Opinion
Read the latest opinion articles inspired by science.
Less than 80 years ago, regent honeyeaters ruled Australia’s flowering gum forests, with huge raucous flocks roaming from Adelaide to Rockhampton. Now, there are less than 300 birds left in the wild.
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4 Jan 2022
Moths eating your clothes? It's actually their hungry little caterpillars: here's how to get rid of them
Have you opened your post-lockdown wardrobe, only to discover some of your beautiful summer clothes have holes in them? You’re probably blaming clothes moths but the real culprits are the larvae (caterpillars).
20 Dec 2021
Climate anxiety is real. Why talking about it matters
Researchers have found that scientists are experiencing diverse, complex, and often contrasting emotions about the fate of the planet.
29 Nov 2021
Yes, it’s rocket science: Australia needs eyes in space to monitor our tinderbox landscape
As climate change worsens, bushfires are likely to become more intense and frequent. We must find new ways of managing bushfires to prevent catastrophic events. Satellite data can help in this task.
11 Nov 2021
The 'Ringo Starr' of birds is now endangered: here’s how we can still save our drum-playing palm cockatoos
Australia’s largest parrot, the palm cockatoo, is justifiably famous as the only non-human animal to craft tools for sound. They create drumsticks to make a rhythmic beat. Sadly, the “Ringo Starr” of the bird world is now threatened with extinction – just as many other parrots are around the world.
3 Nov 2021
Australia’s refusal to sign a global methane pledge exposes flaws in the term 'net-zero'
At the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, more than 90 nations signed a global pledge led by the United States and United Kingdom to cut methane emissions. However, Australia was not among them.
25 Oct 2021
Australia’s stumbling, last-minute dash for climate respectability doesn’t negate a decade of abject failure
Prime Minister Scott Morrison is poised to announce Australia will adopt a target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The pledge is long overdue – but the science tells us 2050 is about a decade too late to reach net-zero.
28 Sep 2021
The hydropower industry is talking the talk. But fine words won’t save our last wild rivers
Technologies to harness the power of water are touted as crucial for a low-emissions future. But over many decades, the hydropower industry has caused serious damage to the environment and people’s lives.
23 Sep 2021
We may never be able to predict earthquakes – but we can already know enough to be prepared
Even though earthquakes happen all the time, we still can’t predict when the next one will strike, or where, or how big it will be. Unfortunately, we may never be able to make that kind of prediction.
17 Sep 2021
Destroying vegetation along fences and roads could worsen our extinction crisis, yet the NSW government just allowed it
Many native species can all be found in vegetation along fences and roadsides outside formal conservation areas. And yet, the NSW government last week made it legal for rural landholders to clear vegetation on their properties, up to 25 metres from their property boundaries, without approval.
16 Sep 2021
How do nuclear-powered submarines work? A nuclear scientist explains
The Australian government has just declared an historic defence agreement with the United States and United Kingdom that will see a new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines patrol our shores and surrounding waters.
