5 ways to improve the government’s plan for threatened wildlife

The first Threatened Species Strategy fizzled out last year without making a big difference to conservation. With the next strategy due to roll out this year, let’s look at what needs to change.

Red herrings

Partially protected marine areas create confusion and don’t meet their broad conservation objectives, UNSW researchers have found.

Fight for the future

A loss of biodiversity and accelerating climate change in the coming decades coupled with ignorance and inaction is threatening the survival of all species, including our very own, according to the experts from institutions including Stanford University, UCLA, and Flinders University.

Lead – but not easily

The Victorian state planning minister has intervened to approve a secondary lead smelter in the Latrobe Valley following the refusal of the local council to issue a permit, but are environmental objections justified?

Understanding the Earth’s air conditioning

Bacteria in the soil of the world’s grasslands, forests, wetlands and deserts are always quietly working to transform trace gases in the atmosphere.

Fish get a helping hand

Engineers and scientists at UNSW Sydney have come up with an ingenious way to get fish past dam walls, weirs and other barriers blocking their migration in Australian rivers.

The web of life

An international collaboration reveals a new definition of sustainability that expands the concept to non-human species and their needs.

Eastern wetlands face further decline

Recent rains have seen Eastern Australia’s remaining wetlands and waterbirds partially recover from the drought, but drainage and water use by agriculture continues to threaten their future.

The power of natural pest control

Biological control of insect pests – where ‘natural enemies’ keep pests at bay – is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars, according to University of Queensland-led research.

Catastrophe

A national study has found that diseases carried by cats are having a $12 million impact on Australian agriculture each year with the sheep industry the worst effected.

Threatened native plants in steep decline

Australia’s threatened plants have declined by more than 70% in the last 20 years, due to continuing land-clearing and environmental destruction.

Take me to the danger zone

Drones are making waves in environmental monitoring and conservation efforts at sea.