The Conversation

Subscribe to The Conversation feed
Updated: 2 hours 32 min ago

America has corn and Asia has rice. It's time Australia had a native staple food

Thu, 2020-07-30 15:41
Aboriginal people once used native grasses to produce bread. So let's resurrect Australia's ancient breadmaking tradition. Angela Pattison, Research scientist at Plant Breeding Institute, University of Sydney, University of Sydney Rebecca Cross, Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Sydney Tina Bell, Associate Professor, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Under climate change, winter will be the best time for bush burn-offs – and that could be bad news for public health

Thu, 2020-07-30 05:57
New research has found the window of opportunity for hazard reduction burns won’t actually get smaller, but instead change seasons. Giovanni Di Virgilio, Research associate, UNSW Annette Hirsch, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, UNSW Hamish Clarke, Research Fellow, University of Wollongong Jason Evans, Professor, UNSW Jason Sharples, Professor of Bushfire Dynamics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Melissa Hart, Graduate Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

My talk with Jane Goodall: vegetarianism, animal welfare and the power of children’s advocacy

Wed, 2020-07-29 11:10
Jane Goodall is a pioneering primatologist who redefined what it means to be human. She spoke to Clive Phillips, a professor of animal welfare. Clive Phillips, Professor of Animal Welfare, Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

The mystery of the Top End's vanishing wildlife, and the unexpected culprits

Wed, 2020-07-29 06:00
Small mammals in northern Australia have been rapidly vanishing for the last 30 years, and scientists weren't sure why. Now, a major new study found feral livestock are largely to blame. Alyson Stobo-Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Charles Darwin University Brett Murphy, Associate Professor / ARC Future Fellow, Charles Darwin University Graeme Gillespie, Honorary Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Jaana Dielenberg, Science Communication Manager, The University of Queensland John Woinarski, Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Climate explained: are we doomed if we don't manage to curb emissions by 2030?

Wed, 2020-07-29 05:57
To limit warming to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels, we'll need to cut global emissions by 7.6% each year this decade. It's difficult, but not impossible. Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Humans see just 4.7km into the distance. So how can we truly understand what the bushfires destroyed?

Tue, 2020-07-28 12:59
Many scientific concepts, including bushfires and climate change, happen at scales outside human perception. So how can we ever understand them? Nanda Jarosz, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Carbon emissions are chilling the atmosphere 90km above Antarctica, at the edge of space

Tue, 2020-07-28 06:01
Carbon emissions are chilling the atmosphere 90km above Antarctica, at the edge of space John French, Atmospheric physicist, University of Tasmania Andrew Klekociuk, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Antarctic Division and Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Tasmania Frank Mulligan, National University of Ireland Maynooth Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

'A wake-up call': why this student is suing the government over the financial risks of climate change

Mon, 2020-07-27 15:55
Climate-related financial risks have already entered the corporate boardroom. With this case, they’ve now come knocking at the government's door. Jacqueline Peel, Professor of Environmental and Climate Law, University of Melbourne Rebekkah Markey-Towler, Research assistant, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

How a scientific spat over how to name species turned into a big plus for nature

Mon, 2020-07-27 05:54
A public debate recently erupted among global taxonomists. Strongly-worded ripostes were exchanged. A comparison to Stalin was floated. But eventually, they worked it out. Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Les Christidis, Professor, Southern Cross University Richard L. Pyle, Associate lecturer, University of Hawaii Scott Thomson, Research associate, Universidade de São Paulo Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Australia has an ugly legacy of denying water rights to Aboriginal people. Not much has changed

Fri, 2020-07-24 12:03
Across the NSW portion of the Murray-Darling Basin, Aboriginal people make up almost 10% of the population. Yet they hold a mere 0.2% of all available surface water. Lana D. Hartwig, Research Fellow, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Natalie Osborne, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Sue Jackson, Professor, ARC Future Fellow, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Court action, confusion and a big escape clause: here’s why changes to environment law shouldn't be rushed

Fri, 2020-07-24 05:53
The proposed changes to be introduced to Parliament in August may ultimately damage the natural places they're designed to protect. Megan C Evans, Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, UNSW Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

In a world first, Australian university builds own solar farm to offset 100% of its electricity use

Thu, 2020-07-23 11:30
Households shouldn't have to do all the heavy lifting in the renewables transition. A new solar farm shows organisations and businesses how it's done. Jake Whitehead, Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellow & Tritum E-Mobility Fellow, The University of Queensland Andrew Wilson, Project Director - Warwick Solar Farm, The University of Queensland Peta Ashworth, Professor and Chair in Sustrainable Energy Futures, The University of Queensland Saphira Rekker, Lecturer Finance, The University of Queensland Tapan K Saha, Professor, Leader-UQ Solar, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

The climate won't warm as much as we feared – but it will warm more than we hoped

Thu, 2020-07-23 05:52
A new assessment found substantial warming is much more solidly assured than we thought. Steven Sherwood, ARC Laureate Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Eelco Rohling, Professor of Ocean and Climate Change, Australian National University Katherine Marvel, Associate Research Scientist, NASA Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Lifeguards with drones keep us (and sharks) safe, and beach-goers agree

Wed, 2020-07-22 15:28
Recent shark-related deaths fuel the debate around the best way to keep people safe in the water, without hurting marine wildlife. Debra Stokes, Lecturer in Environmental Science, Southern Cross University Andrew Colefax, Postdoctoral research fellow, Southern Cross University Betty Weiler, Professor, School of Business and Tourism, Southern Cross University Kirin Apps, Associate lecturer, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

New research reveals how Australia and other nations play politics with World Heritage sites

Wed, 2020-07-22 05:49
National governments are using political lobbying and empty symbolic efforts to stave off an "in danger" listing for their World Heritage sites. Tiffany Morrison, Professorial Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Katrina Brown, Professor of Social Sciences, University of Exeter Maria Lemos, Professor of Environmental Justice, Environmental Policy and Planning, Climate + Energy,, University of Michigan Neil Adger, Professor of Human Geography, University of Exeter Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Storm warning: a new long-range tropical cyclone outlook is set to reduce disaster risk for Pacific Island communities

Wed, 2020-07-22 05:49
Tropical cyclones account for almost four in five natural disasters across Pacific Island nations. But a new forecasting tool now gives up to four months warning for the upcoming cyclone season. Andrew Magee, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Newcastle Andrew Lorrey, Principal Scientist & Programme Leader of Climate Observations and Processes, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Anthony Kiem, Associate Professor – Hydroclimatology, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

What makes people switch to reusable cups? It's not discounts, it's what others do

Tue, 2020-07-21 14:36
In places where reusable cups are allowed, coffee drinkers, cafe owners and local governments can use insights from behavioural science to discourage use of throwaway cups. Sukhbir Sandhu, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability and Ethics, University of South Australia Robert Crocker, Senior Lecturer, Sustainable Design Theory, University of South Australia Sumit Lodhia, Professor of Accounting, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Environment Minister Sussan Ley is in a tearing hurry to embrace environment law reform – and that's a worry

Mon, 2020-07-20 16:59
I was a federal environment official for 13 years. I know the huge undertaking involved in the proposed environment reforms, and they should not be rushed. Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Meet Moss, the detection dog helping Tassie devils find love

Mon, 2020-07-20 05:53
Moss is part of an elite squad of detection dogs that will locate threatened species in the wild and help endangered species breed in captivity. La Toya Jamieson, Wildlife Detection Dog Specialist, La Trobe University Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Australia wants to build a huge concrete runway in Antarctica. Here's why that's a bad idea

Fri, 2020-07-17 12:17
It would be the first concrete runway in Antarctica and have the biggest footprint of any project in the continent's history. Shaun Brooks, University Associate, University of Tasmania Julia Jabour, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
Categories: Around The Web

Pages