The Conversation

As climate change increases the frequency and scale of bushfires, our models suggest the habitats in Victoria's Central Highlands may be hard to come by. Craig Nitschke, Associate Professor - Forest and Landscape Dynamics, University of Melbourne Andrew Robinson, Managing Director for Biosecurity Risk Research, University of Melbourne Melissa Fedrigo, Remote Sensing Scientist and Ecological Modeller, University of Melbourne Patrick Baker, ARC Future Fellow and Professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, University of Melbourne Raphael Trouve, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Ecosystem And Forest Sciences, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealand is pumping millions of dollars into environment projects as part of its COVID-19 recovery. Australia's recovery plan seems more destructive than reconstructive. Lachlan G. Howell, PhD Candidate | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle John Clulow, Associate Professor, University of Newcastle John Rodger, Emeritus Professor, University of Newcastle & CEO FAUNA Research Alliance, University of Newcastle Ryan R. Witt, Conjoint Lecturer | School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The fate of a Queensland mine extension could be sealed today with a ruling on the ongoing case by Australia's highest court. Justine Bell-James, Associate Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Pangolins are illegally traded, linked to the coronavirus pandemic and driven to extinction in some areas. That's why it's vital to reintroduce this threatened species back into the wild. Alexander Richard Braczkowski, Research Associate, Griffith University Christopher O'Bryan, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland Duan Biggs, Senior Research Fellow Social-Ecological Systems & Resilience, Griffith University Raymond Jansen, Professor: Zoology & Ecology, Tshwane University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Older records can tell us a lot about Australia's pre-industrial climate, before the large-scale burning of fossil fuels tainted global temperature records. Joelle Gergis, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, Australian National University Linden Ashcroft, Lecturer in climate science and science communication, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Did you read about 'dinosaur trees' saved in a secret firefighting mission over summer? Well, these mysterious trees are turning up in backyards in 27 different countries. Heidi Zimmer, Research associate, Southern Cross University Catherine Offord, Senior Principal Research Scientist, The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Contrary to the Morrison government's claims, it does prop up the fossil fuel industry. But the money doesn't create many jobs or much profit. Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

While it's impossible to stop all extraction of fossil fuels now, renewable sources are already generating 25% of global electricity demand now and their contribution continues to grow. Ralph Sims, Professor, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia has been identified as a hotspot for emerging diseases, which occurs when human activities collide with a richness of animal species. Penny van Oosterzee, Adjunct Associate Professor James Cook University and University Fellow Charles Darwin University, James Cook University Bill Laurance, Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It's a stunning win for a small community group that relied on crowd funding to cover legal costs. Julia Dehm, Lecturer, La Trobe University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

From choosing a compatible personality to sharing childcare equally, many Australian birds have mastered the art of successful relationships. Gisela Kaplan, Emeritus Professor in Animal Behaviour, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We have transformed the night-time environment in a very short time, relative to evolutionary timescales. Most wildlife hasn't had time to adjust. Emily Fobert, Research Associate, Flinders University Katherine Dafforn, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University Mariana Mayer-Pinto, Senior Research Associate in marine ecology, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Renewables technology already exists, it's getting cheaper and we will never go to war over sunshine. If you need to be convinced of the potential of wind and solar, read this. Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

To inner west Sydneysiders, the Cooks River is known to be particularly polluted. But after a storm, microplastic particles increased more than 40 fold. James Hitchcock, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A long-awaited NZ$700 million package to clean up New Zealand's rivers and lakes has disappointed some of the government's expert advisers – especially a delay on setting clear pollution limits. Michael (Mike) Joy, Senior Researcher; Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The bushfire royal commission will look at incorporating Aboriginal knowledge into mainstream fire management. But in practice, what does that mean? David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Greg Lehman, Pro Vice Chancellor, Aboriginal Leadership Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It's a devastating loss, but the destruction of a culturally significant Aboriginal site is not an isolated incident. Rio Tinto was acting within the law. Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Every few years, the idea of using gas to transition to a zero-emissions economy seems to re-emerge. Woodside's Burrup Hub proposal shows why it's still a bad move. Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting scientist, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Ursula Fuentes, Murdoch University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Countries account for emissions based on all activities that happen within their territory, which means countries that export more than they import will likely have higher per capita emissions. Sarah McLaren, Professor of Life Cycle Management, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A gardening supply shortage during the pandemic showed our ill-preparedness to grow our own food. Permanent backyard veggie gardens can help us survive the next crisis, and provide everyday benefits. Andrea Gaynor, Associate Professor of History, University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.