Researcher doubtful of claims Moa will be brought back
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RNZ News
16 hours ago
- RNZ News
Cyclones linked to surge in cardiovascular disease, study finds
Photo: 123rf Researchers have found that cardiovascular hospitalisations rise after tropical cyclones. Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne and Otago University assessed hospital data from Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam from 2000-19, as well as recorded data from 124 cyclones. They found hospitalisations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) tend to rise, with this rate peaking at 2 months after the event, and the increase lingered up to 6 months after a tropical cyclone. The team also looked at variables, including sex, age, socioeconomic status and geographic location. Results showed a statistically significant and prolonged association between cyclones and CVD hospitalisation for people of all sexes aged 20-59. The team also evaluated six different types of CVD based on hospital diagnostic codes - heart failure, ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, heart rhythm disturbances, peripheral vascular diseases and stroke. Ischemic heart diseases and stroke were the two most common subsets of cyclone-associated CVD, and the latter was especially common in males of all ages. Areas with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation had higher rates of cyclone-associated CVD hospitalisations, but the opposite was the case in areas with stronger socioeconomic advantages. "The study demonstrates that, as well as directly causing immediate deaths and injuries, extreme climate events can have important indirect health impacts over following months," said Professor Simon Hales, an epidemiologist at the University of Otago and one of the study's authors. "These delayed, indirect health impacts are due to infrastructure damage and disruption to livelihoods in the aftermath of major storms. "It is important to understand these health effects and mechanisms in more detail in order to design adaptive responses, as well as to motivate climate mitigation measures. "Cyclones, storms and heavy rainfall events are projected to become more frequent, unless stronger efforts are made to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases," he said. Associate Professor George Laking - executive board member of OraTaiao, the New Zealand Climate and Health Council - said similar work was done after Cyclone Gabrielle for populations in Tai Rāwhiti and Hawke's Bay. "We weren't able to detect that signal in our own project. I think that is explained by the smaller populations we studied. "In this report, there is a higher level of uncertainty in the New Zealand country-specific data. I think this represents our overall smaller population. "Interestingly, the strongest signal in New Zealand was for the north of the South Island, not so strong for the East Coast North Island regions we studied." Laking said he had waited for this study, showing the adverse interaction of cyclones and cardiovascular health. "Under climate change, we have to expect an increased incidence and severity of adverse weather events. That is a consequence of the greater amount of energy and water in the atmosphere. "These incredibly destructive events are adverse for human health in all sorts of ways." Laking said climate change had been identified as the No.1 risk to human health this century. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Earthquake off Russia's coast has left Pacific 'ringing like a bell'
People on the beach at Lyall Bay, Wellington, 31 July 2025. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii An earth scientist says strong and unusual currents will continue this weekend, after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia on Wednesday. The national tsunami advisory issued after the quake was cancelled early-afternoon Friday. Earth Sciences New Zealand principle scientist Graham Leonard told Saturday Morning the scale of the earthquake - one of the largest ever recorded - meant it was taking a while to settle. "This is a huge earthquake. The largest earthquake in the world in 14 years. And it has created a tsunami across the entire Pacific." Thousands of kilometres of seabed - and the ocean above - had been shifted, Leonard said. Earth Sciences New Zealand Principle Scientist Graham Leonard. Photo: Jeff McEwan, Capture Studios "The whole Pacific is ringing like a bell." It would take many days to level out, he added. "There will be strong and unusual currents throughout the motu, especially on the east side of the North and South Islands and the Chatham Islands. "We recommend people to be cautious and stay out of the water through Monday." Things like swimming could be especially dangerous, he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
a day ago
- RNZ News
Country Life: Harnessing the power of plants to combat vineyard threats
Michelle Thompson in her lab at Plant & Food Research in Lincoln Photo: Craig Robertson Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. Are some grapevines better at naturally defending themselves from a disease-spreading pest which costs the New Zealand wine industry millions of dollars? Michelle Thompson is running trials at Plant & Food Research in Lincoln to find out. The PhD student is studying the feeding behaviour of mealybugs, tiny insects which extract sap from plants, reducing the plants' vigour and production. She wants to identify grapevine varieties which produce higher levels of defence compounds that deter the insects. Mealybug electropenetrography on grape leaves Photo: Craig Robertson Conventional vineyard practice at the moment is to use chemical insecticides, as well as removing infected plants. "It would be great to have a more natural way of managing mealybugs and protecting our vineyards, something that's more environmentally sustainable and also less costly," Thompson told Country Life . Leafroll virus damage in a Hawkes Bay vineyard Photo: Tony Corbett Leafroll virus Photo: Tony Corbett "I'm working with Citrophilus mealybugs and they are able to feed on lots of different parts of grapevines - the trunks, canes, leaves, berries and the roots." Mealybugs also transmit the Grapevine Leaf Roll Associated Virus. "This impacts the health of the vine, reduces yields and it changes the grape quality as well." Mealybug electropenetrography on grape leaves Photo: Craig Robertson In the lab, Thompson is using a technique called electropenetrography to study how the pests feed. She is working with four grapevines inside two metal cages, designed to minimise external electrical interference. The vines have differing levels of bioactive compounds in their leaves . Mealybug electropenetrography on grape leaves Photo: Craig Robertson The mealybug electropenetrography on grape leaves is conducted in faraday cages Photo: Craig Robertson "There is a plant electrode that's inserted into the potting mix of the vines and a tiny voltage is applied to the plants." A mealybug attached to an electrode is placed on the leaf of each plant. The gold conductive wire glued onto their back is light enough not to restrict their movement. Michelle brushes the dust off a mealybug before attaching the conductive wire Photo: Craig Robertson Michelle uses a microscope to attach the wire to the mealybug Photo: Craig Robertson A Mealybug moves along a grape leaf while attached to the wire Photo: Craig Robertson The technology measures electrical signals produced by insects feeding on the leaves and monitors their feeding behaviour. "I want this information on mealybug feeding behaviour to be able to inform breeding of rootstock varieties, so we can breed varieties that are resistant to mealybug feeding and therefore reduce virus transmission in our vineyards." The project, Smart Adaptive Rootstocks for a Changing World, is funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Endeavour Fund. Mealybug electropenetrography on grape leaves Photo: Craig Robertson Learn more:
