Environment – Views & Research

humanoid robots, one looking to camera with red eyes

Why do some robots feel creepy? We deliberately built one to find out

Jessica Turner, University of Waikato; Jemma König, University of Waikato, and Nicholas Vanderschantz, University of Waikato

NZ’s new emergency management law sets the rules. Trust and connection are key to it working

Todd Miller, Auckland University of Technology

Aerial view of homes inundated by mud and silt, following Cyclone Gabrielle on February 17, 2023.

Auckland has an overlooked traffic pollution problem – and it’s not from exhausts

Mingyue Selena Sheng, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Le Wen, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Working with nature can help NZ adapt to climate change. Where is the plan to do it?

Bradley Case, Auckland University of Technology

Listening to the bush: how AI can help NZ rid its wilderness of ‘hold-out’ pest possums

Akbar Ghobakhlou, Auckland University of Technology

How underwater ‘booms’ could provide earlier warning of deadly volcanic tsunamis

Shane Cronin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Jose Carlos Borrero, University of Southern California

Earlier volcano warnings could mean more false alarms – but they could also save lives

Alberto Ardid, University of Canterbury; David Dempsey, University of Canterbury; Garry McDonald, University of Canterbury, and Shane Cronin, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

NZ’s invasive pest control needs a new approach – starting with local government reform

Philip Hulme, Lincoln University, New Zealand

A single Mediterranean fanworm on a flat muddy seabed, with a field of club tunicates in background.

During eruptions, misinformation can spread further than ash. How can we spot it?

Janine Krippner, University of Waikato and Heather Handley, Museums Victoria Research Institute; Monash University

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Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and other vessels idle at anchor as they wait to pass the Strait of Hormuz.

Ships stuck in the Strait of Hormuz region may be biosecurity risks when they leave. What can we do?

Chad Hewitt, Lincoln University, New Zealand; Gregory Ruiz, Smithsonian Institution; Ian Davidson, Cawthron Institute, and Mario Tamburri, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science

An Australasian gannet soaring above the rugged coastline at Muriwai Beach near Auckland.

Bird flu is here to stay. NZ’s response must keep adapting as the virus takes hold

Dianne Brunton, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Kristal Cain, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Richard O'Rorke, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

NZ has spent years preparing for H5N1 bird flu. For some species, it may not be enough

Tammy Steeves, University of Canterbury

Why is NZ spending far more on responding to climate disasters than on reducing future risk?

Cathrine Dyer, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

A flood warning sign as waters rise in a street

How will this year’s record-breaking El Niño affect NZ and the world? 5 things to know

Kevin Trenberth, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

With contentious fisheries reforms on hold, should NZ rethink bottom trawling?

Simon Francis Thrush, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

NZ’s approval of Roundup relies on industry-funded reviews currently under investigation

Alexander Kaurov, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Person in protective gear and wearing a mask spraying some plants

The use of AI in biotechnology is changing faster than the rules governing either technology

Chelsea R. Francek, University of Waikato

An illustration of multiple overlapping channels, pointing to a grid of coloured squares

Wetlands are crucial food baskets for NZ’s native eels – new research

Simon Stewart, Cawthron Institute and Robin Holmes, Cawthron Institute

Native new zealand eel swimming in river near bank.

The universe is less uniform than we thought – cosmology may need a radical rethink

Marco Galoppo, University of Canterbury and Francesco Sylos Labini, Enrico Fermi Research Institute

Distribution of cosmic matter based on DESI data.

Data centres are power hungry – but they don’t have to be a burden on NZ’s grid

Alan Brent, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Stellenbosch University and Andrew Crossland, Durham University

Environment – Views & Research – The Conversation

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