The Conversation

Paraquat's potentially lethal effects on humans are well known. But our research has found it also causes serious environmental damage. Nedeljka Rosic, Senior Lecturer, Southern Cross University Joanne Bradbury, Senior Lecturer, Evidence Based Healthcare, Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Southern Cross University Sandra Grace, Professor, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In last week's budget, the federal government allocated money to restore the local environment around the mine. But it didn't disclose how much. Gavin Mudd, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Natural gas may still be cheaper than electricity in some cases, but the price of gas is likely to rise if New Zealand follows the Climate Change Commission's advice to shift to electrification. Ralph Sims, Professor, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our research found that in 700 years, the 20th century was the wheatbelt's wettest. This means all our drought predictions are skewed. Alison O'Donnell, Research Fellow in Dendroclimatology, The University of Western Australia Edward Cook, Ewing Lamont Research Professor, Director Of Tree-Ring Lab, Columbia University Pauline Grierson, Director, West Australian Biogeochemistry Centre, The University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Tesla's stance has also shone the spotlight further onto the carbon footprint of cryptocurrency – an issue that will not go away soon. John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society and NATSEM, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A colony-building fern that grows in treetops on Lord Howe Island has adopted a lifestyle similar to social insects, turning our understanding of the evolution of biological complexity on its head. Kevin Burns, Professor, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Timber company VicForests won its appeal last week and logging is set to resume. Let's take a look at the dramatic implications for wildlife and the law. Brendan Wintle, Professor in Conservation Ecology, School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne Laura Schuijers, Research Fellow in Environmental Law, The University of Melbourne Sarah Bekessy, Professor in Sustainability and Urban Planning, Leader, Interdisciplinary Conservation Science Research Group (ICON Science), RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia can take great strides forward in climate policy and action. A reactionary, incremental approach to adaptation will fall short. Now is the time to think big. Tayanah O'Donnell, Director, Future Earth Australia at the Australian Academy of Science and Honorary Associate Professor, Australian National University David Schlosberg, Director Sydney Environment Institute and Professor of Environmental Politics, University of Sydney Eleanor Robson, Research and Policy Officer, Future Earth Australia, Australian Academy of Science Juan Francisco Salazar, Professor, School of Humanities and Communication Arts & Institute for Culture and Society, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The ancient cave paintings have only begun to tell us about the lives of the earliest people who lived in Australasia. The art is disappearing just as we are beginning to understand its significance. Jillian Huntley, Research Fellow, Griffith University Adam Brumm, Professor, Griffith University Adhi Oktaviana, PhD Candidate, Griffith University Basran Burhan, PhD candidate, Griffith University Maxime Aubert, Professor, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Morrison government could have backed Australia's clean energy sector to create jobs and stimulate the post-pandemic economy. Instead, it's sending the nation on a fool's errand. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The real success of the National Recovery and Resilience Agency will be not only in what it does, but in how it carries out its work, in the relationships it forges, and in the trust it gains. Mark Duckworth, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Many threatened plant species aren't being targeted for conservation. Identifying which are closest to being lost forever is the first step to protect them. Jennifer Silcock, Post-doctoral research fellow, The University of Queensland Jaana Dielenberg, University Fellow, Charles Darwin University Roderick John Fensham, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland Teghan Collingwood, Research Technician, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Kiwi are often moved between fragmented populations to limit inbreeding, but without sufficient genetic screening, this risks doing more harm than good. Isabel Castro, Associate Professor in Ecology and Zoology, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Soil underpins Australia's economy – yet since Europeans arrived, the natural asset has steadily been degraded. A new national plan aims to change that. Vanessa Wong, Associate professor, Monash University Luke Mosley, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our analysis shows most tourist accommodation — be it Airbnb or traditional hotel accommodation — comes with sizeable greenhouse emissions. Mingming Cheng, Senior Lecturer, School of Management and Marketing, Curtin University Guangwu Chen, Visiting Research Fellow, UNSW Sara Dolnicar, Research professor, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Pipelines, dams, gadgets: does water management really need to be all about control and power? Adopting less masculine ideas and working with nature may be more prudent. Anna Kosovac, Research Fellow in Water Policy, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Our research is deeply concerning because it signals there are no quick fixes to the ongoing fire crisis afflicting Australia, which is being driven by relentless climate change. David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A study of 183 coral reefs worldwide quantified the impacts of ocean warming and acidification on reef growth rates. Even under the lowest emissions scenarios, the future of reefs is not bright. Christopher Cornwall, Rutherford Discovery Fellow, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Verena Schoepf, Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research found colour played a major role skewing researcher bias — pretty, vibrant flowers get more scientific attention than dull plants, regardless of their ecological significance. Kingsley Dixon, John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Victorian Government recently released their Climate Change Strategy and committed to halving greenhouse emissions by 2030. Don't applaud this just yet, there's much more to do. Anita Foerster, Senior Lecturer, Monash University Alice Bleby, PhD Candidate, UNSW Anne Kallies, Senior Lecturer, RMIT University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.