Latest science

Ocean levels on the rise ... and quickly

Tuesday - Seas are rising faster, prompting scientists to warn that coastal adaptation plans should be put in place urgently.

Soil scientists back putting carbon in the ground

Friday - Carbon sequestration in soil has the potential to enhance food security and mitigate climate change, says an international team of soil experts.

The story of climate change ... with a sting in the tail

20 Jun 17 - Worth a look: Here’s a short video to put recent climate change and carbon dioxide emissions into the context of the past 800,000 years.

Huge Antarctic melt raises fears of 3m sea level rise

19 Jun 17 - Scientists have documented one of the most extensive melting events ever recorded in West Antarctica, an area that holds enough land ice to raise sea level by about 3.3 metres if it fully melted.

DEAD CERT: This is when the anthropocene era began

15 Jun 17 - Israeli researchers claim to have pinpointed the first permanent geological change made by humankind, the moment when humans first altered the planet’s geology.

CLIMATE CASUALTIES: Where the wild things ... aren’t

14 Jun 17 - Climate change is multiplying existing threats to much of the natural world, and more species face an unparalleled extinction risk.

... and the future's not too bright for our trapdoor spider

14 Jun 17 - New Zealand's trapdoor spiders could disappear from many areas as a result of climate change, putting pressure on other species.

Hopes rise for longer-term climate forecasts

13 Jun 17 - A study of the interaction between sunlight, air, water and foliage should lead to better longer-term climate forecasts, scientists say.

What's pre-industrial climate ... and why does it matter?

12 Jun 17 - The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming relative to a pre-industrial baseline. So, what are “pre-industrial levels”?

COMPUTER GAMES: Science invests $18m in super stuff

9 Jun 17 - NIWA is investing $18 million in new supercomputers that will significantly enhance scientists’ abilities to solve crucial issues facing the country.

Warmth will worsen wet and dry extremes

8 Jun 17 - Wet and dry extremes across the world will become more marked as the planet heats up, evidence from past climates shows.

Nitrous oxide joins list of permafrost melt worries

31 May 17 - New research shows that a permafrost meltdown could cause nitrogen to be released as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that’s nearly 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

GMO crops could expect a brighter future

31 May 17 - Genetically modified crops remain controversial, but scientists still have faith that they will help both to replace fossil fuels and to feed the world.

Has ice analysis revealed the truth about lead in the air?

31 May 17 - Ice cores and records from the Black Death show lead entered the air from human activity – and scientists claim “natural background” levels are zero.

There's no way we can plant our way out of trouble

30 May 17 - Nothing, not even the creation of huge plantations of trees to absorb carbon dioxide, is a viable alternative to drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Global energy efficiency would slash CO2 emissions

30 May 17 - Energy-efficient production could cut global carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter, a new study shows.

BOB ON THE JOB: Dylan got it right, a hard rain's gonna fall

30 May 17 - Europe, North America and tropical regions could all face even harder rainfall if fossil fuel emissions continue to increase global warming.

‘Selfish’ genes contain the seeds of our destruction

29 May 17 - The human race is in so much trouble that it needs to colonise another planet within 100 years or face extinction, says physicist Stephen Hawking.

BUDGET: Ice money will help climate work

26 May 17 - More money for research in Antarctica will help scientists to understand how global warming is affecting Antarctica, says Science New Zealand chief executive Anthony Scott