Podcasts about chief science adviser

DairyNZ’s Chief Science Adviser looks back on 40 years of change in the dairy industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the episode of Experts in their Field, Council member Eddie Phelan talks to Prof. John Roche,Chief Science Adviser at New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Director of MPI On-Farm Support Services

UHN clinician scientist Dr. Angela Cheung, who runs one of Ontario's few long COVID clinics: and Dr. Mona Nemer, Canada's Chief Science Adviser, on what we need to do better to care for those with this debilitating condition.

In this episode ASA President Dr. George Ramsbottom talks with some of our speakers at our upcoming annual conference. George speaks with Dr. Siobhan Walsh, Irish Farmers' Journal, John Egerton, Beef Farmer, Northern Ireland, Prof. Frank Monahan, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin and Professor John Roche, Chief Science Adviser, Ministry of Primary Industries, New Zealand

This is an episode of Nourishing Matter to Chew On. Find more episodes, and subscribe, here.  In this episode I speak with Dr Colin Chartres, CEO of The Crawford Fund, and Dr Daniel Walker, Chief Scientist of ACIAR, about an inspiring workshop that was held in March to bring leading Australian farmers and researchers together to present and discuss success stories, research challenges and paths forward.  Farmers and researchers across the country have high ambitions and believe it's possible for agriculture to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the will and way.  Imagine, if something huge but that sounds small, like “an increase of 0.4% of carbon in soils” on top of current levels of about 1% could get us there?!  The challenges are huge but Australian farmers and researchers are taking action and leading the way forward – both here and abroad.  Facilitating the conversations, research collaborations and disseminating Australian innovative practices here and overseas is key and The Crawford Fund and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) do just that.  Proceedings and live - yes live! – presentations from the workshop, “What can farmers do? Farmer-Led, Science-Based Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Strategies for Australia and Abroad” can be viewed online at The Crawford Fund's website. Take further inspiration from the international Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture, that ACIAR, for Australia, currently Chairs, and that Dr Walker and colleagues convened meetings for in conjunction with the workshop that we discuss in this episode.   A privilege and such a pleasure to speak with and learn from Dr Chartres and Dr Walker and to hear their ideas and reflections upon, the discussions – before and after the workshop.  Eminent Australian scientists - each with deep knowledge and understanding about Australian agriculture and ecosystems. Before joining The Crawford Fund as CEO in 2014, Dr Chartres was Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Centre, headquartered in Sri Lanka, 2007-2012. Previously, he was Chief Science Adviser to the National Water Commission, held senior roles in the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Geoscience Australia and worked with CSIRO Division of Soils from 1984- 1997 and from 2002-2004 in CSIRO's Land and Water Division. Prior to joining ACIAR in 2017 as Chief Scientist, Dr Walker spent 23 years at CSIRO, where he was Research Director for Agriculture and Global Change with CSIRO Agriculture and Food and prior to that he was Chief of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. In his current role as Chief Scientist at ACIAR, Dan oversees the strategic science focus of the ACIAR research portfolio and its impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation work and also provides leadership for Research Program Managers across nine research areas, along with oversight of ACIAR's relationship with the Australian innovation system. Bravo and thank you!  The Crawford Fund  https://www.crawfordfund.org/ The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research  https://aciar.gov.au/ Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture  https://globalresearchalliance.org/ Instagram @crawfordfund @aciaraustralia @nourishing_matters @foodswellaustralia Facebook @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @ foodswellaustralia  Twitter @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @foodswell1 If you'd like to give Foodswell a hand to grow Nourishing Matters and other good-food, healthy-landscape things we do, donate @ https://www.givenow.com.au/foodswell www.foodswell.org.au/nourishing See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is an episode of Nourishing Matter to Chew On. Find more episodes, and subscribe, here.  In this episode I speak with Dr Colin Chartres, CEO of The Crawford Fund, and Dr Daniel Walker, Chief Scientist of ACIAR, about an inspiring workshop that was held in March to bring leading Australian farmers and researchers together to present and discuss success stories, research challenges and paths forward.  Farmers and researchers across the country have high ambitions and believe it's possible for agriculture to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the will and way.  Imagine, if something huge but that sounds small, like “an increase of 0.4% of carbon in soils” on top of current levels of about 1% could get us there?!  The challenges are huge but Australian farmers and researchers are taking action and leading the way forward – both here and abroad.  Facilitating the conversations, research collaborations and disseminating Australian innovative practices here and overseas is key and The Crawford Fund and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) do just that.  Proceedings and live - yes live! – presentations from the workshop, “What can farmers do? Farmer-Led, Science-Based Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Strategies for Australia and Abroad” can be viewed online at The Crawford Fund's website. Take further inspiration from the international Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture, that ACIAR, for Australia, currently Chairs, and that Dr Walker and colleagues convened meetings for in conjunction with the workshop that we discuss in this episode.   A privilege and such a pleasure to speak with and learn from Dr Chartres and Dr Walker and to hear their ideas and reflections upon, the discussions – before and after the workshop.  Eminent Australian scientists - each with deep knowledge and understanding about Australian agriculture and ecosystems. Before joining The Crawford Fund as CEO in 2014, Dr Chartres was Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Centre, headquartered in Sri Lanka, 2007-2012. Previously, he was Chief Science Adviser to the National Water Commission, held senior roles in the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Geoscience Australia and worked with CSIRO Division of Soils from 1984- 1997 and from 2002-2004 in CSIRO's Land and Water Division. Prior to joining ACIAR in 2017 as Chief Scientist, Dr Walker spent 23 years at CSIRO, where he was Research Director for Agriculture and Global Change with CSIRO Agriculture and Food and prior to that he was Chief of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. In his current role as Chief Scientist at ACIAR, Dan oversees the strategic science focus of the ACIAR research portfolio and its impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation work and also provides leadership for Research Program Managers across nine research areas, along with oversight of ACIAR's relationship with the Australian innovation system. Bravo and thank you!  The Crawford Fund  https://www.crawfordfund.org/ The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research  https://aciar.gov.au/ Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture  https://globalresearchalliance.org/ Instagram @crawfordfund @aciaraustralia @nourishing_matters @foodswellaustralia Facebook @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @ foodswellaustralia  Twitter @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @foodswell1 If you'd like to give Foodswell a hand to grow Nourishing Matters and other good-food, healthy-landscape things we do, donate @ https://www.givenow.com.au/foodswell www.foodswell.org.au/nourishing Support the show: https://www.climactic.fm/p/support-the-collective/

This is an episode of Nourishing Matter to Chew On. Find more episodes, and subscribe, here.  In this episode I speak with Dr Colin Chartres, CEO of The Crawford Fund, and Dr Daniel Walker, Chief Scientist of ACIAR, about an inspiring workshop that was held in March to bring leading Australian farmers and researchers together to present and discuss success stories, research challenges and paths forward.  Farmers and researchers across the country have high ambitions and believe it's possible for agriculture to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the will and way.  Imagine, if something huge but that sounds small, like “an increase of 0.4% of carbon in soils” on top of current levels of about 1% could get us there?!  The challenges are huge but Australian farmers and researchers are taking action and leading the way forward – both here and abroad.  Facilitating the conversations, research collaborations and disseminating Australian innovative practices here and overseas is key and The Crawford Fund and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) do just that.  Proceedings and live - yes live! – presentations from the workshop, “What can farmers do? Farmer-Led, Science-Based Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Strategies for Australia and Abroad” can be viewed online at The Crawford Fund's website. Take further inspiration from the international Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture, that ACIAR, for Australia, currently Chairs, and that Dr Walker and colleagues convened meetings for in conjunction with the workshop that we discuss in this episode.   A privilege and such a pleasure to speak with and learn from Dr Chartres and Dr Walker and to hear their ideas and reflections upon, the discussions – before and after the workshop.  Eminent Australian scientists - each with deep knowledge and understanding about Australian agriculture and ecosystems. Before joining The Crawford Fund as CEO in 2014, Dr Chartres was Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Centre, headquartered in Sri Lanka, 2007-2012. Previously, he was Chief Science Adviser to the National Water Commission, held senior roles in the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Geoscience Australia and worked with CSIRO Division of Soils from 1984- 1997 and from 2002-2004 in CSIRO's Land and Water Division. Prior to joining ACIAR in 2017 as Chief Scientist, Dr Walker spent 23 years at CSIRO, where he was Research Director for Agriculture and Global Change with CSIRO Agriculture and Food and prior to that he was Chief of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. In his current role as Chief Scientist at ACIAR, Dan oversees the strategic science focus of the ACIAR research portfolio and its impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation work and also provides leadership for Research Program Managers across nine research areas, along with oversight of ACIAR's relationship with the Australian innovation system. Bravo and thank you!  The Crawford Fund  https://www.crawfordfund.org/ The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research  https://aciar.gov.au/ Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture  https://globalresearchalliance.org/ Instagram @crawfordfund @aciaraustralia @nourishing_matters @foodswellaustralia Facebook @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @ foodswellaustralia  Twitter @CrawfordFund @ACIARAustralia @foodswell1 If you'd like to give Foodswell a hand to grow Nourishing Matters and other good-food, healthy-landscape things we do, donate @ https://www.givenow.com.au/foodswell www.foodswell.org.au/nourishing Support the show: https://www.climactic.fm/p/support-the-collective/

This is an episode of Nourishing Matter to Chew On. Find more episodes, and subscribe, here. In this episode I speak with Dr Colin Chartres, CEO of The Crawford Fund, and Dr Daniel Walker, Chief Scientist of ACIAR, about an inspiring workshop that was held in March to bring leading Australian farmers and researchers together to present and discuss success stories, research challenges and paths forward. Farmers and researchers across the country have high ambitions and believe it's possible for agriculture to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 with the will and way. Imagine, if something huge but that sounds small, like “an increase of 0.4% of carbon in soils” on top of current levels of about 1% could get us there?! The challenges are huge but Australian farmers and researchers are taking action and leading the way forward – both here and abroad. Facilitating the conversations, research collaborations and disseminating Australian innovative practices here and overseas is key and The Crawford Fund and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) do just that. Proceedings and live - yes live! – presentations from the workshop, “What can farmers do? Farmer-Led, Science-Based Greenhouse Gas Mitigation: Strategies for Australia and Abroad” can be viewed online at The Crawford Fund's website. Take further inspiration from the international Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture, that ACIAR, for Australia, currently Chairs, and that Dr Walker and colleagues convened meetings for in conjunction with the workshop that we discuss in this episode.  A privilege and such a pleasure to speak with and learn from Dr Chartres and Dr Walker and to hear their ideas and reflections upon, the discussions – before and after the workshop.  Eminent Australian scientists - each with deep knowledge and understanding about Australian agriculture and ecosystems.Before joining The Crawford Fund as CEO in 2014, Dr Chartres was Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), a CGIAR Research Centre, headquartered in Sri Lanka, 2007-2012. Previously, he was Chief Science Adviser to the National Water Commission, held senior roles in the Bureau of Rural Sciences and Geoscience Australia and worked with CSIRO Division of Soils from 1984- 1997 and from 2002-2004 in CSIRO's Land and Water Division.Prior to joining ACIAR in 2017 as Chief Scientist, Dr Walker spent 23 years at CSIRO, where he was Research Director for Agriculture and Global Change with CSIRO Agriculture and Food and prior to that he was Chief of CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences. In his current role as Chief Scientist at ACIAR, Dan oversees the strategic science focus of the ACIAR research portfolio and its impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation work and also provides leadership for Research Program Managers across nine research areas, along with oversight of ACIAR's relationship with the Australian innovation system.Bravo and thank you! The Crawford Fund  https://www.crawfordfund.org/The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research  https://aciar.gov.au/Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Greenhouse Gases in Agriculture  https://globalresearchalliance.org/Instagram@crawfordfund@aciaraustralia@nourishing_matters@foodswellaustraliaFacebook@CrawfordFund@ACIARAustralia@ foodswellaustralia...

Do we age out of love? Has the pandemic derailed dating and mating? Not according to Dr. Helen Fisher, chief science adviser to Match.com. An anthropologist, human behavior researcher, and expert on love and the biology of why we mate, stay, and stray, Dr. Fisher joins me to drop optimistic truth bombs on love in the time of COVID. Bonus, she shares snippets of her own love story and marriage at age 75.SHOW NOTES + TRANSCRIPT:acertainagepod.comFOLLOW A CERTAIN AGE:InstagramFacebookLinkedInGET INBOX INSPO:Sign up for our newsletter AGE BOLDLYWe share new episodes, giveaways, links we live, and midlife resourcesLIKE BOOKS?Each month we do an author BOOK LOOK on Instagram Live Follow us for the fun! @acertainagepodCONTACT US:katie@acertainagepod.com

Chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, Dr. Moncef Slaoui, joins The Washington Post to discuss the federal government’s aggressive COVID-19 vaccine development and distribution program.

Scott founded 'I Have a Dream NZ' and in this interview we learn all about the impact it is having on the lives of kids through a programme that helps children from low income communities reach their education and career goals by providing a long term programme of mentoring, tutoring, and enrichment.   And by long term, he means long term - the people involved commit to supporting and being involved with the same children from a very young age right through to early adulthood.  It's an amazing program - more below - but we also find out about Scott's life and his background in Invercargill, working for Intel in the US and what he learned there about culture and work practises, what he learned working at Intel, impact investing, moving back to NZ and being involved in founding IceAngels one of the first Angel investment groups in New Zealand.   This is episode 162 - if you like it, consider checking out earlier ones at www.theseeds.nz  Website: 'I Have a Dream NZ Overview and detailed information and links: The I Have a Dream programme has been operating in the Wesley community of Mt Roskill since 2003, with significant success.  Our results from the project (see table below) demonstrate that investing in children for their entire educational journey (from Primary School to Tertiary and/or Employment) can solve the problem of inter-generational poverty. These Auckland “Dreamers” have achieved on many metrics, including leadership, community participation, sports and quality of life.  But perhaps the most significant, and certainly the most easily quantified, is their educational success.  We tracked them against a Comparison Group, which was the Year Level ahead of them at the same Decile 1 Primary School in Mt Roskill.  80% entered tertiary education compared to 30% in the comparison group. These young people are now 24 years old, and most of them have entered successful careers.  This project was based on the US model which has enjoyed 37 years of success, with more than 200 projects impacting the lives of over 17,000 young people.  Our pilot project in Mt Roskill was designed to assess whether this American “franchise” can be applied successfully in the NZ context.  We have proven that it can. The next stage is to demonstrate that we can scale this out, cost-effectively, to all the schools in a community.  We started expanding to 1,000+ young people across 4 schools in the Tikipunga/Otangarei community in Whangarei in 2016.  We want to take the Government with us on this 10–15 year journey, with the intention that they will then roll this out to all high needs communities in NZ. Our points of difference, compared to many other education and youth development initiatives, are: ·       Long Term Intervention – 15 years, from Year 1 through to tertiary and employment ·       Full-time Adult Advocate – a Navigator works with each cohort (between 50 and 90 children in each Year Level ) for their entire educational journey, from Primary School to Tertiary Study and/or a Career ·       Inclusiveness – we work with all the children in a disadvantaged community – we don't just target specific kids based on their talents, risk factors, ethnicity or socio-economic status ·       Aspirational – every child has potential, so our kaupapa (mission) is to help uncover and develop that child’s dream and unique capabilities ·       Holistic – we offer wrap-around services, and do whatever it takes to keep each child on track ·       Collective Impact – we work closely with the schools, and we integrate the activities of all the non-profits and Government agencies that work with each child and whānau (family) Importantly, we have undertaken ongoing professional research that proves the programme’s effectiveness and outcomes.  Some of this evaluation can be seen at: www.ihaveadream.org.nz/results These four links below give a good introduction to the extension of the I Have a Dream programme into Whangarei: ·        This 4 minute video provides an overview of our programme’s history in Mt Roskill and the future in Tikipunga/Otangarei ·        Personal testimony videos from some of our Dreamer alumni:  Amelia, Anna, Mosa, Robel, and Tali ·        This clip features a couple of our new Whangarei students and introduces some of our Navigators.  This was produced by our major funder, Foundation North ·        This clip was produced by the NZ Herald, as part of their series of articles on NCEA.  It features one of our Mt Roskill graduates, Amelia Unufe Beyond this information, I’d be happy to share our Business and Operations plans, our Annual Report and Audited Accounts, and the 6-monthly Performance Reports prepared for one of our major funders (Foundation North). We also want to inform public debate about the need for this kind of investment, hence our excitement at the sponsorship from the MediaWorks Foundation.  Have you noticed the TV and radio advertisements hosted by Duncan Garner? This programme is designed to produce positive outcomes for the children involved, their whānau and the community they live in.  By offering the services of a consistent caring adult for the 15 years of their schooling life, we help to ensure that each child graduates with the academic and social skills to successfully transition to a career or further study.  This will ensure that they become positive role-models who add value to their communities, increasing economic and social outcomes for our country. Here are three recent videos we’ve produced, with the pro bono assistance of local providers: 1.      This 2 minute video was shown at the 5th Annual IceAngels Tech Showcase in Auckland on 21st Sept, 2017.  Please listen to these children, assisted by well-known TV News presenter, Duncan Garner, explain why the roomful of tech investors should support our programme.  We applaud the donors from the tech and angel investment sectors that are acknowledged in the video …. and are glad they didn’t mind being called “Donuts” …  J 2.     We released this new Dreamer Song at the Town Hall in Whangarei on Sat 21st Oct, 2017.  I Have a Dream was selected by Menzies, a global aviation services firm, as their charity partner for 2017.  This meant that they had a team of executives working with the programme for the week, culminating in the release of this awesome new song.  It was written by Joby Hopa (our Community Engagement Manager) and performed by 40 of the Dreamers from the 4 schools we’re working with in the Tikipunga/Otangarei community. 3.      All of our volunteers deserve this kind of recognition! We’ve also been lucky to have two great stories in the press recently: 1.      This article (and short video) in a recent issue of the Northern Advocate described an awesome camp for these tamariki (children).  All of them experienced a wealth of exciting new experiences, they had to push their boundaries, and they discovered new capabilities within themselves.  It’s a fairly expensive outing, on a per head basis, but the ROI in terms of their confidence and memories will be huge, and long-lasting 2.      This article in the Dec. ‘18 issue of North & South magazine illustrates the power of our model of inter-generational investment. It’s important to note that we are continually refining and developing the principles behind our programme.  Important elements that have been evolved specifically for the context in Aotearoa NZ are: 1.     Wairua/Tikanga Māori.  We recognise that Wairua/Tikanga Māori is fundamental to Māori existence, so as we are now expanding into a predominantly Māori community, we uphold a core set of values which determine our objectives and programming.  These key values are: Ako (learning), Aroha (love), Whānaunatanga (relationships), Tumanako (hope) and Rangatiratanga (autonomy). 2.     Circle of Courage.  The Circle of Courage model portrays four growth needs of all children: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity.  This internationally applied model has evolved to act as a guide for adults to better serve children and youth who are in emotional pain from conflict in the family, school, community, peer groups or with self. We know there is more that we can do to deepen and broaden the reach of our programme, e.g., ·        During his recent visit Richie Poulton, the PM’s Chief Science Adviser for Poverty & Well-being, encouraged us to extend our mahi back to birth, rather than starting in Year 1 of Primary School.  We could do this internally, but see benefit in partnering with an expert in this space, such as Talking Matters. ·       We see the benefit in working more closely with other educationally-focused programmes such as Teach First NZ and Springboard Trust to become a more complete solution to the goal of raising education achievement in our schools. ·        There are many other wonderful groups in NZ doing similar and parallel work, such as The Wise Group, Mahitahi Hauora, Tamaki Regeneration Company, etc., whom we can learn from and share with.      

Ridding New Zealand of single-use plastic items is a "personal priority" says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who this morning revealed the Government's next steps in its fight against plastics."There is more to do," Ardern said.Her comments came after she announced a ban on more single-use plastic items, including meat trays, cups and takeaway food containers.This comes six months after the official plastic bag-ban came into force.This morning Ardern's Chief Science Adviser, Professor Juliet Gerrard, released a report called: Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand.It made a number of recommendations but its overall message to the Government was more needs to be done to get rid of single-use plastic items.Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says a lot of plastic waste doesn't need to be created in the first place.She says the report will now go to the Ministry for the Environment."Will look at all the recommendations more closely, come back, and I hope within six months we'll have a really serious response to the plan." "Our goal must be to make Aotearoa and economy where plastic rarely becomes waste or pollution," Ardern said.She revealed that through the Provincial Growth Fund, the Government was looking into funding "optical scanners to improve plastic recycling".She said the Government was also eyeing out new projects which would support the conversation of plastic waste into other products."People want to get plastics out of our environment and live up to our image as tidy Kiwis – we just need a plan to get there."Ardern said she gets a lot of letters from people, mainly children, concerned about the amount of plastic in the ocean.She said she reads every letter from a child that is sent to her. One letter contained a checklist of how to save turtles – step one, stop throwing plastic in the ocean."Good tip," Ardern said.Looking ahead, Ardern said any future moves on plastics would require co-ordination not just from the Government, but from business, communities and individuals.Ardern this morning talked up the Government's plastic bag-ban, saying it has already made a significant difference in New Zealand.However, she said New Zealand still had "enormous long-term" challenges when it comes to plastic waste.Act Leader David Seymour called on the Government to explain how strong the evidence supporting these bans actually is. Photo / Mark MitchellBut critics say the Government needs to front up with more evidence that this new ban is actually needed in New Zealand.Act Leader David Seymour called on the Government to explain how strong the evidence supporting these bans actually is."The Government is making the lives of New Zealanders slightly more difficult when there appears to be no real evidence of the scale of the problem."Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said there was no silver bullet when it comes to reducing plastic pollution, but admitted New Zealand needed a "system change".She said she aimed to have a full Government response to the report within six months. 

Ridding New Zealand of single-use plastic items is a "personal priority" says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who this morning revealed the Government's next steps in its fight against plastics."There is more to do," Ardern said.Her comments came after she announced a ban on more single-use plastic items, including meat trays, cups and takeaway food containers.This comes six months after the official plastic bag-ban came into force.This morning Ardern's Chief Science Adviser, Professor Juliet Gerrard, released a report called: Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand.It made a number of recommendations but its overall message to the Government was more needs to be done to get rid of single-use plastic items.Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says a lot of plastic waste doesn't need to be created in the first place.She says the report will now go to the Ministry for the Environment."Will look at all the recommendations more closely, come back, and I hope within six months we'll have a really serious response to the plan." "Our goal must be to make Aotearoa and economy where plastic rarely becomes waste or pollution," Ardern said.She revealed that through the Provincial Growth Fund, the Government was looking into funding "optical scanners to improve plastic recycling".She said the Government was also eyeing out new projects which would support the conversation of plastic waste into other products."People want to get plastics out of our environment and live up to our image as tidy Kiwis – we just need a plan to get there."Ardern said she gets a lot of letters from people, mainly children, concerned about the amount of plastic in the ocean.She said she reads every letter from a child that is sent to her. One letter contained a checklist of how to save turtles – step one, stop throwing plastic in the ocean."Good tip," Ardern said.Looking ahead, Ardern said any future moves on plastics would require co-ordination not just from the Government, but from business, communities and individuals.Ardern this morning talked up the Government's plastic bag-ban, saying it has already made a significant difference in New Zealand.However, she said New Zealand still had "enormous long-term" challenges when it comes to plastic waste.Act Leader David Seymour called on the Government to explain how strong the evidence supporting these bans actually is. Photo / Mark MitchellBut critics say the Government needs to front up with more evidence that this new ban is actually needed in New Zealand.Act Leader David Seymour called on the Government to explain how strong the evidence supporting these bans actually is."The Government is making the lives of New Zealanders slightly more difficult when there appears to be no real evidence of the scale of the problem."Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage said there was no silver bullet when it comes to reducing plastic pollution, but admitted New Zealand needed a "system change".She said she aimed to have a full Government response to the report within six months. 

Dr. Tim Ball, author of Human Caused Global Warming: The Biggest Deception In History. Dr. Tim Ball is an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Dr. Ball is the Chief Science Adviser of International Climate Science Coalition.

Dr. Tim Ball, author of Human Caused Global Warming: The Biggest Deception In History. Dr. Tim Ball is an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba. Dr. Ball is the Chief Science Adviser of International Climate Science Coalition.

Laura Ingraham keeps her time slot on Fox news and sponsors start returning as her ratings stay strong. Michael Cohen, the personal attorney for Donald Trump, is again denying allegations that he visited Prague in summer 2016, as the infamous Steele dossier alleges. James Comey, the former FBI director, has been getting away with avoiding the tough questions but now that his book is out will someone finally ask them? April is Environmental Awareness Month so let's examine the Climate Change Hoax with Dr. Tim Ball, author of Human Caused Global Warming: The Biggest Deception In History, an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba as well as the Chief Science Adviser of International Climate Science Coalition. Don't forget about the Edwards Notebook and the Veteran's Tip of the Day! All of this and more as time allows. Listen live, join the chatroom, be a part of the show.  

Laura Ingraham keeps her time slot on Fox news and sponsors start returning as her ratings stay strong. Michael Cohen, the personal attorney for Donald Trump, is again denying allegations that he visited Prague in summer 2016, as the infamous Steele dossier alleges. James Comey, the former FBI director, has been getting away with avoiding the tough questions but now that his book is out will someone finally ask them? April is Environmental Awareness Month so let's examine the Climate Change Hoax with Dr. Tim Ball, author of Human Caused Global Warming: The Biggest Deception In History, an environmental consultant and former climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba as well as the Chief Science Adviser of International Climate Science Coalition. Don't forget about the Edwards Notebook and the Veteran's Tip of the Day! All of this and more as time allows. Listen live, join the chatroom, be a part of the show. 

The Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee has expanded to test new psychoactive substances. Adam Rutherford talks to Professors Sue Black and Niamh Nic Daeid, who jointly run the Centre, about how they can keep up with the many new illegal drugs coming onto the market and about how they intend to modernise forensics. 2017 is the centenary of the publication of On Growth and Form, the book by D'Arcy Thompson that influenced many people from mathematical biologists to architects. Adam discusses the man and the book with Matthew Jarrron in the D'Arcy Thompson Museum at the University of Dundee. Astrophysicist Sheila Rowan has been the Chief Science Adviser to the Scottish Government for just over a year. Adam asks her about the role and how she deals with controversial issues such as GM crops. And Aaron Davis of Kew Gardens explains the impact of climate change on coffee growing in Ethiopia.