Science Centres: Energy
How will future climate affect hydro storage?
Brisbane vehicle emissions tested
How's the air?
Wave energy device under development
How's the air?
[Photo: Craig Salmon, Nelson City Council.]
NIWA is installing new meteorological monitoring stations in Nelson City and the Tasman district as part of an air quality initiative.
The Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council have identified air quality as an issue for their region.
Brisbane vehicle emissions tested
Auckland vehicles, Wellington vehicles, and now Brisbane vehicles: we have measured exhaust pollution from tens of thousands of vehicles.
Last month, Lou Reddish of NIWA spent five days monitoring vehicle emissions in Brisbane for Queensland Transport. We operated at three sites: two have high traffic volumes with a good mix of privately-owned and commercial vehicles; the third site leads to an industrial area with light-commercial, diesel traffic.
How will future climate affect hydro storage?
A switch in a long-term climate cycle may signal a 20–30 year stretch of more frequent dry years
Annual flows recorded for the Clutha River at Balclutha, 1 October 1947–30 September 1999. The mean flow is substantially higher during the recent positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation.
Wave energy device under development
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid
NIWA’s Greta Point campus is now the proud owner of this 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid. It’s mostly used for city driving when public transport is not a realistic option. At 4.6 litres per 100 km, the hybrid provides better fuel economy as well as lower emissions than our petrol-only vehicles. We still need station wagons and off-road vehicles for field trips and transporting scientific equipment, but we hope the hybrid options will expand as our other vehicles come up for replacement.
