Siouxsie Wiles • Aug 04, 2020 •
Siouxsie Wiles The restrictions in place for metropolitan Melbourne now are in some ways stricter than those that were in force during New Zealand’s COVID-19 lockdown. A curfew is in place and most people have to wear masks when they leave their home – neither of which happened in New Zealand. But the state of Victoria has lost valuable … Read More
Guest Author • Jul 24, 2020 •
Paula Koelemeijer, Royal Holloway and Stephen Hicks, Imperial College London Seismic activity doesn’t just come from earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides. Everyday human activity also gives rise to vibrations that travel through the ground as seismic waves, something we call “anthropogenic noise”. When pandemic lockdown measures brought daily life to a standstill, it didn’t just change life at the surface and … Read More
Guest Author • Jul 15, 2020 •
Maximilian de Courten, Victoria University; Bojana Klepac Pogrmilovic, Victoria University, and Rosemary V Calder, Victoria University The World Health Organisation reported more than 230,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday — the world’s largest daily increase during the pandemic. The surge has forced governments in many places across the world to order new lockdowns. This includes Melbourne, which is back … Read More
Guest Author • Jul 03, 2020 •
Nik Green Much of the public debate about the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has focused on the extent to which government regulations have restricted personal and business activity. Oxford University Blavatnik School of Government Here in New Zealand, the question of when to change Alert Levels dominated the media and Parliament, with some arguing that the highly-restrictive … Read More
Guest Author • Jul 03, 2020 •
Climate Explained is a collaboration between The Conversation, Stuff and the New Zealand Science Media Centre to answer your questions about climate change. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, please send it to climate.change@stuff.co.nz Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown will slow or possibly reverse the effects of climate change (due … Read More
Guest Author • May 12, 2020 •
Ron Crawford Lockdown hasn’t seemed too bad. I’m well set up to work from home, it’s been easy for me to take a walk on our nearby beach, and the weather has been mostly calm and sunny. Beach bubble – James Soligo I’ve noticed many families enjoying the opportunity to spend time together over the last few weeks – here … Read More
Guest Author • Apr 30, 2020 •
Jacqui Maguire, registered clinical psychologist Recently I was asked to predict how our nation would transition into level 3. My answer was that it’s never best to predict human behaviour when we don’t have an evidence-based blueprint. What I could guarantee is that we will not respond unanimously. As we begin this week at level 3, my educated guess … Read More
Siouxsie Wiles • Apr 28, 2020 •
We wake today at alert level three. We are here because of the incredible job everyone has done while we have been in lockdown at alert level four. No one doubts how hard this has been for so many people. For their mental and physical wellbeing. For their livelihoods. This global pandemic has turned our world upside down. To everyone … Read More
Guest Author • Apr 22, 2020 •
Associate Professor Leah Watkins and Associate Professor Rob Aitken Living in lockdown is a rare phenomenon, and one that provides a unique opportunity to examine our spending habits. NZ lifestyles under the microscope Researchers at the University of Otago have been conducting an ongoing research programme designed to provide insights into the lifestyles, consumption patterns and behavioural … Read More
Guest Author • Apr 21, 2020 •
Dougal Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Arindam Basu, University of Canterbury; Malcolm Campbell, University of Canterbury; Martin Berka, Massey University; Michael Baker, University of Otago, and Richard Shaw, Massey University New Zealand will begin easing its national lockdown from next Tuesday, but only after a five-day extension of some of the world’s strictest COVID-19 restrictions. Read More