Microplastic pollution is everywhere, but scientists are still learning how it harms wildlife

Jan 28, 2020 08:15 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Plastic pollution is a growing global concern. Large pieces of plastic have been found almost everywhere on Earth, from the most visited beaches to remote, uninhabited islands. Because wildlife are regularly exposed to...

As Earth's population heads to 10 billion, does anything Australians do on climate change matter?

Jan 24, 2020 05:59 am UTC| Nature

As unprecedented bushfires continue to ravage the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government have been rightly criticised for their reluctance to talk about the underlying drivers of this crisis. Yet its not...

From 9/11 to Christchurch earthquakes: how unis have supported students after a crisis

Jan 24, 2020 05:49 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature Economy

Universities across Australia including in Canberra, Wollongong and Newcastle have had to close their campuses in the past few months as a result of bushfires. But the deep and long-lasting impacts of the crisis are...

Climate Change Series

Climate crisis: we are not individuals fighting a faceless system – we are the system that needs to change

Jan 24, 2020 05:39 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Climate change no longer seems just a future threat. In 2019, major fires in Australia, Russia and California burned over 13.5 million hectares of land an area four times greater than the size of Belgium. Major floods and...

Out of control, contained, safe? Here's what each bushfire status actually means

Jan 24, 2020 05:33 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

In this record-breaking bushfire season, notifications from emergency managers have become a familiar feature of Australian life. Terms like out of control and contained are regularly heard as descriptions of the status of...

Stoneflies and mayflies, canaries of our streams

Jan 23, 2020 11:02 am UTC| Nature

Experienced anglers recognize that for a trout, the ultimate steak dinner is a stonefly or mayfly. Thats why fly fishing enthusiasts will go to extreme lengths to imitate these graceful, elegant and fragile insects. I...

Australia needs a national fire inquiry – these are the 3 key areas it should deliver in

Jan 23, 2020 10:48 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Australias bushfire crisis has been unprecedented, so it demands an unprecedented national response. Never before has such a large area been burnt by multiple fires in a single fire season, including bushland in...