The Wire with Alex

The government has announced significant amendments to environmental protection legislation within the Resource Management Act (RMA). The affected policies include the National Policy for Indigenous Biodiversity 2023, Freshwater Management and Regulation 2020, Highly Productive Land 2022 and The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010. These amendments seek to facilitate mining and quarrying in areas that were previously restricted due to existing environmental pressures or wildlife preservation concerns. The government seeks to ‘cut red tape’ to enable resource consents in these areas and stimulate economic growth. 

Flo spoke to Forest and Bird Chief Advisor, Richard Capie, about the detrimental effects of the legislation on the environment, the short-term economic gains compared to long-term economic regression and his hopes for the upcoming general election.

International researchers have found that feeding AI bad information on one topic can result in it providing bad advice on other unrelated topics, a phenomenon called "emergent misalignment". Producer Vihan spoke to Victoria University's Senior Lecturer of Software Engineering, Simon McCallum, about the study, as well as how AI learns information, and the ethical aspects of training AI.

New research led by Western Australia’s Curtin University sheds light on the burning of plastic in countries in the Global South, for the use of cooking and heating.

The survey provides world-first substantial evidence of how unaffordable clean fuel supply can generate severe risks for health and climate in these communities.

Co-author Professor Hari Vuthaluru from Curtin's Western Australian School of Mines said toxic emissions, health issues and food contamination were among the consequences of this practice.

Wire Host Sara spoke to Vuthaluru further about the study in light of the environmental consequences.

This weekend, Donald Trump announced his plans to levy tariffs against European countries who oppose his plans to press for Greenland. The move, which is an attempt to levy America’s economic position to dissuade what has been fervent european opposition to his desire for the territory, has been met with severe responses from Europe.

With the EU threatening retaliatory tariffs, and the ties between the US and the rest of NATO increasingly fraught, serious concerns and questions are being raised about how the US view Europe, and indeed all their allies, under this Trump Administrations ‘America First’ agenda.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke with Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Otago, Professor Robert Patman, about these tariffs, what they say about Trump's intent, and what sort of reaction we may see.