Australia embraces organic food

New findings released by Australian Organic, the organic industry’s leading body, show an uptake in household food shopping allocated to organic produce and goods, with now more than 6 in 10 Australian households claiming to buy organic in any given year.

Designing ‘compassionate’ cities

The Dutch concept of ‘woonerfs’ – ‘living yards’ designed to invite walking, playing, socialising and cycling while curbing motor vehicles – has spread around the world and should be embraced by Australia.

Australian sponges made from waste can soak up oil spills

Australian scientists have developed a reusable sponge-like polymer to efficiently soak up environmentally damaging oil spills in the world’s oceans.

The limits of modelling – Knowing what we don’t know

Modelling the impact of mine developments on groundwater is critical for protecting ecosystems and agriculture, but it can go astray if we don’t recognise that all models lack certainty.

Hacking the reef

Queensland’s innovation festival Myriad is hosting a ground-breaking creative think tank today to find solutions to the problem of plastics and other marine debris despoiling the Great Barrier Reef.

The threatened species in our urban jungle

Far from being a biodiversity wasteland, our sprawling conurbations are home to some of Australia’s most threatened species. While some have already been lost, others can still be nurtured to maintain a toe-hold for nature in an increasingly man-made environment.

South Australia’s supermarket bag ban won’t cut plastic pollution

State bans on plastic bags may reducing the litter on our streets but won’t do enough to tackle the global problem of plastic pollution.

Marine heatwaves are getting hotter, longer and more frequent

Marine heatwaves have increased over the past century as a direct result of warming oceans, with significant impacts on biodiversity, fisheries, tourism and aquaculture.

Australia’s 2017 environment scorecard – Too hot to handle?

Record-breaking temperatures stressed our ecosystems on land and sea in 2017, according to our annual environmental scorecard. Unfortunately, it looks like those records will be broken again next year – and again in the years after that.

Research efforts step up to save the Great Barrier Reef

Australia’s leading coral reef researchers and managers have come together to address one of the most pressing environmental issues to face our Great Barrier Reef.

Why the health of our ecosystems matters as much as their size

The Victorian mountain ash forest, like many other Australian habitats, has been severely affected by fires and logging. To determine the actual health of the forest, we need to look at the quality, not just the quantity, of what remains.

Our ‘liveable’ cities need a visionary response to rapid growth

Australia is now undergoing its third great wave of population growth, putting pressure on infrastructure, services and the environment. A similar third wave of planning and investment in open space and green infrastructure is therefore now needed to underpin liveability as our cities grow.