Science Media Centre

Approximately 80 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity comes from renewable energy sources. But is this the full picture behind NZ’s clean and green reputation?  This week the University of Otago’s Centre for Sustainability releases ten policy briefs from its Energy Cultures research. The SMC asked experts how New Zealand’s energy usage compares to the […]

Too much energy-dense food is driving the obesity epidemic in high income countries like New Zealand, say the authors of a new global study. In a study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, lead author Dr Stefanie Vandevijvere from the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland analysed increases in the […]

Cheaper petrol prices may be great for Kiwis filling up at the pump, but what are the wider implications of cheaper oil? The global price of crude oil has more than halved in the last year to US$49 per barrel, offering fuel savings for consumers and businesses alike. But could cheaper fossil fuels undermine efforts […]

Writing for Idealog, Profs John Boys and Grant Covic from the University of Auckland discuss their commercialised energy transfer research which earned them the 2013 Prime Minister’s Science Prize. An excerpt (read in full here): In scientific research, patience is a virtue Professors John Boys and Grant Covic pioneered work in inductive power transfer tech. They […]

Three years on from Fukushima, questions are still being asked about the long term impacts of radiation contamination for local communities and the wider environment. Public attitudes towards nuclear energy and perceptions of the associated risks have shifted globally, though not always in the same direction. Visiting nuclear energy specialist Prof Robin Grimes, the current UK […]

The release of a much-anticipated report into the oil and gas extraction technique ‘fracking’ has stimulated public discussion on the regulation of the mining process in New Zealand. Parliamentary Comissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, yesterday released her report, Evaluating the environmental impacts of fracking in New Zealand: An interim report, which covers the background, […]

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, today released her report on hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The PCE’s report covers the background, environmental risks, current oversight and future implications of the use of unconventional techniques in oil and gas production in New Zealand. The Science Media Centre has gathered comment from scientists and independent […]

In this feature for The Business, Chris Barton looks at the flagship eco-buildings that have been built in Auckland, the Green Star rating used to measure their resource efficiency and the business case for going green. An excerpt: In the face of such a wholesale retreat by government, it’s ironic that corporate organisations like the […]

For Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon, Kathryn Ryan talks to Drew Hutton, president of the Lock The Gate Alliance in Australia and Rosalind Archer, Associate Professor at the Department of Engineering Science at Auckland University. Listen to the audio below.

Last week MP Nick Smith wrote an opinion piece on fracking which featured in several newspapers. Now Green MP Gareth Hughes has written a rebuttal for the New Zealand Herald. An excerpt (read in full here): Gareth Hughes: Fracking not a sensible choice for NZ Former Environment Minister Nick Smith needs to get his fracking […]