Fox Meyer
@foxmeyer.bsky.social
Wellington-based journo with Newsroom | Otago geology dept | road cone apologist
This was such a fun story to research. I’m always interested in disasters, and solar storms are unique in that they’re proportional to our tech reliance. So many crazy moments in the last 150 years, like when a storm detonated sea mines or allowed telegraph comms while the machines were unplugged
SCIENCE JOURNALISM AWARDS FINALIST: @foxmeyer.bsky.social's article for @newsroom.co.nz is “a great invitation to look beyond the stunning auroras” and focus on mitigating their disruption to electrical grids. newsroom.co.nz/2025/01/10/i...
Inevitable solar storms will be catastrophic for energy supply
Exploding transformers and crippling worldwide power outages: NZ's disaster experts say the threat posed by solar storms is comparable to nuclear war
newsroom.co.nz
June 13, 2025 at 6:14 AM
This was such a fun story to research. I’m always interested in disasters, and solar storms are unique in that they’re proportional to our tech reliance. So many crazy moments in the last 150 years, like when a storm detonated sea mines or allowed telegraph comms while the machines were unplugged
Spot of good news. Fed Farms and envt groups both back PCE's longtime suggestion to take all the envt data collected via consent monitoring etc and put it one, public place. Looks like that might finally be happening as part of RMA/science reforms
newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/10/g...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/10/g...
Govt's data shakeup would answer farmer and conservationist pleas
There have been calls for a federated environmental database for years, a change expected to reduce redundant sampling and make data nationally available
newsroom.co.nz
June 9, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Spot of good news. Fed Farms and envt groups both back PCE's longtime suggestion to take all the envt data collected via consent monitoring etc and put it one, public place. Looks like that might finally be happening as part of RMA/science reforms
newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/10/g...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/10/g...
A bit of legislative necromancy pushed through - impressively - in less than a year.
By including these first few projects in the legislation, Bish and Jones said they’d get a bit of extra protection from scrutiny: a feature, not a bug
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/18/z...
By including these first few projects in the legislation, Bish and Jones said they’d get a bit of extra protection from scrutiny: a feature, not a bug
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/18/z...
Zombies given new life as fast-track passes into law
Contentious mining and marine farming projects, previously killed off by the courts and consenting panels, will now walk again. Fox Meyer reports.
newsroom.co.nz
December 17, 2024 at 9:21 PM
A bit of legislative necromancy pushed through - impressively - in less than a year.
By including these first few projects in the legislation, Bish and Jones said they’d get a bit of extra protection from scrutiny: a feature, not a bug
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/18/z...
By including these first few projects in the legislation, Bish and Jones said they’d get a bit of extra protection from scrutiny: a feature, not a bug
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/18/z...
As fast-track is set to pass today, let's remember what happened last week in the House. There was a heated debate about private benefits and allegations of cronyism. A controversial overruling - when it came - very delicately avoided this question newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/13/u...
Landmark fast-track ruling bulldozes past a tricky question
Speaker bulldozes past argument over the public v private benefits of a law fast-tracking 149 named projects, provoking a Labour 'no confidence' motion. Fox Meyer reports.
newsroom.co.nz
December 16, 2024 at 7:54 PM
As fast-track is set to pass today, let's remember what happened last week in the House. There was a heated debate about private benefits and allegations of cronyism. A controversial overruling - when it came - very delicately avoided this question newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/13/u...
Every year, the Crown pays to treat pre-2017 acid mine drainage at Stockton coal mine. Every year, the Crown also collects a royalty on all coal mined in NZ.
It costs the Crown more to treat this one mine than it collects from all coal operations.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...
(Free tomorrow)
It costs the Crown more to treat this one mine than it collects from all coal operations.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...
(Free tomorrow)
December 2, 2024 at 1:02 AM
Every year, the Crown pays to treat pre-2017 acid mine drainage at Stockton coal mine. Every year, the Crown also collects a royalty on all coal mined in NZ.
It costs the Crown more to treat this one mine than it collects from all coal operations.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...
(Free tomorrow)
It costs the Crown more to treat this one mine than it collects from all coal operations.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/02/a...
(Free tomorrow)
A look at 84 official advice documents from govt’s first year shows the majority had time or data constraints. MOJ was a total wash, 6/6 having both constraints. Last govt wasn’t perfect either, but this marks a change - especially wrt timeframes
newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/27/o...
newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/27/o...
November 26, 2024 at 7:18 PM
A look at 84 official advice documents from govt’s first year shows the majority had time or data constraints. MOJ was a total wash, 6/6 having both constraints. Last govt wasn’t perfect either, but this marks a change - especially wrt timeframes
newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/27/o...
newsroom.co.nz/2024/11/27/o...