Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Business Headlines | Internet | Science | Scientific Ethics | Technology | Search

 

Swimmable target for 2040

Swimmable target for 2040


The Government plans to ensure 90 per cent of New Zealand rivers, streams and lates are "swimmable" by 2040.

But critics have said to achieve the goal the Government has changed what qualifies as swimmable.

The target, announced yesterday, is estimated to cost the Government, farmers and councils $2 billion over the intervening 23 years. Other additions to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management include replacing “wadeable” with “swimmable”, adding macroinvertebrate monitoring for ecological health and requiring instream limits for nitrogen and phosphorus.

Massey University freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy told Radio NZ that the proposal changed the goalposts on the allowable level of E. coli, essentially lower the standards for what qualifies as excellent swimmability.

Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management director Dr Jenny Webster-Brown agreed, saying she thought the goalposts had been moved but “it’s not going to change the situation greatly, so I’m not sure it’s going to make a big difference”.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith defended the targets, saying opponents were using “junk science”. “The vast majority of the time, the risk is less than one-in-1000 – i.e. it is junk science for people like the Greens to say that the Hutt River, you’ve got a one in 20 chance of getting sick.”

The detail of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management is open for consultation until April 28, 2017.

Quoted: Radio NZ


"Our goal is to try to understand what they do in the wild, from their own perspective and in their own ways, without interfering with them."

Australian scientist Gabriel Machvsky-Capuksa
on a study using cameras on dolphins off the Kaikoura coast.


7-planet system excitement

No-one knows quite how to drum up anticipation before an announcement quite like NASA, and this week they pulled another one off with great aplomb.

The announcement on Thursday morning that NASA had discovered seven Earth-sized planets orbiring a star about 40 light years away attracted a huge amount of international media attention.

The system of exoplanets orbits Trappist-1, a low-mass, cool dwarf star. Intiially, the team of scientists found three explanets in the Aquarius constellation, which prompted them to look closer - later finding the other four.

New Zealand scientists jumped into the fray to help local journalists grapple with the significance of the discovery.

University of Auckland astrophysicist Dr Nicholas Ratttenbury joined Stuff.co.nz for a live chat, answering questions from the public.

He said the discovery was exciting as three of the planets were within the “habitable zone”. “This is very unusual and raises all sorts of interesting questions on whether life might be more – or less – likely to arise in such a planetary system.”

Over on TVNZ’s Breakfast, Dr Rattenbury said that “given the fact that we now know that planets are not rare, they are common around stars in our own galaxy, it seems almost impossible that this is the only planet in the entire universe on which life has evolved”.

AUT professor of applied ecology Steve Pointing told The AM Show that finding so many planets in a single solar system “opens up the possibility that for the first time we could be able to survey planets where life has evolved independently”.

University of Canterbury's Associate Professor Michael Albrow told Radio NZ that because Trappist-1 is an 'ultra-cool dwarf' "it doesn't put out as much radiation, or light, as our sun does, so that means the planets can be much closer in, but it can still be roughly the same temperature as the Earth".

Otago Museum director Dr Ian Griffin told The Project: "the long holy grail of astronomy is really to find life elsewhere in the universe...today we've now got seven extra planets that are Earth-like and maybe in years to come with more advanced telescopes we might actually be able to see life signs there."

"I think it's a fantastic, exciting era."

Stardome Observatory’s Dr Grant Christie told NZ Herald Focus that “nobody really predicted that you’d find so many terrestrial, Earth-like planets in such close proximity to us”.

“It always gets ramped up, NASA are always great about putting out these little teasers and you never know quite what they’re going to come out with. I was really impressed with this, this is a seriously important discovery…this discovery is really one out of the box.”

Dr Christie said within a decade we might know whether the planets could host life. The James Webb space telescope, due to be launched next year, would be the likely instrument to find out, he said.

Image: The Trappist-1 star has seven Earth-size planets orbiting it. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Policy news & developments


Medicinal cannabis clarification: Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has clarified the range of cannabis-based products that can be prescribed in New Zealand.

Tribunal for river application: A special tribunal has been appointed to consider an application for a Water Conservation Order on Hawke's Bay's Ngaruroro and Clive rivers.

Paua closure extended: The emergency closure prohibiting the take of shellfish and seaweed along the earthquake-affected east coast of the South Island has been extended for a further nine months.

Auckland Islands eradication: Conservation Minister Maggie Barry has been on the Auckland Islands this week, hearing about plans to rid the islands of introduced predators, including feral pigs and cats.

Bobby calf welfare improves: Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy says a new report shows a major improvement in bobby calf welfare last year, with the mortality rate between farm and processing more than halved.

Science agreement signed: A bilateral international science agreement between New Zealand and Australia was signed in Queenstown last Friday.

Upcoming media training

Applications are open for upcoming science media training workshops.

Science Media SAVVY - a two-day workshop aimed at researchers - heads to Dunedin in April. Applications are open from now until March 20.

Places in each workshop are limited to 12. Participants gain practical techniques to improve communication, deal with nerves and respond effectively when an interview becomes challenging.

Science Media SAVVY dates

• Dunedin: 20-21 April (apply)

• Auckland: 7-8 September•

ends

© Scoop Media

 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
GenPro: General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices

GenPro has been copied into a rising number of Clause 14 notices issued since the NZNO lodged its Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim against General Practice employers in December 2023.More

SPADA: Screen Industry Unites For Streaming Platform Regulation & Intellectual Property Protections

In an unprecedented international collaboration, representatives of screen producing organisations from around the world have released a joint statement.More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.