Introduced species and diseases can drive native species into smaller environmental niches – and that could mean change to how we work to conserve them.
Paul Hardisty, Australian Institute of Marine Science and Line K Bay, Australian Institute of Marine Science
We used to focus just on protection of vital ecosystems like the reef. But as climate change and other threats accelerate, we need to actively help nature get ready for the heat.
It may soon be possible to reduce cyclone formation and intensity by spraying particles into the atmosphere above a forming storm. But the technology opens up a can of worms
Climate change is ramping up, and with it, so is the rhetoric for action. It’s a fine line to walk between sounding the alarm and being accused of alarmism.
Sydney’s 14 wastewater treatment plants could be modified to also accept food waste, research shows. The ‘anaerobic digestion’ process would produce energy as well as nutrients for reuse.
Just generating heat is not enough. We must also capture, store, and utilize waste heat year-round and especially in the winter months.
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
As the drive towards electrification advances, one fact seems clear: it is far easier to reuse waste heat for our homes and businesses than it is to generate it anew.
Crab on polymetallic nodules.
NOAA Ocean Exploration
20 years ago, solar and wind were expensive enough to make nuclear seem like an option for Australia. With cheap renewables a reality, there’s simply no point to domestic nuclear.
We’ll need some new transmission lines to make Australia’s grid ready for the green energy shift. But there are clever ways of making more use out of our existing network.
Lithium, essential for EV batteries, could be South America’s white gold.
AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd
China is a major investor in Latin America’s renewable energy and critical minerals like lithium, but countries like Chile are also taking steps to secure their own clean energy future.