1080 pesticide use in NZ

The use of 1080 pesticides within New Zealand stirs up a lot of angry debate with both sides claiming to have 'science on their side'. How do we sort fact from fiction? What is the science really telling us and how do we know what to believe? #Nature of science #ScienceAndSociety #ScienceCommunication
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1080 and water quality — SLH T&L RESOURCE
New Zealand uses 1080 to control introduced pests. Decades of research show that 1080 degrades quickly in water and soil. There are also regulations that protect drinking water supplies.
The chemistry of 1080 — SLH T&L RESOURCE
1080 is the brand name for sodium fluoroacetate – a manufactured poison. It is the sodium salt of a naturally occurring plant toxin called fluoroacetate. Plants use this toxin to defend themselves from herbivores. There are around 40 different plant species that produce fluoroacetate. Examples include Southern Africa’s gifblaar (poison leaf) and Western Africa’s ratsbane (a natural rat poison). In Australia, it is found in members of the wattle family and plants known as poison peas.
Alternatives to 1080 — SLH T&LRESOURCE
Hunting, trapping and poisons are the three most commonly used methods of mammalian pest control in New Zealand. Each method has benefits and limitations. Extensive research is focused on developing species-specific toxins, more efficient traps and the possibility of biological control through gene editing.
1080 — a wicked problem — SLH T&L RESOURCE
Aotearoa New Zealand faces a wicked problem – do we kill introduced pests or do we allow them to kill our native animals, damage our forests and endanger our primary industries? While most New Zealanders agree that pests are a significant conservation problem, there is disagreement on how we deal with them.
Farewell to Sciblogs
1080 is used to control pests in NZ. Its use is contested by a noisy few. A new report claims high levels of 1080 in rats washed up on a beach. Flora and Fauna of Aotearoa (F&F) won’t name the laboratory that did their testing. It has sparked a hunt for the mystery 1080 testing lab. It’s just the sort of thing my readers might spend some idle time on Sunday searching for clues. Whodunnit?
GM could be decisive: An open letter to the Green Party from young NZ scientists
More than 150 NZ scientists under 30 have signed a letter to the Green Party urging a rethink of its stance on the regulation of genetic modification. The full text of the letter follows. To the members and supporters of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and their representatives in government Climate change is one of the greatest crises in human history, and our current law severely restricts the development of technologies that could make a vital difference. In 2003 the 1996...
Busting 1080 myths with author Dave Hansford
Anti-1080 sentiment in New Zealand is symptomatic of a deeper problem, writer Dave Hansford says. Hansford is the author of Protecting Paradise: 1080 & the Fight to Save NZ's Native Wildlife He has researched 1080 in depth and believes it has become an emblem for groups who view the government, and government agencies, with suspicion.
Stuff
OPINION: Ospri's​ admission that it poisoned 90 per cent of deer in one area of Molesworth using aerial 1080 was unique. Not just because of the rare admission of culpability, more as a rule. Ospri does not monitor outcomes of its aerial 1080 operations.
Stuff
Soaring kōkako numbers partly attributed to use of 1080 to kill pests - STUFF ARTICLE January 2019
Stuff
'Facts' don't give scientists a monopoly on the truth - OPINION COLUMN STUFF OPINION: Andrea Byron, leader of the National Science Challenge for Biological Heritage, recently wrote: "I am not debating the facts. 1080 is safe to use." Such statements from scientists harden, rather than resolve, the environmental conflict over 1080's use.
A banded kākā
Protecting native birds —TEACHING RESOURCE New Zealand birds evolved in isolation from natural predators for around 65 million years. When human settlers arrived, changes came rapidly, and birds were poorly adapted to withstand threats to their survival. Hunting, loss of habitat and the introduction of predators all had disastrous effects on the state of our native birds, whose numbers declined rapidly. The Department of Conservation has led many initiatives to reverse this decline.
The ‘Communicating in science’ strand
The ‘Communicating in science’ strand — PLD RESOURCE
Communicating in science
Communicating in science — STUDENT ACTIVITY
Reasons for teaching the nature of science
Reasons for teaching the 'nature of science' - PLD RESOURCE Why teach the nature of science? The short answer is that the curriculum requires it and research supports it. These are compelling reasons.
The nature of science in the curriculum
The 'nature of science' in the curriculum - PLD RESOURCE The changing character of our increasingly scientific and technologically dependent society requires a science curriculum to match – one that will adequately prepare students for life and work in the 21st century. In setting the direction for learning, the curriculum must prepare all students to be citizens who can confidently engage with science on a personal and a societal level...