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Ideally, all states and territories would have consistent laws based on Victorian legislation. Juanedc/Flickr

Explainer: is abortion legal in Australia?

Abortion is a safe medical procedure, yet half of Australian women may have difficulty accessing a termination because they live in states and territories that designate it a crime.
There are a lot of trees on Earth. But there used to be many, many more. Clara Rowe

Global count shows tree numbers have halved since dawn of human civilisation

There are more than three trillion trees worldwide, but that’s only half as many were around at the start of human civilisation according to new research.
Gamba Grass is altering fire regimes in the Top End, threatening human life and property, natural assets including Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, and compromising savanna burning programs. Samantha Setterfield

Setting priorities for environmental research is daunting when the questions are so huge

One of the Australian government’s new research priorities is “environmental change”. But can be hard to know how to tackle such huge and interlinked issues as climate change and species extinctions.
A green turtle hatches in the lab. David Pike

Rising seas could drown turtle eggs: new research

Immersion in seawater kills sea turtle eggs, suggesting that sea turtles are increasingly at risk from rising seas, according to research published today in Royal Society Open Science.
The World Heritage Committee’s deliberations involved far more than a simple tick for the Great Barrier Reef. Jon Day

Not out of hot water yet: what the world thinks about the Great Barrier Reef

Australia was spared the ignominy of having the Great Barrier Reef listed as officially in danger. But comments from member countries of the World Heritage Committee show the world is still worried about it.
The north may be pleasant now, but climate change may make it less so. rjcox/Flickr

Climate: the elephant in the room for developing northern Australia

The recently released white paper on developing northern Australia ignores an elephant in the room: climate change. While the paper sees a bright future for the north (roads, rail, dams and food), without considering climate change we can’t be sure the north will even be liveable.
It’s still too early to declare that it’s blue skies for the Great Barrier Reef. Underwater Earth/Catlin Seaview Survey/Wikimedia Commons

The Barrier Reef is not listed as in danger, but the threats remain

Whether it’s on the official “in danger” list or not, the Great Barrier Reef is clearly under threat. UNESCO has placed its faith in Australia, but without urgent action the problems will not go away.
The Curtis Island gas precinct is one of the biggest developments along the Great Barrier Reef coast. AAP Image/Greenpeace

Development and the Reef: the rules have been lax for too long

The coast alongside the Great Barrier Reef is home to ports, farms, holiday resorts, and more than a million people. It all puts pressure on the Reef, and it’s time for some firms plans to manage it.
Loggerhead turtle populations are facing a brighter future, but many other species are still in decline, while for others there are no data at all. AAP Image/Lauren Bath

We’ve only monitored a fraction of the Barrier Reef’s species

The Great Barrier Reef is home to some 1,600 species of bony fish, 130 sharks and rays, and turtles, mammals and more. Most have had no population monitoring, meaning we don’t know how well they are faring.
Research by James Cook University was rapidly translated into policy that is helping to preserve Queensland’s regions against the effects of climate change. Nathan Siemers/Flickr

Science can influence policy and benefit the public – here’s how

It’s rare for research to have an immediate impact on policy, but lessons learnt from a successful venture in Queensland can show how it can be done.

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