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For better and worse, humans have undoubtedly taken over planet Earth. Our use of tools and knack for self-awareness has given us an edge over the rest of the animal kingdom, to the point where many other species are under threat as the result of our existence. While our ability to learn, be creative, and solve problems is impressive and unsurpassed, a number of other species also show remarkable signs of intelligence. Let's take a look at the world's smartest animals and see how their intelligence differs from ours.

When it comes to the design and implementation of renewable energy solutions, not all countries are created equal. From solar and wind power through to hydro and geothermal energy solutions, some nations are doing much more than others in the movement towards a low-carbon future. According to the Climate Council, Sweden is aiming to be the world's first 100 percent renewable country when it comes to electricity generation, with other ambitious green nations including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Scotland, Germany, and Uruguay.

This is the first part of a two part discussion. What we eat has a huge effect on the world around us, with our diet closely linked with global farming practices and the health of environmental systems. With agriculture responsible for up to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, and most of these emissions coming from red meat production, simple changes to our diet could have a huge impact on the world around us. According to a new report published in The Lancet, eating less meat is critical if we want better personal health and improved environmental outcomes. Let's analyse the rather persuasive environmental argument, and leave the health argument to part two of this article.

The richest people in New Zealand continue to get richer, with the collective wealth of the country's two billionaires increasing by NZ$1.1 billion at the same time as the poorest 50 percent of the population decreased their wealth by NZ$1.3 billion. The growing gap between the rich and poor was illustrated in an Oxfam report entitled 'Public Good or Private Wealth', which the non-profit organisation release each year as a way to highlight growing wealth inequality during the World Economic Forum.

New Zealand housing values have grown at their slowest rate since 2012, especially in the heated Auckland market where a negative growth rate has been recorded. The country is unlikely to suffer the same steep drops as Australia, however, with the average nationwide value still managing to hit a fresh high in December 2018 of $682,938. In fact, a busy start to 2019 has been predicted by some experts, thanks in part to more relaxed loan-to-value ratio (LVR) lending rules and competitive economic conditions.