This week, fresh downpours on already saturated ground have again triggered flood warnings and road closures across the upper North Island. These are individual weather events, but they are unfolding against unusually warm seas that load the atmosphere with extra moisture and energy.

The Australian government is floating a scheme that would share the benefits of solar power with everyone on the grid, offering totally free electricity to ratepayers in the middle of the day, when the sun is shining the strongest. electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...

Antarctic penguins have radically shifted their breeding season – seemingly in response to climate change. Changing temperatures may be behind change in behaviour, which experts fear threatens three species’ survival. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

The sunken land will rise again

Call to redesign cities for families: ‘Walking is what keeps me sane as a parent’ When we plan with parents in mind, we build cities that are more compassionate, liveable, and healthy for all #nzpol

Key Fundamentals in Aotearoa Planning Reform: Standardised Zones and Urban Transformation How we can move Aotearoa from it car-centric past to a people-centric future As submissions for the Planning Bill are currently open, while the drafting of the Standardised Zones is to get underway in…

Ashhurst Library Community Garden Working Bee Jan 22, 10am – 12pm Volunteer Library Gardening happens most weeks led by our wonderful deputy chairperson Suzanne. She updates facebook/Ashhurst Chat weekly, so if you’re keen to get involved you can get in touch there or email: [email protected]

This is an amazing interview. We have the tools, we have the technology. Now we need the will.

“What’s important in our economy is also what happens in our oceans. If you look at New Zealand territory, it’s 4.9 million square kilometers, so only one 16th is land – the rest is ocean. Our economy is very dependent on what happens in the oceans ..." newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/16/2...

Menzshed Manawatū (P.N) Jan 20 Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am - 2pm Rangitane Park, Racecourse Rd, Awapuni Menzshed seeks to keep people involved with the community, and undertake projects to benefit the community. Sharing skills and friendship... www.menzshedmanawatu.org.nz/contact/

Feilding Repair Cafe Jan 17, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 10am until 12.30pm at Manchester House Senior Hub, 14 Bowen Street, Feilding. www.repaircafeaotearoa.co.nz

The world’s largest asset management firm has quietly abandoned plans for a multibillion-dollar climate fund to help New Zealand reach 100 percent renewable energy, just years after saying the initiative could serve as a global model. newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/16/b...

With our joint climate case heading to the High Court in March, this is a timely op-ed from Jessica Palairet at Lawyers for Climate Action. Her wishlist for 2026? A credible plan, bipartisan collaboration, & a govt focused on actually cutting emissions — not just legal risk 🌏 buff.ly/gG3Ofho

Three quarters of our endemic terrestrial bird, freshwater fish and frog species are now either at risk or threatened with extinction; nine in 10 of our native seabird and reptile species sit in the same categories; and around half of our native vascular plants – including...

Species to Watch in 2026 From orangutans to parrots, hellbenders, and a newly discovered Tanzanian grass, these species — and the threats they face — are sure to make headlines in the year ahead. therevelator.org/species-to-w...

"As part of the Paris Agreement, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations launched the Food Roadmap at COP28. This was the first time any climate convention put food and agriculture on its agenda—aligning agriculture with climate goals." www.counterpunch.org/2026/01/12/t...

Feilding Repair Cafe Jan 17, 2026, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 10am until 12.30pm at Manchester House Senior Hub, 14 Bowen Street, Feilding. www.repaircafeaotearoa.co.nz

"My new research sheds light on the heated debate among New Zealand scientists during the 1860s and 1870s over the possibility of ancient climate change, prompted by geological signs that glaciers in the Southern Alps had once been much larger." theconversation.com/nzs-earliest...

Need funding to support your environmental work? Organisations can apply for up to $15,000 through the Large Grant by 15 March. Your community project needs to support at least one of our focuses...

Simplifying Local Govt: Submission Support and Discussion. Tues Jan 27, 5:30pm at the ENM Office. An invitation for our community to learn about the issues together and gather our thoughts on what and how to submit. www.dia.govt.nz/simplifying-...

Delighted to see this recent article in the @smithsonianmag.bsky.social by @donnalferguson.bsky.social on some of the research outputs for the Naming Species in the South Pacific project: www.smithsonianmag.com/history/newl... With thanks to our collaborators, @nhmlibraryarchives.bsky.social

"While both major political parties agree on the need for a nationally coherent adaptation plan, there is an impasse between the previous Labour government’s Treaty-based, equity-centred approach and the current National-led coalition’s fiscal discipline and burden-shifting logic."

Analysis: Canterbury is, once again, putting freshwater issues front and centre – not just for the province itself but arguably for the country, in an election year. newsroom.co.nz/2026/01/08/c...

Explainer - If you're starting to swelter as temperatures around the country rise, you might be wondering how best to cool your house. Does using the heat pump mean a big power bill? Is there a trick to using fans for best effect? www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

A young Horowhenua family are redefining self-sufficiency by growing a new salad business on a small farm. www.rnz.co.nz/life/people/...

Community Food Sovereignty at ENM Manawatū Food Action Network (MFAN), works together to help communities grow their own food, make healthy food more accessible, reduce food waste, and provide free or affordable food to people. Discover how to get involved. www.enm.org.nz/manawatu-foo...

It’s good Auckland Council are trying to stop contaminants from getting into waterways. The irony is that central govt just changed the law to make is legal for agribusiness to discharge massive volumes of pollution to waterways. environment.govt.nz/assets/publi... www.rnz.co.nz/news/chinese...

2026 = time to build better Cities and Towns. How? The Foundation: Smart Urban Design The Game Changer? Integrated Cycling (into the wider transport network) Infographic material drawn from both my blogs and Cities Skylines 2

Urban awa.

Can I Swim Here? Dive into some of New Zealand's best swimming spots with LAWA. Explore water quality information for over 1000 beaches, rivers, and lakes across the country. Water quality is regularly tested over the warmer summer months in most regions. www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data...

🚲 Exploring the connection between happiness and bike-friendliness in cities reveals intriguing insights. The happiest cities in the world often prioritize cycling infrastructure, promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

"In Ireland, the computational hunger for energy has reached levels that are impossible to ignore. Datacentres guzzle one-fifth of the country’s electricity and are projected to devour nearly one-third of it within a few years." www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Tracking Trash in the US senseable.mit.edu/trashtrack/

Kevin Drum was the first journalist to really get into the ties between lead and crime rates (not just serial killers) and I think it is one of the most important articles we’ve ever done www.motherjones.com/environment/...

Zero Waste Bea Johnson's Zero Waste lifestyle on CCTV America. www.youtube.com/watch?v=y583... zerowastehome.com

Do you do this? I bought a couple of lidded bins from Kmart and collect all my metal and plastic caps/lids then take them to our local eco centre. I also collect all the soft plastics which I can drop at my local Woolworths ♻️

Bug of the Year: The term “bug” was chosen deliberately. While not scientifically precise, it acts as an easily understood umbrella definition of Aotearoa New Zealand’s sometimes overlooked littlest animals. theconversation.com/are-you-a-he...

Where to donate e-waste for recycling in New Zealand. Recycling your e-waste is an important step in ensuring it stays out of the landfill. www.wisemove.co.nz/post/where-t...

The Caps and Lids Recycling Scheme An industry-funded programme operated by the Packaging Forum designed to ensure as many metal and plastic caps and lids as possible are diverted from landfill, and instead placed back in the recycling and circular economy. capsandlidsrecycling.co.nz

Half a year ago, Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre was on the brink of closure. The sanctuary - described as a taonga on the border of Wairarapa & Tararua - was in financial turmoil, forced to make a desperate bid for donations just as a stoush over a new home for an endangered bird hit the headlines

Workride is New Zealand’s bike benefit program that provides an easy, flexible, and protected way for employers to offer a bike benefit to employees for commuting to work. www.workride.co.nz

Climate change: the Climate Change Performance Index recorded another fall for New Zealand, now down to 44th position and classified as an overall “low” performer. theconversation.com/nz-report-ca...

Simplifying Local Govt: Submission Support and Discussion. Tues Jan 27, 5:30pm at the ENM Office. An invitation for our community to learn about the issues together and gather our thoughts on what and how to submit. www.dia.govt.nz/simplifying-...

Short Course: Climate Change Course: Empowering Communities for Action Get ready to make a difference with this free online climate change course, built in partnership with Christchurch City Council and Future Curious. uconline.ac.nz/courses/clim...

www.theguardian.com/environment/... Merlin is having a moment. The app, developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in New York, which listens for birdsong and identifies the species singing, has been downloaded 33m times, in 240 countries and territories around the world.

Rising temperatures are drawing crowds to beaches across Aotearoa, and the call for water safety is stronger than ever as we enter our highest risk drowning season. www.teaonews.co.nz/2025/12/26/w...

Traditionally, the plants associated with Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere – holly, ivy, mistletoe – are celebrated for their evergreen leaves in winter or their fruits. But in the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas falls in peak flowering season... theconversation.com/most-of-nzs-...

We’re honored to have our piece of speculative fiction on coral reefs of the future selected for The Revelator’s end-of-year list. A reminder that imagination is part of conservation, and that the futures we picture can shape the reefs we fight for. 🌊🪸 #OceanHoptimism

Can I Swim Here? Dive into some of New Zealand's best swimming spots with LAWA. Explore water quality information for over 1000 beaches, rivers, and lakes across the country. Water quality is regularly tested over the warmer summer months in most regions. www.lawa.org.nz/explore-data...

The Australian government is floating a scheme that would share the benefits of solar power with everyone on the grid, offering totally free electricity to ratepayers in the middle of the day, when the sun is shining the strongest. electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...