Norman Day, Swinburne University of Technology As high-rise cities grow upwards and outwards, increasing numbers of birds die by crashing into glass buildings each year. And of course many others break beaks, wings and legs or suffer other physical harm. But we can help eradicate the danger by good design. Most research into building-related bird…
Coronavirus: 5 ways to manage your news consumption in times of crisis
Mark Pearson, Griffith University Thousands of employees internationally are already working from home in COVID-19 self-isolation because of their recent travel, related symptoms or immune system vulnerability. But to do so while habitually checking the news on devices – and allowing 24/7 news channels to play non-stop in the background – might erode your productivity…
Can we live without our phones? Some are taking a digital detox regularly
January 28 2020 Love them or loathe them, mobile phones have become an indispensible part of our lives. With potentially all who we are online and on a handheld device, how do we get some privacy or turn down our addiction? I put these questions to some very thoughtful people.
Dogs and why they change us
Why and how we connect with dogs is a complicated question. But one answer could be empathy in both dogs and humans.
Taking care of dogs with dementia: Kerry and Kenzo’s story
Kerry Mcmyler lives in Lancashire in the UK. She’s had her dog Kenzo, a Labrador Collie cross for 15 years–ever since he was a puppy. She says he chose her from a litter of nine, barging past all of them to go to her. When she moved away some six years ago, her parents took…
Christianity’s changing attitude toward animals
Christians are uncovering a forgotten history of passionate campaigns for animal rights.
Should arms manufacturers sponsor Invictus?
As the Sydney Invictus Games come to a close, perhaps unsurprisingly, media coverage didn’t address an important question. And it’s this: why are arms manufacturers sponsoring an event for people disabled by injuries of war? In a provocative and thought-provoking piece, anti-war activist Nick Deane asks this very question. And he also asks about the…
Urgent Work: Nick Deane
Nick Deane is an Australian peace activist who along with others, has dedicated much of his life to creating a just world. In this profile story, he talks about why he puts his body on the line for peace.
How ISIL got here
The attack on Jakarta Thursday, was part of a campaign targeting citizens of countries fighting Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria, according to a statement released by the group.
When there are no more tears, just choking horror.
September 3 2015 I have had the privilege of working with many refugee communities in Australia and hearing first hand, stories of courage from people who’d fled persecution and war. People who put their lives on the line for others, for a principle or a cause; people who just wanted to live a life of…
Animals: the abandoned mates of war
Nadyat El Gawley August 2 2015 The older she gets, the more pessimistic she feels. To writer Jill Mather, there’s no cure for humans’ lack of respect for animals. And so since her retirement, it’s been her mission to record their stories. Specifically, those that perished in war. Eight million animals died in the Great…
A Year of Exchange: Susan Price on being a socialist
Nadyat El Gawley April 25 2015 It was a year spent on an international student exchange that got Susan Price, Summer Hill’s Socialist Alliance candidate, interested in politics. That, a relationship and a film. Tall with red hair, Ms Price says her friendships with Chileans while on exchange in the United States in the early…
Saving Racehorses: Reform or Revolution?
Note: I wrote this story before the Melbourne Cup and the tragic death of two horses there yesterday. I have since tried to talk to the Australian Racing Board about whether they will now talk to animal advocates given this is the second year in a row where horses have died at the race. They…
Climate change, a clarion call for the arts
September 26 2014 Nadyat El Gawley In a week when thousands marched across the globe calling for action ahead of the UN Climate Summit, Australian artists were asking how will we live? As part of the fifth Sydney Fringe Festival, 14 artists and architects have collaborated to explore domestic spaces in an era of environmental…
Doggone
September 3 2014 Nadyat El Gawley Leading animal and transport advocacy groups have criticised the sudden decision by Transport for NSW to ban dogs from the light rail in the inner west. The ban has come after months of allowing commuters to take their pets on the trams since the service opened in March. Michael…
