Talking Architecture & Design Podcast (Episode 229) - Improving the thermal performance and reducing heat loss risk of roofs Listen Now
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    Feature Articles

    Many Australians face losing their homes right now. Here’s how the government should help
    Many Australians face losing their homes right now. Here’s how the government should help

    An important principle was invoked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in defence of the government’s Future Made in Australia industry policy announcement.


    Gone in a puff of smoke: 52,000 sq km of ‘long unburnt’ Australian habitat has vanished in 40 years
    Gone in a puff of smoke: 52,000 sq km of ‘long unburnt’ Australian habitat has vanished in 40 years

    Landscapes that have escaped fire for decades or centuries tend to harbour vital structures for wildlife, such as tree hollows and large logs. But these “long unburnt” habitats can be eliminated by a single blaze.


    Why research cuts at a South Australian institution have scientists up in arms
    Why research cuts at a South Australian institution have scientists up in arms

    In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared the museum is “not a university”, and will gut its research capabilities, starting this July.


    Australia’s long-sought stronger environmental laws just got indefinitely deferred. It’s back to business as usual
    Australia’s long-sought stronger environmental laws just got indefinitely deferred. It’s back to business as usual

    We’ve long known Australia’s main environmental protection laws aren’t doing their job, and we know Australians want better laws. Labor was elected promising to fix them.


    Intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australia
    Intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australia

    Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range.


    Asbestos in playground mulch: How to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandal
    Asbestos in playground mulch: How to avoid a repeat of this circular economy scandal

    Asbestos has been found in mulch used for playgrounds, schools, parks and gardens across Sydney and Melbourne. Local communities naturally fear for the health of their loved ones. Exposure to asbestos is a serious health risk – depending on its intensity, frequency and duration – as it may lead to chronic lung diseases.


    The Big Dry: Forests and shrublands are dying in parched Western Australia
    The Big Dry: Forests and shrublands are dying in parched Western Australia

    Perth has just had its driest six months on record, while Western Australia sweltered through its hottest summer on record. Those records are remarkable in their own right. But these records are having real consequences.


    City planners love infill development. So why are cities struggling with it, and how can they do better?
    City planners love infill development. So why are cities struggling with it, and how can they do better?

    Infill development is an increasingly hot topic in Australian cities. It involves building on unused or underutilised land within existing urban areas.


    What we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records
    What we know about why ocean temperatures keep smashing records

    Over the last year, our oceans have been hotter than any time ever recorded. Our instrumental record covers the last 150 years. But based on proxy observations, we can say our oceans are now hotter than well before the rise of human civilisation, very likely for at least 100,000 years.


    Eight charts on how Australia’s population is growing – and changing
    Eight charts on how Australia’s population is growing – and changing

    People form the foundation of society, determining all manner of things from housing needs to economic wellbeing. And population characteristics can tell us much about how the inhabitants of a place have changed over time and where the population might be headed in the future.


    Tree-removal laws must be tightened if we want our cities to be liveable and green
    Tree-removal laws must be tightened if we want our cities to be liveable and green

    Large areas of concrete and asphalt absorb and radiate heat, creating an “urban heat island effect”. It puts cities at risk of overheating as they are several degrees warmer than surrounding areas.


    If you squat in a vacant property, does the law give you the house for free? Well, sort of
    If you squat in a vacant property, does the law give you the house for free? Well, sort of

    Nothing excites law students like the idea of a free house. Or alternatively, enrages them. It depends on their politics. As a result, academics condemned to teaching property law find it hard to resist the “doctrine of adverse possession”.


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