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A ‘war on red meat’? No, changes to Australian dietary guidelines are just a sensible response to Earth’s environmental woes

Mon, 2024-02-26 05:09
Human health depends on having a liveable planet and this is inextricably linked to food systems. Dora Marinova, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University Diana Bogueva, Research Fellow, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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When homes already hit 40°C inside, it’s better to draw on residents’ local know-how than plan for climate change from above

Fri, 2024-02-23 09:18
Western Sydney residents whose homes often get hotter inside than outside during heatwaves have learnt to be resourceful in adapting to the increasing heat. Abby Mellick Lopes, Associate Professor, Design Studies, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney Cameron Tonkinwise, Professor, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney Stephen Healy, Associate Professor, Human Geography and Urban Studies School of Social Sciences/ Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Emissions from households’ water use are on a par with aviation. The big cuts and savings they can make are being neglected

Fri, 2024-02-23 05:20
More efficient water use is one of the most cost-effective steps we can take to cut emissions. Steven Kenway, Research Group Leader, Water-Energy-Carbon, The University of Queensland Liam Smith, Director, BehaviourWorks, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Paul Satur, Research Fellow for Water Sensitive Cities, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Rob Skinner, Professorial Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Victoria’s power outage could have been far worse. Can we harden the grid against extreme weather?

Fri, 2024-02-23 05:19
Transmission towers bent like soft plastic when extreme winds whipped through Victoria last week. Fixing it means asking hard questions. Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Climate change is fanning the flames of NZ’s wildfire future. Port Hills is only the beginning

Fri, 2024-02-23 04:11
The recent Port Hills fires highlight the increasing wildfire risks caused by climate change. Reducing the threat is going to take a shift in strategy, investment and community engagement. Nathanael Melia, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow – Climate Science, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Sentinels of the sea: ancient boulder corals are key to reef survival in a warmer world

Thu, 2024-02-22 13:21
The best strategy to protecting Earth’s coral reefs is to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. But in the meantime, we must urgently make corals more resilient. Kate Marie Quigley, DECRA Research Fellow (James Cook University), Principal Research Scientist (Minderoo Foundation), James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Australian passenger vehicle emission rates are 50% higher than the rest of the world – and it’s getting worse

Thu, 2024-02-22 05:14
Australian vehicle emissions are even worse than official figures show and are likely to fall even further behind the rest of the world unless much more ambitious policies are adopted. Robin Smit, Adjunct Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Hard to kill: here’s why eucalypts are survival experts

Thu, 2024-02-22 05:12
From sacrificial bark to fire-germinating gumnuts to stealthy buds the eucalyptus has evolved an arsenal of protective measures. Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Ridding Macquarie Island of pests pays off as seabirds come back from the brink – but recovery has just begun

Wed, 2024-02-21 09:41
One of the world’s largest programs to eradicate multiple predators and pests has started to restore the island and its once vast nesting colonies to their former glory. Jeremy Bird, Research Associate, Ecology and Biodiversity, University of Tasmania Justine Shaw, Senior Research Fellow in Antarctic and island conservation science, Queensland University of Technology Richard Fuller, Professor in Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Fire is a chemical reaction. Here’s why Australia is supremely suited to it

Wed, 2024-02-21 05:57
We’re all familiar with fire. But do you really know what it is and how it starts? Here’s the chemistry of fire – and why Australia is so prone to going up in flames. Jason Dutton, Professor of Chemistry, La Trobe University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Did your dog dig in asbestos-laden mulch? Here are the risks – and what to do next

Tue, 2024-02-20 15:05
Exposure to asbestos can cause the same cancer in dogs as it does in humans. Recent cases of asbestos-contaminated mulch highlight the need to better protect our pets. Chiara Palmieri, Professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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New ecosystems, unprecedented climates: more Australian species than ever are struggling to survive

Tue, 2024-02-20 05:04
We’ve brought some species back from the brink – but more and more are being threatened. Here’s why Frédérik Saltré, Research Fellow in Ecology for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Scientists shocked to discover new species of green anaconda, the world’s biggest snake

Mon, 2024-02-19 13:46
Green anacondas are the world’s heaviest snakes, and among the longest. it’s remarkable this hidden species has slipped under the radar until now. Bryan G. Fry, Professor of Toxicology, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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‘Green’ or ‘blue’ hydrogen – what difference does it make? Not much for most Australians

Mon, 2024-02-19 05:51
There are two approaches to producing low-emission hydrogen, and public acceptance (or rejection) of each method will be important for hydrogen and its place in the energy transition. Mitchell Scovell, Research Scientist, CSIRO Andrea Walton, Social Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it’s ending up on our farms

Fri, 2024-02-16 14:57
We sampled sewage sludge from 13 wastewater treatment plants across three states. We found every resident adds microplastics to farmland, in dried sewage sludge (biosolids) used as fertiliser. Shima Ziajahromi, Advance Queensland Research Fellow, Griffith University Frederic Leusch, Professor of Environmental Science, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Ross Garnaut and Rod Sims have proposed a $100 billion-a-year fossil fuel tax – and it’s a debate Australia should embrace

Fri, 2024-02-16 13:07
As other nations race to restructure their economies in line with a low-carbon future, Australia risks being left behind. An economy-shaping tax on fossil fuels is a conversation we must have. Ian A. MacKenzie, Professor of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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As the world heats up, solar panels will degrade faster – especially in hot, humid areas. What can we do?

Fri, 2024-02-16 09:34
We’re going to build a lot more solar as we race to clean up the grid. But as the world heats up, solar will degrade faster in hot, humid areas. We need to plan ahead. Shukla Poddar, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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20°C seems the optimal temperature for life on Earth to thrive – what does this mean in a warming world?

Fri, 2024-02-16 08:55
The ‘20°C effect’ could give us new insights into how temperature controls ecosystems and influences evolution – as well as how species might adapt to climate change. Mark John Costello, Professor, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University Ross Corkrey, Adjunct Senior Researcher in Biostatistics, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Climate change is forcing Australians to weigh up relocating. How do they make that difficult decision?

Fri, 2024-02-16 05:04
Climate change is increasing the risks of extreme heat, floods and bushfires, meaning more people are having to consider moving home. But different people come to different decisions. Justine Dandy, Associate Professor, Centre for People, Place & Planet, and School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University Zoe Leviston, Research Fellow, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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Can we be inoculated against climate misinformation? Yes – if we prebunk rather than debunk

Thu, 2024-02-15 11:53
When we see false information circulating, we might move to debunk it. But prebunking lies and explaining manipulation techniques can work better. Christian Turney, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Research, University of Technology Sydney Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society, University of Cambridge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
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