The Conversation

Autopsies of 1,000 turtles washed up on Australian beaches paint a grim picture of the impact of plastic debris. Even a single piece can be deadly, and on average 14 pieces equals a 50% fatality rate. Britta Denise Hardesty, Principal Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmosphere Flagship, CSIRO Chris Wilcox, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Kathy Ann Townsend, Lecturer in Animal Ecology, University of the Sunshine Coast Qamar Schuyler, Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmospheres, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Smart meters are being rolled out across Australia, offering the opportunity to share data with third parties who promise to help you find a cheaper deal. But this requires strong consumer protection. Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, Director, Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne Anne Kallies, Lecturer, RMIT University Lee Godden, Director, Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne Svenja Keele, Lecturer and Researcher in Environmental Geography, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

'Energy security' isn't just about cheaper bills. We urgently need to design a modern, safe Australian grid. Samantha Hepburn, Director of the Centre for Energy and Natural Resources Law, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Google search histories can be used to reveal how much the public knows about climate change in countries all over the world - and how ready they are to take action to guard against its effects. Carla Archibald, PhD Candidate, Conservation Science, The University of Queensland Nathalie Butt, Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

India doesn't eat much meat per capita, but that might be changing: it's the fastest-growing poultry market in the world. Tani Khara, PhD student in Sustainability, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia could be getting half of its electricity from renewable energy by 2025, even without government subsidies for new wind and solar projects, according to a new analysis of energy industry trends. Ken Baldwin, Director, Energy Change Institute, Australian National University Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Matthew Stocks, Research Fellow, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Climate policy is clearly a threat to the job security of Australian prime ministers, but it could upend our international diplomacy as well, with a string of key summits looming in coming months. Christian Downie, Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Honey might be synonymous with bees, but they're not the only insects that come up with the goods. Manu Saunders, Research fellow, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Sharks have a PR problem. But new research shows that shark ecotourism programs boost people's knowledge and attitudes towards shark conservation – even among those who are green-minded to begin with. Michele Barnes, Environmental Social Science Research Fellow, James Cook University Sarah Ruth Sutcliffe, Marine Social Sciences PhD candidate, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

An international report has found there's no future for Australia's coal exports. Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Salim Mazouz, Research Manager, Crawford School of Public Policy; and Principal at NCEconomics, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia is falling behind on its Paris targets, but we have many options for improvement. Anna Skarbek, CEO at ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Climate change will change the dynamic for major food exporters like China and the US. Luciana Porfirio, Research Scientist, Agriculture & Food, CSIRO | Visiting fellow at the Fenner School of Enviroment & Society, CSIRO David Newth, Team Leader, Australian And Global Carbon Assessments, CSIRO John Finnigan, Leader, Complex Systems Science, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Federal Labor has pledged to withdraw the A$443 million given to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. But the foundation's decisions are led by science, and free of undue influence, its chief scientist says. Peter J Mumby, Chair professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia's largest honey producer has been accused of selling fake honey. But what is fake honey – and why has it only been found now? Emma Beckett, Postdoctoral Fellow (Human Molecular Nutrition), School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Splitting the energy and environment portfolios might sound like a backward step, but here's why it could work. Mike Young, Reseach Chair, Water and Environmental Policy, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The WA government has announced plans to reclassify dingoes as no different to wild dogs - paving the way for them to be culled at will. But dingoes are unique and deserve to be recognised as such. Bradley Smith, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, CQUniversity Australia Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Lily van Eeden, PhD Candidate in Human-Wildlife Conflict, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

What drives companies to be green? Women, it turns out, are the key. New research shows that firms with a more balanced mix of women and men in the boardroom receive fewer environmental lawsuits. Chelsea Liu, Senior Lecturer, Adelaide Business School, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology forecasts a dry, warm spring – and not the sustained rain we need. Jonathan Pollock, Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Catherine Ganter, Senior Climatologist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology David Jones, Climate Scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The first commercial-scale installation of rooftop solar cells, printed with specialised inks, is a step towards an energy future in which solar power can be stuck to any roof or structure. Paul Dastoor, Professor, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The coal seam gas industry and its regulators still have work to do in persuading local communities that old wells can be decommissioned without future problems, according to new CSIRO research. Tom Measham, Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Cameron Huddlestone-Holmes, Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.