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Editor's note
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Most of us know dietary choices can have a big effect on our carbon footprint. But have you ever thought about how much water goes into producing, say, your morning bowl of cereal, a glass of beer or a bar of chocolate? CSIRO researchers have found out – painstakingly analysing the diets of more than 9,000 adult Australians.
Their results throw up some incredible figures. One kilogram of almonds or dried apricots, for example, takes well over 3,000 litres of water each to produce. But a kilogram of wholemeal bread requires just 11 litres of water. And non-essential foods – chocolate, cakes, alcohol and the like – comprise a whopping 25% of our diet’s water impact.
The water-use issue has never been more pertinent. We live on the driest inhabited continent on Earth. Much of the nation is gripped by devastating drought and the vital Murray-Darling river system is in serious trouble, largely due to decades of excessive water extraction for agriculture. The researchers hope their work will make us think about how our food can be produced, and consumed, more sustainably.
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Nicole Hasham
Section Editor: Energy + Environment
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Top stories
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A small chocolate bar takes 21 litres of water to produce.
Byline: CAROLINE BLUMBERG/ EPA
Brad Ridoutt, CSIRO
It's long been known that our diet choices help determine our carbon footprint. But do you know which of your favourite foods are the most water-hungry?
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Maggots are a major part of the puzzle when it comes to collecting forensic evidence.
Shutterstock
Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation
James Wallman is one of Australia's few forensic entomologists. It’s his job to unpack the tiny clues left behind by insects that can help police solve crimes.
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New research has found that contributions to charitable causes by gambling operators amounted to just 1.5% of total net revenue during a three-year period in Victoria.
Dan Peled/AAP
Charles Livingstone, Monash University; Louise Francis, Monash University
Gambling operators are required by law to donate some of their revenue for charitable purposes. But a review of data in Victoria shows that charitable giving is actually far less than they claim.
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President Trump and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison insist it matters whether China is classified as “developed” or “developing” in the World Trade Organisation matters. It may not.
Shutterstock
Henry Gao, Singapore Management University; Weihuan Zhou, UNSW
In complaining about China's alleged special treatment by the World Trade Organization, US President Donald Trump and Australia's Scott Morrison are pointing to something that isn't really there.
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Science + Technology
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Rebecca Allen, Swinburne University of Technology
NASA has released a sound recording from Mars. So what do these literally otherworldly sounds tell us about the processes at play inside the red planet?
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Politics + Society
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
The prime minister's recent appearances at home and abroad suggest he is tracking to the right, and the lack of nuance in the positions he takes is worrying.
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Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra
Deep Saini and Michelle Grattan discuss the consequences of the controversial phone call between Morrison and Trump as revealed by the New York Times.
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John Keane, University of Sydney
Lee says Hong Kong is up against an emergent Chinese empire and fears violence on both sides will soon spiral out of control.
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Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle
Extradition laws are based on the idea that offenders, or alleged offenders, should not be able to evade justice by fleeing to another country. But the case of Malka Leifer shows just how difficult that can be.
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Education
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Amina Youssef-Shalala, Australian Catholic University
There are three types of memory: sensory, working and long-term. Activating sensory memory is the first step to better learning. This means learning through as many senses as possible.
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Health + Medicine
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Catherine Tran, University of Sydney; Clayton Chiu; Kristine Macartney, University of Sydney
You no longer have to go to your GP to get your flu shot or catch up on vaccinations you missed earlier in life or have waning immunity to. But they're unlikely to be free.
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Jayashri Kulkarni, Monash University
Puberty can make us behave differently.
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Arts + Culture
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Julie Shiels, RMIT University
Visual arts and performance have always been central to protest movements - but the unified branding of Extinction Rebellion shows a new approach to activism.
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Miriama Young, University of Melbourne
A feast for the senses reminiscent of an all-night rave or the film Bladerunner, Chamber Made's new work Diaspora bathes the audience with broad spectrum frequencies of light and sound.
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Featured jobs
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Charles Sturt University — West Bathurst, New South Wales
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Featured events
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Theatre 230, Level 2, Kwong Lee Dow Building, 234 Queensberry St, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia — University of Melbourne
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Arts West building, Melbourne, Victoria, 3056, Australia — University of Melbourne
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