Science Media Centre

A draft report from the Productivity Commission has made a series of recommendations for how New Zealand can transition to a low-emissions economy. The draft report, released today, is open for submissions until Friday 8 June – the final report will be presented to Government in the second half of 2018. The Commisson has made […]

The extent to which we have changed our natural landscapes is highlighted in the latest instalment of the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ’s environmental reporting. Our Lands 2018, released today, also indicates significant gaps in our knowledge about land use and the flow-on effects to soil. The report and other materials are available on MfE’s […]

A new report commissioned by Westpac suggests billions of dollars could be on the line if there is further delay in moving to a low-carbon economy. The report, released today and carried out by EY and Vivid Economics, suggests that New Zealand’s economy could be $30 billion better off if early action is taken to […]

Over 22,000 cattle will be culled in an effort to prevent further spread of the disease Mycoplasma bovis. Minister for Biosecurity Damien O’Connor announced the cull on Monday after testing confirmed the disease was not endemic, meaning there was still a chance to eradicate it. The cull will involve 28 infected properties – six of which […]

The Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has released a report hoped to help understand the complexity of issues surrounding the condition and stewardship of freshwater. Sir Peter said his office had been working on the report for nearly a year, but following the Government’s ‘Clean Water’ consultation package, which includes new approaches […]

Over 100 Nobel laureates have signed their name to an open letter challenging Greenpeace to end its opposition to genetically modified food. The signatories urge Greenpeace to “recognize the findings of authoritative scientific bodies and regulatory agencies, and abandon their campaign against ‘GMOs’ in general and Golden Rice in particular”. Golden Rice is a beta-carotene […]

One billion tonnes. That’s how much the global agricultural industry needs to cut its emissions per year by 2030 to achieve the goals set at COP21 in Paris, according to a new study. An international team of scientists – including a New Zealander – calculated the required emissions cuts based on the goal of keeping […]

Genetically engineered crops are safe, but new regulations are needed as the definition of GE organisms becomes blurred, say US academies. An extensive study by the US-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine has analysed the costs and benefits of genetically modified crops, drawing on almost 30 years of research. The key findings of the […]

Increases in agriculture are the likely cause of a global rise in methane emissions over the last decade, according to New Zealand research published today in the journal Science. The concentration of greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere rose steadily over the last century, before flattening out in the late 90’s.Then in 2006 methane levels […]

Unchecked climate change will hit food production so severely that an extra half a million people could die through changes in diet and bodyweight in 2050, compared with a world where emissions are curtailed. The figure comes from a new UK study published today in the leading medical journal the Lancet. Taking into account projected […]