Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruth McHugh-Dillon, Assistant Health Editor

A new report by a GP listing company made headlines this week showing low rates of bulk billing for GP visits across Australia.

Bulk billing means the consultation is free for the patient and the GP accepts what Medicare covers (the “benefit” or “rebate”) as the full payment.

The highest reported bulk billing rate was in New South Wales (34.5%) and the lowest in the ACT (3.3%) and Tasmania (0%). This caused the Tasmanian health minister to declare bulk billing “dead” in her state.

But does this really mean no Tasmanians are being bulk-billed at the GP?

No – as federal health minister Mark Butler was quick to point out after the report’s release, the company asked 6,925 GP clinics only whether they had standard, weekday consultations available to be bulk-billed for adults with no concessions.

A range of people do have concessions – children under 16, pensioners and people with a health care card – meaning the actual bulk-billing rate is much higher, although Butler said he’d like it to be higher still.

How high should we be aiming? Many Australians may assume universal health care means it should be free to see a GP, regardless of your age, income or postcode.

So we asked five experts: should we be aiming to bulk-bill everyone?

Four out of five said yes.

Here are their detailed responses.

– ref. Should we aim to bulk-bill everyone for GP visits? We asked 5 experts – https://theconversation.com/should-we-aim-to-bulk-bill-everyone-for-gp-visits-we-asked-5-experts-247223

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jess Melbourne-Thomas, Transdisciplinary Researcher & Knowledge Broker, CSIRO

Australia’s natural environment is changing rapidly as the world warms, and many species are struggling to keep up. The pace of change is staggering, with 2024 declared Earth’s hottest year, shattering the previous record set in 2023.

Conservation managers recognise the need for new ways to help species and ecosystems adapt to climate change. But dreaming up new tactics and testing them out requires lots of time, effort and – often – money.

So we decided to gather examples of new tactics from Australia and around the world and offer them up in one place. Our free new online tool is full of fresh ideas to help Australian conservation groups find out about what might be worth trying on their patch.

The catalogue contains more than 400 interventions such as purpose-built shelters and cooling systems, or relocation programs moving species to areas where the future climate may be more suitable. Having a ready-made toolkit means we can respond more rapidly and effectively to the changing environment, helping preserve Australia’s unique biodiversity.

Replacing lost habitat: from cod logs to frog bogs

Our project team searched through academic papers, reports and plans, and connected with dozens of different organisations undertaking climate change adaptation in Australia.

We found many new tactics are being tested to help wildlife adapt to climate change. We fed this information into the new Adaptation Catalogue for Conservation we call “AdaptLog” – a searchable public repository of conservation interventions for climate adaptation. We also invited conservation groups to add to the database.

Here are just a few of the inspiring success stories.

The Mary River (Moonaboola) in southeastern Queensland is a sanctuary for several threatened freshwater species, including the endangered Mary River cod. But recent floods have washed away many of the natural spawning habitats these fish need to breed. So “cod logs” are being trialled to house spawning native fish.

These logs are made from local, hollowed-out timber. They are then placed in the river to provide shelter and nesting habitat for the endangered Mary River cod.

Early results have been encouraging, with researchers monitoring large male cod using the logs as nesting sites, protecting their brood of eggs.

Tailor-made frog habitat is being recreated after fires, or during dry times.

More than half of East Gippsland in Victoria burned during the 2019–20 Black Summer Bushfires, forcing many frogs into urban areas. In response, the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority urged people to build temporary habitats for frogs in their backyards.

A “frog hotel” can be built using a large container or pot, soil, native plants and PVC pipes. They allow frogs to take refuge during the heat of the day. They also provide protection from predators such as kookaburras, dogs and cats.

The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority worked with the conservation group Greening Australia to create another type of tailor-made frog habitat they call “frog bogs”. Frog bogs look deceptively simple, just like ordinary farm dams, but they contain multiple chambers at various depths, allowing tadpoles to grow, shelter and safely feed. Native vegetation is planted around the edges, water plants are added and rocks allows frogs to bask.

Keeping cool

WWF-Australia responded to our invitation to share their conservation efforts, such as placing sprinklers in trees to help fruit bat colonies cool down and using irrigation to keep green turtle nests the right temperature.

Many groups around Australia are testing atmospheric cooling systems for keeping heat-sensitive flying foxes cool after mass deaths during heatwaves. One of these trials, jointly funded by WWF-Australia, the City of Greater Bendigo and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, was a success in Bendigo’s Rosalind Park. Hundreds of flying foxes had died in a record-breaking heatwave in the previous year, but despite temperatures climbing above 40°C during the trial, no deaths were recorded.

These systems need more testing and are a far cry from the scale needed to support functioning ecosystems and populations. But it is heartening to see lots of passionate people working so hard to support nature in these challenging times.

The Turtle Cooling Project – a partnership between WWF-Australia, The University of Queensland and the Conflict Islands Conservation Initiative, with funding support from furniture company Koala – tested ways to cool turtle nests on the beach, so more males would hatch. Further testing promises to identify which beaches need these interventions most, and how communities can get involved around Australia and the world.

Sharing is caring

By sharing these strategies, we can help conservation managers act quickly and decisively, drawing on evidence of what has worked elsewhere. We can also provide more opportunities for communities to get involved as volunteers helping out with different kinds of adaptation actions.

Conservation managers in Australia and globally can now use this tool to share and find new ideas. They can also add more examples and tactics to the tool, to help with testing and learning what works in different settings.

It is very early days for this field of climate adaptation research and practice, so there is still a long way to go to build an evidence base. But by collating what is happening already, we hope to encourage the development and dissemination of more innovative approaches to give wildlife a fighting chance.

We would like to acknowledge the following people for their contributions to the development of AdaptLog: Jason Hartog, Alistair Hobday, Sarah Boulter, Ingrid van Putten, Jenny Styger, the Project 2.7 Steering Committee, AdaptLog beta testers and CS2.7 case study participants. This work was funded through the National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Climate Systems Hub.

Jess Melbourne-Thomas receives funding for this work from the Australian Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via the National Environmental Science Program (NESP).

Claire Mason receives funding for this work from the Australian Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water via the National Environmental Science Program (NESP).

– ref. From cod logs to frog bogs: we catalogued 400 ways to help species survive a warmer world – https://theconversation.com/from-cod-logs-to-frog-bogs-we-catalogued-400-ways-to-help-species-survive-a-warmer-world-247107

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talia Fell, PhD Candidate, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland

The Los Angeles wildfires are causing the devastating loss of people’s homes.

From A-list celebrities such as Paris Hilton to an Australian family living in LA, thousands of houses have been destroyed, leaving their owners shocked and grieving. And climate science points towards figures that suggest more such events are waiting.

These events strip away precious memories created over many years, and sometimes over lifetimes. They prompt us to ask: what does it mean to lose the place I care most deeply about?

Philosophy explains how our personal losses connect to a broader, more profound loss of home rooted in our dependence on the ecosystems we live in.

The concept of ‘home’

In her 1949 text The Second Sex, philosopher Simone de Beauvoir writes that, for many cultures, the home has represented values of tradition, safety and family. Inside its walls we preserve the past in furniture, knick knacks and photographs, and we associate these objects with memories created with loved ones.

The home also represents separation from the people and events of the outside. It is “refuge, retreat, grotto, womb, it protects against outside dangers”, Beauvoir writes.

But she explains how this understanding of home is culturally specific to civilisations founded on landed property, which contain intersecting structures of patriarchy and capitalism.

After all, patriarchy sees women as the caretakers of the home, providing for the physical and emotional needs of its inhabitants. Meanwhile, the functioning of the home also relies on the income of those who work outside it.

At the same time, many of us, Beauvoir writes, have a more instrumental understanding of home. It is where we rest, sleep, eat and store the objects we own and use.

Barriers to having a sense of ‘home’

The traditional understanding of home as a protective structure is complicated when you realise certain people do not have the privilege of calling one particular place “home”.

For many, the home exists as a point of inequality, instability and unsafety.

In Australia, homelessness continues to rise in the middle of the ongoing housing crisis. Home is also often the most dangerous place for women.

Australian philosopher Val Plumwood puts these issues into perspective when she argues the expression of “one’s place” or “homeplace” often represents a privileged and exclusionary sense of place. She writes:

Those who are most vulnerable and powerless are at most risk of losing control over their ability to remain in a home place or place of attachment.

She further argues that, under capitalism, the idea of personal belonging to a particular place or dwelling is often framed as being more important than many other vital attachments to place, such as connection to land.

She uses the term “shadow places” to describe the ecosystems we exclude and exploit – including our forests and waterways – even though they are fundamental to our existence. These places provide essential labour, nourishment and the conditions we need to survive and flourish.

Ironically, our detachment from these places is what props up our limited understanding of the “home” as a fixed, four-walled dwelling.

For Plumwood, an expanded sense of “home” would encompass the broader ecological context we exist within.

Our sense of ‘home’ in the climate crisis

In her 1998 article, Indigenous Australian law scholar Irene Watson emphasises the issue of colonialism in detachment from the land.

Watson explains colonisers were already alienated from a sense of connection to land when they came to “Australia”. This disconnection led them to plunder the land, treating it as a commodity rather than a living, complex ecosystem that nurtures and is nurtured by First Nations peoples.

As philosopher Teresa Brennan puts it, to commodify a living thing is to turn it into something that can be bought and owned. Once commodified, nature can no longer reproduce itself, nor decompose to nourish other life forms.

Brennan explains how the tendency to commodify (and therefore exploit) nature represents a denial of nature’s reproductive capacity.

And this denial is not sustainable, as it drives the exploitation of every available natural resource. Under capitalism, a stop to exploitation means a stop to profits.

Turning to philosophy to rethink our values

Many people fail to see the rich complexity of nature: its unique intelligence and age-old memories that extend beyond our personal lifetimes.

Brennan argues nature is valuable beyond its profitability for the most powerful individuals. Perhaps, then, our sense of “home” should extend beyond the bounds of a dwelling filled with sentimental objects to include the wider lands and ecosystems we are part of.

In doing so, we can accelerate the shift towards social, political and economic systems that acknowledge that what is good for our planet is good for each of us, too.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Climate change is forcing us to rethink our sense
of ‘home’ – and what it means to lose it – https://theconversation.com/climate-change-is-forcing-us-to-rethink-our-sense-of-home-and-what-it-means-to-lose-it-247234

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University

Australian-owned brand UGG Since 1974 has announced it will change its name to “Since 74” for sales outside Australia and New Zealand.

There has been a long-running battle over the rights to use the name “ugg” to sell the iconic sheepskin boots worldwide.

This latest development follows years of legal challenges between small Australian manufacturers and American footwear giant Deckers Brands.

While courts in the United States have ruled “ugg” can be used by brands in Australia and New Zealand, where it has become a generic name for sheepskin boots, Deckers own the rights to use ugg internationally. They are now pursuing UGG Since 1974 for using the name.

UGG Since 1974 is an established maker of the boots, predating establishment of the Deckers brand. But locally, uggs are made – and advertised as uggs – by many small Australian manufacturers.

The origins of uggs

Ugg boots are widely understood to have been invented in Australia.

They made their first documented appearances on surfers’ feet in the 1950s.

By the 1970s, they were commonplace across Australia. In 1981, ug (with one “g”) made its way into the Macquarie Dictionary as a generic term for sheepskin boots.

Over the years, they have become an internationally recognised Australian icon.

In late 1970s, Australian entrepreneur Brian Smith took the style to California before registering the name as a brand in the United States.

Deckers later bought the rights from Smith and trademarked it as “UGG Australia” in 1995. The company has since dropped the “Australia”, and has aggressively pursued Australian makers who attempt to use the term “ugg” when selling overseas.

What’s in a (brand) name?

In a successful 2019 infringement case against Australian manufacturer Eddie Oygur, Deckers argued Americans did not recognise “ugg” as a descriptive term but only as a brand name.

When a brand name enters everyday language as a generic term, companies often fight hard to protect their trademark rights. A trademark can lose its protection when the name becomes generic. Examples include thermos, aspirin and sellotape, which were once protected brand names but became general terms.

The lengths brands will go to prevent their trademarks becoming generic can be quite extreme. A notable example is French fashion house Chanel, which took out a full-page advertisement in Women’s Wear Daily in 2010 that threatened legal action against journalists who used terms like “Chanel-issime, Chanel-ed, Chanels, and Chanel-ized” to describe other designers’ work.

The image of a brand

What makes Deckers’ aggressive trademark defence particularly interesting is that they are claiming global trademark rights over a term that was already generic in its country of origin. This has caused some to question whether the rights should have been granted in the first place.

Their actions against smaller Australian brands also appear to contradict their carefully cultivated brand image.

The company’s website and code of ethics promote values like authenticity and cultural engagement, stating they exist to “positively impact the world by uniting purposeful brands with diverse people”.

In many senses Deckers do maintain impressive standards of corporate social responsibility and hold themselves to high standards. Yet here they are attempting to monopolise a term that has become deeply embedded in Australian culture.

The company’s actions have sparked significant backlash, with the UGG Since 1974’s TikTok announcement receiving 1.1 million likes and 79,000 shares in only two days. Social media users have said they will now be boycotting Deckers Brands in favour of Australian makers.

The controversy highlights a growing tension between intellectual property rights and cultural sustainability. While environmental sustainability is becoming a priority for brands and the media, cultural sustainability – which includes preserving heritage, cultural diversity and local practices – often takes a back seat.

Cultural legacy

For Todd Watts, grandson of UGG Since 1974’s founders, the decision to rebrand as “Since 74” outside Australia represents both a legal necessity and a statement of authenticity.

His company continues to handcraft boots in Australia using local materials and labour, maintaining a tradition that predates Deckers’ involvement with the product by decades.

And even if they will no longer be called “UGG Since 74”, it is likely the use of ugg as a generic name will stick.

While Deckers won the legal right to the ugg name, Australian manufacturers like Watts continue to defend their cultural legitimacy through local production and connection to the product’s heritage.

Alexandra Sherlock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Legally, they can’t be called ‘uggs’ outside of Australia – but the name will stick regardless – https://theconversation.com/legally-they-cant-be-called-uggs-outside-of-australia-but-the-name-will-stick-regardless-247562

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research scholar, Middle East studies, Australian National University

The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, to come into effect on Sunday, has understandably been welcomed by the overwhelming majority of Israelis and Palestinians.

Israelis are relieved that a process for freeing 33 more hostages in Hamas custody is to begin, with more to come in future phases.

Palestinians can now hope the daily bombing that has killed nearly 50,000 Gazans over the past 15 months will finally end, and that desperately needed humanitarian assistance will start to flow into the strip.

But once the euphoria subsides, hard issues will emerge. Here are six key questions arising from this new agreement. The answers, as yet unclear, will shape the region and the lives of those who live in it.

Read more:
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. It doesn’t guarantee a peaceful end to a devastating war

1. Why did it take so long?

As US President Joe Biden said in announcing the agreement, the deal now reached was initially proposed by him in May last year.

Why, then, has it taken nearly eight months to be accepted by both sides?

Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who have borne the pain and suffering of the Israeli onslaught, can rightly ask whether Hamas could have made concessions to enable a ceasefire earlier.

Israelis are already asking if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliberately held back his government’s agreement to a ceasefire to safeguard his political position and keep his government in office.

Even more darkly, did Netanyahu choose to prolong the war until President-elect Donald Trump could be in a position to claim credit for achieving the release of the remaining hostages? Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was reportedly involved in discussions with Netanyahu in the final phase of the negotiations in Qatar.

2. How will aid get into Gaza?

An important part of the ceasefire is the urgent provision of humanitarian aid. Some 600 trucks of provisions are reportedly ready to begin entering Gaza on a daily basis.

But how will the aid be distributed?

In November last year, the Israeli Knesset passed a law banning official Israeli dealings with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the UN body responsible for helping Palestinian refugees.

That means Israeli visas cannot be issued to UNRWA foreign staff, so they cannot operate within Israel or Israeli-controlled territory.

The ban was imposed because Israel believes some 13 UNRWA staff were involved in the October 7 2023 attack that ignited the war.

However, the UN says no other body is currently equipped to administer aid distribution inside the strip.

3. What will happen in the next phases?

The second and third phases of the Biden plan still have to be negotiated. That involves a long-term end to the conflict, the release of remaining hostages – those still alive and the remains of those who have died – and the start of the reconstruction of Gaza.

Those two phases will be much harder to finalise than the initial ceasefire.

Hamas is demanding all Israeli forces leave Gaza. Israel is refusing.

Israel is also demanding Hamas have no part in governance of Gaza. But if that point is conceded, it raises the question of who or what will take over Hamas’s governing role.

The Palestinian Authority, which oversees Palestinian affairs in the West Bank, is unpopular in Gaza.

Without a viable alternative, what are the chances of Gaza descending into administrative lawlessness, with the strip divided into rule by rival gangs? Unfortunately, quite high.

4. How is Israeli domestic politics affected?

Netanyahu has spent the conflict trying to appease right-wing elements of his party, particularly National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Both strongly oppose the ceasefire agreement and have threatened to quit the government.

The deal is reported to have enough support to pass. But whether and how they might have been placated in the final internal negotiations remains to be seen.

Have they been offered broader scope on settlements, or even annexation of the West Bank, to ensure they don’t scuttle the ceasefire by withdrawing from the government and forcing new elections?

5. Will Hamas survive?

Hamas is degraded, but not destroyed. It is now more like a guerilla band than an organised military force.

But despite the fact that total elimination of Hamas was one of Netanyahu’s war aims, it’s still standing.

Netanyahu can point to his other successes in the war, such as the killing of Hamas’s top leadership structure.

Israel also neutralised Hamas’s ally, Lebanese Hizballah (also spelt Hezbollah), through the extraordinary exploding pagers and walkie-talkies and killing of Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

But critics will claim Netanyahu has fallen short of his war aims. As long as Hamas is still active, many Israelis will fear it will have the capacity to rebuild and threaten Israel again.

6. What does the future hold for Netanyahu?

Netanyahu is one of Israel’s great political survivors. But he has been badly damaged by the war.

The Hamas attack of October 7 2023 happened on his watch. It traumatised Israelis deeply and they won’t easily forgive or forget.

Moreover, he is now subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant on charges that he breached international humanitarian law in his conduct of the war.

And the International Court of Justice has said there is a “plausible” case that Israel’s retaliation for the Hamas attacks has been genocidal. This is not good for Israel’s international image.

On top of all that, his trial over three corruption charges is proceeding. There are now serious doubts his government would survive if it were forced to elections before the end of next year, when they are formally due.

The next six weeks, as the first phase of the ceasefire takes effect, will provide answers to some of these questions – but probably not all.

Ian Parmeter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Beyond the Israel–Hamas ceasefire, the future looks unclear. Here are six key unanswered questions – https://theconversation.com/beyond-the-israel-hamas-ceasefire-the-future-looks-unclear-here-are-six-key-unanswered-questions-247558

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia

Over the past several days, the world has watched on in shock as wildfires have devastated large parts of Los Angeles.

Beyond the obvious destruction – to landscapes, homes, businesses and more – fires at this scale have far-reaching effects on communities. A number of these concern human health.

We know fire can harm directly, causing injuries and death. Tragically, the death toll in LA is now at least 24.

But wildfires, or bushfires, can also have indirect consequences for human health. In particular, they can promote the incidence and spread of a range of infections.

Effects on the immune system

Most people appreciate that fires can cause burns and smoke inhalation, both of which can be life-threatening in their own right.

What’s perhaps less well known is that both burns and smoke inhalation can cause acute and chronic changes in the immune system. This can leave those affected vulnerable to infections at the time of the injury, and for years to come.

Burns induce profound changes in the immune system. Some parts go into overdrive, becoming too reactive and leading to hyper-inflammation. In the immediate aftermath of serious burns, this can contribute to sepsis and organ failure.

Other parts of the immune system appear to be suppressed. Our ability to recognise and fight off bugs can be compromised after sustaining burns. Research shows people who have experienced serious burns have an increased risk of influenza, pneumonia and other types of respiratory infections for at least the first five years after injury compared to people who haven’t experienced burns.

Wildfire smoke is a complex mixture containing particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, ozone, toxic gases, and microbes. When people inhale smoke during wildfires, each of these elements can play a role in increasing inflammation in the airways, which can lead to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections and asthma.

Research published after Australia’s Black Summer of 2019–20 found a higher risk of COVID infections in areas of New South Wales where bushfires had occurred weeks earlier.

We need more research to understand the magnitude of these increased risks, how long they persist after exposure, and the mechanisms. But these effects are thought to be due to sustained changes to the immune response.

Microbes travel in smoky air

Another opportunity for infection arises from the fire-induced movement of microbes from niches they usually occupy in soils and plants in natural areas, into densely populated urban areas.

Recent evidence from forest fires in Utah shows microbes, such as bacteria and fungal spores, can be transported in smoke. These microbes are associated with particles from the source, such as burned vegetation and soil.

There are thousands of different species of microbes in smoke, many of which are not common in background, non-smoky air.

Only a small number of studies on this have been published so far, but researchers have shown the majority of microbes in smoke are still alive and remain alive in smoke long enough to colonise the places where they eventually land.

How far specific microbes can be transported remains an open question, but fungi associated with smoke particles have been detected hundreds of miles downwind from wildfires, even weeks after the fire.

Read more:
LA fires: Long-term exposure to wildfire smoke is poorly understood − and a growing risk

So does this cause human infections?

A subset of these airborne microbes are known to cause infections in humans.

Scientists are probing records of human fungal infections in relation to wildfire smoke exposure. In particular, they’re looking at soil-borne infectious agents such as the fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii which thrive in dry soils that can be picked up in dust and smoke plumes.

These fungi cause valley fever, a lung infection with symptoms that can resemble the flu, across arid western parts of the United States.

A study of wildland firefighters in California showed high rates of valley fever infections, which spurred occupational health warnings including recommended use of respirators when in endemic regions.

A California-based study of the wider population showed a 20% increase in hospital admissions for valley fever following any amount of exposure to wildfire smoke.

However, another found only limited evidence of excess cases after smoke exposure in wildfire-adjacent populations in California’s San Joaquin Valley.

These contrasting results show more research is needed to evaluate the infectious potential of wildfire smoke from this and other fungal and bacterial causes.

Staying safe

Much remains to be learned about the links between wildfires and infections, and the multiple pathways by which wildfires can increase the risk of certain infections.

There’s also a risk people gathering together after a disaster like this, such as in potentially overcrowded shelters, can increase the transmission of infections. We’ve seen this happen after previous natural disasters.

Despite the gaps in our knowledge, public health responses to wildfires should encompass infection prevention (such as through the provision of effective masks) and surveillance to enable early detection and effective management of any outbreaks.

Leda Kobziar receives funding from the US National Science Foundation, the United States Department of Agriculture, the W. M. Keck Foundation, the Murdock Charitable Trust, the US Joint Fire Science Program, and she is affiliated with the Association for Fire Ecology and The Stewardship Project.

Christine Carson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Wildfires ignite infection risks, by weakening the body’s immune defences and spreading bugs in smoke – https://theconversation.com/wildfires-ignite-infection-risks-by-weakening-the-bodys-immune-defences-and-spreading-bugs-in-smoke-247332

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rose Cairns, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, University of Sydney

TikTok and Instagram influencers have been peddling the “Barbie drug” to help you tan.

But melanotan-II, as it’s called officially, is a solution that’s too good to be true. Just like tanning, this unapproved drug has a dark side.

Doctors, researchers and Australia’s drug regulator have been warning about its side effects – from nausea and vomiting to brain swelling and erection problems.

There are also safer ways of getting the tanned look, if that’s what you’re after.

What is melanotan-II?

No, it’s not a typo. Melanotan-II is very different from melatonin, which is a hormonal supplement used for insomnia and jet lag.

Melanotan-II is a synthetic version of the naturally ocurring hormone α-melanocyte stimulating hormone. This means the drug mimics the body’s hormone that stimulates production of the pigment melanin. This is what promotes skin darkening or tanning, even in people with little melanin.

Although the drug is promoted as a way of getting a “sunless tan”, it is usually promoted for use with UV exposure, to enhance the effect of UV and kickstart the tanning process.

Melanotan-II is related to, but different from, melanotan-I (afamelanotide), an approved drug used to treat the skin condition erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Melanotan-II is not registered for use with Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). It is illegal to advertise it to the public or to provide it without a prescription.

However, social media has been driving unlicensed melanotan-II sales, a study published last year confirms.

There are many black market suppliers of melanotan-II injections, tablets and creams. More recently, nasal sprays have become more popular.

What are the risks?

Just like any drug, melanotan-II comes with the risk of side effects, many of which we’ve known about for more than a decade. These include changes in the size and pigmentation of moles, rapid appearance of new moles, flushing to the face, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and brain swelling.

It can also cause rhabdomyolysis, a dangerous syndrome where muscle breaks down and releases proteins into the bloodstream that damage the kidneys.

For men, the drug can cause priapism – a painful erection that does not go away and can damage the penis, requiring emergency treatment.

Its use has been linked with melanoma developing from existing moles either during or shortly after using the drug. This is thought to be due to stimulating pigment cells and causing the proliferation of abnormal cells.

Despite reports of melanoma, according to a study of social media posts the drug is often marketed as protecting against skin cancer. In fact, there’s no evidence to show it does this.

Social media posts about melanotan-II rarely mention health risks.

There are no studies on long-term safety of melanotan-II use.

Then there’s the issue of the drug not held to the high safety standards as TGA-approved products. This could result in variability in dose, undeclared ingredients and potential microbial contamination.

The TGA has previously warned consumers to steer clear of the drug due to its “serious side effects that can be very damaging to your health”.

According to an ABC article published earlier this week, the TGA is cracking down on the illegal promotion of the drug on various websites. However, we know banned sellers can pop back up under a different name.

TikTok has banned the hashtags #tanningnasalspray, #melanotan and #melanotan2, but these products continue to be promoted with more generic hashtags, such as #tanning.

Part of a wider trend

Australia has some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. The “slip, slop, slap” campaign is a public health success story, with increased awareness of sun safety, a cultural shift and a decline in melanoma in young people.

However, the image of a bronzed beach body remains a beauty standard, especially among some young people.

Disturbingly, tan lines are trending on TikTok as a sought after summer accessory and the hashtag #sunburnttanlines has millions of views. We’ve also seen a backlash against sunscreen among some young people, again promoted on TikTok.

The Cancer Council is so concerned about the trend towards normalising tanning it has launched the campaign End the Trend.

You have other options

There are options beyond spraying an illegal, unregulated product up your nose, or risking unprotected sun exposure: fake tan.

Fake tan tends to be much safer than melanotan-II and there’s more long-term safety data. It also comes with potential side effects, albeit rare ones, including breathing issues (with spray products) and skin inflammation in some people.

Better still, you can embrace your natural skin tone.

Rose Cairns does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. No, you don’t need the ‘Barbie drug’ to tan, whatever TikTok says. Here’s why melanotan-II is so risky – https://theconversation.com/no-you-dont-need-the-barbie-drug-to-tan-whatever-tiktok-says-heres-why-melanotan-ii-is-so-risky-247445

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chelsea Watego, Professor of Indigenous Health, Executive Director, Carumba Institute, Queensland University of Technology

Just before universities closed for the year in 2024, the Australian Human Rights Commission released its Interim Report on Racism at Australian Universities.

The timing of the report’s release resulted in little news coverage.

That’s in contrast to the release of other racism investigations in recent years from the ABC and the AFL and its clubs Hawthorn and Collingwood. These all received considerable and sustained media attention.

Yet, in this instance, more media scrutiny was centred around Palestinian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah’s call for an end to the genocide against Palestinian people.

Questions were raised around her worth as a scholar and recipient of a prestigious research fellowship. Her research was represented through racist stereotypes as a threat to the safety of students at her university.

A structural understanding of racism demands an analysis of power and a willingness to stand up to it. It’s here that the commission’s report falls short and ends up reinforcing the problem it’s trying to solve.

Dangerous conflations

In May, the government tasked the Human Rights Commission with investigating antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and the experiences of First Nations people at Australian universities.

It came as the Liberal–National Coalition (which is not usually at the forefront of anti-racist activism) expressed outrage about antisemitism on campus.

Antisemitism is real, yet initiatives such as the Coalition’s Private Members Bill seeking to establish a Commission of Inquiry into antisemitism in universities, conflate antisemitism with political criticism of Israel.

Read more:
The ‘new’ antisemitism conflates criticism of Israel with prejudice against Jews. But it’s complicated

As a result, the language of anti-racism is being used to shut down those opposing the most horrific expression of racism that exists – genocide.

The Australian Human Rights Commission report could have explored these contradictions. However, they refused to name genocide, instead referring to “world events” since October 7 2023 involving Israel and Hamas.

This is despite a United Nations Special Committee finding last year that Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza were “consistent with genocide”.

The 132-page report from the Australian Human Rights Commission expresses vague concerns for “Muslim, Arab and Palestinian staff and students”. But it too fails to distinguish anti-Zionism from antisemitism.

The commission cannot have it both ways. It cannot express concern for Palestinian safety while glossing over a crucial factor that makes Palestinians unsafe.

Racism is structural

The commission acknowledges feedback from academics who are negatively affected by racism. These academics say “conversations about racism are shut down” and that there’s “reluctance to discuss institutional and structural racism”.

Unfortunately, the study reproduces the problem that it briefly recognises.

For instance, a survey quantifying experiences of racism does not explain the role structures play.

As we have noted elsewhere, this type of research is designed to document what First Nations, Black and Brown people already know: they experience racism.

Studies like these do not explore how and why universities and other institutions generate these racist hierarchies.

A structural understanding of racism moves beyond racism as isolated incidents located within an organisation. It connects them to the deeper systems of racial dominance embedded in social, legal and political systems of society.

Understanding racism as a collection of quantifiable experiences rather than a deeply embedded set of practices, values and knowledge reduces racism to an isolated behaviour.

It’s then seen as an anomaly to be treated on the individual level through education or awareness-raising.

This approach makes racism a problem of those negatively affected by it, rather than those perpetrating it. The proposed solutions tend to involve tinkering with complaints processes, promoting counselling services and installing diversity targets.

This approach treats the symptoms, rather than tackle the root cause of the problem.

The dilemma of diversity and “racial literacy”

The commission uses the language of “diversity” of lived experience to avoid both naming racial violence and providing conceptual clarity for its study. The commission says it is “not rushing to settle on definitions” of racism.

Yet they did invent their own racial categories to organise experiences of racism into one of five groups. The diverse Australian population is defined as “First Nations”, “Jewish”, “Muslim, Arab and Palestinian”, “African” and “International”. Significantly, these categories are allocated very different word counts.

What results is a collapsing of the diverse experiences of racism into crude race categories that exclude and erase any number of negatively racialised staff and students in Australian universities.

For instance, it excludes the racism experienced by anti-Zionist Jewish scholars and students.

There is no category for the racism experienced by staff and students of south Asian descent or even our Polynesian, Melanesian and Māori neighbours.

The catch-all category of “international” refers only to the international students.

Read more:
Is Australia a racist country? We asked 5 experts

In its “initial insights”, the commission draws on the supposed problem of “racial literacy”. It defines this as the “ability to name, understand and confront racism”. It also suggests that those experiencing racism might not recognise it as such.

This is odd. Typically, people who experience racism have an clear understanding of it. What prevents effective anti-racist action is a society that denies the reality of racism.

The idea of racial literacy can frame racialised people as incapable of understanding their experience without expert assistance. It also affords an innocence to those who benefit from racism.

A flawed attempt

The Racism at Universities study should have been based on a robust structural understanding of race and racism. This would have been possible had it drawn on, rather than ignored, the intellectual work of scholars at the forefront of anti-racist research and practice.

It is ironic that a study of racism in Australian universities is not informed by the scholarship produced within them.

But this reveals the clear political position of this research. The performance of neutrality is a political position – one for which the Australian Human Rights Commission has been criticised in relation to Palestine.

In trying to appear objective, the commission is unable or unwilling to address the racism experienced by racialised scholars undertaking anti-racist research, such as Abdel-Fattah.

An analysis of racism divorced from the socio-political environment entrenches rather than eliminates racism. All claims to racial harm might appear equal until power is examined.

To properly understand how racism is working, reports like this must go beyond collating individual feelings and experiences as though all perspectives are equal, and examine the institutions and political systems that distribute racial violence and racist harm.

We must ask who is being displaced and structurally excluded? Who’s being incarcerated, dehumanised and overpoliced? Who commands sympathies, whilst others do not? Who’s being pushed out of employment, framed as violent and denied sovereignty? Who’s being killed?

Who has access to state militaries, land, weapons, media, political influence, government support, international recognition and money?

In avoiding an understanding of racism in a structural sense, anti-racism efforts wherever they are situated become useless, or worse – violent.

Read more:
Vietnam, brutalist architecture, fees and Gaza: how student protests shaped Australian universities

Queensland University of Technology’s Carumba Institute is convening The Greatest Race Debate on Wednesday 22 January 2025 at Garden’s Point Theatre in Brisbane.

Chelsea Watego receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Health and Medical Research Council and is a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research and Inala Wangarra.

Alissa Macoun is a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research

David Singh receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and is a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research.

Elizabeth Strakosch is affiliated with the Institute for Collaborative Race Research, the Institute for Postcolonial Studies and the Jewish Council of Australia.

Kevin Yow Yeh receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and is a Director of the Institute for Collaborative Race Research.

– ref. The Human Rights Commission has handed down a report on racism at Australian universities. Here’s why it fails – https://theconversation.com/the-human-rights-commission-has-handed-down-a-report-on-racism-at-australian-universities-heres-why-it-fails-246422

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Effie Karageorgos, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Newcastle

Journalist Simon Townsend has died aged 79 only a few months after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. A statement released by his family reported “In his final days, Simon was surrounded by his family and a mix of journalists, writers, actors, political activists and Italians”.

Townsend is best remembered for hosting the Logie-winning children’s show Wonder World from 1979 until 1987.

But it is equally important to focus on his time as a political activist and conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. When Townsend was a fledgling journalist in his early 20s, he fought fearlessly against the draft and was imprisoned twice for his pacifist beliefs.

Conscientious objection

On November 24 1964, Liberal prime minister Robert Menzies re-introduced conscription through the National Service Act. It became mandatory for men turning 20 to register for national service.

Of the more than 800,000 who registered, 64,000 eventually served.

Approximately 14,000 refused to register for a variety of reasons. Refusal was a crime punishable by up to two years in prison, unless an exemption was granted on the grounds of conscientious objection, generally connected to religious belief.

Others registered, but claimed conscientious objection before they attended their standard military medical examination. Townsend registered as required by law in 1965 and immediately attempted to claim conscientious objector status on the grounds of pacifism.

This was refused by a judge in 1966 who said he was “not sincere”. The judge ordered Townsend to attend his medical examination. Townsend refused. He was sent to serve a one month prison sentence at Sydney’s Long Bay Gaol in early 1967.

On his release, Townsend again applied for an exemption. Again, he was unsuccessful. In February 1968, he refused to attend his next medical. In March, Townsend disobeyed an order to report for military duty. He was charged in the Special Federal Court in Sydney on May 15 and imprisoned again.

The Abolish Conscription Campaign

Four days later, Townsend wrote a letter to the Sydney protest group Abolish Conscription Campaign, reporting eight prison guards constantly watched over him and woke him up every two hours for his “wellbeing”.

He said he was “pretty miserable”, but his brother had sought help from Labor politicians Gough Whitlam and Len Devine, who paid Townsend a visit in support.

On June 10 1968 the Abolish Conscription Campaign organised a “major protest” to “demonstrate for the release of all conscientious objectors and the abolition of conscription”. Activists marched from Liverpool Station to Ingleburn Military Camp, where Townsend was being held ahead of his June 14 court date.

On this date, Townsend’s application for conscientious objector status was accepted – the court no doubt influenced by the increasing public attention his case had attracted.

Townsend approached his legal difficulties with courage and generosity. Between his two stints in prison, he formed Sydney’s Conscientious Objectors’ Group. Townsend, along with fellow activists including Quakers, feminists and pacifists, used their time and energy providing information to conscientious objectors facing court.

‘The Unconscriptables’

After Townsend’s release, he continued to fight against the National Service Act.

In August 1968 he joined the Caravan Against Conscription, which saw Sydney activists travel through rural New South Wales to spread the anti-war message.

In the next month Townsend helped to form a group called The Unconscriptables, “open to all those young men who face civil gaol because of a responsible and conscientious decision not to comply with the National Service Act”.

Townsend later supported Unconscriptable Geoff Mullen when he unsuccessfully stood for the federal seat of Wentworth in the October 1969 election. In an act of resistance, Mullen was running against Liberal minister for labour and national service, Leslie Bury.

Selfless action

During my State Library of New South Wales Fellowship research into quiet protest during the Vietnam War, I came across a court summons addressed to teacher, activist and former NSW Teachers Federation President Samuel Phineas Lewis, signed by Simon Townsend.

I became fascinated not only by Townsend’s personal story, but also his willingness to selflessly act on behalf of other young men impelled to fight in a war they did not believe in.

This court summons represents one of many protest actions performed by Townsend as Secretary of the Committee in Defiance of the National Service Act, formed in July 1969.

At their first meeting in Sydney Town Hall, Townsend, along with Committee leader Ken Thomas (an activist and businessman who, in 1946, established KW Thomas Transport, later known as Thomas Nationwide Transport or TNT), and 70 others including barristers, academics, unionists, housewives and clergymen, publicly signed a Statement of Defiance proclaiming their ongoing support for men who evaded conscription.

In encouraging others to break the law, they intentionally contravened the Crimes Act in the hope the time taken to prosecute them in court would delay any legal action towards young conscientious objectors.

Eventually 8,000 Australians made Statements of Defiance, were reported by Committee members to authorities and were fined or summonsed to appear in court. The Liberal Government soon became wise to the Committee’s scheme and ceased reacting.

These relatively quiet protest acts were hugely impactful and incredibly brave.

Townsend continued to fight against the National Service Act until Prime Minister Gough Whitlam abolished conscription as his first order of business following his December 2 1972 election win. This was while working as a reporter for This Day Tonight, a position he held from 1970 until the launch of Wonder World.

The loss of Simon Townsend is deeply felt in this country, not only for his journalism but also for his fearless activism. Vale.

Effie Karageorgos received funding from the State Library of New South Wales for this research.

– ref. Remembering Simon Townsend as a conscientious objector and fearless anti-Vietnam War activist – https://theconversation.com/remembering-simon-townsend-as-a-conscientious-objector-and-fearless-anti-vietnam-war-activist-247457

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marta Andhov, Associate Professor, Law School, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of legal contracts, pictures can be worth even more by making complicated concepts more accessible to people without expertise.

Traditional contracts are often dense and filled with complex legal language, known as “legalese”. This can be difficult for individuals without legal training to understand.

Visual contracts break away from this norm by integrating diagrams, illustrations, symbols and even comic strips to convey essential information.

In public procurement — the purchase of goods, services and works by public authorities using public funds — this approach could be transformative, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

By simplifying intricate legal documents, visual contracts can encourage greater participation and enhance competition. Using images can ultimately improve the quality of public services for taxpayers.

In our new research, we looked at the benefits and potential difficulties of visual contracts. We also examined how they have been used overseas and develop a road map to simplify procurement law.

Visual contracts in public procurement

Public procurement is notoriously complex. The process is governed by strict legal frameworks to ensure transparency, competition, integrity and fairness.

While these rules are essential, their complexity often discourages small and medium-sized businesses and community organisations from participating. These groups may lack the resources to navigate the intricate legal systems.

Visual contracts offer a fresh perspective. By simplifying procurement documents, visual formats could make public procurement more accessible, transparent and inclusive.

For example, using visuals to explain timelines, roles and expectations can demystify the process for those who have never participated in public procurement before.

This means visual contracting could level the playing field and create opportunities for a broader range of participants.

Accessible contracts also benefit everyone involved, including contract managers and suppliers. Clear contracts reduce misunderstandings, improve compliance and foster trust.

This is particularly crucial in public procurement, where effective collaboration between public authorities and suppliers ensures better outcomes for taxpayers and communities.

Learning from Denmark and Australia

Various groups in Denmark and Australia have been exploring the use of visual contracting, providing valuable insights into its potential.

In Denmark, visual contracts have been used in the construction industry to clarify obligations and dispute resolution processes.

The Danish Construction Association, for example, developed visual tools to outline key milestones and responsibilities. These tools not only improved understanding but also reduced conflicts and delays.

In Australia, the University of Western Australia’s Comic Book Contracts project has demonstrated the practical benefits of visual contracting.

One example is a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) designed for engineering students participating in the UWA Makers Lab. Presented in comic strip format, this visual NDA clearly outlines confidentiality obligations. This makes it easier for students to understand and comply with the terms.

Users said these agreements were much easier to understand compared to traditional contracts.

While these examples showcase the versatility of visual contracting across sectors, applying it to public procurement represents a new and untested frontier.

The potential to simplify procurement documents and contracts through visualisation could transform how governments and suppliers engage with one another.

Bumps in the road ahead

Despite its potential, visual contracting faces challenges that could potentially slow widespread adoption.

Ensuring legal enforceability is one concern. While visual contracts are recognised in many jurisdictions, uncertainties persist regarding court interpretations of images and symbols.

In disputes, it’s crucial that all parties consistently understand the visuals to uphold the contract’s validity.

Additionally, the cost of designing effective visual contracts can pose a barrier. Developing these agreements demands collaboration among lawyers, designers and sometimes psychologists to ensure clarity and accuracy.

Although initial expenses might be offset by long-term savings from reduced disputes and improved compliance, they remain a hurdle to widespread implementation.

Gaining broad acceptance is also essential. Introducing visual contracts into procurement processes requires buy-in from policymakers, procurement officers and legal experts.

Comprehensive training and education are necessary to help everyone involved understand and embrace this innovative approach.

Addressing these challenges is vital for the successful integration of visual contracting into mainstream legal and procurement practices.

Refining the use of visual contracts

Visual contracting has the potential to improve public procurement by making it more transparent, inclusive and efficient.

By simplifying procurement documents and contracts through visual formats, governments could attract more diverse suppliers, foster innovation, and improve outcomes for taxpayers.

Although visual contracting has been successfully applied in sectors such as construction and service agreements, its use in public procurement remains largely unexplored.

As visual contracts become a reality in public procurement, it’s important to address concerns such as legal enforceability, cost and stakeholder adoption. But as examples from Denmark and Australia show, visual contracts can make a real difference for everyone involved.

Marta Andhov received funding from the Carlsberg Foundation for the research project Purchase Power—Sustainable Public Procurement Through Private Law Enforcement (PurpLE). This article was developed as part of the PurpLE project.

– ref. Say it with a picture: overcoming legalese in public procurement contracts – https://theconversation.com/say-it-with-a-picture-overcoming-legalese-in-public-procurement-contracts-244924

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

After 467 days of violence, a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel has been reached and will come into effect on Sunday, pending Israeli government approval.

This agreement will not end the war or bring about peace. Ceasefires are not a panacea for the war, trauma, displacement, hunger and death Israelis and Palestinians have borne before and since October 7, and will no doubt continue to bear, long after.

While this is not the end of the story, this ceasefire does mark the start of a new chapter for Palestinians, particularly those in Gaza, and Israelis.

What do we know about the deal?

The terms of this ceasefire, at least for the first phase, are detailed, setting the stage for its effective implementation.

In structure and content, this ceasefire closely resembles numerous others that have been proposed over the past year, including the 7+2 day truce agreed in November 2023.

Unlike that truce, however, this agreement is envisaged to last longer, having three distinct phases, each lasting 42 days (6 weeks).

As US President Joe Biden said, this agreement “is the exact framework of the deal I proposed in May”.

During the first phase, there will be a temporary suspension of military operations by Israel and Hamas, as well as the withdrawal of Israeli forces east towards the border between Israel and Gaza and away from densely populated areas.

There will also be a temporary suspension of air activity (for military and reconnaissance purposes) in the Gaza Strip, particularly when hostages are released.

This happened during the November 2023 truce too, offering Palestinians much-needed respite from bombardment as well as assurances to Hamas that Israel is not using drones to surveil and intuit how many hostages it might still hold, where it is keeping hostages, and how and where it is moving them to.

Also, from the first day the agreement comes into effect, large quantities of humanitarian aid, relief materials and fuel will be allowed to enter Gaza.

The fuel is necessary for the operation of Gaza’s power plant and sanitation systems, and for heavy machinery to clear and remove rubble.

This will begin the long task of rebuilding the strip’s decimated infrastructure, including hospitals, clinics and bakeries (the main food source for Gazans).

A type of ‘strangle contract’

Arguably, the power dynamics between Israel and Hamas when this agreement was negotiated were highly asymmetrical. Over the past 15 months, Israel has shown it has far superior military strength to Hamas.

Also, until now, Israel was arguably largely prepared to ignore the one political card Hamas held: the release of the hostages the group took on October 7.

As such, the terms of the agreement can potentially be seen as a type of strangle contract that one party, (in this case Israel) has forced on the other because of the immense power imbalance.

Over the past 12 months, Hamas has agreed to the text of a ceasefire a number of times only to have the terms altered by Israel and no agreement reached.

Hamas has tried to alter the ceasefire’s terms too.

But because of the power differential, it has been relatively unsuccessful in pressuring Israel to agree to its demands.

To reach a deal, Hamas has forsaken its two main demands: full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and a permanent ceasefire.

This agreement has three phases. In the first phase, Israel will potentially release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for 33 hostages. Fewer than 60 hostages are thought to be left alive.

But it is telling that in the past, Israel has simply arrested other Palestinians or re-arrested many of those released under similar deals.

These type of strangle contracts happened during the Syrian civil war too. There, they were branded as reconciliation agreements.

These were effectively ceasefire agreements forced on rebel-held communities by the Assad regime and Russia after they had besieged, bombarded and starved them, sometimes for many years. The asymmetrical power relations of the parties to these agreements left communities with little to no bargaining power regarding their terms and implementation.

What we don’t know

On the 16th day after the agreement comes into force, indirect negotiations between the two sides will begin regarding the next phase of the agreement. This new phase is envisaged to include the release of more hostages and prisoners and the continuation of the ceasefire.

However, there are currently no written assurances the ceasefire will continue beyond the first phase if there is no agreement reached for the second phase.

For similar deals that were previously on the table, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear he would continue the war to destroy Hamas after the initial phase.

Further, the ceasefire agreement specifies that Israeli troops will withdraw east towards the border between Gaza and Israel. One of Hamas’s original demands for a ceasefire with Israel was that Israeli troops withdraw from Gaza completely.

While it has since jettisoned that requirement, the ceasefire terms suggest that Israeli forces will remain in a buffer zone along the border more permanently. They may potentially also stay longer in the Philadelphi Corridor and along the Netzarim Axis.

In a territory only 40 kilometres long and between five and 13 kilometres wide, any continuing Israeli military presence on this Palestinian land means it cannot be used for civilian life, including for homes or farmland. This makes an already densely populated Gaza Strip even more so, as well as negating the rights of Palestinian land holders in these areas.

We also do not know how this ceasefire will affect Israel’s calculus in the West Bank, or in Lebanon and its fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah. In Lebanon, attacks continue to happen daily with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. The first phase of that ceasefire agreement, lasting 60 days, is scheduled to end on 26 January 2025.

What comes next?

While ceasefires are not technically legally binding, they can perhaps best be thought of as a type of contract between warring parties.

This ceasefire, at least for the first phase, has detailed terms, including maps, that the parties have taken time (some would say too much time) to agree on.

This makes the agreement more likely to be implemented as both sides can more easily be held to what they have agreed by external parties, including the ceasefire’s guarantors, Qatar, Egypt and the US.

Vaguer terms, like those we have seen in the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the 2016 Cessation of Hostilities in Syria or with the Taliban in Pakistan give the parties more room to manoeuvre and potentially the ability to blame the other side for violating the agreement.

The war between Hamas and Israel is of course not over. This ceasefire simply marks the start of a new phase.

It’s a welcome relief and the least-worst option humans have so far devised to stop the violence of war for a period of time.

But with more than 1,000 Israelis and 46,000 Palestinians dead, many more homeless, the Gaza Strip decimated and potentially millions with some sort of trauma, even if there is a halt in the violence, this is certainly not peace.

Palestinians and Israelis, if not the world, will be living with the implications of the past 467 days for many years to come.

Marika Sosnowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. It doesn’t guarantee a peaceful end to a devastating war – https://theconversation.com/israel-and-hamas-have-agreed-to-a-ceasefire-it-doesnt-guarantee-a-peaceful-end-to-a-devastating-war-247338

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate, UNSW Beach Safety Research Group + School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

Australia is considered a nation of beach lovers. But with all this water surrounding us, drownings remain tragically common. At least 55 people have drowned in waterways in Australia so far this summer, most of whom drowned at the beach. And the season’s not over.

Every drowning is a tragedy, and Australia is nowhere near the federal-government supported goal of zero drownings.

Public health agencies are concerned about the drowning numbers. So how do we fix it? An important factor to consider is how beach safety messages are communicated.

Another season, another campaign

The peak water safety bodies in Australia, Surf Life Saving Australia and Royal Life Saving Society – Australia, work to reduce drownings in all Australian aquatic locations, from swimming pools to rivers to beaches.

Their public safety campaigns aim to raise awareness of drowning and risks around the water. Australians are undoubtedly safer because of the work and advocacy of these organisations – but drowning numbers remain stubbornly high.

Surf Life Saving Australia is running a new campaign this summer – Stop, Look, Stay Alive – featuring Australian-born actor and filmmaker Angus Sampson.

This campaign is one of many in recent years urging Australians to stay safe near the water. Others include:

• the “swim between the flags” message
• the “give an F about the flags” campaign
• the “think line” campaign, which urges people to “stop, look and have a plan”
• the “float to survive” campaign, which urges people to float if they’re in trouble in the water or stuck in a rip
• the “respect the river” campaign.

But the tragic number of drownings, particularly during summer, suggests not everyone is heeding the message. In fact, Australian researchers in 2022 found no evidence to suggest beach drowning deaths in Australia have reduced over the long term. This, the researchers said:

rais[es] questions regarding the effectiveness of existing strategies designed to communicate messages and information about beach safety and hazards to the public.

Changing how we communicate

According to Surf Life Saving Australia the current Angus Sampson campaign aims to be:

appealing to more Aussies, in particular men who continue to swim at unpatrolled locations and take unnecessary risks.

As the organisation notes, 86% of all drowning deaths on Australia’s coast last year were men.

The campaign involves ads on television and online, as well as outdoor advertising. The decision to use a mix of platforms is wise.

But the use of a TV and movie celebrity may not be effective. A review looking at road safety campaigns, for example, found limited evidence of celebrity effectiveness in improving safety outcomes.

Could it be more effective to, for example, use a TikTok star who is hugely popular among young males?

Research suggests using the right platform and “voices that matter” offer benefits when delivering safety messages. This is in part due to the emotional connection people form with these social media stars, which can result in behaviour change.

When asked for evidence to show the current public messaging campaigns are working, Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) told The Conversation:

SLSA is committed to preventing drowning through holistic, evidence-based approaches, combining awareness programs like Stop Look Stay Alive with lifesaving services, in-person programs, and education. This summer alone, lifesavers have performed over 2,500 rescues and 700,000 preventative actions.

Despite population growth, coastal drowning has remained stable. This summer, 32 coastal drownings have been reported, fewer than the same period last year. SLSA focuses on behaviour change through initiatives like beachpassport.org.au (with 21,000+ “passports” issued already!), and on-beach programs that have provided active community learning opportunities.

It’s too early to comment on the broader effectiveness of Stop Look Stay Alive, however preliminary campaign results show positive impact and an evaluation will be conducted by UNSW Beach Safety Research Group later this year.

Rethinking ‘swim between the flags’

Many current beach messaging approaches, including “swim between the flags”, compel people to fit into what the system wants.

But many beaches don’t have flags. And not everyone stops or looks for flags, signs, or even the conditions before they go into the water.

And studies show while most domestic beachgoers know to swim between the flags, many choose not to because, for example, people are located closer to beaches without flags or lifeguard patrols.

What’s more, research suggests overseas visitors to Australia do not always understand what “swim between the flags” means or terms often used on common beach safety signage such as “shore dump” and “shore break”. One 2021 study found 21% of international students perceived “always swim between the flags” to mean that beachgoers who don’t or can’t swim need to stay outside the flags.

This shows that current strategies aren’t resonating with all beach users, and there’s a need to reassess beach safety messaging.

Read more:
Could messages from social media influencers stop young people vaping? A look at the government’s new campaign

Changing tack

Other forms of public safety messaging should also be considered when trying to reduce drowning numbers in Australia.

For example, people who have been caught in rip might be encouraged to tell their stories publicly. Research into other areas of public health communication, such as vaccines, suggest this can form the basis of an effective campaign.

Research also suggests teaching beachgoers about coastal science can improve beach safety behaviour. For example, people can be taught about how rip currents work, using images of dye released into the water.

Crucially, consensus is needed on which key messages to prioritise. Too much differing messaging may lead to message fatigue or confusion about which message is most important to follow.

Messaging on beach safety to date has surely prevented drowning. But the stubborn drowning toll highlights the need to evaluate what is not working. Clear and consistent messaging, using modern platforms and engaging influencers may help us to get to zero drownings sooner.

Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is supported by a University of New South Wales Sydney, University Postgraduate Award. His research is supported by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia to aid in the
prevention of drowning. Research at Royal Life Saving Society – Australia is supported by the Australian government. He has been affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW in a paid and voluntary capacity.

– ref. Despite decades of beach safety ads, at least 55 people have drowned in Australia this summer. It’s time to change tack – https://theconversation.com/despite-decades-of-beach-safety-ads-at-least-55-people-have-drowned-in-australia-this-summer-its-time-to-change-tack-245747

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Manisha Caleb, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics, University of Sydney

When some of the biggest stars reach the end of their lives, they explode in spectacular supernovas and leave behind incredibly dense cores called neutron stars. Some of these remnants emit powerful radio beams from their magnetic poles.

As the star spins, these beams sweep past Earth and produce periodic pulses of radio waves, much like a cosmic lighthouse. This behaviour has earned them the name “pulsars”.

Pulsars typically spin incredibly fast, often completing a full rotation in just seconds – or even less. Over the last three years, some mysterious objects have emerged that emit periodic radio pulses at much slower intervals, which is hard to explain with our current understanding of neutron stars.

In new research, we have found the slowest cosmic lighthouse yet – one that spins once every 6.5 hours. This discovery, published in Nature Astronomy, pushes the boundaries of what we thought possible.

Our slow lighthouse also happens to be aligned with Earth in a way that lets us see radio pulses from both its magnetic poles. This rare phenomenon is a first for objects spinning this slowly and offers a new window into how these stars work.

An object that shouldn’t exist?

We discovered the object, named ASKAP J1839-0756, using CSIRO’s ASKAP radio telescope, located in Wajarri Yamaji country in Western Australia.

During a routine observation, ASKAP J1839-0756 stood out because no previously known object had been identified at its position. Its radio emission appeared as a fading burst, with its brightness plummeting by 95% in just 15 minutes.

At first, we had no idea the source was emitting periodic radio pulses. Only a single burst had been detected during the initial observation.

To uncover more, we conducted more observations with ASKAP as well as CSIRO’s Australia Telescope Compact Array on Kamilaroi country in Narrabri, NSW, and the highly sensitive MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. A long ASKAP observation eventually revealed two pulses separated by 6.5 hours, confirming the periodic nature of the source.

But here is the real surprise: according to what we know about neutron stars, ASKAP J1839-0756 shouldn’t even exist.

Neutron stars emit radio pulses by converting their rotational energy into radiation. Over time, they lose energy and slow down.

Standard theory says that once a neutron star’s spin slows beyond a certain point (about one rotation per minute), it should stop emitting radio pulses altogether. Yet here is ASKAP J1839-0756, lighting up the cosmos at a leisurely pace of one rotation every 6.5 hours.

A tale of two poles

Most pulsars, the faster-spinning cousins of ASKAP J1839-0756, are like one-sided flashlights. The axis they spin around is closely aligned to the axis of their magnetic field, which means we only see flashes from one magnetic pole.

But in about 3% of pulsars, the rotational and magnetic axes are almost at right angles to one another, which lets us see pulses from both poles. These rare double flashes, called interpulses, provide a unique window into the star’s geometry and magnetic field.

Whether a pulsar’s magnetic and rotational axes become more aligned or less aligned as it slows down is still an open question.

The interpulse from ASKAP J1839-0756 could provide clues to this question. About 3.2 hours after its main pulse, it emits a weaker pulse with different properties, strongly suggesting we’re seeing radio light from the opposite magnetic pole.

This discovery makes ASKAP J1839-0756 the first slowpoke in its class to emit interpulses, and it raises big questions about how such objects work.

Magnetar or something new?

So, what is powering this cosmic anomaly? One possibility is that it is a magnetar — a neutron star with a powerful magnetic field that makes Earth’s most powerful magnets look like featherweights.

Magnetars generate radio pulses through a different mechanism, which might allow them to keep shining even at slower spin rates. But even magnetars have limits, and their periods are usually measured in seconds, not hours.

The only exception is a magnetar named 1E 161348-5055, which has a period of 6.67 hours. However, it only emits X-ray and no radio pulses.

Could ASKAP J1839-0756 be something else entirely? Some astronomers wonder if similar objects might be white dwarfs – the leftover cores of less massive stars.

White dwarfs spin much more slowly than neutron stars, but no individual isolated white dwarfs have been observed to emit radio pulses. And so far, no observations in other wavelengths have found evidence of a white dwarf at this location in the sky.

A cosmic puzzle

Whatever ASKAP J1839-0756 turns out to be, it is clear that this object is rewriting the rulebook. Its strange combination of slow rotation, radio pulses and interpulses is forcing astronomers to rethink the limits of neutron star behaviour and explore new possibilities for what lies at the heart of this enigma.

The discovery of ASKAP J1839-0756 is a reminder that the universe loves to surprise us, especially when we think we have got it all figured out. As we continue to monitor this mysterious object, we’re bound to uncover more secrets.

Manisha Caleb acknowledges support of an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Research Award (project number DE220100819) funded by the Australian Government. Parts of this research were conducted by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav), project number CE170100004.

Yu Wing Joshua Lee acknowledges funding from the Australian Research Council Discovery Project (project number DP 220102305) and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav) (project number CE230100016).

– ref. Blinking radio pulses from space hint at a cosmic object that ‘shouldn’t exist’ – https://theconversation.com/blinking-radio-pulses-from-space-hint-at-a-cosmic-object-that-shouldnt-exist-246663

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland

Hot on the heels of a spectacular comet late last year, another celestial visitor is set to put on a show. And Southern Hemisphere observers have a ringside seat.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) has just experienced a very close encounter with the Sun, and will become visible low in the western sky after sunset in the coming days. With luck, it will prove to be a spectacular sight.

It is often said that comets are like cats – their behaviour is notoriously hard to predict. So while astronomers have been awaiting the arrival of C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) for several months, they have been cautious of raising expectations too high.

Over the past couple of days, the comet has swung past the Sun, and survived its close encounter intact. The time has come for it to emerge to our evening skies.

A Sun-skirting snowball

At the heart of comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is a dirty snowball or “cometary nucleus” only a few hundred metres to a couple of kilometres across. When it was discovered, in April 2024, it was still more than 600 million kilometres from Earth and the Sun.

In the days following the comet’s discovery, astronomers worked out its orbit – and it turned out to be a “Sun-skirter” that would pass less than 14 million kilometres from our star on January 13.

As a comet approaches the Sun, it begins to heat up. The ice on and near the surface “sublimes”, causing jets of gas and dust to erupt from the nucleus’ surface. This shrouds the nucleus in a vast cloud of gas and dust, which is then blown away from the Sun, creating the comet’s tails.

Comets that get particularly close to the Sun can become spectacular. This is what happened with comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught), which put on an incredible show for observers in the Southern Hemisphere in early 2007.

For that reason, astronomers often get excited when a new comet is found that will pass particularly close to the Sun. However, comets are also notoriously fragile and friable. Many small comets on Sun-skirting orbits simply fall apart in a puff of dust and disappointment.

When comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered it was very faint, which suggested its nucleus is relatively small. As a result, it seemed likely to fall apart during its close approach to the Sun.

One piece of evidence gave astronomers hope. The comet’s orbit indicated it had passed this way at least once before – and survived.

Now the time has come – as I write this, the comet has passed its closest approach to the Sun intact. It has already put on an incredible show as the third brightest comet ever observed by NASA’s space-based solar observatory SOHO, and even been imaged by keen astrophotographers in broad daylight. Over the coming days, it will move into the evening sky as it moves away from the Sun.

A bright comet, low in the west after sunset

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will begin to appear in the evening sky, low to the west-southwest. For observers in the Northern Hemisphere, it will remain lost in the Sun’s glare. But for those south of the equator, it has the potential to be easily visible for the next few evenings, as the sky darkens after the Sun sets.

Unfortunately, the comet’s orbit is also taking it away from Earth, so it will fade relatively quickly. At its closest to the Sun, the comet was almost as bright as the planet Venus (currently a spectacular sight in the western evening sky). Within a couple of weeks, the comet will cease to be visible to the naked eye.

What does that mean? If you want to get the best possible view, you need to seize your chance in the next few days. Each evening, the comet will set later, and be farther from the Sun in the sky. But it will also be fainter from one night to the next.

So when, and where, should I look?

If you want to see comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), you’re going to need to find somewhere with a clear, unobstructed view of the horizon slightly to the south of due west. Using a planetarium app or website like Stellarium will allow you to work out what time the Sun and the comet will set from your location, so you can plan your observations.

The videos below show the comet’s location a little after sunset at three different latitudes (around Cairns, Brisbane and Melbourne/Auckland) over the evenings from January 16 to 23.

Note the position of the comet in these videos is just the location of the comet’s head. The tail will rise upwards from the comet into the sky, leaning a bit to the right. The videos also don’t give a real feel for how bright the comet will be – you’ll just have to go out and see.

Get to your chosen viewing location around sunset, to maximise your chances of spotting the comet. As soon as the Sun is below the horizon, you can start scanning for the comet with binoculars, your camera, or the naked eye.

At first, the sky will be too bright, but the comet should eventually reveal itself, low to the horizon, before it sets.

From my own experience with comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) last year, seeing a comet low in the twilight sky can be challenging. I found it was easy to spot the comet through my camera. Once found, I could find it with the unaided eye.

The time-lapse video I shot, below, shows that comet rising in the morning sky in early October 2024. You can see how the comet gets easier to see the darker the sky becomes. For the new comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS), imagine the video running backwards, with the comet setting as the sky becomes darker, to get a feel for how the comet might look.

Of course it is hard to say just how bright and easy to spot comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) will be.

With each night that passes, the comet will get higher in the sky, and so in theory be easier to spot. It will be dimming, however, so the best view will be had during the next week.

Jonti Horner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. A bright ‘Sun-skirting’ comet will grace southern skies this week. Here’s how to see it – https://theconversation.com/a-bright-sun-skirting-comet-will-grace-southern-skies-this-week-heres-how-to-see-it-247357

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Walker-Munro, Senior Lecturer (Law), Southern Cross University

Elon Musk is no stranger to news headlines. His purchase of Twitter and subsequent decision to rebrand the platform as X has seen it called “a true black mirror of the most worrying parts of human nature”. Tesla’s incredibly flawed Cybertruck remains an ongoing source of Internet jokes and memes. It has even been suggested that Musk might buy the US arm of social media giant TikTok, after TikTok lost its appeal to overturn an impending ban in the United States.

Musk has also been a major player in US politics. His unpopular decision to reverse X’s ban on President-elect Donald Trump was just the start. Musk endorsed Trump in the lead-up to the US elections, and spearheaded part of Trump’s re-election campaign. He is now co-lead of the incoming administration’s so-called “department of government efficiency”, which is dedicated to slashing “wasteful” spending.

And Musk hasn’t stopped his interventions at the US border. He has inflamed tensions in the United Kingdom by reviving a decades-old sex scandal and criticising Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

He has also urged German voters to vote for political party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), despite sections of that party having been classed as “right-wing extremist” by German authorities.

And just last week, the prime ministers of Spain and France criticised Musk for “interfering” in politics in the European Union.

Albanese weighs in on foreign interference

Some political analysts have warned that Musk will turn his attention to Australia, with a federal election due by the end of May 2025. In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese cautioned that “we have foreign interference laws in this country and Australian elections are a matter for Australians”.

Albanese certainly seems on strong footing. Australia amended its criminal code to outlaw foreign interference in 2018. The legislation is extremely complex, but it effectively outlaws any act that is performed, directed, funded or supervised on behalf of a “foreign principal” (usually a foreign government or one of its entities) if that act could:

• influence a political or governmental process, or an Australian democratic or political right or duty, such as an election

• support foreign intelligence activities

• prejudice Australia’s national security.

In other words, if Musk does anything that “influences” the outcome of an election – whether it is aimed at our politicians or our voting public – he could be breaking the law.

That’s not all. Musk, his companies, and any employee he directs in that endeavour would need to register with the Australian government, not just as lobbyists but also under the “Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme” (FITS).

“Registrable activities” performed for a foreign principal must be recorded on the FITS public register. This covers everything from parliamentary or general lobbying, through to “communications activities” (publishing or disseminating information for political or governmental influence) or “disbursement activities” (distributing money or things for political or government influence).

The FITS legislation is particularly harsh for non-compliance – a failure to register before engaging in registrable activities is a crime, punishable by fines and up to five years’ imprisonment.

Could Musk actually be prosecuted?

That’s a hard question, but the answer is likely to be no. The problem is the foreign interference provisions were designed to protect Australian democracy from interference by foreign governments – and their spies, secret agents and saboteurs – not massive social media super-corporations, or the world’s richest man.

First, a prosecution would have to prove that Musk or X is working on behalf of, directed, funded or supervised by “foreign principal”. One argument could be that Musk/X is acting on behalf of the US government or Trump, but that’s not an easy thing to prove – Musk could just say he is doing it by himself (which is fairly likely given his propensity for controversial and edgy statements).

Otherwise, prosecutors would need to prove X is a “foreign public enterprise”, which is even more complicated. Briefly, given the US government does not own 50% of X’s shares, voting power, or board of directors, prosecutors would have to prove X is under an “obligation” to act on the US government’s behalf, or “enjoys special legal rights or a special legal status” in the US.

Ironically, if Musk actually does buy the US arm of TikTok, X might become a “foreign public enterprise” because of China’s ownership of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance.

Second, Musk would have to be extradited from the US to Australia to face a criminal trial. This would require the US government to be satisfied that the offence is recognised under US law, which does not have the same offences for foreign interference as Australia does. Musk’s comments could also be covered by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects free speech.

Extraditions can also take many months or even years to effect. No doubt any extradition would be fought tooth and nail by Musk in court, if his multimillion-dollar battle against the e-Safety Commissioner is anything to go by.

Third, prosecutors would need to prove that Musk “intended” to interfere with an Australian election. At the very least, they would have to show he was “reckless” as to that outcome – that is, he didn’t really care what the outcome could be. That’s certainly possible, but could it be proven in court?

Finally, all it would take is for Trump, as president, to pardon Musk for any US-based crime he might have committed, and there would arguably be no basis for his extradition to Australia.

Unsurprisingly, these provisions were deemed controversial in 2018, and are still being criticised now.

In the seven years since the laws were passed, only three people have ever been charged, with only one conviction secured.

Further, the FITS was reviewed by the Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security late last year. It labelled the scheme an “abject failure”.

So, it seems that unless Australia looks to change its foreign interference laws urgently, it is unlikely there would be much stopping Musk interfering in the Australian election, should he choose to do so.

Brendan Walker-Munro works as a Senior Lecturer with Southern Cross University, and is also an Adjunct Expert Associate for the National Security College of the Australian National University. The views expressed in the article are his own personal views.

– ref. Albanese says our laws would stop Elon Musk interfering in the Australian election. In truth, there’s little to stop him – https://theconversation.com/albanese-says-our-laws-would-stop-elon-musk-interfering-in-the-australian-election-in-truth-theres-little-to-stop-him-247361

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Whitcombe-Dobbs, Senior Lecturer in Child and Family Psychology, University of Canterbury

After last year’s budget cuts to social services, including a NZ$14 million cut to early home visits, social services providers in New Zealand raised concerns about what the move would mean for children and families needing support.

But in-depth interviews with nine social and family workers completed in 2023 reveal a sector that has struggled under successive Labour and National governments to protect children facing neglect and violence in the home.

In the 12 months to March 2023, New Zealand’s protection services agency, Oranga Tamariki, received notifications of concern for 51,600 individual children and young people, yet only 780 children entered out-of-home care.

The vast majority of these children remained within their families. This means that children’s wellbeing relied on their families receiving adequate support to meet their needs.

While there is some evidence parenting interventions can reduce harm, there is little understanding about what actually works.

Our research looks at the experiences of social and family workers themselves to understand the role they play in protecting children and young people. We asked them what they do, what they viewed as essential for effectiveness and what works with whānau Māori. Another study with parents, asking similar questions, is currently underway.

Harm in the home

Poverty, lack of access to health and education services and the harms of colonisation are risk factors for child maltreatment.

Parents can struggle with mental health problems, disabilities and addiction. Trauma-related difficulties can repeat through generations.

When Oranga Tamariki receives a notification about a child, they often refer parents to a non-governmental agency such as Family Start for help.

Social or family workers usually provide this at home. It can include education, coaching, modelling and even live skills practice directly with children and their parents.

What social workers told us

Our research participants said they valued being able to work with these families in their home, with one saying,

they’ve welcomed us into their home and that’s actually a privilege to be invited into someone’s home, into their physical home and into their parenting world.

All referenced Te Whare Tapa Whā (the house of four walls), a Māori health model, to help frame a shared understanding of families’ needs and wellbeing.

Te Whare Tapa Whā views an individual’s wellbeing as being made up of four aspects, all of which need to be in balance. This includes whānau (family – both kin and non-kin), hinengaro (psychological wellbeing, including cognitive and emotional health), tinana (physical health and resources) and wairua (spirituality, connection with ancestors).

Our research participants believed being effective required strong relationships, being non-judgemental, reciprocity, and directness regarding child protection concerns.

As one explained,

It comes down to whanaungatanga [relationships], and so that relationship is built well at the beginning and as expectations are built, so that this is a safe place where we’re really going to work together on some really hard stuff.

Having a meaningful relationship with parents, where change could occur, included being direct about parenting behaviours that were harmful to children.

When working with whānau Māori, trusting, reciprocal relationships and ensuring self-determination and autonomy were essential.

Pākehā social workers described trying to be responsive to the needs of Māori rather than determining for them what was best.

As one of our research participants explained,

[Culturally-responsive intervention] looks different for each [family]. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s not up to me to tell them, it’s actually up to them to lead it.

Trust was seen as essential, but it takes time and investment to build trust for Māori parents working with non-Māori practitioners and agencies.

Worryingly, practitioners described knowing of ongoing harm to children, despite their efforts. They were often not able to work on parenting skills, because of bigger problems such as housing or family violence, and parents could not engage.

Another research participant said,

There’s also neglect of the children, and attachment with the kids, and it’s really hard to work on that, because we’re just kind of managing the family harm situation and the mental health.

Participants expressed discomfort in knowing about the harm to children yet feeling helpless to get Oranga Tamariki to respond in more active ways as the mandated agency.

As one social worker from a non-governmental agency providing contracted services for Oranga Tamariki said,

It was just awful, awful, awful to see the way these children were being treated in this home. So fighting with [Oranga Tamariki] all the time, trying to get them around, get support, nothing, nothing, nothing.

Despite the honesty and collaboration, the social workers were also well aware of parents seeing them as having a monitoring role for Oranga Tamariki – and inadvertently becoming part of the government’s surveillance.

For those working with Māori families, this discomfort in complicity is deepened by the history of colonisation and inequity in New Zealand.

Protecting children who fall through the cracks

The shared model of responsibility across government and non-government organisations seems like a good approach. But the reality is that children can and do fall through the gaps.

Oranga Tamariki, for example, has a high threshold for harm before they will intervene.

The ability of social services to keep children safe within their homes is increasingly limited due to a lack of resourcing.

It is thus even more important that communities look out for and care for children who are at risk of harm and to better understand what works in addressing family violence, and what doesn’t.

Sarah Whitcombe-Dobbs has received funding from Health Research Council and the Canterbury Medical Research Foundation. She is a member of the New Zealand Labour Party, volunteering on the Health and Wellbeing Policy Committee. She has also worked for Oranga Tamariki as a child psychologist.

– ref. Protecting children, helping parents: NZ social workers speak about the challenges of their jobs – https://theconversation.com/protecting-children-helping-parents-nz-social-workers-speak-about-the-challenges-of-their-jobs-245936

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kristine Crous, Senior Lecturer, School of Science and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University

On the east coast of Australia, in tropical North Queensland, lies the Daintree rainforest – a place where the density of trees forms an almost impenetrable mass of green.

Stepping into the forest can feel like stepping back in time. It contains many ancient plant families dating back to the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. The air is warm and thick with humidity, carrying the earthy scent of wet leaves and soil. Sunlight filters through the dense canopy in scattered beams, while ferns and seedlings carpet the forest floor.

The Daintree and other tropical rainforests, including those in the Amazon, the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia, have been called the “lungs” of our Earth. They absorb carbon dioxide from the air while releasing water vapour and oxygen via photosynthesis – the process by which plants take in carbon dioxide and fix energy.

Because of this, their leafy canopies play a crucial role in regulating the global climate – and mitigating global warming.

But our recent research shows that rising temperatures will severely affect the ability of tropical forests to photosynthesise. This will hinder their capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing their role in mitigating global warming and exacerbating climate change.

Coping with a rapidly changing climate

The ability of plants to adjust to different environments (also known as acclimating) is an important strategy for them to cope with a changing world.

Plants can dynamically acclimate to their environment. When warmed, they can adjust their photosynthesis to perform more efficiently at moderately higher temperatures. This allows them to maintain or even increase their carbon uptake under these new conditions.

However, tropical trees may have a limited capacity to acclimate to warming, because they have evolved under relatively stable climatic conditions. As a result, they are already near the upper limit of temperatures they can tolerate without suffering damage.

Warming the leaves of tropical rainforest trees

To test this theory, we set up an experiment in the Daintree rainforest focusing on tropical trees between 15 and 30 metres tall.

Using a canopy crane to access the treetops, we installed custom-made leaf-heater boxes to warm leaves from four mature tree species by 4°C – a temperature rise predicted for tropical systems by 2100.

Boxes were made from plastic takeaway containers with fishing wire to hold the leaf in place and a heating wire to heat the leaves. Leaf temperatures were measured throughout the experiment and a feedback control algorithm was used to maintain consistent heating.

The experiment lasted eight months, making it one of the longest running in-situ leaf warming experiments in a mature tropical forest.

By comparing the physiological responses of warmed leaves to the responses of non-warmed leaves, we were able to capture a realistic picture of how tropical tree leaves might respond to future climate warming.

Warming reduces photosynthesis across all species

Our study found warming reduced photosynthesis across all species.

Photosynthetic rates dropped by an average of 35% in warmed leaves compared to non-warmed controls. This decline was driven by two key factors.

First, the leaf pores, called stomata, which allow carbon dioxide to enter and water to escape, became less open in response to the drier air around the warmed leaves.

Second, the warmer temperatures interfered with the enzymes essential for photosynthesis, reducing their ability to fix carbon.

Even after eight months of warming, the trees showed little ability to adjust to the higher temperatures. They did not improve their capacity to photosynthesise effectively at the elevated temperatures, nor did they shift the maximum temperature at which photosynthesis could be maintained.

This supports the idea that these trees may already be operating close to their thermal limits.

Significant implications for the global water cycle

Our findings of reduced carbon uptake and decreased water loss due to stomatal closure under warmer temperatures align with the concept of a “weakened pulse” of water exchange in tropical systems.

This has significant implications for the global water cycle.

While stomatal closure can limit water released to the atmosphere, a drier atmosphere simultaneously extracts more moisture from trees, creating a complex dynamic.

The response of tropical forests to warming will undoubtedly affect the water cycle, but the overall impact remains uncertain.

Little room to adapt

Other studies have also pointed to detrimental effects of climate change on tropical ecosystems, including a warmer and drier atmosphere.

Lowland tropical environments are already near the physiological limits for photosynthesis. This leaves little room for trees to adapt to rising temperatures and drier conditions.

Combined with predictions of warming and drying from climate models, these studies point to less resilient tropical forests under climate change, weakening their role as the lungs of the Earth.

Protecting rainforest biodiversity offers hope

However, the biodiversity of tropical rainforests offers some hope, as not all species are equally vulnerable.

Recent research shows fast-growing species are less affected by warming compared to slow-growing ones. While this is promising, it’s important to remember that species that live longer play the most significant role in long-term carbon storage.

These findings highlight the urgency of protecting tropical forests and limiting the magnitude of global warming by carbon dioxide emissions.

Conservation strategies should focus on maintaining biodiversity to enhance resilience, and identifying species that have a greater potential to acclimate in a warming world.

Kristine Crous received funding from The Australian Research Council to investigate how Australian rainforests will cope with climate warming (DE160101484). She is currently funded by the Hermon Slade Foundation to examine how rainforests recover after fires.

Kali Middleby has received funding from James Cook University, the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, and Skyrail Rainforest Foundation.

– ref. Study shows hot leaves can’t catch carbon from the air. It’s bad news for rainforests – and Earth – https://theconversation.com/study-shows-hot-leaves-cant-catch-carbon-from-the-air-its-bad-news-for-rainforests-and-earth-246975

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Louise Baur, Professor, Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney

Obesity is linked to many common diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease and knee osteoarthritis.

Obesity is currently defined using a person’s body mass index, or BMI. This is calculated as weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of height (in metres). In people of European descent, the BMI for obesity is 30 kg/m² and over.

But the risk to health and wellbeing is not determined by weight – and therefore BMI – alone. We’ve been part of a global collaboration that has spent the past two years discussing how this should change. Today we publish how we think obesity should be defined and why.

As we outline in The Lancet, having a larger body shouldn’t mean you’re diagnosed with “clinical obesity”. Such a diagnosis should depend on the level and location of body fat – and whether there are associated health problems.

What’s wrong with BMI?

The risk of ill health depends on the relative percentage of fat, bone and muscle making up a person’s body weight, as well as where the fat is distributed.

Athletes with a relatively high muscle mass, for example, may have a higher BMI. Even when that athlete has a BMI over 30 kg/m², their higher weight is due to excess muscle rather than excess fatty tissue.

People who carry their excess fatty tissue around their waist are at greatest risk of the health problems associated with obesity.

Fat stored deep in the abdomen and around the internal organs can release damaging molecules into the blood. These can then cause problems in other parts of the body.

But BMI alone does not tell us whether a person has health problems related to excess body fat. People with excess body fat don’t always have a BMI over 30, meaning they are not investigated for health problems associated with excess body fat. This might occur in a very tall person or in someone who tends to store body fat in the abdomen but who is of a “healthy” weight.

On the other hand, others who aren’t athletes but have excess fat may have a high BMI but no associated health problems.

BMI is therefore an imperfect tool to help us diagnose obesity.

What is the new definition?

The goal of the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission on the Definition and Diagnosis of Clinical Obesity
was to develop an approach to this definition and diagnosis. The commission, established in 2022 and led from King’s College London, has brought together 56 experts on aspects of obesity, including people with lived experience.

The commission’s definition and new diagnostic criteria shifts the focus from BMI alone. It incorporates other measurements, such as waist circumference, to confirm an excess or unhealthy distribution of body fat.

We define two categories of obesity based on objective signs and symptoms of poor health due to excess body fat.

1. Clinical obesity

A person with clinical obesity has signs and symptoms of ongoing organ dysfunction and/or difficulty with day-to-day activities of daily living (such as bathing, going to the toilet or dressing).

There are 18 diagnostic criteria for clinical obesity in adults and 13 in children and adolescents. These include:

• breathlessness caused by the effect of obesity on the lungs

• obesity-induced heart failure

• raised blood pressure

• fatty liver disease

• abnormalities in bones and joints that limit movement in children.

2. Pre-clinical obesity

A person with pre-clinical obesity has high levels of body fat that are not causing any illness.

People with pre-clinical obesity do not have any evidence of reduced tissue or organ function due to obesity and can complete day-to-day activities unhindered.

However, people with pre-clinical obesity are generally at higher risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

What does this mean for obesity treatment?

Clinical obesity is a disease requiring access to effective health care.

For those with clinical obesity, the focus of health care should be on improving the health problems caused by obesity. People should be offered evidence-based treatment options after discussion with their health-care practitioner.

Treatment will include management of obesity-associated complications and may include specific obesity treatment aiming at decreasing fat mass, such as:

• support for behaviour change around diet, physical activity, sleep and screen use

• obesity-management medications to reduce appetite, lower weight and improve health outcomes such as blood glucose (sugar) and blood pressure

• metabolic bariatric surgery to treat obesity or reduce weight-related health complications.

Should pre-clinical obesity be treated?

For those with pre-clinical obesity, health care should be about risk-reduction and prevention of health problems related to obesity.

This may require health counselling, including support for health behaviour change, and monitoring over time.

Depending on the person’s individual risk – such as a family history of disease, level of body fat and changes over time – they may opt for one of the obesity treatments above.

Distinguishing people who don’t have illness from those who already have ongoing illness will enable personalised approaches to obesity prevention, management and treatment with more appropriate and cost-effective allocation of resources.

What happens next?

These new criteria for the diagnosis of clinical obesity will need to be adopted into national and international clinical practice guidelines and a range of obesity strategies.

Once adopted, training health professionals and health service managers, and educating the general public, will be vital.

Reframing the narrative of obesity may help eradicate misconceptions that contribute to stigma, including making false assumptions about the health status of people in larger bodies. A better understanding of the biology and health effects of obesity should also mean people in larger bodies are not blamed for their condition.

People with obesity or who have larger bodies should expect personalised, evidence-based assessments and advice, free of stigma and blame.

Louise Baur receives funding from the National Health & Medical Research Council in the form of competitive research grants on projects related to child and adolescent obesity; these funds are administered by The University of Sydney. She has also received honoraria from Novo Nordisk and Lilly for speaking on topics related to adolescent obesity; these funds have been directed to her institutional research cost centre. Louise Baur was also on the Steering Committee of the ACTION Teens study, sponsored by Novo Nordisk, and has been on an Advisory Committee for Lilly. She is also a consultant paediatrician in Weight Management Services at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

John Dixon has received honoraria from Reshape Lifesciences and Nestle Health Science Australia for consultancy, advisory board, and speaker engagements. He has also received personal honoraria from Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, iNova, and Eurodrug Laboratories for advisory boards and speaker engagements. He has also received Personal Honoraria for educational presentations for HealthED. Past research funding from NHMRC grants and fellowships, was paid to Monash University and the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute. Currently, John is Vice President of the National Association of Clinical Obesity Services (unpaid).

Priya Sumithran receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council paid to her institution. She is was a council member of the Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society (ANZOS) 2017-2022 and is a member of The Obesity Collective leadership group. She has been a co-author on manuscripts with a medical writer provided by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, and received payment to her institution from Eli Lilly for participation in advisory boards.

Wendy A. Brown has received honoraria from Johnson and Johnson, GORE, Novo Nordisc, Pfizer, Medtronic, Eli Lilly and Merck Sharpe and Dohme for lectures and advisory boards. She receives research grants from Johnson and Johnson, Medtronic, GORE, Applied Medical and the Australian Commonwealth Government for the Australian Bariatric Surgery Registry. She has also received research grants for investigator initiated projects from Novo Nordisc, NHMRC and Myerton. She is a practicing Metabolic Bariatric Surgeon and as such part of her income is derived from performing these surgeries.

– ref. How we diagnose and define obesity is set to change – here’s why, and what it means for treatment – https://theconversation.com/how-we-diagnose-and-define-obesity-is-set-to-change-heres-why-and-what-it-means-for-treatment-245164

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Swinburne University of Technology

Sad, anxious or lacking in motivation? Chances are you have just returned to work after a summer break.

January is the month when people are most likely to quit their jobs after having had time off.

And even though most people experience the return to work blues, the good news is there are ways to get through them. But first we have to understand why we experience them at all.

Holidays often promote idealised expectations of life, such as the freedom and joy that comes from reduced responsibilities and expectations from others.

Unsurprisingly, returning to work clashes with these expectations due to its inherent pressures and responsibilities. This mismatch between one’s expectations and reality creates psychological discomfort, or “cognitive dissonance”, which includes feelings of disappointment or frustration.

Cognitive dissonance can also occur when there is a mismatch between perceived identities or roles in life. For example, during the holidays I become “an avid watcher of TV shows I missed throughout the year” and “someone who is readily available to others”.

However, the return to work quickly shifts me to being “productive worker (who has no time for TV)” and “someone who needs to be mindful of how they spend their limited downtime and energy”. Managing this shift can be mentally taxing and quite stressful!

5 ways to ease your back to work blues

Self-determination theory further highlights the importance of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in maintaining psychological well-being.

People often have greater autonomy over their time and activities during the holidays, leading to a stronger sense of control and fulfilment. In contrast, returning to work may restrict this autonomy which in turn reduces feelings of competence and satisfaction.

An abrupt return to a demanding workplace can amplify cognitive dissonance and the negative consequences of reduced autonomy.

According to the effort-recovery model, the holidays are a time for people to replenish their physical and mental resources.

Not having enough time for a smooth transition back into work can make us feel any recovery and pleasure from being away has been lost. This makes us feel fatigued, unmotivated and less able to manage psychological stressors like cognitive dissonance.

Understanding why we experience “return to work blues” can help with managing this very common phenomena. Here are five strategies to make it easier.

1. Ease back into work gradually

Schedule a day between your return from vacation and your first day back at work to unpack, rest, and mentally prepare. If you have already started work, then consider taking the first few Fridays or Mondays off so you have a longer weekend. Also, break down your workload into manageable chunks, focusing on high-priority tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

2. Incorporate elements of your holiday into daily life

Really enjoyed watching TV shows, being out in nature or trying new restaurants during the break? Then schedule time to regularly engage in these activities. You can even organise your next break so that you have something to look forward to.

3. Set meaningful goals

Use what you have learnt over the holidays to set personal and professional goals that align with your values and aspirations. For example, you might have discovered you really value social connection. So you could set a professional goal of connecting more with your colleagues by organising after-work drinks.

4. Reframe your perspective

Celebrate routine by recognising the stability and structure that work provides. You can also focus on the parts of your job that provide you with joy and fulfilment.

5. Maintain connections and prioritise self-care

Share holiday stories with your co-workers to foster camaraderie and ease the transition. Make healthy lifestyle choices, such as adopting a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep to support your mental and physical well-being.

Know that you are not alone in feeling sad or apprehensive about returning to work after the break. However, if these feelings persist or worsen, speak with a trusted friend, family member, call a support line like Beyond Blue, or seek support from a mental health professional such as a psychologist.

Kelvin (Shiu Fung) Wong does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Staring blankly at your screen? You probably have post holiday blues. The good news is you can get through it – https://theconversation.com/staring-blankly-at-your-screen-you-probably-have-post-holiday-blues-the-good-news-is-you-can-get-through-it-247204

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Williams, Associate Professor, Griffith University, Griffith University

Queensland’s Bruce Highway is a bit like a 1980s family sedan: dated, worn in places, and often more than a little dangerous. But it’s also a necessary part of life for people just trying to get from A to B.

Indeed, the Bruce remains the sunshine state’s most vital road artery. Running 1,700 kilometres along the eastern seaboard, it connects and keeps alive cities and towns between Brisbane and Cairns – a distance farther than Brisbane to Melbourne.

Little wonder, then, that the Bruce Highway perennially features in state and federal election campaigns. In 2020, for example, the Liberal National Party state opposition boldly promised $33 billion – without prior federal agreement – to upgrade the beleaguered Bruce over 15 years.

It’s also no surprise an increasingly unpopular prime minister, with a tiny parliamentary majority and facing an election within months, should weigh in with his own road commitment. Anthony Albanese pledged $7.2 billion after the freshly minted Queensland LNP state government demanded action.

But what does Albanese’s cash splash tell us about the coming federal election?

Election anxiety

First, it suggests the Clayton’s campaign is genuinely underway.

Australians in a digital (and social) media age are well accustomed to the permanent campaign, in which every politician’s word and deed is a calculated ploy for re-election. But the fact Albanese has come out swinging in early January (usually a holiday-period taboo for politics) underscores Labor’s anxiety at what looks increasingly like a looming hung parliament.

The anxiety is well-founded. Last week’s Roy Morgan poll saw the Coalition lead Labor 53% to 47% – the opposition’s biggest lead in more than three years.

That constitutes a 5% after-preference swing to the Coalition, or enough to secure 15 of the 21 seats Peter Dutton needs to form majority government.

In short, while majority (or even minority) Coalition government seemed impossible just a few months ago, a minority Dutton government is now a real possibility.

The government’s only good news is that Labor’s primary vote is up 3.5 points since early December.

But that news is tempered by the fact Greens voters are souring on Labor, with just 55% intending to preference the government, compared with the 85% who would have done so in December.

Albanese has restored the 80/20 federal-state funding model, overturning Roads Minister Catherine King’s 2024 edict to the states to fund local infrastructure projects on a 50/50 basis. We can only assume Labor is genuinely fearful of cranky regional voters everywhere deserting the Labor ship.

No low-hanging fruit

But the Bruce announcement sends a cryptic message that’s not easily decoded.

Superficially, it appears to be some old-fashioned pork-barrelling designed to win back LNP seats in Queensland or, at worst, to prevent Labor losses.

But a closer look at the electoral pendulum suggests neither is Labor’s principal aim.

Put bluntly, the electoral tide is out for Labor everywhere north of the Tweed River, even in Brisbane. Federal Labor will win no new seats in Queensland, regardless of largesse.

At the 2024 Brisbane City Council election, Labor suffered a 6% primary swing across the city and, at last October’s state election, a 7% after-preference swing across the state.

Given the LNP’s most vulnerable seat is Dickson (held by an Opposition leader, Peter Dutton, well regarded in his home state), there is no low-hanging fruit for Labor in Queensland.

The only exception is the remote possibility of Labor recapturing Griffith, in inner Brisbane, from the Greens. Indeed, Labor has organised a “Get Max” committee to unseat Greens Housing spokesman Max Chandler-Mather.

Should the LNP, which finished second on primary votes in Griffith in 2022, finish third behind Labor in 2025, Labor will retake the seat on LNP preferences.

That scenario played out in the state seat of South Brisbane (which overlaps with Griffith) in 2024 and saw Labor recapture the Greens’ seat.

Interestingly, the LNP is also in with a (again, only remote) chance of recapturing the Green-held seats of Brisbane and Ryan should a Melbourne Cup field of independents preference the LNP over the Greens.

Conversely, Labor is in no real danger of losing any of its five seats (out of Queensland’s 30) to the LNP.

Even Labor’s most vulnerable seat, Blair – technically a “provincial” seat home to voters with volatile regional sympathies – is held by a healthy 5.2% and, therefore, probably secure.

So why bother with Queensland?

Labor’s Queensland pitch, then, is about maintaining Labor’s primary vote floor.

With the Australian Electoral Commission refunding $3.38 for each primary vote, Labor has a lot to gain by defending its base.

It’s also about defending the party’s Senate vote. In 2019, Queenslanders elected just one Labor Senator and, in 2022, two. Labor simply cannot afford to see its upper house representation fall.

Labor’s Bruce Highway commitment is also about drawing a strong contrast between the Albanese government’s “big picture” policies – from tax reform to housing to clean energy to four-year parliaments – and the opposition’s hitherto “small target” of nuclear power and “anti-wokeism”.

The Albanese government has a strong record to defend, including in job creation. Labor will happily remind voters of it.

Last, Albanese’s early strike is clearly an attempt to catch a small-target opposition napping on the beach.

But the fact Dutton quickly matched Labor’s Bruce Highway funding – with the added proviso of excluding the controversial CFMEU from the project – and his weekend announcement to allow Australians to access up to $50,000 from their superannuation to purchase a home suggests any early Labor advantage has already been neutralised.

Labor’s ultimate risk is that financially stressed voters across Queensland and elsewhere already perceive the Albanese government as that ageing family sedan.

Eager to trade up to a shiny new Coalition model, working and middle Australia could still take Labor off the road.

Dr Paul Williams is a research associate with the T.J. Ryan Foundation.

– ref. The prime minister started his unofficial re-election campaign in Queensland. It’s a telling political calculation – https://theconversation.com/the-prime-minister-started-his-unofficial-re-election-campaign-in-queensland-its-a-telling-political-calculation-246676

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Collins, Research Fellow and Curator, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia

Australians are no strangers to housing crises. Some will even remember the crisis that followed the second world war. As well as producing the popular mid-century modern style of architecture, these post-war decades were a time of struggle.

As the population grew quickly after the war, Australia faced an estimated shortage of 300,000 dwellings. Government intervention was needed. A 1944 report by the Commonwealth Housing Commission stated that “a dwelling of good standard and equipment is not only the need but the right of every citizen”.

A key recommendation was that the Australian government should encourage the building of more climate-responsive and healthy homes.

So, what happened? Why are so many homes today still not well-designed for the local climate?

Building small and for a sunny climate

The postwar period was a time of shortages and rationing. As well as meat, sugar, clothing and fuel, building materials were in short supply.

Government restrictions limited house sizes in general to around 110 square metres. That’s less than half the average size of new houses today. Building activity and the prices of materials were also regulated.

While people waited for building permits, many had to arrange temporary housing. Some lived in sleepouts or rented spare rooms from strangers. Others camped in tents or lived in caravans or temporary buildings erected on land bought before the war.

Looking at the published advice on housing design in the 1940s and 1950s, it’s clear passive solar design, small home sizes and climate-responsive architecture were topics of interest. A passive solar design works with the local climate to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home.

This preference was not driven by concerns about climate change or carbon footprints. Rather, the Commonwealth Housing Commission called for solar planning “for health and comfort”.

The commission’s executive officer, architect Walter Bunning, demonstrated how to go about this in his book Homes in the Sun. He translated government recommendations into a format appealing to home builders.

This was a time before most home owners could afford air conditioning. It was advised that homes be sited to capture prevailing breezes, have insulated walls and roofs, use window shading and overhanging eaves, and plantings of shade trees and deciduous creepers. External spaces, such as patios, and north-facing living spaces oriented to the sun, were also promoted.

Among the designs were plans for the “Sun Trap House”. This design applied passive solar design principles to a modest freestanding home.

‘New approach’ didn’t eventuate

Eventually, the housing crisis eased. However, this was not a result of Bunning’s hoped for “new approach to house planning”. Most of the new housing was traditionally designed and built suburban homes.

These came in the form of stock plans by builders and construction companies, with owner builders making up 40% of the homes constructed in 1953-54. Sponsored housing provision programs, including the War Service Homes Scheme and Soldier Settlement Scheme, were rolled out across the country.

At a state level, arms of government such as the South Australian Housing Trust and the Victorian Housing Commission provided not only houses for the rental market but also for purchase. These houses included imported prefabricated dwellings.

As a result, many homes built in the postwar housing crisis suffer from much the same problems as their predecessors. It led to a situation today where 70% of Australian houses have an energy rating of three stars or lower. That’s well short of the current seven-star standard for new homes.

It wasn’t for lack of architectural advice

In a time of shortage, most people were happy to have a roof over their heads no matter what the design. To architects, this seemed a wasted opportunity.

As a result, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects promoted architect-designed plans that people could buy for a nominal fee. In South Australia, these were available through the Small Homes Service.

House advice and plans for sale were featured in newspapers and magazines such as the Australian Home Beautiful. The institute also published brochures that promoted the idea that “better design considers climate and environment” and followed recommendations by the Commonwealth Experimental Building Station for maximum comfort.

Passive solar solutions are timeless

The energy-hungry mechanical heating and cooling of today’s houses often neglects passive solar and simple solutions such as insulation, eaves, window awnings, curtains and draught stoppers. These were common solutions in the post-war period.

The principles of passive solar design haven’t changed since then. The ideas advocated both in 1945 and today in design advice such as the Australian government’s Your Home guide to environmentally sustainable homes remain the same.

While our world today faces many crises affecting health, climate resilience, housing affordability and inequality, we have a chance to shape the solutions.

The federal government is developing a National Housing and Homeless Plan and has committed A$10 billion to its housing fund. The target is to build 1.2 million homes over the next five years. What better opportunity to learn from the past and build a brighter, more sustainable future?

Lyrian Daniel receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

Julie Collins does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Nothing new under the sun: Australia’s long history of missed chances to build sustainable homes – https://theconversation.com/nothing-new-under-the-sun-australias-long-history-of-missed-chances-to-build-sustainable-homes-241004

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney

We are surrounded by random events every day. Will the stock market rise or fall tomorrow? Will the next penalty kick in a soccer match go left or right? Will your lottery ticket finally win?

Often, we experience these events not as isolated occurrences but as part of a sequence. In these sequences, our brains crave certainty and patterns.

Sometimes there really is something meaningful behind the patterns we observe. But often, we’re simply reading into randomness.

How can we tell the difference? One thing to keep in mind is the idea of independent events. In probability, this means the outcome of one event doesn’t influence the outcome of another.

The failure to understand independence lies at the heart of two famous phenomena: the gambler’s fallacy and the “hot hand” in sports.

When we do understand independence, we can make better decisions in a world full of uncertainty.

The gambler’s fallacy

On August 18 1913, at the Monte Carlo Casino, gamblers witnessed one of the most extraordinary roulette streaks in history. The ball landed on black once, twice, five times, ten times — and it kept going.

Imagine you’re there, watching as black comes up 15 times in a row. What would you do? Would you bet on black, thinking the streak will continue? Or would you bet on red, convinced it’s “due” to appear?

That night, most gamblers chose red. By the 20th spin, the table was packed with players staking everything on red, certain the streak of black couldn’t last forever.

But the ball continued to defy them, landing on black again and again. It wasn’t until the 27th spin that red finally appeared — by which point, many gamblers had lost a fortune.

While the exact amount lost by gamblers during the 1913 Monte Carlo roulette event isn’t documented, it’s reported they collectively lost millions of francs.

This historic night is now a textbook example of the gambler’s fallacy: the mistaken belief that past events influence the likelihood of future outcomes in a sequence of independent trials.

In reality, the roulette wheel is fair, meaning each spin is random and independent of the last. The probabilities of landing on red, black or green remain the same every time, no matter what happened before.

Lotteries, kids and kicks

Such randomness traps don’t just catch us at the roulette wheel. We fall for them in other situations, too.

Lottery players often assume a number is “due” after not appearing for weeks. This often leads to debates about when to change picks based on patterns observed in recent draws.

Parents who have had several children of the same sex may (mistakenly) believe they are more likely to have a child of the opposite sex next.

Soccer goalkeepers too fall victim to the gambler’s fallacy. A study analysing 37 penalty shootouts in World Cup and European Cup matches found goalkeepers were 70% more likely to dive in the opposite direction after three consecutive kicks had gone to the same side, believing the streak must “balance out”. Interestingly, strikers didn’t exploit this predictable behaviour, as their kick directions remained random.

The ‘hot hand’ phenomenon

Not all sequences of random events are independent. Sometimes, events in a sequence can influence one another, creating patterns that are real rather than imagined.

This brings us to the “hot hand” phenomenon. This is the widespread belief that players performing well — such as scoring consecutive basketball shots — are more likely to continue performing well.

But does the hot hand really exist, or is it just another example of our tendency to impose patterns on random events? The short answer: it’s complicated.

Unlike the gambler’s fallacy, which can be ruled out by clear statistical principles, the hot hand phenomenon resists definitive dismissal.

There’s no way to prove that consecutive basketball shots are entirely independent. Skill, confidence or momentum could play a role in creating real streaks.

Empirical evidence, however, remains mixed and context-dependent. Some studies have observed mild effects in certain sports, but others have ruled out the effect.

While the question originated in basketball, later research has extended to other sports, including baseball, darts, tennis and bowling. Most studies suggest that the effect, if it exists, is far weaker than many players, coaches and fans believe.

What does this all mean?

As humans, we’re wired to seek patterns and trends to make sense of the world and navigate decisions. But often, we only have access to small batches of information, which can lead us astray when interpreting randomness.

One common mistake is assuming that streaks or clusters of similar outcomes indicate something unusual or rigged. In reality, these clusters are normal features of randomness.

Fairness or balance only emerges over a very large number of events, not in small samples. Independent events such as coin flips have no memory. Each outcome stands alone, unaffected by what came before.

This tendency to see patterns where none exist, also known as the clustering illusion, can often fuel superstitions such as “bad luck comes in threes”. It’s the same bias that leads us to expect a losing streak at the casino to end soon, or to believe a series of unrelated misfortunes in life means we’re “due” for some good luck.

However, events aren’t always independent. Sometimes, a cluster of good outcomes — such as a series of career successes — may genuinely reflect skill, momentum, or changing circumstances, and could signal future opportunities.

So next time you encounter a streak of events – good or bad — pause and reflect. If there’s no reason to believe the events are connected, resist the urge to overinterpret. Understanding randomness can free us from unnecessary worry or false hope, allowing us to focus on decisions grounded in reality.

Milad Haghani does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The ‘hot hand’ and the gambler’s fallacy: why our brains struggle to believe in randomness – https://theconversation.com/the-hot-hand-and-the-gamblers-fallacy-why-our-brains-struggle-to-believe-in-randomness-246244

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Athena Lee, Lecturer and Researcher, Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research, Edith Cowan University

When we think of writing systems we likely think of an Alphabetic writing system, where each symbol (letter) in the alphabet represents a basic sound unit, such as a consonant or a vowel.

Those who first came to the shores of Australia during colonisation likely held a similar idea of written language. As such, Aboriginal peoples were quickly dismissed as lacking a written language.

But this view is wrong.

Aboriginal message sticks, traditional tools of communication, offer a glimpse into a sophisticated and unique form of communication.

A written and oral language

Aboriginal message sticks are hand-carved wooden objects traditionally used to send messages across long distances. While there is evidence of widespread use of message sticks across Australia, the current database is still mapping the different regions in which they are used and their messages deciphered.

Message sticks often feature engravings or painted symbols, lines, dots and shapes carefully crafted to convey specific meanings.

They aren’t standalone texts, like books or letters. Instead, they are complemented by oral messages delivered by an appointed messenger who, in some instances, would be painted in ochre and dressed according to the message being delivered.

This ensured the stick’s symbols were interpreted correctly by the recipient.

The messenger’s task was to deliver the stick and speak the words that gave the symbols life and meaning. A message stick might feature simple symbols representing the date, location and purpose of an event. While the symbols carry visual meaning, the oral storytelling supplies context.

Imagine you had to send a crucial message, perhaps an invitation to a wedding or news of a tragedy. When composing your message you carefully select the right words so that your intended meaning is interpreted correctly.

Similarly, the symbols carved by the sender into the message stick and the accompanying oral message provide the same function.

A long history of writing

Pictographic writing, a system where ideas, objects or sounds are represented through visual symbols, is a foundational stage in the evolution of writing.

Unlike writing systems that use letters to represent sounds, pictographic systems use pictures that directly resemble what they represent, while some systems mix symbols for whole words or parts of words.

Hieroglyphs from ancient Egypt originally started as a pictographic writing system before transitioning into a logosyllabic system.

An example of early Egyptian pictographic writing can be seen in the Narmer Palette, a ceremonial artefact that depicts King Narmer’s unification of Upper and Lower Egypt.

Its carvings include early hieroglyphic symbols that are primarily pictorial, representing objects like animals, tools, and body parts.

Likewise, writing from Aztecs from Mesoamerica also started as a pictographic system. The Aztecs used pictographs to record events, genealogies and religious rituals.

The Codex Borbonicus is a prominent example, created by Aztec priests before the Spanish conquest, conveying religious, calendrical and ritualistic information.

Like the Aztec and early Egyptian pictographs, the symbols on message sticks hold complex and culturally significant information.

These symbols vary depending on the region and the purpose of the message. Common symbols include straight lines, dots, concentric circles, cross hatching or geometric patterns, animal tracks and wavy lines.

The meaning of these symbols are dependent on the region they are from and the context supplied with the message.

For too long, pictographic systems have been dismissed as inferior or proto-writing within Eurocentric frameworks.

This perspective has contributed to the marginalisation of Indigenous knowledge systems. The claim that Aboriginal peoples lacked a written language is a misrepresentation borne of colonial agendas, designed to dehumanise and delegitimise Aboriginal cultural sophistication.

Message sticks and other forms of Aboriginal graphic expressions, such as rock art and carvings (petroglyphs) challenge this narrative.

These artefacts demonstrate that Aboriginal peoples developed complex systems of visual communication intertwined with oral traditions.

Recognising Aboriginal message sticks within the succession of pictographic communication legitimises their status as a form of written communication and honours their role in the diverse spectrum of human intellectual achievements.

Understanding the breadth of writing

The devaluation of Aboriginal graphic writing systems reflects a broader colonial bias that equates written language exclusively with alphabetic systems.

By acknowledging the legitimacy of pictographic writing, we validate the cultural practices of Aboriginal peoples and broaden our understanding of what it means to write.

Writing is not merely a mechanical act of inscribing symbols on a surface. It is a medium through which humans convey meaning, preserve knowledge and create connections across time and space.

Message sticks are compelling evidence of Aboriginal systems of knowledge and communication.

These artefacts demand a reevaluation of how we define and value writing. They also challenge us to confront the colonial legacies that have marginalised non-alphabetic systems of communication.

Writing is not a singular invention. It is a diverse, multifaceted human endeavour. Like the hieroglyphs of Egypt and the Aztec glyphs, message sticks are powerful symbols of the intellectual and creative capacities of their creators.

Athena Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Aboriginal message sticks are a fascinating insight into a complex system of written communication – https://theconversation.com/aboriginal-message-sticks-are-a-fascinating-insight-into-a-complex-system-of-written-communication-244922