Two new studies reveal that Auckland’s volcanic past was temperamental, with at one stage several large eruptions happening within 4,000 years, contrasted with thousands of years or more of silence. Continue →

Transitioning to a waste disposal levy escalator process over a seven-year period could increase New Zealand’s recycling rate from 28 per cent to 60 per cent, according to a report by environmental consultancy Eunomia. Continue →

New research from Victoria University of Wellington has provided in-depth information about how the Earth’s mantle deep beneath the central North Island is melting. Continue →

A new standard for the ‘circular economy’ has been launched by BSI – BS 8001: 2017: Framework for implementing the principles of the circular economy in organizations – guide The British business standards company explains that the ‘circular economy’ is a concept which challenges organisations to re-think how their resources are managed to create financial, environmental and social benefits. Continue →

New Zealand needs to prepare for more incursions of pests, diseases and weeds that are being driven by our rapidly transforming world, scientists have cautioned in a recent study. Continue →

Claims that New Zealand has a “world-leading” system for sustainably managing fishing have been scientifically debunked, say an international team of fisheries experts in a paper published in a top US journal. Continue →

New Zealand’s primary industries need to latch on to technology faster to support the economic growth of the agri sector and become a world leader in a fast growing agritech market, NZTech Chief Executive Graeme Muller says A growing awareness of the value of technology in agriculture can be seen by the number of farmers looking into technologies such as IoT, drones, sensors and robotics, Muller says. Continue →

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 “New Zealand has a long-standing problem, with five million waste tyres generated each year,” Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith admits. Continue →

Scion is investigating an analytical tool that gives decision makers the flexibility to plan for a range of climate change scenarios as they unfold The Crown Research Institute is introducing Real Options Analysis (ROA) to New Zealand’s climate change armoury. Continue →

The world’s two largest bottled water companies have joined forces with a California startup to develop a 100 per cent bio-based bottle Danone, Nestle Waters and Origin Materials will form the NaturALL Bottle Alliance to launch a PET plastic bottle made from bio-based material, 100 per cent sustainable and renewable resources. Continue →

A new paper by Motu Economic and Public Policy Research suggests a package of changes to improve the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) The proposal’s proponents believes it would deliver clear and predictable emission price signals and ensure New Zealand’s emitters reduce their greenhouse gases more quickly. Continue →

Mainmark has introduced a structurally advanced mass void fill solution for civil and geotechnical applications What is claimed to be the world’s most advanced structural lightweight cementitious-based filler for geotechnical applications, Terefil is an innovative solution is a cost-effective alternative to traditional void-filling methods such as aggregate or granular fills. Continue →

Earthquake survivors could be rescued more quickly if the media communicated the number of likely fatalities from the outset, argues Professor Max Wyss For a decade, seismologists have been able to generate fast, reliable estimates of the number of people likely to have been killed in an earthquake, to within a factor of two or three. Continue →

Any pathway to reducing the country’s domestic emissions will involve substantial change to patterns of energy supply and use, according to a recent authoritative report by Vivid Economics Moving towards a 100 per cent renewables grid and substantial electrification of the passenger vehicle fleet and low-grade heat is a major measure outlined in the Net Zero in New Zealand: Scenarios to achieve domestics emissions neutrality in the second half of the century survey commissioned by Globe (Global Legislators of a Balanced Environment) NZ – a cross-party group of 35 members of Parliament. Continue →

Today marks the 177th day since the Kaikoura earthquake, which IPENZ Chief Executive Susan Freeman-Greene says provides a sobering reminder of the seismic risk posed by earthquake-prone buildings “Christchurch’s devastating 22 February 2011 aftershock came 177 days after the first Canterbury earthquake. Continue →

The extent to which climate change threatens New Zealand’s coastal housing will depend on insurance options available to homeowners, according to a new report Commissioned by the Deep South National Science Challenge, Insurance, Housing and Climate Adaptation investigates the different challenges climate change will present to homeowners, insurers and government. Continue →

Experts from New Zealand and around the world will attend the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering’s annual technical conference in Wellington this week Conference convenor Dr David Whittaker says about 500 earthquake engineers and scientists will meet to exchange knowledge on a range of topics, including the impacts of the Kaikoura Earthquake and how to make building structures more resilient to large earthquakes. Continue →

The recent cyclone episodes and the associated flood events around New Zealand provide yet another reminder that the nation is extremely vulnerable to floods, experts advise “Once again, the recent flood events have demonstrated that they can have very adverse effects on communities causing damages, and trauma as well as disrupting daily lives,” says University of Auckland Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Associate Professor Asaad Shamseldin. Continue →

A joint response to complex planning and technical challenges following the Canterbury Earthquakes of 2010 and 2011 in parts of the Waimakariri District north of Christchurch has achieved the supreme accolade at this year’s New Zealand Planning Institute (NZPI) awards The draft Waimakariri Residential Red Zone Recovery Plan – developed by Waimakariri District Council, Greater Christchurch Group (within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet), Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Te Ngāi Tū Ahuriri Rūnanga – won both the award for Best Practice Strategic Planning and Guidance and the Nancy Northcroft Award, which is the NZPI’s supreme award. Continue →

Findings from researchers at Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology show a new way of managing land restoration that could revolutionise how mining areas are restored worldwide The process, known as ‘ecosystem-scale translocation’, was trialled over 75 hectares at the Stockton mine near the historic South Island mining town of Denniston and gives promise of immediate recovery for the animal and plant life, better environmental outcomes and virtually no long-term management costs. Continue →