Articles from ‘elocal magazine’

New Zealand’s rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater reservoirs are under pressure. · Some lakes are regularly plagued by algal blooms because of high levels of nutrients, particularly nitrogen. A significant number of New Zealanders are exposed to high levels of nitrates in their drinking water. · New Zealand has rules intended to address this. The National Environmental Standards for Freshwater require farms to report their use of synthetic…

Wholesale prices in the New Zealand electricity market have soared over recent weeks, climbing as high as NZ$1,000 per megawatt hour. North Island pulp and paper plants have temporarily closed down because of the spike in costs. · Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones has accused the big energy generators of profiteering, and said the government was investigating ways to force them to cut prices. · On top of that, Energy Minister Simeon Brown…

Nearly 300 years ago, archaeologists in ancient Herculaneum, once a wealthy Roman town, uncovered 1,785 papyrus scrolls in a residential complex that has since become known as the Villa of the Papyri. Situated near Pompeii, just 11 miles from the base of Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum was home to thousands of elite Roman citizens seeking a coastal retreat. While the site, with its furniture, rich frescoes, intact upper floors, and original wooden…

- Only 63 climate change interventions led to significant reductions in carbon emissions. · Researchers used machine learning to analyse roughly 1,500 climate policies and identify those that have drastically reduced carbon emissions. Their study, published in Science today, found that policies that combine several tools are more effective in slashing emissions than are stand-alone measures1. · The analysis identified 63 interventions in 35…

The virus is endemic to the Amazon but is now spreading outside the region ― and has been linked to human deaths for the first time. · Update: The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 27 August that more than 20 US travelers returning from Cuba have been identified as having Oropouche virus. · Once confined to the Amazon region, the mysterious insect-borne virus that causes Oropouche fever has been expanding its range since late…

In all the buzz around eVTOLs, there's still plenty of appetite for more conventional electric planes – especially, it seems, if they make ludicrous amounts of lift, and can take off and land at incredibly slow speeds, using absolutely tiny runways. · Electra's hybrid-electric STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft is one such plane. When it hits the market, it'll carry nine passengers, and a pilot, plus luggage, up to 500 miles (805 km) at…

A newly released US government report marks the first time a federal agency has confirmed, “with moderate confidence,” that fluoride levels above 1.5 milligrams per litre—twice the recommended limit—are consistently associated with lower IQ in children. · The 324-page National Toxicology Program’s analysis report reviewed studies from multiple countries. It concluded that while fluoride strengthens teeth, excessive exposure poses potential…

When the going gets tough for certain bacteria, they form into spores that can withstand the harshest of environments. Scientists have now utilized that fact to produce "living plastic" that biodegrades – but only under specific conditions. · Spores are a dormant form taken by some types of bacteria, typically when nutrients are in short supply. · They are protected by a tough outer coating that allows them to survive high temperatures, high…

Astronomers have watched a supermassive black hole take two bites of a star, and predicted when it might go back for a third. If it does, this should make for an intriguing stellar light show. · Black holes are notoriously messy eaters. When a hapless star wanders too close, the incredibly strong gravitational forces rip it to shreds and throw its guts everywhere, which produces a bright burst of light that telescopes can detect. Astronomers…

A “bananageddon” might be on the horizon, and not for the first time. But new research could help save our favorite fruit. · The bananas we chow down on nowadays mostly belong to the Cavendish variety, but they’re facing an existential threat. A fungus called Foc TR4 is infecting and killing off crops with a disease called fusarium wilt, and once it takes hold in a banana field it’s almost impossible to eradicate. Worse still, Cavendish bananas…