Category Archives: New Zealand

Governor Newsom and New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern establish new international climate partnership

Memorandum of Cooperation aims to reduce pollution, bolster clean economy, accelerate the transition to clean energy and zero-emission vehicles, promote nature-based solutions, and more

Memorandum also establishes stronger framework for economic cooperation and trade

SAN FRANCISCO Expanding Californias global climate leadership, Governor Gavin Newsom today established a new international climate partnership with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. California and New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to tackle the climate crisis, reduce pollution, and bolster the clean economy, while emphasizing community resilience and partnership with indigenous leaders.

In the New Zealand Garden at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park, California and New Zealand outlined common objectives to achieve carbon-neutrality by mid-century, as well as their shared world-leading policies for zero-emission transportation, climate innovation, clean power generation, nature-based solutions, and zero waste initiatives.

The MOC furthers these common objectives through sharing information and best practices. A copy of the MOC signed today can be foundhere.

Later is too late to address climate change, and California is taking aggressive steps to bolster the clean economy while reducing pollution in our communities but we cant do it alone, said Governor Newsom. This partnership with New Zealand, another global climate leader, will strengthen ties between our two governments to deploy critical solutions that are essential to addressing this existential crisis.

No country is immune from the impacts of climate changes, so its just common sense to collaborate with likeminded partners to meet our mutual goals, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. We both aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century. This agreement means well work together to share expertise and experience and collaborate on projects that help meet each others targets.

Governor Newsom andPrime Minister Ardernestablish new climate partnership

Californias world-leading climate policies have led the state to exceed its 2020 climate target four years ahead of schedule, and created partnerships across the U.S. and around the world. Governor Newsom hascommitted $47.1 billionto tackle pollution, build climate-resilient water supplies, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, ensure grid reliability and accelerate clean energy solutions, and protect communities from extreme heat.

CaliforniasZEV marketis leading the nation in every category and the state is ending the sale of new gas carsby 2035, reducing demand for oil and spurring partnerships across the nation and around the world. Responding to the Governorsnature-based solutions executive order, which identified Californias lands as a critical yet underutilized sector in the fight against climate change, California last month released thePathways to 3030: Accelerating Conservation of Californias Naturestrategy andNatural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy.

Earlier this year, California signed aMemorandum of Cooperation with Japanto advance cooperation on climate and clean energy priorities, and strengthen trade relations. Governor Newsom also signed aMemorandum of Understanding with Chinato accelerate ongoing initiatives to protect the environment, reduce carbon and air pollution, and promote clean technology development.

Last year, Governor Newsom and 24 governors from the bipartisan U.S. Climate Alliancecommitted to collectively achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050. Governor Newsom and other Under2 Coalition partnersannouncedthe transition to become anet zerocoalition, raising ambition for member states and regions. California also joined theBeyond Oil & Gas Alliance, which brings together national and subnational governments committed to advancing a just transition away from oil and gas production.

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California and New Zealand Partner to Advance Global Climate Leadership | California Governor - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Speaking this week to international educators at the annual conference of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, New Zealand Minister of Education Chris Hipkins said New Zealand is keen to attract international students back.

The Minister travelled to NAFSA following the New Zealand governments decision to bring forward its border reopening from October to 31 July.

We are here to welcome international students back to our country, said Minister Hipkins. New Zealand is special. We offer a unique combination of excellent academic standards along with the life-changing experiences for international students when they interact with Aotearoa and its culture.

For students seeking to experience something new and different in a safe and friendly environment, New Zealand was particularly attractive, he said.

The Minister said the education sector delegation that travelled with him to the conference was also looking to build academic and cultural exchanges between universities and schools, to further research cooperation, and to engage with the international education community.

Prior to 2020 there were more than 115,000 international students studying in New Zealands eight universities and associated educational institutions, including a large contingent from across the United States. Today there are fewer than 20,000, Education New Zealand officials said.

Faced with rebuilding student numbers after a two-year pause, Minister Hipkins was optimistic about the future. As we look forward, we face not only a period of great challenges, but also greater opportunity, he said.

In addition to his role as New Zealand Minister of Education, Minister Hipkins is a senior member of New Zealand Cabinet, also holding the portfolios of Minister for COVID-19 Response, Minister for the Public Service, and Leader of the House.

For more information on opportunities to study in or with New Zealand, please visit 'Study with New Zealand.'

About Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ)

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency responsible for taking New Zealands education experiences to the world. ENZ promotes a New Zealand education as one that teaches students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners, which will help them succeed in their future careers and create a positive impact on the world. In 2019, New Zealands education system was ranked first among English-speaking countries and third in the world for delivering a future-focused education (out of 50 economies) by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

With approximately 100 staff in 18 locations around the world, ENZ works closely with New Zealands diverse education sector including schools, English language providers, Private Training Establishments, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics, universities; and internationally with NZ Inc agencies, Government agencies and education providers to encourage sustainable growth and identify opportunities.

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In Advance of New Zealand Borders Reopening, NZ Minister of Education Hipkins Champions Study-Abroad Opportunities in New Zealand - Business Wire

The first episode of Into the Wild New Zealandfollows a journey to the bottom of the world to discover the unique creatures who call New Zealand home. The first episode, "A Tale of Two Penguins," focuses on the decline of the little blue penguin species. To combat this, park rangers set up spacial nest boxes for the birds to help grow their colonies.

How to WatchInto the Wild New ZealandSeries Premiere Today:

Date: June 1, 2022

Time:8:00 p.m. ET

TV Channel: Smithsonian Channel

Live streamInto the Wild New ZealandSeries Premiereon fuboTV: Get access now!

From its icy mountains and sandy beaches to its dense jungles and bustling cities, every part of New Zealand is occupied by wild creatures, many of which exist nowhere else on the planet.

Witness stories of love, war, birth and death, all taking place in the mountains, jungles and oceans of New Zealand.

Don't miss the series premiere of the brand new show Into the Wild New Zealandon the Smithsonian Channel at 8 p.m. ET. The second episode, "Untamed West," drops on June 8 with new and exciting episodes every week. For any animal lover, this series is a must-watch.

Regional restrictions may apply.

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How to Watch Into the Wild New Zealand Series Premiere: Live Stream, TV Channel, Start Time - Sports Illustrated

Ahead of the beginning of the LV=Insurance Men's Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's, we take a look back at some classic test match encounters between the two sides at the Home of Cricket.The Beginning

The first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord's came in the summer of 1931.

A year after gaining Test status, it was the tourists' first ever away fixture and their historic encounter would eventually conclude in a draw following three days.

Englands Ian Peebles took a five-wicket haul during New Zealands first innings score of 224, before centuries from Les Ames and Gubby Allen secured a healthy lead of 230 for the hosts.

However, New Zealand responded well in their second innings and history was made when Stewie Dempster hit a century to become the first Kiwi to make it onto the famous Honours Boards.

Dempster finished with a score of 120, while Curly Page was to join him on the Boards with a total of 104.

Englands final innings total of 240 could not be reached in time, meaning the match concluded in a draw.

Scorecard

It took until 1999 for New Zealand to achieve their first ever victory at Lord's, winning by nine wickets

It was a match thatsaw Chris Cairns stun the hosts in their first innings, takinga memorable six-wicket haul.

The visitor's opener Matt Horne scored a century in response to England's first innings total of just 186before New Zealand bowled England out in their second innings, which set a target of 58 runs for victory, achieved within 23 overs.

Scorecard

In the summer of 2004, Englands seven-wicket victory over New Zealand was one of the more dramatic Test matches ever played at this famous Ground.

Following an injury to Michael Vaughan in the warm-up, there was a debut given to Andrew Strauss, who seized his opportunity to great effect, becoming only the fourth player after Australian Harry Graham (in 1893), England's John Hampshire (1969) and India's Sourav Ganguly (1996) to score a Test century on debut at the Home of Cricket.

While Strauss (his match-worn shirtfrom the Test now in the MCC Museum, below) was representing a new period of English cricket, someone who played a key role in revitalising its Test team was to play his final match in the format.

A Mark Richardson hundred for New Zealand prompted a target of 282 for England and with time running out, Nasser Hussain was to say goodbye with a high-class and emotional innings.

Not only did Hussain carry his bat with an unbeaten score of 103*, it was also his final runs in Test cricket that sealed victory for his side in an unforgettable encounter.

Scorecard

The 2013 Test between the two sides produced some of the best bowling performances ever seen at Lords.

A good start, noticeably Tim Southee (his shirt in the MCC Museum, below) with four wickets, by New Zealands bowlers saw England score a modest total of 232 in their first innings.

James Andersons five-wicket haul reduced New Zealand to 207 in response but Southee again displayed his class with a further six wickets in Englands second innings as the hosts set a target of 239.

However, having seen his bowling partner dominate in the first innings, Stuart Broad stepped up for his team with a spell of fantastic swing bowling.

Broad ended the innings with figures of 7 for 44, single-handedly reducing the Kiwis to 21 for 4 at one stage, before they were bowled out for 68 in only 135 deliveries, sealing victory for England by 170 runs.

Scorecard

New Zealand arrived in England in the spring of 2015 with a reputation as a difficult side to beat in the previous 12 months.

Key batter Kane Williamson had scored more than 1,000 runs at 89 over eight Tests coming it into the fixture and itwas the current New Zealand men's captainwhose innings of 132 gave the Kiwis what looked like an overwhelming first innings lead of 134.

England slumped to 30 for 4 on the first morning before a blistering counter-attack from Ben Stokes, ably supported by Joe Root, got the hosts back in the game. Both fell in the 90s, withTrent Boult taking a five-wicket haul for the visitors.

New Zealand had an opening stand of 148 to build their reply on, and Williamson took full advantage, facing 262 balls over more than six hours. When he fell, BJ Watling held the tail together with an unbeaten 61 as New Zealand built a formidable lead.

Two telling second innings contributions swung the game back in Englands favour. Alastair Cook batted exactly nine hours for 162, and after a fine 84 from Root wiped out the deficit, Stokes joined his skipper and crashed 101 from 92 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes.

It was the fastest Test hundred ever scored at Lords, with Stokes reaching three figures from his 85thball. Unexpectedly after their first innings advantage, New Zealand were set 345 to win on the final morning.

Who else would it be but Stokes to make the telling contribution, claiming the key wickets of Williamson and skipper Brendon McCullum on his way to 3 for 38. New Zealand fell 124 runs short, but the match aggregate of 1,610 runs was the highest ever in a Lords Test.

Scorecard

Following a years absence of International cricket in 2020 at Lords due to the COVID-19 pandemic, England faced New Zealand in-front of a limited crowd in the summer of 2021but it was a fixture that still produced moments that will remain in the history of the Ground.

The most notable was the performance of New Zealand opener, Devon Conway.

Conway (match-worn gloves in the MCC Museum, below) reachedthree figures on the first occasion that they walked out through the Long Room in a Test. He also became the 12th New Zealander to make a century on Test debut.

Conway went to his century at Lords, in 163 balls and hit 11 fours before his double-ton came from 347 deliveries. It was the first time a Test debutant had hit a double-century at this famous Ground.

Rory Burns hit his first hundred at the Home of Cricket in response for England, but Kiwi seamer Tim Southee was to also make another appearance on the Honours Boards, taking a six-wicket haul.

Rain prevented a real opportunity of a result with England managing to bat out the final few hours of the Test as it concluded in a draw.

Scorecard

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From the Archives | England v New Zealand | Lord's - Lord's

Tim Southee is preparing to make his fifth appearance at Lord's, a ground where his name is already etched on the visiting dressing room honours board twice. When he first played in St John's Wood, in only his second Test back in 2008, Brendon McCullum led the way for New Zealand by thrashing 97 off 97 balls; five years later, McCullum was captain and Southee took a ten-for, only for New Zealand to be blown away for 68 in the fourth innings by James Anderson and Stuart Broad.The tenor of New Zealand's visits to England has changed markedly over the course of Southee's career. From being comfortably beaten on those first two tours, in 2015 they recovered from the defeat at Lord's - which remains the last time England beat New Zealand in a Test match - to secure a 1-1 draw. On last year's visit to north London, New Zealand controlled the game - Southee taking 6 for 43 in the first innings - before going on to win at Edgbaston and secure a first series win in the country since 1999.New Zealand's reward is availing their first three-Test series here since 2008, but it comes with a twist: McCullum will now be guiding the home team, having been appointed England Test coach as part of an ECB revamp.

For Southee, who until a couple of weeks ago was playing under McCullum for Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL, seeing his former captain walking around in England gear will take some extra getting used to.

Whether or not McCullum - who made the last of his 432 New Zealand appearances in 2016 - can divulge any short-term wisdom that will benefit England, the tourists undoubtedly know what to expect from a team he is involved with.

"It's exciting, obviously a great challenge for Brendon," Southee said. "I know him pretty well. Everything he does, he gives it a 100-percent so this will be no different. He's excited about the next wee while and what lays ahead of him. I'm sure he'll be doing everything he can to bring the best out of this England Test side.

"He's a great man-manager and he loves to try to get the best out of people. I'm sure he'll be doing that here as well. The way he played his cricket was exciting and fearless, and that's the way he is a person and I'm sure that's the way he is as a coach as well.

"It will be an exciting brand of cricket, I'm sure. They [England] won't die wondering I'd imagine if the way he goes about things is anything to go by."

Those two guys, BJ [Watling] and Ross [Taylor], have been massive parts of the side for such a long time, they're obviously big holes to fill. But we've got guys who have been playing some pretty good cricket and waiting in the wings for a while.

Tim Southee on New Zealand's talent pool

However, last year's success was achieved in the complete absence of Boult, as he took some time off between another IPL season and the World Test Championship final, and New Zealand have good depth in their pace options despite a disrupted build-up.

"Nothing changes compared to the lead-up to any other Test match," he said. "I love Test cricket and I'm excited to get back into playing some Test cricket after playing a lot of T20 cricket."

A lot has changed since New Zealand's World Test Championship win, but they still possess a challenging bowling attackGareth Copley/ICC/Getty Images

"It's very important, dropping a couple of Test matches in our home summer puts a little bit extra on this series. But our focus is the first five days here at Lord's, then we shift on to the second Test and the third. As a group, we try to play what's in front of us, attack it one Test at a time.

"We've been lucky that we've had a pretty consistent group of guys for a long period of time." He said, "Those two guys, BJ and Ross, have been massive parts of the side for such a long time, they're obviously big holes to fill.

Devon Conway, who made his double-hundred on debut at Lord's, will need to step up again with New Zealand in a transition phaseGetty Images

"I guess in New Zealand we've learned to box above our weight for a long period of time," Southee said. "We're obviously challenged with just being a small country, the lack of people playing and lack of resource. The Kiwi way is to muck in and get the best out of what we've got. That's not going to change, we're not always a sudden going to have a lot of [players] to choose from. I think it's just about making the most of what we've got. Sometimes less is more as well. And I think it's in our DNA to try, not only the cricket side, as Kiwis is to just enjoy it and make the most of what we've got."

Alan Gardner is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick

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Southee: 'The Kiwi way is to muck in and get the best out of what we've got' - ESPNcricinfo

New Zealands biggest king salmon farmer says it is shutting some of its farms after warming seas prompted mass die-offs of fish, warning that it is a canary in the coalmine for climate change.

New Zealand is the worlds largest producer of king, or chinook salmon, a highly valued breed which fetches a premium on the world market. The countrys farms account for about 85% of global supply, New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne said.

Now, increasingly warm summer seas mean the fish at some sites are dying en masse before they can reach maturity, leaving farmers dumping thousands of tonnes of dead fish into local landfills.

There should be alarm bells, Rosewarne said. When I joined this company, I never heard of the term marine heatwave. Recently, theres been three of them.

We thought we had more time, Rosewarne said. Climate change is a slow process but faster than many people think certain industries are canaries in the coalmine.

We thought that climate change is a really slow effect, detected over decades and possibly weve got, two decades before were even impacted. Well, within one decade we were impacted.

Its considered usual for a small percentage of farmed fish to die each year, but warming temperatures have significantly increased those deaths. In 2022, the King Salmon Companys percentage mortality of biomass for the fish was up to 42% in warm water areas where the fish were not towed to cooler zones; compared to 17% in 2018. Even when the fish were towed out to cooler waters, many were dying: 37% in 2022, compared to just 10% in 2018.

Over the summer months, hotter water temperatures, heated by warm currents coming down from the coral sea, had pushed some of the farmed populations over the edge. We see [temperatures] elevated by a full degree I know that doesnt sound much to people, but a full degree is huge for our species, he said. If you get to 18 degrees for two weeks, then you have a mass mortality event on your hands.

According to RNZ, trucks taking dead fish out of the area had dumped 1,269 tonnes of dead fish and waste in Blenheims landfill over the summer 632 tonnes in February alone, seven times last year and up from the 194 tonnes dumped in February 2020.

Now, New Zealand King Salmon will fallow three of its farms in the warmer Pelorus sound area, keeping just one open to run trials. The company is hoping to be allowed consents from the government for water space where it can farm the fish in cooler waters.

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Major New Zealand salmon producer shuts farms as warming waters cause mass die-offs - The Guardian

Trent Boults last-minute arrival from the Indian Premier League means he may have to sacrifice an appearance at Lords this week, but New Zealand captain Kane Williamson insists his side are full of Test match purists.

Boult went all the way to the IPL final with Rajasthan Royals so only touched down in England two days before the start of the series.

That left him a solitary training session to prove his fitness for a five-day game and get reacquainted with the red ball, and he may instead have to wait until next weeks visit to Trent Bridge.

Hes just arrived but hes keen as, Williamson said of the left-arm quick.

Theres a number of things to consider. Trent is a world-class player but weve got great variety in our bowling attack. Its working out who is ready to go. Most are, obviously Trent is one to look at.

Williamson is not short of bowling options, with Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry all raring to go, and he is adamant that a Black Caps side who were crowned inaugural World Test champions at the Ageas Bowl last summer remain fiercely committed to the five-day format.

Our Test team are so passionate about the format. There does seem to be real movement within cricket, but you certainly still see the purists get a real kick out of red-ball cricket, and our team is full of those sorts of people, he said.

You certainly still see the purists get a real kick out of red-ball cricket, and our team is full of those sorts of people.

Kane Williamson

These guys are so passionate about Test cricket were a nation that probably doesnt play quite as much as England, Australia and India and probably play slightly shorter series. So for us there is a lot of excitement to be playing Test cricket, especially here at Lords.

Becoming Test champions was an amazing achievement and a proud thing for New Zealand cricket. But your motivation is to try and move the team forward.

Williamson confirmed Daryl Mitchell would line up in the middle order, taking the place of fellow batter Henry Nicholls following his bout of coronavirus.

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Kane Williamson working out who is ready to go for New Zealand - The Independent

VANESSA LAURIE/Stuff

Millie Wright won the Miss Teen NZ pageant on the weekend but is hoping to take her win to international competitions.

Taranaki pageant finalist Millie Wright has been crowned Miss Teen New Zealand and now has her sights set on an international competition.

The seventeen-year-old was one of seven finalists in the national pageant competition, held in Waikato on Saturday night, and part of her prize includes attending a pageant overseas.

Its all still a bit of shock for me at the moment because I wasnt expecting it at all.

But Wright said the shock cannot last too long as she prepares for the Teen Tourism pageant in the Philippines at the end of this month.

READ MORE:* Miss Nevada Kataluna Enriquez makes history as first transgender woman to win pageant* Taranaki pageant winner looks to compete abroad* Taranaki teen crowned Miss Teenager Oceania 2019 at her first international pageant

Im pretty keen on going, Im just trying to figure it out with school and everything.

The Miss Teen final took place at the Fitzgerald Cafe in Cambridge, and Wright was up against six other finalists, three of whom Lainey Chard, Alisha Mitchell and Makaia Singh were also from Taranaki.

Wright, a Sacred Heart Girls College student, said she started competing in pageants after her mum, Janine, saw an advertisement for Miss Taranaki.

Since Mum got me into it, she always taught me that its not the outcome that matters, but its the experience that is so important.

VANESSA LAURIE/Stuff

Wright was also scouted for the Teen Tourism Pageant in the Philippines next month.

Wright first competed in Miss Taranaki in 2020, then went on to Miss Teen New Zealand 2021. The weekends win was her first title.

I went into it not expecting to win anything but once I won, it gave me so much confidence in myself.

The event included being interviewed by the judges and a workshop to create a national costume from recycled materials.

Wright said the pageants helped her learn interview and public-speaking skills, and had also boosted her self-confidence.

I have found in my short time doing pageants, my thoughts about myself have been much happier, and Im more comfortable with who I am.

Ive learnt its more important to be yourself rather than anything else.

supplied/Stuff

The Taranaki contestants included Lainey Chard, Makaia Singh, Alisha Mitchell and Millie Wright.

The competition modelling categories included resort wear, cocktail wear and evening gowns and the other Taranaki contestants walked away with awards.

Chard, 20, won the Model of the Year category, Miss Friendship and Hollywood Glamour, as well as Best Restort Wear. She will go to Tasmania in September to compete in Miss Supermodel World.

Singh, 19, won Teen Model of the Year NZ, Best Dressed in the cocktail category, and was also named Miss Photogenic. She will go to Tasmanai in September for Miss Teen Supermodel.

Mitchell, 16, was Miss Teen New Zealand first runner-up, and won the Best Swimwear category. She has been scouted to go overseas to represent New Zealand in Miss Asia Global in Malaysia in September.

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Winner of Miss Teen New Zealand pageant has her sights set on overseas - Stuff

Rotting seaweed has plagued the Caribbean for more than 10 years but research shows how we could clean up beaches and emissions at the same time, by turning whats now rubbish into renewable electricity and fertiliser.

Pelagic sargassum is a brown seaweed that floats at the surface of oceans, particularly in the Atlantic.

Over the last decade, unprecedented amounts of this seaweed have washed up on coastlines of the Caribbean region, Gulf of Mexico, United States and West Africa, triggering human health concerns and negatively impacting the environment and economy.

Recent satellite images have spotted more sargassum at sea than in previous years. Experts fear this years influx could be the worst since the catastrophic 2018 season.

READ MORE:* First Gas invests millions to use biogas, but delays green hydrogen trial* Wellington sewage could be the future for powering homes and heating the airport* Biogas could supply 20pc of NZ's gas needs by 2050, says Beca* Stinking 'seaweed island' heads for Mexico

Given the noxious hydrogen sulphide gas emitted by the seaweed as it decomposes and the frequency with which these influxes have recurred since 2011, sargassum has devastated Caribbean economies that depend on tourism and fisheries for survival.

But there is something we can do.

Our team of researchers has developed a new approach to turn sargassum into bioenergy and fertiliser a solution that could help restore beaches, create jobs and produce renewable electricity.

Tourism is a major sector in the Caribbean region, accounting for 30-40% of the gross domestic product of some small nations.

Rotting seaweed has resulted in reduced visitor arrivals.

Sargassum has also triggered a state of emergency in the fisheries sector of several islands. The seaweed has resulted in reduced visibility, higher occurrences of fishing net entanglement, widespread boat damage and lower fish capture.

The marine ecosystem is further affected because sargassum accumulation on beaches and along shallow coastlines impairs the nesting of sea turtles and causes fish die-offs due to deoxygenation and toxins in water.

Sargassum also promotes coral bleaching and reef mortality.

Human health and the integrity of infrastructure have also been compromised by the hydrogen sulphide, a corrosive and toxic gas with a rotten-egg smell, emitted as the seaweed decomposes.

Though some small-scale attempts have been made to make sargassum useful, land filling remains the primary way to manage the influxes. This approach is an expensive practice, with high labour and energy demands.

Stefan Sebk/Unsplash

Pelagic sargassum is a brown seaweed that floats at the surface of oceans. (File photo)

Sargassum is promising as component in anaerobic digestion systems a process through which bacteria break down organic matter without the presence of oxygen, resulting in biogas.

The seaweed is rich in polysaccharides, a good source of energy, and low in lignin and cellulose, which are difficult to digest.

However, sargassum doesnt readily biodegrade.

To overcome this challenge, our research takes a new approach: for the first time, combining the technologies of super hot water pre-treatment with anaerobic digestion system.

Hydrothermal pre-treatment is a green technology that uses high pressure to make water super hot (140C), while keeping it in a liquid state. Treating sargassum in this super-hot water for 30 minutes helps break it down.

This means hydrothermally pre-treated sargassum yields more energy than unprocessed sargassum.

Hydrothermal pre-treatment also reduces the hydrogen sulphide content in the generated biogas from 3% to 1%.

In the second step, hydrothermally pre-treated sargassum is processed with food waste or other organic wastes in the anaerobic digestion system.

Putting different organic wastes together helps balance out the feedstock, meaning more biogas can be produced.

Whats more, the substance that remains after biogas production is nutrient-dense and pathogen-free, making it safe and useful as an organic bio-fertiliser or soil conditioner.

Building a sargassum-based biorefinery equipped with hydrothermal pre-treatment and anaerobic digestion technologies would offer a number of socio-economic and environmental advantages to Caribbean countries.

Most obviously, a biorefinery would supply electricity to the national grid and produce a bio-fertiliser for local and international use.

A proposed biorefinery in Barbados could handle an annual feed input of 15,750 tonnes of hydrothermally pre-treated sargassum mixed with raw food waste. This would handle a significant portion of sargassum influx, keeping it out of landfills.

This feed input could yield 0.69 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity, 1.04 GWh of heat and 15,000 tonnes of solid-liquid biofertiliser for Barbados.

While sargassum is available only seasonally, a biorefinery could run solely on food or other organic waste when there is no seaweed, making the refinery a sustainable, year-round source of green energy.

Implementing this technology would also help increase the economic sustainability of the tourism and fisheries sectors, assist with waste management and help develop industry and infrastructure in the Caribbean.

However, the cost of development and management of a biorefinery in Barbados has to be carefully managed and will require substantial support from the local community.

According to our analysis, the biorefinery will not break even on power generation alone. Maximum profits could be achieved through selling all of the fertiliser to international markets but this approach provides zero support to local food security. Our recommended option would be to split the waste 50/50 between local farmers and international markets.

While this solution cant directly prevent sargassum influxes, the biogas produced would help reduce carbon emissions.

Since climate change appears to be a factor in the increased sargassum blooms of the past decade, contributing to global efforts to mitigate climate change may eventually improve the situation.

In the meantime, we could have an effective way to deal with the stinking mess ruining Caribbean beaches.

Saeid Baroutian is an associate professor at the University of Auckland and Terrell Thompson is a life sciences coordinator - export Barbados at the University of Auckland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Stinky seaweed is clogging Caribbean beaches but a New Zealand solution could turn it into green power and fertiliser - Stuff

As Aotearoa New Zealand heads into the colder winter months, the pressures on our health system and staff are growing significantly.

On top of the ongoing impact of COVID-19, flu cases have begun to spike.

Conditions are also primed for potential outbreaks of other illnesses including measles, whooping cough and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

If we are to weather the coming storm, there will need to be a recommitment to public health measures that slow the spread of respiratory infections, as well as a renewed drive for widespread vaccination.

The first wave of Omicron swept through Aotearoa New Zealand in late February and March.

Unfortunately, as seen in many other countries, the fall in case numbers has been much slower than the rise, with infections reaching a plateau in all age groups.

Case numbers have been driven by a high number of infections in young people between the ages of 10 and 29 years old. But the elderly have borne the brunt of hospitalisations, largely due to the higher risk of severe outcomes for older adults.

Age stratification aside, persistent inequities have also left Mori and Pasifika at the sharp end of the outbreak both in terms of cases and severe outcomes.

Hospitalisation rates and reinfections are rising in many age groups, mirroring trends seen elsewhere.

New Zealand can expect another resurgence of COVID-19 this winter.

While 95% of New Zealand has received the second dose of the vaccine, one of the highest rates in the world, fewer have received a booster. We also have lower than optimal levels of childhood vaccination.

Long COVID will add a layer of complication for our medical services.

A recent report by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests one in five COVID-19 survivors aged 18 to 64 years old, and one in four survivors aged 65 years and above, experienced at least one condition that might be attributable to previous COVID-19 infection.

Despite being labelled as one of this generations disability challenges, there is currently no test for long COVID.

Worryingly, COVID-19 deaths in Australia have started to trend upwards. Evidence from Australia has shown that the overwhelming majority of people are dying from, not with, COVID-19.

Health professionals are not just worried about COVID-19. The flu and other viruses are also expected to hit hard this year.

Thanks to closed borders, managed isolation and quarantine, and lockdowns, the last time New Zealand experienced a flu season was in 2019.

We are now more vulnerable to the virus. There has already been a reported surge in Dunedin.

In response, the government has made two million vaccines available and has the widened eligibility for people to get vaccinated for free.

Unfortunately, there is growing concern that part of the population may not get vaccinated due to immunisation fatigue, or may be unable to due to structural inequities in access to vaccines.

As with COVID-19, looking across the Tasman can help us understand what is likely to happen in New Zealand.

Much like New Zealand, flu rates in Australia have, until now, been very low due to closed borders.

The latest Australian national surveillance for influenza shows a steep rise in rates of the flu, as well as rising hospital and ICU admissions.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic even started, our research highlighted declines in childhood immunisation for vaccine-preventable diseases.

Public health officials are now noticing further significant declines in routine childhood immunisations.

In April, the World Health Organization reported a 79% increase in measles cases in the first two months of 2022.

Meaningfully addressing long-standing inequities in childhood vaccination programmes takes on new urgency in the face of these vaccination gaps.

Lessons can also be learned from the COVID-19 vaccination programme regarding the success of handing leadership to Mori and Pasifika community providers to improve vaccination rates.

We have long been warned that an underfunded health system might struggle with a seasonal surge in demand.

Pressure points have appeared across the country. On May 23, Dunedin Hospitals COVID-19 ward was at capacity. Two days later, Nelson Hospital also hit capacity limits, leading to temporary ambulance ramping at the emergency department.

Canterbury District Health Board, Hawkes Bay District Health Board, and MidCentral District Health Board have recently urged people to consider alternative care for minor conditions to help alleviate the pressure.

Community health providers are also struggling to meet demands.

During the winter, we spend more time in indoor spaces with inadequate ventilation. We are also becoming more complacent with our mask wearing as policies relax.

In the future, vaccines will need to improve.

But for now, its important to remember that three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine remain effective against hospitalisation even for newer variants, as well as lowering the risk of infection.

But there are things we can all do to avoid the worst this winter has to offer, including to:

Finally, workplaces should continue to support people to stay home and isolate if required.

Excerpt from:

Resurgent COVID-19, flu and other viruses are pushing New Zealand's health system to the limit and now winter is coming - The Conversation Indonesia