The Conversation

Failing to cull feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park may end up promoting environmental destruction while actually increasing the horses' suffering. Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ocean plastic has made a big splash, but there may be even more microplastic on land. The problem is that we have no idea exactly how much is in Australian soil, where it is, and what it's doing. Alisa Bryce, Research Affiliate, University of Sydney Alex McBratney, Professor of Digital Agriculture & Soil Science; Director, Sydney Institute of Agriculture, University of Sydney Budiman Minasny, Professor in Soil-Landscape Modelling, University of Sydney Damien Field, Associate professor Stephen Cattle, Associate professor, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In choosing not to ban the live export trade even in the hottest northern months, the federal government is allowing animals to be put in conditions where they cannot possibly escape suffering. Peter Singer, Professor of Ethical Issues in Biotechnology, Justice and the Human Good, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia faces many security issues driven by climate change, including more international migration and an increase in defence personnel being sent on disaster relief missions, a Senate inquiry has found. Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The world's national parks cover an area bigger than South America. But a new survey finds that one-third of this area is subject to pressure from human developments, potentially putting wildlife at risk. James Watson, Professor, The University of Queensland James Allan, PhD candidate, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland Kendall Jones, PhD candidate, Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Pablo Negret, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Richard Fuller, Associate Professor in Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of Queensland Sean Maxwell, PhD candidate, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Every autumn Victoria copes with smoke haze from planned burns that reduce bushfire risk, but a large part of that pollution actually comes from industrial logging activity. Chris Taylor, Researcher, University of Melbourne David Lindenmayer, Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Residents of a small Victorian town realised that delicious water can be a curse as well as a blessing, when they lost a legal battle to stop a local farmer shipping groundwater to a nearby bottling plant. Emma Kathryn White, PhD Candidate, Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne Rebecca Louise Nelson, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

People used to think that boy lions had big shaggy manes to protect their necks from being bitten or scratched during fights. But scientists soon realised this idea didn't make much sense. Nadya Sotnychuk, PhD candidate, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Facts will only get you so far when it comes to climate change. To get conservatives on side, climate communicators must focus on the values conservatives hold dear, such as preserving the status quo. Jamie Freestone, PhD student in literature, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plastic can only be recycled a few times before it becomes useless. But even non-recyclable plastic can be used to help produce petrol and diesel. Could this process help overcome the recycling crisis? Muxina Konarova, Advanced Queensland Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Here's some advice on taking selfies with wild animals: don't. It's not fun for the animal, and can have serious knock-on effects for their health. And you could be injured (or worse). Kathryn Teare Ada Lambert, Adjunct Lecturer/ Ecologist, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Not all bugs are bad! Put down the pesticides and get to know the predators and parasites hidden around you. Lizzy Lowe, Postdoctoral researcher, Macquarie University Manu Saunders, Research fellow, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Rapidly dropping temperatures, rain and wind are hitting south-eastern Australia, due to a perfect combination of warm seas and low-pressure systems. Adam Morgan, Senior Meteorologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research shows what type of signs are most effective at communicating safety messages in national parks - and what not to do. Pascal Scherrer, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Tourism, Southern Cross University Betty Weiler, Professor, School of Business and Tourism, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Indigenous water rights have been overlooked for a very long time. A bipartisan agreement on the Murray Darling Basin Plan may change that. Sue Jackson, Professor, ARC Future Fellow, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Scott Morrison's budget speech held no surprises on energy, after months of debate over the National Energy Guarantee. The real news comes in July with the release of a crucial ACCC report on power prices. David Blowers, Energy Fellow, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In the face of shocking footage of animals dying on ships, it seems impossible that our live export trade will remain as it is. Here are three areas to address. Andrew Butt, Associate Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning, RMIT University Andrew Fisher, Professor of Cattle & Sheep Production Medicine, University of Melbourne Shakira Hussein, McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellow; Writer and researcher, National Centre for Excellence in Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ecology is in the midst of a technological revolution. From tiny sensors that can be fitted to animals, to swarms of remotely-piloted drones, researchers have a host of new ways to study the natural world. Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Blake Allan, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia depends on imported fuel to keep running. We never got around to setting up an official reserve, and that means we're already at risk. Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

For the first time research has quantified the global carbon footprint of tourists. It's big – and getting bigger. Dr Arunima Malik, Lecturer in Sustainability, University of Sydney Dr Ya-Yen Sun, Senior Lecturer, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.