The Wire with Caeden

As Christmas nears closer every day, experts are stressing the importance of proper food cooking and storing practices. Listeria, food poisoning, and other foodborne illnesses are especially common over the holiday period due to poor handling and practices.

Olivia talked to Professor of Food Microbiology and Safety at Massey University, Steve Flint, about these common issues, and what people can do to avoid illness over their break.

For our weekly catch up with the Green Party, Rawan spoke with co-leader Marama Davidson about several topics that have been of concern recently. 

The first topic was around COP28 which is currently being held in Dubai and is being attended by a few of Aotearoa’s leaders including CLimate change minister Simon Watts and Green party co-leader James Shaw. Rawan asked about what the green party hopes to achieve and represent in this year’s conference.

They then spoke about the new government's plans to review Te Tiriti o Waitangi and what this will mean for Aotearoa. Rawan also asked about the government’s plans to scrap the fair pay agreement and the impact this will have on working kiwis. 

Finally they spoke about Prime minister Christopher Luxon’s statement this morning alongside Leaders form Canada and Australia which essentially called for a ceasefire in Gaza amidst the war with israel.

Seedbanking is a means of protecting and preserving our endemic fauna through drying and freezing seeds for long-term storage. It is highly effective, with expert evidence showing that 80% of Aotearoa’s native plant species can be preserved using these conventional methods. However, other seeds require more complicated methods for successful preservation, which researchers currently know little about. 

Olivia spoke to Lecturer of Forest Ecology at the School of Forestry at the University of Canterbury, Dr Sarah Wyse, about both the conventional and unconventional means of seedbanking, the gaps in current research, and how people can learn more about this important issue.

Professor Allan Blackman joins the team to chat about quantum mechanics entanglement, supercharged snot, and finally, how to make the perfect cup of coffee!