The Conversation

The soaring power prices expected to hit Australians are yet another reason the Albanese government should turbocharge its efforts on renewable energy and storage. Madeline Taylor, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We can use AI to protect nature and human health. But first, we have to expand AI beyond being entirely human-centred. Ann Borda, Associate Professor, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne Andreea Molnar, Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology Cristina Neesham, Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Newcastle University Prof Patty Kostkova, Professor in Digital Health, Director of UCL Centre of Digital Public Health in Emergencies (dPHE), UCL Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Albanese government’s insistence on maintaining a booming coal export industry will hamper Australia’s comeback. Jonathan Pickering, Assistant Professor, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Winning the election might be the easy part for Labor compared to weaning Australia off fossil fuel exports. But it must be done. Jeremy Moss, Professor of Political Philosophy, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

DNA from ancient eastern moa bones is unlocking the secrets of their survival during the last ice age, and providing lessons for today’s threatened species. Nic Rawlence, Senior Lecturer in Ancient DNA, University of Otago Alexander Verry, Postdoctoral Researcher, Université de Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier Kieren Mitchell, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

I implore the Labor Party to govern like every decision, and every year, matters. Because it really, really does. Nerilie Abram, Chief Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes; Deputy Director for the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

This election was a perfect storm for the Coalition, with fires, floods and international criticism dialing up the pressure for climate action. In the end, Australia made the decision for them. Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Who started the culture war on climate change? And are we nearing its demise? Our new research provides some clues. Matthew Hornsey, Professor, University of Queensland Business School, The University of Queensland Cassandra Chapman, Lecturer in Marketing, The University of Queensland Jacquelyn Humphrey, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In 2022, the ‘Greenslide’ took seats from major parties. Here’s how they did it. Kate Crowley, Adjunct Associate Professor, Public and Environmental Policy, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Transport planners estimate money spent on high-quality cycling infrastructure yields benefits between ten and 25 times the costs. Simon Kingham, Professor, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The New Zealand government has set the goal of net zero by 2050 but to get there, New Zealanders will need to let go of our big cars and embrace smaller options. Jen Purdie, Senior Research Fellow, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

You may not have heard of ‘temperate mesophotic ecosystems’, but science is beginning to understand the vital role these ocean zones play – and the need to protect them. James Bell, Professor of Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Alice Rogers, Lecturer in Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Francesca Strano, PhD Candidate in Marine Biology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Valerio Micaroni, Postdoctoral Researcher, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The hardest to save will be five reptiles, four birds, four frogs, two mammals and one fish, for which there are no recent confirmed records of their continued existence. Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Hayley Geyle, PhD candidate, Charles Darwin University John Woinarski, Professor (conservation biology), Charles Darwin University Mark Lintermans, Associate professor, University of Canberra Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Doing as little as possible on climate change was a seemingly safe political strategy until recently. As of Saturday night, it’s a recipe for political disaster. John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Labor’s climate and energy policies provide an important foundation for progress. But the crossbenchers, whether they hold the balance of power or not, will demand far more. Anna Skarbek, CEO, Climateworks Centre Anna Malos, Australia - Country Lead, Climateworks Centre Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia’s policies prevent the necessary action to not only address cities’ contribution to climate change, but also to protect cities from its impacts. Anna Hurlimann, Associate Professor in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Geoffrey Browne, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne Georgia Warren-Myers, Associate Professor in Property, The University of Melbourne Judy Bush, Lecturer in Urban Planning, The University of Melbourne Sareh Moosavi, Post-doctoral researcher in Landscape Architecture, Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Most people try their best to avoid snakes. This snake photographer couple spends their free time searching for them. Chris Hay, Honorary Fellow, The University of Queensland Christina N. Zdenek, Lab Manager/Post-doc at the Venom Evolution Lab, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The issues before us are too difficult, too important and too pressing to abandon them to political point-scoring or ideological zealotry. Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We can’t let communities face climate change alone. We must get better at adapting to the new climate, and do it before disasters not during. Johanna Nalau, Research Fellow, Climate Adaptation, Griffith University Hannah Melville-Rea, Research Fellow, Climate Resilience, Environmental Arts & Humanities, New York University Mark Howden, Director, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The big climate and biodiversity assessment reports are too few and far between. The world needs much more regular reporting for action and adaptation to keep pace. Mark John Costello, Professor, Nord University Katherine Kelly, Research Affiliate, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.