Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Tougher freedom camping laws are being introduced to prevent abuse which has placed an unfair burden on small communities and damaged our reputation as a high quality visitor destination. Backpackers in budget vehicles are welcome. Motor homes and towed caravans are welcome. But at the heart of the
Author: Kip Brook
New covid variant indicates rockier recovery ahead
Otautahi - The recent emergence of the new COVID-19 variant Omricon highlights just how quickly conditions can change. Before this discovery, New Zealand was already grappling with the inevitable community spread of covid as restrictions are relaxed from December, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research says. By the time New Zealand
Meatless diets produce 59% less emissions
Te Whanganui-a-Tara - Diets rich in plants and low in red meat and sweet snacks produce much less greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), a new UK study into the effects of diet on the climate crisis has found. Meat accounts for more than a quarter of diet-related emissions, the paper says. Additionally, dairy made up
Irrecoverable carbon and protecting the ecosystems that store it
Ōtepoti - Certain areas are uniquely important carbon vaults: the Amazonian canopy; the Congo Basin; the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and the mangrove swamps north of Auckland to name a few. If destroyed, these ecosystems could take decades or centuries to regenerate. How then can people protect the vital lands
Aotearoa ag sector can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Otautahi - The New Zealand’s agricultural sector has a role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while remaining profitable and internationally competitive. Consumers are increasingly demanding products with a low environmental impact. While New Zealand is in the unique position of being home to the most carbon-efficient farmers in the
What is the future direction of secure tech in Aotearoa
Otautahi - China is zeroing in on tech as the key to the country’s future and has approved plans to revamp its technology system. What is Aotearoa doing about secure tech and which direction is it heading? China’s science and technology system was originally borrowed from the Soviet Union without much
Black Fridays: consumers searching harder for bargains
Te Whanganui -a-Tara - This year there are specific challenges to the traditional festive gift-buying season. Despite inflation and shortages, Black Friday sales are rising in countries free of lockdowns. The bad news for retailers is that customer loyalty is waning in the search for bargains. This year, the flow of products
New reserve for Kapitia skinks
New reserve for Kapitia skinks Hokitika - A hundred special skinks now have a safe new home with the establishment of a predator free kapitia scientific reserve near Hokitika. The kapitia skinks, found only in a one kilometre coastal strip near Hokitika, were badly impacted by Cyclone Fehi in 2018 with 50