The Conversation
‘How long before climate change will destroy the Earth?’: research reveals what Australian kids want to know about our warming world
The result shows climate change education in schools must become more holistic and empowering, and children should be allowed to shape the future they will inherit.
Chloe Lucas, Lecturer and Research Fellow, School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences. Coordinator, Education for Sustainability Tasmania, University of Tasmania
Charlotte Earl-Jones, PhD Candidate, University of Tasmania
Gabi Mocatta, Research Fellow in Climate Change Communication, Climate Futures Program, University of Tasmania, and Lecturer in Communication, Deakin University
Gretta Pecl, Professor, at IMAS and Director of the Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania
Kim Beasy, Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy, University of Tasmania
Rachel Kelly, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Future Ocean and Coastal Infrastructures (FOCI) Consortium, Memorial University, Canada, and Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania
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Tasmania’s tall eucalypt forests will be wiped out by heatwaves unless we step in to help them
Our tallest trees are world champions when it comes to capturing and storing carbon, but they don’t like the heat. Climate change will trigger mass tree deaths in Tasmania. Here’s what can be done.
Tim Wardlaw, Research Associate, University of Tasmania
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We need faster, better ways to monitor NZ’s declining river health – using environmental DNA can help
Monitoring methods based on environmental DNA are faster, more comprehensive and cheaper than traditional ecological surveys. They help fill gaps in New Zealand’s data on river health.
Michael Bunce, Honarary Professor in Environmental Genomics, University of Otago
Simon Jarman, Professor of Environmental Genomics, Curtin University
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A battery price war is kicking off that could soon make electric cars cheaper. Here’s how
China’s two largest EV battery makers are pledging to slash the cost of their batteries this year. Behind the pledge is a cost war – and new battery chemistries.
Muhammad Rizwan Azhar, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University
Waqas Uzair, Research associate, Edith Cowan University
Yasir Arafat, Senior research associate, Edith Cowan University
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NZ’s summer insects are packing up for autumn – here’s how our gardens can help them through the cold months
Many common insects seem to disappear during autumn and winter – but they are still around. Making your garden a good winter habitat can help these vital pollinators survive and thrive.
Janice Lord, Associate Professor in Botany, University of Otago
Connal McLean, Natural History Technician – Invertebrates, Te Papa Tongarewa
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Even far from the ocean, Australia’s drylands are riddled with salty groundwater. What can land managers do?
We’ve known about dryland salinity for a century. But while we’ve made progress, the problem hasn’t yet been solved.
Nik Callow, Associate Professor - Geography, The University of Western Australia
David Pannell, Professor and Director, Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, The University of Western Australia
Ed Barrett-Lennard, Professorial fellow, Murdoch University
Richard George, Honorary fellow, The University of Western Australia
Tom Hatton, Adjunct professor, The University of Western Australia
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Finally, good news for power bills: energy regulator promises small savings for most customers on the ‘default market offer’
In states with competition between retailers, the energy regulator is promising savings for most customers on the default plan. But it’s small change compared to price hikes. Here’s what to expect.
Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute
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The government wants to fast-track approvals of large infrastructure projects – that’s bad news for NZ’s biodiversity
New Zealand’s plants and animals are globally unique and underpin primary production and tourism. The government’s fast-tracking proposal threatens to erode the natural capital the economy relies on.
Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand
Jo Monks, Lecturer in Ecology, University of Otago
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On a climate rollercoaster: how Australia’s environment fared in the world’s hottest year
Conditions deteriorated in 2023 but were stlil relatively good for ecosystems and agriculture. Unfortunately, the alarming decline of threatened species continued.
Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
Shoshana Rapley, Research Assistant, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
Tayla Lawrie, Project Manager, Threatened Species Index, The University of Queensland
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Even as the fusion era dawns, we’re still in the Steam Age
In the 19th century, the world ran on steam. In the 21st century, little has changed. Every thermal power plant still relies on steam as a final stage.
Andreas Helwig, Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland
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Smart meters haven’t delivered the promised benefits to electricity users. Here’s a way to fix the problems
The amount of detailed real-time data a smart grid needs to manage the push for electrification and renewables presents challenges – but there’s an affordable solution.
Ali Pourmousavi Kani, Senior Lecturer of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide
Rui Yuan, Industry PhD Candidate, School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide
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Ultra-fast fashion is a disturbing trend undermining efforts to make the whole industry more sustainable
We know fast fashion is bad for the environment. Ultra-fast fashion makes matters worse. This disturbing trend towards disposable clothing is the opposite of sustainable. Here’s what must be done.
Taylor Brydges, Research Principal, University of Technology Sydney
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Meet the kowari: a pint-sized predator on the fast track to extinction
Blink and you’ll miss it. The kowari is a charismatic marsupial carnivore that needs our help.
Katherine Moseby, Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney
Katherine Tuft, Visiting Research Fellow, University of Adelaide
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Large old trees are vital for Australian birds. Their long branches and hollows can’t be replaced by saplings
We scanned the tree canopy with lasers and found birds much prefer the branches of big old trees.
Stanislav Roudavski, Senior Lecturer in Digital Architectural Design, The University of Melbourne
Alex Holland, Researcher at Deep Design Lab and PhD Candidate at Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne
Jason Thompson, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne
Philip Gibbons, Professor, Australian National University
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Tennis anyone? Bad news for skiers as snow season could shrink by 78% this century
The two alpine regions projected to suffer the greatest loss of snow cover in the world are in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Adrian McCallum, Discipline Lead - Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Petrol, pricing and parking: why so many outer suburban residents are opting for EVs
Electric vehicles have long come at a premium. But as cheaper models arrive, outer suburban residents are taking to EVs to save on petrol
Park Thaichon, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Southern Queensland
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Pacific Islanders have long drawn wisdom from the Earth, the sky and the waves. Research shows the science is behind them
We reviewed evidence on traditional knowledge in the Pacific for coping with climate change, and found much of it was scientifically plausible.
Patrick D. Nunn, Professor of Geography, School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast
Roselyn Kumar, Adjunct Research Fellow in Geography and Social Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast
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Can earth-covered houses protect us from bushfires? Even if they’re a solution, it’s not risk-free
Buildings can be engineered to resist bushfires, but we can’t engineer the many aspects of human behaviour and decision-making that will still put lives at risk.
Alan March, Professor of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, The University of Melbourne
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Indigenous fire management began more than 11,000 years ago: new research
Indigenous fire management shaped Australian tropical savannas over millennia, until the arrival of Europeans pushed the landscape back into a dangerous, unmanaged state.
Cassandra Rowe, Research Fellow, James Cook University
Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University
Michael Bird, JCU Distinguished Professor, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, James Cook University
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The Great Barrier Reef’s latest bout of bleaching is the fifth in eight summers – the corals now have almost no reprieve
The Great Barrier Reef is facing its worst summer of sustained heat stress since the mass bleaching event of 1998, but now with less time to recover amid repeated brutal conditions.
Terry Hughes, Distinguished Professor, James Cook University
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