UniSA expert calls for ‘fire-line’ to future-proof against bushfire disaster

UniSA sustainability expert, Dr Sukhbir Sandhu, is calling for Australia to consider drawing a bushfire demarcation line to identify high-risk areas unsuitable for human habitation.

A season in hell

Until the fires stop burning, we won’t know the full extent of the environmental damage. But these fires have significantly increased the extinction risk for many threatened species.

Helping our wildlife bounce back

The massive scale of these bushfires heightens the risk to animal populations and species – and as climate change bites the onus will increasingly be on us to protect and foster our wildlife.

Our polluted path to oblivion

Warren Brown traces the roots of climate change to the industrial revolution, and appeals for politicians to start prioritising the environment over economic growth.

When our love of place gets swallowed by bushfires

All of us have our ‘happy place’ where we have developed our ‘topophilia’ or love of place. So, when these places are damaged or destroyed by bushfire, the loss felt is profound.

How ‘citizen science’ can help save our beaches

Monitoring erosion at our beaches is crucial to formulating strategies to make the coastline more resilient, but it takes a lot of work. Now you can help while enjoying a day at the beach armed only with your mobile phone.

Understanding Melbourne’s crazily predictable weather

Melbourne’s weather is renowned for its variability, but it is still predictable, explained partly by its position on a large hot continent close to the cold Southern Ocean.

Limiting the loss of nature

With only about half the Earth’s land remaining covered by natural vegetation, a University of Queensland-led team has proposed an international goal to halt its continued destruction.

Who gives a flying fox?

Flying Foxes or Fruit Bats are fascinating native creatures but nobody welcomes them to their neighbourhood.

Protecting the last refuges of nature

Logging, land clearing and development continue to ravage Australia’s natural environments, and even supposedly protected areas are increasingly open to assault by commercial interests.

Sydney’s desalination plant proves a good plaice for fish

Australia’s fast-growing cities may come to increasingly rely on desalinated water as long term drought grips the country. New research, led by Southern Cross University, has found an unexpected benefit at the Sydney Desalination Plant as its discharge of excess salty water attracts lots of fish.

Up close and personal with White Island

While getting close to the awesome power of nature is a big draw for tourism, the eruption on White Island reminds us of the very real risks.