Environment
-
In a heatwave, a cool library or shopping centre is a lifeline. Do we need more climate shelters?
Many of our homes and workplaces were built for a milder climate that no longer exists. As Australia braces for…
Read More » -
Venezuela’s fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads
Venezuela’s Orinoco River Basin is a wild land of lush forests, grasslands and a vast delta of jungle wetlands teeming…
Read More » -
Petrol prices too high? Here’s how quickly an EV could save you money
Petrol prices began rising even before the conflict in Iran drove oil prices higher. Australia imports around 80% of its…
Read More » -
2025 was hotter than it should have been – 5 influences and a dirty surprise offer clues to what’s ahead
The past three years have been the world’s hottest on record by far, with 2025 almost tied with 2023 for…
Read More » -
New modelling shows renewable electricity can meet NZ’s future demand – without importing gas
The government’s plan to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) has raised questions about whether this is the best approach to…
Read More » -
Persian Gulf desalination plants could become military targets in regional war
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf region use the fossil fuels under their…
Read More » -
We thought inbred koalas were at risk of extinction. But what we discovered upends genetic conventions
If you follow media coverage of koalas, you could be forgiven for feeling confused. Recent stories describe a “koala paradox”:…
Read More » -
Meet ‘Tous’ — an entirely new genus of mammal we identified. Here’s why it’s so exciting
Mammals are not especially diverse. Roughly 6,800 mammal species are known to exist, compared with about 8,800 species of amphibian,…
Read More » -
The Iran war has triggered a fuel price rise. What does this mean for Australian consumers?
As many Australians prepare for the Labour Day long weekend, you might be watching the price at the fuel bowser…
Read More » -
From high‑tech greenhouses to fruit netting: how protected cropping can shield crops from climate extremes
For many of us, food is something we buy at a supermarket or order at a cafe. We usually give…
Read More » -
The strikes on Iran show why quitting oil is more important than ever
As Israel and the United States strike Iran, global oil markets are on edge. Oil prices have begun rising even…
Read More » -
How ‘smart’ rainwater tanks can help keep platypus habitat healthy
A growing number of new housing developments feature a little known but powerful bit of tech: smart rainwater tanks. That’s…
Read More » -
Extreme weather is transforming the world’s rivers. We need new ways to protect them
In the summer of 2022, extreme heat and unprecedented drought drove parts of the world’s third largest river, the Yangtze,…
Read More » -
The cost of casting animals as heroes and villains in conservation science
Scientists are philosophers, explorers, data collectors and number crunchers. They are also storytellers, placing data within a broader scientific and…
Read More » -
How protecting wilderness could mean purposefully tending it, not just leaving it alone
More than 110 million acres of land across the U.S. are protected in 806 federally designated wilderness areas – together…
Read More »
