In this issue

	ECOS Issue 192

Features

Should we be preparing for an El Niño in 2014? Recently speculation has been rife that the end of 2014 will see an El Niño event – the change in Pacific Ocean and atmosphere circulation that is known to produce drought, extreme heat, and fire in Australia.

The noisy future of farming
How will we sustain protein levels in our future food supply, in a world where 9 billion-plus people will be pushing the planet's farming and aquaculture systems to the limit? Grain prices will almost certainly go up and so will the price of meat, as livestock depend on these grain supplies. Insects, though, offer a good alternative – healthy, easy to raise, and much more efficient in processing vegetable matter into animal protein.

Our cities need more trees and water, not less, to stay liveable How can we keep urban trees and gardens alive, without wasting water? Australia's major cities routinely rank among the world’s most liveable. But for all our clean streets, good healthcare and educational opportunities, one of the things we have to contend with is our sweltering summer heat.

Logic the key to Lake Eyre Basin clean-up Australia's Lake Eyre Basin is as big as Italy, Germany and France combined. It's one of the world's largest internally draining basins, drained by one of the world's most variable river systems – the Georgina, Diamantina and Cooper. Rich in Indigenous culture, the Basin is also home to some of the rarest, least exploited ecosystems on the planet.

Most of us overestimate how ‘green’ we really are Most Australians overestimate how much they are doing for the environment compared to others, and are more concerned about water shortages, pollution and household waste than climate change, a new CSIRO survey reveals.

Broadband serves up sight-saving science Achieving and maintaining a healthy population is integral to Australia's sustainable development. Yet socio-economic and geographic barriers prevent many Indigenous Australians, in particular, from accessing effective healthcare for endemic diseases such as diabetes and associated conditions.