The Conversation

Humans have an innate affinity with nature. Embracing this in your home while locked down may improve your productivity and health. Cris Brack, Associate Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Aini Jasmin Ghazalli, Graduate student Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plants take carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, but it goes straight back when they die or are harvested. There is an important difference between carbon fluxes and actual carbon sequestration. Sebastian Leuzinger, Professor, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As we face mounting job losses, taxpayers have a right to anticipate that the government's investments will be strategically sound. Laura Schuijers, Research Fellow in Environmental Law, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In my 30 years of research, I keep uncovering long-standing environmental issues the mining industry doesn't seem to learn from. Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many sustainability-conscious people now find their cupboards stocked with plastic bottles of hand sanitiser, disposable wipes and takeaway food containers. Daiane Scaraboto, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Melbourne Alison M Joubert, Lecturer in Marketing, The University of Queensland Claudia Gonzalez-Arcos, Lecturer in Marketing, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Stay connected and engaged to the climate change cause, and you might find we emerge from the coronavirus crisis with more hope than before. Sky Croeser, Lecturer, School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

At a time of massive environmental change, we need to expand our language to be able to share the emotional upheavals they engender. Glenn Albrecht, Honorary Associate, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The NSW government is soon expected to grant environmental approval to Snowy 2.0. But that process should be halted. John Harris, Adjunct Associate Professor, Centre for Ecosystem Science, UNSW Mark Lintermans, Associate professor, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

If we want to conserve ecosystems that escaped European exploitation and mismanagement, we must start listening to environmental histories to compliment scientific research. Rebecca Hamilton, Postdoctoral Researcher in Palaeoecology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Dan Penny, Associate Professor, University of Sydney Josephine Gillespie, Senior lecturer, University of Sydney Shane Ingrey, Postdoctoral research fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Those endless cups of tea while working from home are unlikely to add much to your electricity bill. But coronavirus poses other problems for the electricity sector. Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Kelly Burns, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria University Steven Percy, Senior research fellow, Victoria University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Restoring the reef represents one of the most significant science and technology challenges in the history of nature conservation. Paul Hardisty, CEO, Australian Institute of Marine Science Christian Roth, CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Coordinator & Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Damien Burrows, Director of TropWATER, James Cook University David Mead, Executive Director of Strategic Development at Australian Institute of Marine Science, Australian Institute of Marine Science Ken Anthony, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science Line K Bay, Senior Research Scientist and Team Leader, Australian Institute of Marine Science Mark Gibbs, Director, Knowledge to Innovation; Chair, Green Cross Australia, Queensland University of Technology Peter J Mumby, Chair professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The spectacle of glowing dolphins should serve as a timely reminder of our need to conserve the darkness we have left. Dr Vanessa Pirotta, Marine scientist and science communicator, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A switch to electric transport is one of New Zealand's key climate strategies. It will increase demand on the national grid, but might also help increase renewable electricity generation. Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The data shows a big improvement of pollution levels over some cities – but in others, pollution has, perhaps surprisingly, increased. Elena Sánchez-García, Postdoctoral researcher at LARS group, Universitat Politècnica de València Javier Leon, Senior lecturer, University of the Sunshine Coast Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Over the next 50 years, the arid zone – containing the areas of true desert – is projected to expand well into the Murray-Darling Basin and almost entirely envelope the Lake Eyre Basin. Zacchary Larkin, Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University Stephen Tooth, Professor of Physical Geography, Aberystwyth University Timothy J. Ralph, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

"I arrived in Perth and bought a foam mattress for the back of my car – my bed for half of the trip. I stocked up on tinned food, and I headed north in search of these tiny eight-legged gems." Joseph Schubert, Entomology/Arachnology Registration Officer, Museums Victoria Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There's little transparency or clarity about how much water states are allocated. This failure in communication and leadership across such a vital system must change. Daniel Connell, Research Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Expanding planned burning is often touted as a way to lessen the risk of bushfires. But this burn-off season is bad news for the COVID-19 pandemic. Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University Brian Oliver, Research Leader in Respiratory cellular and molecular biology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Professor, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney Courtney Alice Waugh, Associate Professor in Immunology and Disease, Nord University Marcel Klaassen, Alfred Deakin Professor and Chair in Ecology, Deakin University Veerle L. B. Jaspers, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new report on New Zealand's lakes and rivers confirms that many freshwater ecosystems are in decline and warns that climate change will exacerbate existing threats. Troy Baisden, Professor and Chair in Lake and Freshwater Sciences, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The sight of empty shelves has led some Australians to look for alternative ways to feed themselves and their families. This is what history can teach us. Bethaney Turner, Associate Professor, Centre for Creative and Cultural Research, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.