Our Changing World

Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that revolutionised farming. It changed the world. But today this way of making ammonia uses between 1-2% of the world's global energy, and produces about the same greenhouse gas emissions as the whole airline industry. Is there a better way? A team at Earth Sciences New Zealand are on the hunt for a catalyst that could convert water and air into ammonia using renewable electricity. Their dream is to enable efficient and economical small-scale ammonia production, but to get there they must first prove the chemistry is possible.
Over a hundred years ago Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch discovered a way to produce ammonia that would revolutionise farming. It changed the world. But today synthetic ammonia production uses between 1-2% of the world global energy, and produces about the same greenhouse gas emissions as the whole airline industry. Is there a better way to make it? A team at Earth Sciences New Zealand are on the hunt for a catalyst that could convert water and air into ammonia using renewable electricty. Their dream is to enable efficient and economical small-scale ammonia production, but to get there they must first prove the chemistry is possible.
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Over 80% of our coastal dune ecosystems have been lost. So, what about the native species living with them? Ayana Piper-Healion steps into Bream Bay’s sand dunes with a monitoring team to see what lizards can tell us about the health of the sand dunes.
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Learn more:
To find out more on what the local critics think about the Bream Bay Sand Extraction Project’s fast-track application, RNZ’s Peter de Graaf reported on a protest there earlier this year.
Further north, Saturday Morning reported on significant damage being caused to dunes by thrill seekers driving vehicles through them. 
Another region dealing with threatened dunes is Waimarama, where weeds are spreading from people fly-dumping garden waste.
In the Hawke’s Bay, the ‘Skink Squad’ are on a mission to save the northern spotted skinks in preparation for an infrastructure project.
In 2021, Our Changing World did a deep dive into dune plants and the largest supplier of plants for dune revegetation programs.
Guests:
Steve Johnson, Patuharakeke Te Pou Taiao
Ari Carrington, resource co-ordinator at Patuharakeke Te Pou Taiao
Katrina Hansen, biodiversity specialist Northland Regional Council
Laura Shaft, biodiversity manager Northland Regional Council
Brooke Gray, biodiversity advisor Northland Regional Council
Richard Griffiths, coastal scientist Northland Regional Council
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Highly pathogenic H5/N1 bird flu strain has been detected in New Zealand, but it's still early days. There are lots of unknowns about when it will start spreading here, and how our wildlife will react to the virus. But what has happened in other countries? Claire Concannon speaks to Niall Hatch of BirdWatch Ireland about what they've experienced.
SHOW NOTES:
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LEARN MORE:
The Great Ireland Vs New Zealand Bird-Off took place across two episodes in 2023, during the time when bird flu has having a huge impact on Irish seabirds. Listen to them here: Part 1, Part 2.
Read this RNZ explainer about what the confirmation of H5N1 in New Zealand means for wildlife, poultry and the public.
Revisit the 2025 Our Changing World episode Getting ready for H5N1 bird flu, which traced the virus’s global spread and New Zealand’s preparations for its arrival.
For more on Irish birds and wildlife with Niall Hatch and Ricky Whelan, you can listen to BirdWatch Ireland’s podcast: In Your Nature.
GUESTS:
Niall Hatch, BirdWatch Ireland.
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After years of watching it move closer, the highly pathogenic H5/N1 strain of bird flu has arrived on our shores. It has left a trail of devastation, causing mass mortality events in many birds and mammal species. What do we know about this virus and how is one high-risk site preparing to manage the impacts?
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Our Changing World listeners might like to check out All In Her Head, a podcast by investigative journalist Anusha Bradley exploring a complex medical syndrome, and the grey areas where medicine, belief and scientific evidence collide.
See photos, video and read more about Rachel's story in a special digital feature: The girl who couldn’t eat: An RNZ investigation into the controversy over a debilitating illness
A special thanks to the young women and their families for sharing their stories for this series. And thank you to the doctors, surgeons and specialists in New Zealand and overseas for sharing their medical knowledge and expertise.
If any of these stories affect you – you can find more information about EDS, at ehlers-danlos.org.nz - or you can look up EDS NEW ZEALAND on Facebook and Instagram.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details