El Niño is back – that’s good news or bad news, depending on where you live

El Niño is officially here, and while it’s still weak right now, federal forecasters expect this global disrupter of worldwide weather patterns to gradually strengthen. That...

Europe has lost over half a billion birds in 40 years. The single biggest cause? Pesticides and fertilisers

A trickle of studies warning that the enormous variety of living things on Earth is diminishing has turned into a flood. The evidence for these losses...

Think of solar panels more like apple trees – we need a fairer approach for what we use and sell

As we race to decarbonise by electrifying everything, solar panels – now cheaper per square metre than marine-grade plywood – will do much of the heavy...

Why does my dog eat grass? And when is it not safe for them?

Have you ever wondered why your dog is eating your beautifully cropped lawn or nibbling at the grass at the dog park? Eating grass is a...

It’s not just climate – we’ve already breached most of the Earth’s limits. A safer, fairer future means treading lightly

People once believed the planet could always accommodate us. That the resilience of the Earth system meant nature would always provide. But we now know this...

Melbourne earthquake 2023: are they becoming more common? A seismology expert explains

Last night at 11:41pm local time, the greater Melbourne region was shaken by a magnitude 4.0 earthquake – as calculated by the Seismology Research Centre –...

70 years after the first ascent of Everest, the impact of mass mountaineering must be confronted

Mountains – their height, their mass, their climates and ecosystems – have fascinated humans for thousands of years. But there is one that holds extra-special meaning...

Electricity prices are rising again. Here’s how to ensure renters can cash-in on rooftop solar

The Supreme Court just shriveled federal protection for wetlands, leaving many of these valuable ecosystems at risk

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in Sackett v. EPA that federal protection of wetlands encompasses only those wetlands that directly adjoin rivers, lakes and other...

Greedy gulls decide what to eat by watching people – new research

Ask anyone living in a coastal area of the UK and they’ll confirm that seagulls can be a nuisance. These birds’ pilfering of food knows no...