Blue-banded bliss

We can all do more to notice and appreciate our wonderful native bees and give them a helping hand, it’s so little effort for such a great reward.

Protecting the trees in our cities

Australia’s cities are a hive of development, and amenity trees are often the first casualty, but Melbourne’s experience shows that their loss can at least be minimised if vigilance is maintained.

A plan to save our oceans

Over a quarter of the Earth’s oceans need urgent conservation attention to preserve marine biodiversity, a University of Queensland-led international study has found.

A better future for our children

As climate and commercial threats intensify, a major new report calls for a new global movement to reduce CO2 emissions, achieve sustainable development, regulate commercial marketing and improve policy and investment for children’s rights and health.

Natural’s not in it

Many Australians blame our variable climate for the recent drought and bushfires but researchers know these ‘acts of God’ are not natural at all, particularly when it comes to the effects of agricultural water extraction.

After the flood

The heavy rain of recent days has extinguished bushfires and brought relief to drought-stricken farmers and city catchments, but the sediment washed from damaged land will bring its own set of problems.

Understanding our crazy weather

What do the wild weather extremes of recent weeks, not least in Sydney and Melbourne, tell us about our changing climate?

Mitigating mining emissions

University of Queensland researchers have developed a framework that aims to reduce the mining industry’s impact on climate change by accounting for sources and sinks of greenhouse gas emissions.

A fire too far?

Australia’s trees have evolved with fire, and most need some fire for renewal, but repeated intense fires of recent years are straining their ability to recover.  

Get snappy to help bushfire recovery

UNSW Sydney researchers are urging citizen scientists to use their mobile phones for a good cause: to monitor the recovery of bushfire-affected plants and animals for the Environment Recovery Project which will inform future research.

Volunteers and good science must partner for bushland recovery

University of South Australia ecologist Joan Gibbs describes the day that fires devastated her 70 acre property at Cudlee Creek. One month on, it is already showing signs of recovery.

Avoiding the “insect apocalypse”

Claims last year that we were in the midst of an ‘insect apocalypse’ may have been overblown, but international researchers – including some from New Zealand and Australia – say there is still cause for concern.