A total of 92 percent of New Zealanders do not want their nation to follow President Donald Trump’s lead and withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement set in 2015. Moreover, six in ten Kiwi’s believe we should work harder with other countries to achieve the goals of the accord after the US withdrawal in June. This is the outcome of a Climate Change survey released today by Pure Advantage, a national organisation comprised of business leaders who believe the private sector has an important role to play in creating a greener, economically stronger New Zealand. New Zealanders are even…

The campaign to ban single-use plastic bags has been boosted by the big guns of environmental activism. Greenpeace New Zealand is stepping up, having launched a video and petition calling on the Government to ban supermarket bags. Getting plastic bags banned is a world-wide, 10-year strategic aim of the group and campaigns have been running internationally for 18 months. However Greenpeace NZ has decided it's only now that the time is right to push the issue. "A lot of good work has taken place by local groups," says spokesperson Elena Di Palma. "It's time to add our weight to the…

Climate scientists will be able to more accurately study Earth’s temperature changes, thanks to a global database compiled with the help of a Victoria University of Wellington and GNS Science researcher. The database has been released today in the Nature Scientific Data journal by a large international team of scientists, including Associate Professor Nancy Bertler. Associate Professor Bertler says the database—which expands on a version released in 2013—provides a rigorously assessed compilation of temperature reconstructions for the past 2,000 years. “The database gathers information on past temperature based on evidence from a number of sources including tree rings, corals, glacier…

Now the first six months of the year are done and dusted, NIWA forecasters have been analysing the country’s weather statistics to see where we stand compared to last year’s record breaker. If you’ve been feeling a little cooler, it’s because temperatures are notably down on average. The first six months of last year set up 2016 to become the hottest year on record, with an average temperature of 15.2°C. For January to June this year that figure has dropped to 13.8°C. NIWA forecaster Ben Noll says while the first six months of 2017 were 0.02 degrees above the long-term…

A buoy with the ability to “phone home” has been deployed in Wellington Harbour today to monitor currents, waves and water quality in the harbour. The buoy is part of a joint project between NIWA and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) around monitoring Wellington Harbour health. The buoy can deliver real time data of currents, waves, salinity, temperature, oxygen, chlorophyll, ocean acidification and wind. Named WRIBO (Wellington Region Integrated Buoy Observations), it was deployed from NIWA’s flagship research vessel Tangaroa this morning, south east of Matiu/Somes Island. Real time data delivery NIWA coastal physicist Dr Joanne O’Callaghan has been leading…

Despite the US withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, other countries, including New Zealand, remain committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions. In our report, we explore how New Zealand, a trailblazer for emissions trading, might drive a low-emission transformation, both at home and overseas.Turning off the tap Emitting greenhouse gases is a lot like overflowing a bathtub. Even a slow trickle will eventually flood the room. The Paris Agreement gives all countries a common destination: net zero emissions during the second half of the century. It is also an acknowledgement that the world has only a…

New Zealand’s top food innovation network is helping fast rising clean-tech company Hydroxsys with its amazing water extraction technologies aimed at mining, dairy and other industries that need water extraction or remediation. New Zealand Food Innovation Network chief executive Alexandra Allan says new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many industries in New Zealand such as dairying, to produce high value-added products, such as whey protein, more efficiently. This new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many New Zealand industries, including the dairy industry, to produce high value-added products like whey protein more efficiently.…

After Successfully Pushing Ashburton District Council to Call off Secret Backroom Water Deal with NZ Pure Blue, Consumer Watchdog SumOfUs Pressures Waikato to Follow Suit In response to NZ Pure Blue Springs’ consent application this month to the Waikato Regional Council for permission to extract 6.9 million litres a day from the Putaruru Blue Springs in the Waihou River, 39,000 SumOfUs members in a new petition campaign urging the council to reject the company's bid. VIEW THE SUMOFUS PETITION HERE: https://actions.sumofus.org/pages/nz-pure-blue-wants-to-build-the-largest-water-bottling-plant-in-the-southern-hemisphere-in-putaruru/SumOfUs’s first victory against the company came In 2016, when the organization garnered enough public pressure to block NZ Pure…

Millions of waste tyres each year are to be used to manufacture cement as part of a wider Government plan to address the environmental problems of end of life tyres, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced at the Golden Bay Cement works in Whangarei today. “New Zealand has a long-standing problem, with five million waste tyres generated each year. We have dozens of tyre stockpiles around the country posing a fire risk, leaching contaminants, providing a breeding ground for rodents and insects, and blotting the landscape. This initiative proposes controls on new stockpiles, establishes a nationwide collection and shredding operation…

A proposed National Environmental Standard for Marine Aquaculture to make re-consenting existing marine farms more consistent and efficient has been released today by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith. “The aquaculture industry is an important part of New Zealand’s diversified primary industry, earning $500 million a year and employing over 3000 people. This proposed National Environmental Standard for Marine Aquaculture is needed to increase certainty and industry confidence, improve biosecurity management and reduce compliance costs,” Mr Guy says. “The problem this new environmental standard addresses is the bow wave of 750 nationwide marine farms, or…

A consortium of groups across a variety of sectors has created an alternative plan to get New Zealand's rivers back up to scratch after what they say is lack of urgency on the issue by the Government. The Freshwater Rescue Plan was launched in Wellington on Thursday and is aimed at countering the Government's Clean Water Package which aimed to have 90 percent of the country's rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040. Continue to full article on Newshub   |  June 8,  2017   |||