Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
FACE THE FACTS: The Government has done little
28 Apr 2017
Two major reports on climate change – one on the likely impacts on New Zealand, the other on ways the country can cut emissions – were released a year ago by the country’s top scientific body, the Royal Society. Energy expert RALPH SIMS, who chaired the report committee, reflects on progress.
Deep in the forest, there are trees giving off methane
28 Apr 2017
Scientists have long been aware of a forest’s ability to absorb carbon, but a new US study has discovered trees that emit methane.
American climate refugees likely to flee inland
28 Apr 2017
The population of inland American cities will alter drastically if predictions of dramatic sea level rises by 2100 are correct, a new report suggests.
IT'S OFFICIAL: Our water quality is getting worse
27 Apr 2017
Water quality in New Zealand’s rivers is getting worse, says an official government report out today – and there’s yet another warning that the country is running up against its environmental limits.
Top scientist dismisses talk of warming slowdown
27 Apr 2017
Much of the public and scientific discussion around a slowdown, or hiatus, in the rate of global warming has been misguided, says prominent climatologist.
Weird weather is being felt down on the farm
21 Apr 2017
Changes to New Zealand’s weather caused by global warming are starting to affect the country’s agricultural earnings.
CARBON CREEP: Suddenly, CO2 hits the 410ppm mark
21 Apr 2017
Chalk up another climate milestone … atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations hit 410 parts-per-million this week, the highest they’ve been in more than 15 million years.
CLOSE OF PLAY: Cricket is facing a climate crisis
20 Apr 2017
From the ochre-coloured Australian outback to the windswept Scottish coast, cricket is defined almost entirely by the weather conditions. If they change, so does the essence of the game.
Harvesting fertiliser from ‘bionic’ leaves
20 Apr 2017
The Harvard scientist who pioneered a “bionic leaf” that could generate the production of fuel has taken artificial photosynthesis a step further.
Scientist seeks capital backing for adaptation projects
19 Apr 2017
Ekos founder Dr Sean Weaver is working on a new project – a non-market mechanism to raise private capital to fund climate-change adaptation projects in developing countries.
Climate change promises rough ride for airlines
19 Apr 2017
By TIM RADFORD | Keep that seat belt buckled − it could be a bumpy flight. New research predicts that severe clear air turbulence in the stratosphere could increase by 149 per cent because of climate change.
We're talking to Korea about carbon market links
18 Apr 2017
Talks to establish links between carbon markets in New Zealand and Korea are under way.
Bennett rules out farming and climate commission
18 Apr 2017
Climate minister Paula Bennett says carbon prices need to go higher, but she won’t be putting a price on agricultural emissions and she doesn’t think New Zealand needs a climate commission.
Upton gets job, but not everyone is pleased
18 Apr 2017
Simon Upton’s nomination to be the next Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has been confirmed by Parliament, but it wasn’t unanimous.
World's nuclear giants limp toward extinction
18 Apr 2017
Any lingering hope that a worldwide nuclear power renaissance would contribute to combating climate change appears to have been dashed by US company Westinghouse, the largest provider of nuclear technology in the world, filing for bankruptcy, and the severe financial difficulties of its Japanese parent company, Toshiba.
EDITORIAL: Today is D-day for the climate debate
13 Apr 2017
Today could see one of the most important debates Parliament has ever had – a special session on proposals to make New Zealand carbon-neutral by the second half of the century.
Permafrost thaw threatens flood of emissions
13 Apr 2017
Permafrost, the layer of permanently frozen ground that lies just beneath the Earth’s surface in the polar regions, has been found to be more sensitive to the effects of global warming than climatology had recognised.
Barrier bleaching could set back Queensland by $1b
13 Apr 2017
Queensland's economy and tourism sector could suffer a billion-dollar hit, if extreme coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef continues, says a new report.
GLUCKMAN REPORT: It's clear our rivers need help
12 Apr 2017
New Zealand’s waterways are in trouble and climate change is making it worse, the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser is warning.
Auckland says yes to ethical investments
12 Apr 2017
Auckland Council has joined the fossil-fuel divestment movement.
Coastal flooding advice out soon, says ministry
11 Apr 2017
New guidelines to help local government to cope with increased coastal flooding caused by climate change will be released soon, the government says.
Three ways to improve shipping’s footprint
11 Apr 2017
Do you wear runners, drink coffee or own a mobile phone? The chances are that these products cruised to you on a ship.
COOL IDEA: Forests offer way to ease climate fears
11 Apr 2017
European and US scientists have worked out how the Northern hemisphere keeps cool − so be grateful for the trees, and especially for the forests.
Parliament under carbon-neutral pressure
10 Apr 2017
Proposals for a carbon-neutral New Zealand will go before Parliament this week, as the nation's youth start to apply political pressure over the world they will inherit.
Complacency threatens climate change action
10 Apr 2017
The world is “meandering into a failed future” because of its unwillingness to take decisive action on climate change, a leading UK academic has warned.
Crucial jet streams stall as the world gets warmer
10 Apr 2017
The warming of the atmosphere by greenhouse gases is slowing the jet streams which drive the northern hemisphere’s weather.
Arctic meltwater ponds feed climate concerns
10 Apr 2017
Even in the white-out world of ice, the Arctic is growing greener. Plankton blooms below the frozen ocean and in Greenland’s icy mountains meltwater ponds become little ecosystems that will eventually enrich the ocean.
POWER POSERS: Energy industry worries and waits
7 Apr 2017
Uncertainty over the Government’s plans to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change is keeping New Zealand’s energy executives awake at night, says the World Energy Council.
America’s farmers face uncertain future
7 Apr 2017
Spare a thought for the farmers of America: climate change is going to make their lives more difficult.
Politicians go face-to-face with environment facts
6 Apr 2017
The state of New Zealand’s environment is on the agenda for the country’s politicians today.
We're heading for the warmest climate in half-a-billion years
6 Apr 2017
Unabated fossil fuel use has the potential to push the Earth’s climate into a state not seen in at least half a billion years, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
Memo Australia: There'll be many more Debbies
6 Apr 2017
Climate change will continue to amplify extreme weather events in Australia, including intense heavy rainfall and flooding, like that triggered by cyclone Debbie.
March of Myrtle rust could mean trouble for trees
5 Apr 2017
Myrtle rust – a fungus disease that could kill native and commercial trees – is in New Zealand.
Students put divestment pressure on Auckland uni
5 Apr 2017
Auckland University’s refusal to divest from fossil-fuel investments is making it the target of student action again.
Beehive busy with changes to RMA
5 Apr 2017
Debate on changes to the Resource Management Act will continue in Parliament today.
Vital groundwater being depleted faster than ever
5 Apr 2017
China, the world’s most populous country, doubled within just 10 years its use of irreplaceable groundwater from underground reservoirs that are replenished more slowly than they are drained.
Extreme heat threat rises for megacities
5 Apr 2017
The area of the world, and the numbers of city dwellers, exposed to serious risk from extreme heat will multiply later this century even if the world’s nations keep their promise and contain global warming to 2deg or less, according to new research.
Carbon law could make Paris promise a reality
4 Apr 2017
By 2020, fossil fuels will no longer be subsidised by the taxpayer, anywhere in the world. And by then, carbon dioxide emissions worldwide will have started to fall.
SIMON UPTON: Credits, caps and cross-party deals
3 Apr 2017
The man likely to be the next Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says there might not be enough international carbon credits available to meet New Zealand’s Paris Agreement targets.
It's time to chase a Green Ribbon Award
3 Apr 2017
Nominations for this year’s Green Ribbon Awards are open.
Dead Sea drill shows unprecedented drought
31 Mar 2017
Far below the Dead Sea, between Israel, Jordan and Palestinian territory, researchers have found evidence of a drought that has no precedent in human experience.
Sydney looks at 2050 to be carbon neutral
30 Mar 2017
Sydney has a plan to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
Soil microbes hold key to climate puzzle
30 Mar 2017
Climate scientists puzzled by the traffic of carbon between soil and air might have to think more deeply about the role played by soil microbes − the planet’s smallest inhabitants.
Quiet revolution cuts energy consumption
29 Mar 2017
Energy efficiency is a subject unlikely to grab the headlines, but there is a quiet revolution under way that is changing the electricity industry and helping to save the planet from climate change.
NZ and China shake on Asia-Pacific carbon market
28 Mar 2017
New Zealand and China are to work together on developing an Asia-Pacific carbon market, and will double-team over the way agriculture is treated in international climate negotiations.
Polluting of rivers must be stopped, says OECD
27 Mar 2017
Pollution of waterways by agriculture must be tackled to protect the world’s fresh water, the OECD is warning.
Science links China pollution haze and climate change
27 Mar 2017
The future for China is likely to become increasingly unclear – and lurking behind the obscured outlook in the nation’s capital is the spectre of climate change.
NET-ZERO REPORT: We can do more, says bioenergy industry
24 Mar 2017
A cross-party report on how New Zealand can get to net-zero emissions in the second half of the century ignores some immediate opportunities, the Bioenergy Association says.
Govt MPs vote down 'good idea' sustainability bill
23 Mar 2017
A bill to include sustainability measures in public finance reporting has been voted down – despite Government MPs saying they supported the sentiment.
Grassland lab raises the alarm on species loss
23 Mar 2017
Scientists in California who turned a patch of natural grassland into a laboratory have established a subtle link between flowering times and the mix of species in an ecosystem – indicating that global warming could change planetary biology and disrupt ecosystems in hitherto unsuspected ways.
Shane Jones on climate change – it’s real, but…
Today 10:45am
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones believes climate change is real, but is uninterested in what is causing it and primarily focused on adapting to it.
Forestry the source of all ETS risk, says top economist
Today 10:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Forestry is the source of all of the risk in New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme and it's inevitable that the scheme has to be reformed, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment chief economist Geoff Simmons.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe
6 Aug 2025
As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
'Cali Fund’ for nature still empty as emails show industry hesitation
8 Aug 2025
A major fund for biodiversity remains starved of resources more than five months after its launch – with no money yet put forward by the large companies who could contribute.
Media round-up
Today 10:45am
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Australia could be about to leapfrog New Zealand on climate targets; 'strangled' rivers are fighting back; and 10 rangatahi will join Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation at the United Nations' major climate conference in Brazil.
Forestry sector could take legal action over ETS changes
Thu 14 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The forestry sector is threatening legal action against the Government over changes to legislation intended to limit whole farm-to-forest conversions in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Wildfires fanned by heatwave and strong winds rage across Europe
Today 10:45am
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
Carbon price underperforming: Environment secretary
Wed 13 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has been focussed on reducing the Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ and carbon prices should rise soon, according to the Secretary for the Environment.
Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
Thu 14 Aug 2025
Last year, China started construction on an estimated 95 gigawatts (GW) of new coal power capacity, enough to power the entire UK twice over.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
1 Aug 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Hot water heat pumps next big thing – but need a push
Thu 14 Aug 2025
Media release – Ecobulb Limited | Bold action is needed to accelerate New Zealand’s transition to cleaner, more energy-efficient homes and businesses, says energy efficiency expert Dr Chris Mardon.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Global oil markets face record supply glut next year, IEA says
Today 10:45am
Global oil markets are on track for a record surplus next year as demand growth slows and supplies swell, the International Energy Agency said.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Govt rejects Te Kuha coal mine fast-track bid
Wed 13 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The controversial Te Kuha coal mine on the West Coast has had its application for fast-track approval declined, after failing to meet seven of the application criteria.
How the meat industry uses environmental groups to make beef seem climate-friendly
Mon 11 Aug 2025
The meat industry may have enlisted environmental groups to persuade people to “feel better” about eating beef, despite the sector’s ballooning emissions of climate-heating pollution.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Why insurers worry the world could soon become uninsurable
Mon 11 Aug 2025
Top insurers fear the climate crisis could soon outpace industry solutions, effectively threatening to make entire regions around the world uninsurable.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
First-of-a-kind US class-action lawsuit would force EPA to reinstate $3bn climate program
7 Aug 2025
Coalition of non-profits, tribes and local governments sued EPA chief for halting climate justice grants.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
A mineral mining boom is not ‘critical’ for the green transition
Wed 13 Aug 2025
New research shows renewable energy goals could largely be met with the amount of minerals produced today – but the military industry wants more.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Oil states accused of using scare tactics in bid to sink green shipping deal
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Saudi Arabia, Iran and other oil-reliant countries are campaigning to stop the adoption of the IMO’s Net-zero Framework in October.
Backlash over govt conservation changes
4 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s proposed changes to the Conservation Act are the most significant roll back in conservation protections in a generation, according to the Green Party.
Plastic treaty talks nearing collapse as nations remain deadlocked on production
Thu 14 Aug 2025
Environmental organisations warn that without urgent compromises the session could fail to produce a treaty capable of tackling the scale of the crisis.
New resource management bill an 'unprecedented power grab' by ministers
Wed 13 Aug 2025
Media release – Environmental Defence Society | The changes proposed in the Amendment Paper represent an "egregious aggregation of power" by Minister Bishop, aimed at disempowering councils who protect the environment.
A new report shows how local climate activism leads to ‘remarkable’ gains
7 Aug 2025
Efforts to pass laws and advance clean energy projects can significantly reduce emissions, and at a low cost.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Heat pumps could cut household energy bills by $1.5 billion a year
Tue 12 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | Heat pumps could save Kiwi households hundreds of millions of dollars each year, as well as freeing up energy for industrial users, according to a new report.
Will reflective roofs help beat the heat?
Today 10:45am
Media release - University of Auckland | About 500 roofs across four continents have been painted with a reflective coating, as part of research into tackling the health impacts of climate change.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
African $60 billion high-speed rail project takes shape
Today 10:45am
One of the largest infrastructure projects in Africa has received a new update that could see construction begin soon.
Momentum sagging at UN plastic pollution treaty talks
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Talks on forging a landmark treaty to combat the scourge of plastic pollution were stumbling Saturday, with progress slow and countries wildly at odds on how far the proposed agreement should go.
'Yet another rate': Franz Josef ratepayers balk at $2.8m stopbank extension
4 Aug 2025
By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter | Franz Josef ratepayers have given the thumbs down to plans for a $2.8 million stopbank extension to protect the town’s sewerage plant from the Waiho River.
Warmer end to winter but dry spell expected over southern lakes
5 Aug 2025
As hydro lake levels hover just below average levels, climate forecasts indicate that warmer than usual weather conditions will reduce demand, but there will likely be less rain over the southern hydro lakes as New Zealand moves towards spring and summer.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
Tue 12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
