Guest Author • Nov 26, 2020 •
James Higham, University of Otago and Hazel Tucker, University of Otago Raise your hand if you’ve ever travelled for weeks or months as a backpacker on a limited daily budget. Keep your hand up if you were made welcome in the places you visited on your OE, enjoyed chance encounters and experienced the generosity of strangers. And did those … Read More
Rosemary Rangitauira • Nov 19, 2020 •
Fiona Wiremu (Ngāi Tūhoe | Ngāti Ranginui) is driven to do all she can to enhance the lives of tāngata whenua and that’s evident in the multiple research areas she covers. These include mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) such as te reo Māori, culture and identity, Whai Rawa (Māori Economies), Te Taiao (Natural Environment), Mauri Ora (Human Flourishing and Wellbeing) and … Read More
Guest Author • Nov 17, 2020 •
Hyejune Park and Cosette Marie Joyner Armstrong, Oklahoma State University A massive force is reshaping the fashion industry: secondhand clothing. According to a new report, the U.S. secondhand clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years – from US$28 billion in 2019 to US$80 billion in 2029 – in a U.S. Read More
Guest Author • Sep 30, 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 I’m seeing quite a few “climate-friendly” products at the supermarket. Are consumers willing to pay more for … Read More
Robert Hickson • May 17, 2020 •
In a previous post I noted that futures thinking usually tries to identify what people think will change and what they think needs to change. As lockdown constraints ease, we are seeing a lot of opinions about both. There is no shortage of shovel ready points of view and aspirations. Aspirations … Read More
Robert McLachlan • Dec 20, 2019 •
A short update on wind power in New Zealand, where there has been a string of positive announcements since I discussed the Turitea wind farm in May: On 22 May, Genesis committed to buy all the electricity from Tilt Renewables proposed 133 MW Waipipi wind farm at Waverley, south Taranaki, which allowed the project to go ahead. Read More
Robert Hickson • Sep 19, 2019 •
There is much to be despondent about looking ahead to the consequences of a changing climate. But adopting Jonathan Franzen’s defeatism isn’t the best response. Reducing adverse impacts of climate change isn’t as simple as regulating automotive emissions, banning a pesticide of refrigerant, or changing to LED lights. But nor is it as … Read More
Guest Author • Sep 13, 2019 •
Elspeth MacRae New Zealand is at a crossroads, a pivotal point in history where solutions must be found to stem the tide of eco-system collapse, fight climate change, provide for a growing population and find ways of consumption that respect the ecological boundaries of the planet. Now there is a real urgency to find innovative solutions, be bold, and … Read More
Guest Author • Sep 03, 2019 •
Nathan S Consedine, University of Auckland In wealthy societies, we’ve become increasingly picky about what we eat. The “wrong” fruits and vegetables, the “wrong” animal parts, and the “wrong” animals inspire varying degrees of “yuck”. Our repugnance at fruit and vegetables that fail to meet unblemished ideals means up to half of all produce is thrown … Read More
Guest Author • May 28, 2018 •
Elisabeth Slooten; Bruce Robertson; Glenn Simmons; Graeme Bremner, and Nigel Haworth New Zealand’s hoki fishery has come under renewed criticism this week after leaked reports revealed that some of the country’s biggest fishing companies had been systematically under-reporting their catch by hundreds of tonnes. Hoki is one of New Zealand’s most valuable export … Read More