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Shaping Climate Attitudes
By Taciano Milfont
People are more likely to support climate change mitigation when they are first confronted with the local adaptations that will be required.
Mitigation and adaptation are the main strategies to tackle climate change. Mitigation refers to actions to reduce the magnitude of long-term climate change, while adaptation refers to actions to respond and adjust to climate change impacts.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long emphasised the interrelationship between mitigation and adaptation to counter the effects of human action on the climate, yet discussions around climate change adaptation have been slow compared to discussions on the mitigation of emissions.
Science Diplomacy, Italian Style
By Oscar Moze
Scientists should be working with diplomats in matters of foreign policy to resolve present-day global problems.
It is illusory to think that the resolution of complex global problems such as climate change, food and energy security should be exclusively the responsibility of diplomacy.
Rather, science and diplomacy should be seen as natural allies and instruments for dialogue and change. Scientists should be working in tandem with diplomats in matters of foreign policy where existing scientific knowledge and the outcomes of ongoing research can contribute directly to international understanding and resolution of present-day global problems.
A Burning Solution
By Seán Kerins
A revival of indigenous fire management in the Gulf country is restoring environmental integrity and reducing carbon emissions.
In the early 1980s, Waanyi and Garawa people reclaimed some of their ancestral land in the south-west Gulf of Carpentaria in the Northern Territory. But later, due to a lack of government support for basic citizen services – health and education – they were once again forced off, relocating to overcrowded living conditions in nearby townships.
Banking Living Brain Tissue
By Manuel B. Graeber
Australia needs a repository of living brain tissue to explore the next frontier of medical research.
Today’s cultural and technological achievements are the product of the human brain. Understanding how this organ functions is widely considered the ultimate scientific frontier. Two recent “mega” science projects, unprecedented in terms of ambition and scale, reflect this appreciation.
How Significant Is P?
By Geoff Cumming
Questions over the significance of P values requires the adoption of a new and transparent approach to validating research data.
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Is Tony Abbott Following Canada’s “War on Science”?
By Ben McNeil
Canada’s Prime Minister could be a role model for Australia’s new leader when it comes to science policy.
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Towards a Healthier PNG
By Peter Siba
Medical researchers in Papua New Guinea face unique scientific and public health challenges.
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A “Better Than Ever” R&D Tax Incentive?
By Kris Gale
Some advice for the government as it sets its sights on revamping support for innovation.
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Calculating Carbon
By Pep Canadell
Research supports a new approach to counting net CO2 emissions.
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Best Practice Science Is Open and Transparent
By Clinton Foster
Geoscience Australia’s Chief Scientist outlines the philosophy behind the organisation’s newly stated science principles.
Dr Foster is Chief Scientist of Geoscience Australia. The “Science Principles” document is available at http://www.ga.gov.au/about-us/corporate-documents/science-principles.html as a free download.
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