Kia ora tatou and welcome to your New Zealand newsletter.

This week, Matt Hall, at Victoria University of Wellington, argues that one of the reasons why we’re slow to implement changes that would protect animals and plants is because we frame the living world as a set of natural resources, for our privileged use. He writes that this utility-based worldview is deeply embedded, and that we need to develop a sense of kinship to make the loss of the living world real for people.

And just in time for the Bird of the Year competition, Rutherford Discovery Fellow Rachael Shaw explores the food-caching behaviour of toutouwai (New Zealand robin). Her research into spatial memory shows that male birds with superior memory abilities also have better breeding success.

There is a new challenger to Disney’s hold on the global animation industry. Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child, tells the story of an unlikely hero. It has set box-office records for non-English language and non-US animated films, and is the second-highest-grossing Chinese film ever. But as University of Otago lecturer Sin Wen Lau and her co-author Shih-Wen Sue Chen write, this children’s film has a surprising story to tell about contemporary parenting and citizenship in China.

And the Climate Explained series continues. This week, AUT geologist Michael Petterson explains how volcanic eruptions can influence the climate. He writes that volcanic emissions can lead to shorter-term cooling and longer-term warming, but that evidence shows that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions far exceed those of volcanic activity, particularly since 1950.

Many thanks for reading. Please share this newsletter with friends and colleagues you think might be interested. Ka kite anō a tērā wiki.