Peter de Kruijff
Peter is the online environment reporter for ABC Science. He has previously worked in print and radio in Perth, Carnarvon, Kununurra, Karratha, Kalgoorlie and Albury-Wodonga.
Latest by Peter de Kruijff
Major $30 billion gas project off WA's coast at risk due to marine environment concerns
By environment reporter Peter de Kruijiff and WA state political reporter Rhiannon Shine
One of Australia's biggest gas projects is at risk of being rejected by Western Australia's environmental watchdog.
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How the west was formed — new study reveals age of Australia's ancient iron ore deposits
The world's largest iron ore deposits in the Pilbara reached mining-level quality up to 1.4 billion years ago, a new study suggests.
Cane toads have almost conquered the width of the country. This 'waterless barrier' could stop them
A bevy of small mammals and lizards could find themselves on the endangered species list if cane toads got into the Pilbara. A bold plan could prevent the biodiversity disaster, but more money is needed to fund the project before toads reach the coast in 2026–27.
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Do you think brush turkeys are taking over your suburb? This map shows their dramatic comeback
Researchers have charted the historical crash, comeback and conquest of cities by the Australian brush turkey.
Wild dog or dingo? Ancient DNA study suggests there's not much dog at all
DNA analysis suggests dingoes breed with other dogs less than previously thought and reveals key populations predate European colonisation.
Bilby DNA blueprint may help save iconic Australian animal from extinction
A genetic map of the bilby could help us understand how many of the elusive species are still alive and how to combat inbreeding.
Rare sea snake lives in a WA reef near where Woodside proposes to drill for gas
The last stronghold of a sea snake slated for an endangered species listing sits atop Australia's largest undeveloped gas field.
IPCC says bushfires will burn longer and more often. A new study points to an even worse outlook
New research suggests the world's climate change authority has underestimated the severity of future bushfires in Australia.
Greenhouse gas with 300 times the warming power of CO2 accumulating faster than ever
Levels of nitrous oxide, one of the top three greenhouse gasses, are still going up as is the usage of nitrogen-based fertilisers, global report shows.
Do elephants call each other by name, just like humans?
Wild elephants may be able to communicate with other members of their group by using sounds akin to names, a new study suggests.
Think regular geese are scary? Meet Australia's 230kg 'giga-goose'
Freshly discovered skulls of a giant prehistoric bird that lived in Australia until about 45,000 years ago reveal it had a "goose-like beak" and other aquatic adaptations.
'This was like a bonanza': What Tim Flannery's discovery in a museum drawer could tell us about Australia's monotremes
The "echidnapus" is one of the newly described ancient monotremes from a fossil hotspot in NSW that could give us more clues about an era when egg-laying mammals diversified.
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Why some researchers want you to stop using the word 'puggle' for platypus babies
Kangaroos have joeys and dingoes have pups, but what do you call a baby platypus? If you think "puggle", think again.
Swimming with baby hammerhead sharks should be a no-go, scientists say
Many Australians prefer to be as far from a shark as possible, but scientists are concerned that some people are getting too close to critically endangered species.
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The 8,000-worker town that was never built and what it tells us about the renewables vs biodiversity debate
Are major renewable energy projects being unfairly targeted by federal environment laws as some groups claim? We take a look at the numbers.
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How a 1971 treaty is protecting Australian wetlands and frustrating big developers
A proposed $1.4 billion redevelopment of internationally protected wetlands in Queensland has been scrapped for now. But it's unlikely developers will stop trying to build in similar sites.
How fast can wombats run? We dug into the truth of claims they can beat Usain Bolt
It's claimed a wombat can run faster than any human over a distance of 100 metres. Now, an exhaustive ABC investigation has tracked down the truth of the 40kph sprinting wombat myth.
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Farmer charged with harming Aboriginal heritage after stones allegedly moved from giant eel arrangement
By environment reporter Peter de Kruijff
A western Victorian man is accused of altering the stone arrangement believed to be 1,500 years old, but he is disputing the site's history, suggesting it is not of Aboriginal origins.
Echidnas caught sucking the life out of threatened turtle eggs for the first time
Echidnas are known for laying eggs and eating ants, but it turns out a few have developed a hunger for the eggs of endangered turtles.
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How the plan to manage threatened species has evolved since Black Summer
Climate change and bushfires are forcing massive changes to the way Australia conserves threatened animals and plants.
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Deadly bird flu has arrived in mainland Antarctica, so what are the chances it can reach Australia?
Scientists are concerned about the impact of a deadly strain of bird flu which has finally reached mainland Antarctica, leaving Australia as the last continent to be conquered.
Australia's oldest-known platypus living in the wild discovered in a Melbourne creek
The discovery of a 24-year-old wild platypus gives researchers and conservationists a greater insight into the longevity of one of Australia's most unique animals.
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Sea sponge study suggests Earth has already surpassed 1.5C of warming
An analysis of sea sponge skeletons from the Caribbean suggests Earth has already hit 1.7 degrees and could be 2C warmer than before industrialisation in the next six years, but not all scientists are convinced.
Five hot environmental issues to watch out for in 2024 from greenwashing to turbulence over turbines
The year has barely started and extreme weather events are already in the headlines. Here are some more big environment issues to keep an eye on.
Numbats must eat 20,000 termites a day, but warmer days might make that impossible
New research shows numbats are overheating in high summer temperatures, and scientists suggest climate change could make things worse.