Burning coal caused mass extinctions

Tuesday - Geologists have linked one of the planet’s most devastating events to the burning of fossil fuels, as ancient coal fires set in train a global extinction wave.

Microplastics are in the soils of even the remotest places

Tuesday - If microplastics can enter the food web on King George Island, they can probably do so almost anywhere on earth.

Parker has trade pact proposal, will travel

25 Jun 20 - New Zealand will take the proposed ground-breaking Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability to the table in trade talks with the United Kingdom.

Shrinking Brewster mirrors glacier ice losses

25 Jun 20 - Scientists analysing end-of-summer snowline survey photos say that in three years, 13 million cubic metres of ice – equivalent to the amount of water drunk by New Zealanders over that time - were lost from just one South Island glacier.

Hospitals new theatres of emissions warfare

19 Jun 20 - Hospital operating theatres could be a new frontier in the battle to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Hands off our footprint, says Fonterra

18 Jun 20 - A report on the global dairy industry hugely overstates Fonterra’s carbon footprint, the New Zealand co-operative says.

Climate worst-case scenarios may not go far enough

15 Jun 20 - Worst-case global heating scenarios may need to be revised upwards in light of a better understanding of the role of clouds, scientists have said.

Fewer blizzards for North America as snow lessens

15 Jun 20 - It could soon be safe to think with nostalgia of the snows of yesteryear. Snowstorms in the future in the US could happen less often, with less intensity. And they would be of a smaller size.

SHIFTING SANDS: We don't have the full story

12 Jun 20 - Humans see sand as an infinite resource. We are astounded to discover there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on our beaches.

Sponge-tech sucks carbon from the air

12 Jun 20 - Scientists have set a record for carbon capture and storage using new sponge-like technology that can capture carbon directly from the air.

Engineers make syngas out of cement-waste

11 Jun 20 - Chemical engineers have found a new way to turn carbon dioxide emissions from cement-making and other industrial processes into useful products like fuel and plastics.

Not even pandemic can flatten the Keeling Curve

8 Jun 20 - As graphs go, the Keeling Curve is simple, but it clearly illustrates the planet's vexing global warming challenge.

South Asia’s twin threat: extreme heat and foul air

2 Jun 20 - Climate change means many health risks. Any one of them raises the danger. What happens when extreme heat meets bad air?

Climate change keeps sustainability staff busy

28 May 20 - Climate change is the top priority for sustainability professionals working in New Zealand, new research shows.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...

26 May 20 - The Climate Action Tracker international climate science coalition holds an online summit today on achieving net-zero emissions energy systems.

Recyclable bricks and concrete the way of the future

26 May 20 - Bricks, concrete and other construction materials could one day be made from recycled PVC, waste plant-fibre or sand, thanks to a remarkable new kind of rubber polymer.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...

25 May 20 - Horizons Regional Council is expected to approve its 2020/21 annual plan today, with $175,000 going to assessing the region’s vulnerability to climate change.

POLITICS: It looks like more of the same

22 May 20 - The outcome of National’s leadership stoush today is unlikely to affect the party’s approach to climate policy.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...

21 May 20 - Today is the last day for submissions on a new law aimed at smoothing out the supply of logs for the domestic wood industry.

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