The Conversation

Tasmania’s forestry wars aren’t over, if the uproar over the felling of a large mountain ash is anything to go by. Jamie Kirkpatrick, Professor of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Access to fossil fuels allowed humanity to overshoot Earth’s biophysical limits. The crises we now face are all symptoms of this overshoot, and the only fix is to cut our demands on the biosphere. Mike Joy, Senior Researcher; Institute for Governance and Policy Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Middle-aged people in equatorial regions have lived through the most perceptible warming in their lifetimes. But many others may experience unrecognisable changes in their local climate later in life. Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Ed Hawkins, Professor of Climate Science, University of Reading Hunter Douglas, PhD Candidate, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Luke Harrington, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Scientists need safe spaces to understand and process “climate emotions”. Group therapy helps people find the strength and resilience to continue their important work, without harming their health. Joe Duggan, PhD Candidate, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Australian National University Neal Robert Haddaway, Senior Research Fellow, Africa Centre for Evidence and Stockholm Environment Institute, University of Johannesburg Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new report sets out the practical ways New Zealand can improve its urban resilience to flooding due to climate change. But time, rather than money, is of the essence. Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Invertebrates underpin Earth’s ecosystems – so if their numbers decline, the ecological damage will be felt far and wide. Kate Umbers, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, Western Sydney University Jaana Dielenberg, University Fellow, Charles Darwin University Matthew Shanks, Director, Cultural Land Management at Taungurung Land and Waters Council, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Now that plans for a national radioactive waste management facility near Kimba in South Australia have been abandoned, what next? Let’s learn from our mistakes. Ian Lowe, Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We used to focus just on protection of vital ecosystems like the reef. But as climate change and other threats accelerate, we need to actively help nature get ready for the heat. Paul Hardisty, CEO, Australian Institute of Marine Science Line K Bay, Research Program Director, Australian Institute of Marine Science Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As I hear reports of the fire tearing through Maui, I feel utterly depressed. As a fire scientist, I know the unfolding horror is just the beginning in our warmer world. David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Not all environmental change is obvious. But incremental and cumulative changes can be just as harmful as more immediate and observable events, meaning risk management practices need to adapt. Dr Wendy Liu, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Environment and Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland Anne Bardsley, Deputy Director - Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland Jennifer Salmond, Professor of Geography, University of Auckland Kristiann Allen, Associate Director, Policy and International Relations at Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures, University of Auckland Marc Tadaki, Social scientist, Cawthron Institute Martin Brook, Associate Professor of Applied Geology, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

From the cuscus with the fancy coat, to the wallaby often sporting a single white glove, a wide variety of life evolved on island homes in the south-west Pacific. Tyrone Lavery, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The BlackRock climate fund is a start, but New Zealand needs a comprehensive approach to tackling its various environmental and economic vulnerabilities to the climate crisis. Kevin Trenberth, Distinguished Scholar, NCAR; Affiliate Faculty, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In recent years, the Barrier Reef has had a reprieve – and coral has regrown strongly. But now the reprieve looks to be over and the heat is back on Mike Emslie, Senior Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science Daniela Ceccarelli, Research fellow, Australian Institute of Marine Science David Wachenfeld, Research Program Director- Reef Ecology and Monitoring, Australian Institute of Marine Science Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Rip currents are one of the great dangers of Australian beaches. We can learn a lot about avoiding and escaping this natural hazard by asking survivors what being caught in a rip is really like. Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney Rob Brander, Professor, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The project’s environmental credentials rely on highly speculative technologies, making Middle Arm a grand experiment with our climate. Timothy Neale, Senior Research Fellow, Deakin University Kari Dahlgren, Research Fellow Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University Matthew Kearnes, Professor, Environment & Society, School of Humanities and Languages, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Living your life in air-conditioned comfort can actually put you more at risk from heat. Here’s why the age-old tradition of a midday nap could help. Simon Quilty, Purple House Medical Advisor. Honorary ANU., Australian National University Aparna Lal, Research Fellow, Australian National University Norman Frank Jupurrurla, Warumungu Elder and Director of the Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation, Tennant Creek, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It may soon be possible to reduce cyclone formation and intensity by spraying particles into the atmosphere above a forming storm. But the technology opens up a can of worms Aaron Tang, PhD Scholar in Climate Governance, Australian National University Jack W. Miller, Research assistant, Australian National University Mark Howden, Director, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Roslyn Prinsley, Head, Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Thao Linh Tran, Research Fellow, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Air travel emissions are proving difficult and costly to cut, but travellers can make a surprisingly big difference simply by changing how they travel to and from the airport. Rico Merkert, Professor in Transport and Supply Chain Management and Deputy Director, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS), University of Sydney Business School, University of Sydney David Li, PhD Candidate, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New restrictions on PFAS and other potentially hazardous chemicals in Australia present an opportunity for industry to develop alternatives for new, safe and clean products. Sarah Wilson, PhD Candidate in Nanotechnology & Innovation Governance, University of Technology Sydney Rachael Wakefield-Rann, Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We’re having a big impact on the planet. But what marks will we leave behind in deep time? Duncan Cook, Associate Professor in Geography, Australian Catholic University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.