Kasey McDonnell - Welly Climate Nerd

Fred, Manny, Lagi and Aianna, the lovely family at the heart of Manny’s Clearance.

A love letter to Manny’s Clearance

Manny's Clearance is far more than an op shop. It nourishes our community with dignity and care. As the storms get stronger, that kaupapa is how we cope.

city

What’s that smell?

How much will drying our city’s sewage sludge cut carbon emissions? Turns out…

OIA

LGOIMA: Sludge Minimisation Facility Carbon Emissions Reductions

Wellington City Council has confirmed that the Moa Point Sludge Minimisation Facility is expected to reduce emissions by 2,000 tCO₂-e per year, based on carbon calculations by Beca, in response to this March 2026 LGOIMA request.

transport

Pothole killer – how trains can save the climate and our highways

Every pothole can be traced back to a transport system that chooses to use roads for things they’re not suitable for.

Mevo is in voluntary administration

Jaime Lyth, reporting for BusinessDesk (paywalled): New Zealand car share company Mevo has gone into voluntary administration a month after it crowdfunded

city

Shielding Wellington from rising prices

It’s a scary time to be alive. The United States has started another war in the Middle East. Alongside the awful

politics

Where is the vision?

🛢️I wrote this before the war in Iran. Holds up even more now, I think. The country is facing a challenge: if

I want a better catastrophe

I just spent the better part of an hour listening to Andrew Boyd walking through his beautiful, poignant, empathetic and stark flowchart

city

Wellington’s bike lane buildout is at risk. We can do something.

If you care about Wellington taking climate action, you have to tell our city councillors ahead of a vote on Thursday. Contact

transport

Digging deep on bus replacements

You're not going crazy. Bus replacements are getting worse. Over the past couple of months, I've been collecting

OIA

LGOIMA: Bus replacement demographics, Jan 2024 to Dec 2025

Snapper tag-on data for Metlink rail replacement bus services and scheduled rail services across Wellington, broken down by fare type and line (Jan 2024–Dec 2025).

OIA

LGOIMA: Every bus replacement from July 2017 to January 2026

Greater Wellington Regional Council has released monthly bus replacement service counts for all four Metlink rail lines from 2017 to January 2026, broken down by planned and unplanned disruptions, in response to this January 2026 LGOIMA request.