The Conversation
Scott Morrison can't spin this one: Australia's climate pledges at this week's summit won't convince the world we're serious
The world, accustomed to Australia's shifty climate stance, is unlikely to fall for Morrison's diversion tactics at Biden's climate summit this week.
Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland
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If we want to improve NZ’s freshwater quality, first we need to improve the quality of our democracy
New Zealanders pay the costs of poor environmental and infrastructural governance, but have little opportunity to influence policy in the first place. Here's how that could change.
Nicolas Pirsoul, Policy Analyst and Research Assistant, University of Auckland
Maria Armoudian, Lecturer, Politics & International Relations, University of Auckland
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How the water and sewage under your feet could end up flooding your home (and what to do about it)
Some flood dangers can be hard to spot initially – to planners, developers and home-buyers. Sometimes, the danger comes from underground.
Ana Manero, Research Fellow, Australian National University
Anneliese Sytsma, PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley
Margaret Shanafield, Senior researcher, Hydrology/hydrogeology, Flinders University
Sally Thompson, Associate professor, The University of Western Australia
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Tiny Game of Thrones: the workers of yellow crazy ants can act like lazy wannabe queens. So we watched them fight
Yellow crazy ants are one of the world's worst invasive species. And it turns out they have unique systems of reproduction that make life in the queendom more complicated than we realised.
Pauline Lenancker, Research scientist, James Cook University
Lori Lach, Associate Professor, James Cook University
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Climate explained: what was the Medieval warm period?
During the European Middle Ages, parts of the world experienced warming similar to that between 1960 to 1990. But the rising temperatures we're observing now are global and exceed the past record.
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
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Rainforest giants with rare autumn displays: there’s a lot more to Australia’s red cedar than timber
Native deciduous trees are rare in Australia, which means many of the red, yellow and brown leaves we associate with autumn come from introduced species.
Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne
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A US ban on kangaroo leather would be an animal welfare disaster – and a missed farming opportunity
If a bill before the US Congress succeeds, it would further suppress global demand for kangaroo products and lead to more animal suffering, not less.
George Wilson, Honorary Professor, Australian National University
John Read, Associate Lecturer, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide
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Attack of the alien invaders: pest plants and animals leave a frightening $1.7 trillion bill
Invasive species have been invading foreign territories for centuries. By quantifying the mammoth economic impacts, we hope political leaders will start to take notice.
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
Boris Leroy, Maître de conférences en écologie et biogéographie, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN)
Camille Bernery, Doctorante en écologie des invasions, Université Paris-Saclay
Christophe Diagne, Chercheur post-doctorant en écologie des invasions, Université Paris-Saclay
Franck Courchamp, Directeur de recherche CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay
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Demand for rare-earth metals is skyrocketing, so we're creating a safer, cleaner way to recover them from old phones and laptops
Rare-earth metals are currently mined or recovered via e-waste recycling — methods with drawbacks including high cost, environmental damage, and risks to human safety. This is where we come in.
Cristina Pozo-Gonzalo, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University
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Victoria’s new feral horse plan could actually protect the high country. NSW's method remains cruel and ineffective
Victoria's plan has flaws, but it's still likely to bring the feral horse problem under control, and will do a lot better than the very low benchmark set by NSW.
Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
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'Failure is not an option': after a lost decade on climate action, the 2020s offer one last chance
Australia must treble its emissions reduction targets and reach net-zero emissions by 2035. Without this and other radical global action, the chance to hold warming to well below 2℃ will pass us by.
Will Steffen, Emeritus Professor, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
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Sydney's disastrous flood wasn't unprecedented, and we can expect more major floods in just 10 years
Many flood-affected Sydneysiders live in what amounts to a bathtub. With the next flooding season on their doorstep, they can expect more frequent, devastating floods.
Tom Hubble, Associate Professor, University of Sydney
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Like the ocean’s ‘gut flora’: we sailed from Antarctica to the equator to learn how bacteria affect ocean health
Scientists are starting to use genetic information from bacteria to measure the health of vast areas of the ocean.
Eric Jorden Raes, Postdoctoral researcher Ocean Frontier Institute, Dalhousie University
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Forensics and ship logs solve a 200-year mystery about where the first kiwi specimen was collected
Māori treasure kiwi feathers for weaving cloaks for high-ranking people. But the bird's first description by European scientists is quite recent, based on a specimen that arrived in London in 1812.
Paul Scofield, Adjunct professor, University of Canterbury
Vanesa De Pietri, Fellow, University of Canterbury
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'A vigorous cold front': why it's been so cold this week, with more on the way
Yes, some of this is normal seasonal transition. But at least a portion of it is due to a particularly vigorous cold front that swept across southeast Australia over the weekend.
Sarah Scully, Senior Meteorologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
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Double trouble: floods and COVID-19 have merged to pose great danger for Timor-Leste
In flood-ravaged Dili, COVID-19 restrictions were abandoned as the disaster unfolded. But it means an already escalating pandemic situation may spiral out of control.
Mark Quigley, Associate Professor of Earthquake Science, The University of Melbourne
Andrew King, ARC DECRA fellow, The University of Melbourne
Brendan Duffy, Fellow in Structural Geology and Tectonics, The University of Melbourne
Claire Vincent, Lecturer in Atmospheric Science, The University of Melbourne
Ian Rutherfurd, Professor in Geography, The University of Melbourne
Januka Attanayake, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
Lisa Palmer, Associate Professor, School of Geography, The University of Melbourne
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Climate change is a security threat the government keeps ignoring. We'll show up empty handed to yet another global summit
A new report from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the federal government has overlooked the national security threats of climate change.
Cheryl Durrant, Adjunct Associate Professor, UNSW
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Cyclone Seroja last night demolished parts of WA – and our warming world will bring more of the same
Climate change is likely to mean disasters such as Cyclone Seroja will become more intense, and be seen further south in Australia more often.
Jonathan Nott, Professor of Physical Geography, James Cook University
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More coal-fired power or 100% renewables? For the next few decades, both paths are wrong
Electricity emissions can be cut to net-zero while keeping the lights on and prices down. But achieving that quickly means keeping gas around, for now.
James Ha, Associate, Grattan Institute
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We found methane-eating bacteria living in a common Australian tree. It could be a game changer for curbing greenhouse gases
Scientists are learning trees can emit methane, which could be a big problem for global warming. But a world-first discovery of methane-eating bacteria in paperbark can help moderate this.
Luke Jeffrey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Southern Cross University
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