Sep 2, 2024 | Business & Economics
By Stephen Poletti, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau; Bruce Mountain, Victoria University (Melbourne); Geoff Bertram, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington. Photo used is Solar on Metal Roof by Wikideas1, used under CC0 1.0 Universal. ...
Nov 1, 2021 | Science & Technology
On October 22, 2021, evidence of a major oil spill off the coast of California was reported. A pipeline spilt an estimated 30,000 gallons of oil into the ocean and onto the beaches. This oil spill caused significant environmental, ecological, and economic damage. What...
Oct 11, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Ralph Sims Renewable energy sources currently supply around 40% of total energy demand in New Zealand. Increasing this share is critical to reducing the current level of greenhouse gas emissions to meet our international obligations and the 2050 net zero target...
Oct 5, 2021 | Business & Economics, Politics & Society
By Laurie Macfarlane Soaring gas prices have exposed longstanding vulnerabilities in Britain’s energy system. A radical overhaul is long overdue. “There’s absolutely no question of the lights going out,” the business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, told the...
Sep 27, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Robert McLachlan How are fossil fuels formed, why do they release carbon dioxide and how much of the world’s energy do they provide? And what are the renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels? Fossil fuels were formed over millions of years from the...
Jul 6, 2021 | Business & Economics, Science & Technology
By Grant Covic, Nick Long & Doug Wilson Wireless charging stations set in the pavement for vehicles to park over are closer than you think, for both cars and heavy transport vehicles. Urgent action is needed to increase the ease of owning and operating electric...
Jun 30, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Craig Stevens, Louise Kregting & Vladislav Sorokin Power from the ocean: can we use bio-fouling organisms to help extract energy from waves? People living near the coast are familiar with the power of ocean waves. What we see when a typical wave breaks on a...
Jun 22, 2021 | Business & Economics, Science & Technology
By Ralph Sims The government wants us to phase out fossil fuels. Yet natural gas is much cheaper for households to buy per kWh than electricity. Why? Natural gas is often touted as a transition fuel to use while we move away from coal and oil and as renewable energies...
Jun 1, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Mike Joy If we keep trying to maintain our current growth trajectory, built on a one-off fossil bonanza, we will destroy the already stressed life-supporting systems that sustain us. As countries explore ways of decarbonising their economies, the mantra of “green...
Feb 25, 2021 | Science & Technology
By Jen Purdie As New Zealand gets serious about climate change, can electricity replace fossil fuels in time? As fossil fuels are phased out over the coming decades, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) suggests electricity will take up much of the slack, powering our...