The draft New Zealand cannabis law proposes a ban on advertising, but includes no reference to marketing via social media, where most alcohol marketing now takes place.
The tragedy at Whakaari/White Island highlights the need for consent forms to ensure tourists are fully informed when choosing to visit dangerous locations.
Ayesha Scott, Auckland University of Technology and Aaron Gilbert, Auckland University of Technology
New Zealand introduced KiwiSaver 12 years ago to address a lack of retirement savings. But fees are up to 50% more than UK funds and New Zealanders are missing out on hundreds of thousands in savings.
This newly discovered species is the oldest one known to resemble today’s penguins in both size and leg proportions, unlike its giant co-habitants at the time.
Burning non-recyclable waste to generate energy sounds like a great idea – but incineration plants need an ongoing waste stream to be viable, which perpetuates the make-use-dispose mentality.
Visiting an active volcano involves risk. Hazard monitoring systems can issue warnings but in the case of the privately-owned White Island, the decision to take a tour falls to tourism operators.
Hundreds of jobs are at risk and the quality of news is under threat as New Zealand’s broadcasting media face closures, sales and restructuring in the biggest overhaul in a decade.
New Zealand is a net exporter of many fruit and vegetables. While climate-change induced food shortages are not an imminent risk, some crops may be affected by rising temperatures and extreme weather.
Nicola Gavey, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Grace Millane’s murder trial demonstrated it is still possible to question a woman’s behaviour without understanding the gendered nature of men’s violence against women.
Shaun Hendy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Globally, emissions from air travel account for only about 3% of the warming human activities are causing, but aviation affects our climate in a number of ways.
The New Zealand First party, a government coalition partner, has received tens of thousands of dollars from a foundation whose trustees include the party’s lawyer and an ex-MP.
Lisa Marriott, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
A New Zealand Court of Appeal decision set a precedent last month. Offenders who can prove their personal addiction played a role in their crime are now eligible for a shorter sentence.
Hongzhi Gao, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington and Ivy Guo, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
So far, New Zealand exporters have not been affected by the trade war between the US and China, but the Hong Kong crisis could easily embroil any foreign company.
James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
For every ten centimetres of sea level rise, the chances of a 100-year coastal flood increase three-fold. This means we’ll have to build flood defenses or retreat from the coast.
Waste-to-energy incineration has been raised as a solution to the global plastic waste problem, but the technology adds pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and encourages more waste production.
Discussions about climate change often skirt around the issue of population growth, but it is the main driver of rising carbon dioxide levels and many other environmental changes on a planetary scale.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University