The Conversation
New DNA testing shatters 'wild dog' myth: most dingoes are pure
Dingoes are not wild dogs, research reveals. Most of the 307 wild animals sampled in this study were pure dingo. Australia’s apex predator deserves our respect after thousands of years on this land.
Kylie M Cairns, Research fellow, UNSW Sydney
Mathew Crowther, Associate professor, University of Sydney
Mike Letnic, Professor, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, UNSW Sydney
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Shop around to beat electricity price spikes? It's not as easy as it should be
Electricity prices are going up again by as much as 25% on July 1. The advice to consumers is to shop around to get the best deal. Yet neither electricity bills nor comparison sites are user-friendly.
Lurion De Mello, Senior Lecturer in Finance, Macquarie University
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Australian shelters and pounds kill 50,000 mostly healthy cats and kittens in a year. There's a way to prevent this pointless killing
Some 60-100% of cats taken in are strays and at least 50% are kittens born in the preceding six months. Community cat programs focused on free desexing in problem areas are badly needed.
Jacquie Rand, Emeritus Professor of Companion Animal Health, The University of Queensland
John Morton, Industry Fellow, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland
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3 little-known reasons why plastic recycling could actually make things worse
As a sustainability researcher, I know how quickly we could make big changes to reduce plastic pollution. Here’s what we – both individually and globally – should be doing more of, and what to avoid.
Pascal Scherrer, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Business, Law and Art, Southern Cross University
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Picture this: green hydrogen plants next to green steelworks to boost efficiency and kickstart both industries
If we put green hydrogen plants next to green iron and steelmaking, we can clean up steelmaking and boost the hydrogen industry.
Changlong Wang, Research fellow, Monash University
Andrew Feitz, Director, Geoscience Australia
Marcus Haynes, Computational Geoscientist, Geoscience Australia
Stuart Walsh, Senior lecturer, Monash University
Zhehan Weng, Research scientist, Geoscience Australia
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'WA's Christmas tree': what mungee, the world's largest mistletoe, can teach us about treading lightly
Mungee is a revered teacher to Noongar people with lessons for us all. This mighty mistletoe knows how to prosper in the hostile, infertile, but biologically rich landscapes of southwestern Australia.
Alison Lullfitz, Research Associate, The University of Western Australia
Jessikah Woods, Emerging artist, Indigenous Knowledge
Lynette Knapp, The University of Western Australia
Shandell Cummings, Artist, art administrator and educator, Indigenous Knowledge
Stephen D. Hopper AC, Professor of Biodiversity, The University of Western Australia
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Electricity prices are rising again. Here's how to ensure renters can cash-in on rooftop solar
Landlords don’t think renters will pay more for homes with rooftop solar. But the evidence suggests otherwise.
Bjorn Sturmberg, Senior Research Fellow, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program, Australian National University
Lee White, Fellow, Australian National University
Mara Hammerle, PhD candidate, Australian National University
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Antarctic alarm bells: observations reveal deep ocean currents are slowing earlier than predicted
Scientists have detected a 30% slowdown of the deep ocean currents that form in Antarctica, with profound consequences for Earth’s climate, sea level and marine life.
Kathy Gunn, CSIRO
Matthew England, Scientia Professor and Deputy Director of the ARC Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS), UNSW Sydney
Steve Rintoul, CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO
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What was behind Australia's potato shortage? Wet weather and hard-to-control diseases
Potatoes are profitable and in demand. But wet weather and hard-to-control diseases have caused havoc for our growers.
Ronika Thapa, PhD Student, University of Tasmania
Calum Wilson, Professor, University of Tasmania
Robert Tegg, Research Fellow, University of Tasmania
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Could wildflowers and bug hotels help avert an insect apocalypse? We just don't know – yet.
There’s a lot of enthusiasm for wildflower fields and bug hotels. But before introducing these insect-saving measures, we need to better understand when they help – and when they don’t.
Rob Cruickshank, Lecturer – Teaching & Administration, University of Canterbury
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Batteries are the environmental Achilles heel of electric vehicles – unless we repair, reuse and recycle them
The environmental impacts of electric vehicle batteries range from mining, and energy and water use to the hazards of discarded batteries. These issues can be resolved, but there’s no time to waste.
Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian, Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology
Alex Stojcevski, Dean of School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology
Saad Mekhilef, Distinguished Professor in Electrical Renewable Energy, Swinburne University of Technology
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Cooperation with the US could drive Australia’s clean energy shift – but we must act fast
The enhanced partnership could accelerate Australia’s transition from fossil fuel exporter to clean energy powerhouse. But success is far from assured.
Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University
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Free public transport is a great start – but young people won’t give NZ governments a free ride on climate change
Budget 2023’s investment in public transport will have far-reaching benefits for the climate and for overall wellbeing. But our study shows young people want much more.
Kate Prendergast, Post-Doctoral Fellow in Political Science, University of Canterbury
Bronwyn Hayward, Professor of Politics, University of Canterbury
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Coffee, brought to you by bees: a case study in how restoring habitat is a win-win for forests and farmers
The optimal trade-off between restoring habitat and crop production hinges on pollinators. A new study shows giving pollinators more natural habitat on the farm leads to big increases in production.
Sofía López-Cubillos, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne
Rebecca K. Runting, Senior Lecturer in Spatial Sciences and ARC DECRA Fellow, The University of Melbourne
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NZ’s gas problem: phasing out natural gas in homes demands affordable alternatives first
Domestic use of natural gas is a minimal contributor to overall greenhouse emissions. There should be no rush to ban it before better, cheaper options are in place.
John Tookey, Professor of Construction Management, Auckland University of Technology
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After the chainsaws, the quiet: Victoria's rapid exit from native forest logging is welcome – and long overdue
Victoria’s native forests will be free from logging by the end of the year. That’s big news for our threatened species and fragmented forests
David Lindenmayer, Professor, The Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University
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Good vibrations: how listening to the sounds of soil helps us monitor and restore forest health
Acoustic technology allows us to listen to the sounds produced by the creatures in forest soils. A new study shows it’s a reliable way to monitor the biodiversity and health of the soil and forest.
Jake M Robinson, Ecologist and Researcher, Flinders University
Carlos Abrahams, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Biology - Director of Bioacoustics, Nottingham Trent University
Martin Breed, Associate Professor in Biology, Flinders University
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The real cost of your chocolate habit: new research reveals the bittersweet truth of cocoa farming in Africa's forests
By generating new high-resolution maps, researchers found cocoa plantations were causing far worse forest destruction in West Africa than previously thought.
Wilma Hart, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland
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Study finds 2 billion people will struggle to survive in a warming world – and these parts of Australia are most vulnerable
Humans prospered in a stable climate. But conditions are changing. Research out today shows 2 billion people will be pushed out of the habitable zone by 2.7C warming. Why? What does this mean for us?
Annabelle Workman, Research Fellow, Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne
Kathryn Bowen, Professor - Environment, Climate and Global Health at Melbourne Climate Futures and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne
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From mangroves to fjords, coastal ecosystems can take up or emit greenhouse gases. But globally, they're a vital sink
Mangroves and salt marshes pump out methane – but soak up carbon dioxide. Overall, the world’s coasts are a net greenhouse sink – and we must preserve them
Judith Rosentreter, Senior research fellow, Southern Cross University
Bradley Eyre, Professor of Biogeochemistry, Director of the Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry, Southern Cross University
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