The Wire with Alex

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about what may have triggered the Black Death, a new chameleon-like nanomaterial, and how microbes could help protect underground nuclear waste

For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to MP Carl Bates about Scrutiny Week

For Green World, Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald and University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the problem of fast fashion in Aotearoa.

Producer Vihan spoke to Professor of Nursing Andrew Jull at the University of Auckland about his concerns over the undervaluing of the profession.

With the rise of fast fashion outlets like Shein and Temu alongside the wider mainstream options available that contribute substantial amounts of clothing waste to landfill, experts are calling for an urgent response on a governance, business, and individual level.

Wire Host Sara spoke to Mindful Fashion Chief Executive Jacinta Fitzgerald about the problem, and the industry response to sustainability, as well as University of Auckland Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the importance of ethical consumption.for individuals.

First, is the interview with Fitzgerald, where she begins by talking about the organisation Mindful Fashion.

Following this, Sara spoke to Marketing Professor Mike Lee about the research he has undertaken around consumerism.

Nurses have been at the forefront of most crises, yet they work in under-resourced environments and have been prevented from speaking about their working conditions. 

Even though this year saw over 36,000 nurses take strike action, the profession has been riddled with challenges such as being understaffed.  

Producer Vihan spoke to the University of Auckland’s Professor of Nursing, Andrew Jull, about the issues around a lack of representation of nurses.

Last week, the government announced that they would not be making changes to the way we calculate our emissions targets according to the advice of the Climate Change Commission.

One change that was rejected was the inclusion of international shipping and aviation emissions; the flying and shipping that is so key to New Zealand’s economy, through tourism and elsewhere, is excluded from our emissions targets, despite being a significant chunk of our emissions.

This means, however, that in the face of our Paris Agreement commitments, the Government has opted to keep working with an incomplete picture of our economies emissions.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Professor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Lisa Ellis, about these emissions, and what this rejection means for how we present ourselves and neighbours and a member of the international community.