The Big Q
Questions - Ideas - Scholarship - DebatesProject for Public Interest Media
Politics & Society
What do you mean we are running out of sand?
Although the importance of water as a resource is well accepted, fewer people know that sand is the second most consumed resource globally.
Why is the UN calling for a gendered approach to climate – and how does Aotearoa stack up?
On November 14th, 2022, COP27 included the conference’s first-ever day devoted to gender. So what is Aotearoa New Zealand doing to address the intersection between climate and gender, and how do we stack up to Sima Bahous’s three asks?
West Papuan campaigners want a ‘green state’. Could it help the planet?
Independence activists want to combine the best parts of liberal democracy with indigenous traditions.
Avoiding climate breakdown depends on protecting Earth’s biodiversity – can the COP15 summit deliver?
COP15 needs to mark a step change in how quickly and how seriously the international community responds to catastrophic nature loss. The focus is expected to be on 30×30, a push to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by the end of this decade.
What would a Green Recovery from COVID-19 look like for Aotearoa New Zealand?
To arrest economic downturn, many governments have responded with massive fiscal packages to boost the economy, maintain employment, and stabilise core industries. However, there is deep concern that these economic responses will undermine the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Accords and cause a surge in greenhouse gas emissions.
What if China wins?
A winning China would regain what the Qing Dynasty enjoyed three centuries ago: a central geo-political leadership role among its periphery of tributary states.
Science & Technology
We’re building harder, hotter cities: Should we instead protect and grow urban green spaces?
Housing intensification in Hamilton. PCE, CC BY-SA Timothy Welch, University of Auckland Recent extreme weather events have provided a foretaste of how supercharged storms might threaten our future. So the release today of a new report from the Parliamentary...
What should New Zealand do to commit fully to tackling climate change?
We need to invest in clean technologies and circular economies to build a sustainable, diversified economy. And that will also lessen our dependence on carbon-emitting industries, say leading Auckland academics.
From farming to fermentation: Could New Zealand ‘brew up’ new foods to reduce agricultural emissions?
Addressing the problem of New Zealand’s agricultural emissions has mainly focused on technical fixes aimed at reducing methane and nitrous oxide produced by livestock and fertiliser and relying on voluntary agreements with the industry. But these measures may not result in substantial emissions reductions any time soon.
IPCC report: Is the window closing for a liveable future?
The latest UN climate report finds that in the absence of ambitious action on climate change, the worst is yet to come for human populations.
The cow in the room… A problem of production or consumption?
Techno-scientific solutions have been thrown at the problem of farm-based greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an economy in and of itself.
How can we address Covid anxiety?
Listening to other people’s stories is a powerful way to unite people, and instead of belittling anxieties as illogical, addressing fears with understanding can help us design responses which enable all people to experience security in uncertain times, writes Dr Mary Breheny.
Business & Economics
What would a Green Recovery from COVID-19 look like for Aotearoa New Zealand?
To arrest economic downturn, many governments have responded with massive fiscal packages to boost the economy, maintain employment, and stabilise core industries. However, there is deep concern that these economic responses will undermine the goals outlined in the Paris Climate Accords and cause a surge in greenhouse gas emissions.
The cow in the room… A problem of production or consumption?
Techno-scientific solutions have been thrown at the problem of farm-based greenhouse gas emissions. It’s an economy in and of itself.
Why do social ties matter to climate politics?
Policy-makers frequently fail to communicate scientific knowledge about climate change effectively, with the result that targeted groups often reject potentially useful advice. Our research addressed New Zealand dairy farmers’ perceptions of climate conditions and their perceptions of climate science.
What should New Zealand do to commit fully to tackling climate change?
We need to invest in clean technologies and circular economies to build a sustainable, diversified economy. And that will also lessen our dependence on carbon-emitting industries, say leading Auckland academics.
From farming to fermentation: Could New Zealand ‘brew up’ new foods to reduce agricultural emissions?
Addressing the problem of New Zealand’s agricultural emissions has mainly focused on technical fixes aimed at reducing methane and nitrous oxide produced by livestock and fertiliser and relying on voluntary agreements with the industry. But these measures may not result in substantial emissions reductions any time soon.
Is Russia’s invasion the end point for Putin’s kleptocracy?
Putin is the product of a corrupt economic system that we must now reform, writes Mary Kaldor.
Arts & Culture
The fall into the abyss
In April 1909, two waves of massacres shook the province of Adana, located in the southern Anatolia region of modern-day Turkey, killing more than 20,000 Armenians and 2,000 Muslims.
How did the U.S. come to collectively own over 600 million acres of land? How has that changed over time? 🔊
In this two-part special episode of the Scholars’ Circle, Doug Becker explores the history of public land in the United States.
Who are you calling a Nazi?
While it is all too easy and comfortable to indulge in our Nazi fascination to demonise our enemies, maybe we should still the media chaos just for a moment and reflect. Who are you calling a Nazi? And why?
Why did a record number of journalists get jailed in 2021?
Journalists’ Nobel Peace Prize casts a shadow on failures of our democracy.
What cultural values belong in science?
The University of Auckland’s Julie Rowland examines the notion that education should be secular and devoid of any form of spirituality.
How can we use art to understand war?
Two former official war artists are using art to research how we respond to and cope with, conflict.