A recent spate of chemical fires in Melbourne has raised questions about the effectiveness of the state’s regulators to prevent large-scale industrial disasters. 7.30’s Rhiana Whitson reports with Lucy Kent.

Citizen science is a popular method of gathering data for natural and social scientists, with the number of projects and publications produced growing year by year. A typical citizen science project uses volunteers to gather data that would otherwise be unaffordable or inaccessible.

CCE was formed in 1985 by a small group of concerned citizens who recognized the need to provide public involvement to advance stronger environmental policy. Today, CCE has grown to a 120,000-member organization with offices in Farmingdale, NY, Albany, NY, Syracuse, NY, and Buffalo, NY. CCE continues to work to empower the public by providing members with opportunities to participate in the political process and thereby advance a strong environmental agenda.

Sea Shepherd is an international direct-action ocean conservation movement.

Sea Shepherd investigates and documents when laws to protect the world’s oceans and marine wildlife are not enforced. We use innovative, direct actions to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas marine sanctuaries and in countries’ sovereign waters through cooperative agreements with established law enforcement agencies.

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature documentary series forming the Life collection, a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, and PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally.

In 1982 protesters and environmental activists led a campaign to stop the damming of the Franklin River in Tasmania. This action saved a key wilderness area and raised awareness of environmental issues. The political success of the environmental groups involved eventually led to the formation of the Greens, now Australia’s third most popular political party.

Perhaps the finest nature writer of the Twentieth Century, Rachel Carson (1907-1964) is remembered more today as the woman who challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature by chemicals, bombs and space travel than for her studies of ocean life. See here: (Linda Lear) and the website (www.rachelcarson.org).

Midnight Oil has reflected and challenged modern Australia for over 40 years. From their early days in the northern beaches of Sydney to global icons, “the Oils” are known for their radically uncompromising stance, particularly on issues of race and the environment.

Driven by the power of people, ACF won World Heritage listing for the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu National Park, and returned precious water to the rivers of the Murray-Darling.