How should leaders respond to disasters? Be visible, offer real comfort – and don't force handshakes

Jan 10, 2020 10:52 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been harshly criticised for being on holiday in Hawaii as the catastrophic bushfires were burning Australia. Since his return, he has visited stricken communities most recently, on...

Weather bureau says hottest, driest year on record led to extreme bushfire season

Jan 10, 2020 10:51 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Bureau of Meteorologys annual climate statement released today confirms 2019 was the nations warmest and driest year on record. Its the first time since overlapping records began that Australia experienced both its...

How wildfire smoke affects pets and other animals

Jan 10, 2020 10:49 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Catastrophic fires across the globe are increasing in both frequency and magnitude. The bushfires in Australia, fuelled by heatwaves and drought, have burned more than 10.7 million hectares, an area larger than...

Monkeys smashing nuts with stones hint at how human tool use evolved

Jan 10, 2020 10:41 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Human beings used to be defined as the tool-maker species. But the uniqueness of this description was challenged in the 1960s when Dr. Jane Goodall discovered that chimpanzees will pick and modify grass stems to use to...

Rising eco-anxiety means we should address mental health alongside food security

Jan 10, 2020 10:24 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

For over a quarter of a century, United Nations climate negotiations have failed to reach a legally binding treaty. For instance, the failed 1997 Kyoto Protocol was modelled after the success of the 1987 Montreal Protocol,...

In fact, there's plenty we can do to make future fires less likely

Jan 08, 2020 11:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

One of the dominant ideas buzzing around the internet is that theres little we can do to escape the prospect of more frequent and worse bushfires - ever. Thats because theres little we can do to slow or reverse the...

Diversifying approaches to conserving nature

Jan 08, 2020 11:56 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

Conservationists dont always agree about the best ways to reinforce the protection of nature. Debates about it can become confrontational. But at the heart of the issue is how to include more people in conservation...