The Conversation

When humpback whales shift their distribution and behaviour, it can lead to unexpected human encounters and new challenges. Olaf Meynecke, Research Fellow in Marine Science, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Queenslanders head to the polls tomorrow. The Palaszczuk Labor government has vocally backed the resources industry – but our research suggests the issue will not decide the election result. Bruce Tranter, Professor of Sociology, University of Tasmania Kerrie Foxwell-Norton, Senior Lecturer, School of Humanities, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia is still grappling with the devastation wrought by the bushfires earlier this year. The Royal Commission's final report marks the first step in the country's disaster adaptation journey. David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Human damage to biodiversity is leading us into a pandemic era. A new report shows we must urgently transform our relationship with the environment. Katie Woolaston, Lawyer, Queensland University of Technology Judith Lorraine Fisher, Adjunct Professor University of Western Australia, Institute of Agriculture Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Southern right wales have been hunted to near extinction. Now their genome has been sequenced to help biologists track their recovery and understand the impacts of climate change, past and future. Emma Carroll, Rutherford Discovery Fellow, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It's a big-engineering solution that costs twice as much the equivalent amount of batteries. Bruce Mountain, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, Victoria University Steven Percy, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new poll from The Australia Institute shows 71% of Aussies want the country to be a global leader in climate action. Yet Australia lags behind the rest of the world. Rebecca Colvin, Lecturer, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

It's not only nuclear bomb tests that disrupt the atmosphere, there are a number of natural events that can do the same. But how long does any damage last? Brett Carter, Senior lecturer, RMIT University Rezy Pradipta, Research scientist, Boston College Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many Asian nations are shunning fossil fuels, presenting a huge opportunity for Australia's renewables sector. And one massive project has stepped up to the plate. John Mathews, Professor Emeritus, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University Elizabeth Thurbon, Scientia Associate Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, UNSW Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Sung-Young Kim, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Discipline of Politics & International Relations, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The bushfire royal commission is due to hand down its findings this week. Our research shows the fires left young people deeply worried about their future, and they need support. Amy Lykins, Associate Professor, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Japan's plan is a terrible idea, but so is our government's plan to send nuclear waste to South Australia temporarily. Tilman Ruff, Associate Professor, Education and Learning Unit, Nossal Institute for Global Health, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne Margaret Beavis, Tutor Principles of Clinical Practice Melbourne Medical School Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our species has far exceeded its fair share of the planetary bounty, and Brown is right to call for the global population to peak. Colin D. Butler, Honorary Professor, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

'As I learn more about First Peoples’ plant knowledge, I'm also better understanding the broader Australian community's failure to recognise the depth and breadth of our expertise.' Zena Cumpston, Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Breeding pairs spend a great deal of time roosting together and the male often gently strokes the female with his beak. Les Christidis, Professor, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many countries have decided a Green New Deal is exactly the right stimulus response to the COVID crisis. Australia's steadfast investment in fossil fuels will only hold us back. Kate Crowley, Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Professional sport has enormous power to influence positive change. So ahead of this weekend's grand finals, let's examine the carbon emissions of our major men's football leagues. Brett Hutchins, Professor of Media and Communications Studies, Monash University Libby Lester, Director, Institute for Social Change, University of Tasmania Michael Ambrose, Research Team Leader, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

More than 280 women in STEMM call for a marine protected area to be established in the waters of the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Marissa Parrott, Reproductive Biologist, Wildlife Conservation & Science, Zoos Victoria, and Honorary Research Associate, BioSciences, University of Melbourne Carolyn Hogg, Senior Research Manager, University of Sydney Cassandra Brooks, Assistant Professor Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder Justine Shaw, Conservation Biologist, The University of Queensland Melissa Cristina Márquez, PhD Candidate, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Labor has pledged to create a A$20 billion corporation to upgrade Australia's energy transmission system. So what's this all about? Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The IMF wants government intervention on climate change. It's now abundantly clear Australia's climate policies are at odds with even the most conservative approach to economic management. John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australian bicycles are largely influenced by sport, not utility. We should embrace cargo bikes for their usefulness, over speed. Robbie Napper, Senior Lecturer, Design, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.