Environment

The secret lives of Sugarloaf koalas

by Penny Harnett

“Tree stars” in the night sky revealed a hidden koala colony, nestled deep within Sugarloaf’s bushland.

Environment

Tackling the chemicals we can’t see: PFAS

by Penny Harnett

PFAS contamination is persistent, but so is the determination of scientists working on solutions to remediate it.

Environment

Why are sunsets so pretty in winter? There’s a simple explanation

by Chloe Wilkins - Associate Lecturer and PhD Candidate, Solar Physics, University of Newcastle

If you live in the southern hemisphere and have been stopped in your tracks by a recent sunset, you may have noticed they seem more vibrant lately.

Health and Wellbeing

Air is an overlooked source of nutrients - evidence shows we can inhale some vitamins

by Flávia Fayet-Moore. Adjunct Lecturer, School of Environmental and Life Sciences (University of Newcastle) and Stephen R. Robinson, Professor in Psychology, Research (RMIT University)

You know that feeling you get when you take a breath of fresh air in nature? There may be more to it than a simple lack of pollution.

Busines, Law and Politics

Bold climate action benefits more than just the environment - it's also great for business

by Sudipta Bose, Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the Newcastle Business School (University of Newcastle) and Syed Shams, Associate Professor in Accounting and Finance (University of Southern Queensland)

As the world grapples with the intensifying challenges of climate change, businesses are under increasing pressure to take action.

Busines, Law and Politics

Conservative governments protect more land while socialists and nationalists threaten more species

by Matt Hayward, Professor of Conservation Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Andrea Griffin, Associate Professor in Wildlife Conservation Science, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, and Jacob Jones, PhD Candidate in Conservation Politics, School of Environmental and Life Sciences

The dire state of biodiversity across the globe suggests not all governments are willing to act decisively to protect nature. Why is that the case, and is a country’s political ideology a factor?

Environment

New video shows sharks making an easy meal of spiky sea urchins, shedding light on an undersea mystery

by Jeremy Day, PhD researcher

Long-spined sea urchins have emerged as an environmental issue off Australia’s far south coast.

Environment

Groundwater is heating up, threatening life below and above the surface

by Gabriel C Rau, Lecturer in Hydrogeology, School of Environmental and Life Sciences (University of Newcastle), Barret Kurylyk Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Coastal Water Resources (Dalhousie University), Dylan Irvine Outstanding Future Researcher - Northern Water Futures (Charles Darwin University) and Susanne Benz Freigeist Fellow, Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (IPF) (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

Under your feet lies the world’s biggest reservoir. Groundwater makes up a whopping 97% of all usable freshwater.

Environment

Partnering to solve the Pacific plastics plight

by Penny Harnett

Microplastics are notoriously hard to detect but their impact is significant. How deep is the problem in the Pacific Ocean? Scientists from Australia and Samoa teamed up to find out.

Environment

The botanical imperialism of weeds and crops: how alien plant species on the First Fleet changed Australia

by Garritt Van Dyk - Lecturer at the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences (History)

Locally grown produce fills Australian shops, but almost all of these species were imported, as native as cane toads. Icons of Australian agriculture, like the Big Banana and Big Pineapple, proudly display the regions’ crops, but these are newcomers to the continent.

Environment

What has the Nobel Prize in Physics ever done for me?

by Karen Livesey

Each October, physics is in the news with the awarding of the Nobel Prize. The work acknowledged through this most prestigious award often seems far removed from our everyday lives, with prizes given for things like “optical methods for studying Hertzian resonances in atoms” and “elucidating the quantum structure of electroweak interactions”.

Our Communities

The ripple effect of drought

by Penny Harnett

Drought is like a creeping cancer. It insidiously infects communities. It spreads profound and multifaceted challenges that demand multidisciplinary treatment.

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