The Conversation

Coral reefs in the Asia-Pacific have been deluged with an estimated 11.1 billion pieces of plastic waste, increasing the risk of coral disease more than 20-fold. Joleah Lamb, Research fellow, Cornell University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The federal government's new funding aims to spread the net wide in investigating possible ways to protect the Great Barrier Reef's corals. Winning this battle will require a wide range of weapons. David Suggett, Associate Professor in Marine Biology, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Imagine being one of the last few people alive. Would that make it ok to destroy the natural world? This thought experiment reveals the true value of nature, beyond the benefits to humans. Janna Thompson, Professor of Philosophy, La Trobe University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Despite persistent buzz, the falling cost of electric cars isn't enough to guarantee sales in Australia. Graciela Metternicht, Professor of Environmental Geography, School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Gail Broadbent, Post Graduate Researcher Electric Vehicles, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Blockchain is now helping to bring much-needed transparency to the global tuna industry, which has been prone to corruption, human slavery and unsustainable fishing practices. Candice Visser, PhD Candidate, University of Wollongong Quentin Hanich, Associate Professor, University of Wollongong Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

If your New Year's resolutions include improving your diet, it's worth thinking about eating healthier for the planet. Michalis Hadjikakou, Research fellow, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Despite Australia being considered the 'lucky country', 15% of us still experience food insecurity. Meanwhile, 40% of edible food is thrown away before it even reaches the market. Carol Richards, Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia's scorching summers aren't just inconvenient: heatwaves are deadly. Yet new research has found many vulnerable people don't have a plan for extreme heat. Andrew Gissing, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University Lucinda Coates, Risk Scientist, Risk Frontiers Natural Hazards Research Centre, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Everywhere humans go, we take our pets. Fleas are along for the ride, spreading everything from typhus to bubonic plague. Nicholas Clark, Postdoctoral Fellow in Disease Ecology, The University of Queensland Jan Slapeta, Professor of Veterinary and Molecular Parasitology, University of Sydney Konstans Wells, Research Fellow in Ecology, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Australian Open tennis and the recent Ashes Test cricket series show why our sporting stadiums need to be "climate-proofed" to deal with extreme heat. Paul J Govind, Lecturer in Enviromental Law, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

With 99% of green sea turtles in the northern Great Barrier Reef hatching as females due to changing climate, the future for this species now depends largely on effective global conservation measures. Rita Caldas Patricio, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Exeter Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Last year was a vicious one for climate and energy politics. And with a South Australian election and various other federal decisions in the offing, 2018 looks like being similarly rancorous. Marc Hudson, PhD Candidate, Sustainable Consumption Institute, University of Manchester Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Indigenous ranger programs have now been running successfully for a decade. Given Queensland's size and large Indigenous population, there's a strong case for expanding the program in that state. Emilie Ens, Senior lecturer, Macquarie University Alana Grech, Assistant Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome – serious, weird or wacky! Why… Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australians love cooking with gas, but what if you could make your own supply, using leftover food waste? It may be time for more households to embrace home biogas – and stop paying gas bills. Samuel Alexander, Research fellow, Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There's really no such thing as truly sustainable air travel, but you can do some things to reduce your impact - such as flying with airlines with newer aircraft or taking a virtual holiday. Andrew Glover, Postdoctoral research fellow, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The US was hit by a 'bomb cyclone' last week, bringing icy cold and driving snow. These storms develop very rapidly, forming outside the tropics, typically on continental east coasts in winter. Acacia Pepler, Research Scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Andrew Dowdy, Senior Research Scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Eun-Pa Lim, Senior research scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Pandora Hope, Senior research scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

After a month of operation, the Tesla battery at Hornsdale Power Reserve in SA has outperforming expectations - and the model is set to be emulated in Victoria Dylan McConnell, Researcher at the Australian German Climate and Energy College, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Last year saw plenty of warm weather around the country, but other notable events included dry months in the southeast, some very cold winter nights, and record-warm dry season days in the north. Linden Ashcroft, Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Blair Trewin, Climate scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Skie Tobin, Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Victoria's new plan to control feral horses aims to remove up to 400 a year from the eastern Alps. But without considering aerial culling, the plan seems unlikely to get to grips with the problem. Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.