With the Covid-19 pandemic continuing to pose a significant health risk to people right across the world, the opening of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games has been controversial. However, another controversial issue that goes hand in hand with the Games every year is greenwashing.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made strong commitments to ensuring the Games are working towards a carbon neutral (or even carbon positive) goal using their Sustainability Strategy, which was issued in 2017. But Dr Binoy Kampmark, a senior lecturer in the school of Global Urban Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, says that the greenness of the Games is an act of theatre.
News and Editorial Director Jemima Huston talks to Dr Kampmark about this issue of greenwashing the Olympics, how green the 2020 Games truly are and what it would take to make this major sporting event a leader in sustainablity.
Today, Stella hosts The Green Desk, as Frances is away. She speaks to one of the authors of a global study about the role that termites may play in climate change. Cate Macinnis-Ng is an associate professor in the school of biological sciences at the university of auckland, and has a particular research interest in plant responses to climatic conditions and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity more broadly.
With the COP27 climate summit underway and the recent agricultural emissions reduction plan the government released, attention is being drawn to how New Zealand will meet its emissions reductions target of net-zero by 2050.
For their weekly catch-up Casper discussed emissions reductions policy with National party MP Dr Shane Reti, how the National party differs from the government and what alternative approaches they’re considering.
They also spoke about recent concerns that have been appearing in the media and in policitcal messaging around the impact monetary policy is having on mortgage holders, and whether this debate is showing the whole picture.
E tū Union members working at the New Zealand Steel mill in Glenbrook have welcomed the Government’s offer to contribute funding for new electric furnaces to halve coal use at the site. The $140 million dollar investment will require upskilling for workers to use.
Arno spoke with Joe Gallagher of E tū about the challenges involved in the transition, the benefits, and what workers would need to do to.
Arno started by asking for an overview of E tū Union.
Over 400 solar panels are now powering the school of architecture and design innovation at Victoria University in Wellington, after being installed on the roof of the building in July. The solar panels are expected to save up to 21 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the environment each year. The initiative is part of the university’s zero carbon plan, which describes using the campuses as a living lab for climate action research.
Rosetta spoke to Alan Brent, Chair of sustainable energy systems at Victoria University, about the project, and what more needs to be done to make renewable energy more accessible in Aotearoa
Along with wind energy and electric vehicles, the growth of solar power is expected to have one of the largest contributions to reducing global carbon emissions.
According to statistics from Climate Analytics, 2024 is likely to be the year that carbon dioxide emissions peak and start to fall, in part thanks to innovations that have allowed the growth of renewable energy sources.
Sasha spoke to Professor Emeritus Ralph Cooney in the department of chemical sciences at the university of Auckland to discuss the evolution of solar power and its contribution to reducing global emissions.
The Paris 2024 Olympics games, which are set to end, have aimed to be the “greenest games in history,” implementing a lot of measures to attempt to decrease their carbon footprint.
Despite clear aims to be more environmentally-friendly, the games are predicted to emit 1.5 billion tons of carbon, similar to the amount Fiji emits annually.
Alongside this, only two sporting bodies that make up the New Zealand Olympic Committee have developed their own sustainability strategies.
Joel spoke to Professional Teaching Fellow in Social Sciences at the University of Auckland, Chris McMillan, about the Olympics, and team New Zealand’s aims to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis, and whether this is enough.
Concrete is one of the world’s most polluting materials, accounting for between 5 and 8 percent of global CO2 emissions.
For the past several years, University of Auckland Engineering Faculty, Dr Enrique Del Ray Castillo has been researching and developing an alternative which could decrease the environmental impact of concrete by reducing the amount of cement required in its production.
Using a blend of volcanic ash – or pumice – and kaimoana shells, both of which are natural, local and more sustainable materials, Castillo has explored how traditional Roman engineering and mātauranga Māori could work together to make a material that’s built to last
Celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori at MOTAT with a week full of playful, creative, and hands-on experiences for tamariki and whānau! From 13 to 21 September
Thanks to MOTAT, the museum inspiring the innovators of tomorrow!
Since the Industrial Revolution in 1840, the burning of fossil fuels and land use change have increased the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
While much of this excess carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere, a significant portion is absorbed by the oceans. As a result, the pH of the oceans is steadily decreasing, threatening marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and the communities that depend on them.
This week, Leilani spoke to Dr Cliff Law from Earth Sciences New Zealand about ocean acidification
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