The Conversation

Discerning whether that dark splodge in the water is a shark or just, say, seaweed isn’t always straightforward. In reasonable conditions, drone pilots get it right only 60% of the time. Cormac Purcell, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, UNSW Sydney Paul Butcher, Adjunct Professor, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Uncertainty around the government’s proposed agricultural emissions pricing scheme is creating a vacuum in the public debate. Maybe it’s time to hand the reins to someone else. Zack Dorner, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Energy bills are set to rise - and rise again. The government’s efforts so far have done very little. Time for a stronger approach. Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The nature repair market is sold as a good news story: willing land managers benefiting nature with support from the private sector. But if offsets are part of it, the reality could be very different. Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, UNSW Sydney Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Sponsorship from fossil-fuel companies is worth millions to Australian sport. But growing opposition from the public and athletes themselves may force sports to rethink these deals. Emma Sherry, Professor and Co-director, Sport Innovation Research Group, Swinburne University of Technology Brian P. McCullough, Associate Professor of Sport Management and Director, Center for Sport Management and Education and the Laboratory for Sustainability in Sport, Texas A&M University Olivia Bramley, PhD Candidate, Sport Innovation Research Group, Swinburne University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our heavy reliance on sandbagging suggests we really don’t understand the river landscapes we inhabit. We must learn from communities that have developed better solutions to living with floods. Penny Allan, Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Technology Sydney Andrew Toland, Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture, University of Technology Sydney Martin Bryant, Professor, School of Architecture, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

By playing the sounds of healthy reefs, we can draw oysters back to the barrens where their reefs once stood. Dominic McAfee, Postdoctoral researcher, marine ecology, University of Adelaide Brittany Williams, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Lachlan McLeod, PhD Candidate, University of Adelaide Sean Connell, Professor, Program Director of Stretton Institute, Program Director of Environment Insitute, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The budget earmarked worthwhile climate measures, but many are piecemeal. Amid record-breaking extreme weather in Australia, federal spending on climate action still falls well short. Timothy Neal, Senior research fellow in the Department of Economics, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Halloween has become yet another consumption ritual – but you can choose to celebrate it sustainably. Olav Muurlink, Associate Professor, Social Innovation, CQUniversity Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia must map out the best sites for generating the most electricity with the least environmental impact. Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The financial troubles at New Zealand’s most famous North Island ski fields are a warning of what lies ahead for many ski resorts – and snow sports in general. Holly Thorpe, Professor in Sociology of Sport and Gender, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Shade, street furniture, streetscapes – they all matter when it comes to making a footpath appealing. Fatemeh Aminpour, Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Local councils are on the front line in a planning system that lacks an up-to-date planning framework to properly assess flood risks and prepare responses. Mark Ellis, PhD Candidate in Planning, Bond University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

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.