The Conversation

Climate change shouldn’t be used as a “get out-of jail free” card to excuse bad decision-making and poor planning decisions. Quentin Grafton, Australian Laureate Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Gilad Bino, Senior lecturer, UNSW Sydney John Williams, Adjunct Professor Long Chu, Associate Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Richard Kingsford, Professor, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The world’s solar panels rely on technology pioneered in Australia. Now our researchers are working on ultra-low-cost, high efficiency solar cells. Renate Egan, Professor, UNSW Lead, Australian Centre of Advanced Photovoltaics, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The agriculture and fossil fuel industries are the biggest sources of methane emissions in Australia. Here’s how signing the pledge may affect them. Mark Howden, Director, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The energy-intensive process of producing cement and concrete contributes significantly to global warming while depleting resources. Much more sustainable alternatives are being developed. Aliakbar Gholampour, Senior Lecturer in Civil and Structural Engineering, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Subsidies are often a policy go-to for governments wanting to encourage more climate-friendly behaviours. But they should be used with caution. Andrea La Nauze, Lecturer, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Imagine if you had to go through puberty four or five times, with each bodily change more dramatic than the last. Then you’d have a pretty good understanding of what it’s like to be an eel. Kylie Soanes, Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

For descendants of those stolen, restoring a special family place enables them to reconnect to the past, to people and identity. Alison Lullfitz, Research Associate, The University of Western Australia Eliza Woods, Goreng Noongar Elder and cultural research collaborator, Indigenous Knowledge Elsie Penny, Goreng Noongar woman, Indigenous Knowledge Eugene Eades, Goreng Noongar Elder and leader, Indigenous Knowledge Jeremy Lacco, Goreng man, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Victoria’s new renewable plan is welcome - but it relies on building unsexy and challenging new transmission lines across the state. Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Could we divert incontinence products from landfill? Yes – if we tackle social stigma and access to affordable health services, encourage biodegradable products and introduce supportive waste policies Beth Rounsefell, Casual Academic, The University of Queensland Emma Thompson-Brewster, Lecturer, Southern Cross University Kate O'Brien, Professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia cannot get its environmental act together. We don’t even have the information we need to fix environmental problems. But there is a better way. Michael Vardon, Associate Professor at the Fenner School, Australian National University Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Claims that introduced deer perform the same ecological function as ancient moa are outdated and wrong. Deer destroy forests, and large-scale culling is still the best solution. Nic Rawlence, Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Farmers face a multitude of challenges in future. Crops and livestock are not only on the line, but also the mental health of rural communities. Elisabeth Vogel, Postdoctoral research fellow, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

38 mammals have been driven to extinction since colonisation, and many more are close to joining them. We have the solutions at hand, but warnings continue to be met with mediocre responses. Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Potholes have appeared seemingly everywhere after the intense rains. They’re annoying and expensive to fix. But there may be a better way. Cristobal Sierra, Research associate, Swinburne University of Technology Ambarish Kulkarni, Senior lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Processes like La Niña set the scene for the sort of extreme weather that has hit eastern Australia. But what decides which towns and suburbs are hit hardest, and which ones are spared? Ewan Short, PhD Candidate, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia is one of the last nations holding out against legislating the human right to a healthy environment Meg Good, Honorary Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, Bond University. Adjunct Lecturer, School of Law, University of Tasmania, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The UN predicts more than 300,000 people in Somalia will be in famine by December. 7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Here’s how you can help. Joshua Hallwright, Deputy Director, Centre for Humanitarian Leadership , Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The first chief heat officers appointed in Australia are part of a global partnership that’s responding to the dangers of rising city temperatures and the need to manage the risks. Wendy Walls, Lecturer in Landscape Architecture, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

2022 has been Australia’s year of freak floods. Here’s what stricken Victorians are set to experience in the weeks and months ahead. Mel Taylor, Associate Professor, Macquarie University Barbara Ryan, Senior Lecturer, University of Southern Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Worsening droughts and flooding likely threaten the future of cotton farming – by far the most important crop in the basin. Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Joshua Hartigan, PhD Candidate, University of Technology Sydney Lance M Leslie, Professor, School of Mathematical And Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.