Latest science

NASA finds definitive proof of climate change

6 Apr 21 - It may come as a surprise, given the extensive body of evidence connecting humans to climate change, that directly-observed proof of the human impact on the climate had still eluded science. That is, until now.

Temperatures to soar for half a billion people

30 Mar 21 - Many millions of people − among them some of the world’s poorest − will be exposed to potentially lethal temperatures on a routine basis. At worst, the mercury could reach 56deg by 2100.

Nature left alone offers more than if we exploit it

24 Mar 21 - Save nature, save money. It’s a simple argument. Wilderness cleared and ploughed offers us less than nature left alone.

Why fish-trawling should be in national carbon accounts

18 Mar 21 - Bottom-trawling for fish releases more carbon dioxide each year than Germany does, yet is not included in national carbon accounts, scientists say.

Carbon emissions slow, but not nearly fast enough

9 Mar 21 - Five years after a planet-wide vow to reduce carbon emissions, it happened; in 2020, the world’s nations pumped only 34 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a drop of 2.6 billion tonnes on the previous year.

Land worth more if left to nature

9 Mar 21 - Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands could be more valuable than farming because of the ecosystem services they provide, scientists say.

Fiercer, more frequent fires may reduce carbon capture by forests

26 Feb 21 - More fierce and frequent fires are reducing forest density and tree size and may damage forests’ ability to capture carbon in the future, according to a global study.

'Science-based' targets are no such thing - former adviser

25 Feb 21 - One of the instigators of an influential climate initiative for big business has gone public with criticism of its target-setting process, saying it does not measure up to its ambition.

Leveraging AI to fight climate change

19 Feb 21 - International organisations, researchers and data scientists say artificial intelligence and big data are critical to combat years of promises but inadequate action on the climate, biodiversity and...

Scientists warn over misuse of climate models in financial markets

10 Feb 21 - Misuse of climate models could pose a growing risk to financial markets by giving investors a false sense of certainty over how the physical impacts of climate change will play out, according to the...

2020 one of the hottest and driest years we've had

12 Jan 21 - New Zealand’s average temperatures continue to climb, with latest climate data showing 2020 was one of the country’s warmest years on record.

Global emissions at new record

10 Dec 20 - Greenhouse gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting the world on track for an average temperature rise of 3deg, a new United Nations report shows.

Research spending doesn't match priorities - report

10 Dec 20 - There’s a serious mismatch between what New Zealand’s Government identifies as the most pressing environmental issues, including climate change and freshwater quality, and the investments in...

2020 one of the hottest on record

4 Dec 20 - This year is on track to be one of New Zealand’s hottest on record, meaning five of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2013, scientists say.

How heat threatens global health

4 Dec 20 - Heat-related deaths are surging around the world, particularly among older people, scientists say, warning of growing pressure on health systems hit hard by covid-19.

Climate ‘apocalypse’ fears stopping people having children

30 Nov 20 - People worried about the climate crisis are deciding not to have children because of fears that their offspring would have to struggle through a climate apocalypse, according to the first academic...

NZ's seas are heating up again, scientists say

18 Nov 20 - New Zealand is heading for another marine heatwave this summer – the third in four years, scientists are warning.

Scientists’ oath pledges full climate crisis facts

11 Nov 20 - Scientists can now take a pledge committing them to tell the unvarnished facts: uncompromising public statements explaining how grave the reality is.

Sleeping giant' Arctic methane deposits starting to release

28 Oct 20 - Scientists have found evidence that frozen methane deposits in the Arctic Ocean – known as the “sleeping giants of the carbon cycle” – have started to be released over a large area of the continental...