Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will host a public lecture next week on how computers can help solve environmental problems. The free lecture, by CSU Endeavour Research Fellow Dr Sreenath Subrahmanyam, will focus on recent examples of how computers have been used to detect environmental contaminants, assess environmental impacts and construct artificial wetlands. Dr Subrahmanyan joined CSU on an Australian government-funded Endeavour Award, and has designed an artificial wetland for the Cadia Valley mine near Orange as part of an ongoing remedial project. Dr Subrahmanyan said computers were now being used to solve a range of environmental and biological problems. “Computers are being used to find out if there are elevated sugar levels in blood and to detect creatine levels in the blood of body builders,” he said. “They are used to test if our food grains are polluted with toxins, to reduce carbon emissions in various industries and to assess and reduce the pollutants from industries that damage our health, land, water and air.” The lecture is part of a series co-hosted by CSU and the Central West Branch of the Royal Society of NSW. CSU wines and a selection of cheeses will be served following the lecture.