This week on the Tuesday Wire Milly Speaks to professor Steve Matthewman from the University of Auckland regarding community empowerment in the wake of natural disaster. They discuss the altruistic nature of humans and how to build a strong community.
Mindful that NZ Music Month is currently in progress, Def Jim delivers a mixed set of local and international content, the former focused on experimental luminaries Trioglodyte, the late Neill Duncan with Devils Gate Outfit and the late Murray McNabb, and the latter including an outstanding new release from John Zorn's New Masada Quartet plus sundry musical gems past and present.
The government has proposed removing provisions which prevent new coal mining applications in natural inland wetlands and natural areas of significance.
Environmental advocates are warning this poses a threat to Aotearoa’s biodiversity and will contribute to the rise of global warming.
Producer Rachel spoke to New Zealand’s Association of Scientists Co-President, Professor Troy Baisden, about this.
Last week, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced a five-point climate strategy which aims to reduce the impacts of climate change and prepare for future effects.
The five core pillars announced were:
Infrastructure is resilient and communities are well prepared
Credible markets support the climate transition
Clean energy is abundant and affordable
World-leading climate innovation boosts the economy
Nature-based solutions address climate change
Watts said the three-page strategy is “comprehensive” and “ambitious”, however, there is no explanation as to how each goal will be achieved.
Wire host Sofia Roger Williams spoke to climate lead at Forest and Bird, Scott Burnett, about the nature-based solutions pillar and the strategy more generally.
Just last week, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister - Judith Collins, announced that the government would be slashing funding to humanities and social sciences programmes funded under the Marsden Fund.
Collins said that Marsden funding needed to be redirected to natural science fields, such as physics, mathematics and biology, which she said had more "tangible" impacts on the economy.
However, the move has been criticised by academics from both humanities and social sciences background, who've highlighted the importance of social science in highlighting societal inequities and called the funding cuts "ideologically-driven".
Oto spoke to Nicola Gaston from the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland for her perspective on the cuts to humanities and social science programs in the Marsden fund as a professor in a natural science field.
Last week a major study was published by Nature Communications which discovered that pesticides are causing significant harm to numerous species which they are not intended to harm.
The review examined over 1700 experimental studies, including a handful from Aotearoa. It found pesticides can reduce plant and animal growth, and affect animals' ability to find a mate or catch prey. However, the researchers note that cutting pesticide use could affect global food supply.
Producer Amani spoke with Professor at Lincoln University’s Department of Soil and Physical Sciences and Co-Director of Bioprotection Aotearoa, Amanda Black, on how this could have an impact on Aotearoa’s produce and economy, and what we can do to avoid harming non-target organisms whilst using pesticides.
The Parliament’s Workforce and Education Committee has released an interim report on an inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders face online. The government has recently announced an overhaul of the Resource Management Act and introduced two new bills in its place, the Natural Environment Bill and the Planning Bill.
For our weekly catch-up with the National Party, Producer Vihan spoke to MP Carl Bates, who is also the Deputy Chairperson of the Workforce and Education Committee, about the new findings of the interim report, the new Natural Environment Bill, and the Fast Track Approval Amendments Bill.
For Dear Science this week, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman chats with us about a new study about a ‘bombshell’ discovery around microplastics in the body, a meta-analysis study on pain killer use during pregnancy, and new evidence that horses can smell your fear.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about New Zealand’s water sector priorities, natural hazards and climate resilience.
For Green World, Sara spoke to Australian Curtin University Professor Hari Vuthaluru about his study on communities burning plastic in the Global South for heating and cooking
Producer Vihan spoke to Victoria University’s senior lecturer of Software Engineering, Simon McCallum, about a recent study on AI and how feeding it bad information on one topic can get it to provide bad advice on other topics.
Could humans be developing bigger heads and therefore, bigger brains? The University of Vienna has published a study which suggests that the increasing number of C-sections may be affecting human evolution. Before C-sections were so common, natural selection would have it that fetuses with large heads did not survive birth. Bruce Floyd, a senior lecturer in biological anthropology at the University of Auckland, researches human development and biological variation, and speaks to 95bFM reporter Martha Lees.
This week on the Wednesday show, Ximena & Dylan look at new and old drug policy (of both the natural and synthetic sort), as well as some cool eco businesses who're doing some cool eco things. Steve Pointing also pops by for Dear Science, where he talks through the crucial components that make life on earth thrive.
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