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Nancy Cushing

Associate professor, University of Newcastle
Dr Nancy Cushing is Associate Professor in Australian history in the School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Newcastle. Her primary research area is Australian environmental history, in particular human animal relations, with a secondary interest in the history of Newcastle. She is on the executive of the NSW History Council and the Australian and New Zealand Environmental History Network.

Her current project examines choices about meat eating in colonial Australia from this human animal relations perspective. Past projects have included work on Australian beach cultures, the fight against air pollution and the range of relations between humans and other animals in Australia, from pet keeping to captive animal displays. Her most recent co edited volume, Animals Count, was published by Routledge in 2018.

Another research strand is the history of Newcastle which has led to projects on beaches and surf lifesaving, including a chapter in the centenary history of surf life saving, and on air pollution in Newcastle. Cushing is a founder of the Global Newcastle research group and has published two books on the city, Radical Newcastle, co-edited with James Bennett and Erik Eklund and, with Howard Bridgman, Smoky City, a History of Air Pollution in Newcastle.

Cushing is a past convenor of the Australian and New Zealand Environmental History Network and member of the executive council of the NSW History Council.

Even for an air pollution historian like me, these past weeks have been a shock

Jan 14, 2020 00:31 am UTC| Nature

Smoke from this seasons bushfires has turned the sun red, the moon orange and the sky an insipid grey. It has obscured iconic views tourists flock to see. Far more than an aesthetic problem, it has forced business...

Economy

U.S.-India Trade Framework Signals Major Shift in Tariffs, Energy, and Supply Chains

The United States and India have taken a significant step toward a long-anticipated bilateral trade agreement by releasing an interim trade framework aimed at lowering tariffs, reshaping energy ties, and strengthening...

Dow Hits 50,000 as U.S. Stocks Stage Strong Rebound Amid AI Volatility

U.S. stocks surged on Friday, posting their strongest session since May 2025, as investors regained confidence following a turbulent week marked by sharp losses in technology shares and uncertainty around the artificial...

Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination

Gold and silver prices climbed on Friday, closing out an exceptionally volatile week in the precious metals market following a historic selloff. The turbulence was sparked by the nomination of former Federal Reserve...

RBI Holds Repo Rate at 5.25% as India’s Growth Outlook Strengthens After U.S. Trade Deal

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday kept its key repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, a widely expected decision that reflects confidence in Indias strong economic growth and easing external pressures following a major...

Japan Economy Poised for Q4 2025 Growth as Investment and Consumption Hold Firm

Japans economy is widely expected to have returned to growth in the final quarter of 2025, supported by strong corporate investment and resilient consumer spending, according to a recent Reuters poll of economists. The...

Politics

China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit

China has issued a strong warning to the United States, signaling that any additional arms sales to Taiwan could seriously jeopardize U.S. President Donald Trumps planned visit to China in April. According to a report...

Trump Allows Commercial Fishing in Protected New England Waters

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation permitting commercial fishing in a previously restricted marine protected area off the coast of New England, a move that has sparked renewed debate over ocean...

U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday

Members of the U.S. Congress are expected to gain access to the unredacted version of the Department of Justices files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein beginning Monday morning, according to a report from...

Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project

A New York federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release frozen federal funds for the $16 billion Gateway Project, a critical rail infrastructure initiative connecting New York and New Jersey. The ruling,...

Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University

The U.S. Department of Defense has announced it will terminate all professional military education programs connected to Harvard University, marking a significant shift in the Pentagons approach to academic partnerships....

Science

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

Technology

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed his bullish stance on artificial intelligence, calling the massive capital expenditure flowing into AI infrastructure both appropriate and necessary as the industry...

Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate

Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) delivered a mixed but closely watched earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on revenue while unveiling a massive long-term investment plan that unsettled investors. The e-commerce and...

Global PC Makers Eye Chinese Memory Chip Suppliers Amid Ongoing Supply Crunch

Major PC manufacturers including HP, Dell, Acer, and Asus are reportedly exploring the option of sourcing memory chips from Chinese semiconductor companies for the first time, as a prolonged global supply crunch continues...

OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering

OpenAI is significantly accelerating its enterprise AI strategy by hiring hundreds of new employees for its technical consulting division, according to a report by The Information, citing a person familiar with the...

SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off

SoftBank Group Corp. (TYO:9984) shares tumbled sharply on Thursday, tracking a steep decline in Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) after the UK-based chip designer reported weaker-than-expected earnings for the December quarter....