Come along to one or more of these free presentations, part of a series of science seminars from GNS Science to inform, educate and raise awareness of New Zealand's unique natural resources.
Scientists will offer insights into the latest research and the challenges and issues around their use and exploitation. Come along and ask questions to initiate an informed dialogue on where these resources are found and how they will be managed and cared for in years to come.
Geothermal: a renewable resource for now and future generations with Dr Cécile Massiot
Thursday 19 April, 6pm-7pm
Last year, Geothermal energy supplied 17% of New Zealand's total electricity, a resource independent of weather conditions and with low CO2 emissions. Dr Cécile Massiot will discuss opportunities for geothermal heat and electricity generation across New Zealand, and exciting perspectives for the near future.
Find out more about Geothermal power and Restoring Rotorua’s natural geothermal taonga.
Fresh water in Aotearoa with Dr Stewart Cameron
Thursday 3 May, 6pm-7pm
New Zealand's clean water is world famous, yet water resources are becoming scarce as changing climate, growing irrigation needs, and images of pollution from farming and urbanisation takes its toll. Dr Stewart Cameron will discuss our fresh water aquifers, how we estimate the amount of water they hold, how water is allocated, what GNS Science is doing to monitor groundwater quality, and the challenges we face in the coming years to counteract past pollution activities.
This talk will have a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter from Deaf Aotearoa.
See our PLD article on Exploring groundwater and pollution and webinar Exploring water pollution, then and follow it with these activities: Constructing an aquifer model or Groundwater contamination. We also have many resources under our water topic.
New Zealand's extremophiles: looking for life in all the wrong places with Dr Lucy Stewart
Thursday 17 May, 6pm-7pm
Forget birds and lizards: in our hot springs, oceans, and mountains, New Zealand has extremophiles, microorganisms that grow where it's too hot, cold, salty, or acidic for most living things. Many could potentially be the source of new biotechnological discoveries. Dr Lucy Stewart is a postdoctoral researcher at GNS Science specialising in the study of deep sea extremophiles.
Find out more about deep sea Cold-seep communities.
Petroleum formation and exploration with Dr Mark Lawrence
Thursday 31 May, 6pm-7pm
Petroleum exploration is not the most politically popular activity with some people these days, due to the burning of fossil fuels; a major factor in climate change and sea level rise. However, what is frequently overlooked is that while we must develop 'low carbon' economies, it cannot be done overnight. Join Dr Mark Lawrence in looking at petroleum formation and the challenges of finding and extracting oil and gas.
Find out more about the search for oil, and see this animated video to see how oil forms over millions of years.
Gas Hydrates - a ‘bridging fuel’ on the road to cleaner energy? with Dr Stuart Henrys
Thursday 14 June, 6pm-7pm
Gas hydrates are a type of frozen methane that exist beneath our seafloor. As a type of fossil fuel there are broad environmental and socio-economic implications that need to be considered if they are to be extracted for energy. Dr Stuart Henrys will talk about gas hydrate research currently being carried out in New Zealand, including investigations into its energy potential, but also how gas hydrate research can help us to understand natural geo-hazards, including submarine landslides.
Minerals - Do we need them? Do we have them? with Dr Tony Christie
Thursday 28 June, 6pm-7pm
Most people are unaware of the importance of minerals in their everyday life, and that New Zealand has a significant mining industry producing minerals for local use and for export. Dr Tony Christie will describe New Zealand's mineral resources, their past and present utilisation, and their potential for future development.
Find out what minerals are.
For further information: https://library.huttcity.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/SourcesofourResources
Location: War Memorial Library, 2 Queens Dr, Lower Hutt
