Ecosystems across Australia are collapsing under climate change

Editor's note

In yet more good news about climate change, researchers have documented the many ecosystems across Australia that have collapsed under the “press” and “pulse” of changing weather patterns. The “press” is the long-term background changes, like incrementally increasing temperatures, while the “pulse” is a large dramatic event, like a massive heatwave.

In combination, the press and pulse cause otherwise robust ecosystems to suddenly and catastrophically change. We must be prepared to decide – often quickly, and with incomplete information – how far we’ll go to save them.

Madeleine De Gabriele

Deputy Editor: Energy + Environment

Top story

Widespread mangrove dieback in the Gulf of Carpenteria. JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY/AAP

Ecosystems across Australia are collapsing under climate change

Rebecca Harris, University of Tasmania; David Bowman, University of Tasmania; Linda Beaumont, Macquarie University

Australia has seen an unprecedented number of widespread, catastrophic transformations in response to extreme weather events.

Politics + Society

What's next for Najib Razak, Malaysia's disgraced former prime minister?

James Chin, University of Tasmania

Malaysia's former leader is facing charges related to a wide-ranging financial scandal. The new government is sending a message that it's serious about cleaning up corruption.
Nauru's ban on ABC splits commercial media

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The federal parliamentary press gallery committee - which mostly looks after routine matters affecting its members - has taken a defiant stand to the ban, which has been endorsed by Fairfax.
Sexist abuse has a long history in Australian politics – and takes us all to a dark place

Denis Muller, University of Melbourne

Many female politicians have had to endure sexist abuse, from Cheryl Kernot to Julia Gillard to Sarah Hanson-Young. And it is not a matter that should simply be brushed aside.
Australia's government failed to stand up for press freedom after Nauru barred ABC journalist

Tony Walker, La Trobe University

Is Malcolm Turnbull too beholden to Nauru to intervene after the country refuses to grant a visa to Australia's state broadcaster?

Science + Technology

Driverless cars really do have health and safety benefits, if only people knew

Simone Pettigrew, Curtin University

A survey found very few people are aware of the social and health benefits from the wide scale use of autonomous vehicles. But their attitudes change with a little extra information.
How suppliers of everyday devices make you vulnerable to cyber attack – and what to do about it

Richard Matthews, University of Adelaide; Nick Falkner, University of Adelaide

Malicious code or deliberate design faults can be inserted into everyday business products before they even leave the original manufacturer. Here's how you can protect yourself.

Health + Medicine
Science or Snake Oil: does EASEaCOLD really help to shorten your cold? Kim Murphy, Monash University We asked an immunologist to assess the evidence for a popular cold and flu herbal remedy. She concluded there isn't enough evidence to support its use.

Arts + Culture
Islamic art at the National Museum is spectacular, but misses opportunities to bridge a cultural gap Ana Silkatcheva, University of Sydney Despite the beauty and novelty of the objects in the NMA's new exhibition of Islamic art, the exhibition misses opportunities to make Islamic cultures comprehensible.

Business + Economy

Gradual reform to capital gains, negative gearing and stamp duty will make housing more affordable

Richard Eccleston, University of Tasmania; Julia Verdouw, University of Tasmania; Kathleen Flanagan, University of Tasmania

Housing affordability has declined significantly over the past few decades. Slowly reducing negative gearing and capital gains, and switching to property taxes, could reverse this trend.
Turnbull government says no losers in its new GST carve-up plan

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

The government's plan released by Treasurer Scott Morrison on Thursday, would ensure the fiscal capacity of all states and territories was "at least the equal of NSW or Victoria, whichever is higher".
Market v government? In fact, hybrid policy is the best fit for the 21st century

Mark Fabian, Australian National University; Robert Breunig, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

From the 20th-century process of policy trial and error, the nations that married the strengths of markets and government came out ahead.

Cities
Young drivers don't know how to be safe around trucks - here's how we can teach them Nicki Wragg, Swinburne University of Technology Most road fatalities involving heavy vehicles are caused by the other party, not the truck driver. We need to educate road users on how to be safer around trucks.