Do La Nina"s rains mean boom or bust for Australian farmers?
After years of punishing drought in some areas, many farmers in Australia's east were hoping the newly declared La Niña event would bring them good rains......»»
Indonesia floods kill 67 as rescuers race to find missing
Indonesian rescuers raced Wednesday to find dozens of people still unaccounted for after heavy rains caused flash floods and washed volcanic debris into residential areas over the weekend, sweeping away houses and leaving 67 people dead......»»
How do we reduce pesticide use while empowering farmers? A more nuanced approach could help
Pesticides threaten humans, wildlife and our environment. Food production must change......»»
Brazil"s flooded south paralyzed as waters remain high
Brazil's flooded south remained paralyzed Monday, with schools and health centers shut and streets cut off as overflowing rivers showed no sign of receding after torrential rains in a disaster that has left 147 dead......»»
Elon Musk’s X dodges Australian order to remove church stabbing video
Elon Musk accused Australia of trying to have "jurisdiction over all of Earth." Enlarge (credit: Apu Gomes / Stringer | Getty Images News) An Australian federal court sided with Elon Musk on Monday, rejecting an Australi.....»»
Protein assembly research shows molecular roll of the dice delivers winning combinations
Australian researchers have shed light on the shape-shifting capabilities of protein assemblies, with results that could revolutionize fields from biomanufacturing to vaccine development......»»
Rivers rise again as rain batters flood-hit south Brazil
River levels rose again Sunday as strong rains lashed waterlogged southern Brazil, where flooding has killed 145 people and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes......»»
Brazil authorities warn of more floods, landslides as new rains hit south
New rains in waterlogged southern Brazil are expected to be heaviest between Sunday and Monday, authorities have warned, bringing fresh misery to victims of flooding that has killed 136 people so far......»»
Fresh rains pound Brazil"s flood-hit south as evacuations double
The skies opened once again Friday in southern Brazil, offering little respite for those whose homes have been swallowed by floodwaters, while the number of people forced to evacuate doubled in 24 hours......»»
Scientists find ancient, endangered lamprey fish in Queensland, 1400 km north of its previous known range
The Australian brook lamprey (Mordacia praecox) is part of a group of primitive jawless fish. It's up to 15 cm long, with rows of sharp teeth. Surprisingly, it doesn't use these teeth to suck blood like most lamprey species—it's non-parasitic......»»
Saving the Mary River turtle: How the people of Tiaro rallied behind an iconic species
Australian freshwater turtles are facing an alarming trend. Almost half of these species are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered......»»
As climate change amplifies urban flooding, here"s how communities can become "sponge cities"
"When it rains, it pours" once was a metaphor for bad things happening in clusters. Now it's becoming a statement of fact about rainfall in a changing climate......»»
Global meta-analysis quantifies benefits of cover crop use
For years, both scientists and farmers have debated whether the use of cover crops—plants used to cover the ground after harvesting of main crops—have a positive or negative impact on subsequent crop yield. Hundreds of studies have been performed.....»»
Volunteers rid one Australian river of its privet problem—and strengthen community along the way
Privet is a popular garden hedge. It grows quickly and responds well to being pruned. But in natural areas, privet is a problem......»»
No letup yet for flood-battered southern Brazil
The rains may have abated, but floodwaters continued their assault on southern Brazil Monday, with hundreds of municipalities in ruins amid fears that food and drinking water may soon run out......»»
What Australia can learn from Latin America when it comes to tackling violence against women
Fifty years ago, Australian feminist Anne Summers denounced "the ideology of sexism" governing over so many women's lives. Unfortunately, sexism is as lethal today as it was then......»»
Cyclone bears down on flood-hit Kenya, Tanzania
Beaches were deserted and many shops closed on Saturday as heavy rains and winds from a tropical cyclone buffeted coastal areas of Tanzania and Kenya......»»
A Company Is Building a Giant Compressed-Air Battery in the Australian Outback
Hydrostor, a leader in compressed-air energy storage, aims to break ground on a 200-MW plant in New South Wales by the end of this year. It wants to follow that with a 500-MW facility in California......»»
No One Knows How Far Bird Flu Has Spread
With little incentive for US farmers to test their cattle, and many undocumented laborers on dairy farms, the full scale of the outbreak is unclear......»»
Four things Australian schools should do now to help prevent gender-based violence
There is widespread agreement Australia needs to do better when it comes to gender-based violence. Anger and frustration at the numbers of women being killed saw national rallies over the weekend and a special National Cabinet meeting on Wednesday......»»
Power to the people: Aussies expect more from their local leaders
About two-thirds of Australians believe local governments should have more power than they currently do, according to a new study from The Australian National University (ANU)......»»