THE FISH ON YOUR PLATE COULD WELL BE ILLEGAL – HOW TO KNOW Most of the seafood we eat is imported from countries with poor fishing regulations, and it’s estimated that one-in-five fish meals consumed in Australia are technically ‘illegal’. It may not even be the species you thought you’d purchased. Other industries, such as beef, lamb and chicken, can tell us a lot about the origins of the food and how it was brought to market. With fish, a new form of DNA barcoding may soon be exposing seafood fraud, to ensure consumers get what they expect. |
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MAPPING THE SPREAD OF MICROPLASTICS IN OUR ENVIRONMENT It was invented a little over a century ago. But now plastic can be found everywhere, from the deepest ocean trenches to the peaks of the highest mountains, and even as tiny fragments being carried on the wind. The impact on wildlife is well documented and yet no doubt under-reported. A series of new studies have just been released, shedding new light on a problem that is destined to linger for a very long time. |
NET ZERO & ‘CARBON CAPTURE’ – CAN WE REALLY BURY OUR SINS? As our politicians struggle to agree to a ‘target’ on net zero emissions of greenhouse gases, one of the key mechanisms for achieving such a thing remains broadly unproven – in fact, we’re struggling with it in Australia right now. It’s about companies working out how much carbon dioxide they’ve pumped into the atmosphere, and then being credited for carbon capture (effectively pumping polluting gases deep underground). A special report in COSMOS examines our struggles with carbon capture and storage and why we need it to work. |
| WIND FARMS – ARE THEY KILLING OFF OUR BIRDLIFE? While many people champion the concept of renewable energy, the Australian landscape is now strewn with the massive swirling blades of wind farms. It has raised concerns that these big blades are mowing down our precious birdlife. Some experts suggest that birds face far greater threats to their survival from things like bushfires, habitat loss and powerlines. But the fact remains that birds are being killed and some of them are vulnerable species that may be more focused on potential prey on the ground, than a threat in the air.
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