This election was a perfect storm for the Coalition, with fires, floods and international criticism dialing up the pressure for climate action. In the end, Australia made the decision for them.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Black summer
Displaying 1 - 20 of 31 articles
There is still an election to be fought, of course, but looking back from today it is not clear what the government’s legacy is – or might become.
Indigenous fire management holds the key to a safer, more sustainable future on our flammable continent.
In this era of mega-fires, diverse strategies are urgently needed so we can safely live with fire.
Without changes, many birds will continue to decline or be lost altogether. But when conservation action is well resourced and implemented, we can turn the trend around.
Many plants are really good at withstanding bushfires, but the combination of drought, heatwaves and pest insects under climate change may push them to the brink.
This enormous, unprecedented algal bloom could have profound implications for carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and for the marine ecosystem.
New research also identified steps people wished they’d taken to prepare for disaster, such as protecting sentimental items, planning a meeting place and better managing stress.
They overlook a vast body of evidence that crown fire – the most extreme type of fire behaviour in which tree canopies burn - is more likely in logged native forests.
Our research is deeply concerning because it signals there are no quick fixes to the ongoing fire crisis afflicting Australia, which is being driven by relentless climate change.
This is not an imaginary future dystopia. It’s a scientific projection of Australia under 3℃ of global warming – a future we must both strenuously try to avoid, but also prepare for.
New research shows nature started its long road to recovery in 2020 – especially in NSW and Victoria. But overall conditions across large swathes of the country remain poor.
As bushfires become larger under climate change, the area exposed to intense and severe fires is likely to increase.
Evacuation and relief centres are often the first place disaster-affected people go, and should provide a minimum standard of living and care. But this standard is not always met.
Community scientists have been photographing animals and plants in the months after the Black Summer fires. Each observation is a story of survival against the odds, or of tragedy.
We know heatwaves and drought can turn bushfires into infernos, but the reasons why were poorly understood in science.
What if we had a system, like Medicare, where costly fire prevention measures were subsidised?
Australia’s invertebrates have an ancient lineage and a fascinating evolution. Get up close with macrophotography to discover tiny, unique animals you’ve probably never seen before.
Airborne data like this is usually available only to industry and government agencies and researchers — rarely to the public.
A major new research paper reveals which species are most at risk from changing fire regimes around the world.
Top contributors
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Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania
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Senior research fellow, Western Sydney University
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Senior Research Fellow, UNSW Sydney
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Emeritus professor, University of Wollongong
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Professor of Bushfire Dynamics, School of Science, UNSW Canberra, UNSW Sydney
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Emeritus professor, La Trobe University
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Associate Professor, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
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Deputy Head of School, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
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Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Newcastle
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Research Fellow, University of Wollongong
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Hon. Assoc. Prof., Fire Ecology and Management, The University of Melbourne
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Professor, The University of Queensland
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Lee Godden is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director, Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
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Honorary Senior Research Fellow, University of Wollongong
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Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University
