From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, more unionised workforces from Europe to Aotearoa New Zealand fought hard to keep wages abreast with inflation. But it’s unlikely that could happen now.
Craig Stevens, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Building offshore wind farms is complex and expensive. But with plenty of wind coming in from the sea, New Zealand could harness the renewable resource as it aims to decarbonise the energy sector.
The deportation of children during war goes to the heart of important and far-reaching human rights conventions. But bringing perpetrators to justice will be a long and complex process.
Recovery efforts in regions hit by Cyclone Gabrielle need to ensure support and care is provided to pregnant mums to prevent life-long consequences for babies in-utero.
As she prepares to deliver of her valedictory statement to parliament, Jacinda Ardern will be remembered as an outstanding prime minister – though perhaps not for reasons of her own choosing.
Breaking the cycle of poverty for future generations requires talking about it with children now, and helping them understand the causes of economic inequality.
So-called ‘limbic capitalism’ uses social media to target the brain’s reward centres. In the process it escalates health threats to the most vulnerable consumers.
Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
The original plans for Auckland’s harbour bridge included tolled cycle lanes. A version of that is a better plan than the second crossing options now on offer.
School holidays can trigger feelings of dread in working parents. But so-called COPE strategies can help individuals and organisations make the process easier on everyone.
Tara McAllister, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Cate Macinnis-Ng, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Dan C H Hikuroa, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
One key difference between kaitiakitanga and conservation is that the former considers people as part of the environment, while the latter manages nature as if people were separate from it.
Sierra Keung, Auckland University of Technology and Dion Enari, Auckland University of Technology
By choosing to play for their ancestral homes, Pacific footballers might lose the chance of bigger pay checks, but they still win at a cultural level. And the payoff for the game is immense.
Many people with long COVID experience persistent debilitating symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. But a few develop more life-threatening and lasting damage to their heart and brain.
One in three infants is not immunised against pertussis. For Māori babies, more than half are at risk from the potentially deadly infection. But there are relatively simple things we can do.
Personal debt in New Zealand is growing. But instead of hiding the true extent of what we owe, New Zealanders should be talking about how we got here – and what needs to change.
Ecological damage, risk of nuclear accident and the economic fallout from war all affect countries well beyond the conflict zone. How should the world deal with these borderless threats?
The insurance industry should be involved in planning for future disasters and resilience, before some parts of New Zealand become uninsurable – leaving mortgage holders and banks exposed.
The National Party’s new curriculum policy proposes reforms, when there are already several underway. What schools and teachers really need is more funding and less change.
We know the oceans are warming, but we have fewer measurements in coastal waters where most fisheries and aquaculture operate. Now the fishing industry is helping scientists to track the changes.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University