The Conversation

The pursuit of ‘vanity height’ in skyscrapers is driven by aesthetic appeal and the status of being ‘the tallest’. Redefining how we measure building heights can help cut the environmental cost. James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dario Trabucco, Associate Professor, Building Technology, Università Iuav di Venezia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

When it comes to storing carbon, alpine peatlands are powerhouses. But feral horse grazing and trampling tips the carbon balance in the other direction. We need to protect and restore our peatlands. Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University Samantha Grover, Senior Lecturer, Environmental Soil Science, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Why is Australia talking about opening new gas fields as a way to reach net zero? Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Why have we seen so many extreme floods in recent years? Climate change is supercharging thunderstorms, adding moisture and heat. Andrew Dowdy, Principal Research Scientist in Extreme Weather, The University of Melbourne Conrad Wasko, ARC DECRA Fellow in Hydrology, University of Sydney Jennifer Catto, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter Seth Westra, Hydrologist, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Humans and animals can hide from extreme heat. But plants have no escape. To protect our crops from the heat to come will likely mean modifying them. Mohan Singh, Professor of Agri-Food Biotechnology, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences at the University of Melbourne., The University of Melbourne Prem Bhalla, Professor of Crop Biotechnology, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Once sold as ‘penny turtles’ around Australia, the Mary River turtle’s plight galvanised local community efforts to save it from extinction. Mariana Campbell, Research Lecturer, Conservation, Charles Darwin University Hamish Campbell, Professor - Spatial Science, Charles Darwin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Building ecological grief literacy in workplaces can help environmental professionals manage constant exposure to the many causes of their grieving. Anna Cooke, Honorary Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Claudia Benham, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Julie Dean, Health Services Researcher, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Nathalie Butt, Research Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A clever approach to restoring Australia’s native oyster and mussel reefs in Queensland’s Moreton Bay is catching on, giving community groups a way to get involved in their local patch. Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Craig Copeland, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It was once a gross industrial sewer. But decades of work has turned Merri Creek into a green ribbon in Melbourne’s north. Judy Bush, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Environmental success depends on social connections. So if you want to start a new group, you need to think about the people as much as the problem. Sonia Graham, DECRA Fellow, University of Wollongong Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Most of us just take it for granted. But bark is one of the most complex parts of a tree and has many different jobs to do. Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Changing work habits and shifting environmental priorities demand new models of urban redevelopment. Architectural ‘exaptation’ uses the past to reimagine the future. Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Insisting nuclear power is the only way for Australia to achieve net zero by 2050 is a classic move from the playbook of those who oppose urgent action on climate change. Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

How long will it take for electric vehicles to cut emissions and improve air in our cities? Longer than we think – because petrol and diesel make up almost all of the fleet. John Rose, Professor of Sustainable Future Transport, University of Sydney Andrea Pelligrini, Lecturer, Sustainable Mobility, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Corporations have an incentive to make profits – even if their products hurt or even kill people. Here’s how to stop history repeating. Nick Chartres, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine & Health, University of Sydney Lisa Bero, Chief Scientist, Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Professor of Medicine and Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Producing energy from harvested trees and other plants – bioenergy – might sound like a greener option, but it’s not a simple issue. Jessica Allen, Senior Lecturer in Chemical and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The fossil record suggests Australia may be much wetter, and look far different, in centuries and millenia to come. Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Josephine Brown, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne Kale Sniderman, Honorary Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Among the poisons found in 36% of the frogs tested, rodenticide was detected for the first time. Pesticides are considered a threat to hundreds of amphibian species. Jodi Rowley, Curator, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology, Australian Museum, UNSW Sydney Damian Lettoof, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Wildlife Ecotoxicology, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It shouldn’t take sustained public outrage to stop environmentally destructive projects. Nature positive offers us a way forward. Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Yes we need land for solar panels, wind farms, batteries, pumped hydro, transmission lines and so on. But the amount of land is surprisingly small, when you do the sums. Here’s why. Andrew Blakers, Professor of Engineering, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.