Fallen autumn leaves are a valuable resource – here's how to make the most of them

Nov 25, 2023 07:39 am UTC| Nature

Towards the end of autumn the days get colder and shorter. This triggers the reduction of the plant hormone auxin in most deciduous trees, which start to shed their leaves. In natural woodlands, this isnt an issue....

Why are we obsessed with renovation? Amanda Lohrey explores the promise and limits of transforming our environment

Nov 21, 2023 04:05 am UTC| Nature

The cover of The Conversion is an image of two yellow-tailed black cockatoos ascending against a pale sky, their horizontal outstretched wings crossed by the vertical lines that run from their beaks to their tail...

Myths about plastic pollution are leading to public confusion: here's why

Nov 21, 2023 04:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Does the prediction that there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 concern you? How about reports that we eat a credit cards worth of plastic per week? These are some of the facts about plastic that are...

Climate Change Series

We're burning too much fossil fuel to fix by planting trees – making 'net zero' emissions impossible with offsets

Nov 19, 2023 06:02 am UTC| Nature

The idea that we can mitigate current carbon emissions by offsetting them with carbon reduction initiatives elsewhere has become central to government and business responses to climate change. But its an idea we need to...

Giant eagles and scavenging vultures shared the skies of ancient Australia

Nov 19, 2023 05:53 am UTC| Nature

Today, Australia is home to 17 species of hawks and eagles. But the fossil record shows some other, rather special raptors were present in the relatively recent past. Tens of thousands of years ago, Australia was home...

Let coastlines be coastlines: How nature-based approaches can protect Canada's coasts

Nov 19, 2023 05:51 am UTC| Nature

Along Canadian coasts, storm surges and flooding have gone from breaking news to seasonal norms. Phenomena Canadians have historically thought of as freak natural disasters are becoming regular predictable...

How PFAS 'forever chemicals' are getting into Miami's Biscayne Bay, where dolphins, fish and manatees dine

Nov 15, 2023 01:48 am UTC| Nature

PFAS, the forever chemicals that have been raising health concerns across the country, are not just a problem in drinking water. As these chemicals leach out of failing septic systems and landfills and wash off airport...