The Conversation

One way to protect our ecosystems is to confer legal rights on them. This idea is at the heart of the ‘rights of nature’ movement – but Australia has few examples of this principle in action. Alexandra McEwan, Lecturer: Law, CQUniversity Australia Michael Hewson, Senior Lecturer Geography Rolf Schlagloth, Koala Ecologist, CQUniversity Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia has nearly 100 mistletoe species and they’re the source of plenty of magic and mystery. We even have a couple with their own home-grown associations with Christmas. Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A deadly strain of bird flu is circulating in animals. So far the virus has been detected in seabirds on islands near Antarctica. What does this mean for wildlife, tourism and research? Hanne E F Nielsen, Senior lecturer, University of Tasmania Meagan Dewar, Lecturer in the School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia Michelle Wille, Senior research fellow, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Did the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse the last time global temperatures were 1.5°C above preindustrial levels? The answer lay in the DNA of an octopus. Sally Lau, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, James Cook University Jan Strugnell, Professor Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University Nerida Wilson, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, The University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The North Queensland floods remind us of the need to build community resilience to disasters – during the event, in the immediate aftermath and beyond. Rebecca McNaught, Research Fellow, University of Sydney Amanda Howard, Associate Professor, University of Sydney Jean S. Renouf, Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Southern Cross University Jo Longman, Senior Research Fellow, The University Centre for Rural Health, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

With a record hot summer expected, will rooftop solar cover our need to be cool? Wasim Saman, Emeritus Professor of Sustainable Energy Engineering, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

All 54 drownings on the Australian coast last summer occurred in locations not patrolled by professional lifeguards or volunteer surf lifesavers. That is a stark statistic. Rob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Grassfires are normal in central and northern Australia. But fast-growing invasive grasses are supercharging grassfires – and this summer looks like it will be big. Andrew Edwards, Research Fellow Bushfires, Charles Darwin University Christine Schlesinger, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Charles Darwin University Ellen Ryan-Colton, PhD candidate, Charles Darwin University Greg Barber, PhD student, Charles Darwin University Peter Jacklyn, NAFI Service Manager and Knowledge and Adoption Coordinator, Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The most comprehensive Australian carbon budget assessment completed to date shows the nation flip-flops from source to sink of carbon emissions, depending on the prevailing conditions. Yohanna Villalobos, Postdoctoral research fellow, Lund University Benjamin Smith, Director of Research, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University Pep Canadell, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Environment; Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO Peter Briggs, Scientific Programmer and Data Analyst, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia’s federal government has been hollowed out in recent decades. But states can – and still do – deliver. That’s why they are the main drivers of climate action. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Trains once carried most of our freight. Could a return to rail help us meet our emissions cutting goals? Philip Laird, Honorary Principal Fellow, University of Wollongong Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia supported a phase-out of fossil fuels at the recent UN climate summit but is still expanding coal and gas production. It’s a contradiction that threatens the planet. There is a better way. Fergus Green, Lecturer in Political Theory and Public Policy, UCL Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Pine grows faster and sequesters more carbon. But native forest is better for biodiversity in the long run. Transitioning between the two offers a win-win solution. Sebastian Leuzinger, Professor of Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology Len Gillman, Professor of Biogeography, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Once the immediate crisis in North Queensland has subsided, authorities will need to grapple with how to deal with the ‘new normal’ of extreme weather events. The big question is: are they prepared? Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Legally binding deals struck with landholders can help protect and restore the environment over the long term. Benjamin J. Richardson, Professor of Environmental Law, University of Tasmania Afshin Akhtar-Khavari, Professor of International Law, Queensland University of Technology James Fitzsimons, Adjunct Professor in Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Sarah Brugler, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The deal is a global aspiration, not a legally binding agreement. But it should end the idea that burning carbon – in Australia and elsewhere – can continue on a significant scale beyond 2050. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Every two years, we get an updated plan for the future of Australia’s main grid. Under the new plan, coal vanishes even faster. Dylan McConnell, Senior Research Associate, Renewable Energy & Energy Systems Analyst, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

People love natural swimming spots, but it’s important to manage them well to protect both swimmers and the environment. Nicky Morrison, Professor of Planning and Director of Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University Ian A. Wright, Associate Professor in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Yes, there was some progress at COP28. But the international community is not taking this enormous climate challenge as seriously as it should. Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Herbicides and pesticides wash downriver from farms and towns – and some of these chemicals are taken up by oysters. Kirsten Benkendorff, Professor, Southern Cross University Amanda Reichelt-Brushett, Professor Environmental and Marine Science, Southern Cross University Endang Jamal, Senior lecturer in aquaculture, Pattimura University and doctoral student, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.