Up to 90% of electricity from solar and wind the cheapest option by 2030: CSIRO analysis
Paul Graham, CSIRO With the cost of energy generated from wind and solar now less than coal, the share of Australia’s electricity coming from renewables has reached 23%. The federal government projects the share will reach 50% by 2030. It is at this point that integrating renewables into the energy system becomes more costly. We […]
These are the plastic items that most kill whales, dolphins, turtles and seabirds
Lauren Roman, CSIRO; Britta Denise Hardesty, CSIRO; Chris Wilcox, CSIRO, and Qamar Schuyler, CSIRO How do we save whales and other marine animals from plastic in the ocean? Our new review shows reducing plastic pollution can prevent the deaths of beloved marine species. Over 700 marine species, including half of the world’s cetaceans (such as […]
Ancient stories and enduring spirit: Loving Country reminds us of the wonders right under our noses
Shannon Foster, University of Technology Sydney Review: Loving Country by Bruce Pascoe and Vicky Shukuroglou (Hardie Grant Travel) Travelling through the Australian landscape is an often breathtaking experience raising many questions in the traveller’s mind — none of which can be answered by an online search engine when your internet connection fails. What everyone needs […]
Australia-first research reveals staggering loss of threatened plants over 20 years
Ayesha Tulloch, University of Sydney; Elisa Bayraktarov, The University of Queensland; Hugh Possingham, The University of Queensland; Jaana Dielenberg, Charles Darwin University; Jennifer Silcock, The University of Queensland; Micha Victoria Jackson, The University of Queensland, and Nathalie Butt, The University of Queensland When it comes to threatened species, charismatic animals usually get the most attention. […]
Australian Marine Conservation Society Highlights New Federal Laws Banning Plastic Waste Won’t Save Wildlife
Australia’s peak marine conservation body, Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has welcomed the passing of new Federal laws that will end the practice of shipping Australia’s waste overseas but highlights that the laws would not solve the plastic pollution problem in Australia. The Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 will give effect to a ban on […]
Prepare for hotter days, says the State of the Climate 2020 report for Australia
Michael Grose, CSIRO and Lynette Bettio, Australian Bureau of Meteorology The Australian State of the Climate 2020 report reveals a picture of long-term climate trends and climate variability. The biennial climate snapshot draws on the latest observations and climate research from the marine, atmospheric and terrestrial monitoring programs at CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology. We […]
Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, over 120 researchers say
Celia McMichael, University of Melbourne; Ilan Kelman, UCL; Shouro Dasgupta, Università Ca’Foscari, and Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, United Nations University Climate change is resulting in profound, immediate and worsening health impacts, and no country is immune, a major new report from more than 120 researchers has declared. This year’s annual report of The Lancet Countdown on Health […]
The Blue Mountains World Heritage site has been downgraded, but it’s not too late to save it
Ian Wright, Western Sydney University; Anthony Capon, Monash University, and Leo Robba, Western Sydney University Twenty years ago, UNESCO inscribed the greater Blue Mountains area on the World Heritage List for having “outstanding universal value”. If you’ve travelled to the Blue Mountains, with its rugged sandstone cliff faces, hidden waterfalls and rich diversity of life, […]
Tiny, remote islands make huge waves for marine conservation
A small island community in the middle of the South Atlantic just made a big splash for the health of the world’s oceans. The government of Tristan da Cunha — an archipelago 4,000 square kilometers (1,600 miles) west of South Africa and the most remote inhabited islands in the world — committed to protecting 90 […]
