Shark bite research reveals politicians’ fishy behaviour

More than a decade’s worth of research has revealed how politicians manipulate highly emotional incidents like shark bites to influence public sentiment and protect their own interests.

The environmental picture looks bleak, but change is still possible

The world is on the brink of creating irreversible damage to the environment if better policy isn’t rolled out, but while there’s a lot of bad news in the UN Global Environment Outlook, a sustainable future is still possible.

Preventing more fish deaths in the lower Darling

A new report for the government that investigates the causes of the recent mass fish deaths in the lower Darling River finds climate change and water access agreements helped create a deadly mix.

A scientist, an island and 38 million pieces of plastic

Two years after revealing that one of the world’s most remote islands was littered with plastic waste, IMAS scientist Dr Jennifer Lavers is leading an expedition to clean up its beaches.

2018 was an environmental disaster

Environmental news is rarely good. But even by those low standards, 2018 was especially worrying, with a succession of problems threatening our health and livelihoods as well as Mother Nature.

Predatory delays in climate policy destroy our prosperity and threaten our survival

The delaying tactics of politicians and business executives in regard to climate policy must end. We face a genuine climate emergency which requires the suspension of politics and business as usual to do whatever it takes to rapidly reduce carbon emissions.

UNSW climate change study highlights the importance of acting now

The link between human-caused climate change and some extreme weather events such as heatwaves has long been established. However, while previous studies have focused only on current extreme events, a UNSW Canberra-led project is looking towards the future.

Five ways to talk to kids about climate change (and have fun too)

The environmental crisis should be part of everyday conversations with parents today if we want our children to be part of the solution tomorrow.

Australia’s rarest bird on menu for wedged-tailed eagles

A successful rabbit cull two decades ago has had unforeseen consequences, with a study finding wedge-tailed eagles are now preying on the critically-endangered plains-wanderer, one of Australia’s rarest birds.

The IPCC is underselling climate change

A new study has revealed that the language used by the global climate change watchdog, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is overly conservative – and therefore the threats are much greater than the Panel’s reports suggest.

New global register aims to curtail the spread of invasive species

There are now several thousand invasive species of plants, mammals, birds, frogs, snakes, fungi and insects around the world. Spread by humans they harm both the natural environment and human productivity, but new efforts to map them might help contain their threat.

The elephant in the election room – The immediate existential threat of climate change

Human-induced climate change is happening faster than officially acknowledged, but our leaders continue to ignore or downplay the dangers. To halt our suicidal rush to oblivion, the community must ensure no leader is elected or appointed in this country unless they are committed to emergency action.