News
Opinion: The politics driving the mass tragedy of native species decline
The on-going population declines of native wildlife in Aotearoa New Zealand are being perpetuated by politics and our discourses regarding the environment, according to Professor Maria Armoudian, Co-director of Ngā Ara Whetū and Senior Lecturer in Politics and...
Sustain Episode 14: How can we deal with the threat posed by microplastics?
From the Antarctic to the deepest depths of the ocean, microplastics are found in increasingly large numbers. These tiny, seemingly inescapable plastics pose a range of threats to human health, animal life and the ecosystems on which we rely. How can we deal with this...
Eco Film Festival 2025
Coming soon – save the date! Our second eco film festival is taking place on Saturday 7 June 2025 at the Academy Cinemas in Auckland. This year the festival spotlights the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit – a global dialogue on climate change and human...
Auckland Festival of Photography 2025
Photo: Julia Crosfield, Rock pools, North Shore, Tāmaki Makaurau, 2025. We’re part of the Auckland Festival of Photography 2025! Ngā Ara Whetū is holding a collaborative exhibition at Projectspace Gallery for the Auckland Festival of Photography 2025.Affiliates can...
Sustain Episode 13: What is the link between authoritarianism and climate change?
Despite increasing signs of a climate in crisis, false information about this scientific reality continues to drive decision-making at the highest level, particularly in countries which have recently taken a turn towards authoritarianism. Who is spreading this false...
Ngā Ara Whetū and CIRCUIT Submission on the Right to Repair Bill 2024
The Select Committee on Economic Development, Science and Innovation put out a public call for submissions on the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill 2024 (39-1) on February 19 2025. We strongly support the Bill, and in this submission make a few...
High Court backs challenge to crayfish catch
In February 2025, New Zealand’s High Court ruled on a challenge to the former Oceans and Fisheries Minister over his legal obligation to support marine sustainability. The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI), in coalition with local hapū Ngāti Hau and Ngāti Kaharau,...
Plastic pollution explained – problems and solutions
Visiting French academic to present talk on plastic pollution Come and listen to visiting academic, Professor Nathalie Gontard, Research Director, Institut National de la Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l‘Alimentation et l'Environnement, France. Professor Gontard...
From infrastructure to e-waste and food, Ngā Ara Whetū event inspires lively discussions
Five affiliates presented at our networking event last week using the fast and fun PechaKucha style format, and this was followed by a lively gathering where new connections were made. The event was opened by our Co-directors Jacqueline Beggs and Maria Armoudian and...
Project for Media in the Public Interest
Want to understand the world better? Get some context around some of the big questions? Have a fresh light shed on global issues and political debate?
The Project for Media in the Public Interest (PMPI) is a website connecting audiences to informed dialogue about science, economics, arts and politics. Academics from across disciplines at the University of Auckland, across America, Europe, Australia and other universities discuss their research on important topics via videos, podcasts, interviews, symposia and opinion pieces.
“We are aiming to elevate critical thinking, raise the level of public debate, and counter the trend towards soft news,” says the project’s founding director, political scientist Dr Maria Armoudian.
Contact us
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland
Auckland 1010, Aotearoa New Zealand
