The Conversation

Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of South Australia's electricity supplies. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis – so how did it happen? Michael McGreevy, Research Associate, Flinders University Fran Baum, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor, Foundation Director, Southgate Institute for Health, Society & Equity, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

By collaborating with Indigenous ranger groups, we can make strategic fire and land management practices economically sustainable for traditional landowners. Kamaljit K Sangha, Senior Ecological Economist, Charles Darwin University Andrew Edwards, Research Fellow Bushfires, Charles Darwin University Willie Rioli Sr, Fire Coordinator for the Tiwi Islands, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

While Australia doesn't generally experience such extreme winter temperatures, our electricity systems are still vulnerable to climate change, extreme weather and power outages. Tim Nelson, Associate Professor of Economics, Griffith University Joel Gilmore, Associate Professor, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New Zealand has put just over half of its NZ$50 billion pandemic stimulus towards clean energy, but several fossil fuel powered projects will slow down the country's shift to a low-emissions economy. David Hall, Senior Researcher in Politics, Auckland University of Technology Nina Ives, Climate change PhD student, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Bushfire Recovery Victoria has a focus on Aboriginal culture and healing – a long overdue approach in disaster recovery. Bhiamie Williamson, Research Associate & PhD Candidate, Australian National University Phoebe Quinn, Research Fellow - Disaster Recovery, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The dingo fence is the longest fence in the world. The environment looks almost identical on either side — until you view it from space. Adrian G. Fisher, Lecturer in Remote Sensing, UNSW Charlotte Mills, Visiting Fellow, UNSW Mike Letnic, Professor, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Mitchell Lyons, Postdoctoral research fellow, UNSW Will Cornwell, Associate Professor in Ecology and Evolution, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In Australia and around the world, failures in flood warnings can have devastating effects. But 'humanitarian engineering' may have the answer. Spyros Schismenos, PhD Fellow / Research Assistant, Western Sydney University Garry Stevens, Director of Academic Programs, Western Sydney University Nichole Georgeou, Associate Dean International, and Director Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative (HADRI), Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia needs to drop the deception that square kilometres say anything meaningful about conservation. Bob Pressey, Professor, Conservation Planning, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Jorge G. Álvarez-Romero, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University Rodolphe Devillers, Senior research scientist, Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) Trevor J Ward, Visiting Fellow, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Given climate change predictions of more extreme floods in New Zealand, it's time to change management practices to work with a river, allowing it room to move and its channels to adjust. Gary John Brierley, Professor, Chair of Physical Geography, University of Auckland Dan C H Hikuroa, Senior Lecturer, University of Auckland Heide Friedrich, Associate Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland Ian Christopher Fuller, Professor in Physical Geography, Massey University James Brasington, University of Canterbury Jo Hoyle, River Geomorphologist, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Jon Tunnicliffe, Senior Lecturer in River Science, University of Auckland Kristiann Allen, Associate Director, Policy and International Relations at Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland Richard Measures, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Aung San Suu Kyi's government did not have a perfect environmental record. But at least things were starting to change. Narissa Bax, Marine Biologist, University of Tasmania SiuSue Mark, Independent Scholar-Practitioner, Columbia University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Given its environmental damage, tourism must seriously reconsider its purpose in a post-pandemic world. Susanne Becken, Professor of Sustainable Tourism and Director, Griffith Institute for Tourism, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

With their prominent foreheads, low eye position and rounded body, koalas can seem almost baby-like. But is that enough to save them? Kevin Markwell, Adjunct Professor, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plus, researchers recommend four environmental citizen programs to join. It's never been easier. Claudia Santori, PhD candidate, University of Sydney Ricky Spencer, Associate Professor of Ecology, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

I collected data about my neighbourhood sulphur-crested cockatoos while stuck home in Melbourne's lockdown. I learned that each bird can eat 200 onion grass plants per hour. Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

First Nations people have almost no say in how water is used in Australia. The Productivity Commission's latest report does little to address that. Sue Jackson, Professor, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Francis Markham, Research Fellow, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University Fred Hooper, Indigenous knowledge holder, Indigenous Knowledge Grant Rigney, Indigenous knowledge holder, Indigenous Knowledge Lana D. Hartwig, Research Fellow, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Rene Woods, Indigenous Knowledge Holder, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Increasing plastic pollution in southern hemisphere oceans adds a deadly threat to albatrosses, already among the world's most imperiled seabirds with 73% of species threatened with extinction. Richelle Butcher, Veterinary Resident at Wildbase, Massey University Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Lauren Roman, Postdoctoral Researcher, Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research fired laser beams on tiger snake scales, and found arsenic was 20-34 times higher in wild wetland snakes than in captive snakes. Damian Lettoof, PhD Candidate, Curtin University Kai Rankenburg, Researcher, Curtin University Monique Gagnon, Researcher, Curtin University Noreen Evans, Professor, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The real target is China. Australia will be collateral damage. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We discovered 11 (and probably more) new species of stygofauna living in water underground. These animals are usually blind, beautifully translucent and long-limbed. Jenny Davis, Professor, Research Institute for Environment & Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Charles Darwin University Daryl Nielsen, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Gavin Rees, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Stefanie Oberprieler, Research associate, Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Research measuring how water flows between living kauri trees and a leafless stump adds evidence that trees use their underground root systems to support each other. Sebastian Leuzinger, Professor, Auckland University of Technology Martin Karl-Friedrich Bader, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.