News

Packaging generates a lot of waste – now Maine and Oregon want manufacturers to foot the bill for getting rid of it

Guest Author • Sep 10, 2021

• packaging,
• recycling,
• waste

Jessica Heiges, University of California, Berkeley and Kate O’Neill, University of California, Berkeley   Most consumers don’t pay much attention to the packaging that their purchases come in, unless it’s hard to open or the item is really over-wrapped. But packaging accounts for about 28% of U.S. municipal solid waste. Only some 53% of it ends up … Read More

Pacific Island bats are utterly fascinating, yet under threat and overlooked. Meet 4 species

Guest Author • Aug 25, 2021

• bats,
• indigenous knowledge,
• Pacific islands

John Martin, University of Sydney; David L. Waldien, Christopher Newport University; Junior Novera, The University of Queensland; Justin A. Welbergen, Western Sydney University; Malik OEDIN, Université de Nouvelle Calédonie; Nicola Hanrahan, Charles Darwin University; Tigga Kingston, Texas Tech University, and Tyrone Lavery, Australian National University Am I not pretty enough? This article is part of The Conversation’s new series introducing … Read More

New Zealand could take a global lead in controlling the development of ‘killer robots’ — so why isn’t it?

Guest Author • Aug 20, 2021

• autonomous technologies,
• New Zealand stories,
• robots

Jeremy Moses, University of Canterbury; Geoffrey Ford, University of Canterbury, and Sian Troath, University of Canterbury   “New Zealand versus the killer robots” might sound like a science fiction B-movie, but that was essentially the focus of an event at parliament earlier this month. Hosted by Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control Phil Twyford, the “Dialogue on Autonomous Weapons … Read More

After the last ‘summer of terrible drugs’ it’s time to make NZ’s temporary drug checking law permanent

Guest Author • Aug 17, 2021

• drug checking,
• drug reform,
• New Zealand stories

Alexander Gillespie, University of Waikato   With the summer music festival season approaching (COVID willing), hopes are high that the current temporary recreational drug checking law will become permanent. If and when that happens, New Zealand will take another small step down the long drug reform road from criminalisation to harm prevention. Submissions to parliament’s health select committee on the … Read More

Why New Zealand’s proposed law banning conversion practices is so unlikely to criminalise parents

Guest Author • Aug 13, 2021

• conversion therapy,
• LGBTQ+,
• New Zealand stories

Eddie Clark, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington   Given all parliamentary parties have said they oppose conversion practices being performed on LGBTQ+ people, you could be forgiven for wondering why the first reading of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill last week didn’t pass unanimously. In the end, the bill passed comfortably, 87-33, but the National … Read More

Let’s choose our words more carefully when discussing mātauranga Māori and science

Guest Author • Aug 04, 2021

• mātauranga māori,
• New Zealand stories,
• Science

Emily Parke, University of Auckland and Dan C H Hikuroa, University of Auckland   Responding to the recent controversy over mātauranga Māori and the letter he co-authored titled “In defence of science”, Emeritus Professor Michael Corballis said: “We don’t know any Māori who knows what mātauranga is.” This immediately made us wonder: what would happen if we … Read More

Gamers know the power of ‘flow’ — what if learners could harness it too?

Guest Author • Aug 03, 2021

• gaming,
• Learning,
• New Zealand stories,
• video games

Simon McCallum, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Edward Schofield, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Stephen Dobson, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington   One of the constant challenges in education is keeping the learner engaged, motivated and connected in a world increasingly filled with distractions. Social media, streaming TV and … Read More

Has the High Court shown the way for successful Māori claims to marine title?

Guest Author • Aug 03, 2021

• marine title,
• New Zealand stories

Martin Fisher, University of Canterbury   Nearly two decades on from the bitter political battle over ownership of the seabed and foreshore, a recent precedent-setting High Court decision passed almost without comment in the mainstream media. Perhaps that is a sign the country as a whole has moved on. Various appeals now await a hearing, but if the judgment … Read More

Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hit the brakes?

Guest Author • Jul 28, 2021

• climate change,
• New Zealand stories,
• Pollution,
• Transport,
• utes

Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland and Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland   “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are rising. This year, the 3.5 tonne Ram 1500 “eats utes for breakfast”. Super-sized light trucks have landed in Aotearoa … Read More

Why calling ordinary Kiwi cyclists ‘elitist’ just doesn’t add up

Guest Author • Jul 28, 2021

• climate change,
• cycling,
• Health,
• New Zealand stories,
• Transport

Timothy Welch, University of Auckland   Something strange has happened to the perception of cyclists and cycling in the more than 200 years they’ve been around. Once a novelty, bike riding has moved from being a critical transport mode to a children’s pastime to now being popularly perceived as an elitist activity. This was readily apparent after the recent … Read More