Issue 298 – Eyes on the environment
![](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mushroom-scaled-e1677128533536.jpg?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
Sweet opportunity for Australian exotic mushroom growers
Queensland’s sugar cane industry already produces around 95% of Australia’s sugar – but thanks to a new collaboration facilitated by CSIRO, it’s also fertile ground for home-grown exotic Asian mushrooms.
![3. Sebstainable Directors Tawab Frahmand and Vladimir Finn](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sebstainable.jpg?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
Solving the polystyrene problem with science
Our scientists are working on a ground-breaking portable device to upcycle polystyrene into high-value raw materials with zero waste.
![Tops of cooling towers of atomic power plant. Image by Shutterstock.](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/shutterstock_137593487-1024x682-1-e1676948647219.jpg?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
Radioactive waste isn’t going away. We’ve found a new way to trap it in minerals for long-term storage
Our new and safer way to capture and store radioactive waste can be applied world-wide
![The Totten Glacier with blue sky and ocean.](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IMG_2552_Totten_Glacier_by_Esmee_van_Wijk_CSIRO-scaled.jpg?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
Unravelling ENSO mysteries on ice
A new study reveals that projected changes in the tropical Pacific can influence the Southern Ocean: specifically, an increasingly stronger El Niño may accelerate the melting of Antarctica's ice shelves and ice sheets.
![Underwater view of a reef looking up toward sunlight.](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/pexels-saad-alaiyadhi-10141407.jpg?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
Revolutionising environmental monitoring using eDNA
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a game-changer for monitoring biodiversity. New Australian/New Zealand guidelines for working with eDNA will support end-users taking up this exciting technology.
![A group of scientists walking alongside a canal.](https://i0.wp.com/ecos.csiro.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Untitled-3.png?resize=385%2C256&ssl=1)
The scientist helping Australia and India tackle common water quality challenges
CSIRO environmental toxicologist Dr Anu Kumar is leading a project tracking pollutants in the Ganges.