Topics tagged with 'Science'
Electricity-eating bacteria could help store carbon
1 Jun 2021
GLOBAL OCEANS absorb about 25 per cent of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. Electricity-eating bacteria known as photoferrotrophs could provide a boost to this essential process.
Cycling’s carbon crushing credentials
31 May 2021
With hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians “liberating” two lanes of the Auckland harbour bridge yesterday, and Wellington City Council committing to doubling its budget for bike paths last week, cycling is taking centre stage in the fight against climate change.
Blue carbon sinks on the rise
31 May 2021
Researchers on a boat off the southern coast of Australia recently began throwing some 50,000 bags of sand into the ocean. Their goal is to restore about two dozen acres of seagrass on the ocean floor that will suck carbon out of the atmosphere.
Earliest known war driven by climate change
28 May 2021
A new study suggests the earliest known evidence of organised warfare - the 13,000 years old remains of a massacre in Jebel Sahaba, Egypt - was the result of climate change.
Ain't no convincing the sceptics
28 May 2021
Climate sceptics who aren't persuaded by the existing evidence from climate change are unlikely to change their minds for many years, according to a newly published quantitative study by a University of Oregon environmental economist
Pope plans to attend COP26
27 May 2021
Pope Francis, who has repeatedly called for action against climate change, is hoping to attend the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November.
Tiny life forms with huge job
20 May 2021
Some of the tiniest life forms in the sea are playing a mighty role in protecting life on Earth. Scientists have discovered that microscopic plants called diatoms absorb 10-20 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year as they float on the surface of the ocean. That’s equal to the amount of carbon captured annually by all of the world’s rainforests.
E-bikes subsidies pay dividends
19 May 2021
A new study has revealed that subsidies for electric bikes are more cost-effective than electric vehicle incentives when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars.
Aussie scientists call for zero pollution target
18 May 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - A group of eminent scientists has urged Australian governments, Federal and State, to adopt a zero pollution target for air, water and land.
Dams could be releasing immense amounts of carbon
18 May 2021
Dams were once thought to sequester carbon in the sediment that piled up in their reservoirs. But new research based on 30 years’ worth of data, suggests they may release potentially huge amounts of carbon, and the problem may only be getting worse.
Mangroves are carbon storage powerhouses
18 May 2021
Coastal mangrove forests are carbon storage powerhouses, tucking away vast amounts of organic matter among their submerged, tangled root webs.
Asia’s cities are worst hit in warming world
18 May 2021
Climate change, water shortage and pollution are worst for Asia’s cities, researchers say. The rest of us have a lucky escape.
New Aussie battery touted as game-changer
17 May 2021
Range anxiety, recycling and fast-charging fears could all be consigned to electric-vehicle history with a nanotech-driven Australian battery invention.
Marine heatwaves devastating ecosystems
6 May 2021
Sudden marine heatwaves can devastate ecosystems, and scientists are scrambling to predict when they will strike.
Niwa beefing up its climate research capability
4 May 2021
NIWA is on a global hunt for eight new data scientists to join its growing team of AI experts working on climate change related research.
Amazon is now net GHG emitter: study finds
3 May 2021
Something is wrong in the lungs of the world. Decades of burning, logging, mining and development have tipped the scales, and now the Amazon Basin may be emitting more greenhouse gases than it absorbs.
Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards
30 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Covering Climate Now andColumbia Journalism Review are proud to launch an annual award to celebrate exemplary journalism about the defining story of our time.
Climate Change photo competition winners announced
29 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - 1854 & British Journal of Photography announce the winners of the inaugural Decade of Change award
UN puts spotlight on methane
28 Apr 2021
The United Nations is expected to announce, in a landmark report, that reducing methane emissions must play a larger role in preventing the worst effects of climate change.
Climate crisis has shifted the Earth’s axis
27 Apr 2021
The massive melting of glaciers as a result of global heating has caused marked shifts in the Earth’s axis of rotation since the 1990s, research has shown.
‘Blue carbon’ credits could help restore ecosystems
27 Apr 2021
Seagrasses, mangrove forests, and wetlands store tons of carbon. But can a market based on regrowing them avoid the pitfalls that plague land-based programs?
Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap
23 Apr 2021
Three senior climate scientists argue the concept of net zero emissions effectively serves as a blank cheque for the continued burning of fossil fuel.
Kiwi methane tracking satellite
23 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - New Zealand’s first government funded space mission has taken a ‘giant leap’ with Auckland University’s Te Pûnaha Âtea-Auckland Space Institute announced as the permanent host of the New Zealand based mission control centre for a global methane tracking satellite.
Global emissions surging
22 Apr 2021
The IEA predicts that carbon dioxide emissions could rise to 33 billion tonnes in 2021 – the second largest rise in emissions ever.
Fonterra rejects climate claims
21 Apr 2021
Fonterra is dismissing a claim in Climatic Change – a leading academic journal – that it is the world’s second highest dairy emitter and is responsible for emissions equal to New Zealand’s total emissions target for the coming decade.
Best by the rest...
16 Apr 2021
The New Zealand Herald has published a series of articles in recent days as its contribution to Covering Climate Now's "Living Through the Climate Emergency" week of coverage in the lead up to Earth Day.
Report calls for end of carbon gluttony
14 Apr 2021
The world’s wealthy must radically change their lifestyles to tackle climate change, a report says.
Climate change study win marine biologist a PM science prize
14 Apr 2021
Media Release - When Dr Christopher Cornwall began his biological research career, three unanswered questions bothered him about how climate change might affect marine organisms.
Third of Antarctic ice shelf at risk of collapse
13 Apr 2021
Over a third of the Antarctic ice shelf is at risk of collapsing as Earth continues to warm.
The week in review
9 Apr 2021
The week that was: The PM accepts invite to virtual climate summit; slow burn on coal boiler shutdown; renewable energy stocks tumble, and the kids hit the streets.
Spike in Arctic lightening could be due to climate change
9 Apr 2021
Climate change may be sparking more lightning in the Arctic, a study has found.
Marine species fleeing equator
8 Apr 2021
With tropical fish and other marine creatures already shifting south along Australia’s east coast, a new global study involving a USC ecology researcher has confirmed a drop in species numbers in the warming waters near the equator.
Easter carbon surprise
6 Apr 2021
With Easter behind us some people will be worrying about the extra centimetres those chocolate eggs added to their waistlines – but here at Carbon News we’re more interested in how much carbon they added to the atmosphere.
Reserve Bank calls for Govt lead on green bonds
30 Mar 2021
Government intervention is likely to be needed to encourage greater investment in green bonds, the Reserve Bank says.
Temperatures to soar for half a billion people
30 Mar 2021
Many millions of people − among them some of the world’s poorest − will be exposed to potentially lethal temperatures on a routine basis. At worst, the mercury could reach 56deg by 2100.
Big methane cut and free public transport needed, expert tells ClimCom
29 Mar 2021
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change author Bronwyn Hayward has told the Climate Change Commission its draft recommendations are not ambitious enough and larger cuts need to be made in biogenic methane emissions.
The real reason humans are the dominent species
29 Mar 2021
Energy is the key to humanity's world domination. Not just the jet fuel that allows us to traverse entire continents in a few hours, or the bombs we build that can blow up entire cities, but the vast amounts of energy we all use every day.
Listen to experts on hydrogen, Minister says
26 Mar 2021
Companies getting excited about using hydrogen as a major energy source need to listen to the warnings of experts, the Climate Minister says.
Small nuclear power plants no use in climate crisis
25 Mar 2021
Claims that a new generation of so-called advanced, safe and easier-to-build nuclear reactors (small nuclear power plants) will be vital to combat climate change are an illusion, and the idea should be abandoned, says a group of scientists.
Why we need a carbon club
25 Mar 2021
If the three biggest economies - China, the United States and the European Union - agree a carbon tax on imports, it will catalyse climate action globally, a new paper says.
Nature left alone offers more than if we exploit it
24 Mar 2021
Save nature, save money. It’s a simple argument. Wilderness cleared and ploughed offers us less than nature left alone.
Happiness in the age of climate change
22 Mar 2021
A United Nations report suggests countries that have done well in containing the covid-19 pandemic are well-placed to take the sorts of collective actions necessary to combat climate change.
Climate facts back on US EPA website
22 Mar 2021
Canceled four years ago by a president who considered global warming a hoax, climate crisis information has returned to the website of the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of Joe Biden’s promise to “bring science back”.
Aviation fuel from food waste could cut emissions
22 Mar 2021
Food waste could be instrumental in producing sustainable aviation fuel, according to a recent study.
Cuba secures climate funds for coast
22 Mar 2021
The Green Climate Fund has approved $US23.9 million in finance for a coastal resilience project along Cuba’s southern coastline.
EV subsidy plan causes division
19 Mar 2021
Toyota New Zealand will continue to push for financial incentives for those buying electric vehicles when it responds to the ClimCom draft report.
Why fish-trawling should be in national carbon accounts
18 Mar 2021
Bottom-trawling for fish releases more carbon dioxide each year than Germany does, yet is not included in national carbon accounts, scientists say.
TRANSPORT 2: Go electriciity, not hydrogen
16 Mar 2021
Green hydrogen is being touted as an alternative to fossil fuels in New Zealand. The Government has invested $8.4 million to explore its potential and $19.9 million in a hydrogen energy facility.
Droughts worst in 200 years
16 Mar 2021
The series of severe droughts and heatwaves in Europe since 2014 is the most extreme for more than 2000 years, research suggests.
The price of coal weighs heavy on planetary health
12 Mar 2021
The true cost of fossil fuels could be a quarter of the world's' GDP, scientists say.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
Thu 14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Global shocks, fertiliser use and the importance of data: Insights on the environmental performance of agriculture
Thu 14 May 2026
When shocks push producers to use less fertiliser, the environmental performance of agriculture tends to improve. But do improvements reflect the short-term effects of shocks or signal the beginning of a longer-term trend?
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
Tue 12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
21 Apr 2026
Research casts doubt on plans by the UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source.
Carbon News updates forward curve
Wed 13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Some inconvenient truths in bringing climate science to the judiciary
Thu 14 May 2026
OPINION: Climate science had been knocking on the courthouse doors for quite some time when the Supreme Court of the United States finally invited it into the realm of legal action in 2007.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
Mon 11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Latest emissions inventory: ‘Something has gone very wrong’
16 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 decreased by just 0.1% compared to 2023, in what an expert says is a “terrible result”, compared to faster progress in previous years.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Australian operator to run NZ ETS auctions
Mon 11 May 2026
The Government has appointed an Australian company to run its Emissions Trading Scheme auctions, taking over from NZX, which has operated the ETS auctions since they began in 2021.
World Nuclear Association chief to address NZ energy conference
Thu 14 May 2026
The head of the World Nuclear Association will speak at a Hamilton energy conference as debate grows over whether emerging nuclear technologies could play a role in New Zealand’s future energy mix.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Govt moves to block climate change litigation
Tue 12 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to limit lawsuits holding climate polluters accountable for damage is putting the interests of big emitters ahead of communities, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
Methanexit: writing on the wall for NZ’s biggest gas user
6 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s biggest fossil gas user, Methanex, is expected to stop production by the end of this year, with the company confirming its Motunui methanol operation won’t survive Māui gas field’s closure.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Fonterra ‘spins’ greenwashing research for favourable press
1 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Dairy co-operative Fonterra has managed to ‘spin’ international research intended to highlight greenwashing, instead using it to generate unwarranted positive press, according to researchers behind the recent study into ag industry greenwashing.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
How big oil companies can slow the green transition by suing governments that ban fossil fuels
Wed 13 May 2026
Simply put, this rule lets big oil companies sue sovereign states and demand exorbitant amounts of money if they are prohibited from digging up fossil fuels.
Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC
21 Apr 2026
"Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
Mon 11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
Wed 13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
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.
Deep-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
Mon 11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
Wed 13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum
Thu 14 May 2026
A former 19th Century coal mining 'super-pit' in Midlothian is to be turned into a renewable energy hub providing green electricity for the local community.
Planned coal mine borders internationally significant wetland
30 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Victorian Hydrogen, the company behind plans for a huge coal-to-urea project, has applied for a permit to explore for coal next to an internationally significant wetland in a sensitive catchment in Southland.
Govt launches solar red tape review to speed up installations
8 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has launched a review aimed at making residential and small-scale solar installations faster and easier, in a move Rewiring Aotearoa says could help cut costs and accelerate solar uptake across New Zealand.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
More red lights for cars might mean more green lights for sustainable transport
7 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Open Science | Reducing the amount of green light time for cars at traffic lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
UN methane alert system expanded to coal and waste sectors after Indian landfill named among world’s top emitters
6 May 2026
The United Nations is expanding its methane monitoring system to cover coal mines and waste facilities, after satellite analysis identified a landfill in India among the world’s three largest methane-emitting sites.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Stripy wind turbines could save some birds
8 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Interface | Preventing birds from colliding with wind turbine blades could be as simple as a few paint stripes, according to international researchers, who say this could help protect wildlife as renewable energy expands.
