Articles in ‘Environment’

The Government is negotiating with the US to provide access to our critical minerals, while a memo before the Waitangi Tribunal says a backdoor deal violates obligations to Māori Resources minister Shane Jones has adopted a Trumpian slogan, and hopes New Zealand's mining industry can benefit from Trump's desire for critical minerals. Photo: Facebook New Zealand has been holding closed-door discussions with the United States on the supply of…

Spiders don’t normally create such large colonies, so no need to fear finding one in your basement *Credit: Getty  Ezzy Pearson* - BBC Science Focus Arachnophobes best look away now, because a group of scientists have found what could be the biggest spider colony in the world. The web is 106 square metres (1,140 square feet) in size and is thought to be home to up to 111,000 spiders. That’s roughly half the size of a tennis court. The…

If you’re a gardener – and definitely if you’re a farmer – you want to spend less on fertilizer but while growing more food. Well, it’s time to send your thank-you basket of fruits and vegetables to researchers at the National University of Singapore, because they’ve created a magic wand for doing just that. Well, actually, a magic needle. In their Advanced Functional Materials paper “Microneedle-Based Biofertilizer Delivery Improves Plant…

Currently the Waikato Regional Council is awaiting the final outcome from the Environment Court hearing into the objections around PC1. PC1 is the proposed change to be made to the operative Waikato Regional Plan that was put forward by the Waikato Regional Council back in 2016. It is expected PC1 will be operative next year and, depending on the final results of the Environment Court hearing, that farmers might need to get resource consent…

Although Koi Carp are mainly only found in the Waikato region at the present time, you can bet on the fact that they will spread across the whole country eventually if they are not controlled in some way. Waikato koi rarely exceed 9 years of age. Females average 5.2 years and males 4.6 years of age. An average fish weighs 3 kg. Females produce 100 000 eggs per kg of body weight. A typical female can produce 300 000 eggs annually (or more if…

There is something undemocratic in a society of machines. Men receive more or less power, honor, and esteem because of their capacity to purchase the use of certain devices—not because of who they are. The capacity to “go camping” proves to a man and his fellows that his access to this or that machine is not a cheat or a fraud, but an aid and assistance to an underlying skill that he really does have. In the midst of untold luxuries, families…

The discovery of multiple Asian yellow-legged hornet queens and nests across Glenfield has triggered warnings that New Zealand is running out of time to stop the pest from becoming permanent. Experts say MPI’s current containment zone is far too small for a species known overseas to spread tens of kilometres a year, and early signs suggest the Auckland incursion is already larger than first thought. **Hornets devastate honey bees, crops, and…

**PC1 Why Bother Complying** You may well ask what he is on about. Under Plan Change 1 the agricultural industries are going to be hit with a raft of new regulations and rules for compliance; the aim being to improve the water quality in the region. Even though only 15 of the sub-catchments in the Waikato and Waipa catchments were exceeding the standards proposed to be introduced through the enactment of PC1 at the time it was proposed. The…

As night falls in the rainforests, orangutans climb into the canopy to construct intricate tree nests, displaying remarkable ingenuity. These comfy platforms are carefully engineered beds, providing warmth, comfort, protection from predators, and even reduce mosquito bites. Scientists have long wondered how young orangutans learn to master such complex architecture. Recent findings reveal that they acquire this skill through close observation…

When you take into account the way we live in society today it is an incontrovertible fact that Mining is essential to our way of life. Everything we touch or use outside of living creatures requires a product from either a mine or a quarry at some stage of its lifecycle. From the time that Stone Age man picked up the first rock and started to use it as a tool we have been committed to the need for mining and quarrying to support our way of…

In December 2020 Jacinda Ardern called climate change ‘one of the greatest challenges of our time’ and pledged a carbon-neutral government by 2025 The declaration of a climate emergency was supported by the Green Party and Māori Party and opposed by the National and Act parties. Speaking in parliament after its introduction, Ardern said the country must “act with urgency”. “This declaration is an acknowledgement of the next generation. An…

exclusivley on Voice Media The Rural Vote. The Farmers Voice. Govt NOT Listening! Trevor Simpson has been involved in farming for much of his life. The family farm, Simpson Farm dates back to 1964 when his Dad bought a small block which his lawyer warned was “undesirable” swampy bushland. Based in Rangiriri, North Waikato, it now milks over 1200 cows and claims to have the largest feed pad in the Waikato. The Simpsons have heavily invested in…

Carbon & Food Production Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 A three part series of articles explaining the United Nations change in climate warming predictions; the effects those changes will have on New Zealand’s agricultural industries and the impact that those changes will have on carbon sequestration and GHG emissions from agriculture. Carbon footprint of New Zealand beef and lamb: New research has confirmed the carbon footprint of…

Engineers design plants using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to improve taste, nutritional content, and resilience. However, people have concerns over their safety, and there is much debate about the pros and cons of using GMOs. Scientists create GMO foods by introducing genetic material, or DNA, from a different organism through genetic engineering. Most of the currently available GMO foods are plants, such as fruit and vegetables. In…

In the lead-up to the 2020 general election, the Prime Minister announced Labour will bring the target of 100% renewable electricity generation forward five years to 2030. Renewable electricity You’ve probably heard the terms renewable electricity and green electricity used a lot lately. While there are subtle differences, both terms refer to the fuel source used to produce electricity. Broadly speaking ‘renewable’ relates to the sustainable…

NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover used its black-and-white navigation cameras to capture panoramas of this scene at two times of day. Blue, orange, and green color was added to a combination of both panoramas for an artistic interpretation of the scene. On Nov. 16, 2021 (the 3,299th Martian day, or sol, of the mission), engineers commanded Curiosity to take two sets of mosaics, or composite images, capturing the scene at 8:30 a.m. and again at 4:10…

Over the past three years ratepayer-funded Tūpuna Maunga Authority has been on a mission to rid Auckland’s volcanic cones (maunga) of exotic trees – some 2500 in all. In defending its actions, the Authority claims it will replace them with thousands more natives, giving the impression it will “cloak” the maunga in trees. Yet it has become clear there is no intention to return the volcanic cones to their lush pre-human state. Instead, it has…

Last Month the electricity in various parts of the North Island was deliberately turned off on Monday evening 9 August. The finger-pointing and blame-game started early the next morning and has been the topic of conversation and media attention for the past week. It is not over yet and nor should it be. The official investigations are under-way. My August elocal article talked about power bills and the many organisations involved in getting…

In my late teens I spent time hunting in the bush around lake Waikaremoana. Off the forest tracks, I stood in places that I was sure no man had ever stood. In unspoiled bush, there is a sense of peace and quietness so tangible, that people often catch themselves speaking in whispers, just as they would entering an ancient church. It seems like the presence of God hangs in the air with the sweet smell of the bush. I never saw any…

If you have ever exclaimed dismay at your amount of monthly power bill and wondered how it could possibly be so high, and what you can do to reduce it, you are not alone. Over the next two months, elocal will examine the different components that go into your power bill, what that means for you the end user and ways to best ensure you are getting the most out of your energy provider. With the mid-winter chills come higher power bills and the…