The Conversation

Native rats and mice don’t usually evoke sympathy among the Australian public. The common names for the species – such as swamp rat – do little to help. Steve Morton, Honorary Fellow, Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Cultured meats, precision fermentation and other cutting-edge technologies are predicted to disrupt conventional agriculture. Despite the threat, New Zealand is well positioned to ride the wave. Ian Mason, Adjunct Senior Fellow in Renewable Energy Systems Engineering, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Much like our gut microbes, the community of microbes used to process human waste must be healthy to do the job well. Monitoring the DNA in waste sludge can help us ensure the system stays healthy. Christian Krohn, Postoctoral Researcher, School of Science, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A century ago, millions of koalas were killed for their fur. The backlash was fierce. Ruby Ekkel, PhD student in Australian History, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We’re getting faster at building renewables – but we’ll have to speed up even more to reach our 2030 target of 82% clean energy Thomas Longden, Senior Researcher, Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Victoria’s decision this week to reject a ban on duck hunting is a shot to the heart for proud Yuin man Jack Pascoe, son of Bruce Pascoe. The black duck Yumburra is a Yuin tribal totem. Jack Pascoe, Research fellow, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The benefits of snake populations on agricultural land far outweigh the potential costs, and farmers should tolerate rather than kill them. Rick Shine, Professor in Evolutionary Biology, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The health of our soils is poor – and getting worse. Here’s why that matters and what we can do about it Ryan Borrett, Science Communications Coordinator, Murdoch University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Over 200 million tonnes of sediment are transported by rivers to the sea each year, the most widespread water contaminant in the country. Its devastating impact on marine life has to be reversed. Abigail M Smith, Professor of Marine Science, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australians want government to act on climate change, but not necessarily now, or in their neighbourhood. How can governments resolve this dilemma? Lucy Richardson, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University Ella Healy, Operations Manager, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

If a colony of flying foxes sets up in your backyard, you might be annoyed – or concerned. But these gentle bats are vital to our forests. Noel D. Preece, Adjunct Asssociate Professor, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

How’s the humidity? Australia’s east coast has been hit by intense humidity this summer. Here’s why – and why it’s a risk Steven Sherwood, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Birds have one unchanging scientific name, but often many common names that are subject to change. Choosing a new name for a bird isn’t necessarily a simple decision. Felix Cehak, PhD Candidate, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The new threat from cyclones can come from behind you – flooding from more intense rainfall. Jonathan Nott, Professor of Physical Geography, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We crave certainty in our weather forecasts. But that’s only possible for big weather events such as cyclones and major storms. Everything else is probability. Christian Jakob, Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for the Weather of the 21st Century, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our super funds say they want to invest more in the net zero transition but that regulation blocks them. It’s time to put them to the test, and turn their piles of money toward a greener future. Arjuna Dibley, Head of Sustainable Finance Hub, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Without urgent action, Earth is heading for climate catastrophe. Yet there are reasons for hope in 2024 – including a possible peak in global greenhouse gas emissions. Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Floodwaters pulsing into the sea normally clear within six days. But the 2022 floods in eastern Australia were different. Neil Malan, Research associate, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Moninya Roughan, Professor in Oceanography, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

To fight global warming we will soon have to try to remove carbon dioxide from the skies or find ways to reflect the Sun’s heat. Such radical paths must be examined, but risky experiments avoided. Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Most of the 1 billion people in informal settlements are in the tropics where the threat of humid heat is rising. Poor weather station coverage that misses local hotspots puts them even more at risk. Emma Ramsay, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University, and Research Affiliate, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.