Science Media Centre

UK SMC: The publisher of influential scientific journal Environmental Research Letters has rejected claims that a paper by climate scientist and University of Reading research fellow Professor Lennart Bengtsson was rejected because of intolerance of dissenting views on climate change. In a statement, the Institute of Physics said that the paper was rejected because it contained […]

AusSMC: A dramatic increase in the strength of the Pacific trade winds (a pattern of easterly winds spanning the tropics) over the past two decades has caused ocean circulation at the equator to speed up, increasing the transport of heat into the deeper ocean while bringing cooler water to the surface. The extra heat absorbed […]

The New Zealand Herald’s New Zealander of the Year finalists were limited to the under-30s this year but the newspaper did pay tribute some older Kiwi’s making a difference, including NIWA’s Dr David Wratt. An excerpt from the New Zealand Herald’s write up (read in full here): Dr David Wratt says having resources is vital. […]

A group of international scientists, including New Zealanders, have for the first time reconstructed temperatures for seven continental-scale regions for the past 2,000 years. The detailed global climate record reveals that the period from the 1970s until 2000 was the warmest in 1,400 years. “The striking feature about the sudden rise in 20th Century global […]

The New Zealand Herald Online has published a strongly-worded editorial from Australian cognitive scientist Stephan Lewandowsky on the nature of scientific debate and those who refuse to partake. This follows closely on the heels of an article from Herald reporter Isaac Davison highlighting the less than enthusiastic response from scientists and other public figures who […]

In a session at this week’s Climate futures: Pathways for society forum in Wellington, a panel of science writers and journalists wrestled with what the best advice might be to give climate scientists seeking to reach out to the public. Science historian Erik Conway — co-author of the recent book ‘Merchants of Doubt’ — opened with […]

The World Meteorological Organization released its draft annual statement on the status of global climate today at UN climate talks (COP16) in Cancun. The statement details extreme weather trends around the globe in the past year, and says that 2010 is set to be among the warmest three years since instrumental recordings began in 1850, […]

A massive week for earth science Barely a week on from last Saturday’s 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Canterbury, scientists have paused to outline what they have learned about the quake from examining the previously undiscovered fault and seismographic and GPS data that has been gathered in the region. Dr Ken Gledhill, Duty Seismologist at GNS […]

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) faces a legal challenge by climate sceptics group the Climate Science Coalition which is taking the Crown Research Institute to court over the accuracy of its climate data. UPDATED 2PM: In a statement of claim which the coalition says it has filed with the High Court […]

SMC Briefing: GST and healthy food The price of fruit and veggies was in the media spotlight this week on the back of a Green Party survey that suggests produce prices are being marked up several hundred percent by the country’s supermarkets. Researchers have been studying the best ways of tackling obesity and weight-related health […]