This has been a difficult week for Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his government. The powerful coverage of devastating bushfires has intensified pressure on a government already on the back foot over its climate policy, Michelle Grattan writes, which has exposed it as poorly equipped to deal with complex policy problems.
The Okavango Delta in southern Africa is a mosaic of water paths, floodplains and arid islands, created by various natural processes in a delicate balance. Its unique ecosystem, and the huge array of wildlife it attracts, have earned it World Heritage status. Michael Murray-Hudson and Olivier Dauteuil explain how some imminent changes, like higher global temperatures and the diversion of water for irrigation in upstream countries, could disrupt the balance.
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The devastating bushfires are intensifying the pressure on a government already increasingly on the back foot over climate.
Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Emergency Leaders for Climate Action have a simple message: we're in “a new age of unprecedented bushfire danger” due to climate change. But Morrison refuses to acknowledge it as a central issue.
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The Delta’s rich array of wildlife makes it a popular tourist destination.
Ger Metselaar/Shutterstock
Michael Murray-Hudson, University of Botswana; Olivier Dauteuil, Université Rennes 1
It's imperative that we understand what creates and sustains the delta for the future management of the system.
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Science + Technology
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Steve Keen, UCL
William Nordhaus' predictions of what the climate crisis will cost the earth are dangerously at odds with climate science.
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Alessandro Fedrizzi, Heriot-Watt University; Massimiliano Proietti, Heriot-Watt University
A quantum experiment raises deeply philosophical questions about the fundamental nature of reality.
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Arts + Culture
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Lakshmi Magon, University of Toronto
Studies show that humour is useful for engaging the public about climate change
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Prof Liz Gunner, University of Johannesburg
Even though they were a product of apartheid's propaganda broadcasting machine, Zulu language radio dramas proved subversively powerful by reflecting communal black life and creating new stars.
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Politics + Society
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Kirsten Carlson, Wayne State University; Chris Edelson, American University School of Public Affairs
The first day of public impeachment testimony was defined, in part, by strongly worded statements from Representatives Adam Schiff and Devin Nunes.
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Zacharias Maniadis, University of Southampton
Study shows voters struggle to take media bias into account – even when they are explicitely told it's there.
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En français
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Philippe Froguel, Université de Lille
Nous ne sommes pas égaux devant le surpoids : notre tendance à grossir dépend de nos gènes. L’identification de ceux impliqués dans l’obésité fait espérer la mise au point de nouveaux traitements.
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Romain Tiquet, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU)
Un pan méconnu de l’histoire de l’abolition de l’esclavage révèle comment le travail forcé a été mis en place au nom d’une supposée « mission civilisatrice ».
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