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Science In Action: Australian Bush Fires

A firefighter hoses down the flames in New South Wales

24/10/2013

Australian Bush Fires

BBC World Service - Science In Action, Australian Bush Fires

Why are the Australian bush fires so intense?

The causes of the current Australian bush fires; Worldwide roundup of nuclear energy; and Supercomputer crunches weather data

Bush fires have been spreading across New South Wales, Australia, for over a week with little hope of getting them under control soon.  Although bush fires are an expected part of an Australian summer, the fire season has started much earlier than usual.  We look at the causes of the Australian bush fires and consider how much of them are due to human impacts on the climate. 

Nuclear Energy Roundup
Plans for two new nuclear reactors in England have been announced this week, which once built will supply 5% of Britain’s electricity.  Globally 60 new reactors are currently under construction; many of which are joint ventures between nations.  We take a look at the future of nuclear energy and how energy provision is becoming an increasingly globalised project.

Supercomputer Models Weather Data
Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois has developed a supercomputer that is capable of doing hundreds of trillions of calculations per second. It will enable scientists to get a handle on how the many levels of physical, biological and chemical processes influence the planets climate. 


(Photo credit: A firefighter hoses down the flames in New South Wales © AFP/Getty Images)

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