Environment - Hippocampus - The University of Newcastle, Australia https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/feeds/category-stories.rss?category=category_environment Stories you'll remember en-au Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:01 +1100 Fri, 29 Mar 2024 00:00:01 +1100 web@newcastle.edu.au (University of Newcastle, Australia) What has the Nobel Prize in Physics ever done for me? https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/what-has-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-ever-done-for-me?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/what-has-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-ever-done-for-me Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +1100 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”.

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Borneo offers students a taste of research, culture and connection https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/borneo-experience?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/borneo-experience Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +1000 20 uni students, proboscis monkeys and a rockstar professor make for an unforgettable trip to Borneo, Indonesia.

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A leap of faith https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/saving-the-frogs?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/saving-the-frogs Tue, 20 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +1000 Citizen scientists are teaming up with University of Newcastle researchers leading Australia’s effort to prevent the extinction of precious amphibians.

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Let our powers combine! Art meets science to battle climate change in the South Pacific https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/art-science-cook-islands?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/art-science-cook-islands Wed, 14 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +1000 When you think of a tropical island paradise, scenes of white sand beaches, lush, verdant jungle, colourful birds, and crystal-clear water spring to mind. But for Silvia Frisia, a trip to Atiu, in the tropical South Pacific, was all about the caves.

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Net-zero, carbon-neutral, carbon-negative https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/carbon-jargon?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/carbon-jargon Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +1000 Confused by all the carbon jargon? Then read this...

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The surprising new role power plants will have in our green energy future https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/mga-thermal-climate-change?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/mga-thermal-climate-change Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +1100 One of Australia’s oldest energy hubs, the Hunter Valley is approaching an uncertain future as the world's carbon crisis reaches a crescendo. But a company that has spun off from research done at the University of Newcastle is showing there is new life to be found in our old systems and infrastructure – and could see the region become a world-leader in clean, green power.

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Could freezing koala sperm save the species? https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/saving-koalas?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/saving-koalas Wed, 27 Apr 2022 00:00:00 +1000 A team of conservation scientists are banking on IVF technology to protect Australia’s endangered koalas long-term and preserve precious genetics.

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All hands on deck https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/student-voyage?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/student-voyage Thu, 25 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +1000 A group of students have undertaken the trip of a lifetime, spending six weeks at sea in the name of scientific research.

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Saving money on your groceries https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/how-to-save-50-off-your-food-bill?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/how-to-save-50-off-your-food-bill Wed, 05 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +1100 How to save $50 off your food bill and still eat tasty, nutritious meals

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The ripple effect of drought https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/the-ripple-effect-of-drought?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/the-ripple-effect-of-drought Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +1000 Drought is like a creeping cancer. It insidiously infects communities. It spreads profound and multifaceted challenges that demand multidisciplinary treatment.

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Australia's preparation for the next disaster https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/australias-preparation-for-the-next-disaster?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/australias-preparation-for-the-next-disaster Wed, 02 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +1100 Nearly 6 months on, flood victims are still waiting to be housed. This is what Australia must do to be ready for the next disaster.

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Traditional knowledge key to solving the world’s plastics pollution disaster https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/traditional-knowledge-could-be-the-answer-to-the-worlds-plastic-pollution-disaster?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2022/traditional-knowledge-could-be-the-answer-to-the-worlds-plastic-pollution-disaster Mon, 28 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +1100 A return to Indigenous-led solutions may be our only hope to address the global waste issue, according to researchers.

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Photos from the field: our voyage investigating Australia’s submarine landslides and deep-marine canyons https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/investigating-australias-submarine-landslides?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/investigating-australias-submarine-landslides Wed, 25 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +1100 Environmental scientists see flora, fauna and phenomena the rest of us rarely do. In this series, we’ve invited them to share their unique photos from the field.

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‘Forever chemicals’ have made their way to farms. For now, levels in your food are low – but there’s no time to waste https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/forever-chemicals?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/forever-chemicals Mon, 20 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +1100 They stop your food from sticking to the pan. They prevent stains in clothes and carpets. They help firefighting foam to extinguish fires. But the very thing that makes “forever chemicals” so useful also makes them dangerous.

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Why El Niño doesn’t mean certain drought https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/why-el-nino-doesnt-mean-certain-drought?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/why-el-nino-doesnt-mean-certain-drought Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +1100 The Bureau of Meteorology released its latest climate driver update on Tuesday, saying the current La Niña has weakened and is “likely near its end”. Most climate models now point to neutral conditions – neither El Niño nor La Niña – through autumn and a trend towards El Niño in early spring

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What Australia learned from recent devastating floods – and how New Zealand can apply those lessons now https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/what-australia-learned-from-devastating-floods?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2023/what-australia-learned-from-devastating-floods Tue, 07 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +1100 Australia and New Zealand have both faced a series of devastating floods triggered by climate change and the return of the La Niña weather pattern. So it makes sense that Australia has now sent disaster crews to help with the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

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The planet’s most useful poo? https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/the-planets-most-useful-poo?utm_source=HippocampusCategoryRSS%26utm_medium=RSS https://www.newcastle.edu.au/hippocampus/story/2021/the-planets-most-useful-poo Wed, 10 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +1100 Deep beneath the sea's briny surface lies a funny little critter whose digestive pyrotechnics are so immense that they are literally reshaping the ocean floor.

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