The Conversation

A new report reveals Australia is lagging behind most wealthy nations in working towards the globally agreed goals. It's performing particularly badly on climate and environmental indicators. John Thwaites, Chair, Monash Sustainable Development Institute & ClimateWorks Australia, Monash University Tahl Kestin, Sustainable Development Solutions Network Manager, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia's oceans are warming faster than the global average, and fish are moving south as a result. Alistair Hobday, Senior Principal Research Scientist - Oceans and Atmosphere, CSIRO Beth Fulton, CSIRO Research Group Leader Ecosystem Modelling and Risk Assessment, CSIRO Gretta Pecl, Professor, ARC Future Fellow & Editor in Chief (Reviews in Fish Biology & Fisheries), University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

An audit of Sydney's drinking water has found worryingly high salinity. If the biggest water catchment in the country has problems, what about regional and rural Australia? Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Planting more native forests could help mitigate the causes of climate change, but unless funding is closely tied to successful outcomes, such projects face the risk of failure. David Hall, Senior Researcher in Politics, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Tongue-ties are used in Australian horse racing but are banned in most other horse sports. Samantha Franklin, Associate Professor in Veterinary Physiology, University of Adelaide Paul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

DNA sequencing means a scientist can take a bucket of seawater and ID every fish in the area. Now we need a universal 'biobank' of samples to make a truly powerful environment monitoring tool. Simon Jarman, Associate professor, Curtin University Michael Bunce, Professor, Head of Trace and Environmentl DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, Curtin University, Curtin University Oliver Berry, Leader Environomics Future Science Platform, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

On the golden jubilee of the discovery of Mungo Lady's 40,000-year-old remains, we can reflect on Aboriginal Australia's vast history, which predates the arrival of Homo sapiens in both Europe and America. Richard 'Bert' Roberts, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH), University of Wollongong Lynette Russell, Professor, Indigenous Studies and History, Monash University Michael Bird, ARC Laureate Fellow, JCU Distinguished Professor and Landscapes Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

To make a concession to the coal lobby would flout the technology-neutral foundation of the NEG and have much more serious implications than throwing in some money to boost the GST pool. Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia has seen an unprecedented number of widespread, catastrophic transformations in response to extreme weather events. Rebecca Harris, Climate Research Fellow, University of Tasmania David Bowman, Professor, Environmental Change Biology, University of Tasmania Linda Beaumont, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Energy justice is a social issue, and by leaving it up to vulnerable people to sort it out for themselves, we as a society risk making it even worse. Nicola Willand, Research Consultant, Sustainable Building Innovation Laboratory, RMIT University Ralph Horne, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Research & Innovation; Director of UNGC Cities Programme; Professor, RMIT University Trivess Moore, Lecturer, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A Grattan Institute report has found renewable energy investment could offer a path to lower rates, but they won't drop below 2015 prices. Lucy Percival, Associate, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

How you prepare your coffee at home (and wash up the mugs) can have a big impact on its carbon footprint. So fill that kettle carefully, and only brew what you know you'll drink. Maartje Sevenster, Research Scientist Climate Smart Agriculture, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We can safely say goodbye to most single-use plastics. But they do have essential uses in some areas, such as for medical or scientific samples, or storing food for humanitarian aid. Paul Harvey, Researcher of Environmental Science, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Plastic bags will soon be gone from major supermarkets and many other shops too. Campaigns to reduce plastic even more should focus on positive advice, rather than shaming shoppers for their plastic use. Louise Moana Kolff, Lecturer, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Feral rabbits previously exposed to myxoma virus are more likely to be killed by rabbit haemorrhagic diease, meaning that these two biocontrol agents can become even more powerful when used in tandem. Corey Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Fellow in Global Ecology, Flinders University Louise Barnett, Adjunct researcher, Flinders University Thomas Prowse, Postdoctoral research fellow, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

There are calls from the backbench and elsewhere for the federal government to safeguard the future of coal. But do those calls make economic sense? A look at Queensland's energy landscape suggests not. Matthew Stocks, Research Fellow, ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The average Australian feral cat kills 225 reptiles a year, which adds up to 596 million in total, according to a new estimate. Pet cats, meanwhile, kill a further 53 million. John Woinarski, Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University Brett Murphy, Senior Research Fellow, Charles Darwin University Chris Dickman, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney Sarah Legge, Associate Professor, Australian National University Tim Doherty, Research Fellow, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Stick insects may be using birds to disperse their eggs, just as plant do. James O'Hanlon, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

With electricity bills becoming more complicated, it's increasingly difficult for customers to know if they are getting a good deal. Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The news media routinely 'beats up' shark stories in search of clicks and profits, according to focus groups and surveys of social media posts. Peter Simmons, Associate Professor, Communication, Charles Sturt University Michael Mehmet, Lecturer in Marketing, Charles Sturt University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.