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EnvironmentConservation genetics – molecular detectives at work
The new science of conservation genetics is providing important clues in the fight against the extinction of species.
Sponsored by
 CRC for the Conservation and Management of Marsupials
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Generating new ideas for meeting future energy needs
Concerns about the greenhouse effect, smog and energy security have led to increasing interest in energy sources such as hot dry rocks, wave power and hydrogen.
Sponsored by:
 Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Sodicity - a dirty word in Australia
Soil sodicity hasn’t hit the headlines yet, but in terms of area and impact it far outweighs salinity as a problem in Australia.
Sponsored by:
 | CRC for Soil and Land Management |
| Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
Biomass - the growing energy resource
Energy from biomass is sparking interest amongst scientists, policy makers and growers as they search for clean, renewable energy alternatives.
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Calculating the threat of tsunami
On Friday 17 July 1998, villages near the Sissano lagoon on
the north coast of Papua New Guinea were destroyed without warning
by a tsunami. Scientists have made important advances towards
predicting tsunami by combining mathematics, geology and physics.
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Integrated pest management - the good, the bad and the genetically modified
Twenty-five years after being abandoned because of an uncontrollable infestation of two native caterpillars, cotton cultivation is making a comeback in Western Australia's Ord River valley. Its re-emergence is evidence that integrated pest management can help keep even persistent pests at bay.
Sponsored by:
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The bitter-sweet taste of toxic substances
Household items such as bleach, disinfectant and detergent are an integral part of
everyday life - and they are all potentially toxic. How can we minimise the risks they
present?
Sponsored by:
 | National Occupational Health and Safety Commission |
| Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
Monitoring the white death - soil salinity
New technology is being used to help monitor the extent of dryland salinity threatening large areas of Australia's agricultural zone.
Sponsored by:
 Land Monitor Project |
| Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
Cleaner production - a solution to pollution?
A draft national strategy for cleaner production, produced
by the Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation
Council, was recently available for public comment. What is cleaner
production, and how can it help reduce pollution loads?
Sponsored by:
 Environment Protection Authority |
| Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
In August 1998, a windfarm capable of supplying electricity
to 3500 homes commenced operation near Crookwell in New South
Wales, and another, double the size, is planned for nearby Blayney.
Wind power looks set to become an important means of generating
electricity worldwide.
Sponsored by:
 | | Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
Fuel cells are an efficient and low-polluting way to generate power. The Australian Technology Park in Sydney is about to install Australia's first commercial fuel cell.
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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The Southern Ocean and global climate
1998 is the International Year of the Oceans. Australian research shows that the Southern Ocean is crucial to the world's climate system.
Sponsored by:
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Cooperative Research Centre for the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Environment |
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
El Niño - riding the climate roller coaster
It seems that El Niño and La Niña are here to stay. What are they and how do they affect Australia's climate?
Sponsored by:
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Cooperative Research Centre for Southern Hemisphere Meteorology |
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources |
How many Australians can our environment support?
The relationship between Australia's environmental problems and population growth is complex and not fully understood.
Sponsored by:
Mazda Foundation
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Enhanced greenhouse effect - a hot international issue
The meeting on greenhouse gas emissions held in Kyoto in
December 1997 put the enhanced greenhouse effect in the spotlight.
Sponsored by:
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Toxic algal blooms - a sign of rivers under stress
Toxic algal blooms pose a serious threat to Australia's already embattled waterways and are the subject of much scientific research.
Sponsored by:
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Local air pollution begins at home
Local air pollution is a major health threat. It ranges in scale from cigarette smoke in a house to the photochemical smog that can cover a city.
Sponsored by:
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The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft landed on Mars on 4 July 1997. Pathfinder will initiate an exciting era of exploration of the surface of Mars and is likely to re-kindle the debate about the existence of Martian life.
Sponsored by:
Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History
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More food, cleaner food - gene technology and plants
Gene technology, also known as genetic engineering, involves manipulating or transferring genetic material within or between organisms. It has the potential to improve agricultural yields and reduce the application of pesticides.
Sponsored by:
CSIRO Division of Plant Industry
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Australia is certified free of malaria by the World Health Organization, but elsewhere it is a killer. Australian researchers are currently working on a vaccine against malaria.
Sponsored by:
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
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Four scientists (three of whom are Australian) shared the 1996 Australia Prize for excellence in pharmaceutical design. The three Australians received the prize for their contribution to the development of an anti-flu drug.
Sponsored by:
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CSIRO Division of Biomolecular Engineering
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Biomolecular Research Institute
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Australia's threatened species
Even though many species in Australia have become extinct since European settlement, there are also success stories such as the recent propagation of the Wollemi pine.
Sponsored by: Anonymous donor
Sun and skin - a dangerous combination
With its sunny climate and predominantly pale-skinned population, Australia has the world’s highest rate of skin cancer. But with early detection, most skin cancers can now be cured.
Sponsored by:
 Healthpact
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Harnessing direct solar energy - a progress report
We often hear about solar car challenges and solar heating, but will solar energy ever be a major energy source for industrial societies?
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Earth's sunscreen - the ozone layer
The ozone layer screens out the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. Can we reverse its destruction?
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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A plague on the pest - rabbit calicivirus disease and biological control
The accidental release of the rabbit calicivirus from Wardang Island in October 1995 is yet another development in the story of Australia's efforts to control pests.
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Prospect or suspect - uranium mining in Australia
Australia has deposits of many valuable minerals, including nearly one-third of the world's readily recoverable uranium resources. Should there be limitations on the mining of Australia's uranium?
Sponsored by:
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Commonwealth Department of Industry, Science and Resources
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Biology
Health
Mathematics
Physical sciences
An Australian Academy of Science project, supported by the Science and Technology Awareness Program of the Commonwealth Department of Industry,
Science and Resources and the Australian Foundation for Science.
© Australian Academy of Science | Email: aas@science.org.au