Testing sewage can give school districts, campuses and businesses a heads-up on the spread of COVID-19
There's valuable data on the spread of COVID-19 in this wastewater. Montgomery County Planning Commission, CC BY-SANovember has brought encouraging news about several COVID-19 vaccines. But members of the general public...
Empathy in conservation is hotly debated. Still, the world needs more stories like My Octopus Teacher
IMDbWith three hearts, blue blood, no bones and eight limbs attached to a bulbous head, octopuses seem like they’re from another planet. But in My Octopus Teacher, the hugely popular nature documentary on Netflix,...
Silky oaks are older than dinosaurs and literally drip nectar – but watch out for the cyanide
ShutterstockAs we come to the end of spring, look up from the footpath or at the park, and you may spot the fiery flowers of the silky oak, Grevillea robusta. You may already be familiar with grevilleas – perhaps...
Chang'e 5: China to launch sample return mission to the Moon – is it winning the new space race?
Assembly of the Chang’e 5 orbiter-return capsule. SHI Xiaodan/wikipediaChina has been the only country to land on the Moon for over 40 years – since the Soviet Luna programme. Its recent Chang’e missions (1-4)...
Humans are changing fire patterns, and it's threatening 4,403 species with extinction
The Leadbeater's possum, one of thousands of species threatened by changing fire regimes. ShutterstockLast summer, many Australians were shocked to see fires sweep through the wet tropical rainforests of Queensland,...
Returning the 'three sisters' – corn, beans and squash – to Native American farms nourishes people, land and cultures
The 'three sisters' are staple foods for many Native American tribes. Marilyn Angel Wynn/Getty ImagesHistorians know that turkey and corn were part of the first Thanksgiving, when Wampanoag peoples shared a harvest meal...
After Biden's win, Australia needs to step up and recommit to this vital UN climate change fund
Now Joe Biden is on track to be the next US president, there has been plenty of speculation about what this means for Australia’s policies on climate change. Biden promises to achieve a 100% clean energy economy and...
Renters in Victoria soon won't have to deal with dodgy heaters and insulation. Now other states must get energy-efficient
ShutterstockRenters will no longer have to contend with poorly insulated homes and Victoria will move closer towards 7-star home efficiency standards under a A$797 million plan announced this week. It’s purportedly...
Solve suffering by blowing up the universe? The dubious philosophy of human extinction
Mikhail Doroshenko/Shutterstock.comAt a time when humans are threatening the extinction of so many other species, it might not seem so surprising that some people think that the extinction of our own species would be...
Coronavirus relief funds could easily pay to stop the worst of climate change while rebooting economies
Global economic support for COVID-19 relief is providing an opportunity to kick-start a shift toward a green future. Maksim Chernyshev/EyeEm via Getty Images CC BY-ND As of late summer, governments around the...
Ships moved more than 11 billion tonnes of our stuff around the globe last year, and it’s killing the climate. This week is a chance to change
Shutterstock The shipping of goods around the world keeps economies going. But it comes at an enormous environmental cost – producing more CO₂ than the aviation industry. This problem should be getting urgent...
Connecting to nature is good for kids – but they may need help coping with a planet in peril
Deep worry about climate change and biodiversity loss can affect kids' mental health. Kira Hofmann/Picture Alliance via Getty ImagesAs an environmental psychologist who works to improve young people’s access to...