Interesting interview with Jim Watson, former President of the Royal Society of NZ on Kathryn Ryan’s Nine to Noon programme this morning (podcast here, but only for a week). Watson, the founder scientist of Genesis Research & Development discusses the new Biojoule project being established at Taupo. A species of willow (not the cricket bat kind) will be grown and harvested to produce ethanol as a biofuel, and lignin, a biological chemical alternative to hydrocarbons from fossil fuel as a feedstock for plastics. Home grown technology in every sense of the word.
Tag: NZ
The roof’s melting…
The high Tibetan plateau, sometimes called the “third pole
NIWA’s new climate projections coming soon
The Herald managed a sneak peek at NIWA’s latest round of climate projections last week:
Scientists expect New Zealand’s mean temperature will rise by an average 1.8C by the 2080s. By 2100, there will be up to 70 more days with temperatures over 30C, and frosty days will also drop, by five to 20 days in the North Island, and 10-30 days in the South Island. Snowlines will rise and westerly winds will be 20 per cent stronger. Severe droughts are likely to occur up to four times as often, but heavy rain will be more frequent.
Full results will not be available until September at the earliest, but I’m breathing a deep sigh of relief because the new study – based on the global climate modelling used in the IPCC’s Fourth Report – confirms earlier work, and that’s what I used in Hot Topic. Brett Mullen told the Herald:
“You don’t really want to have to reverse what you were saying before, but there certainly were some differences from what we saw in the first assessment. I think we’re on a firmer basis now.
NZ should be a global leader on climate change
The NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development‘s latest Shape survey [PDF] suggests that a clear majority – 63% – of New Zealanders think the country should be a global leader on climate change issues, with only 23% supporting moving at the same pace as other countries. Interestingly, support for Labour’s goal of carbon neutrality and National’s 50 by 50 policy is evenly split at 39% of respondents each. Plenty of room for a tussle for the climate vote at the next election.
NZ BCSD press releases here and here.
Coast to toast
New Zealand Geographic‘s new issue (#86, July-August) includes a taster of the sort of thing you’re going to get in Hot Topic: the book. I particularly like the graphics created to support my text: the header pic of New Zealand as cheese on toast is spectacular… This article focuses on the science and what it’s telling us. I’ll do a follow-up on how we might cope in due course.