The Wire with Manny

The government has announced significant amendments to environmental protection legislation within the Resource Management Act (RMA). The affected policies include the National Policy for Indigenous Biodiversity 2023, Freshwater Management and Regulation 2020, Highly Productive Land 2022 and The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010. These amendments seek to facilitate mining and quarrying in areas that were previously restricted due to existing environmental pressures or wildlife preservation concerns. The government seeks to ‘cut red tape’ to enable resource consents in these areas and stimulate economic growth. 

Flo spoke to Forest and Bird Chief Advisor, Richard Capie, about the detrimental effects of the legislation on the environment, the short-term economic gains compared to long-term economic regression and his hopes for the upcoming general election.

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.

International researchers have found that feeding AI bad information on one topic can result in it providing bad advice on other unrelated topics, a phenomenon called "emergent misalignment". Producer Vihan spoke to Victoria University's Senior Lecturer of Software Engineering, Simon McCallum, about the study, as well as how AI learns information, and the ethical aspects of training AI.

This weekend, Donald Trump announced his plans to levy tariffs against European countries who oppose his plans to press for Greenland. The move, which is an attempt to levy America’s economic position to dissuade what has been fervent european opposition to his desire for the territory, has been met with severe responses from Europe.

With the EU threatening retaliatory tariffs, and the ties between the US and the rest of NATO increasingly fraught, serious concerns and questions are being raised about how the US view Europe, and indeed all their allies, under this Trump Administrations ‘America First’ agenda.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, Professor Robert Patman, about these tariffs, what they say about Trump's intent, and what sort of reaction we may see.