The Conversation
The National Electricity Market wasn’t made for a renewable energy future. Here’s how to fix it
Big changes are needed to create a consumer-centric National Electricity Market that’s able to manage the rise of rooftop solar.
Vikki McLeod, PhD Graduate, Centre for Clean Energy Technologies and Practices, Queensland University of Technology
Marcus Foth, Professor of Urban Informatics, Queensland University of Technology
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On fisheries, Australia must be prepared for New Zealand as opponent rather than ally
For years, Australia and New Zealand have been united in working for sustainable fishing in the South Pacific. That just changed.
Lynda Goldsworthy, Research Associate, University of Tasmania
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Not such a bright idea: cooling the Earth by reflecting sunlight back to space is a dangerous distraction
A UN meeting this week considered a motion on a suite of technologies known as ‘solar radiation modification’, but no consensus could be reached on the controversial topic.
James Kerry, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University, Australia and Senior Marine and Climate Scientist, OceanCare, Switzerland, James Cook University
Aarti Gupta, Professor of Global Environmental Governance, Wageningen University
Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University
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Baiting foxes can make feral cats even more ‘brazen’, study of 1.5 million forest photos shows
We analysed photos of predators and prey from 3,667 camera traps in southwest Victoria. We found feral cats were more abundant and behaved differently in areas where foxes were baited.
Matthew Rees, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, CSIRO
Bronwyn Hradsky, Research Fellow in Ecology, The University of Melbourne
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From crickets in Melbourne to grasshoppers in Cairns, here’s what triggers an insect outbreak
In the wake of Melbourne’s spectacular cricket swarm, we asked the author of Australia’s Guide to Crickets why insects gather in such large numbers and how to keep them out of our homes.
David Rentz, Adjunct Professorial Research Fellow, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University
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What we know about last year’s top 10 wild Australian climatic events – from fire and flood combos to cyclone-driven extreme rain
Last year was the hottest in recorded history. That heat led to a range of unusually intense weather events across Australia.
Laure Poncet, Research officer, UNSW Sydney
Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne
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Victoria’s fire alert has knocked Australians out of complacency. Under climate change, catastrophic bushfires can strike any time
Many Australians probably thought the worst of the bushfire season was over. But climate change is bringing not just more frequent and severe fires, but longer fire seasons.
David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
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Dutton wants a ‘mature debate’ about nuclear power. By the time we’ve had one, new plants will be too late to replace coal
Small modular reactors are popular among conservative politicians and supposedly the Australian public. But they’re nowhere near ready to power Australia in time to replace coal-powered stations.
John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland
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We can’t say yet if grid-breaking thunderstorms are getting worse – but we shouldn’t wait to find out
Extreme winds from thunderstorms have downed transmission towers from Victoria to Western Australia in recent years. What’s going on?
Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist, The University of Melbourne
Andrew Brown, Ph.D. student, The University of Melbourne
Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne
Claire Vincent, Senior Lecturer in Atmospheric Science, The University of Melbourne
Michael Brear, Director, Melbourne Energy Institute, The University of Melbourne
Pierluigi Mancarella, Chair Professor of Electrical Power Systems, The University of Melbourne
Todd Lane, Professor, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
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Researchers found 37 mine sites in Australia that could be converted into renewable energy storage. So what are we waiting for?
Huge open-cut mining pits would be turned into reservoirs to hold water for renewable energy storage. It would give the sites a new lease on life and help shore up our low-emissions future.
Timothy Weber, Research Officer for School of Engineering, Australian National University
Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University
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Antarctica provides at least $276 billion a year in economic benefits to the world, new research finds
In our market-driven world, calculating the economic value of the environment can be a useful tool in garnering support for environmental protection.
Rachel Baird, Senior Lecturer , University of Tasmania
Natalie Stoeckl, Professor of Economics, University of Tasmania
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Is there an alternative to 10,000 kilometres of new transmission lines? Yes – but you may not like it
Australia’s main grid has 40,000 km of transmission lines. Building another 10,000 km quickly is proving hard.
Magnus Söderberg, Professor & Director, Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research, Griffith University
Phillip Wild, Senior Research Fellow, CAEEPR, Griffith University
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Secrets in the canopy: scientists discover 8 striking new bee species in the Pacific
By lifting their gaze to the treetops rather than poking around on the ground, researchers discovered eight new species of masked bees.
James B. Dorey, Lecturer in Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong
Amy-Marie Gilpin, Lecturer in Invertebrate Ecology, Western Sydney University
Olivia Davies, Flinders University
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Our native animals are easy prey after a fire. Could artificial refuges save them?
We need every tool at our disposal to stop feral cats and foxes from decimating Australia’s incredible wildlife after fires. Artificial refuges show promise.
Darcy Watchorn, PhD Candidate, Deakin University
Chris Dickman, Professor Emeritus in Terrestrial Ecology, University of Sydney
Don Driscoll, Professor in Terrestrial Ecology, Deakin University
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A ‘war on red meat’? No, changes to Australian dietary guidelines are just a sensible response to Earth’s environmental woes
Human health depends on having a liveable planet and this is inextricably linked to food systems.
Dora Marinova, Professor of Sustainability, Curtin University
Diana Bogueva, Research Fellow, Curtin University
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When homes already hit 40°C inside, it’s better to draw on residents’ local know-how than plan for climate change from above
Western Sydney residents whose homes often get hotter inside than outside during heatwaves have learnt to be resourceful in adapting to the increasing heat.
Abby Mellick Lopes, Associate Professor, Design Studies, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, University of Technology Sydney
Cameron Tonkinwise, Professor, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney
Stephen Healy, Associate Professor, Human Geography and Urban Studies School of Social Sciences/ Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University
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Emissions from households’ water use are on a par with aviation. The big cuts and savings they can make are being neglected
More efficient water use is one of the most cost-effective steps we can take to cut emissions.
Steven Kenway, Research Group Leader, Water-Energy-Carbon, The University of Queensland
Liam Smith, Director, BehaviourWorks, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
Paul Satur, Research Fellow for Water Sensitive Cities, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
Rob Skinner, Professorial Fellow, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University
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Victoria’s power outage could have been far worse. Can we harden the grid against extreme weather?
Transmission towers bent like soft plastic when extreme winds whipped through Victoria last week. Fixing it means asking hard questions.
Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University
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Climate change is fanning the flames of NZ’s wildfire future. Port Hills is only the beginning
The recent Port Hills fires highlight the increasing wildfire risks caused by climate change. Reducing the threat is going to take a shift in strategy, investment and community engagement.
Nathanael Melia, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow – Climate Science, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Sentinels of the sea: ancient boulder corals are key to reef survival in a warmer world
The best strategy to protecting Earth’s coral reefs is to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions. But in the meantime, we must urgently make corals more resilient.
Kate Marie Quigley, DECRA Research Fellow (James Cook University), Principal Research Scientist (Minderoo Foundation), James Cook University
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