By David Tuffley, Griffith University In a significant blow to Australia’s defence capabilities, the federal government is cancelling what would have been the nation’s largest-ever space project: a A$7 billion military satellite communications system. The decision was confirmed in a press statement today. It comes just 18 months after the Albanese government gave the green…
By Peter Draper, University of Adelaide Finally, Australia’s rock lobster industry will be able to export to China again, following a deal struck on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos last week. It will take some weeks to finalise the paperwork, but Chinese diners can expect to eat our high-quality crustaceans as we…
By Anna Malos, Monash University; Josh Solomonsz, Climateworks Centre, and Matthew Benetti, Climateworks Centre Australia’s push for net-zero emissions received a welcome boost on Thursday, with the release of an official report showing how Australia can seek to cut domestic emissions across each sector of the economy. The Climate Change Authority prepared the report, which…
By Chris Briggs, University of Technology Sydney As Australia’s electricity supply shifts to clean energy, a big challenge is looming. How do we “keep the lights on” as big coal plants close, and a far-flung network of wind and solar generators replaces them? This balancing act was outlined in the latest annual stocktake by the…
Quantum technologies – which may soon provide huge advances in computing, communication and sensing – are rapidly growing in strategic importance.
By Charlie Huang, RMIT University Australia is at the forefront of efforts to turn steelmaking green. Earlier this year Australian iron ore producers Rio Tinto teamed up with Australian steelmaker BlueScope to develop “near-zero emission-intensity” pathways for making steel from Pilbara iron ore. Renewable electricity and hydrogen would replace coking coal. Iron ore miner Fortescue…
By Bruce Mountain, Victoria University Imagine if Australian cities became major producers of clean energy, rather than relying on far-flung solar and wind farms. Far fetched? Hardly. Our cities and towns are full of warehouses, commercial areas, shopping centres and factories. These types of buildings have one very important underutilised resource – large expanses of…
The Australian National University, Axiom Space and Aqacia are partnering through a project supported by the iLAuNCH Trailblazer to develop a wearable space health device. According to a statement from iLAuNCH on Tuesday, the device “will sense, transmit, and real-time assess health data in remote areas including sub-orbital flights” and help “enable real-time simulation, diagnosis,…
By Ian Lowe, Griffith University and Kylie Walker, Australian National University Australia’s clean energy transition is already underway, driven by solar, wind, batteries and new transmission lines. But what about nuclear? Opposition leader Peter Dutton last month committed to building nuclear reactors on the site of retired coal plants – triggering intense debate over whether…
By Peter Newman, Curtin University The extent to which renewables should dominate Australia’s energy grids is a major issue in science and politics. Solar and wind are clearly now the cheapest form of electricity. But limits to these technologies can undermine the case for a renewables-only electricity mix. The challenges posed by solar and wind…
