Pesticides
What role does our garden play in biodiversity?
University of Otago urban ecologist Professor Yolanda van Heezik recently led a research team focused on the role private gardens can play in contributing to biodiversity. Professor van Heezik is with… Audio
What should we be eating?
For every study promoting wine or coffee as being beneficial to your health, there's another telling you to either reduce consumption or cut them out of your diet altogether. Journalist Nicole Schmidt… Audio
Summer Science: Voices - To spray or not to spray
Summer science continues with a play of a science related episode from RNZ's Voices podcast. In 'To spray or not to spray' we meet Tim Vandervoet as he investigates ways to reduce insecticide use in… Audio
How agricultural pesticide use alters our stream ecology
A new study has shown how the ecology of our streams are impacted by the world's most commonly used pesticide and climate change. University of Otago's Dr Sam Macaulay was the lead researcher for the… Audio
World Bee Day: Protecting our bees from pesticides
Sarah Smuts-Kennedy from For the Love of Bees joins Jesse to celebrate World Bee Day and talk about organic weed control. Audio
How does a kiwifruit orchard get organic certification?
Ryan McDonnell comes from a "really heavy spray background" but now manages four organic kiwifruit orchards. Country Life tags along as BioGro auditor Vivienne Cruickshank checks out whether they're… Audio
Hawaii passes pesticides bill, following lengthy debates
Hawaii anti-pesticides bill passes this month imposing a state wide ban on the use of the neurotoxin chlorpyrifos. Audio
Does bee-harming spray have a future in NZ?
The EU has just banned some pesticides thought to be responsible for bee colony collapse. So why haven't we done the same in NZ yet?
Audio
'No one wants to see honey bees die'
An analysis of a group of pesticides known as neonicotinoids has confirmed that they are harmful to wild bees and honey bees.
Scientists discover high rates of pesticides in honey
Dr Chris Smith has the latest on pesticides in honey and growing kidney diseases in a dish to develop new treatments. Audio
Miniscule amounts of neonic pesticides harmful - research
Neonic pesticides are "extremely harmful" to bees and other non-target species, even in barely-measurable amounts, new research shows.
Dr Verena Seufert - Organic food myths
Dr Verena Seufert explains why she thinks buying organic food may not always be a better choice for your health or for the environment. Audio
Top risks for world's pollinators named
An international study has narrowed down the biggest risks for pollinators, with the hope of preventing further threats to global food production.
Is it time to ban the world's most widely used pesticide?
Growing evidence is showing the negative consequences of neonicotinoid pesticides. The latest is that they are not only harming bees but also their ability to polinate plants. Research, recently… Audio
New neonicotinoid studies ring alarm bells - Greens
The Green Party is calling for an urgent EPA review of the pesticides known as neoneonicotinoids.
Harvard bee study finds pesticides in NZ pollen
A Harvard scientist says if New Zealand wants to find out what's killing bees - it should try banning the pesticides known as neo-nicotinoids - and see what happens. Audio
Campaigners want pesticide banned after US takes it off market
New Zealand campaigners against pesticides want a chemical used to coat seeds banned after a court decision that's taken it off the market in America. Audio
Bumblebees and flowers
Professor of biology at the University of Sussex, founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and author of A Sting in the Tale, and A Buzz in the Meadow. Audio
Naked Science: new pesticides and less sticky mucus
The latest science news with Dr Chris Smith of The Naked Scientists; a new approach to pesticides, and a way of making mucus less sticky. Audio