The Spinoff Weekend: The case for never mowing your lawn again

Every story we loved reading this week...

Mōrena and welcome to The Spinoff Weekend. I spent much of this week on Great Barrier Island, out of cellular range and able to check out of pandemic news. So, because I need to catch up too, today we have information on all of that, plus updates on the Auckland mayoral race, a viral video filmed in Northland, and the UK’s ongoing Christmas party scandal. Plus! An important read about why you should leave your lawnmower in the shed this weekend. Pour yourself a fresh cup of Coffee Supreme, the ideal companion to this newsletter, head back to bed, and enjoy. That’s what I’ll be doing.
-Chris Schulz, features editor

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Why you should stop mowing your lawn

Freshly-cut grass is the smell of summer, an instant nostalgia trip back to a time when you pushed the mower with your dad, dumped the clippings around citrus trees, and threw an occasional grassy snowball at your sister. Those days should end immediately, argues Athena Rhodes. “It’s estimated that lawn mower emissions are responsible for around 5-10% of urban engine pollution,” she writes in a story that suggests the suburban soundtrack of petrol push-mowers needs to die. It’s hard not to agree, for ethical, and environmental, reasons. “You know that freshly mown grass smell? That’s actually a release of chemical compounds that interact with other air pollutants and can worsen smog,” Athena writes. You can read her case, in full, here.

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Who wants to be Auckland’s mayor?

Auckland’s mayoral race is months away, but the battle for supremacy over New Zealand’s biggest city is already heating up. Efeso Collins has already confirmed his involvement, and there are plenty of other contenders lining up to claim Phil Goff’s crown. The Spinoff’s Justin Latif says there’s more at stake than ever when voting papers arrive in October this year, and this election could get brutal. “If Phil Goff does bow out after 40 years of public service, this election will be the most open race since Auckland became a supercity in 2010, and so far there isn’t one stand-out favourite,” Justin says. It’s also shaping up as a more politically-motivated election than ever before. “So far, the bevy of retired or backbench National MPs in Auckland have either opted out of the race (like Paula Bennett and Maurice Williamson) or are still keeping their cards close to their chests (Mark Mitchell).” Get yourself up to speed here.

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So, you’ve come into contact with omicron

The last thing you want to wake up to on a Saturday morning is a bunch of depressing headlines about omicron. But — this is a big but! — it’s also important to stay safe, to protect yourself and your loved ones, and to understand the implications of what’s happening out there. So, in case you or someone you know has come into contact with omicron, all your questions are answered here. If you’re wondering how to protect young children from an outbreak, Naomii Seah has the answers. Some other questions: Will we really see 50,000 daily cases by Waitangi Weekend? What can we learn from Queensland’s surge? And, how can you become a mask geek? Finally, Siouxsie Wiles, a tireless voice of reason, has some words of wisdom to share on staying safe: “It’s these small actions every day that will make a difference to you and everyone around you,” she says. Yes, simple things still work: isolating is crucial, vaccines are important, and masks and social distancing are too. “We need to do everything we can to reduce the spread of the virus.”

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A word on sustainable investing from our partners Harbour Asset Management: Among the hundreds of sustainable investment options now available, ‘impact investing’ has recently broken through as an even more responsible option. But where did the idea of ethical investment actually come from? 

Sustainable investing isn't the modern phenomenon people may think. It’s been around in some form since the 1960s, but fund managers have learnt a fair bit about the benefits of investing sustainably since then. Learn more about this history, and what the future holds for sustainable impact investing, here.

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Meet the woman behind a viral Jacinda video

Sometimes, stories come to journalists a little easier than others. When Dylan Reeve started seeing a video of Jacinda Ardern being blocked in her car during a visit to Northland going viral, he used his internet sleuthing skills to trace it back to its source: a woman called Lolly (not her real name). He found her phone number, called her up and asked if she was ready to chat. She was. It really was as simple as that. “She answered the phone on my first attempt,” says Dylan. “I figured there was really only one of two ways it could go: like it did, where she'd just talk about it, or she'd tell me to f**** off and block my number. Happily it was the former … then we just had a 25 minute chat.” Dylan’s must-read story is an enlightening interview with the creator of a viral video in the pandemic age, and what comes next.

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Boris Johnson’s partygate buffet from hell

Toby Manhire is as addicted to Britain’s ongoing political problems — a series of Christmas party mishaps that’s rivaling The Thick of It for sheer ridiculousness — as anyone. In his brilliant beginner’s guide to understanding it all, Toby says there’s a lesson to learn from Boris Johnson’s time of reckoning: “If you’re going to oversee new rules that impose near unimaginable curbs on liberties, you’d better be damned sure to adhere to those rules yourself,” Toby says. “Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford should definitely not relocate their wedding to the Downing Street backyard.” Since his piece was published, Toby says the problem is spiraling: tabloids are circling like sharks, Sue Grey’s report is about to drop, and then there’s the icing on the cake — an actual cake. “It’s now reached the point where they’re furiously debating the existence or non existence of a cake,” Toby says. “I’m worried about them.”

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It’s a worrying time for all of us, including staff at The Spinoff. I’ve been here for six months and every day I’m amazed by the people I work with, and the care and skill that goes into every single piece that’s published. I love showcasing journalists’ talents in this weekly newsletter, and chatting to them about their stories. With the threat of omicron looming, we’re once again relying on the support of our members to keep us doing what we do best: keeping you up-to-date, informed and entertained. Find out how to help here.

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Everything else we loved this week…

• Reporter Charlotte Bellis is pregnant and trying to get back to New Zealand from Afghanistan. MIQ said no, so the Taliban offered her safe passage. Via NZ Herald (paywalled), here’s the story, and here’s Bellis’ open letter, where she writes: “When the Taliban offers you — a pregnant, unmarried woman — safe haven, you know your situation is messed up.”

• Did Benedict Cumberbatch create a pong while visiting New Zealand to film Jane Campion’s The Power of Dog? Alex Casey tracks the “locations of stink-terest” Cumberbatch visited while refusing to wash, shower or clean his clothes.

• This incredible New York Times profile on the life and death of Alberto Martinez, a former Harlem cocaine kingpin moved into witness protection, reads like a missing episode from brilliant Baltimore drug drama The Wire.

• Did your drinking habits increase or decrease over the past two years? For one woman, Jezebel writer Danielle Tcholakian, the pandemic not only helped her get sober — it also saved her life. You can read her delicate explanation here.

• When Tova O’Brien’s restraint of trade clause was upheld, it sent shock waves through the media industry. Dawn Duncan and Andrew Geddis explain why.

• Wondering how the live music industry is coping after the latest series of alert level changes? It’s tough. This Twitter thread helps explain what’s going on for artists, roadies, tour managers and everyone else that puts together a show.

• Look, no one’s going to argue that Johnny Knoxville’s stunt-prank series Jackass is high art. But if it results in more incredible profiles, like this delightful New York Times feature, The tao of Wee Man, that’s a good thing.

• When rumours spread of five kids collapsing at an Auckland vaccination site, Dylan Reeve — who else? — decided to get to the bottom of it.

• If you’re looking for a weekend binge, the third season of Chameleon has landed. Called Wild Boys, it focuses on the strange case of two kids who emerged from a forest claiming they’d been living there since they were born. Then things, as they always do in stories like this, get super weird.

• Finally, Charlotte Muru-Lanning’s ode to the art of doing dishes is an essential read for anyone who loves to cook but hates cleaning up. It is, she argues, as much a part of the meal as the ingredients. “There’s solace in the mundane,” she writes, something I’ll be thinking about after the kids decimate the kitchen (again) this weekend.

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