Wombats may not usher other animals into their burrows, but their warrens still protect other species in bushfires.
Liv Falvey/Shutterstock
Wombats don’t herd animals to shelter in their fire-proof burrows, they just tolerate uninvited house guests.
Rolling images and stories of bushfire devastation can take a toll.
From shutterstock.com
The risk of mental health problems associated with this bushfire season extends well beyond those living in directly affected regions.
Bushfire-related class action suits against the government have had little success in the past, but there are other benefits to pursuing a case.
Steven Saphore/AAP
In a landmark case in the Netherlands, the courts have ordered the government to cut carbon emissions. A similar strategy would be difficult in Australia, but other legal options could bring change.
Studies show having one less child is one of the most effective individual actions to mitigate climate change.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Having fewer children is one of the most effective ways an individual can mitigate climate change.
Leaving water out for wildlife is important during droughts and bushfires but if it’s not changed regularly it can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Roger Smith/Flickr
Temperatures are soaring and bushfires are decimating Australia’s wildlife. So how can we avoid creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes when putting water out for thirsty birds and animals?
Australia is a bushfire-prone nation. But several factors make this fire season worse than those past.
Victorian Government
The latest bushfires cannot be compared to Ash Wednesday or Black Saturday. Our nation’s fire history is being rewritten.
Of course young children notice parents crying but they also notice when they’re unusually preoccupied or irritable.
NinaViktoria/Shutterstock
Babies and toddlers might not be able to communicate well or at all with words, but they show their distress during disasters through behaviour. Here’s how parents can help them cope.
After heavy rainfall, debris could wash into our waterways and threaten fish, water bugs, and other aquatic species.
Jarod Lyon
Fire debris flowing into Murray-Darling Basin will exacerbate the risk of fish and other aquatic life dying en masse in a repeat of the shocking fish kills of last summer.
Anthony Albanese led Scott Morrison 43-39 as preferred prime minister in the first Newspoll of the new year.
Marc Tewksbury/AAP
Morrison suffered a drop in his job performance rating, with 37% saying they were satisfied, down eight points from early December, and 59% saying they were dissatisfied, up 11 points.
When polling resumes after the summer, Scott Morrison may be surprised by the public’s assessment of his government’s handling of the bushfires.
Mick Tsikas/AAP
There is an obvious point upon which the LNP, Labor and Greens might agree to move policy forward: the national ‘cap and trade’ emissions trading system proposed by John Howard in 2007.
Throughout history, Australian bushfires have spread smoke over our cities. But this time it’s different.
David Mariuz/AAP
This is not the first time Australia’s major cities have been shrouded in bushfire smoke. But this time, the culprits must held to account.
Canberra streets, January 5, 2020. Employers can’t ask employees to turn up for work as normal without first asking some questions.
Lukas Coch/AAP
Employers obligations are set out clearly. What’s important is what they “know or reasonably ought to know”.
‘In Australia, beds are burning. So are entire towns, irreplaceable forests and endangered and precious animal species such as the koala.’
State Government Of Victoria Handout/EPA
I am a climate scientist on holiday in the Blue Mountains, watching climate change in action.
A targeted, coordinated online campaign has tried to mislead the public. While the myths have been debunked, the culpable parties remain unknown.
SEAN DAVEY/AAP
We found about 300 suspicious Twitter accounts, which we suspect included a high proportion of bots and trolls pushing the #ArsonEmergency narrative.
Regrowth one month after fires at Colo Heights, NSW. A legacy of displacement and racism inflames bushfire trauma for Aboriginal Australians.
Vanessa Cavanagh
As Australia picks up the pieces after the fires, we must understand the unique grief Aboriginal people experience from a loss of country.
Scott Morrison’s much-parodied trip to Hawaii in the midst of the bushfire crisis is just one example of a leader not being where he should be.
Scott Marsh/AAP
The horror of the last weeks and months are a compressed version of the last 30 years in bushfire and climate politics.
What was short-term exposure has now become medium-term exposure to bushfire smoke in some parts of the country.
Stephen Sapore/AAP
Smoke haze almost seems to be the new normal in parts of Australia. But what do we know about the dangers to our health in the longer term?
NASA’s Worldview software gives you a satellite view of Earth right now, and can help track the spread of fires.
Nasa Worldview
By understanding how bushfire maps are created, and what their features represent, you can get better at spotting fake ones.
A rural fire service crew attempts to protect a property in New South Wales in December 2019.
Dean Lewins/AAP Images via AP
Wildfire smoke can damage animals’ respiratory tract and lead to breathing problems and even death.
Boris Jancic(AAP)/9News
Disaster of any kind throws qualities of leadership – or the perceived lack thereof – under the spotlight. People respond most to leaders who show empathy and authenticity.