tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/australian-academy-of-science-14926/articlesAustralian Academy of Science – The Conversation2019-05-14T00:47:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1162692019-05-14T00:47:52Z2019-05-14T00:47:52ZScientists want to build trust in science and technology. The alternative is too risky to contemplate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273204/original/file-20190507-73126-m3nb0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Not everyone trusts that science will bring benefits to society. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kiev-ukraine-june-10-chemical-experiment-1170823279?src=m9vEQwVHrNfFpAZX2Lkd6g-2-17">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/parties-to-set-themselves-apart-with-science/">New research</a> shows that despite differences in their funding commitments, major political parties in Australia – the Coalition, Labor and the Greens – see science and technology as important aspects of our economy and future prosperity. </p>
<p>But that’s not enough. </p>
<p>It’s also crucial that the Australian public is able to have a say on priorities for scientific research and its applications. The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02691728.2014.922642">social license of science</a> depends on being able to engage with the public. Without this, scientists and other experts risk losing public trust. </p>
<p>This could have real implications for achieving the public good when it comes to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-disruptive-technologies-that-will-shape-business-in-the-years-ahead-53054">emerging disruptive technologies</a> (like robotics and AI), the environment (including <a href="https://theconversation.com/revolutionary-change-needed-to-stop-unprecedented-global-extinction-crisis-116166">climate change</a>) and more. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-not-care-about-science-22473">Why do some people not care about science?</a>
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<p>Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently pointed to tensions between government, the public and scientists, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/too-many-experts-tony-abbott-advocates-the-power-of-a-backbencher-in-debate-with-zali-steggall-20190502-p51jk5.html">saying</a> “we sub-contract too much out to experts already”. So how can we build, and not erode, trust in Australia’s scientists and other experts?</p>
<p>We recently worked with scientists to distil priorities they think should be front and centre in building a trusting relationship between science and the public. </p>
<p>They say that improvements can be made in: </p>
<ul>
<li>transparency</li>
<li>high ethical standards</li>
<li>two-way dialogue between scientists and the public. </li>
</ul>
<h2>A new charter</h2>
<p>The social license for science is not a “set and forget” exercise. As disruptive technologies emerge, scientists need to re-engage the general public to understand changing expectations and views about science.</p>
<p>With election 2019 in mind, late in 2018 the Australian Academy of Science (<a href="https://www.science.org.au/">AAS</a>) called for a new <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/science-policy-and-analysis/position-statements/earning-our-future-platform">charter</a> to re-set the relationship between science and government, and to identify fresh ways for the general public to be involved in science. </p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/stem-is-worth-investing-in-but-australias-major-parties-offer-scant-details-on-policy-and-funding-113739">STEM is worth investing in, but Australia's major parties offer scant details on policy and funding</a>
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<p>Focusing on key areas highlighted by the AAS, we adapted <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0031824">existing research methods</a> to gather survey responses from 174 respondents across the science and innovation sector, and collated over 700 priority statements. </p>
<p>A group of 18 scientists – both senior and early career researchers across science domains – then gathered in Canberra on April 18 to work through the survey findings, and identify priorities for re-freshing scientists’ social licence. For this workshop exercise, we did a first cut of analysis and grouped the statements for similarity. </p>
<p>The survey data indicate the majority of respondents believe science should be based on transparency, openness, and meaningful dialogue with society. They also believe the ethical pursuit of research and innovation is important. However, the majority feel that current institutional arrangements don’t support these aspirations.</p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-it-means-to-know-your-audience-when-communicating-about-science-111147">What it means to ‘know your audience’ when communicating about science</a>
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<h2>What do we need?</h2>
<p>Participants in the workshop offered a set of priorities for action. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=211&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274234/original/file-20190514-60532-j6six6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=265&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274220/original/file-20190514-60537-17hyptp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=239&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/274235/original/file-20190514-60532-1u0zk9o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>How the science sector can do better</h2>
<p>Some of these principles don’t cover new ground – for example, some aspects were already contained in the 2018 release of the <a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/research-integrity/release-2018-australian-code-responsible-conduct-research">Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research</a>. Also many scientists would say that openness, engagement and integrity are already central to their work. </p>
<p>But there is a sense running through this list of priorities that the science sector could collectively be doing better. That perhaps some of the ways scientists engage with the public, open up their work for debate or reflect on ethical implications are limited by old assumptions. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/science-is-important-but-moves-too-fast-five-charts-on-how-australians-view-science-and-scientists-82752">Science is important but moves too fast: five charts on how Australians view science and scientists</a>
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<p>Also, scientists will need a lot more support from science and policy institutions if they want to shake up the old ways of doing things.</p>
<p>We hope these results mark the beginning of a longer conversation – as well as some concrete actions – about what a social licence for science means, and what is needed to meet public obligations in doing good science. </p>
<p>Some of this is already happening internationally, as learned academies combine forces to speak to governments about tackling critical shared challenges posed by environmental change and new technologies. Scientists, they stress, need to <a href="https://www.leopoldina.org/uploads/tx_leopublication/Science_and_trust_G7_2019_01.pdf">prioritise meaningful conversations with citizens</a> and policy-makers should do more to create the infrastructure to make this possible. </p>
<p>In Australia, it’s important the next government meets the challenge of refreshing the social licence between science, government and the many and diverse communities that make up our nation. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>The research described in this article was designed and undertaken by a team of researchers from the Australian National University and The University of Queensland and CSIRO. The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency or organisation.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joan Leach receives funding from The Australian Research Council. She also is Chair of the National Committee for History and Philosophy of Science at The Australian Academy of Science. The work reported in this article was supported by funding from CSIRO's Responsible Innovation Initiative and The Australian Academy of Science. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Herington has previously received funding from the Australian Government Endeavour Leadership Program, and the American Australian Association. The work reported in this article was supported by funding from CSIRO’s Responsible Innovation Initiative and the Australian Academy of Science.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sujatha Raman has previously received research funding from UK agencies including the Leverhulme Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The work reported in this article was supported by funding from CSIRO's Responsible Innovation Initiative and the Australian Academy of Science. </span></em></p>In Australia, the next government will need to meet the challenge of refreshing the social licence between science, government and the many and diverse communities that make up our nation.Joan Leach, Professor, Australian National UniversityMatthew Herington, Research Fellow in Responsible Innovation, Centre for Policy Futures, The University of QueenslandSujatha Raman, Associate Professor, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/955132018-04-26T20:16:17Z2018-04-26T20:16:17ZIt’s funny to name species after celebrities, but there’s a serious side too<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216446/original/file-20180426-175041-8uwtff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">_Attenborougharion rubicundus_ is one of more than a dozen species named after the legendary naturalist Sir David Attenborough.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Simon Grove/Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em><a href="http://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2016/1490-new-marsupial-lion">Microleo attenboroughi</a></em>. <em><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1440-6055.2011.00809.x">Scaptia beyonceae</a></em>. <em><a href="http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/z02206p068f.pdf">Crikey steveirwini</a></em>. These are the scientific names of just a few of the nearly 25,000 species of plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms discovered and named in Australia in the past decade.</p>
<p>In each case, the honoured celebrity’s name is Latinised and added to the name of an existing or new genus – a set of closely related species that share common characteristics. In the above examples, <em>Microleo</em> (meaning “tiny lion”) is a genus of extinct carnivorous possums, while <em>Scaptia</em> is a genus of colourful horseflies. And in the case of <em>Crikey steveirwini</em>, a rare snail from northern Queensland, even the genus name honours Irwin, in the form of his favoured colloquialism.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-the-science-of-tax-and-five-other-things-you-should-know-about-taxonomy-78926">It's not the science of tax, and five other things you should know about taxonomy</a>
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<p>Scientists have been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organisms_named_after_famous_people">naming species in honour of celebrities</a> since the 18th century. The father of taxonomy, <a href="https://www.anbg.gov.au/biography/linnaeus.html">Carl Linnaeus</a>, coined names to curry the favour (and open the purses) of rich patrons.</p>
<p>These days, we usually do it to curry short-lived attention from the public by injecting a degree of attention-grabbing frivolity. <em>Scaptia beyonceae</em> is one example – so named because the fly in question has a shiny, golden bum. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216424/original/file-20180426-175044-1ps4wqw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">I don’t think you’re ready for this genus: Scaptia beyonceae.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scaptia_Beyonceae.jpg">Erick/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But to taxonomists and biosystematists – the scientists who discover, name, classify and document the world’s living and fossil species – the naming of organisms is a serious business.</p>
<h2>Not just celeb jokes</h2>
<p>Consider this. The <a href="https://www.science.org.au/support/analysis/decadal-plans-science/discovering-biodiversity-decadal-plan-taxonomy">current best estimate</a> is that Australia, including its shores and surrounding oceans, is home to more than 600,000 species of plants, animals, fungi, microbes and other organisms.</p>
<p>This tally ranks Australia as one of the most biologically rich and diverse nations on Earth. We are “megadiverse” – one of a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadiverse_countries">select handful of nations</a> that together comprise less than 10% of Earth’s surface but are home to more than 70% of its living species.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216428/original/file-20180426-175050-tpkbzp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=384&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The world’s biodiversity hotspots.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAS/Royal Society Te Apārangi</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Now consider this: only 30% of Australia’s living species have been discovered, named and documented so far. That leaves <a href="https://www.science.org.au/support/analysis/decadal-plans-science/discovering-biodiversity-decadal-plan-taxonomy">more than 400,000 Australian species</a> that we know absolutely nothing about.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216431/original/file-20180426-175061-1su6cdl.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Estimated number of described (centre shaded areas) and undescribed (outer unshaded areas) species in Australia and New Zealand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAS/Royal Society Te Apārangi</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Does this matter? Do organisms need names? The answer is yes, if we want to conserve our biodiversity, keep our native species, agriculture and aquaculture safe from invasive pests and diseases, discover new life-saving drugs, answer some of the greatest scientific questions ever asked, or make full use of the opportunities that nature provides to improve our health, agriculture, industries and economy.</p>
<p>Taxonomists construct the framework that allows us to understand and document species and manage our knowledge of them. Such a framework is essential if we are to sustainably manage life on Earth. At a time when Earth is facing an <a href="https://theconversation.com/radical-overhaul-needed-to-halt-earths-sixth-great-extinction-event-68221">extinction crisis</a>, brought about by <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/land-clearing-7412">land clearing</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/pollution-306">pollution</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/global-warming-2768">global warming</a>, it is more vital than ever.</p>
<p>Without the understanding provided by taxonomists, we’re like the largest, most complex global corporation imaginable, trying to do business with no stock inventory and no real idea of what most of its products look like or do.</p>
<h2>Time for an overhaul</h2>
<p>The magnitude of the task seems daunting. At our current rate of progress, it will take more than 400 years even to approach a complete biodiversity inventory of Australia. </p>
<p>Fortunately, we don’t have to continue at our current rate. Taxonomy is in the midst of a technological and scientific revolution. </p>
<p>New methods allow us to cheaply sequence the entire DNA code of any organism. We can extract and identify the minute DNA fragments left in a river when a fish swims past. We are globally connected like never before. And we have supercomputers and smart algorithms that can catalogue and make sense of all the world’s species.</p>
<p>In this context, the release today by the Australian Academy of Science and New Zealand’s Royal Society Te Apārangi of a <a href="https://www.science.org.au/support/analysis/decadal-plans-science/discovering-biodiversity-decadal-plan-taxonomy">strategic plan</a> to guide Australian and New Zealand taxonomy and biosystematics for the next decade is a significant step. The new plan outlines how we will rise to the grand challenge of documenting, understanding and conserving all of Australia’s biodiversity.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_L_oh6yKvTo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Sir David Attenborough endorses the new taxonomy plan.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Grand challenge</h2>
<p>The plan lays out a blueprint for the strategic investments needed to meet this grand challenge. It envisages a decade of reinvestment, leading to a program of “hyper-taxonomy” – the discovery within a generation of all of Australia’s remaining undiscovered species.</p>
<p>It sets out the ways in which we can use our knowledge of species to benefit society and protect nature, and also the risks involved if we don’t. A small example: there are an estimated 200 unnamed and largely unknown species of native Australian mosquitoes. Mosquitoes cause <a href="https://www.gatesnotes.com/Health/Most-Lethal-Animal-Mosquito-Week">more human deaths than any other animal on Earth</a>. New mosquito-borne viruses and other parasites are being discovered all the time. It doesn’t take much to put these facts together to see the risks.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-can-name-all-of-earths-species-but-we-may-have-to-hurry-11815">We can name all of Earth's species, but we may have to hurry</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>With such a weighty challenge and such important goals, it’s hardly surprising that taxonomists sometimes indulge in a little quirky name-calling. Names like <em><a href="http://museum.wa.gov.au/research/records-supplements/records/notes-on-genus-draculoides-harvey-schizomida-hubbardiidae-descr">Draculoides bramstokeri</a></em>, a cave-dwelling relative of spiders; or the tiny, harmless <a href="http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/catalogues/pseudoscorpions">pseudo-scorpion</a> <em>Tyrannochthonius rex</em>; or <em><a href="http://www.transatlanticplantsman.com/transatlantic_plantsman/2009/12/fun-with-plant-names.html">Hebejeebie</a></em>, the name that botanists simply couldn’t resist when a new genus was separated from <em>Hebe</em>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/216442/original/file-20180426-175050-1lymp6a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Materpiscis attenboroughi lived hundreds of millions of years before its celebrity namesake.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">MagentaGreen/Sularko/Museum Victoria/Wikimedia Commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the greatest celebrities of all, the naturalist Sir David Attenborough, has more than a dozen species named in his honour. No fewer than five of them are Australian. These include the brightly coloured slug-snail <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FssBml8rLmI">Attenborougharion rubicundus</a></em>, and the fossil of the first known organism to give birth to live young, <em><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/05/29/2257284.htm">Materpiscis attenboroughi</a></em>.</p>
<p>As Sir David <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L_oh6yKvTo">puts the case in endorsing the plan</a>, discovering and naming species is vitally important, not only for the future of taxonomy and biosystematics, but for the future of our living planet.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95513/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Thiele receives funding from the Ian Potter Foundation</span></em></p>Scientists have been naming species after well-known people since the 18th century, often in a bid for publicity. But the issue deserves attention – 400,000 Australian species are yet to be described.Kevin Thiele, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/780332017-05-22T05:53:38Z2017-05-22T05:53:38ZColloid science, tackling superbugs and light lead the 2017 Shine Dome Awards<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170263/original/file-20170522-4486-w87iyt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australian Academy of Science's Shine Dome was designed to reflect the inquiring and innovative nature of science. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.science.org.au/about-us/shine-dome">Adi Chopra DJI/Australian Academy of Science </a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of Australia’s leading scientists heads a list of honorific award winners set to be celebrated by the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a> at the annual <a href="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/events/science-shine-dome">Science at the Shine Dome</a> conference this week. </p>
<p><a href="https://physics.anu.edu.au/people/profile.php?ID=610">Professor Barry Ninham</a> (AO FAA), from the Australian National University, will be awarded the Matthew Flinders Medal for his substantial contributions to colloid and surface science. </p>
<p>Colloids are mixtures made up of particles spread throughout another substance - for example, milk is a colloid in which particles of butter fat globules are suspended in a liquid. </p>
<p>But understanding how colloids work goes beyond naturally occurring substances. Colloid science has revolutionised many of our industries, including minerals extraction, water purification and drug delivery. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=283&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170082/original/file-20170519-12257-53phh0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Professor Barry Ninham.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Professor Ninham is the developer of an accepted theory of “amphiphilic molecular self-assembly”, or how molecules naturally arrange themselves to form stable structures. It’s a body of work that has been vital in development of <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-guide-to-the-nanotechnology-used-in-the-average-home-59312">nanotechnology</a>. </p>
<p>Along with colleagues, Professor Ninham’s research has underpinned developments in drug delivery, water purification, desalination and the removal of metal pollutants like arsenic and nuclear waste.</p>
<p>Colloid science is highly interdisciplinary, relying on expertise in physical, chemical, and biological sciences.</p>
<p>“Anywhere you have tiny particles interacting, colloid science helps you understand and control that,” said David Beattie, Associate Professor at the Future Industries Institute at University of South Australia. </p>
<p>“Barry Ninham has made an enormous contribution to colloid science over the last 50 years, and his work is one of the reasons that Australia has a global reputation in the area.”</p>
<h2>Rejigging old drugs for new purposes</h2>
<p>Professor Jian Li will be awarded the Jacques Miller Medal for Experimental Biomedicine.</p>
<p>Drug-resistant “<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-new-antibiotics-to-beat-superbugs-but-why-are-they-so-hard-to-find-36144">superbugs</a>” are an increasingly worrisome issue for the scientific and medical communities. Professor Jian Li works on a class of antibiotics known as polymyxins.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170079/original/file-20170519-12242-1q0pl9b.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Professor Jian Li.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“Using modern pharmacological approaches, we are re-developing ‘old’ polymyxins, the last-line defence against rapidly emerging bacterial superbugs. As no novel antibiotic will be available in the near future, we have to deal with this urgent unmet global medical need,” he said.</p>
<p>“Our research has led to a change in clinical practice in Europe, the US, and many other countries. Clinicians have started using our dosing recommendations to improve the clinical outcomes in critically-ill patients.” </p>
<p>“We are also developing new, safer polymyxins,” he said. </p>
<h2>Light as a unit of secure information</h2>
<p>Associate Professor Igor Aharonovich’s research into light-based technology has earned him the Pawsey Medal in physics for 2017.</p>
<p>His research focuses on single photon sources for coding and communication. A photon is a particle of electromagnetic energy. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=386&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170083/original/file-20170519-12231-10sjdjj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Associate Professor Igor Aharonovich.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>“A single photon source is a light source that emits only one photon at a time,” said Professor Aharonovich.</p>
<p>“This is unlike LED globes or other light sources (like the Sun) that emit many photons all together.</p>
<p>"You encode your information into the photon and then you can achieve absolutely secured information because nobody can breach it or clone it because you can’t split a photon.”</p>
<p>“My research basically aims to deliver absolutely secure information in the future,” said Professor Aharonovich. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g3ADSXMgOqc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Professor Aharonovich explains his research.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Treating kids with tuberculosis</h2>
<p>Professor Ben Marais is the recipient of the 2017 Gustav Nossal Medal for Global Health. Professor Marais’ work focuses on the thousands of children around the world who suffer from tuberculosis. </p>
<p>In adults, tuberculosis is often diagnosed by microscopic examination of a sputum sample for the bacteria <em>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</em>. </p>
<p>“Children can’t produce sputum, so if you only diagnose children using a microscope, you will never treat them,” he said. </p>
<p>“Most poor countries have never even attempted to treat children [with TB].”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/170084/original/file-20170519-12221-10s5ydu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Professor Ben Marais.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Professor Marais’ research has been crucial in helping to provide funds for the production and distribution of child-friendly drugs to combat tuberculosis, and in changing treatment practises in tuberculosis-endemic countries. </p>
<p>“I think one good thing that has come from the research is that there’s been awareness, and that since 2012 the World Health Organisation started to report on child tuberculosis estimates as well,” he said.</p>
<p>The Science at the Shine Dome conference runs May 22 to 25 2017 in Canberra.</p>
<h2>Other prizewinners</h2>
<p><strong>Career honorifics</strong></p>
<p>David Craig Medal — Professor David St Clair Black, UNSW</p>
<p>Hannan Medal — Dr Frank Robert de Hoog, retired (ACT) CSIRO</p>
<p>Jaeger Medal — Emeritus Professor Ross William Griffiths, ANU</p>
<p>Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal — Professor Joss Bland-Hawthorn, University of Sydney</p>
<p><strong>Mid career honorifics</strong></p>
<p>Nancy Millis Medal for Women in Science — Associate Professor Kerrie Ann Wilson, University of Queensland</p>
<p><strong>Early career honorifics</strong></p>
<p>Anton Hales Medal — Associate Professor Juan Carlos Afonso, Macquarie University</p>
<p>Dorothy Hill Award — Dr Joanne Whittaker, University of Tasmania</p>
<p>Fenner Medal — Professor Simon Ho, University of Sydney</p>
<p>Gottschalk Medal — Associate Professor Kathryn Elizabeth Holt, University of Melbourne</p>
<p>John Booker Medal — Professor Dayong Jin, University of Technology Sydney</p>
<p>Le Févre Memorial Prize — Dr Deanna D'Alessandro, University of Sydney</p>
<p>Moran Medal — Associate Professor Joshua Ross, University of Adelaide</p>
<p>Ruth Stephens Gani Medal — Dr Sarah Medland, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute</p>
<p>Also this week, the Academy announced <a href="https://www.science.org.au/fellowship/fellows/new-fellows/fellows-elected-2017">21 new fellows</a> in recognition of their contributions to science and scientific research.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/78033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Tuberculosis, antibiotic drug development, photons and colloid science feature in the 2017 Science at the Shine Dome honorific awards.Sarah Keenihan, Section Editor: Science + Technology, The Conversation James Manton, EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/770122017-05-05T07:47:11Z2017-05-05T07:47:11ZGene drives may cause a revolution, but safeguards and public engagement are needed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168026/original/file-20170505-21649-1vo48zq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Gene drives could prove useful for controlling mosquitoes which spread diseases like malaria, dengue and zika virus. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/433536676?src=fDmFnpr5vzKaUKMMSstLWw-1-49&size=huge_jpg">from www.shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A “<a href="http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v17/n3/full/nrg.2015.34.html">gene drive</a>” occurs when a specific gene is spread at an enhanced rate through an animal or plant population. </p>
<p>It’s something that happens in nature. Across the world, we’ve already seen examples of natural gene drives affecting gene frequencies in insects and <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/2406306?origin=crossref&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">mice</a>, and the successful use of natural gene drives in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v476/n7361/full/nature10356.html">changing mosquito populations</a> to reduce disease transmission. </p>
<p>But new technologies such as CRISPR are enhancing opportunities for scientists to use gene drives in an applied manner. </p>
<p>This week, the Australian Academy of Science released a <a href="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/news-and-media-releases/%E2%80%98evolution-bending%E2%80%99-gene-editing-technology%E2%80%94do-potential">paper</a> to trigger discussion around the scientific, practical, regulatory and ethical issues in anticipation of gene drives becoming a tool for controlling pests and diseases in Australia. </p>
<h2>What is a gene drive?</h2>
<p>Offspring normally carry two copies of a gene, one being inherited from each parent. However, this pattern of inheritance is upset by a gene drive which increases the likelihood that both copies come from only one of the parents. </p>
<p>If we think of genes as the “selfish” elements within a chromosome, gene drives help the most selfish element to win, and eventually to take over in a population.</p>
<p>Gene drives are present in nature. Transposons, also known as “jumping genes”, represent an example of <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/218/4570/348">a natural gene drive</a>. A transposon copies itself to different parts of the genome and becomes transmitted to offspring at a rate higher than the usual 50%. </p>
<p>However, while some types of natural gene drives have been used in suppressing disease transmission, potential applications have greatly expanded with the advent of synthetic gene drives. This <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-we-can-edit-life-itself-we-need-to-ask-how-we-should-use-such-technology-68821">creates new issues</a>.</p>
<h2>The power of CRISPR</h2>
<p>It has recently become possible to <a href="http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v34/n1/full/nbt.3439.html">create or synthesise gene drives</a> via genetic engineering, using a gene editing tool known as CRISPR-Cas9. </p>
<p>This tool is used to link up selfish genes such as homing endonucleases (which cut DNA at specific locations) with genes targeted to be spread through a population. </p>
<p>When present on one chromosome, the resulting genetic construct is copied to the other chromosome through a process of being cut by the endonuclease and then repaired. </p>
<p>This process can potentially be used to drive almost any gene through a population. It is most likely to be effective in organisms that reproduce quickly and have a short generation time.</p>
<p>Although there are technical challenges to creating stable gene drives, scientific academies <a href="http://nas-sites.org/gene-drives/">around the world</a> including <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-02/aus-science-academy-calls-for-discussion-on-gene-editing/8487842">Australia</a> are discussing potential applications of this technology. Safeguards that need to be put in place are also being considered. Genes that spread by themselves present some unique opportunities as well as challenges. </p>
<h2>Why should Australia consider gene drives?</h2>
<p>Gene drives could be especially useful in Australia for controlling pests and diseases. </p>
<p>We are currently engaged in a losing battle with many invasive organisms. <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive-species">Damage to the environment and reduced agricultural output</a> are caused by incursions of pest mammals, insects, weeds, birds and fish. </p>
<p>Gene drives provide a way of potentially suppressing populations of these species and reducing damage. For example, the introduction of genes that alter sex ratios to become male biased can limit reproduction. </p>
<p>Drives also could be used to introduce genes that suppress the ability of vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and midges to transmit diseases to humans and livestock, and to introduce genes that make weeds and pests susceptible to pesticides. </p>
<p>Use of a gene drive to eliminate a weed or pest could reduce the need for chemical spraying and potentially increase farmers’ crop yields.</p>
<h2>Safety, transparency and regulation</h2>
<p>Because gene drives are designed to spread by themselves, stringent safeguards are needed for developing, testing and using the technology. </p>
<p>This is why past applications of natural gene drives involving species such as <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0003713">mosquitoes</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254305244_Autocidal_Technology_for_the_Control_of_Invasive_Fish">European carp</a> have involved extensive engagement with the public and regulators.</p>
<p>Transparency is critical, both about research on and regulation of synthetic gene drives. </p>
<p>Although Australia has a well established <a href="http://www.ogtr.gov.au/">regulatory framework for gene technology</a>, gene drives present different issues to traditional genetically modified organisms (GMOs). That’s because they aim to spread new traits throughout a population, and hence may spread beyond geographical boundaries. Thus international harmonisation of regulation will be critical. </p>
<p>Given the range of contexts in which gene drives might be deployed, coordination will be required across a number of Australian regulatory agencies. This includes those charged with oversight of environmental, human and animal health, quarantine, and food-related issues.</p>
<h2>Planning ahead</h2>
<p>Gene drives may cause public concern, particularly with regard to potential unintentional ecological and environmental effects. </p>
<p>As has been learned from debates over GMOs and particularly about the limitations of <a href="https://theconversation.com/making-a-meal-of-gm-food-labelling-28339">labelling GM-free products</a>, simply educating the public will not be sufficient. <a href="https://theconversation.com/perceptions-of-genetically-modified-food-are-informed-by-more-than-just-science-72865">Underlying values</a> are more important than information. </p>
<p>It is critical to ensure that the public is engaged on an ongoing basis about potential applications, risks and benefits of gene drive technologies in alignment with best practices for science engagement, and that funding be provided for research into these issues.</p>
<p>This is especially important for communities likely to be affected, such as the agricultural sector or those living close to areas where intentional release may occur. </p>
<p>Funding agencies can assist by providing resources to test physical containment facilities and develop molecular containment procedures such as a <a href="http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2016/06/06/057307">daisy chain system that limits the spread of a drive system</a>. </p>
<p>Modelling and experiments can be used to assess the broader ecological consequences of suppressing pest populations, and research is needed to identify the risks of drives losing effectiveness due to evolution of the target species. </p>
<p>All of these issues need to be explored on a case-by-case basis before any decisions are made about release of drives into the environment.</p>
<p>The wider implications of gene drives also must be carefully assessed. For instance, a gene drive targeting pest fruit flies may be a problem for countries such as Japan, which have highly specific regulations about fruit imports. </p>
<p>Trade relationships with countries with limits on GMOs <a href="https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/">such as many parts of the EU and Japan</a> could be negatively affected by use of gene drives in agriculture. </p>
<p>Domestic economic effects might include problems in obtaining organic certification for crops due to contact with organisms containing synthetic gene drives. Early engagement with various domestic and external stakeholders about these issues will be essential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/77012/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel A. Ankeny receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ary Hoffmann receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Research Council, the WellcomeTrust, the Grains Research and Development Corporation and the National Institutes of Health. </span></em></p>A broad process of communication and consultation should be initiated before gene drives are applied to control pests and diseases in Australia.Rachel A. Ankeny, Professor of History, University of AdelaideAry Hoffmann, Professor, School of BioSciences and Bio21 Institute, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/498162015-10-28T00:52:19Z2015-10-28T00:52:19ZAustralian Academy of Science President: why we divested ourselves of fossil fuel investments<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/99916/original/image-20151028-4994-5vsfx9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Part of the coal loading facility at Kooragang Island, NSW.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eyeweed/5966257389/">Flickr/eyeweed </a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.science.org.au/">Australian Academy of Science</a> has been involved with the promotion of climate science since the 1960s, when it co-ordinated Australia’s participation in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Atmospheric_Research_Program">Global Atmospheric Research Program</a>, which subsequently became the <a href="http://wcrp-climate.org/">World Climate Research Programme</a>. </p>
<p>In 1976, the Academy prepared one of the first Australian reports for government on what was then termed “climactic change”. That report carefully examined the evidence and foresaw that the changes in climate would create social and economic problems that would require multidisciplinary solutions.</p>
<p>Four decades on, and the world is at a critical juncture. The issues canvassed in that 1976 report are now becoming our realities. Decisions taken by the global community at the United Nation’s <a href="http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en">Paris climate conference</a> will greatly affect the extent to which our world is changed by the enhanced greenhouse effect. As scientists, it is our duty to help the global community make the best decisions that can be made.</p>
<p>The Academy stands ready to help scientists discharge this duty. Our activities in science policy, and in public awareness and outreach, are designed to take the collective scientific opinion and put it in the hands of the public and the government.</p>
<p>The Academy has a strong set of programs in school science education – <a href="http://www.primaryconnections.org.au">Primary Connections</a> and <a href="http://www.sciencebydoing.edu.au">Science by Doing</a> – both of which include units with relation to climate change. </p>
<p>But classrooms are not the only forum in which learning takes place, so the Academy provides science education for adults too. <a href="http://www.nova.org.au/">Nova: science for curious minds</a> provides information on a very broad range of topical science, explained clearly and reviewed by leading scientists. Nova includes topics on ocean acidification, coral bleaching, the greenhouse effect, air pollution, biodiversity and the effects of climate change on human health.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, the Academy <a href="https://www.science.org.au/sites/default/files/user-content/post2020targetforgreenhousegasemissions.pdf">made a strong representation</a> to the government on the issue of greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. We have argued that Australia must aim to be carbon neutral by the middle of this century, and an important step along that process would be to reduce our emissions by 30% to 40% by 2030, compared to 2000 levels. </p>
<p>I am heartened that the government is listening to the scientific community and has progressed the work of emissions reductions in Australia. I look forward to hearing of more progress in that respect, under the leadership of the new Prime Minister.</p>
<p>The Academy has also produced two “<a href="https://www.science.org.au/climatechange">questions and answers</a>” publications on the science of climate change. The Academy believed the Australian public deserved to have factual, unbiased and authoritative information on the science of climate change. </p>
<p>The science and information the publication contains is clear, concise, authoritative, defensible, reliable and accessible. It has been read widely in the community. Perhaps more pleasingly, it has also been read widely within government.</p>
<p>Our updated <a href="https://www.science.org.au/climatechange">Questions and answers of climate change science</a> booklet was published at the start of this year. The working groups for both booklets were ably, professionally and generously co-chaired by Professor Ian Allison and the late Professor <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-11/prominent-climate-change-scientist-michael-raupach-dies/6086834">Mike Raupach</a>. </p>
<p>Late last year, just a couple of months before his untimely death, Mike penned a quick hand-written note:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Our task is to fix a generation of problems that are global and centennial – to learn to share a finite planet. We have the capabilities to repair climate and to lighten our footprints to what the planet can sustain.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We do have those capabilities. But in order to meet this grand challenge for our modern age, we as scientists must move beyond being truth-seekers. We must be truth-tellers.</p>
<p>We might not believe that truth conquers in the modern world, but I am determined that the Academy will act on one simple principle: scientific fallacy shall not stand. </p>
<p>The Academy will use its voice – the voice of Australian science – to stand for facts, to stand for rigour and to stand for free-minded and evidence-based analysis. As scientists, we can stand for nothing less.</p>
<p>As scientists, we enjoy some incredible privileges. We have the means to observe the wonder of the world at closer quarters than other members of our community. More than anyone else, I would contend, we have the ability to follow our interest and curiosity where it leads us. We also are equipped and trained to critically enquire and to see the events in our surroundings in a dispassionate and analytical light.</p>
<h2>Divestment</h2>
<p>Of course, with any privilege comes responsibility. We have a duty to conduct our work in an ethical and conscientious way. We must be mindful of how our work might be relevant to the wider world, and how we might use the results of our endeavour to improve the community and environment in which we all live. Perhaps most importantly, we must show leadership in those areas which are within our expertise.</p>
<p>As scientists, it’s often not in our nature to be happy in the spotlight. But current and future generations are relying on us not to shirk our responsibilities; we must not leave the duty of leadership to those who seek only power and glory. We must ensure that we have a hand in shaping the future so it is fit for our children, and their children.</p>
<p>In this vein, I am delighted to announce that the Academy has taken some small steps in this area. This year, the Academy resolved that it would <a href="https://www.science.org.au/news/academy-divests-direct-fossil-fuel-holdings">no longer hold investments</a> in environmentally sensitive activities. Accordingly, in the last month the Academy has divested itself of direct links to fossil fuels in its investment portfolio.</p>
<p>Of course, divestment is a difficult political issue, and the Academy is fiercely apolitical. Despite this, it’s a decision that we can make on rational grounds. Is the value that could be derived from fossil fuel activities sustainable in the long term? Certainly not from the view of the Earth system, and probably not financially either. It is possible to put our support behind activities that are most sustainable, both financially and environmentally, so we have therefore committed to do so.</p>
<p>This is a small step that the Academy can take, but it is a step towards discharging our responsibility as scientists, and as leaders in society.</p>
<p>Our work in science education and science policy are small parts of being scientific leaders in the community. We will continue to expand our presence in the community, to be a bulwark of factual scientific advice when we can. </p>
<p>We will continue to support and encourage scientists to involve themselves in public discourse, and to encourage as many scientists as possible to be involved in the design and implementation of policy initiatives at all levels of government.</p>
<p>For those scientists who think that you don’t have a place in the policy process, I urge you to remember the words of <a href="http://www.britannica.com/biography/Margaret-Mead">Margaret Mead</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.</p>
</blockquote>
<hr>
<p><em>This is an extract from the speech given by Australian Academy of Science President Professor Andrew Holmes at the Greenhouse 2015 Conference in Hobart on Tuesday 27 October 2015.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49816/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Holmes is the President of the Australian Academy of Science and works at Bio21 on the development of low-cost printed solar cells. He has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Australian Renewable Energy Authority, Victorian Government (DSDBI and Energy Technology Innovation Strategy), CSIRO, University of Melbourne, veski (formerly know as the Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation), Department of Industry (Australian Government).</span></em></p>The Academy says it will withdraw “millions of dollars” from investments in environmentally sensitive activities, primarily in energy and mining companies.Andrew Holmes, President of the Australian Academy of Science, CSIRO Fellow & Laureate Professor of Chemistry, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/421882015-05-26T22:24:04Z2015-05-26T22:24:04ZAAS President: Science needs support to build a better Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/82827/original/image-20150525-32578-1kfb35j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=89%2C248%2C1751%2C1197&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Australia has a long history of first class science.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/tag/In-the-lab/i/4698/technician-in-csiro-laboratories/large">Willem van Aken/CSIRO</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A shift has occurred in the past year in the way the Australian public, politicians and business talk about science. Scientists are no longer considered to be “<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/11/scientists-angry-about-ian-macfarlanes-precious-petals-remark">precious petals</a>”. We are being taken seriously. We are being heard.</p>
<p>At the end of last year we welcomed the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shaping-2015-the-challenge-for-australias-new-science-minister-36588">reinstatement</a> of the word “Science” into the portfolio of the <a href="http://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/macfarlane">Minister of Industry and Science</a>. It seems like a small thing, but it’s symbolically significant. And it was followed by further indications from the government that it is listening to science. </p>
<p>The three key federal government portfolios of Industry and Science, Health, and Education and Training all speak to important pillars for the scientific community. And we are pleased that these three Ministers join the Prime Minister, the Chief Scientist and others at the <a href="http://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2015/04/commonwealth-science-council-2/">Commonwealth Science Council</a>. </p>
<p>It’s a council that has five Australian Academy of Science Fellows as members and has already met twice this year. We are heartened at the interest that the Prime Minister has shown in this body. </p>
<p>The Government has also committed to working with the council and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ian-chubb-5153">Chief Scientist</a> to develop a <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-national-science-strategy-is-good-for-australia-40254">science strategy</a>, and will be consulting broadly with the sector over the coming months. This is important for Australian science and research, and I encourage every researcher and science organisation with an interest in Australia’s scientific future to provide considered input into the consultation.</p>
<p>In March, Science Minister Ian Macfarlane made a positive, respectful and forward-looking <a href="http://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/macfarlane/speeches/address-science-meets-parliament">speech</a> at <a href="http://scienceandtechnologyaustralia.org.au/science-meets-parliament/">Science Meets Parliament</a>, in which he made it clear that he believes science is fundamental to our national prosperity, and that our scientific institutions have the capacity to provide a strong platform upon which to build the Australia of the future.</p>
<p>We are making headway. The political narrative about science is starting to shift.</p>
<h2>Turning talk into action</h2>
<p>In the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/federal-budget-2015">Federal Budget</a> handed down two weeks ago, there was a welcome <a href="https://theconversation.com/budget-brief-how-does-science-and-research-funding-fare-41434">reprieve for science funding</a> in the coming financial year. However, there are still forecast cuts of around A$290 million to key Australian science and research programs that will take effect in the financial year 2016-17.</p>
<p>Despite immediate relief for NCRIS and an ongoing commitment to establish a Medical Research Future Fund, overall funding for science in Australia will <a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-science-is-no-better-off-after-the-2015-budget-41827">continue to decline</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately NCRIS has been funded through significant reductions in block grants to researchers in universities. This is like taking engines off the jumbo jet.
To do science, you need excellent scientists to make the best use of top quality infrastructure; it can’t be one or the other. NCRIS needs a long-term sustainable funding model that addresses both ends of this equation.</p>
<p>The Minister for Industry and Science and the Prime Minister say they want science to play a greater role with industry, and yet in this budget there was A$30 million cut from the <a href="http://www.business.gov.au/grants-and-assistance/collaboration/crc/Pages/default.aspx">Cooperative Research Centres</a>, which are specifically designed to help improve collaboration with business and help generate jobs from research and development. It will be important to consider an alternative model to promote academia-industry engagement.</p>
<p>While there are forecast selective cuts there have also been selective increases – for the <a href="http://www.synchrotron.org.au/">Synchrotron</a>, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (<a href="http://www.ansto.gov.au/">ANSTO</a>), <a href="https://theconversation.com/budget-brief-how-does-science-and-research-funding-fare-41434">Antarctic research and medical research into exotic tropical diseases</a> – and we look forward to seeing those increases sustained into the future. </p>
<p>We’re also pleased that there will be a <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/futurefel/future_default.htm">Future Fellowships</a> scheme this year, albeit with just 50 fellowships on offer. It’s a good start for this important initiative to support and retain some our best and brightest young researchers, and we will continue to advocate for the programme to be restored to its former scale.</p>
<p>As the <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/mining-boom">mining boom slows</a>, this should be a time of growth in science funding. We should be preparing Australia to build a knowledge economy so that we do not simply survive but thrive in an increasingly competitive world.</p>
<p>We should be supporting our world-class research infrastructure, and our world-class and emerging researchers, to create new knowledge and innovation. And we should be supporting scientists and industry to forge strong links to translate this innovation into economic growth and security.</p>
<p>This is a challenge for politics, yes. But it’s also a challenge for the science sector.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/82829/original/image-20150525-32575-y39uo6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">CSIRO scientists deploy the CTD instrument from the Southern Surveyor to monitor the distribution and variation of water temperature, salinity and density.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.scienceimage.csiro.au/tag/in-the-field/i/10807/deploying-the-ctd-instrument-from-the-rv-southern-surveyor/">Bob Beattie/CSIRO</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Building a strong voice</h2>
<p>On the domestic front we must continue to persuade the Australian community of the importance of science as a major cultural contributor and a driver to national prosperity through wealth creation and improved productivity.</p>
<p>We must continue to focus on education, working with young people who will inevitably become the decision makers of the future. We must continue to build strong support, professional development, and mentorship for early- and mid-career researchers – such as that provided by the <a href="https://www.science.org.au/emcr-forum">Early- and Mid-Career Researchers Forum</a>, which grows from strength to strength.</p>
<p>And we must convince the community not only of the value of science as a discipline, but also as a provider of informed and trained minds who can meaningfully contribute to the workforce in many different areas from those directly related to their scientific training.</p>
<p>A major challenge facing the research community is to develop a profitable engagement with industry. There are many ways in which this can be realised, but common to all must be an acceptance that each party should benefit from this kind of engagement. </p>
<p>Here in Australia there are very few large companies engaged in fundamental and applied research. Much activity is carried out in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which will invariably have limited capacity to fund collaborative research.</p>
<p>The solution to this must be seen as a task of government, which will inevitably reap the dividend in the taxation of increased earnings arising from the success of these small companies.</p>
<p>Just as we support the notion of a <a href="http://www.researchaustralia.org/mrff/mrff">Medical Research Future Fund</a>, so would we support industry engagement, through the Cooperative Research Centres and other mechanisms. It is, of course, important that this kind of engagement is not supported at the expense of our capacity for curiosity-driven research that is inevitably the wellspring of many translatable research discoveries. </p>
<p>All the evidence suggests that government is willing to engage constructively with scientists, and particularly Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science. </p>
<p>We have also gained the support of the President of the <a href="http://www.bca.com.au/">Business Council of Australia</a>, who is a <a href="http://www.bca.com.au/about-us/our-board">Fellow of the Academy</a> and a passionate advocate for STEM education and research infrastructure. </p>
<p>Ministers take note of the opinions expressed by the Academy, as demonstrated by the recent campaign to preserve <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ncris">NCRIS</a>. We are now regularly consulted when policy is being formulated, but there is much more to do to reach the stage where government routinely both consults and listens to us, and builds on our contribution. </p>
<p>For example, the absence of a holistic Australian international research collaborations strategy is becoming an embarrassment. Traditionally, Australia has been recognised as a significant player in the international scientific arena through its participation in many activities. Historically it has been well recognised that if we are not seen internationally, we will slip from the minds of those with whom we wish to engage. </p>
<p>It is on the base of strong historical opportunities that Australia plays such a prominent role in the international scientific community. We supply Presidents, office-bearers and committee members to a vast array of international scientific unions and societies, and hundreds of Australian scientists participate in their research programs. Our high profile abroad makes us respected international partners and we are chosen because we have a reputation for delivering good value in a research collaboration. </p>
<p>It is with these goals in mind that we seek to remind government that we can help in matters of science for diplomacy as well as science for the benefit of sharing information and capacity building. The Academy believes in the value of scientific collaborations that transcend political and religious beliefs and contribute to the peaceful co-existence of nations. </p>
<h2>Looking ahead</h2>
<p>It is up to all scientists to speak to power when it’s warranted. To become involved in educating and mentoring the next generation. To speak to the media and ensure that science has a voice in the public sphere.</p>
<p>We are improving well-being. We are helping to prepare this nation, and the world, for an uncertain future. We are strengthening our economy. We are nurturing our international connections. We are innovating.</p>
<p>Together we are making a difference. We are working towards a better informed, more capable, more agile Australia.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This is an edited transcript of the speech given by Professor Andrew Holmes, President of the Australian Academy of Science, delivered at the Science at the Shine Dome 2015.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/42188/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Holmes does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australian scientists are listened to by government and business, but must do more to ensure their advice and work contributes to a stronger future for Australia.Andrew Holmes, President of the Australian Academy of Science, CSIRO Fellow & Laureate Professor of Chemistry, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/375292015-02-15T19:34:26Z2015-02-15T19:34:26ZAustralian Academy of Science brings climate change closer to home<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/71953/original/image-20150213-13192-1kavuo0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C5%2C792%2C544&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Water in Western Australia is one of the Academy's examples of where climate is having an impact, and where communities are already adapting.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bram Souffreau/Wikimedia Commons</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Australian Academy of Sciences today released the new <a href="https://www.science.org.au/climatechange">The Science of Climate Change: Questions and Answers</a>. This is an extensively revised update of a similar publication in 2010. Its stated purpose is to “provide an understanding based on our present scientific knowledge, of some key questions about climate change”. </p>
<p>What is notable about the new publication (on which I was a member of the working group) is the extent to which it has moved to respond to the real-world needs of ordinary people, organisations and communities trying to understand what climate change means to them. </p>
<p>It represents a determined attempt by scientists to be relevant to the everyday concerns of people and organisations, and to support – through the delivery of up-to-date scientific knowledge – those who want to take meaningful climate action.</p>
<h2>Relevant knowledge, or ‘what does it mean for me?’</h2>
<p>Both the 2015 and 2010 versions of the Q&A have sought to answer questions about climate change by bringing the best science to bear. But some of the questions in the earlier version, for example about climate change in the distant past, might only be of limited interest to the general public and wouldn’t contribute in obvious ways to debate about present-day climate change. </p>
<p>So the latest version introduces two new questions that focus on the issues people talk about in the pub and on the train when they are trying to get their heads round climate change. How are extreme events changing? And how are sea levels changing? </p>
<p>These are the things that people can easily see are likely to affect them personally. And they want to understand their exposure – how big is the risk, when will it affect me, how will it affect me? </p>
<p>By bringing climate change firmly into the realm of people’s everyday concerns about their and their family’s well being, this new version will get people to think about taking action to address the challenge. This is crucial, because it is increasingly becoming clear that it is at the grassroots level that meaningful action is going to take place. </p>
<h2>Who will act?</h2>
<p>We have spent years, even decades, arguing at the <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-talks-slouch-towards-paris-as-lima-summit-finally-wraps-up-35478">highest international levels</a> about climate mitigation – who should be reducing their emissions, by how much and when, how can technology be transferred to help less-developed countries cut their emissions, and a million other esoteric and detailed questions that have really, in the final analysis, achieved very little.<br>
At the same time, the sceptics have had the ears of the great and the good at a domestic level, so that in Australia and many other countries very little, if anything, has been achieved to mitigate climate change. We will have to adapt to the <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-can-occur-year-round-we-have-to-be-prepared-18115">inevitable impacts</a>.</p>
<p>Yet although there is a vacuum in leadership at national and international levels, at the grassroots levels of households, community organisations and local governments, there is a growing recognition of this need to adapt. People and organisations begin to see that there’s likely to be a financial penalty if they fail to act, and that there might be a commercial advantage in being an early adopter. It is very clear to local governments along the coast, for instance, that they must act to ensure that today’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/complacency-rules-as-queensland-makes-risky-edict-on-sea-level-rise-35363">planning decisions</a> take into account future risks of flooding. </p>
<p>These groups can almost be defined by their desire to keep their heads below the parapet – they are utility companies, farmers and agricultural enterprises, local governments and their employees. They are moving to protect their businesses and their stakeholders against the present and future effects of climate change and, where they can, to turn a profit through these early actions. </p>
<p>These people need and deserve information to support their willingness to undertake action and to provide them with authenticity and the authority to act. This new publication from the Academy has moved a considerable distance from the 2010 publication to address these needs. There is a much greater emphasis on present-day and future climate change. The question from 2010’s version “What are the consequences of climate change?” has been replaced in the 2015 edition by the much more succinct “What are the impacts of climate change?”. The answer, with the benefit of five years’ extra knowledge, has been much extended. </p>
<p>By delivering information on present-day and future changes, and how these will affect people and their environments, it provides those who are willing to act with the scientific evidence to justify action. </p>
<h2>What do I need to do?</h2>
<p>Finally, the new publication recognises that people and organisations want to know what they can do, what their governments can do, and what it might be unwise to do to address climate change impacts. A final, and new, question has been added: what does the science say about options to address climate change? This question provides a very introductory exploration of the triumvirate of mitigation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/geoengineering">geoengineering</a> and adaptation.</p>
<p>The booklet also includes a very brief case study demonstrating that adaptation is possible and is already taking place, taking the example of the response of Western Australia’s <a href="http://www.watercorporation.com.au/">Water Corporation</a> to persistent drought and declining water resources. </p>
<p>Although these elements are only a small part of the booklet (and indeed of the wider issue), they do show that action is possible, and that there can be penalties for making unwise and ill-considered choices. </p>
<p>Disappointingly for some, the booklet shows clearly that there are unlikely to be technological quick fixes. It highlights some of the potential pitfalls of geoengineering, for example, that solutions such as creating a shield in space totally fail to address ocean acidification. It won’t come as news to many people, but there are no simple or easy solutions to climate change - if we don’t change our ways, the world of our grandchildren and their children will be a very different one from ours today.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/37529/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jean Palutikof does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Australian Academy of Sciences today released the new The Science of Climate Change: Questions and Answers. This is an extensively revised update of a similar publication in 2010. Its stated purpose…Jean Palutikof, Director, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.