Science Media Centre

The apparent release of further email correspondence between climate researchers based at the University of East Anglia is believed to be an attempt to revive the 2009 ‘Climategate’ fiasco. The emails and other documents are understood to relate to the Climatic Research Unit based at the University, which was beleaguered with accusations of data tampering [...]

New Zealand may initially get off relatively lightly as the world increasingly experiences the consequences of climate change, but will still face moral obligations to harder-hit vulnerable nations, warn scientists.    A UN report released on Friday in Uganda found that increasing human emissions had “likely” – defined as a 66-100 percent probability – caused more [...]

In the early hours of Saturday morning the UN’s climate change body will release a report that has been described in leaked versions as saying extreme weather events such as downpours and storm surges may make parts of the planet “marginal” for inhabitants. Average global temperatures last year were tied with 2005 for the warmest [...]

The Nelson Mail‘s Sarah Young reports on Professor Glenn McGregor’s presentation at the 34th Annual Meteorological Conference, in which he called on scientists to step up on issues like climate change. An excerpt (read in full here): Scientists urged to be outspoken Society needs to take more responsibility for its effect on the climate – [...]

At a debate this week in Auckland, candidates from the National, Labour and Green Parties outlined their parties’ plans to meet the challenge of climate change. Debate organizers Oxfam produced the following clip showing highlights from the debate (read more here). Youcan read more analysis of the parties’ debate presentations on Lynda Brendish’s blog at [...]

New Zealand academics have reviewed the governments stance on climate change and decried the lack of action in developing solid policies to address key climate issues. In an article published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, researchers from Otago and Victoria Universities reviewed websites and media releases, evaluating the governments last three year’s policy and [...]

World experts on greenhouse gases are meeting in Wellington to refine measurement methods for greenhouse gases as part of efforts  to pin down increased understanding of what is happening in our atmosphere. The 16th global conference on carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases, and related measurement techniques (GGMT)  continues until October 28, under the banners of [...]

US scientists have just released evidence of a rise in the average world land temperature, confirming earlier studies and addressing concerns that “heat island” effects as cities developed around long-established temperature recording sites were distorting estimates of global warming. The research, from the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) project analyses temperature data from 15 sources [...]

An article published in the New Zealand Herald highlights the battle between scientists and sceptics, with NASA scientist James Hansen noting that increasing scientific evidence is competing with industry spin. Jim Hansen toured New Zealand earlier this year, singling out lignite mining as an industry New Zealand must abandon if it aims to reach it [...]

Two of  NIWA’s principal  scientists have launched a “primer” for their proposal to create a New Zealand Climate Change Atlas to help scientists and policymakers probe the major ramifications of a changing climate for both coastal and offshore waters around New Zealand. Researchers Philip Boyd, an  adjunct professor of ocean biogeochemistry at Otago University and [...]