Threatened species need more protection, but often actions are undertaken too late or in a way that are not far reaching enough, or create further stress on vulnerable populations of plants or animals. You will have read about grasslands being bulldozed over, woodlands that provide the final habitat for rare finches being developed into housing estates, or mines releasing toxic sediment into once pristine creeks. Why doe this continue to happen when the evidence is clear? Some might say its too complex, but Hugh Possingham, immediate past Chief Queensland Scientist has calculated mathematical models that can provide policymakers with the evidence they need to take protective action. So how can we encourage policy makers to follow the science?