Science Media Centre

Recordings from a day-long symposium on the Future of coal in New Zealand, hosted by VUW Institute of Policy Studies, 17 May 2011. Dr Mike Isaac – GNS Science geologist “New Zealand coal resources in an international context”: Dr Geoff Bertram – economist at Institute of Policy Studies, VUW “Coal: The New Zealand policy context [...]

The future of coal and proposed lignite developments in Southland, and their role in feeding growing energy needs here and abroad was the focus of a symposium in Wellington today. The event, organised by Victoria University of Wellington’s Institute for Policy Studies, featured visiting NASA climate scientist Dr James Hansen, and canvassed the views of [...]

Climate change expert James Hansen kicked off his nation wide lecture tour last night in Auckland. His pointed analysis of the world climate and it’s future is gaining increasing media attention and raising serious questions about how our energy choices affect New Zealand’s clean, green image. Dr James Hansen, head of the  NASA Goddard Institute [...]

The issue of coal mining and production  in the South Island is of growing concern to certain groups. Recent developments have led to the Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimmons calling for coal processing to become an election issue. Wednesday the 20th of April was marked as a day of protest by the Coal Action Network Aotearoa [...]

“Plenty more earthquakes” to come Canterbury University engineering expert Professor Andy Buchanan wasn’t mincing his words in this week’s Science Media Centre media briefing – he considers it a “fluke” that no one was killed in September’s 7.1 quake in Canterbury. The time of day – the quake struck at 4.35am on a Saturday morning [...]

Grant Bradley writes about a pilot project taking place, in Waikato, to test underground coal gasification (UCG), which makes use of inaccessible coal by turning it into a syngas which can be used to produce energy. The technology is already used elsewhere in the world. An excerpt: (read in full here) “The process has been [...]

ONLINE BRIEFING: Monday 3 May, 11 AM NZT Hidden beneath our stunning landscapes — and formed by the same relentless geological forces — mineral resources like gold, coal, ironsands and other industrial and precious metals lie undisturbed. Can they be extracted with minimal damage to their surroundings, as some claim? What do improvements in mine [...]