World’s first ‘reef credit’ system lets companies help save coral reefs
When companies aren’t able to slash the emissions they produce, oftentimes they’ll purchase carbon offsets to fund programs that are directly removing carbon emissions, such as reforestation projects. Funding such programs help tackle the problem of atmosphere-heating emissions, but it Read More...
Australia to begin nationwide “koala count” to assess population health
Although they are fluffy and sleep for about 20 hours a day, koalas are deceptively difficult to locate. Due to their elusiveness, the Australian government is deploying some new and innovative tools in their nationwide “koala count.” The Australian government is dedicating 2 million Read More...
Little pygmy possum found after fears they were wiped out by bushfires
When bushfires ravaged Australia’s Kangaroo Island last year, wildlife experts were left concerned about the future of some of its threatened species, including the endemic little pygmy possum. But a recent survey conducted by local conservation groups spells good news for the fate of the tiny Read More...
14 nations come together to launch plan to safeguard our oceans
In 2018, a panel of world leaders was established with the goal of creating a plan to achieve a ‘sustainable ocean economy’ in which our precious oceans are guarded against exploitation. The panel featured a mix of 14 developed and developing nations from around the world, including Norway, Read More...
Ecologists discover two new species of fluffy marsupials in Australia
It’s a rare occasion when not one, but two new mammals are discovered by scientists in a single day, yet that’s exactly what happened in Australia this past week. In a new study published in Nature's public access Scientific Reports journal, scientists confirmed that there are actually three Read More...
3D printed tree hollows to serve as homes to Australia’s displaced wildlife
After wildfires ravaged the Australian bush this year and last, a great variety of birds and other small animals were suddenly left without a home as the tree hollows they relied on for habitat were no longer there. Deploying traditional wooden nesting boxes is one way to provide new homes for the Read More...
In pandemic silence, scientists can finally hear endangered dolphins
Previous recordings of Burrunan dolphin communication were broken up with the noise of passing boats traveling across the dolphins’ Gippsland Lakes habitat. During pandemic lockdowns, however, scientists were able to record the uninterrupted sounds of the endangered dolphins for the very first Read More...
Tiny sponge converts dirty cooking oil into biodiesel
Scientists in Australia have developed an incredible sponge-like material that can convert discarded cooking oil and other waste materials into biodiesel. The sponge, which is being described as the first of its kind, is micron-sized and highly porous. When molecules are fed into the sponge, they Read More...
Australia to build a giant solar farm that will be visible from space
Australia is preparing to become home to the world’s largest solar farm, with the project expected to generate enough energy to power places as far away as Singapore. Called Sun Cable, the 10-gigawatt solar farm will occupy 120 square kilometers on a remote patch of the outback in the Read More...
Breath test detects 80 percent of cancer cases in first trials
Scientists in Australia have developed a special breath test that can quickly detect head and neck cancers with a high degree of accuracy. Around the world, head and neck cancers account for six percent of all cancers and kill around 300,000 people. Treatments can be effective, but that’s only Read More...