Why won’t carbon farming pine trees truly help mitigate climate change?
By Anne Salmond It’s time for Labour and the Greens to rescue their climate consciences and stop plans to plant vast, environmentally risky pine forests as a way of offsetting our greenhouse gas emissions. In New Zealand, we have a Labour-Green government at...
What cultural values belong in science?
By Julie Rowland The University of Auckland’s Julie Rowland examines the notion that education should be secular and devoid of any form of spirituality. Commentators, here and overseas, have depicted the practice and learning of science as facing an existential...
What does academic freedom mean in practice?
By Jack Heinemann If the use of academic freedom did not create risk, parliament would not have needed to legislate for its protection. But that risk should not be shouldered by Wiles and Hendy, or anyone else, alone. Two high-profile University of Auckland academics...
What is Havana syndrome?
By Robert Bartholomew Robert Bartholomew takes apart the theory US and Canadian diplomats were the target of a mysterious new weapon in Cuba and lays out a much more likely explanation. Havana Syndrome – the mysterious affliction affecting US diplomats and...
Will an income insurance scheme work in New Zealand?
By Susan St John Susan St John responds to the newly-announced income insurance scheme with some suggestions on how to tweak and improve what we already have. The welfare state should ensure there is always adequate income in the event of loss of employment,...
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. Over 600 million acres of land is collectively owned by the American people. What is the history of public lands and how is the...
What role can New Zealand play to combat climate change?
By Kevin Trenberth Climate change is a global problem requiring a global solution, but individual nations like New Zealand can play a role and must do so, writes Kevin Trenberth. The climate is changing and human activities are the cause: this is confirmed in the...
What role do banks play in the housing crisis?
By Michael Rehm If banks’ lending behaviour is found to have contributed to New Zealand’s housing quagmire, then banks must be held to account and share the pain when the bubble inevitably bursts, writes the University of Auckland’s Michael Rehm. New Zealand’s...
With inflation on the rise, what can be done to support low-income families?
By Murat Ungor Inflation is raising prices and reducing real wages – what should be done to support NZ’s low-income households? There is no doubt life is becoming much more expensive in New Zealand as inflation hits a three-decade high, influenced by both domestic and...Subscribe by Email
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