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Latest FromJamie Morton

We're all eating more plastic than we think. What does that mean for our bodies? Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

You're eating plastic pollution. But will it hurt you?

22 Aug, 2019 12:05pm
4 minutes to read

We're all eating more plastic than we think. What does that mean for our bodies?

Lower Hutt was one of the areas most immediately threatened by flood risks from climate change. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

Rising seas: NZ must 'put brakes on' coastal development

22 Aug, 2019 8:00am
4 minutes to read

Scientists have warned against developing in coastal areas as data reveals climate threat.

There are unprecedented calls for an overhaul of our regulations governing gene editing. Photo / Oleksiy Mark

NEW ZEALAND

Q&A: Why you've been hearing more about GE lately

21 Aug, 2019 11:00am
7 minutes to read

If it seems you've been hearing a lot about GE lately, you're not mistaken. Here's why.

Kiwi cancer survivors are facing big challenges returning to work, suggests research pointing to a potentially huge health problem in New Zealand. Photo / NZME

NEW ZEALAND

Researchers reveal troubling gap facing NZ cancer survivors

20 Aug, 2019 5:00am
3 minutes to read

Kiwi cancer survivors are facing big challenges returning to work, pilot study finds.

This rare takahe, Hawkeye, arrives on Hauraki Gulf's Rotoroa Island today. Photo / Department of Conservation

NEW ZEALAND

Why this young takahē's quest for love is so important

15 Aug, 2019 3:00pm
7 minutes to read

His name is Hawkeye – and for one of NZ's rarest species, he's a sign of hope.

What began as a mild winter took a sharp change this month. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

Feel like winter's turned up late to the party? Here's why

14 Aug, 2019 3:00pm
5 minutes to read

"We'll have a few more cool spells than we are used to in early spring."

Crossvallia waiparensis was a monster penguin that lived between 66 and 56 million years ago. Image / Canterbury Museum

NEW ZEALAND

Move over, mega parrot: Giant NZ penguin discovery

14 Aug, 2019 9:47am
4 minutes to read

Scientists reveal another monster NZ bird - this time, an ancient 1.6m-high penguin.

A quick, hard hit of exercise during your lunch break can help your brain just as much as a long walk or bike ride, a Kiwi researcher has found. Photo / 123RF

LIFESTYLE

How a quick hit of exercise can boost your brain power

14 Aug, 2019 5:00am
2 minutes to read

A quick, hard hit of exercise helps your brain just as much as a long walk or bike ride.

The 5.5 quake happened in an area where the Australian and Pacific plates shift from subducting to sliding past one another. Image / GNS Science

NEW ZEALAND

5.5 quake struck in tectonic 'dog's breakfast'

13 Aug, 2019 2:16pm
2 minutes to read

Scientists say no indication last night's quake had an impact on big-risk Alpine Fault.

Michael Rust said these hailstones sounded like rocks when they hit his Henderson home. Photo / Michael Rust

NEW ZEALAND

Thunder, tornadoes, and now - 'alien' hailstones

13 Aug, 2019 10:38am
4 minutes to read

A Taranaki tornado, container-toppling winds in Auckland, and now – alien hailstones.

Since 2003, GE and genetically modified organisms have been tightly controlled by the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act - and there have been growing calls from the biotech sector for a legal review. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Strongest call yet for overhaul of 'out-dated' GE laws

12 Aug, 2019 9:30pm
5 minutes to read

The time has come for an overhaul of NZ's 'out of date' GE regulations, top panel finds.

Bell Block, Taranaki, farmer John Bamford with the damage to his lounge caused by a tornado this morning. Photo / Jamie Morton

NEW ZEALAND

'Like a freight train': Tornado slams woman against house

12 Aug, 2019 12:16pm
2 minutes to read

A Taranaki farmer has described how a tornado tore through his house.

Damage to The Cloud on Auckland's waterfront. Photo / Hayden Woodward

NEW ZEALAND

Roof from The Cloud ripped to shreds from storm; 1700 lightning strikes

11 Aug, 2019 9:05pm
7 minutes to read

High winds have ripped off a preschool's roof and lightning has struck a tree.

Bagana, in Papua New Guinea, is one of Melanesia's youngest and most active volcanoes. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

NZ scientist to fly drone over rowdy PNG volcano

11 Aug, 2019 2:09pm
4 minutes to read

How do you get up close to one of the world's angriest volcanoes? With a drone, of course.

A big mast season once meant a boon for birds like kea - but now it's a curse. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Inside NZ's biggest-ever pest control operation

11 Aug, 2019 2:02pm
9 minutes to read

Cost over-runs expected in massive effort to protect our birds from a nationwide plague.

Farming, forestry and other land-use activities combined account for 23 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

What the UN's latest big climate report means for NZ

8 Aug, 2019 9:03pm
3 minutes to read

Just-released major UN report on climate change has big implications for agricultural NZ.

This year's flu season appears to be tapering off after an early start - but officials aren't counting out another wave hitting in spring. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Flu season winding down - but don't count out a spring encore

8 Aug, 2019 6:14pm
3 minutes to read

This year's flu season appears to be tapering off after an early start, ESR says.

Pacific children, along with girls and babies born to older mothers might potentially be able to live longer, thanks to a unique genetic advantage observed by Kiwi researchers. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

DNA discovery: Which NZ kids pack potential to live longer?

5 Aug, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Girls, Pacific kids, have a unique genetic advantage that could help them live longer.

LIFESTYLE

Defying Death: Can ageing ever really be stopped?

4 Aug, 2019 7:00pm
9 minutes to read

As billionaires try for the holy grail, a NZ academic discusses the ethics of anti-ageing.

NEW ZEALAND

Climate scientist: It's cold now, but NZ just saw record warmest July

4 Aug, 2019 11:23am
2 minutes to read

NZ just had its warmest July, if a wider number of climate stations are covered.

The Government has been accused of ignoring funding problems facing our publicly-owned research institutes - three of which are

NEW ZEALAND

Three state research institutes on watch amid funding concerns

2 Aug, 2019 11:00am
6 minutes to read

Three state-owned research institutes have been put on watch, amid wider funding concerns.

NEW ZEALAND

'Virtual supermarket' shows junk food taxes spur healthier shopping

1 Aug, 2019 10:30am
7 minutes to read

Study's "virtual supermarket" suggests junk food taxes lead consumers to shop healthier.

NEW ZEALAND

NZ genetic engineering laws 'old and tired', top scientist says

31 Jul, 2019 10:30am
6 minutes to read

Top scientist says NZ's GE laws are "old and tired", amid calls for national discussion.

MetService has just issued warnings for heavy snow in places in the South Island, with the white stuff accumulating at 400m in some parts. Photo / Alan Gibson

NEW ZEALAND

Cross about the coming cold snap? Blame it on negative SAM

30 Jul, 2019 2:14pm
6 minutes to read

Why is our mild winter about to take an icy plunge? Blame something called negative SAM.

Mussel farmers could benefit from information uncovered by a new project hoping to shed light on our warming oceans. Photo / File

New-wave research: $11.5m mega-project to shed light on NZ's changing oceans

30 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

An $11.5m project will take a closer look at NZ's vast and fast-changing marine estate.

A study has highlighted how sharks - including our protected great whites - are threatened by commercial fishing around the globe. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

How fishing is posing a global threat to sharks

29 Jul, 2019 11:42am
4 minutes to read

A study has highlighted how sharks are threatened by commercial fishing around the globe.

Megan Harvey did what a rising number of Aucklanders are doing: she switched to commuting on an e-bike. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Free-wheeling: Why e-bike commuters are happiest

29 Jul, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

Megan Harvey used to get to work angry. Now she gets there happy - and always on time.

Four months on, enough rubbish has been gathered from south Westland to fill 270 hefty wool sack-like bags weighing half a tonne each. Photo / Department of Conservation

NEW ZEALAND

Why Fox River's 'horrorscape' may be never-ending disaster

28 Jul, 2019 7:00pm
5 minutes to read

There are fears the rubbish-strewn Fox River will never be the way it was.

Methane emissions from livestock like sheep and dairy cows account for around a third of New Zealand's emissions. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Dutch company's methane blocker hits NZ roadblock

28 Jul, 2019 11:27am
5 minutes to read

Dutch company says it's hit a roadblock trying to get its methane inhibitor to NZ farmers.

Auckland's Red Beach this month. July will likely finish among the hottest on record. Photo / Michael Craig

NEW ZEALAND

Heat streak: July to be our 30th straight month of higher temperatures

25 Jul, 2019 7:00pm
4 minutes to read

Niwa also expected this month to be among the warmest Julys the country has experienced.

Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said this week's run of foggy mornings in the supercity had been

NEW ZEALAND

Explained: Why Auckland's been so foggy this week

25 Jul, 2019 1:00pm
4 minutes to read

Aucklanders staggering to work amid thick fog can expect more under this mild winter.

Investigators are looking into the cause of Friday's explosion. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

Explosive mystery: What caused giant Chch blast?

24 Jul, 2019 7:00pm
7 minutes to read

Experts are scratching their heads over a monster blast that levelled a Christchurch home.

NEW ZEALAND

Climate change: Eight in 10 Kiwis worried

24 Jul, 2019 5:00pm
7 minutes to read

More Kiwis are worried about climate change - and few think we'll meet emissions targets.

BUSINESS

Business heavyweights up their climate change pledge

24 Jul, 2019 10:33am
4 minutes to read

The Climate Leaders Coalition says its taken an equivalent 264,000 cars off the road.

NEW ZEALAND

Why the climate change crisis requires a 'careful revolution'

23 Jul, 2019 3:00pm
10 minutes to read

Tackling the climate crisis requires a balance of urgency and care, top NZ experts say.

NEW ZEALAND

Moon Shots: NZ's place in space, 50 years on

20 Jul, 2019 1:02pm
14 minutes to read

50 years from the Moon landing, NZ truly can claim to be a player in the space community.

A 2008 study of 6000 Kiwis found just over one in five thought Nasa faked the moon landings - and one in seven said they weren't sure. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Why do so many Kiwis still think we didn't walk on the moon?

20 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

The moon landing was a milestone for humanity. But for too many Kiwis, it never happened.

15 views of climate change - we need to take this seriously

NEW ZEALAND

Climate Voices: 15 Kiwis' hopes and fears in a warming world

19 Jul, 2019 9:22pm
24 minutes to read

Fifteen Kiwis, in their own words, voice their hopes and fears for a warming world.

While many of us might see drones as toys, they're anything but. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Q&A: Five key questions about drones in NZ

17 Jul, 2019 10:52am
3 minutes to read

The Herald answers some key questions around drones, and how they're policed.

A 20-year standoff with farmers over charging for emissions is about to end, with sector leaders today signalling support for a new system as soon as 2025. Photo / File

BUSINESS

Landmark climate breakthrough: Farmers back emissions pricing

16 Jul, 2019 1:00pm
9 minutes to read

A 20-year stand-off with farmers over charging a price for emissions is about to end.

NEW ZEALAND

Climate change's 'thermal squeeze' hurting our birds

16 Jul, 2019 8:04am
4 minutes to read

A "thermal squeeze" is driving threatened birds to higher, colder pockets of NZ's forests.

People suffering from anorexia cut their food intake drastically, which causes dramatic weight loss. Photo / Getty Images

LIFESTYLE

Breakthrough: Why some of us are predisposed to anorexia

16 Jul, 2019 3:00am
3 minutes to read

Scientists have discovered some people have a genetic predisposition to anorexia.

Wellington's climate will be like Auckland's by 2050 - and Auckland's will be like Sydney, a new analysis shows. Photo / NZ Herald

NEW ZEALAND

2050 climate: Wellington becomes Auckland, Auckland becomes Sydney

14 Jul, 2019 4:22pm
3 minutes to read

Wellington's climate will be like Auckland's by 2050 - and Auckland's will be like Sydney.

NEW ZEALAND

Why are so few Kiwi cancer patients in clinical trials?

14 Jul, 2019 12:24pm
3 minutes to read

Despite dismal participation rates, most NZ cancer patients are keen on clinical trials.

Carmen Rivera, 65, on morning walk with her dog Ash in Ridgecrest, California, after a 6.4 earthquake this month. Photo / LA Times

NEW ZEALAND

What giant quake taught NZ about early warning systems

14 Jul, 2019 12:00pm
6 minutes to read

Confusion and frustration that followed a big California jolt has big lessons for NZ.

Urine patches in paddocks represent a headache for farmers, not just because they leach nitrates into waterways, but also because they contribute to agriculture's big emissions footprint. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

How cow pee insights could help NZ tackle emissions

14 Jul, 2019 10:47am
3 minutes to read

Cow pee patches hide the secret to tackling a chunk of NZ's greenhouse gas emissions.

The Southern Alps are estimated to have lost a third of their ice mass in just four decades. Photo / Drew Lorrey

NEW ZEALAND

Going, going, gone? NZ glaciers hit hard by another big melt

13 Jul, 2019 5:00am
5 minutes to read

NZ's glaciers lose more ice, and scientists give them little chance of recovery this year.

The findings stemmed from analysis of the South Island's Kekerengu Fault, which forced the ground up by metres during the 2016 Kaikoura Earthquake. Photo / Kate Pedley

NEW ZEALAND

Revealed: Parts of NZ to be hit hardest by our next big quake

11 Jul, 2019 1:07pm
3 minutes to read

Clues scratched into rock may reveal where big quakes in the future will strike hardest.

NEW ZEALAND

Paper reveals why Govt dropped out of super-scope project

5 Jul, 2019 8:05pm
4 minutes to read

Sticking with SKA telescope project would've required investment Govt didn't want to make.

Councils' calls for Government help to meet a potential $14b climate change threat have been backed by the Productivity Commission. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Commission: Councils need Govt help on climate change

4 Jul, 2019 12:00am
3 minutes to read

Productivity Commission backs councils' calls for Govt help to meet $14b climate threat.

Tiny plastic particles - like these found in a recent sweep of Northland's 90 Mile Beach - are a global scourge. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Are washing machines to blame for Auckland's microplastic scourge?

2 Jul, 2019 11:27am
3 minutes to read

Auckland's coastal environment has been found to be teeming with plastic particles.

The Ministry of Health's latest drinking water report found most people were getting water that met bacteriological standards - but some supplies failed them. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Several NZ centres fail key drinking water standard

1 Jul, 2019 4:00pm
5 minutes to read

Some of NZ's main centres have failed to meet a key safety standard for drinking water.

Auckland Council is being taken to court over a consent allowing it to discharge stormwater into the environment over the next three decades. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Auckland Council taken to court over stormwater plan

1 Jul, 2019 1:13pm
3 minutes to read

Auckland Council challenged over consent allowing it to send stormwater into environment.

Richard Woodman, chairman of the Ngawha Marae Trustees Komiti, with the ancient kauri log. Photo / Top Energy

NEW ZEALAND

Monster kauri log to shed light on mysterious ancient event

1 Jul, 2019 12:29pm
3 minutes to read

Monster kauri log unearthed near Kaikohe could prove immensely important to science.

Tarran Smith makes the most of the sunshine as he goes skateboarding in Auckland's Grey Lynn Park last month. Milder conditions are expected to continue. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NEW ZEALAND

First half of year among warmest, milder weather to continue

1 Jul, 2019 11:30am
4 minutes to read

The first half of the year has been among the warmest on the books, Niwa says.

A researcher has warned that consumers should not use plastic for packing or storing food because toxins can leach into it. Photo / 123RF

NEW ZEALAND

Plastic not so fantastic: Bags banned from today - what you need to know

1 Jul, 2019 5:00am
4 minutes to read

Focus to go on education when it comes to enforcing new plastic rules.

Conservationists are warning a nationwide rat plague is only about to get worse - but officials say a programme to meet this year's

NEW ZEALAND

Plague warning: Maps reveal extent of bush pest plague

1 Jul, 2019 5:00am
7 minutes to read

Official maps reveal the vast swathe of wilderness under threat by this year's mega mast.

NEW ZEALAND

Study finds urgent need to understand NZ's blue backyard

30 Jun, 2019 2:27pm
3 minutes to read

NZ is missing crucial opportunities to manage its vast marine estate, researchers warn.

NEW ZEALAND

Climate refugees pose challenges to mental health services

30 Jun, 2019 12:41pm
3 minutes to read

Climate change refugees could pose even greater challenges for NZ mental health services.

Single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned from tomorrow. Photo / File

NEW ZEALAND

Plastic bag ban: Five things you need to know

30 Jun, 2019 12:00pm
5 minutes to read

The single-use plastic bag ban kicking in tomorrow is more complicated than it sounds.

Want to reduce your cancer risk? Dr.Richard Babor has been investigating the most effective things we can do to avoid getting cancer.

LIFESTYLE

Star surgeon's next case: teaching us how not to get cancer

29 Jun, 2019 5:00am
10 minutes to read

Reversing NZ's horror cancer rates isn't as hard as we think, says surgeon Richard Babor.

The preferred redevelopment option would see the existing base transformed into three large interconnected buildings, with a separate helicopter hangar. Image / Antarctica NZ

NEW ZEALAND

Plans for new-look Scott Base revealed

28 Jun, 2019 12:10pm
4 minutes to read

Scott Base's cluster of Chelsea cucumber green buildings to redeveloped into three.