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Researchers uncover main source of microplastics in our ocean
It was found broken down tyres were the largest source of microplastics in New Zealand's coastal waters. Audio
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'Forever chemicals' found in NZ whales, dolphins
24 Nov 2025Species feeding mid-water were just as exposed to PFAS as coastal Māui dolphins or deep-diving species like beaked whales, new research found.
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COP30: Minister defends NZ's lack of committment to phasing out fossil fuels
24 Nov 2025Simon Watts says New Zealand has already committed to "transition away" from fossil fuels. Audio
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NZ silent so far on climate summit push for a 'fossil fuels' roadmap
20 Nov 2025About 80 countries at this year's COP30 meeting want the world to develop a fossil fuel phase-out plan - but New Zealand is still considering whether to join… Audio
Environment headlines with summaries.
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Caulerpa invasion: 'Government isn't taking it as seriously as they need to'
17 Nov 2025Caulerpa went from covering 60 hectares around Great Barrier Island to more than 2000 hectares.
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Climate change minister defends weakened methane target
13 Nov 2025Simon Watts says he is prepared for questions about New Zealand's lowered target when he heads to the annual UN global climate summit in Brazil.
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New find of rare native parasitic plant in Wellington sparks hopes of return
11 Nov 2025They were thought extinct in the region for 100 years, now the race is on to save a rare parasitic plant in the capital.
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Nine rangatahi Māori depart for the Brazillian Amazon for COP30
10 Nov 2025Te Kāhu Pokere will be sharing stories and solutions to the climate crisis with indigenous peoples at COP30. Audio
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COP30: Get your skates on, experts urge NZ over climate targets
10 Nov 2025Ahead of this year's COP climate summit, experts say New Zealand risks has no credible plan to honour its Paris Agreement promises. Audio
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The gold clam is here, and multiplying
4 Nov 2025One small clam spreading in the Waikato River may change the entire ecosystem. How? Sheer numbers.
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Tonnes of pest fish taken out in bow hunting competition
3 Nov 2025Koi Carp are hard to eradicate, but more than four tonnes were removed from Waikato waterways in the latest hunting competition.
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The low-tech solution that could save lives at sea
28 Oct 2025It's foldable, floats, and can be detected by satellites - and it's being developed by local researchers who started with origami prototypes.
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What makes Ruapehu tick - and boom?
21 Oct 2025How to predict when Ruapehu might next erupt is an important, but difficult, question. A group of researchers thought: why not recreate the volcano in a lab?
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Marine protection law creates 'dangerous precedent'
20 Oct 2025A recreational fishing advocacy group has accused the government of creating exclusive zones for commercial fishing with a new marine protection law.
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New flood map to show future risks as climate change worsens
16 Oct 2025The National Flood Map is expected to be completed by 2027, the Climate Change Minister says.
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DOC launches new cadet programme: 'It's about making a real difference'
15 Oct 2025"It's not just your fitness, it's the resilience", says DOC as it launches a new cadet programme. Audio
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Whatever happened to the pūteketeke?
14 Oct 2025Comedian John Oliver's intervention propelled the grebe to fame. But for some, the 'bird of the century' is no fleeting infatuation.
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NZ's resilience to climate change focus of new $12m research programme
8 Oct 2025Acting early on adaptation to climate risks will avoid costly losses in the future, says the programme head.
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Hauraki Gulf bill passes, with exceptions for commercial fishers
7 Oct 2025The new bill builds on decades-long efforts to protect the Hauraki Gulf from the degradation of human activities.
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Manawanui wreck still causing concerns one year after sinking
6 Oct 2025One year after HMNZS Manawanui hit a Samoan reef, locals say the compensation is needed. Audio
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Australian miner critical of opposition to Otago gold project
30 Sep 2025Getting consent for a vast gold mine is an "extremely rigourous and difficult process", the company has told shareholders.
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What does a small Irish sea inlet have to teach New Zealand scientists?
30 Sep 2025Lough Hyne is home to an island, a ruined castle - and a marine sponge mystery that Kiwi researchers are helping to unravel.
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First fluttering shearwater returns to Cape Farewell
29 Sep 2025Yonga was translocated from the Marlborough Sounds three years ago.
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Detecting cow burps from space
24 Sep 2025A methane-detecting satellite, supported by $32 million of government funding, is lost in space. What data did it manage to collect before it went dark?
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Playing 'I-spy' with urban emissions
9 Sep 2025A new lab is cruising the streets of Wellington, homing in on our urban carbon emissions.
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Fiordland Penguin chick 'thriving' at Sydney's Taronga Zoo
6 Sep 2025Now six weeks old, the zoo says the chick is in perfect health.
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Backcountry takahē make a comeback
2 Sep 2025Twice believed to be extinct, takahē are now returning to our wild spaces.
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Critically endangered giant wētā moved to new sanctuary
27 Aug 2025Almost 200 giant wētā have been moved from a breeding programme to a sanctuary in Waikato, in a bid to protect the critically endangered insects.
Top News stories
- Marine researchers find biggest source of microplastics in our ocean is vehicle tyres
- Tākaka axe attack: Frank Harris jailed for three years, seven months for trying to kill his father
- NZ is full of paper roads, but what are they and how can you find them?
- First banks move after OCR cut
- Aoraki Mt Cook deaths: Thousands raised for family of guide who 'touched the lives' of many
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