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The Guardian •

The world is shifting away from using animals in research. Will Australia get left behind?

A global shift in scientific and medical research is under way as countries hope to phase out experimentation on animals – but Australia risks being left behind.The transition from using animals to alternatives based on human cells, tissue and data is driving multibillion-dollar growth in new technologies and methods. However, industry leaders and insiders warn Australia will miss those opportunities due to a lack of funding, opaque record keeping and national inconsistencies.An estimated 192 mi...
The Guardian •

Burning rubbish to create energy could end landfills. But some worry where Australia’s new path is leading

Australia’s first major waste-to-energy power plant has begun accepting rubbish, marking the start of a contentious nationwide shift towards burning household refuse to generate electricity.At least 10 developments are under way across the country, sparking concern from some conservationists who argue the trend will be environmentally damaging and at odds with plans to develop a circular economy.Local councils have started sending truckloads of garbage to Kwinana Energy Recovery facility, south...
The Guardian •

Do fish have feelings? Scientists believe they’re getting closer to an answer

When scientists demonstrated a small tropical fish – the cleaner wrasse – could recognise itself in a mirror, Prof Culum Brown’s first thought was: “This is the coolest thing ever.”Brown, an ecologist who researches fish behaviour and intelligence at Sydney’s Macquarie University, says the mirror self-recognition test – developed in the 1970s – is considered the gold standard for evidence of visual self-awareness in animals.In the Osaka City University study, a small number of fish had a mark pl...
The Guardian •

South Australia is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2027. It’s already internationally ‘remarkable’

Eight years ago, South Australia’s renewable energy future was in doubt as an extraordinary statewide blackout saw recriminations flow.On 28 September 2016, a catastrophic weather event sent the entire state into system black. Around 4pm, some 850,000 homes and businesses lost power as supercell thunderstorms and destructive winds – some travelling up to 260km/h – crumpled transmission towers, causing three major power lines to trip.Almost immediately, and despite advice to the contrary, members...
The Mandarin •

How open are Australian universities about animal research?

Australia’s code governing animal research encourages institutions to make animal ethics compliance reports publicly available, yet only six out of 42 universities shared these documents when asked.

May 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, a framework for greater transparency now adopted in 10 countries, including Australia.

Many Australian universities still balk at the level of openness recommended by the Australian code for the care and use of
The Age •

The hidden Melbourne beach teeming with rare fossils

Scarcely signposted, tucked behind a yacht squadron car park and accessible via an overgrown grass track lies one of Australia’s most significant urban fossil sites.

Beaumaris Bay, a quiet pocket of pebbled beach between Black Rock and Mentone, can easily be missed. But fossil hunters who slip past the red-lettered “no parking” sign are greeted by honeycomb-coloured cliffs and a rocky shoreline that holds a snapshot of life from five to six million years ago.

“Most cities don’t have world-clas
Cosmos •

Can journalism do a better job covering climate change?

“It feels like we’ve gone from denialism to nihilism” says Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw reflecting on the media’s shift in reporting on climate change.

Berentson-Shaw is co-director of The Workshop, an organisation that uses research and evidence-based strategies and toolkits to help people communicate about complex issues, including climate change.

“A lot of people are feeling those impacts, so much more now in their local communities than even two or three years ago,” she says. “In Australia, it’s
Cosmos •

Fast electric, intercity rail is key to solving transport emissions

For acupuncturist Carol Williams, The Overland train is an efficient and cost-effective way to travel between her home in Murray Bridge and Melbourne where her grandchildren live.

Williams prefers to join the intercity service enroute instead of flying, avoiding the hassle of driving more than an hour to Adelaide airport and airport security.

“Why have that stress?” she says. “This is like a day out.”

When Cosmos meets Williams onboard the train, she is knitting a jumper of grey wool-nettle b
Cosmos •

Lab rats and science mice: Why are we using animals in research?

Philosopher and writer Dr Eva Meijer has adopted 25 mice as part of a pilot project to re-home smaller laboratory animals.

“They sit tail to tail when they like each other,” she explains. “Sometimes when they go into the nest together, they will briefly wrap their tails around each other, like holding someone’s hand.”

“Some of them make beautiful nests,” she says, describing how Bram and Wezel, two really old mice, honed their craft after other mice from their group died.

“It was like they ha
Cosmos •

COVID-19 schools data reveal: Unreleased Victorian data and analysis on masks, RATs and cases

Health Department documents obtained by Cosmos through FoI shed light on the effectiveness of COVID school measures, while also raising questions.

After two years in and out of lockdowns and 35 weeks of remote learning, Victorian schools began 2022 with some of the most stringent COVID-19 measures in the country.

Mandatory masks for Grade 3 and above, twice-weekly RAT screening, mandatory vaccines for teachers, air purifiers and operational measures – were announced by Premier Daniel Andrews a
The Age •

‘We had to try a few home visits’: Concern for student welfare peaked in lockdown six

At one point, more than 80 per cent of secondary schools were “very concerned or concerned” about student mental health and wellbeing, while almost 70 per cent of secondary schools were worried about academic progress. Jo Camozzato, principal at Edgars Creek Secondary College, said there was no doubt this year’s extended lockdown affected students’ mental health and their enthusiasm for school, despite teachers’ best efforts. “The staff provided well-thought-out and engaging learning activities
The Citizen •

Chisholm’s Choice: Battle for key seat heats up

Exit the Monash – that eight lane behemoth ferrying commuters and cargo across the south-east Melbourne metropolis – anywhere from Warrigal Road to Wellington Road, and you’ve arrived in the federal seat of Chisholm.
Navigating the network of busy arterials, it’s a cacophony of billboards, utilitarian strip shopping and office blocks. But just another left or right and you’re deep in the suburbs of Victoria’s most marginal seat, the streets treed with oaks, planes and eucalyptus.
Alternatively,...
The Age •

Octopuses, artworks and dinosaurs on the moon: Children’s tiny galleries pop up in the streets

A red octopus hangs above a sign that reads “Please do not touch” as a small crowd peruses seascapes of sailing ships and ocean liners on the walls.

As Melbourne’s lockdown drags on, tiny galleries are popping up in Brunswick streets. Their pre- and primary-school aged curators, stuck at home, are composing scenes for passers-by to enjoy.

About the size of a shoebox, the seascape museum is inspired by the National Gallery of Victoria, a place designer Scarlett Martin likes to visit when restri
Credit: Influencing / IT Journalism Awards

About Me

Petra Stock is a climate and environment reporter at Guardian Australia.

She also specialises in science, technology and education reporting.

Her stories have been published in the Guardian, Cosmos Magazine, The Age, Crikey, Australian Geographic, Archer, RenewEconomy, The Mandarin and The Citizen.

Petra recently won the Alicia Camphuisen Best New Journalist award at the 2024 Samsung Australia IT Journalism Awards ('the Lizzies').

She was also Melbourne Press Club's Student Journalist of the Year for 2021 and the 2022 Schiavon Cadet at the Centre for Advancing Journalism.

Her portfolio includes news, magazine and online features, explainers, investigations and podcasts. She has extensive experience using Freedom of Information processes and a track record of published FoI stories.

Petra brings to journalism two decades of professional experience working in climate change solutions, renewable energy development, environmental impact assessments and Aboriginal heritage policy.

She has a Master of Journalism (2022) and a Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental) with honours (2002).

Investigations and FoI

The Mandarin •

How open are Australian universities about animal research?

Australia’s code governing animal research encourages institutions to make animal ethics compliance reports publicly available, yet only six out of 42 universities shared these documents when asked.

May 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, a framework for greater transparency now adopted in 10 countries, including Australia.

Many Australian universities still balk at the level of openness recommended by the Australian code for the care and use of
Cosmos •

COVID-19 schools data reveal: Unreleased Victorian data and analysis on masks, RATs and cases

Health Department documents obtained by Cosmos through FoI shed light on the effectiveness of COVID school measures, while also raising questions.

After two years in and out of lockdowns and 35 weeks of remote learning, Victorian schools began 2022 with some of the most stringent COVID-19 measures in the country.

Mandatory masks for Grade 3 and above, twice-weekly RAT screening, mandatory vaccines for teachers, air purifiers and operational measures – were announced by Premier Daniel Andrews a
The Age •

‘We had to try a few home visits’: Concern for student welfare peaked in lockdown six

At one point, more than 80 per cent of secondary schools were “very concerned or concerned” about student mental health and wellbeing, while almost 70 per cent of secondary schools were worried about academic progress. Jo Camozzato, principal at Edgars Creek Secondary College, said there was no doubt this year’s extended lockdown affected students’ mental health and their enthusiasm for school, despite teachers’ best efforts. “The staff provided well-thought-out and engaging learning activities
The Age •

Unknown, uninvited strangers joining Victorian online classrooms

Unknown and uninvited people have joined classrooms held on digital platform Webex at least 13 times during remote learning in Victoria. Education Department documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws reveal the incidents include strangers posting “images of a concerning sexual nature”, making racist comments and engaging in aggressive and threatening behaviour. A Department of Education spokesman says “the online safety of Victorian school students is our top priority”. The FoI docume
The Age •

Remote learning security concern after threatening strangers breach online classrooms

Uninvited and threatening people joined online Google Classroom sessions with Victorian school students on at least three separate occasions last year, amid privacy concerns from parents and schools.

Victorian Department of Education documents obtained under freedom of information laws revealed the incidents, including one in which a teacher was forced to shut down a lesson after an abusive stranger entered an online classroom and attempted to engage in what was described as concerning sexual b
The Age •

Students exposed to risk of fraud and grooming while learning online

Victoria’s Education Department took more than two weeks to warn schools not to use Zoom because the digital platform carried significant privacy and security risks, potentially exposing children to fraud, grooming and identity theft.

The rapid shift to online learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic led schools to use ‘‘non supported’’ digital platforms in ways that undermined children’s privacy and safety online, the Department of Education chief information officer Elizabeth Wilson sai

Climate change and environment

Animal ethics

The Guardian •

The world is shifting away from using animals in research. Will Australia get left behind?

A global shift in scientific and medical research is under way as countries hope to phase out experimentation on animals – but Australia risks being left behind.The transition from using animals to alternatives based on human cells, tissue and data is driving multibillion-dollar growth in new technologies and methods. However, industry leaders and insiders warn Australia will miss those opportunities due to a lack of funding, opaque record keeping and national inconsistencies.An estimated 192 mi...
The Guardian •

Do fish have feelings? Scientists believe they’re getting closer to an answer

When scientists demonstrated a small tropical fish – the cleaner wrasse – could recognise itself in a mirror, Prof Culum Brown’s first thought was: “This is the coolest thing ever.”Brown, an ecologist who researches fish behaviour and intelligence at Sydney’s Macquarie University, says the mirror self-recognition test – developed in the 1970s – is considered the gold standard for evidence of visual self-awareness in animals.In the Osaka City University study, a small number of fish had a mark pl...
The Guardian •

Unregulated antibiotic use in animal research likely contributes to human drug resistance, study finds

Chronic and unregulated use and disposal of antibiotics in animal research facilities is contributing to the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs that could pose a threat to human health, according to new research.A study published in the journal Plos One found widespread and excessive use of antibiotics, unregulated access to critical drugs and disposal practices in laboratory rodent facilities were likely contributing to the global health problem of antimicrobial resistance.The survey of 95 l...
Cosmos •

Rehoming lab rats and mice. “They are small but the richness of their lives is equal”

Lab rats and mice make great pets according to Dr Jodi Salinsky, Animal Welfare Officer and Head Veterinarian at the University of Auckland. She lists off their perks: “hilarious”, “easy to train”, “social”, “snuggle bunnies” and “not prone to biting”.

The rats in question are not standard pets, but rather animals bred for research, and either alive and healthy after experiments or surplus to requirements.

As part of a new rat rehoming initiative, the University of Auckland is teaming up with
The Mandarin •

How open are Australian universities about animal research?

Australia’s code governing animal research encourages institutions to make animal ethics compliance reports publicly available, yet only six out of 42 universities shared these documents when asked.

May 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the UK Concordat on Openness on Animal Research, a framework for greater transparency now adopted in 10 countries, including Australia.

Many Australian universities still balk at the level of openness recommended by the Australian code for the care and use of
The Mandarin •

Global initiative to make animal research more transparent turns 10 – has it worked?

In the early 2000s, science was facing a “crisis of trust” in the UK, following the outbreak of ‘mad cow disease’ and rapid advances in genetically modified crops, biotechnology and computing.

Animal research became a focus of community frustration, with Nature reporting “attacks on facilities, assaults on lab staff and a distinct lack of public support”.

Science communicator Bella Lear was working with Understanding Animal Research at the time, a UK organisation established to explain why ani
Cosmos •

Lab rats and science mice: Why are we using animals in research?

Philosopher and writer Dr Eva Meijer has adopted 25 mice as part of a pilot project to re-home smaller laboratory animals.

“They sit tail to tail when they like each other,” she explains. “Sometimes when they go into the nest together, they will briefly wrap their tails around each other, like holding someone’s hand.”

“Some of them make beautiful nests,” she says, describing how Bram and Wezel, two really old mice, honed their craft after other mice from their group died.

“It was like they ha
Cosmos •

How do lab mice behave, if you let them be mice?

While billions of global research dollars are spent studying lab mice as ‘models’, a Cornell University study is the first to shed light on their social behaviour as ‘mice’ beyond the constraints of their shoebox-sized enclosures.

“It was really fun to see the mice get to go outside, actually touch grass, see the sky and experience the sun, which they’ve never seen for 300 generations,” researcher Caleb Vogt tells Cosmos.

The behaviour of lab mice in this natural, more expansive setting was to
Cosmos •

Top medical research body says these two tests on mice and rats should end

Australia’s leading body in health and medical research has determined two invasive methods which place rodents under inescapable stress can no longer be justified due to significant scientific, animal welfare and ethical concerns.

In a rare step, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), which also funds research, has issued two statements clarifying the forced swim test “must not proceed”, and nose-only smoke inhalation procedures “must be phased out as soon as practicable” an
Cosmos •

Peter Singer: Are experiments on animals ethically justifiable?

Professor Peter Singer does not take an absolutist position on the ethics of using animals in scientific research.

The world-renowned ethicist and philosopher, based at Princeton University in the US, has been revisiting the issue of experimentation on animals, in updating and republishing his most famous book – Animal Liberation Now – after more than 40 years.

In the book, Singer writes: “it will not do to say ‘Never!’” when it comes to scientific and medical research.

In conversation with C
Cosmos •

As world shifts to non-animal testing CSIRO outlines opportunities for Australia

The CSIRO says Australia has 5 years to maximise the economic and scientific opportunities on offer as part of the global shift to non-animal models in medical research.

With the use of animals in medical product development expected to decline, there is a risk to existing clinical industries if the country doesn’t keep pace with international trends.

The CSIRO is calling on the government, industry, research institutions and regulators to act.

A new strategy from the nation’s science agency,
Cosmos •

Researchers argue AI ethics should include animal welfare

In 2015, a Great White Shark – vulnerable on the threatened species list – was killed under Western Australia’s catch-to-kill policy, after the animal was detected swimming near a bathing beach.

Authorities were only aware of the shark’s presence due to tracking data collected for the purposes of scientific research and conservation.

The shark’s tale is a cautionary one.

It’s one of the case studies University of Melbourne researchers have included in new research highlighting the potential h
Cosmos •

Video game animals: evolving from killable objects to positive protagonists

In the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns, one of my children came to me with a confession.

“I killed all my pigs,” they blurted out, distressed.

Further disclosures revealed the pigs were digital – an animal mob in popular children’s video game Minecraft by Microsoft-owned Mojang Studios.

Having carefully farmed and bred hundreds of pink pixelated beasts, something had prompted the child to slaughter them all, invoking immediate feelings of guilt and remorse for their virtual crime.

From Nintendo’
Cosmos •

Australian universities and institutes pledge transparency on animal research

Thirty research institutions and organisations are among the first in Australia to pledge greater transparency in animal research.

Signatories of the Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching in Australia include the CSIRO, several universities and medical research institutes.

The announcement – at this week’s Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) conference in Adelaide, South Australia – sees Australia join a growing list of co
Cosmos •

NZ floods show animal-inclusive disaster planning matters

People are putting themselves at risk to rescue pets in disaster zones.

New Zealand research reveals the impact of disaster planning and evacuation on pets and their owners and makes recommendations for law reform.

Publishing in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, University of Otago researchers surveyed households affected by a major flood in the town of Edgecumbe (population: 1638) located in New Zealand’s North Island in 2017.

Researchers surveyed 212 households, represen
Cosmos •

Library of mini organs reducing the need for animal testing

CSIRO researchers have teamed up with the Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide to create a library of organoids, or mini organs, to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancers.

An organoid – grown from human tissue taken during colonoscopies and endoscopies (with consent) – is a 3-dimensional structure that acts like a “mini organ”, a tiny model of a colon measuring mere microns in size.

Dr Kim Fung, a Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO, says the biobank of these mode

Technology

Education, engineering and STEM

Transport and media

Explainers

Cosmos •

Explainer: Cyclones - earlier, stronger, lingering longer

Cyclone season in the Pacific has started earlier than ever before, and with a blast.

Vanuatu’s Tropical Cyclone Lola reached category 5 on 24 October – the strongest, earliest cyclone ever recorded in the region, according to Radio New Zealand. It blew up and dissipated quickly, leaving a trail of destruction across the islands.

Lola was battling for media attention with Hurricane Otis, causing mayhem in Acapulco in Mexico, and Cyclone Tej in Oman and Yemen.

Meanwhile in Australia the weathe
Cosmos •

Explainer: A concrete crisis is bubbling in the UK, are there risks for Australia?

It has been dubbed a “concrete crisis.”

More than a hundred schools have been ordered to close across the United Kingdom due to concerns about the risk of collapse in a particular type of building material, called reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The product is widely used in Australia too for residential, commercial and infrastructure applications. Should we be concerned?

Cosmos asks infrastructure engineer and concrete innovation enthusiast Dr Xuemei Liu from the University in Melbou
Cosmos •

Explainer: Analytical chemistry a secret weapon in conserving museum objects

In Conservation, located in the cool white underbelly of Melbourne Museum, objects conservator Charlotte Walker is preparing a psychedelic Jenny Bannister jacket ready to go on display in the Melbourne Story gallery.

The sleeveless tunic – made by the nationally significant designer when she was only 14 and attending Red Cliffs High School in Victoria – is laid out face down on a white bench.

The influence of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust is evident in the design, which is accented by loud hand
Cosmos •

Explainer: Unethical AI and what can be done about it

Italy bans ChatGPT over privacy concerns. An Australian whistle-blower threatens to sue for defamation after the chatbot falsely describes him as a perpetrator in the scandal he helped uncover. A Belgian man dies by suicide after confiding in an AI chatbot.

“Every day, there seems to be headlines about some new thing that raises interesting ethical questions,” says Dr Nick Schuster, an AI ethicist at ANU’s Humanising Machine Intelligence.

“ChatGPT just seems to be the latest headline maker.”
Cosmos •

Explainer: What is involved in disposing of radioactive waste from AUKUS nuclear submarines?

Australia will dispose of high-level nuclear waste from AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, according to details revealed when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met leaders of UK and US on March 13.

Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the radioactive waste – including spent nuclear fuel – would require a new facility to be built on “current or future” Defence land with the process of selecting a site beginning in 2023.

Cosmos asked experts in nuclear science, environmental planning, communit
Cosmos •

Explainer: Why people are making room for Roomba ... in their hearts

Gareth Olver’s robot vacuum has its work cut out.

Olver lives in regional Victoria with his family, and the unpaved roads and surrounding countryside mean plenty of dirt gets tracked inside the family home.

“We live on a bit of acreage. So, if I’m out doing stuff – out with the dogs, or chopping wood, or even playing with the kids – you just can’t help but bring stuff in on your shoes,” he says.

All that dust prompted him to bring home ‘Plex’, a robotic vacuum-mop which “skits around the floo
Cosmos •

Fruit stickers: Why you should give a fig

The latter, if you accidentally eat one – which seems a fairly common occurrence given the number of newspaper and web articles headlined, “are fruit stickers edible?”

Here’s why you should give a fig about fruit stickers.

Why do we have them?

Even though these little labels look kind of official and appear on (or rather, adhere to) nearly all fresh fruit sold at supermarkets or fruit and veg shops, there’s no legal or regulatory requirement for them to be there.

Food Standards Australia req
Cosmos •

Explainer: The mysterious world of emoji 🌚

A text containing a leafless tree, a spade, and face with bags under its eyes might be cause for concern, but the Unicode Emoji Subcommittee has decided these are the tiny icons we will need in 2025.

If that wasn’t disturbing enough, the new icon list – Emoji 16.0, announced today – also contains a fingerprint, a ‘splatter’ and a harp.

And as renewable energy enthusiasts continue to wait for a wind turbine, the arrival of a new ‘root vegetable’, seems fated for pictorial innuendo.

Emoji. Love
Cosmos •

Explainer: Answering the why in Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth)

Today, it’s almost impossible to remember the world before wireless technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are now so ubiquitous even our hairbrushes, juicers and coffee pod machines come internet-connected.

Wi-Fi is, famously, an Australian invention that dates to the 1990s. It was developed by Dr John O’Sullivan and colleagues at the CSIRO who created the wireless local area network (or, wireless LAN) technology from mathematics developed for recording nanosecond pulses of radio waves f

Gender

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