/environment/ en /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/is-australia-ready-for-a-20-year-megadrought ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥â€™s droughts are becoming longer and more intense, new research from Dr Georgy Falster at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide suggests the country could face megadroughts lasting 20 or more years. Supported by an ARC DECRA Fellowship, Dr Falster is taking a holistic approach by combining historical data from tree rings, weather records, and climate models to better understand past droughts and predict future risks. Her work aims to improve national preparedness and ensure droughts don’t become disasters. April 22 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/is-australia-ready-for-a-20-year-megadrought /environment/news/list/2025/04/08/new-methods-discovered-to-repurpose-lignin Environment Institute member Dr Fiona Whelan and Associate Professor Stephen Bell, have developed a new sustainable method to repurpose lignin waste. Using an enzyme from the bacterium Amycolatopsis thermoflava, they’ve created a more environmentally friendly way to break down lignin, a common by-product from forestry.    April 17 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/08/new-methods-discovered-to-repurpose-lignin /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/rising-temperatures-linked-to-growing-mental-health-burden-in-australia Environment Institute member Professor Peng Bi has led a landmark study that links rising temperatures to an increasing burden of mental and behavioural disorders in ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, including depression and anxiety. The data highlights the urgent need for climate adaption, as it projected up to a 50% increased in mental health impacts by 2050 if no action is taken. The peer-reviewed study was published in Nature Climate Change and featured in ABC Online. April 16 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/rising-temperatures-linked-to-growing-mental-health-burden-in-australia /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/2024-resilient-youth-report-finds-concerning-decline-in-students-connection-to The recently released 2024 Resilient Youth Report by WiLDLab reveals a concerning decline in students' connection to nature. For the first time, the report links this disconnection to student wellbeing, as highlighted by project lead and Environment Institute member Dr Mark Kohler. April 15 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/15/2024-resilient-youth-report-finds-concerning-decline-in-students-connection-to /environment/news/list/2025/04/08/steering-sustainability-a-fame-podcast Join Professor Melissa Nursey-Bray and Dr Ariane Gienger as they dive into the complexities of building a sustainable future in their podcast, Steering Sustainability. Each episode features engaging conversations with leading experts, offering both sobering and hopeful insights into how we can create lasting positive change. April 13 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/08/steering-sustainability-a-fame-podcast /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/looking-back-on-womadelaide-2025 The Environment Institute presented The Planet Talks at the 2025 WOMADelaide Festival, held on Saturday, 9th March. Taking place at the Frome Park Pavilion, these thought-provoking sessions brought together inspiring speakers to discuss, collaborate, and spark positive change for the environment. Click to listen to both sessions now.  April 11 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/looking-back-on-womadelaide-2025 /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/urgent-call-to-investigate-kangaroo-deaths-on-fleurieu-peninsula Associate Professor Wayne Boardman from the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide has called for a thorough investigation into the recent deaths of kangaroos on the Fleurieu Peninsula, challenging assumptions that the cause is phalaris staggers and emphasizing the need to consider environmental factors such as toxins and climate impacts. April 10 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/urgent-call-to-investigate-kangaroo-deaths-on-fleurieu-peninsula /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/creating-wasted-whey-into-opportunity New research found by Jack Hetherington from the Centre for Global Food and Resources, has discovered innovative ways to repurpose whey, a by-product of cheese production and one of the largest sources of food loss and waste in the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n dairy industry.  April 9 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/07/creating-wasted-whey-into-opportunity /environment/news/list/2025/04/02/saving-urban-trees Stefan Caddy-Retalic, an adjunct senior lecturer at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide’s Waite Arboretum and an Environment Institute member, comments on thw preservation of the iconic Overbury Drive red gum. He shares his knowledge in urban ecology, gaining attention from major media outlets like The Guardian, Yahoo News, AOL, and MSN. April 8 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/04/02/saving-urban-trees /environment/news/list/2025/03/25/giant-spiders-and-the-secrets-of-nullarbor Environment Institute member Dr Jess Marsh, has become one of the first people on written record to encounter a Troglodiplura spider in the wild, a species as large as your hand and completely eyeless. We extend our congratulations to Dr Marsh as she begins her ARC Industry Fellowship at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide, focusing on the Nullarbor caves and the Troglodiplura species. April 7 2025 Marilia Jean Belperio /environment/news/list/2025/03/25/giant-spiders-and-the-secrets-of-nullarbor