Month: May 2022

Tony Abbott appointed current CSIRO head Larry Marshall with a brief to carry out narrowly-conceived commercial research rather than conduct public-good research. Karoly bells the cat on how that has turned out. CSIRO was pretty good with many successes as it was – WiFi, plastic banknotes and even Aeroguard came from CSIRO.https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/02/csiro-has-become-extravagant-consulting-company-one-of-its-former-top-climate-scientist-says

‘One of the most water efficient’ is still a relative term, what about an absolute statement that it is folly growing thirsty cotton on a dry continent? Check the effect of cotton on Uzbekistan and the once-massive Aral Sea with beached boats a hundred kilometres from the puddle’s shoreline. We should be playing to our natural advantage, not indulging rapacious industries.https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-05-01/sustainable-and-water-efficient-cotton/101019222