The Conversation

Victoria's environment is taking a pounding, but an ambitious report offers a way forward – not just for that state, but for the whole of Australia. Geoffrey Wescott, Honorary Research Fellow, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Gas mining is expanding across Australia, and has been touted as part of the answer to cutting emissions. But there is evidence that this rollout will pose significant health and environmental risks. Melissa Haswell, Professor of Health, Safety and Environment, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland University of Technology David Shearman, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We need a global treaty to combat plastic pollution, but a small group of countries is blocking real action. Trisia Farrelly, Senior Lecturer, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Backyard burial for your beloved animals raises some surprising problems. Rachel Allavena, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Sometimes, two different animals will evolve to have a similar adaptation, even when they are not closely related. Flight is an excellent example. Amy Edwards, Post Doctoral Researcher, La Trobe University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Giving female marsupials a sniff of prospective partners increases the chance of a successful love connection. Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The guinea flower grows right across Australia. Betsy Jackes, Adjunct professor, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The overwhelming majority of recreational fishers support no-fishing marine sanctuaries. Matt Navarro, Post-doctoral Fellow, University of Western Australia Marit E. Kragt, Senior Lecture in Agricultural and Resource Economics Tim Langlois, Research Fellow, University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Facing up to the horror of climate change can help us work towards a more sustainable culture. Young people are leading the way. Blanche Verlie, Associate Lecturer, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The week highlighted, yet again, that instead of a credible energy policy, the government has only confusion and black holes. Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A plant-growth-regulating spray might be the solution for vineyards affected by heatwaves. Christopher Davies, Team Leader, CSIRO Christine Bottcher, Research scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When it comes to environmental activism, optimism is key. Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Sean Connell, Professor, Ecology, University of Adelaide Zoe Doubleday, Research Fellow, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research looked at human impacts on more than 5,000 threatened species and found that a quarter of them have almost nowhere left to go to escape from the threats posed by human development. James Allan, Postdoctoral research fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Christopher O'Bryan, PhD Candidate, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland James Watson, Professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

By investing in solar panels and going electric for your motoring and heating, you can directly offset your greenhouse emissions. And in the long run, the upfront costs will repay themselves. Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Tasmania wasn't the only part of Australia that burned in January. The remote interior near Alice Springs saw a huge blaze, worsened by invasive buffel grass. Christine Schlesinger, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and Ecology, Charles Darwin University Barry Judd, Professor, Indigenous Social Research, Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Fruit ripening is all about plants getting animals to eat the seeds that are inside their fruits. This helps the plants get their seeds to somewhere new where they can grow into a new plant. Paul Holford, Professor of Agricultural Biotechnology, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new petition is urging state and federal governments to rein in Australia's rampant land clearing, which worsens the risk of bushfires and threatens to undo the work of the Emissions Reduction Fund. Martine Maron, ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Andrea Griffin, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle April Reside, Researcher, Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland Bill Laurance, Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook University Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

During its first few decades, this tree is the runt of the rainforest. And then it starts its growth spurt, and can go on to live for millennia. Kevin Glencross, Research Fellow, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

With heatwaves, droughts and fires all on the rise, the federal government is urged to merge its separate strategies on disaster resilience and climate readiness. Robert Glasser, Honorary Associate Professor, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Of all Australia’s wildlife, one stands out as having an identity crisis: the dingo. New research has found the dingo is its own species, distinct from 'wild dogs'. Bradley Smith, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Fellow in Global Ecology, Flinders University Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Justin W. Adams, Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University Kylie M Cairns, Adjunct associate lecturer, UNSW Mathew Crowther, Associate professor, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.