Topics tagged with 'Science'
Deep sea mining can have detrimental long-term impacts: new research
19 Jul 2023
A deep sea mining test that lasted just two hours may have reduced fish and shrimp populations in the surrounding area a year after the event, according to international research.
Research into biofilters to cut agricultural methane
18 Jul 2023
Researchers in the South Island are looking at on-farm biofilters to convert potent agricultural methane into carbon dioxide - a much less potent gas in terms of global heating.
‘Things don’t always change in a nice, gradual way’
17 Jul 2023
Climate change feels more real now than ever and it’s getting hard to keep track of all the overlapping climate disasters.
Scientists call on govt to develop climate-friendly national food strategy
13 Jul 2023
The directors of six National Science Challenges are joining calls to the government to develop a national food strategy for New Zealand - one that will help reduce emissions as well as increase resilience to the climate crisis.
Oceans are turning greener due to climate change
13 Jul 2023
More than half of the world’s oceans have become greener in the past 20 years, probably because of global warming.
Global temperature rises in steps – here’s why we can expect a steep climb this year and next
12 Jul 2023
By Kevin Trenberth | Global warming took off in the mid-1970s when the rise in global mean surface temperature exceeded natural variability.
Climate researchers look for answers in the deep ocean
12 Jul 2023
Scientists are using four autonomous robots at depths of up to 6 km along the Kermadec Trench, in the southwest Pacific, to research how climate change is affecting deep ocean processes.
Turbulence has increased with climate change since 1979 - study
10 Jul 2023
Fasten your seat belts and get ready for yet another potential impact of climate change: bumpier airplane rides.
Seaweed may not be the climate solution we hoped for
5 Jul 2023
To sink just 1 gigaton of carbon emissions a year, recent simulations suggest massive seaweed farms would have to cover 1 million square kilometers of the ocean's most productive areas.
Improving soil could keep world within 1.5C heating target, research suggests
5 Jul 2023
Marginal improvements to agricultural soils around the world would store enough carbon to keep the world within 1.5C of global heating, new research suggests.
Govt funds research into microalgae as low carbon protein
4 Jul 2023
The government is funding research into native microalgae as a low-carbon protein, which it hopes could lead the way for an entirely new food industry at the same time as capturing carbon.
Asparagopsis seaweed: scientists call for stricter oversight in livestock sector
4 Jul 2023
Safety concerns have been raised about the native seaweed asparagopsis, which is now being commercialised to help farmers reduce methane emissions in sheep and cattle.
Could El Niño cause Earth’s warmest year ever?
30 Jun 2023
Media release - NIWA - Over the past three years, you may have heard about the rare ‘triple-dip’ La Niña that had its hands on the steering wheel of Mother Nature’s car.
Climate crisis linked to rising domestic violence in south Asia
30 Jun 2023
As deadly heatwaves sweep through cities in India, China, the US and Europe amid the climate crisis, new research has found that rising temperatures are associated with a substantial rise in domestic violence against women.
Climate change is turning snow to rain and raising risk of floods
30 Jun 2023
Warmer temperatures increase the amount of precipitation that falls as rain instead of snow, leading to more extreme rainfall in snowy places.
China’s solar is now at twice the capacity of its coal power – report
30 Jun 2023
Solar is growing at 33.7% year-on-year and is now at twice the capacity of coal power in China, according to a new report.
Big herbivores could help save the tundra from rising heat and shrinking ice—if they can survive themselves
29 Jun 2023
Scientists in Greenland found that tundra vegetation fares better when caribou and muskoxen are around to dine on encroaching, heat-loving shrubs.
Scientists researching cloud brightening in bid to cool Great Barrier Reef
28 Jun 2023
Queensland scientists who have been altering clouds with tiny particles to try and limit the effects of global warming are presenting their findings for the first time this week.
Marine heatwaves worsening: new research
27 Jun 2023
Researchers are calling for better monitoring of Aotearoa’s near-shore coastal ecosystems, with marine heatwaves growing more extreme, leading to more severe impacts.
Solar-powered fuel cell recycles plastic waste and carbon dioxide
22 Jun 2023
By combining a solar fuel cell that converts carbon dioxide into fuel with a plastic recycling system, researchers can create sustainable fuels and useful chemicals.
Best by the rest...
16 Jun 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Antarctic tipping points: the irreversible changes to come if we fail to keep warming below 2℃, climate change minister says NZ must pick a team; and warming seas threaten Māori food sources.
New indicators will track climate change between IPCC reports
16 Jun 2023
The latest assessment of the climate system paints a stark picture of how human activity has led to unprecedented changes across the climate system.
New research looks at methane-munching microorganisms in forest soils
15 Jun 2023
Scientists are working on new research into how much methane is consumed by microorganisms in New Zealand’s planted forest soils - and what potential these soils have to counteract the country’s outsized agricultural emissions.
North Atlantic temperature anomaly sparks concern among climate scientists
15 Jun 2023
The combination of long-term ocean warming from human emissions plus short-term natural variation is thought to be responsible.
Blue carbon: could a solution to the climate challenge be buried in the depths of fiords?
12 Jun 2023
The Conversation - Cyclone Gabrielle has highlighted forestry slash as a problematic aspect of relying on plantation forests to draw down carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere.
Climate change is causing more turbulence on flights, say scientists
12 Jun 2023
Clear-air turbulence was long predicted to increase under climate change, but a new study from Reading University has painted the most detailed picture yet of the effects kicking in.
Saving tigers helped reduce India’s carbon emissions
12 Jun 2023
Research shows that tiger conservation interventions prevented forest loss, leading to reduced emissions and ecosystem benefits.
Best by the rest...
9 Jun 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Climate scientist James Renwick says, on a finite planet, never-ending growth of anything is unsustainable; National says He Waka Eke Noa is “dead”; and Taranaki council wants seabed mining banned.
GHG emissions: Earth is warming faster than ever
9 Jun 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions are at an all-time high, with yearly emissions equivalent to 54 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide.
El Niño planet-warming weather phase has begun
9 Jun 2023
A natural weather event known as El Niño has begun in the Pacific Ocean, likely adding heat to a planet already warming under climate change.
When were the Dry Valleys of Antarctica last wet?
30 May 2023
It’s a question that’s long puzzled Antarctic researchers, but Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington adjunct lecturer Dr Marjolaine Verret may now have the answer.
Carbon removal industry challenges findings of skeptical UN body
30 May 2023
Carbon removal industry representatives have challenged a document a United Nations scientific body released this week that casts doubt on the nascent technology's usefulness in efforts to limit global warming.
Protecting India's tigers also good for climate: study
26 May 2023
India's efforts to protect its endangered tigers have inadvertently helped avoid a large amount of climate change-causing carbon emissions by preventing deforestation, a study has revealed.
Global heating will push billions outside ‘human climate niche’
24 May 2023
World is on track for 2.7C and ‘phenomenal’ human suffering, scientists warn.
Methane must fall to slow global heating
24 May 2023
Methane—a potent greenhouse gas and the second biggest driver of global warming after carbon dioxide (CO₂)—had its moment in the spotlight in 2021.
El Niño and La Niña more extreme and frequent due to climate change
22 May 2023
The strength and frequency of La Niña and El Niño were once determined entirely by natural forces, but now the climate patterns are showing the fingerprints of humans.
Climate change worsened Asia's April heatwave by 2C - study
19 May 2023
Climate change raised temperatures by at least 2C in many parts of Asia last month as it suffered a crippling heatwave, a new study says.
Carbon emissions cause almost 40% western wildfires
19 May 2023
New research | Almost 40% of forest area burned by wildfire in the western United States and southwestern Canada in the last 40 years can be attributed to carbon emissions associated with the world’s 88 largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers.
Global warming set to break key 1.5C limit for first time
18 May 2023
Our overheating world is likely to break a key temperature limit for the first time over the next few years, scientists predict.
Climate change makes cyclones more intense, destructive: scientists
17 May 2023
Climate change does not make cyclones, such as that battering Bangladesh, more frequent but it does render them more intense and destructive, according to climatologists and weather experts.
Studies find lower methane emissions in LA
16 May 2023
Two recent studies by researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory used contrasting approaches to measure drops in human-caused emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane in recent years in the Los Angeles region.
International sea level satellite spots early signs of El Niño
15 May 2023
The most recent sea level data from the U.S.-European satellite Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich indicates early signs of a developing El Niño across the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Sweden to pave world’s first permanent e-road for EV charging while driving
12 May 2023
As countries across Europe scale up efforts towards fossil fuel-free mobility, Sweden is working on the world’s first permanent electric road — allowing electric cars and trucks to charge while driving.
Research breakthrough in predicting extreme rainfall
11 May 2023
Scientists from Canterbury University have made a breakthrough in predicting heavy rainfall, with new research aiming to provide earlier warnings of extreme weather events - now becoming increasingly common because of climate change.
World near positive 'tipping point' on climate solutions: expert
11 May 2023
With climate-enhanced droughts, heatwaves and fires ravaging three continents and the threat of a new surge in global warming, the world urgently needs to ramp-up solutions for slashing carbon pollution. But which solutions are most critical?
Almost half the planet predicted to enter new climate zones by 2100
10 May 2023
Our planet is teetering on the edge of several tipping points that once passed, will topple into a cascade of ecological changes.
April heat in western Med 'almost impossible without climate change'
8 May 2023
The extreme heat that engulfed the Iberian peninsula and parts of North Africa last week would have been "almost impossible without climate change", an international scientific study found on Friday.
Climate crisis could bring new crops – and blights – to NZ
5 May 2023
Invasive plant-destroying insects, weeds, and diseases will increasingly challenge New Zealand’s borders as global heating makes our plants and ecosystems more vulnerable, according to a new report.
Life in ocean ‘twilight zone' at risk from warming
4 May 2023
Global warming could curtail life in the so-called twilight zone by as much as 40% by the end of the century, according to new research.
Climate and biodiversity researcher wins PM’s science award
3 May 2023
A Canterbury University researcher working to forecast how climate change might affect biodiversity has won the Prime Minister’s award for an emerging scientist.
Urban rewilding combats global biodiversity decline
Wed 28 May 2025
Media release | A new study led by the University of Sydney reveals how cities around the world are restoring wildlife to their former habitats in the face of ongoing urban sprawl.
US dairy farmers consider return on climate-smart milk
22 May 2025
The approach is just one of many dairy practices now considered “climate-smart” because they could cut production of climate-warming gases.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
Wed 28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
Fri 30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
Thu 29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
Pacific Island nations support China's Taiwan claims at high-profile foreign ministers' meeting
Fri 30 May 2025
Pacific nations have backed China's claim over Taiwan during a high-profile meeting, but have shied away from directly endorsing Beijing's push to "reunify" the democratically ruled island with the mainland.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
Fight over coal mine heats up
Fri 30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC - expert
11 Apr 2025
Leading climate scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth, left the US and came home to New Zealand because of the rise of Donald Trump. In this comment piece, he writes that he is appalled in multiple ways by the so-called “war on science” unfolding through staff cuts and the president’s policy edicts.
Owning a green home could cut mortgage payback time by two years
9 May 2025
A green certified home plus a green mortgage and associated energy bill savings could save Kiwi families up to $98,800 over the course of their mortgage - the equivalent of being mortgage-free several years early, according to new research.
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.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
Thu 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.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
Fri 30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Glacier collapse buries most of Swiss village
Fri 30 May 2025
The Swiss village of Blatten has been partially destroyed after a huge chunk of glacier crashed down into the valley.
Oceans Commission must have teeth – minister
14 May 2025
If an Oceans Commission were to be established under the government it would need genuine powers to make change, says Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Why expensive gas – not net-zero – is keeping UK electricity prices so high
Wed 28 May 2025
The UK’s high electricity prices have become intensely political, with competing claims over the cause of rocketing bills and how best to get them down.
Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk
2 Apr 2025
By David Dempsey, University of Canterbury | New Zealand’s North Island features a number of geothermal systems, several of which are used to generate some 1,000 MegaWatts of electricity. But deeper down there may be even more potential.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
Tue 27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
Nelson backs ‘ambitious’ emissions target, but mayor nervous
26 May 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson’s mayor has been accused of “pouring cold water” on ambitious greenhouse gas emission targets proposed for the city.
Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?
16 May 2025
Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissions.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
Wed 28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
Tue 27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
Thu 29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
World’s nations to gather in France to tackle what UN says is a global emergency in the oceans
Fri 30 May 2025
The world’s nations are gathering in France next month to tackle what the United Nations calls a global emergency facing the world’s oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.
Europe’s next climate target may already have been agreed in Berlin
Wed 28 May 2025
Germany’s new coalition has adopted a climate stance shaped by talks with the EU’s top climate official, signalling where the bloc may land on a likely upcoming 2040 emissions target.
Warm water affecting Antarctica’s largest ice shelf - new research
22 Apr 2025
While Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf is currently stable, new research shows warm water is reaching up to 170 kilometres under the front of the ice shelf.
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
Fri 30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
Dismissals 'massive win' for climate movement
13 May 2025
The outstanding charges against 25 climate activists who disrupted traffic in Wellington have been dropped, a move the group calls a win for the climate movement.
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.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
Thu 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.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
More than 1 in 4 cars sold globally in 2025 expected to be EV: IEA report
26 May 2025
According to the Global EV Outlook 2025 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2025 is set to be big for EV sales. The report predicts that about one in four cars sold worldwide this year will be electric, despite overall market uncertainties.
Brazil seeks early deals on two stalled issues at Bonn climate talks
26 May 2025
Moving forward work on just transition and implementing recommendations from the Global Stocktake of climate progress are key priorities for upcoming UN negotiations.
Global sea levels rise spelling catastrophe for coastal towns and cities
14 May 2025
For around 2,000 years, global sea levels varied little. That changed in the 20th century. They started rising and have not stopped since — and the pace is accelerating.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
NZ moving too slowly to decarbonise – former commission chair
22 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand's energy transition is too slow and too controlled by vested interests, according to former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
