There are hopes a revamp of emergency service communication will streamline responses. 

Five hundred radio towers and 15 thousand units for first responders are being switched out to make way for a new digital, and encrypted, radio communication system. 

Politicians and experts say the current analogue system is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. 

Next Generation Critical Communications Director Steve Ferguson told Ryan Bridge it's worked well, but it's time to move on. 

He says a digital system will mean better co-ordination between Police, Fire and Emergency, and ambulance services.

LISTEN ABOVE

There are hopes a revamp of emergency service communication will streamline responses.  
Five hundred radio towers and 15 thousand units for first responders are being switched out to make way for a new digital, and encrypted, radio communication system.  
Politicians and experts say the current analogue system is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.  
Next Generation Critical Communications Director Steve Ferguson told Ryan Bridge it's worked well, but it's time to move on.  
He says a digital system will mean better co-ordination between Police, Fire and Emergency, and ambulance services. 
LISTEN ABOVE

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Steve Ferguson: Next Generation Critical Communications Director on the revamping of emergency service communication

The use of coal and gas to generate energy has increased sharply due to falling hydro lake levels.

Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment data from April to June shows that coal produced 883 gigawatt hours of electricity. 

That's a more than a 500% increase on the same time last year, and it’s the first time since 2021 that coal produced more electricity than wind. 

Low hydro lake levels mean electricity generated from renewable sources dropped to 81% of total generation, an 8.6% drop compared to same time last year.

Otago University Senior Research Fellow Kimberley O’Sullivan told Ryan Bridge that while we do have to go somewhere, it’s time to stop looking underground for the solution to our problems.

She said that we need to get smarter about the things such as housing, and we could solve a lot of problems by increasing insultation and making homes more energy efficient, as well as adding solar panels.

LISTEN ABOVE

The use of coal and gas to generate energy has increased sharply due to falling hydro lake levels. 
Ministry of Business Innovation &amp; Employment data from April to June shows that coal produced 883 gigawatt hours of electricity.  
That's a more than a 500% increase on the same time last year, and it’s the first time since 2021 that coal produced more electricity than wind.  
Low hydro lake levels mean electricity generated from renewable sources dropped to 81% of total generation, an 8.6% drop compared to same time last year. 
Otago University Senior Research Fellow Kimberley O’Sullivan told Ryan Bridge that while we do have to go somewhere, it’s time to stop looking underground for the solution to our problems. 
She said that we need to get smarter about the things such as housing, and we could solve a lot of problems by increasing insultation and making homes more energy efficient, as well as adding solar panels. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Kimberley O'Sullivan: University of Otago Senior Research Fellow on the increase use of coal and gas and the need for additional solar panels

Space milestones are only going to keep on coming, with the first ever commercial space walk mission.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis have become the first civilians to walk in space. 

The Space X mission also put the total number of people currently in space to 19, tying the record set in 2021.

Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director Chris Jackson told Ryan Bridge the number's only going to increase with SpaceX and NASA's future plans.

He says they want to populate the Moon, which will put a lot more people in space across a lot of different places.

LISTEN ABOVE

Space milestones are only going to keep on coming, with the first ever commercial space walk mission. 
Billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis have become the first civilians to walk in space.  
The Space X mission also put the total number of people currently in space to 19, tying the record set in 2021. 
Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director Chris Jackson told Ryan Bridge the number's only going to increase with SpaceX and NASA's future plans. 
He says they want to populate the Moon, which will put a lot more people in space across a lot of different places. 
LISTEN ABOVE

Chris Jackson: Auckland University's Spacecraft Missions Director on the first commercial spacewalk

Kamala Harris was wearing audio earrings during the debate this week.

Did you hear about this? Yeah, she was cheating.

They looked like pearl earrings, but they also look like audio earrings. You can buy them, and you can have your staff feed you information in real time during a debate, they can coach you live.

Yeah, it's real, I read it on the internet.

That's the problem, isn't it? On some corners of the internet there's the dog-duck-immigrant conspiracy thing, there's the trans migrant prisoner sex change thing, and now there's the Kamala earrings thing.

Misinformation, disinformation, conspiracies, whatever they are, they seem to be everywhere at the moment.

Kamala Harris is pushing the conspiracies too, remember she said during the debate that Trump would implement project 2025 if elected, he says he won't.

Isn't that the same thing? Just lies, just making stuff up?

Don't get me wrong, I do love a good conspiracy, especially the bizarre ones you get out of the States, but I would never go nuts online trying to prove one.

The internet's screwed our brains in that way, what would have once just been a word of mouth, rumour, or gossip now spreads and presents itself as real news and is lapped up by millions of people.

The biggest problem I reckon, we have two cohorts of internet users, ones who have lived the most of their lives without the internet and they place a lot of faith and trust in what's being written and said because that's how we used to operate, remember?

And then there are those who are URL natives who know full well the absolute crap and the shite that you get online – which is not to say it's a generational thing because, you know, people at both ends can get caught out.

But we are supposedly living right now in the enlightened age where the internet would democratise information, make it accessible to all of us.

We'd all be better informed and better off with all the knowledge of human history available at the click of a finger.

And what have we done with that?

Cats, dogs, ducks, and audio airings.

Kamala Harris was wearing audio earrings during the debate this week. 
Did you hear about this? Yeah, she was cheating. 
They looked like pearl earrings, but they also look like audio earrings. You can buy them, and you can have your staff feed you information in real time during a debate, they can coach you live. 
Yeah, it's real, I read it on the internet. 
That's the problem, isn't it? On some corners of the internet there's the dog-duck-immigrant conspiracy thing, there's the trans migrant prisoner sex change thing, and now there's the Kamala earrings thing. 
Misinformation, disinformation, conspiracies, whatever they are, they seem to be everywhere at the moment. 
Kamala Harris is pushing the conspiracies too, remember she said during the debate that Trump would implement project 2025 if elected, he says he won't. 
Isn't that the same thing? Just lies, just making stuff up? 
Don't get me wrong, I do love a good conspiracy, especially the bizarre ones you get out of the States, but I would never go nuts online trying to prove one. 
The internet's screwed our brains in that way, what would have once just been a word of mouth, rumour, or gossip now spreads and presents itself as real news and is lapped up by millions of people. 
The biggest problem I reckon, we have two cohorts of internet users, ones who have lived the most of their lives without the internet and they place a lot of faith and trust in what's being written and said because that's how we used to operate, remember? 
And then there are those who are URL natives who know full well the absolute crap and the shite that you get online – which is not to say it's a generational thing because, you know, people at both ends can get caught out. 
But we are supposedly living right now in the enlightened age where the internet would democratise information, make it accessible to all of us. 
We'd all be better informed and better off with all the knowledge of human history available at the click of a finger. 
And what have we done with that? 
Cats, dogs, ducks, and audio airings.

Steve Ferguson: Next Generation Critical Communications Director on the revamping of emergency service communication

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