The Conversation
You don't have to be a cute koala to be an Instagram influencer. Give lizards and bugs a chance and we'll like them too
Cute and fluffy species get most of the attention that attracts resources to conserve them. But a new study finds people respond well to creepy crawlies if they’re given time in the media limelight.
Meghan Shaw, PhD Student in Conservation Social Science, Deakin University
Bill Borrie, Associate Professor, Environmental Management and Sustainability, Deakin University
Emily McLeod, Senior Social Science Research Manager, Zoos Victoria, and PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland
Kelly K Miller, Associate Professor of Environment and Society, Deakin University
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About 200 dead whales have been towed out to sea off Tasmania – and what happens next is a true marvel of nature
As the dead whales decompose, an astonishing and rare chain of events is likely to flow through the marine ecosystem – ultimately leading to an explosion of activity and new life.
Culum Brown, Professor, Macquarie University
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E-scooters are becoming wildly popular – but we have to factor in the weather
Scooter share schemes actually become more popular in hot weather, as people turn to them to avoid breaking a sweat
Anthony Kimpton, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Queensland
Dorina Pojani, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Queensland
Jonathan Corcoran, Professor, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland
Julia Loginova, Research fellow, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland
Richard Bean, Research Fellow, The University of Queensland
Thomas Sigler, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, The University of Queensland
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Study finds famous Australian caves are up to 500,000 years older than we thought - and it could help explain a megafauna mystery
The findings will help us better understand how biodiversity responds to a changing climate over time.
Rieneke Weij, Postdoctoral researcher in Geochemistry/Palaeoclimatology, University of Cape Town
Jon Woodhead, Research Scientist
Kale Sniderman, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
Liz Reed, Research Fellow, University of Adelaide
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After the Voice, climate change commitments should be the next urgent constitutional reforms
Australia needs a set of clear numeric targets entrenched in our highest laws, namely our constitutions. Constitutions spell out our most sacrosanct commitments. They are hard to budge once enacted.
Ron Levy, Associate professor, Australian National University
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Australia violated the rights of Torres Strait Islanders by failing to act on climate change, the UN says. Here's what that means
Seas are rising in the Torres Strait, swamping crops and graveyards. Friday’s decision by a landmark UN committee is a breakthrough for Indigenous rights and climate justice.
Kristen Lyons, Professor, Environment and Development Sociology, The University of Queensland
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Backcountry visitors are leaving poo piles in the Australian Alps – and it's a problem
You’re meant to carry out your poo, if you visit Australia’s alpine backcountry. But not many people do – and it’s leaving plenty of evidence.
Pascal Scherrer, Senior Lecturer, School of Business and Tourism, Southern Cross University
Isabelle Wolf, Vice Chancellor Senior Research Fellow, University of Wollongong
Jen Smart, PhD student, University of Wollongong
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Want noisy miners to be less despotic? Think twice before filling your garden with nectar-rich flowers
Our study found it wasn’t cafes with access to sugar-rich food that led to more miner aggression. In fact, gardens were where we recorded the highest amount of aggressive behaviour.
Jade Fountain, PhD Student, University of Adelaide
Paul McDonald, Professor of Animal Behaviour, University of New England
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Small communities could be buying, selling and saving money on electric power right now – here’s how
A technique called ‘energy arbitrage’ allows owners of local ‘microgrids’ to make a profit by designing the network to buy cheap power, store it and sell it back at a higher price.
Soheil Mohseni, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sustainable Energy Systems, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Alan Brent, Professor and Chair in Sustainable Energy Systems, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
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Termites love global warming – the pace of their wood munching gets significantly faster in hotter weather
Termites are about to experience a significant global expansion in their prime habitat, thanks to climate change. Here’s what that means for deadwood.
Alexander Cheesman, Senior Research Fellow, James Cook University
Amy Zanne, Professor in Biology and Aresty Chair in Tropical Ecology, University of Miami
Lucas Cernusak, Associate Professor, Plant Physiology, James Cook University
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Australia has relied on agricultural innovation to farm our dry land. We'll need more for the uncertain years ahead
To maintain our role as a global food bowl, Australia has to keep innovating in agricultural technology.
Sam Rudd, SIEF Ross Metcalf STEM+Business Fellow - Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia
Drew Evans, Associate Professor of Energy & Advanced Manufacturing, Australian Research Council Future Fellow, University of South Australia
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Lizard in your luggage? We're using artificial intelligence to detect wildlife trafficking
The number of live animals seized by the Australian Government has tripled since 2017, with blue-tongue lizards and sulphur-crested cockatoos frequently captured.
Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University
Justine O'Brien, Manager of Conservation Science, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, University of Sydney, UNSW Sydney
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There's a huge surge in solar production under way – and Australia could show the world how to use it
By 2025, factories are on track to churn out enough silicon to produce the equivalent of all installed solar – every year.
Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University
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We helped fill a major climate change knowledge gap, thanks to 130,000-year-old sediment in Sydney lakes
80% of carbon on land in stored in soil. Our new research investigated how erosion transports this carbon to the bottom of lakes, where it’ll never be released into the atmosphere.
Alexander Francke, Research Fellow, University of Adelaide
Anthony Dosseto, Professor, University of Wollongong
Haidee Cadd, Research associate, University of Wollongong
Tim Cohen, Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow, University of Wollongong
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Half of Western Sydney foodbowl land may have been lost to development in just 10 years
Growing fresh produce on the outskirts of a city reduces food miles and increases food security. But the foodbowls next to our our big cities are fast losing their land to urban growth.
Nicky Morrison, Professor of Planning and Director of Urban Transformations Research Centre, Western Sydney University
Awais Piracha, Associate Professor of Urban Planning, Director Academic Programs, Geography Tourism and Urban Planning, Western Sydney University
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In a win for Traditional Owners, Origin is walking away from the Beetaloo Basin. But the fight against fracking is not over
It’s great news Origin is walking away from fracking and gas. But other companies are still keen to frack the Beetaloo despite climate and environment concerns.
Lily O'Neill, Senior Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne
Ben Neville, A/Prof and Deputy Director of Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne
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Young cold-blooded animals are suffering the most as Earth heats up, research finds
In a warming world, a species’ ability to acclimatise to temperatures is crucial. But young ectotherms can struggle to handle the heat.
Patrice Pottier, PhD Candidate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UNSW Sydney
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Earth harbours 20,000,000,000,000,000 ants – and they weigh more than wild birds and mammals combined
Invertebrates are “the little things that run the world”. So researchers decided to count all the ants on Earth, to help monitor how they’re coping with environmental challenges.
Mark Wong, Forrest Fellow, The University of Western Australia
Benoit Guénard, Associate professor, University of Hong Kong
François Brassard, PhD candidate, Charles Darwin University
Patrick Schultheiss, Temporary Principal Investigator, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg
Runxi Wang, PhD candidate, University of Hong Kong
Sabine Nooten, Temporary Principal Investigator, Julius Maximilian University of Würzburg
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Climate change threatens up to 100% of trees in Australian cities, and most urban species worldwide
Urban plantings are part of the solution to living in warmer cities, but most tree and shrub species in the world’s cities will struggle too. The impacts on liveability could be huge.
Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Lecturer and Research Fellow, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
Jaana Dielenberg, University Fellow, Charles Darwin University
Jonathan Lenoir, Senior Researcher in Ecology & Biostatistics (CNRS), Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV)
Mark G Tjoelker, Professor and Associate Director, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
Rachael Gallagher, Associate Professor, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
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The city as laboratory: what post-quake Christchurch is teaching us about urban recovery and transformation
Spontaneous and often temporary initiatives drove most of the early earthquake recovery in Christchurch, offering examples for many other cities facing hazards and climate risks.
Kelly Dombroski, Associate Professor in Geography, Massey University
Amanda Yates, Associate Professor in Regenerative System Change, Auckland University of Technology
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