2015

2015-16 is shaping up to deliver a rollercoaster from strong El Niño to La Niña

The anticipation is growing that this year’s newly formed El Niño will turn out to be very big. All climate models surveyed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology are currently predicting a strong event later this year.

Protecting Australia’s Lake Eyre basin means getting our priorities right

Taking into account the rivers that drain into it and where they come from, the Lake Eyre Basin is one of largest inland draining systems in the world, the size of Germany, France and Italy combined.

Nanopesticides: a promising new pesticide solution?

Nanopesticides are being hailed as an emerging technology that will minimise the adverse effects of pesticides on people and the environment, but is there sufficient evidence to convince the regulators?

Putting Australian Indigenous knowledge on the world map

Indigenous knowledge could soon sit side-by-side with western science in the world’s most comprehensive repository of information about Australia’s plant and animal species—the Atlas of Living Australia. Pilot projects in Arnhem Land and Cape York are revealing how the Atlas might support the needs and aspirations of different Traditional Owner groups.

Eureka! Finding solutions to plastic pollution

CSIRO researchers have been named finalists in the 2015 Eurkea Prize for Environmental Research for their work looking at plastic pollution in the oceans.

Australia has a big role to play in feeding the world

By embracing science and technology, Australia's agricultural industry could be more efficient, productive and sustainable.

Tree coring: only a flesh wound?

We can extract a lot of information from core samples taken from trees, but we may risk the health of valuable trees doing so. How do we find a balance between research and conservation?

Science can drive the sustainability of our precious soils, water and oceans

Australia’s soil, water, vegetation and biodiversity, and our vast marine estate, are incredibly valuable national assets, which need to be managed effectively. There are still significant gaps in our understanding of these components, and the ways in which they interact. We need to understand them so we can manage them sustainably.

Science and industry can provide opportunities for our common future

Scientists met in Paris recently for the major scientific conference in the lead up to November's UN climate change negotiations. They believe limiting warming to 2˚C is economically feasible, and can be an important contributor to sustainable economic growth.