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Science Media Centre NZ
Our aim is to promote accurate, evidence-based reporting on science and technology by helping the media work more closely with the scientific community.
The Science Media Centre is New Zealand's only trusted, independent source of information for the media on all issues related to science. Thousands of news stories providing context from and quoting New Zealand researchers have been published as a direct result of our work.
Science Media Centre NZ - Latest News [Page 1]
Government Plans To Double Mineral Exports By 2035 – Expert Reaction
Monday, 3 February 2025, 10:41 am | Science Media Centre
The announcement also included the release of the final critical minerals list with 37 minerals including gold and coal. More >>
New Aotearoa Climate Goals Announced – Expert Reaction
Friday, 31 January 2025, 1:13 pm | Science Media Centre
This new contribution would reduce NZ's emissions to around 40 million tonnes CO2-equivalent per year by 2035. Nations participating in the Paris Agreement (recently excepting the US) are due to submit their greenhouse gas reduction targets by February. More >>
What To Expect From NZ’s New Climate Goals – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 30 January 2025, 5:34 pm | Science Media Centre
Participating nations are due to submit their next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by February. This is a responsibility under the Paris Agreement, from which the US has recently withdrawn. More >>
Reforms To NZ’s Science Sector – Expert Reaction
Friday, 24 January 2025, 4:21 pm | Science Media Centre
A new Prime Minister’s Science, Innovation and Technology Advisory Council will provide strategic direction and identify economic opportunities, while a new agency, Invest New Zealand, will focus on foreign direct investment. More >>
Kiwis Have High Trust In Science, Study Finds – Expert Reaction
Tuesday, 21 January 2025, 3:50 pm | Science Media Centre
Most people in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas also believe that scientists should play a greater role in society and policymaking, and that scientists should talk about science with the public. More >>
Beyond BMI: How Should We Be Diagnosing Obesity? – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 15 January 2025, 2:09 pm | Science Media Centre
The global Commission on Clinical Obesity recommends focusing on measures of body fat, in addition to BMI, to avoid people being misdiagnosed. The Science Media Centre asked third-party NZ experts to comment. More >>
Carbon-storing Construction Materials – Expert Reaction
Friday, 10 January 2025, 10:02 am | Science Media Centre
The amount of CO2 storage needed worldwide is daunting and so storage in building materials deserves to be on the table alongside approaches like geological storage, further forestry planting, and other nature-based solutions, says Associate Professor ... More >>
NIWA’s Annual Climate Summary For 2024 – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 8 January 2025, 1:36 pm | Science Media Centre
Of New Zealand’s 10 warmest years on record, eight have occurred since 2013. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have continued to rise, exceeding 420 parts per million (ppm) at NIWA’s monitoring station near Wellington in 2024. More >>
Meth Use Skyrockets – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 12 December 2024, 6:14 pm | Science Media Centre
“The latest findings of increasing meth use in New Zealand (+108%) are consistent with the previous quarter of wastewater testing results (+31%) and our own recent NZ Drugs Trends Survey (NZDTS) results which showed declining prices for meth (-36%) ... More >>
What To Know Before Becoming A New Greyhound Owner – Expert Q&A
Thursday, 12 December 2024, 6:09 pm | Science Media Centre
“Greyhounds can make a great companion for the whole family. Like any breed of dog, each greyhound is an individual with a unique personality. As with all dogs, their behaviour is impacted by a combination of genetics, early life experiences, ... More >>
New Food Standards For Lab-grown Meat – Expert Reaction
Thursday, 12 December 2024, 5:38 pm | Science Media Centre
Instead of going through the process of approving each new cell-cultured food individually as a novel food, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) proposes to establish clear standards that any cell-cultured food must comply with. More >>
Climate Commission Says Aim For Carbon-negative – Expert Reaction
Friday, 6 December 2024, 3:43 pm | Science Media Centre
The Commission says the current greenhouse gas targets are realistic and achievable, and that a loftier goal on both carbon and methane is also warranted. The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment. More >>
Govt Cuts Humanities And Social Science Funding - Expert Reaction
Thursday, 5 December 2024, 5:15 pm | Science Media Centre
The areas that have been cut include research in subjects like nursing, law, and archaeology. More >>
Bird Flu Found On Egg Farm In Otago – Expert Reaction
Monday, 2 December 2024, 6:28 pm | Science Media Centre
A ‘high pathogenic’ type of bird flu was confirmed in an Otago egg farm over the weekend. More >>
Negotiators Fail To Agree On A Global Plastics Treaty – Expert Reaction
Monday, 2 December 2024, 5:36 pm | Science Media Centre
Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution have failed to reach an agreement after a week of talks in Busan, South Korea. More >>
Learning From NZ’s Response To Covid-19 – Expert Reaction
Friday, 29 November 2024, 11:53 am | Science Media Centre
The over 700-page report was delivered to the Internal Affairs Minister and made publicly available this afternoon (28 Nov 2024). The report lists 39 recommendations to the government and its agencies, saying these recommendations should be “considered ... More >>
Radioactive Waste Storage In NZ – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 5:22 pm | Science Media Centre
The Ministry of Health redesignated a section of Defence Force land for the facility, which became operational earlier this year. The facility stores low-level and intermediate-level waste from agricultural, research, education, and health sectors. More >>
Final Negotiations For A Global Plastics Treaty – Expert Reaction
Wednesday, 27 November 2024, 2:56 pm | Science Media Centre
More than 900 independent scientists have signed a declaration calling for an effective treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040. More >>
Cyclone Gabrielle's Impacts On NZ's Ecosystems - Expert Reaction
Tuesday, 26 November 2024, 12:48 pm | Science Media Centre
The symposium is part of the 2024 New Zealand Ecological Society Conference, where experts will speak on a wide variety of topics including Mātauranga Māori and ecology, how biological invasions misshape our world, Aotearoa’s own pekapeka/bats, and ... More >>
Climate Finance Commitments Triple At Close Of COP29 – Expert Reaction
Monday, 25 November 2024, 5:34 pm | Science Media Centre
The so-called “finance COP” in Baku, Azerbaijan has just concluded with agreement on the Baku Finance Goal. This aims to replace developed countries’ previous commitment to provide NZ$171 billion annually by 2020. More >>
