Doug Hendrie

‘Only if we help shall all be saved’: Jane Goodall showed we can all be part of the solution Jane Goodall showed tremendous courage in charting her own course as a pioneering researcher – and working to spread hope wherever she went.

A solemn day as we pay our respects to Dr Jane Goodall and her extraordinary legacy. Vale, Jane, we promise to keep fighting for all that you loved and fought for too!

theconversation.com/only-if-we-h... With @drkyliesoanes.bsky.social, Marissa Parrott, @drvanessapirotta.bsky.social & Zara Bending.

One quiet change is about to let you export much more solar

It doesn’t sound big. But this humble new set of rules will make it possible for many Australian households to export a lot more solar – and help the power grid .

PR firms are spreading climate misinformation on behalf of fossil fuel companies. Could Australia stop them? This week, Australian policymakers heard about the real and growing problem of climate misinformation. Stopping it would mean regulating the PR industry.

When the UN Secretary-General is calling out PR firms for blocking action on climate change, we need to do something. My latest in @theconversation.com on PR firms and climate misinformation in Australia.

theconversation.com/pr-firms-are...

@anuregnet.bsky.social @anu-iceds.bsky.social @cssn.org

Cut emissions 70% by 2035? There’s only one policy that can get us there To cut emissions fast, the Australian government will have to dial back its command-and-control approach – and put a price on carbon.

theconversation.com/cut-emission...

Battle for the bush? Ignore the noise – most farmers like renewables Getting to net zero relies on the bush. Rapid change can create tensions – but media framing and vested interests have inflamed the situation.

Battle for the bush? Ignore the noise – most farmers like renewables
theconversation.com/battle-for-t...

Solar is king Batteries likely to undergo similar growth from now

There are so many aspects about the astoundingly fast transition in energy that peeps fail to grasp

Here's some words from Prof Peter Newman and I about the fastest energy leap in history
theconversation.com/climate-acti...
@theconversation.com

Half a century ago, the Great Barrier Reef was to be drilled for oil. It was saved – for a time In the late 1960s, oil and gas companies began exploring the Great Barrier Reef for oil. It took campaigners, unionists and a royal commission to protect the reef.

Half a century ago, the Great Barrier Reef was to be drilled for oil. It was saved – for a time
theconversation.com/half-a-centu...

Four Pacific nations are backing deep-sea mining, while others worry about environmental consequences. The split could threaten the region’s climate leadership.

👉 Read the full story: theconversation.com/the-pac...

We’re still not measuring our reliance on nature as we rush to boost productivity

A healthy economy relies on healthy natural systems. But at the economic roundtable, this fact was all but absent.

Australia has banned 3 ‘forever chemicals’ – but Europe wants to ban all 14,000 as a precaution It’s taken years for Australia to ban three types of forever chemicals. But Europe plans to ban thousands of these chemicals to avoid future issues.

theconversation.com/australia-ha...

From sea ice to ocean currents, Antarctica is now undergoing abrupt changes – and we’ll all feel them The vast ice of Antarctica has long seemed impregnable. But sudden changes are arriving – from shrinking sea ice to melting ice sheets and slowing ocean currents.

Antarctica is undergoing abrupt changes which most likely will significantly intensify in the future. Caused by climate change, they span ice sheet, sea ice, ocean & life itself .
These changes are a clarion call to all of us, ‘cause what happens in Antarctica affects us all. 1/

Want to see Australia’s rare and remarkable species for yourself? Here are 10 standout spots It’s entirely possible to see shy mountain pygmy-possums, alpine dingoes or furry cuscus with your own eyes – if you know where to go and how to look.

Would you like to know some of Australia’s best places to see wildlife and tips for success and ensuring animals and their homes, and you, aren’t harmed? Well, @pattfinnerty.bsky.social, Rhys Cairncross and I wrote this 👉 in the @theconversation.com

theconversation.com/want-to-see-...

E-bikes could slash our reliance on cars – but overpowered illegal models on the roads make us all less safe

Conquering hills, commuting without a sweat and carrying cargo – e-bikes encourage more people get out of their cars.

Yes, my electric car makes me feel morally superior. Even better is burning off at the lights Well, what if I need to drive to Lake Eyre towing a large boat? There won’t be any chargers on the Oodnadatta Track. Australians are full of flimsy excuses on EVs.

Law of unintended consequences; since we bought an EV I drive more because it’s so much fun.

www.theage.com.au/national/yes...

What’s the cheapest way to charge your EV?

It’s cheaper to charge an EV than fuel a petrol car. But while charging can be dirt cheap, it’s not always the case.

Safe no more: off-the-charts marine heat has severely damaged Ningaloo and other pristine coral reefs Luck seems to have run out for many Western Australian coral reefs, as an off-the-charts marine heatwave leaves a trail of bleaching and coral death.

"It’s undoubtedly the most widespread coral bleaching event yet recorded in WA. For the worst-hit reefs, it’s hard to see how recovery to their previous glory is possible, given temperatures will continue to rise in the coming years." by James Gilmour
theconversation.com/safe-no-more...

A chart from https://docs.nrel.gov/docs/fy25osti/95135.pdf , sourced to the IEA as of April 2025, showing solar power as % of generation in different countries. This varies between over 25% for the Netherlands, through about 24% for Spain, about 14% EU average, about 8% for the US to almost nothing in Norway. Text says that the IEA reckons global is about 10%.

I do bloody love this chart. Who'd have thought, 20 years ago, that solar would be ~10% of world electricity generation by 2024 - and over 20% in some countries, rising rapidly in others?

Definitely not me. When I started this job I hoped to be part of a solution for maybe 1% of global electricity.

Body rolls and headbanging: we found cockatoos have 30 different dance moves

Cockatoo owners often record their pets dancing to music. Now, researchers have catalogued many of their complex dance moves.

Body rolls and headbanging: we found cockatoos have 30 different dance moves Cockatoo owners often record their pets dancing to music. Now, researchers have catalogued many of their complex dance moves.

"After watching cockatoos voluntarily begin dancing ... it was difficult to reach any conclusion other than cockatoos most likely dance because it’s fun."
Study by Charles Sturt University researchers finds cockatoos have more than 30 dance moves.
theconversation.com/body-rolls-a...

Tsunami warnings are triggering mass evacuations across the Pacific – even though the waves look small. Here’s why It’s far better to evacuate early and orderly than do it late in a panic. That’s why authorities around the Pacific are taking no chances as a tsunami threat looms.

theconversation.com/tsunami-warn...

As US climate data-gathering is gutted, Australian forecasting is now at real risk For decades, Australia has relied on data from US satellites, floats and monitoring programs. Planned deep cuts put Australian forecasting at risk

Our article on the impacts US cuts to NOAA/NASA/NSF could have on Australian and global weather and climate and oceans monitoring and forecasting - and the steps Australia needs to protect itself. Written with a significant group of amazing co-authors

theconversation.com/as-us-climat...

Historic ruling finds climate change ‘imperils all forms of life’ and puts laggard nations on notice Countries have wide-ranging obligations to adequately tackle climate change, the International Court of Justice has found. Those who don’t could be legally liable.

Historic ruling finds climate change ‘imperils all forms of life’ and puts laggard nations on notice

(Loving the use of laggard!)

theconversation.com/historic-rul...

Melting ice will strengthen the monsoon in northern Australia – but cause drier conditions north of the Equator Sediments in a lagoon near Darwin hold traces of changes to monsoonal rains over 150,000 years. Here’s what it means as Earth’s polar ice melts.

Just out in @theconversation.com

Melting ice will strengthen the monsoon in northern Australia – but cause drier conditions north of the Equator

theconversation.com/melting-ice-...

“For the first time in two centuries, the West is no longer the leader in future technology, but the follower"
NEW: @katemac.bsky.social and I @phenomenalworld.bsky.social write about what China's tech acceleration means for the world. Subscribe & read here: www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/bri...

Earth is trapping much more heat than climate models forecast – and the rate has doubled in 20 years

Real world measurements of how much extra heat the Earth is trapping are well beyond most climate models. That’s a real problem.

Oil shocks in the 1970s drove rapid changes in transport. It could happen again if Middle East tensions continue

If oil prices rise and stay elevated, consumers will seek better options. Could it accelerate the shift to electric vehicles?

Drone footage captured orcas crafting tools out of kelp – and using them for grooming

For the first time, orcas have been seen making and using tools out of seaweed. The reason? Most likely as a form of social grooming.

West Australian miners flexed their muscle to block a federal EPA last year. Will it be different this time?

Murray Watt came to the role of environment minister with a reputation as a fixer. The question now is, what will he trade to get WA miners on side?

Bribe or community benefit? Sweeteners smoothing the way for renewables projects need to be done right

Renewable developers use community benefit schemes to make projects appealing. But this has to be done carefully.