As Rio bay waters show, we badly need innovation in treating human wastes

Aug 13, 2016 11:09 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

In the months leading up to the Rio Olympics, there was growing awareness that Brazil had not met the water quality goals outlined in their bid, and that athletes might be swimming, sailing, rowing or canoeing in waters...

Going for... green? Why Rio's swimming pools are changing colour

Aug 11, 2016 08:34 am UTC| Nature Sports

On Monday, the diving pool at the Rio Olympics was fine. By Tuesday, it had turned green. Now, the water polo pool is showing a distinctly green tone. Authorities were quick to deny that the green pool posed a risk to...

Climate Change Series

As the climate changes, are 750 million refugees predicted to move away from flooding?

Aug 04, 2016 10:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The Conversation is fact-checking claims made on QA, broadcast Mondays on the ABC at 9.35pm. Thank you to everyone who sent us quotes for checking via Twitter using hashtags #FactCheck and #QandA, on Facebook or by...

Climate Change Series

State of the Climate 2015: global warming and El Niño sent records tumbling

Aug 04, 2016 10:16 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

The State of the Climate in 2015 report, led by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was released yesterday. Unfortunately, it paints a grim picture of the worlds climate last year. For a second...

Climate Change Series

Can 'climate corridors' help species adapt to warming world?

Aug 03, 2016 06:18 am UTC| Insights & Views Nature

If you flip over a log in a forest in the southeastern U.S., you are likely to find a squirming salamander. A healthy forest floor, full of fallen branches and rotting leaves, provides these amphibians with the...

Parakeets are the new pigeons – and they're on course for global domination

Aug 01, 2016 07:14 am UTC| Nature

Love them or hate them, ring-necked parakeets have invaded Europe and theyre here to stay. Already a staple of many urban parks and gardens around the UK, some of these charismatic bright green birds are now so comfortable...

Climate Change Series

What causes asthma? Clues from London's Great Smog with implications for air pollution today

Jul 26, 2016 06:20 am UTC| Health Nature

Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition with no known cure. It impacts people of all ages through episodic constrictions of the airways, which may be even worse than it sounds. Approximately 334 million people worldwide...