Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 1m

NZ’s native lizards are at risk from land development – future policy must ensure better protection share.google/dr0dcolpE1yb...

NZ’s native lizards are at risk from land development – future policy must ensure better protection

All but four of New Zealand’s 120 lizard species are threatened or at risk. But little consideration is given to lizards during most land development projects.

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Reposted by Andy McKay

André Alessi @andrealessi.bsky.social · 1h

This is a particular problem in journalism right now, where decisions about who gets to represent certain viewpoints distorts the wider public's understanding.

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André Alessi @andrealessi.bsky.social · 1h

We all belong to communities with differing standards for who we should or shouldn't listen to, but if your understanding of contrary views involves only paying attention to the absolutely fringe-iest people outside your own communities, you're not doing yourself any favours.

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Tyler @electriceden92.bsky.social · 1h

@davidgerard.co.uk already had the best piece on this pivot-to-ai.com/2025/07/10/a...

‘AI is here to stay’ — is it, though? What do you mean, ‘stay’?

When some huge and stupid public chatbot disaster hits the news, the AI pumpers will Kramer into the mentions to say stuff like “you have to admit, AI is here to stay.” Well, no, I don’t. Not unles…

pivot-to-ai.com

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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 1h

Thanks Sophie, it hasn't happened yet but we are heading in the right direction. Also worth acknowledging the two decades of work that has led up to this point as well!

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Jonathan King @jonathanking.bsky.social · 20h

Craig Robertson’s biography of CHRIS KNOX, NOT GIVEN LIGHTLY, is out now and I had the honour of making a trailer for it (from Chris’s own music and films).

'Chris Knox: Not Given Lightly', a biography by Craig Robertson | Book Trailer

YouTube video by Auckland University Press

youtu.be

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Christina Hood @christinahood.bsky.social · 5h

Heads up - New Zealand government's annoucements on 2050 climate target will be made midday Sunday NZ time. Will we be the first country to weaken a legislated 2050 target?

Email from the Ministry for the Environment:

Tēnā koe,
On Sunday at 12.00pm (12th October) the Government will make an announcement about New Zealand’s 2050 climate change targets.

The Ministry for the Environment will also release the 2025 emissions projections at 5.00pm on Sunday.

Ngā mihi
Ministry for the Environment

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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 3h

Powelliphanta traversii otakia (Nationally Endangered) shell that we stumbled across yesterday. It was about 20m out from the bush edge in a cow paddock. We are firming up a cross-agency plan with a private landowner to retire wetlands and streams and expand out the forest. 🌏

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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 7h

I would love to come along Phil but I'm on a bus heading north. Hope it all goes well!

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Phil Garnock-Jones @theobrominated.bsky.social · 6d

All welcome at my book's launch: Unity Books Wellington 6 pm this Friday 10 October. Come and say hello.

Book launch invitation from Unity Books Willis St Wellington, for my book He Puāwai a natural history of New Zealand flowers. It shows the cover on a purple background with some stylised flowers.

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Newsroom NZ @newsroom.co.nz · 1d

NZ's best book reviewer on a major biography of the caustic, abrasive, sarcastic and loveable Chris Knox.

Book of the Week: To Chris with love

newsroom.co.nz

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Reposted by Andy McKay

NEaar lab @neaarlab.bsky.social · 21h

Intriguing study just out in @currentbiology.bsky.social led by Patrick Arnold & Michi Hofreiter @unipotsdam.bsky.social showing hippos might have still been roaming central Europe in the last ice age www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... 🧪🦛#quaternary

Ancient DNA and dating evidence for the dispersal of hippos into central Europe during the last glacial

Late Pleistocene hippo fossils (Hippopotamus amphibius) from Europe have generally been associated with the last interglacial period (Eemian, 129–115 …

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982225012059🧪🦛#quaternary

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Reposted by Andy McKay

Nic Rawlence @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social · 1d

While many species ate much the same as they do today, others – including the pārera grey duck, pūtangitangi paradise shelduck, kawau tikitiki spotted shag, & tarāpuka & tarāpunga black & red-billed gulls – showed signs of different regional diets in the past. 4/6

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Nic Rawlence @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social · 1d

We analysed the chemical signatures of diet from ancient bird bones discovered at Harwood on the Otago Peninsula & compared these to previously published bird diets from the early Māori site of Wairau Bar in Marlborough. Spot the ancient bird bone in the picture below 3/6

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Reposted by Andy McKay

New Zealand Ecological Society @newzealandecology.bsky.social · 21h

📢 New publication in NZJE!

Reconstructing ecological niche and feeding ecology of pre-contact New Zealand avifauna from Harwood, Otago Peninsula 🪶

Lead author: Nic Rawlence
@nicrawlencenz.bsky.social
@atennyson.bsky.social

newzealandecology.org/nzje/3616

Reconstructing ecological niche and feeding ecology of pre-contact New Zealand avifauna from Harwood, Otago Peninsula | NZES

newzealandecology.org

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Russel Norman @russelnorman.bsky.social · 1d

Unsurprisingly, stopping bottom trawling is really good for life in the ocean. oceanographicmagazine.com/news/26-year...

26 years of video footage shows benefit of bottom-trawling bans - Oceanographic

The University of Gothenburg deployed machine learning to analyse 26 years of underwater footage and analyse seabed changes since trawling ban

oceanographicmagazine.com

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Reposted by Andy McKay

Craig Renney @clrenney.bsky.social · 2d

Overall, this cut signals how far we have fallen. Remember that we were supposed to have recovered by now and growth was supposed to have returned. It hasn’t, the policy mix of the government likely makes growth harder. Back on track? More like off the rails.

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Craig Renney @clrenney.bsky.social · 2d

There is also a risk that in the short run we will be driving higher inflation. A lower OCR means a lower NZ$. That likely means higher petrol prices and higher imported food, energy, and goods pricing. That will put further pressure on inflation- likely to breach 3% soon.

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PERFECTLY NORMAL @nzpom.com · 1d

PERFECTLY NORMAL

New Zealand oceans warming 34% faster than global average, putting homes and industry at risk, report finds

NZ$180bn worth of housing and $26bn of infrastructure at risk of flooding and storm damage, new government report finds

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Andy McKay

Tammy Steeves @testeeves.bsky.social · 2d

What are the ‘social dimensions’ of moving species for conservation and why does engaging with them matter?

This is the focus of our new paper doi.org/10.1016/j.tr... published in @cp-trendsecolevo.bsky.social olevo.bsky.social led by ever talented @aisrayne.bsky.social

📷 Kevin Parker

Whimsical photo of a karure | kakaruia | Chatham Island black robin courtesy of Kevin Parker. Features as a wee black bird with four leg bands: white over orange on the left leg and red over white on the right leg. Sneaky tufts of feathers peak out from otherwise borb-like body, encouraged by the unseen wind.

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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 1d

Bold of you to assume that these people have friends.

Reposted by Andy McKay

Tea Junkie @teajunkie.bsky.social · 2d

"And for the love of EVERYTHING, stop calling it ‘the future,’ AI is just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be re-consumed. You are taking in the Human Centipede of content, and from the very very end of the line".
www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...

Robin Williams’ daughter Zelda hits out at AI-generated videos of her dead father: ‘stop doing this to him’

Film-maker tells the public to stop sending her videos, saying: ‘You’re not making art, you’re making disgusting, over-processed hotdogs out of the lives of human beings’

www.theguardian.com

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Nic Rawlence @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social · 2d

These talks are next week. It would be good to see you all there bsky.app/profile/nicr...

Nic Rawlence @nicrawlencenz.bsky.social · 9d

I have a double bill of public talks coming up on MythBusting de-extinction to sort fact from fiction. It will be good to see you all there. On Tues 14th Oct 11am-12.30pm NZ time I'll be giving an online talk with Genomics for Aotearoa NZ. You can register here (otago.zoom.us/webinar/regi...) 1/2

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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 3d

A few of us had been wondering what this predator proof fence was for over the past few months. Good to finally hear about it.

Also RNZ still using my northern grass skink photo that I sent to Lynn Freeman back in 2019. Do they just own it now? 😂

www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Native lizards protected as condition of road construction near Levin

A four-hectare section of forest and grassland will soon become home to a population of lizards.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Reposted by Andy McKay

David Hood @thoughtfulnz.bsky.social · 4d

You can't fit thousands of job seekers into tens of jobs.
And while Luxon might call himself sorted, the country isn't, even if he doesn't want to do anything about it.

Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 6d

I am admittedly rage-posting now, but come the fuck on! Can we have an actual conversation about what we are doing as a country?

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