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Catalyst: Toxic sediments

Learn how high levels of toxic sediments in Sydney Harbour have destroyed as much as 40 per cent of its invertebrates. Find out the main source of toxins. Learn how toxins become trapped in the sediment and distributed across the Harbour. Observe the devastating effects of toxic sediments on the food chain in 2010, when ...

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Catalyst: Chemical pollutants toxic to whales

Explore how chemical pollutants affect the Antarctic food web. A scientist shows that baleen whales are consuming Antarctic krill contaminated by accumulated residues of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from pesticides and industrial chemicals. Find out why these pollutants are concentrated at the Earth's polar regions.

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Quantum: Tidal power

Journey to Bathurst Island where strong tidal currents can be found in the Apsley Strait. Observe how the Nguiu community is investigating the use of tidal power to provide their electricity needs instead of using non-renewable and expensive fossil fuels.

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ABC News: Supporting sustainable farming

Consider the vast land that is Australia. How might we, as a community, help to keep our land sustainable? Explore the ideas put forward by Professor Peter Cullen and Dr John Williams in response to the continuing drought conditions of 2003. What role could city dwellers play so that farmers could better care for the land?

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From the garden to the plate

Discover a community garden and a local restaurant working together to grow fresh produce and create fabulous meals - sustainably. View this clip created by young reporters from Presbyterian Ladies College in Armidale, New South Wales. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which ...

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Landline: Spinifex research

What does spinifex grass contain that might prove useful in modern buildings? Watch this clip and discover how Aboriginal knowledge, combined with Western science, is unlocking the potential of spinifex. Find out about this natural resource and how it could become a new, sustainable material for the building industry.

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Four Corners: Industrialisation versus conservation

The conflict between industry and conservation is not a new one. This clip, taken from a 1973 Four Corners program, highlights the conflict between those wishing to preserve Australia's natural environment and those representing industrial interests. Industry is shown to be spending millions of dollars to prevent pollution. ...

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Scientists study suburban microbats

Discover the tiny bats that live in Australian backyards in urban areas, including large cities. Watch this clip to learn more about these elusive Australian mammals, and to find out about a large-scale survey undertaken in Melbourne. Scientist, Dr Rodney van der Ree, addresses a group of volunteers in the field and explains ...

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Kids in the Garden, Ep 11: Who are the creatures living in your garden?

See creepy crawly creatures as you've never seen them before. Discover how important wild creatures are to the health of gardens. Find out how you can entice a wide variety of creatures to a garden you know well!

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Elliot and the Surfing Scientist: Temperature changes the properties of a substance

Substances that are very cold have different properties to substances that are hot. Watch as the Surfing Scientist uses hot and cold water, food colouring and a fish tank to demonstrate what happens when water at different temperatures is mixed together.

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Hillside erosion: how to stop it

Find out what is causing erosion of the hills in a local area, and how this damage can be prevented. View this clip called 'Willunga Hills are falling down', created by young reporters from Willunga Primary School, South Australia. The clip was developed as part of the ABC Splash Live 'Making the news!' project, which featured ...

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ABC News: Disease threatens fish

Imagine what would happen if a deadly fish disease found its way into Australia's biggest river system. Watch this clip to learn more about a disease threatening the ecology of the Murray-Darling River. Scientist, Professor Richard Whittington, explains that the disease could be the final straw for an endangered Australian ...

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BTN: China's internal migration

For decades China has experienced a mass migration of people from rural to urban areas. This large-scale movement of people is putting pressure on the resources and facilities of cities such as Shanghai. Watch this clip, first broadcast in 1993, to find out the reasons for China's internal migration and the challenges it ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Damming the free and mighty Mekong

The Mekong has been a rare thing: a largely untouched and free-flowing river. Stretching for nearly 5,000 km from the mountains of Tibet to Vietnam's Mekong Delta, it has provided a way of life for millions of people and been an important trading route between south-western China and south-eastern Asia. In this clip from ...

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Foreign Correspondent: Siberian tigers

Imagine a world where the only place Siberian tigers lived was in captivity. Watch this clip to learn more about the natural habitat of Siberian tigers and the things that threaten their survival in the wild. Chinese scientists are breeding this endangered species in captivity and zoologist, Liu Dan, explains his hope that ...

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Catalyst: Managing bushfires

To burn or not to burn? Investigate the science behind arguments for and against controlled burn-offs that aim to reduce the risk of bushfires to humans. Listen to the reasons Professor Mark Adams of Sydney University gives for a careful approach to prescribed burning.

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Gardening Australia: Planting an orchard

Imagine eating oranges straight from a tree in your school orchard. Watch this clip to see how the Swan Valley Anglican Community School began creating their own orchard complete with fruit-bearing orange trees. Josh Byrne explains how to position an orchard, prepare the soil and select suitable plants.

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Foreign Correspondent: Bali - tourism and development

Bali, a world-renowned slice of paradise in Indonesia, is undergoing rapid development to accommodate the increase in foreign tourism. Tourism brings money but it also drives up prices and affects the environment. View this clip to explore the issues experienced by those living in paradise.

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Stateline: Saving the northern hairy-nosed wombat

Just what is going on with the northern hairy-nosed wombat? Find out why scientists are working hard to understand more about this elusive Australian mammal. Watch this clip to find out about the ecology of this wombat species and to view some field and laboratory research aimed at saving it. You will also see some footage ...

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Sciencey: Five things you need to know about climate change

Find out how carbon dioxide makes the Earth warmer, how oceans store heat and the way we can see climate history in ice. What are the consequences of changes in the global climate? What can we do as individuals and communities to stop these negative changes?