Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are the main driving force of climate change, and all economic sectors need to internalize their costs. Food systems (including land use, production, refrigeration, food processing) account for a quarter of global GHG emissions. Agricultural exports in Asia-Pacific account for 18% of total exports, twice as …
Plastic pollution in the ocean is a rapidly emerging global environmental concern, with high concentrations (up to 580,000 pieces per km2) and a global distribution, driven by exponentially increasing production. Seabirds are particularly vulnerable to this type of pollution and are widely observed to ingest floating plastic. We used a …
The New Zealand government is preparing to completely ban two substances with known risks to both the environment and human health, Environment Minister Nick Smith said on Wednesday. "The government has proposed new regulations banning the import of new bulk hydrochlorofluorocarbons and asbestos-containing products," Smith said in a published speech …
Landcare Research is opening a survey as an initial means of assessing the causes behind bee colony losses in New Zealand. Thankfully, in New Zealand the number of hives have been increasing. However, bee populations are currently on a drastic decline in many other parts of the world - and …
A bird cull on a New Zealand island has been abruptly halted after marksmen killed four rare takahe, an endangered species with only 300 known to exist, officials said Friday. The deaths were “deeply disappointing,” Conservation Department director Andrew Baucke said in a statement. He said “experienced members” of the …
The New Zealand government Thursday unveiled a 30-year infrastructure plan that will include building a joint infrastructure market with Australia and initiatives to guide spending on some massive projects. Lindsay Crossen, chair of the National Infrastructure Advisory Board, said the country generally had a good existing infrastructure base, but it …
A Kiribati family fleeing the impact of climate change on their homeland have asked the United Nations to help them fight deportation from New Zealand, which has ruled they are not refugees. Ioane Teitiota, his wife Erika and their three New Zealand-born children lost their final bid for refugee status …
Following is a table showing that developed nations' plans for combating climate change fall well short of cuts outlined by scientists to avert the worst of global warming. Current pledges by developed nations will cut emissions to 9.0 billion tonnes, a fall of 26 percent from 12.2 billion in 2010. …
New Zealand is saying goodbye to coal-fired power generation, with Genesis Energy advising it will permanently shut its last two coal-burning generators by December 2018 amid ample supplies of cheaper renewable energy generation and subdued demand. Genesis chairman Dame Jenny Shipley said that with improved management of hydroelectric capacity in …
Fonterra says it sets itself high environmental standards despite being fined $362,000 in two separate prosecutions for Resource Management Act breaches. The country's largest milk producer was fined $192,000 yesterday after it discharged buttermilk in a South Taranaki treatment pond that caused a stench in the local area. The dairy …
New Zealand’s freshwater habitats including rivers, lakes, estuaries and other wetlands; groundwater and geothermal ecosystems support a unique array of flora and fauna. Freshwater is New Zealand’s greatest asset and is a taonga of paramount importance. It is valued for its contribution to biodiversity, recreation, the economy and overall well-being …
Mangrove forests could play a crucial role in protecting coastal areas from sea level rise caused by climate change, according to new research involving the University of Southampton. A joint study between researchers at the University of Southampton along with colleagues from the Universities of Auckland and Waikato in New …
An ecomorphodynamic model was developed to study how Avicennia marina mangroves influence channel network evolution in sandy tidal embayments. The model accounts for the effects of mangrove trees on tidal flow patterns and sediment dynamics. Mangrove growth is in turn controlled by hydrodynamic conditions. The presence of mangroves was found …
A man from a tiny Pacific island who asked a court in New Zealand to recognise him as the world's first climate change refugee had his appeal rejected and faces deportation. Ioane Teitiota, 38, said his home in Kiribati, the world’s lowest lying nation, was unsafe due to rising sea …
A new scheme to recycle soft plastic bags is positive but doesn't do enough to prevent plastic pollution, the Greens say. The Government-funded initiative would see drop-off points established at shops and supermarkets, and a new recycling plant in Auckland with capacity to recycle a range of soft plastics including …
Most New Zealanders would back government actions to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food to children, according to the results of a survey out on Monday. The independent poll showed 73 percent of adults supported controls in New Zealand, which has no government regulation of the marketing of sugary and …
Nearly all submitters who suggested emissions reduction goals in the Government's climate consultation wanted a target much more ambitious than what New Zealand committed to this month. An analysis by the Ministry for the Environment of submissions received during the Government's May to June consultation on what its post-2020 climate …
Prevalence of walking and cycling for transport is low, varying greatly across countries. Few studies have examined neighborhood perceptions related to walking and cycling for transport in different countries. Therefore it is challenging to prioritize appropriate built environment interventions. The aim of this study was to examine the strength and …
Australians bury their heads in the sands of Bondi Beach to send a message to Prime Minister Tony Abbott about the dangers of climate change. Photo: Supplied Nearly one in five Australians do not believe in climate change, making the country the worst in the world for climate sceptics, a …
A report has revealed the Government is aware its programmes have been doing very little to help children out of poverty. Radio New Zealand reported the Government received advice showing its child poverty policies would do little in the short to medium term. The advice came before a $25 increase …
Climate strongly influences global wildfire activity, and recent wildfire surges may signal fire weather-induced pyrogeographic shifts. Here we use three daily global climate data sets and three fire danger indices to develop a simple annual metric of fire weather season length, and map spatio-temporal trends from 1979 to 2013. We …
