Larissa Schneider – The Conversation

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August 30, 2021

1,600 years ago, climate change hit the Australian Alps. We studied ancient lake mud to learn what happened

Zoë Thomas, UNSW ; Haidee Cadd, University of Wollongong, and Larissa Schneider, Australian National University

Australia’s alpine region warmed for about 600 years. What makes this climate change particularly interesting is that it bears striking similarity to today.

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July 5, 2021

A tale of two valleys: Latrobe and Hunter regions both have coal stations, but one has far worse mercury pollution

Larissa Schneider, Australian National University; Anna Lintern, Monash University; Cameron Holley, UNSW ; Darren Sinclair, University of Canberra; Neil Rose, UCL; Ruoyu Sun, and Simon Haberle, Australian National University

New research found power stations in the Latrobe Valley emit around 10 times more mercury than power stations in the Hunter Valley. The stark difference has a lot to do with regulations.

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June 21, 2020

Ban on toxic mercury looms in sugar cane farming, but Australia still has a way to go

Larissa Schneider, Australian National University; Cameron Holley, UNSW ; Darren Sinclair, University of Canberra, and Simon Haberle, Australian National University

Australia has failed to ratify an international treaty to reduce harmful mercury emissions. Mercury exposure can cause kidney damage and brain impairment, especially in children.

Industrial activities like mining, fossil fuel combustion, and cement production release mercury into the environment. Shutterstock

January 29, 2020

Plants safely store toxic mercury. Bushfires and climate change bring it back into our environment

Larissa Schneider, Australian National University; Colin Cooke, University of Alberta; Nathan D Stansell, Northern Illinois University, and Simon Haberle, Australian National University

Plants can store mercury and keep it from contaminating waterways, air and soils. Unfortunately, that mercury is released when plants burn.

Tasmania’s fires may have released mercury previously absorbed by trees. AAP Image

April 7, 2019

Mercury pollution from decades past may have been re‑released by Tasmania’s bushfires

Larissa Schneider, Australian National University; Kathryn Allen, The University of Melbourne, and Simon Haberle, Australian National University

Huon pines in Tasmania have locked up significant amounts of mercury pollution from the state’s mining industrial history. And that can be released back to the atmosphere in bushfires.

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