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The Conversation
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The Conversation Global launched as a pilot project in September 2016. The Conversation is an independent source of news and views, from the academic and research community, delivered direct to the public. Our team of professional editors work with experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public.
The Conversation - Latest News [Page 5]
Disproportional representation: what the UK election landslide would look like under NZ’s MMP system
Sunday, 7 July 2024, 4:13 pm | The Conversation
Arguments for electoral reform in the UK just got stronger with a low Labour vote delivering a massively disproportionate number of seats. More >>
NZ Is Moving Closer To Digital IDs – It’s Time To Rethink How We Protect Our Valuable Data
Thursday, 4 July 2024, 1:08 pm | The Conversation
As the digital economy accelerates, New Zealand needs new rules to regulate how we develop new services– and who develops them. More >>
Gaps In Reporting Of Nitrogen Fertiliser Use On Farms Leave An Incomplete Picture Of Impacts On Water Quality
Wednesday, 3 July 2024, 4:28 pm | The Conversation
Only about 61% of dairy farm operators had reported their use of synthetic nitrogen a year after reporting rules came into force. More >>
Can The Courts Measure Mana? How Māori Tikanga Is Challenging The Justice System
Monday, 1 July 2024, 12:51 pm | The Conversation
In overturning the convictions of Peter Ellis, the Supreme Court showed Māori tikanga has a place in New Zealand’s common law. The lower courts and the law schools now need to make it work. More >>
Big Tech Companies Were Open To Online Safety Regulation – Why Did NZ’s Government Scrap The Idea?
Sunday, 30 June 2024, 3:22 pm | The Conversation
The government says the online safety framework infringed on free speech. But some of the world’s biggest tech companies have said they aren’t opposed to some form of regulation. More >>
NZ’s Government Wants To Kick-start A Mining Boom – But They’re Unlikely To Hit Paydirt
Saturday, 29 June 2024, 2:54 pm | The Conversation
Mining has not been particularly lucrative for New Zealand. It makes little economic sense to focus on digging for minerals, despite claims the new mines will aid in the country’s green transition. More >>
Want To Help Our Precious Nocturnal Bugs During Matariki’s Longer Nights? Turn The Lights Down Low
Friday, 28 June 2024, 6:42 pm | The Conversation
About a third of insects attracted to artificial lights die by morning, often from exhaustion. But we can help them, and the vital ecosystems they serve, by reducing light pollution. More >>
Resource Management Is Always Political – The Fast-Track Approvals Bill Is Just Honest About It
Sunday, 23 June 2024, 6:01 pm | The Conversation
Resource laws and processes have tried to keep politics out of decision making. But this technocratic approach carries its own problems. The challenge is getting the balance right. More >>
Mothers Have Long Been Absent From Dystopian Stories. ‘Maternal Cli-Fi’ Is Changing The Narrative
Saturday, 22 June 2024, 5:23 pm | The Conversation
The End We Start From is an ecological disaster story set in a near-future London besieged by floods – as seen through the eyes of a new mother. More >>
Pay Transparency Would Help Close NZ’s Gender Gap – Why Is Progress So Slow?
Thursday, 20 June 2024, 4:46 pm | The Conversation
Requiring employers to be open about who gets paid what is just one tool for closing the gender pay gap. But the government is showing little sign of seriously tackling the issue. More >>
Budget Cuts To Climate Funding Mean NZ May Now Struggle To Meet Its International Obligations
Wednesday, 19 June 2024, 6:34 pm | The Conversation
The government’s priorities are shifting towards adaptation to protect communities, jobs and industries. But the longer we wait to cut emissions, the more the costs of climate change will compound. More >>
NZ Needs A 300% Increase In Qualified Midwives – And Those Working Need More Support And Recognition
Tuesday, 18 June 2024, 5:54 pm | The Conversation
With a 40% staffing shortfall, midwifery needs better funding. But as new research shows, midwives also need recognition and support for the important work they do in the New Zealand health sector. More >>
Solar Farms Can Eat Up Farmland – But ‘Agrivoltaics’ Could Mean The Best Of Both Worlds For NZ Farmers
Sunday, 16 June 2024, 7:09 pm | The Conversation
The major benefit of agrivoltaics is that solar panels shelter crops and animals from the heat, while providing more warmth at night. Soils also retain more moisture and some crops grow better. More >>
Weakening Or Collapse Of A Major Atlantic Current Has Disrupted NZ’s Climate In The Past – And Could Do So Again
Saturday, 15 June 2024, 2:12 pm | The Conversation
Earth’s climate system is connected across hemispheres. When the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation weakens and Europe cools, warming in New Zealand and southern mid-latitudes accelerates. More >>
Welcome To NZ – Now Pay Up: The Risks And Rewards Of Raising The Foreign Tourist Tax
Friday, 14 June 2024, 7:58 pm | The Conversation
The government has proposed raising the international visitor levy to $100. But first New Zealand needs a clear strategy about who it’s trying to attract, and in what numbers. More >>
Patently Insufficient: A New Intellectual Property Treaty Does Little To Protect Māori Traditional Knowledge
Wednesday, 12 June 2024, 2:05 pm | The Conversation
The newly signed global Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge might improve the patent system, but is unlikely to improve protection of Indigenous knowledge itself. More >>
Cryptocurrencies Use Massive Amounts Of Power – But Eco-friendly Alternatives Come With Their Own Risks
Monday, 10 June 2024, 5:45 pm | The Conversation
Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin can use more power than countries such as Finland. The emergence of eco-friendly alternatives provides hope, and a few concerns, for crypto users. More >>
As Israel Pushes Into Rafah, It Exposes An Uncomfortable Truth: No Court Alone Can Protect Civilians In War
Sunday, 2 June 2024, 7:07 pm | The Conversation
No court alone has the power to adequately protect civilians during times of war. More >>
Is Collapse Of The Atlantic Ocean Circulation Really Imminent? Icebergs’ History Reveals Some Clues
Saturday, 1 June 2024, 6:23 pm | The Conversation
If the ocean circulation, known as AMOC, shuts down, it would be a climate disaster, particularly for Europe and North America. New research shows why that might not happen as soon as some fear. More >>
NZ Budget 2024: ‘Tax Relief’ For The ‘Squeezed Middle’ – But Who’s Paying? 7 Experts Follow The Money
Saturday, 1 June 2024, 6:19 pm | The Conversation
Finance minister Nicola Willis made good on two promises with her first budget – tax cuts and no surprises. But the belt tightening required to do that will have longer-term consequences. More >>
