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.
Paula Lorgelly, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Cancer patients will benefit from the investment but so will people with other health conditions because the funding also covers medicines that Pharmac ranked as more important.
Young people should be protected from taking up vaping but policies must be proportionate and reduce the appeal and addictiveness of both tobacco and vaping products.
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.
Chronic pain is often caused by a hyper-vigilant nervous system which exaggerates the pain signal even after damaged tissue has healed. Similar processes are at play in persistent fatigue.
Fiona Sing, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Antonia Lyons, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
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.
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.
We know some marine microbes produce enzymes that can break down certain types of plastics. But new research found areas of high plastic pollution don’t show high concentrations of these enzymes.
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.
Edy Setyawan, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
While they can travel vast distances, our research revealed reef manta rays in Raja Ampat live mostly within a relatively small underwater ‘town’ – which urgently needs better protection.
With submissions on the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill closing next month, now is the time to consider how the changes could affect New Zealand’s 1.7 million renters.
Feelings of embarrassment or shame can deter some people from seeking necessary healthcare, and their experiences are absent from conventional health surveys.
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.
If Chaucer makes a comeback in the proposed English curriculum rewrite, we shouldn’t dismiss what his work tells us about human nature – and contemporary New Zealand.
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.
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.
The world’s best chance of preventing the next pandemic lies in a global treaty. But deep divisions over funding and the sharing of vaccines and treatments have so far prevented an agreement.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University