Judy Lawrence, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Anita Wreford, Lincoln University, New Zealand, and Mark John Costello, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
As the impacts and costs of climate change increase over time, New Zealand’s financial systems could become less stable and the government less able to support those affected.
The prime minister and police have asked that children be removed from the protest at parliament – but the situation is legally and logistically complex.
Now that Omicron infection is widespread, the government could improve trust by phasing out travel restrictions and border isolation and reviewing vaccine mandates to ensure they are proportionate.
Dion O'Neale, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
With access to testing limited and without other ways of measuring likely infection rates, New Zealand’s confirmed COVID cases are likely to be just a fraction of the total.
The construction sector has long suffered from lack of co-ordination, poor planning and vulnerability to shocks. If the country’s building and infrastructure needs are to be met, that has to change.
Giacomo Lichtner, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Political activists on both the left and right have long appropriated the rhetoric and symbolism of Nazism and the Holocaust, a tactic usually based on ignorance and false equivalence.
Each layer of COVID-19 protection available to adults has significant gaps for children. We need a family-centred approach to protect their well-being in this outbreak.
As the government approaches the mid-term mark, is the protest in parliament grounds a PR boost for Jacinda Ardern or a sign of declining political consensus?
Without genome sequencing, we would be blind to new variants of COVID-19. As Omicron surges in New Zealand, the sequencing focus is shifting to learning about what causes severe or long-term disease.
The tertiary sector’s air miles may be dominated by a small number of hyper-mobile senior academics, but studies show virtual conferences can improve diversity, career development and emissions.
The de-escalation strategy of Canadian police didn’t shift the protesters in Ottawa. With public confidence in the New Zealand police on the line, the political ramifications are serious.
Disruption at each stage of supply chain – production, transportation and distribution – is forcing New Zealand to ‘import’ more inflation. There will be no quick fix in 2022.
Global plastics production is set to double by 2040. The upcoming UN meeting is a chance for New Zealand to stake a stronger position on a proposed treaty to reign in plastic pollution.
With the occupation of parliament grounds entering its second week, police walk a thin blue line between enforcing the law and not inflaming the situation.
Tiny seashells draw carbon to the ocean floor when they die. This is the most significant geological process of carbon storage today, and it might increase in a warmer world, as it did in the past.
Veteran snowboarder Shaun White in action at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
GettyImages
As the Winter Olympics are showing, the unique cultures of action sports seem to support long careers among the top athletes – something other sports and society in general could learn from.
The project’s drill rig on the slopes of the Kamb Ice Stream.
Huw Joseph Horgan, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Researchers have surveyed an Antarctic under-ice river for the first time directly, and their observations support the idea that such sub-glacial rivers form estuaries as they flow into the ocean.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University