few community recycling groups on their views on New Zealand’s processes with waste managment, and if more could be done after coming back her trip in Indonesia. You can listen to her three prt segment on Banter Gebang, South East Asia’s largest landfill and home to over three thousand families: One, Two and Three.  

Liam Finnagan is finishing up his masters in international relations, and is leaving to spend a year in China in the next month. Sherry talks to him on Ann Marie Brady, the history of China NZ relations, and if there is growing tensions between the two countries.

Its a tricky space to navigate, and it’s important to remember when critising foreign governments and their values, that there is the chinese state that has questionable stances on human rights. And there are the migrants and diapsora communities in New Zealand: wanting to connect and often just seeking a better life for their family. Open, respectful discussions, are the productive way forward when navigating the space.

Sherry talks to 95bfm reporter Justin Wong, to understand the Hong Kong protests against the extradition Bill. Sherry and Steward discuss the retracting of an article from Chinese New Zealand Herald on the protests, and Newsroom recently getting blocked in China along with it's critism of Chinese New Zealand Herald's self censorship. 

Stewart plays musical chairs with his Thursday team, and is joined by Producer Sherry in studio. 

This week on the show

All that plus some listener texts on the family justice system and China-NZ relations. It's The Thursday Wire! 

Sherry talks to WasteMINZ Organic Materials Sector Group Chair, Chris Purchas, on greenwashing. WasteMINZ have recently released a new set of guidelines for businesses and consumers on the advertising of compostable products and packaging. She also asks Chris's views on the response from countries against the offshore shipping of New Zealand recyling. 

The WasteMINZ report recommends products to not state ‘planet friendly’ or ‘eco-safe,’ with pictures of happy seals and polar bears, if not backed up by science, or following an established standard.

The term biodegradable is one of the most mis-used phrases, and companies cannot claim something is biodegradable in landfills as no reliable standards currently exist to measure this. Similarly with degradable, as “the length of time they take to break down can be hundreds or thousands of years and can result in microplastics, which enter the food chain and are harmful to all animals and humans.”

Read the report on the WasteMINZ website. 

On Dear Science with AUT’s Marcus Jones, we talk about hardening arteries, population growth and puppy dog eyes.

Sherry Zhang talks to WasteManagement Institute NZ Organic Materials Sector Group Chair, Chris Purchas, on greenwashing.

Lillian Hanly speak with Toby Tilsey from Craft Homes about sustainable building and the links between good homes and healthy humans.

Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira, our newest Wednesday producer, talked to Samuel Walsh and Katie Kerr about the new independent book store Strange Goods on K Road.