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Australia is the world's leading exporter of coal.Credit: Redbrickstock.com/Alamy
Landmark Australian ruling rejects coal mine over global warming
For the first time, a new coal mine has been rejected in Australia because of the potential contribution to global warming. The New South Wales Land and Environment Court turned down an appeal by a company that wanted to establish a new mine in the Hunter Valley. The ruling is notable in a country that faces a plethora of climate-change challenges: it is the world’s leading coal exporter, it faced its hottest month on record in January and it is reeling from several devastating extreme weather events.
Insect decline threatens “catastrophic collapse”
If dramatic population declines continue, 40% of the world's insect species will face extinction within decades, finds a review of 73 studies from across the globe. “Industrial-scale, intensive agriculture is the one that is killing the ecosystems,” says ecologist Francisco Sánchez-Bayo. Pollution, climate change and introduced pathogens and invasive species round out the list of culprits. “Unless we change our ways of producing food ... the repercussions this will have for the planet’s ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least.”
Reference: Biological Conservation paper
Controversial bird-flu experiments to resume
The US government has given the green light for controversial avian-influenza-virus experiments to resume after four years on hold. ‘Gain of function’ experiments modify the H5N1 virus so that it can spread between ferrets, allowing researchers to study the pathogen more closely. Critics say that boosting the virus’s ability to infect mammals raises the risk of misuse or accidental release. “We know that it does carry risks. We also believe it is important work to protect human health,” says virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka.
Read more: Kawaoka argues the case for his research in Nature (from 2012)
FEATURES & OPINION
Male-led committees respond to quota by hiring fewer women
An effort to bring more women into academia by mandating gender quotas on hiring committees at French universities might have backfired, according to a study of decisions by 455 hiring committees at 3 institutions. The analysis suggests that committees affected by the quota were significantly less likely to hire women — especially if they had male presidents. “It could be a backlash,” says economist Pierre Deschamps.
How to use Twitter to further your research career
Last week, we heard how to make the most of Instagram — now, it’s time to turn to Twitter. From informal networking to job seeking, chemist Jet-Sing Lee explores how to tweet your way to success.
Top tea countries must lead the way to a better cuppa
Efforts to enhance the flavour and yield of the world’s favourite hot beverage are falling short of their potential, says plant geneticist Jeff Bennetzen. He argues that the field is being held back by the parochial way in which research is conducted in countries that dominate tea production.
This opinion article is editorially independent and produced with financial support from the Hunan Agricultural University.
