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We Will Never Cure Cancer, So Should We Even Try?
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By Nial Wheate
Billions of dollars are spent on cancer research each year for minimal gains. Would that money be better invested elsewhere?
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Our Human Right not to Be Poisoned
Credit: CSA-Printstock/iStock
By Julian Cribb
Thousands of new chemicals are released each year, and the toxic effects are mounting. What can we do about it?
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Engineering Australia’s New Wealth
By Marlene Kanga
It’s time to connect the dots between invention, innovation and the role of engineering.
The decline of traditional manufacturing and the waning resources boom require Australia to develop new sources of wealth generation. As a developed nation with high wage costs and high standards of living, Australia needs to develop new industries that use advanced technologies, require high levels of education and have high barriers to entry. There is no alternative.
Whales and Sharks Must Be Protected from Global Shipping
By Vanessa Pirotta
Road ecology is being applied to shipping routes to stop marine giants from becoming “roadkill”.
More than 80% of the world’s merchandise is transported by sea, but this comes at a cost to marine wildlife. Ships introduce oil and chemical pollution into the marine environment, emit greenhouse gases and other wastes, as well as noise pollution from ship engines.
Big Tobacco’s Innovative Smokescreen
By Janet Hoak and Philip Gendall
While tobacco companies claim to be cooperating with health authorities to reduce smoking, new tobacco products are squarely aimed at recruiting new smokers.
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Diversity Values Must Be Backed By Actions
By Catherine Lockley
A disabled student’s story reveals the huge systemic barriers faced by minority groups seeking a science education.
Research tells us that diversity fosters better science. Most Australian universities have a list of policies available to all staff and students promoting diversity, and many develop initiatives to specifically target and enrol these students.
On paper, diversity is encouraged and supported by both government and institutional policy and infrastructure, but how do these initiatives translate into experience for the students?
Your Nitrogen Footprint Has Far-Reaching Consequences
By Xia Liang
Australia’s reliance on coal and taste for beef is contributing to nitrogen pollution as far away from our population centres as the Great Barrier Reef.
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The Good News You Missed About Ocean Acidification
Sean Connell taking notes at a vent that is emitting CO2 bubbles. Note the presence of weed-like plants or turfs, which occur instead of the normally extensive kelp forests or urchin barrens.
By Sean Connell
Carbon may be acidifying the oceans, but the species it’s supposed to harm are fighting back.
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The Basic Mistake Made by Critics of Electric Vehicles
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By David Richardson
Arguments that electric vehicles are no “greener” than the electricity they use fail to acknowledge the increasing role of renewables in the energy grid.
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The Warming War
By Kirsten Davies
There is a legal basis for the United Nations Security Council to declare climate change as a threat to international peace and security.
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