Tom Butlin
@tombutlin.bsky.social
Google jockey, slow runner, slow cooking enthusiast.
Pessimists go through life being pleasantly surprised
Aotearoa New Zealand
Pessimists go through life being pleasantly surprised
Aotearoa New Zealand
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Salt water laced with cancer-causing chemicals, a byproduct of oil and gas drilling, keeps shooting out of the ground in Oklahoma.
Experts say it means even more wastewater is spreading underground, poisoning the state’s water supply.
With @readfrontier.bsky.social
Experts say it means even more wastewater is spreading underground, poisoning the state’s water supply.
With @readfrontier.bsky.social
Toxic Wastewater From Oil Fields Keeps Pouring Out of the Ground. Oklahoma Regulators Failed to Stop It.
Salt water laced with cancer-causing chemicals, a byproduct of oil and gas drilling, is spewing from old wells. Experts warn of a pollution crisis spreading underground and threatening Oklahoma’s drin...
www.propublica.org
November 26, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Salt water laced with cancer-causing chemicals, a byproduct of oil and gas drilling, keeps shooting out of the ground in Oklahoma.
Experts say it means even more wastewater is spreading underground, poisoning the state’s water supply.
With @readfrontier.bsky.social
Experts say it means even more wastewater is spreading underground, poisoning the state’s water supply.
With @readfrontier.bsky.social
Reposted by Tom Butlin
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:58 AM
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Hoggard is minister of animal welfare, where he has extended the farrow crate agony of pigs, minister of food safety, where he has weakened food safety regs, and assoc minister of enviro, where he allowed more freshwater pollution. Just a regular Federated Farmers guy. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Minister Andrew Hoggard assures PM he's following Cabinet rules after complaint
SAFE has made a complaint to the prime minister after the decision to allow the continued use of farrowing crates and mating stalls.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 25, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Hoggard is minister of animal welfare, where he has extended the farrow crate agony of pigs, minister of food safety, where he has weakened food safety regs, and assoc minister of enviro, where he allowed more freshwater pollution. Just a regular Federated Farmers guy. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Reposted by Tom Butlin
While the story itself is more than 4000 words (all gold, honestly), it can be told through this single visualisation. Here, with tools from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, we see traffic routes of oil tankers flagged to the Cook Islands in August 2024. NB: Oil tankers don’t deliver oil to Russia.
November 24, 2025 at 5:49 PM
While the story itself is more than 4000 words (all gold, honestly), it can be told through this single visualisation. Here, with tools from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, we see traffic routes of oil tankers flagged to the Cook Islands in August 2024. NB: Oil tankers don’t deliver oil to Russia.
Reposted by Tom Butlin
SpaceX now has over $100 million revenue in NZ from Starlink. Seems there's money to be made with broadband in rural and remote areas then.
November 24, 2025 at 8:00 PM
SpaceX now has over $100 million revenue in NZ from Starlink. Seems there's money to be made with broadband in rural and remote areas then.
Unrelated, of course, but I note the NZ has dropped from #1 to #4 on the world corruption index.
How the oil and gas industry helped rewrite New Zealand’s drilling rules
Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban, RNZ has found.” #nzpol
Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban, RNZ has found.” #nzpol
How the oil and gas industry helped rewrite New Zealand’s drilling rules
A paper trail shows just how far ministers went to accommodate the oil and gas industry's wishlist.
www.rnz.co.nz
November 24, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Unrelated, of course, but I note the NZ has dropped from #1 to #4 on the world corruption index.
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Holy shit! This is what I'm talkin' about. David Clayton is running for congress in North Carolina's District 5 against MAGA Republican Virginia Foxx — and this is how he introduced himself. 🙌💪👏✊️👇
November 21, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Holy shit! This is what I'm talkin' about. David Clayton is running for congress in North Carolina's District 5 against MAGA Republican Virginia Foxx — and this is how he introduced himself. 🙌💪👏✊️👇
Reposted by Tom Butlin
This is now even funnier considering all the recent posts about how Twitter uses are from everywhere but america
November 24, 2025 at 1:30 AM
This is now even funnier considering all the recent posts about how Twitter uses are from everywhere but america
Reposted by Tom Butlin
The banning of gender affirming care/ puberty blockers for trans kids is a TEST. This Luxon-led coalition is seeing how much pushback they receive on this issue to figure out how to ban abortion & contraception next term. They're anti-choice, they will act on this. #nzpol #abortion #pubertyblockers
November 22, 2025 at 11:20 PM
The banning of gender affirming care/ puberty blockers for trans kids is a TEST. This Luxon-led coalition is seeing how much pushback they receive on this issue to figure out how to ban abortion & contraception next term. They're anti-choice, they will act on this. #nzpol #abortion #pubertyblockers
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Having complied with the USA's anti-trans directive this week, I expect Simeon and the lickspittle AoNZ government will be coming after abortion next. #nzpol
"Countries with state subsidies for abortion, transgender-friendly policies for children, hate speech laws and affirmative action policies will now be considered to be violating human rights under rules imposed at the [US] State Department..."
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...
Abortion And DEI Policies Now Considered Violations Of Human Rights, U.S. Says
The Trump administration has overhauled how the State Department conducts its annual Human Rights Report.
www.forbes.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Having complied with the USA's anti-trans directive this week, I expect Simeon and the lickspittle AoNZ government will be coming after abortion next. #nzpol
Reposted by Tom Butlin
"Oh we got both kinds. We got country and western."
BREAKING: The House of Representatives voted 285–98 in favor of a resolution condemning socialism.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Eighty-six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
November 21, 2025 at 6:48 PM
"Oh we got both kinds. We got country and western."
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Analysis of the language used in Trump’s Ukraine “peace plan” shows it was drafted in Russian and translated into English.
I’ll try to dig up a link.
I’ll try to dig up a link.
November 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Analysis of the language used in Trump’s Ukraine “peace plan” shows it was drafted in Russian and translated into English.
I’ll try to dig up a link.
I’ll try to dig up a link.
A masterful gambit sir, absolute 5D chess.
I'm tempted too
I'm tempted too
This is actually pretty masterful by Elon, because this is the most tempted I've been to return to X (formally Twitter) — just to see how absurdly ridiculous I can goad Grok into being in its sycophancy toward him.
Musk's ego was mortally wounded by Joyce Carol Oates and he's been on a narcissistic supply bender since
November 20, 2025 at 9:48 PM
A masterful gambit sir, absolute 5D chess.
I'm tempted too
I'm tempted too
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Reposted by Tom Butlin
“Trust us! Marginalising these communities more will absolutely bring down the cost of a KG of Mince and get your job back!”
November 20, 2025 at 4:47 AM
“Trust us! Marginalising these communities more will absolutely bring down the cost of a KG of Mince and get your job back!”
Reposted by Tom Butlin
In today’s NZ Herald
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
In today’s NZ Herald
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Karen Chhour is quoted in this piece actively promoting conversion practices, after previously comparing gender affirming care to torture at Lake Alice. This coalition is evil. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Govt halts new puberty blockers prescriptions for gender-affirming care
Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March says the government is "buying into imported culture wars" .
www.rnz.co.nz
November 19, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Karen Chhour is quoted in this piece actively promoting conversion practices, after previously comparing gender affirming care to torture at Lake Alice. This coalition is evil. www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Reposted by Tom Butlin
This a thousand times. No, I don’t want help putting a meeting in my diary. No, I don’t want you to précis the report I’m reading.
And no, I don’t want you to train on my content including the legally privileged attachments.
And no, I don’t want you to train on my content including the legally privileged attachments.
November 18, 2025 at 6:41 PM
This a thousand times. No, I don’t want help putting a meeting in my diary. No, I don’t want you to précis the report I’m reading.
And no, I don’t want you to train on my content including the legally privileged attachments.
And no, I don’t want you to train on my content including the legally privileged attachments.
Reposted by Tom Butlin
New: A follow-up to the major 2022 BCG report into the future of the energy system finds NZ is on track for 98 percent renewable electricity by 2030, with work needed to shore up existing gas fields but no "gas renaissance" on the cards.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/19/n...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/19/n...
No 'gas renaissance' in landmark report charting NZ's energy future
NZ is on track for a 98 percent renewable power system by 2030, a sweeping new report on the energy system has found.
newsroom.co.nz
November 18, 2025 at 8:09 PM
New: A follow-up to the major 2022 BCG report into the future of the energy system finds NZ is on track for 98 percent renewable electricity by 2030, with work needed to shore up existing gas fields but no "gas renaissance" on the cards.
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/19/n...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/19/n...
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Hey!! Here's my new piece for The New Republic!!
It's about how Meta is cramming generative video slop (the most energy-intensive of the gen systems) into its massive global advertising engine: a recipe for an order magnitude worsening of its already-huge harms 😱
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
It's about how Meta is cramming generative video slop (the most energy-intensive of the gen systems) into its massive global advertising engine: a recipe for an order magnitude worsening of its already-huge harms 😱
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
November 11, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Hey!! Here's my new piece for The New Republic!!
It's about how Meta is cramming generative video slop (the most energy-intensive of the gen systems) into its massive global advertising engine: a recipe for an order magnitude worsening of its already-huge harms 😱
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
It's about how Meta is cramming generative video slop (the most energy-intensive of the gen systems) into its massive global advertising engine: a recipe for an order magnitude worsening of its already-huge harms 😱
newrepublic.com/article/2028...
Reposted by Tom Butlin
Quite a staggering statistic. Trump isn’t just bringing misery to immigrants, he’s harming everyone.
#TrumpSlump
#TrumpSlump
NEW: The Trump administration's brutal removal of so many workers is projected to shrink the nation’s GDP by as much as 6.8% — a deeper hit than the one sustained during the Great Recession.
A.J. Schumann:
A.J. Schumann:
Mass Deportations Aren’t Helping Workers. They’re Tanking The Economy. - OtherWords
Trump claimed immigrants were “taking your jobs.” But during his brutal crackdown, the job market has only gotten worse.
otherwords.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Quite a staggering statistic. Trump isn’t just bringing misery to immigrants, he’s harming everyone.
#TrumpSlump
#TrumpSlump
Reposted by Tom Butlin
"The country has plummeted from second in the world in 2023 to 53rd in the 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index."
Its a shame those stats can't apply to homelessness, polluted waterways, substance abuse,, and other socio-environmental problems.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Its a shame those stats can't apply to homelessness, polluted waterways, substance abuse,, and other socio-environmental problems.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
'Most deteriorated' - NZ plummets in global tobacco control ranking
An anti-vaping group calls the ranking an "international disgrace".
www.rnz.co.nz
November 11, 2025 at 7:12 PM
"The country has plummeted from second in the world in 2023 to 53rd in the 2025 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index."
Its a shame those stats can't apply to homelessness, polluted waterways, substance abuse,, and other socio-environmental problems.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Its a shame those stats can't apply to homelessness, polluted waterways, substance abuse,, and other socio-environmental problems.
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...