The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ just released Our Air 2024, a three yearly report featuring data on air pollution levels and its impacts.
The report found that, while concentrations of various particulates had reduced, and overall air quality in Aotearoa had improved, air pollution had a much greater contribution to diseases and birth defects across the country than previously expected.
Oto spoke to Dr Joel Rindelaub, a senior lecturer in Chemical sciences at the University of Auckland, to discuss the report and the impacts of air pollution on the human body.
A recent project at the University of Auckland is hoping to bridge the gap between New Zealand and Chinese exchange students. The project launched yesterday and has received a huge amount of support online already. I Producer, Laura, spoke with the marketing manager, Eloise Sims, to hear more about how the organization will try to build relationships and be more inclusive.
Felix brings us a report on the National party following their poll result from yesterday and the impact this could have on Simon Bridges, who seems to be having a pretty rough day.
Increasing violence towards Auckland’s bus drivers has prompted several union groups to issue statements demanding better working safety protections for drivers.
Arno spoke to Melissa Ansell-Bridges, secretary of the NZCTU, the council of trade unions, to find out more about the issue.
Arno also spoke to Melissa to find out more about improving contractor positions in Aotearoa. The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions is calling for better employment protections for contractors, many of whom earn below minimum wage for hours worked. This follows a landmark win where Uber drivers became classified as employees instead of contractors last year.
Arno started on the first topic by asking what Auckland bus drivers are concerned about.
Last week, the Infrastructure Commission’s first National Infrastructure Plan was released. Outlining a number of different suggestions for infrastructure, the plan has been tabled to parliament by Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop. One such suggestion is the introduction of a $9 toll on the harbour bridge, and any new harbour crossing, in order to fund the construction of any new crossing.
Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Planning at the University of Auckland, Timothy Welch, about this suggestion, and how it should play into Auckland’s infrastructure future.
At a time where most everything seems pretty irrelevent hoping these tunes will provide a little solace. Stay in, stay safe and be good to one another. See you next week.
Winter is coming, and so is a projected increase in respiratory illnesses and COVID cases. Schools are particularly notorious breeding grounds for such diseases with children being more susceptible to respiratory illnesses.
Ultimately, this results in teachers also being subject to COVID and respiratory illnesses at a higher rate than other professions, and an increased number of teachers leaving the profession due to long COVID symptoms is worsening Aotearoa’s already severe teacher shortage.
For this week’s Get Action! Oto spoke to Tara Forde from Aotearoa Covid Action, to discuss a petition of hers calling for the government to prevent the spread of COVID in our schools by making improvements to school air quality and improving accessibility to Booster Vaccines and Rapid Antigen Tests.
If you'd like to sign this petition, you can find it here:
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