Have Your Say On NSW Government's Biodiversity Reforms
Amendments To Pittwater Local Environmental Plan
Applications Open For Threatened Species Recovery Fund
Harbour Trust Launches Amended Middle Head Management Plan
New Dolphin Mitigation Strategies For The SPF And SESSF
Mid-Water Pair Trawling In Commonwealth SPF
Paris 1.5°C Target May Be Smashed By 2026
May 8, 2017: University of New South Wales
The projected paths of global temperatures with a positive and negative Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Credit: Study authors
Global temperatures could break through the 1.5°C barrier negotiated at the Paris conference as early as 2026 if a slow-moving, natural climate driver known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) has, as suspected, moved into a positive phase.
New research published in Geophysical Research Letters by University of Melbourne scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science shows that a positive IPO would likely produce a sharp acceleration in global warming over the next decade.
Since 1999, the IPO has been in a negative phase but consecutive record-breaking warm years in 2014, 2015 and 2016 have led climate researchers to suggest this may have changed. In the past, these positive phases have coincided with accelerated global warming.
"Even if the IPO remains in a negative phase, our research shows we will still likely see global temperatures break through the 1.5°C guardrail by 2031," said lead author Dr Ben Henley.
"If the world is to have any hope of meeting the Paris target, governments will need to pursue policies that not only reduce emissions but remove carbon from the atmosphere."
"Should we overshoot the 1.5°C limit, we must still aim to bring global temperatures back down and stabilise them at that level or lower."
The IPO has a profound impact on our climate because it is a powerful natural climate lever with a lot of momentum that changes very slowly over periods of 10-30 years.
During its positive phase the ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific are unusually warm and those outside this region to the north and south are often unusually cool. When the IPO enters a negative phase, this situation is reversed.
In the past, we have seen positive IPOs from 1925-1946 and again from 1977-1998. These were both periods that saw rapid increases in global average temperatures. The world experienced the reverse -- a prolonged negative phase -- from 1947-1976, when global temperatures stalled.
A striking characteristic of the most recent 21st Century negative phase of the IPO is that on this occasion global average surface temperatures continued to rise, just at a slower rate.
"Although the Earth has continued to warm during the temporary slowdown since around 2000, the reduced rate of warming in that period may have lulled us into a false sense of security. The positive phase of the IPO will likely correct this slowdown. If so, we can expect an acceleration in global warming in the coming decades," Dr Henley said.
"Policy makers should be aware of just how quickly we are approaching 1.5°C. The task of reducing emissions is very urgent indeed."
Benjamin J. Henley, Andrew D. King. Trajectories toward the 1.5°C Paris target: Modulation by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Geophysical Research Letters, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073480
May 8, 2017: University of New South Wales
The projected paths of global temperatures with a positive and negative Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Credit: Study authors
Global temperatures could break through the 1.5°C barrier negotiated at the Paris conference as early as 2026 if a slow-moving, natural climate driver known as the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) has, as suspected, moved into a positive phase.
New research published in Geophysical Research Letters by University of Melbourne scientists at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science shows that a positive IPO would likely produce a sharp acceleration in global warming over the next decade.
Since 1999, the IPO has been in a negative phase but consecutive record-breaking warm years in 2014, 2015 and 2016 have led climate researchers to suggest this may have changed. In the past, these positive phases have coincided with accelerated global warming.
"Even if the IPO remains in a negative phase, our research shows we will still likely see global temperatures break through the 1.5°C guardrail by 2031," said lead author Dr Ben Henley.
"If the world is to have any hope of meeting the Paris target, governments will need to pursue policies that not only reduce emissions but remove carbon from the atmosphere."
"Should we overshoot the 1.5°C limit, we must still aim to bring global temperatures back down and stabilise them at that level or lower."
The IPO has a profound impact on our climate because it is a powerful natural climate lever with a lot of momentum that changes very slowly over periods of 10-30 years.
During its positive phase the ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific are unusually warm and those outside this region to the north and south are often unusually cool. When the IPO enters a negative phase, this situation is reversed.
In the past, we have seen positive IPOs from 1925-1946 and again from 1977-1998. These were both periods that saw rapid increases in global average temperatures. The world experienced the reverse -- a prolonged negative phase -- from 1947-1976, when global temperatures stalled.
A striking characteristic of the most recent 21st Century negative phase of the IPO is that on this occasion global average surface temperatures continued to rise, just at a slower rate.
"Although the Earth has continued to warm during the temporary slowdown since around 2000, the reduced rate of warming in that period may have lulled us into a false sense of security. The positive phase of the IPO will likely correct this slowdown. If so, we can expect an acceleration in global warming in the coming decades," Dr Henley said.
"Policy makers should be aware of just how quickly we are approaching 1.5°C. The task of reducing emissions is very urgent indeed."
Benjamin J. Henley, Andrew D. King. Trajectories toward the 1.5°C Paris target: Modulation by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. Geophysical Research Letters, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073480
2017 Eco Schools Grants Program Open For Applications
Media release: 26 April 2017Educators and school communities are once again encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to ignite and nurture their students’ passion to learn about the environment.
Eighty grants of $3,500 each are now available under the NSW Environmental Trust Eco Schools Grants program, which has supported a variety of environmental projects in schools from waste management to worm farms for nearly 20 years.
Office of Environment and Heritage Executive Director Ian Hunter said the grants help provide curriculum-based environmental education for children and the program proudly funded its 1000th project last year.
“Eco Schools Grants recognise the important work of educators in environmental conservation projects and I encourage schools to apply for one of the eighty grants,” Mr Hunter said.
“Research shows that when young people develop an appreciation of the environment early on it influences their behaviours later in life.
“Schools are uniquely placed to teach students about sustainability, why it’s important to take care of our environment and what good environmental citizenship looks like,” Mr Hunter said.
Teachers from Bonnyrigg High School in Sydney’s west used their Eco Schools Grant to bring history and science to life through environmental education with a medieval food garden.
“Students learned about garden functionality, soil health and sustainable living. Science students also used the plants to study photosynthesis and helped their school create a resource to facilitate hands-on learning for years to come,” Mr Hunter said.
“Grants this year will be offered to student-focused environmental management projects, including water and energy conservation, recycling, bush regeneration, habitat improvement and food gardens.
“Schools are also encouraged to develop projects for students with special needs,” Mr Hunter said. Interested schools in NSW are encouraged to register on theSustainable Schools NSW website and grant applications can be submitted until Monday 19 June, 2017.
All registered schools in NSW can apply for funding for new projects or a separate additional stage of a previous project. Schools currently delivering an existing Eco Schools Grant funded project are not eligible.
For more information visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/schools.htm
Photo - Bonnyrigg Highschool Eco Schools Grants GardenEducators and school communities are once again encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to ignite and nurture their students’ passion to learn about the environment. Photo Courtesy OEH
Media release: 26 April 2017
Educators and school communities are once again encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to ignite and nurture their students’ passion to learn about the environment.
Eighty grants of $3,500 each are now available under the NSW Environmental Trust Eco Schools Grants program, which has supported a variety of environmental projects in schools from waste management to worm farms for nearly 20 years.
Office of Environment and Heritage Executive Director Ian Hunter said the grants help provide curriculum-based environmental education for children and the program proudly funded its 1000th project last year.
“Eco Schools Grants recognise the important work of educators in environmental conservation projects and I encourage schools to apply for one of the eighty grants,” Mr Hunter said.
“Research shows that when young people develop an appreciation of the environment early on it influences their behaviours later in life.
“Schools are uniquely placed to teach students about sustainability, why it’s important to take care of our environment and what good environmental citizenship looks like,” Mr Hunter said.
Teachers from Bonnyrigg High School in Sydney’s west used their Eco Schools Grant to bring history and science to life through environmental education with a medieval food garden.
“Students learned about garden functionality, soil health and sustainable living. Science students also used the plants to study photosynthesis and helped their school create a resource to facilitate hands-on learning for years to come,” Mr Hunter said.
“Grants this year will be offered to student-focused environmental management projects, including water and energy conservation, recycling, bush regeneration, habitat improvement and food gardens.
“Schools are also encouraged to develop projects for students with special needs,” Mr Hunter said.
Interested schools in NSW are encouraged to register on theSustainable Schools NSW website and grant applications can be submitted until Monday 19 June, 2017.
All registered schools in NSW can apply for funding for new projects or a separate additional stage of a previous project. Schools currently delivering an existing Eco Schools Grant funded project are not eligible.
For more information visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/grants/schools.htm
Photo - Bonnyrigg Highschool Eco Schools Grants Garden
Educators and school communities are once again encouraged to apply for an Eco Schools Grant to ignite and nurture their students’ passion to learn about the environment. Photo Courtesy OEH
Correcting Adani’s Response To Evidence Of Abbot Point Pollution
May 4, 2017: Media Release - Australian Conservation Foundation
Adani has today contradicted its advice to the Queensland government, says the CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation Ms Kelly O’Shanassy.
Yesterday, the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) issued a media release declaring that:
“Adani Abbot Point Bulkcoal provided a report to EHP on 24 April advising it had a water discharge on 30 March from a licensed point on the northern side of the terminal, containing 806mg/L of sediment.[1]
This release of polluted water, containing suspended solids at 800% the permitted concentration, was from a location where discharged wastewater flows out of the site, towards a beach to the north of the coal terminal, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
However, today, Adani has released a statement declaring that it:
“refutes assertions that its Abbot Point coal handling facility discharged contaminated water in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.”[2]
Ms O’Shanassy, who has a Science Honours degree and previously worked at the Victorian Environment Protection Authority said, “That Adani is now contradicting its own report of compliance with this licence is highly concerning. It raises fresh questions about Adani’s ability to self-monitor its environmental impact at the Abbot Point site and of the suitability of the Environment Department to rely on the company’s evidence.”
“Adani’s licence to pollute during Cyclone Debbie did not place any limit on the volume of contaminated water that it could discharge. It just limited the concentration of pollutants in the water to over 300% the normally permitted levels.
“Adani failed to meet even these relaxed pollution controls.
“An accurate assessment of whether Adani complied with its licence is entirely dependant on quality monitoring when the discharge of contaminated water was actually occurring. The adequacy of these arrangements have not been publicly disclosed.
“Determining compliance by sampling after the fact is highly challenging. This is because the presence of pollutants, such as coal, in the environment after the discharge has occurred is not sufficient to prove a breach - alarming as this is.
“The pollution license issued by the Department did not prohibit the release of pollutants, including coal, it merely restricted their concentration in the discharged water. Once the discharge has ceased, this concentration is, in most cases, next to impossible to determine.
“It is therefore highly concerning that the Department did not commence its investigation of the incident until over a week after Cyclone Debbie struck and did not collect samples until approximately two weeks after it occurred. This will severely hamper its ability to identify any breach of the licence.
“Last week a site inspection by the MacKay Conservation Group and the Australian Marine Conservation Society, accompanied by scientists, identified what looks like coal sediment in the Caley Valley Wetlands. This visible evidence flies in the face of Adani’s claims of no discharge from their coal port.” Ms O’Shanassy said.
_______________________
_______________________
May 4, 2017: Media Release - Australian Conservation Foundation
Adani has today contradicted its advice to the Queensland government, says the CEO of the Australian Conservation Foundation Ms Kelly O’Shanassy.
Yesterday, the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) issued a media release declaring that:
“Adani Abbot Point Bulkcoal provided a report to EHP on 24 April advising it had a water discharge on 30 March from a licensed point on the northern side of the terminal, containing 806mg/L of sediment.[1]
This release of polluted water, containing suspended solids at 800% the permitted concentration, was from a location where discharged wastewater flows out of the site, towards a beach to the north of the coal terminal, which is part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
However, today, Adani has released a statement declaring that it:
“refutes assertions that its Abbot Point coal handling facility discharged contaminated water in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.”[2]
Ms O’Shanassy, who has a Science Honours degree and previously worked at the Victorian Environment Protection Authority said, “That Adani is now contradicting its own report of compliance with this licence is highly concerning. It raises fresh questions about Adani’s ability to self-monitor its environmental impact at the Abbot Point site and of the suitability of the Environment Department to rely on the company’s evidence.”
“Adani’s licence to pollute during Cyclone Debbie did not place any limit on the volume of contaminated water that it could discharge. It just limited the concentration of pollutants in the water to over 300% the normally permitted levels.
“Adani failed to meet even these relaxed pollution controls.
“An accurate assessment of whether Adani complied with its licence is entirely dependant on quality monitoring when the discharge of contaminated water was actually occurring. The adequacy of these arrangements have not been publicly disclosed.
“Determining compliance by sampling after the fact is highly challenging. This is because the presence of pollutants, such as coal, in the environment after the discharge has occurred is not sufficient to prove a breach - alarming as this is.
“The pollution license issued by the Department did not prohibit the release of pollutants, including coal, it merely restricted their concentration in the discharged water. Once the discharge has ceased, this concentration is, in most cases, next to impossible to determine.
“It is therefore highly concerning that the Department did not commence its investigation of the incident until over a week after Cyclone Debbie struck and did not collect samples until approximately two weeks after it occurred. This will severely hamper its ability to identify any breach of the licence.
“Last week a site inspection by the MacKay Conservation Group and the Australian Marine Conservation Society, accompanied by scientists, identified what looks like coal sediment in the Caley Valley Wetlands. This visible evidence flies in the face of Adani’s claims of no discharge from their coal port.” Ms O’Shanassy said.
_______________________
_______________________
Abbot Point Investigation Update
Test Results From Coal Found On Beach In Mackay
Abbot Coal Spill
Solar Powered Great Barrier Reef Research At AIMS
11th May 2017: AIMSResearch into the workings and wellbeing of Australia’s tropical marine environments has received a boost with the announcement of funding for the installation of renewable energy infrastructure at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) near Townsville.
With $1.8 million in funding delivered through the Australian Government’s Public Service Modernisation Fund, and announced as part of the Federal Budget 2017-2018, AIMS will commence planning and construction of an 800kW solar panel array at its Cape Ferguson headquarters during financial year 2017-18.
Speaking from Cape Ferguson today, AIMS CEO John Gunn said that installation of the $2.25 million system would result in more money being available for AIMS’ science activities. “We will save around $300,000 annually on electricity bills – savings that can be used to support the important work being done by our researchers”, said Mr Gunn.
A significant proportion of AIMS’ research focuses on the impact of climate global change on tropical marine ecosystems. “Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels are known to be driving climate change – this initiative will reduce the Institute’s carbon footprint by more than 800 tonnes annually”, noted Mr Gunn.
The Institute’s National Sea Simulator (SeaSim) is proving to be an invaluable tool in the fight to unravel the complex interplay of pressures on reef communities. “SeaSim is allowing us to undertake complex research that was not previously possible – including work on assessing the impact of increasing CO2 – this investment will help to reduce the recurrent cost of running this important research asset.”
“The Government’s commitment to supporting world class research infrastructure, as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda, is helping to keep Australia at the forefront of tropical marine research internationally,” said Mr Gunn.
The National Sea Simulator is situated at AIMS' Cape Ferguson facility near Townsville, Queensland.
11th May 2017: AIMS
Research into the workings and wellbeing of Australia’s tropical marine environments has received a boost with the announcement of funding for the installation of renewable energy infrastructure at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) near Townsville.
With $1.8 million in funding delivered through the Australian Government’s Public Service Modernisation Fund, and announced as part of the Federal Budget 2017-2018, AIMS will commence planning and construction of an 800kW solar panel array at its Cape Ferguson headquarters during financial year 2017-18.
Speaking from Cape Ferguson today, AIMS CEO John Gunn said that installation of the $2.25 million system would result in more money being available for AIMS’ science activities. “We will save around $300,000 annually on electricity bills – savings that can be used to support the important work being done by our researchers”, said Mr Gunn.
A significant proportion of AIMS’ research focuses on the impact of climate global change on tropical marine ecosystems. “Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels are known to be driving climate change – this initiative will reduce the Institute’s carbon footprint by more than 800 tonnes annually”, noted Mr Gunn.
The Institute’s National Sea Simulator (SeaSim) is proving to be an invaluable tool in the fight to unravel the complex interplay of pressures on reef communities. “SeaSim is allowing us to undertake complex research that was not previously possible – including work on assessing the impact of increasing CO2 – this investment will help to reduce the recurrent cost of running this important research asset.”
“The Government’s commitment to supporting world class research infrastructure, as part of its National Innovation and Science Agenda, is helping to keep Australia at the forefront of tropical marine research internationally,” said Mr Gunn.
The National Sea Simulator is situated at AIMS' Cape Ferguson facility near Townsville, Queensland.
Budget 2017: Government Funds Pollution Over People And Nature
Future Of $1 Billion National Landcare Program Secure
Budget Invests In A Reliable Energy Future
New Funding Announced For Digital Earth Australia
10 May 2017
Geoscience Australia welcomes the release of Budget 2017-18 by the Treasurer, which includes $15.3 million in new funding to establish the Digital Earth Australia over the next two years.
This investment by the Australian Government through the Department of Finance's Public Service Modernisation Fund will enable Geoscience Australia to transform the international award winning pilot project, the Australian Geoscience Data Cube, into Digital Earth Australia.
Geoscience Australia's CEO Dr James Johnson said Digital Earth Australia will make it quicker and easier to access Earth observation satellite data, translating almost 30 years of data into readily accessible information and insights about Australia's changing landscape and coastline.
Digital Earth Australia will make it quicker and easier to access Earth observation satellite data
"As a publicly available, free platform, Digital Earth Australia will open up new opportunities for a range of industries across the country, including agriculture, environment, mining and scientific research," Dr Johnson explained.
"Satellites have continually taken images of the Australian continent for decades, recording information about our land and water resources. This is currently warehoused in difficult to access government stores.
"Digital Earth Australia will provide reliable, standardised access to this data to build new commercial applications. This will support Australia's developing digital economy, and help to generate new jobs and business opportunities, particularly for small to medium enterprises."
Using the funding announced in Budget 2017-18, Geoscience Australia will take the complex work of applying science and technology to understanding the Earth and translate it into real-world benefits for all Australians.
AboutGeoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia.
Geoscience Australia's history dates back almost to Federation in 1901 when it was decided to set aside land for the national capital. This decision led to the establishment of the Australian Survey Office in 1910, when surveying began for the Australian Capital Territory.
Geoscience Australia came into being in 2001 when the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) merged with the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO).
AGSO's predecessor organisation the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992. BMR's main objective was the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informed mineral exploration.
AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.
Since that time Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunami and earthquakes, environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change, groundwater research, marine and coastal research, carbon capture and storage and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.
10 May 2017
Geoscience Australia welcomes the release of Budget 2017-18 by the Treasurer, which includes $15.3 million in new funding to establish the Digital Earth Australia over the next two years.
This investment by the Australian Government through the Department of Finance's Public Service Modernisation Fund will enable Geoscience Australia to transform the international award winning pilot project, the Australian Geoscience Data Cube, into Digital Earth Australia.
Geoscience Australia's CEO Dr James Johnson said Digital Earth Australia will make it quicker and easier to access Earth observation satellite data, translating almost 30 years of data into readily accessible information and insights about Australia's changing landscape and coastline.
Digital Earth Australia will make it quicker and easier to access Earth observation satellite data
"As a publicly available, free platform, Digital Earth Australia will open up new opportunities for a range of industries across the country, including agriculture, environment, mining and scientific research," Dr Johnson explained.
"Satellites have continually taken images of the Australian continent for decades, recording information about our land and water resources. This is currently warehoused in difficult to access government stores.
"Digital Earth Australia will provide reliable, standardised access to this data to build new commercial applications. This will support Australia's developing digital economy, and help to generate new jobs and business opportunities, particularly for small to medium enterprises."
Using the funding announced in Budget 2017-18, Geoscience Australia will take the complex work of applying science and technology to understanding the Earth and translate it into real-world benefits for all Australians.
About
Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia.
Geoscience Australia's history dates back almost to Federation in 1901 when it was decided to set aside land for the national capital. This decision led to the establishment of the Australian Survey Office in 1910, when surveying began for the Australian Capital Territory.
Geoscience Australia came into being in 2001 when the Australian Surveying and Land Information Group (AUSLIG) merged with the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO).
AGSO's predecessor organisation the Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics (BMR) was established in 1946; with the name changing to AGSO in 1992. BMR's main objective was the systematic geological and geophysical mapping of the continent as the basis for informed mineral exploration.
AUSLIG's main function was to provide national geographic information. It was formed in 1987, when the Australian Survey Office joined with the Division of National Mapping, which was formed in 1947. Another important component of AUSLIG was the provision of satellite imagery to industry and government, started by the Australian Landsat Station in 1979, renamed the Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) in 1986.
Since that time Geoscience Australia's activities have expanded and today it has responsibility for meeting the Australian Government's geoscience requirements. This role takes the Agency well beyond its historic focus on resource development to topics as diverse as natural hazards such as tsunami and earthquakes, environmental issues, including the impacts of climate change, groundwater research, marine and coastal research, carbon capture and storage and vegetation monitoring as well as Earth observations from space. Geoscience Australia's remit also extends beyond the Australian landmass to Australia's vast marine jurisdiction.
Noise Pollution From Gas Compressors Changes Abundance Of Insects, Spiders
May 9, 2017: Florida Museum of Natural History
Many arthropod families, including wolf spiders, dropped in numbers in response to compressor noise. The decrease in wolf spiders could be due to their reliance on subtle vibrations to detect prey. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History photo by Lary Reeves
The relentless roar of natural gas compressors influences the numbers of insects and spiders nearby, triggering decreases in many types of arthropods sensitive to sounds and vibrations, a collaborative Florida Museum of Natural History study shows.
Populations of grasshoppers, froghoppers, velvet ants, wolf spiders and cave, camel and spider crickets dropped significantly in areas near gas compressors, while leafhopper numbers rose.
These shifts in arthropod communities could set off a cascade of larger-scale ecological consequences, as insects and spiders play fundamental roles in food webs, pollination, decomposition and overall ecological health, said study co-author Akito Kawahara, assistant professor and curator at the museum's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the University of Florida.
"Noise pollution affects all kinds of animals, and insects are no exception," Kawahara said. "They might be small, but they're the dominant animals on the planet in terms of numbers. What happens to them affects whole ecosystems."
The study joins a growing body of research on how artificial noise alters animal behavior and disrupts ecosystems and is the first to examine noise pollution's effects on arthropod distribution and community diversity.
Gas compressors, which can range from minivan- to warehouse-sized, extract and move natural gas along a pipeline, emitting intense, low-frequency noise. Previous studies have shown noise pollution from compressors changes the activity levels and distribution of bats and birds, key predators of insects and spiders.
Kawahara joined a multi-institutional research group, led by the study's first author Jessie Bunckley and principal investigator Jesse Barber of Boise State University, to test how the landscape-scale noise produced by gas compressors affects arthropod communities, many of which rely on sound and vibrations to find food, meet a mate, communicate and detect predators.
The research team used pitfall traps to take a census of spider and non-flying insect populations at San Juan Basin, New Mexico, the second largest natural gas field in the U.S. The team tested five sites with compressors and five ecologically-similar sites without compressors and compared the relative abundance of specimens.
Compressor sites had 95 percent fewer cave, camel and spider crickets, 52 percent fewer froghoppers and 24 percent fewer grasshoppers than sites without compressors. For every 10-decibel increase in noise, velvet ant populations dropped 56 percent and wolf spiders decreased by 44 percent. Unexpectedly, leafhopper numbers surged in response to noise, increasing 44 percent for each additional 10 decibels of sound.
Some arthropods, such as jumping spiders, ground spiders, ants and leaf beetles, showed no significant differences in their numbers between sites.
All arthropod groups that responded to louder background sound levels or compressor noise make or sense sounds or vibrations, suggesting compressor noise could directly interfere with or mask important information they receive or exchange.
Compressor noise could negatively affect wolf spiders, for example, because they are hunters that depend on vibrations to detect prey. Conversely, noise could act as a "predator shield" for leafhoppers, hiding their sounds and movements from their natural enemies.
But parsing out why a particular group of arthropods increased or decreased in response to compressor noise is difficult, Kawahara said. While the number of crickets in the Rhaphidophoridae family plunged in response to compressor noise, crickets in the Gryllidae family did not seem to be affected.
"The range of changes in arthropod abundance sheds light on the fact that we're dealing with a very complicated network of animal interactions," Kawahara said.
He pointed to the value of museum collections as archives of past biodiversity that can record changes to the environment over time.
"We are rapidly changing our environment in terms of sound, light, air and climate," he said. "Unless we have historical documentation of what was in an area at a particular time, it's hard to detect these changes at a fine scale. Museum specimens document biodiversity over hundreds of years, offering those snapshots of time."
Jessie P. Bunkley, Christopher J. W. McClure, Akito Y. Kawahara, Clinton D. Francis, Jesse R. Barber. Anthropogenic noise changes arthropod abundances. Ecology and Evolution, 2017; 7 (9): 2977 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2698
May 9, 2017: Florida Museum of Natural History
Many arthropod families, including wolf spiders, dropped in numbers in response to compressor noise. The decrease in wolf spiders could be due to their reliance on subtle vibrations to detect prey. Credit: Florida Museum of Natural History photo by Lary Reeves
The relentless roar of natural gas compressors influences the numbers of insects and spiders nearby, triggering decreases in many types of arthropods sensitive to sounds and vibrations, a collaborative Florida Museum of Natural History study shows.
Populations of grasshoppers, froghoppers, velvet ants, wolf spiders and cave, camel and spider crickets dropped significantly in areas near gas compressors, while leafhopper numbers rose.
These shifts in arthropod communities could set off a cascade of larger-scale ecological consequences, as insects and spiders play fundamental roles in food webs, pollination, decomposition and overall ecological health, said study co-author Akito Kawahara, assistant professor and curator at the museum's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the University of Florida.
"Noise pollution affects all kinds of animals, and insects are no exception," Kawahara said. "They might be small, but they're the dominant animals on the planet in terms of numbers. What happens to them affects whole ecosystems."
The study joins a growing body of research on how artificial noise alters animal behavior and disrupts ecosystems and is the first to examine noise pollution's effects on arthropod distribution and community diversity.
Gas compressors, which can range from minivan- to warehouse-sized, extract and move natural gas along a pipeline, emitting intense, low-frequency noise. Previous studies have shown noise pollution from compressors changes the activity levels and distribution of bats and birds, key predators of insects and spiders.
Kawahara joined a multi-institutional research group, led by the study's first author Jessie Bunckley and principal investigator Jesse Barber of Boise State University, to test how the landscape-scale noise produced by gas compressors affects arthropod communities, many of which rely on sound and vibrations to find food, meet a mate, communicate and detect predators.
The research team used pitfall traps to take a census of spider and non-flying insect populations at San Juan Basin, New Mexico, the second largest natural gas field in the U.S. The team tested five sites with compressors and five ecologically-similar sites without compressors and compared the relative abundance of specimens.
Compressor sites had 95 percent fewer cave, camel and spider crickets, 52 percent fewer froghoppers and 24 percent fewer grasshoppers than sites without compressors. For every 10-decibel increase in noise, velvet ant populations dropped 56 percent and wolf spiders decreased by 44 percent. Unexpectedly, leafhopper numbers surged in response to noise, increasing 44 percent for each additional 10 decibels of sound.
Some arthropods, such as jumping spiders, ground spiders, ants and leaf beetles, showed no significant differences in their numbers between sites.
All arthropod groups that responded to louder background sound levels or compressor noise make or sense sounds or vibrations, suggesting compressor noise could directly interfere with or mask important information they receive or exchange.
Compressor noise could negatively affect wolf spiders, for example, because they are hunters that depend on vibrations to detect prey. Conversely, noise could act as a "predator shield" for leafhoppers, hiding their sounds and movements from their natural enemies.
But parsing out why a particular group of arthropods increased or decreased in response to compressor noise is difficult, Kawahara said. While the number of crickets in the Rhaphidophoridae family plunged in response to compressor noise, crickets in the Gryllidae family did not seem to be affected.
"The range of changes in arthropod abundance sheds light on the fact that we're dealing with a very complicated network of animal interactions," Kawahara said.
He pointed to the value of museum collections as archives of past biodiversity that can record changes to the environment over time.
"We are rapidly changing our environment in terms of sound, light, air and climate," he said. "Unless we have historical documentation of what was in an area at a particular time, it's hard to detect these changes at a fine scale. Museum specimens document biodiversity over hundreds of years, offering those snapshots of time."
Jessie P. Bunkley, Christopher J. W. McClure, Akito Y. Kawahara, Clinton D. Francis, Jesse R. Barber. Anthropogenic noise changes arthropod abundances. Ecology and Evolution, 2017; 7 (9): 2977 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2698
Get Ready Australia… ABC’s War On Waste Starts In May
Endangered Ecosystems Face The Chop Under Proposed New Tree-Clearing Regulations
Mine Rehabilitation Bonds Leave Taxpayers Paying To Clean Up The Industry’s Messes
May 11, 2017: Nature Conservation Council NSW
A new Auditor-General’s report has found environmental bonds have failed to keep pace with the environmental risks associated with the mining industry, which in NSW has risen by more than 400% in the past decade. [1]
“The NSW Auditor-General’s report confirms what we have been saying for years,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said. “Taxpayers are facing massive financial and environmental risks because the government does not make companies stump up enough money to cover the full costs of mine rehabilitation.
“It is a damning indictment of the successive state governments who have mismanagement this issue by putting mining company profits ahead of the environment, communities and taxpayers.”
The report found:- Environmental bonds have ballooned more than 400% between 2005 and 2016, from $500M to $2.2B, yet are unlikely “to cover the full costs of each mine’s rehabilitation in the event of a default”.
- Formulas for calculating bonds are least four years out of date.
- The bonds don’t cover long-term rehabilitation activities such as groundwater and mine void water management, rectification of rehabilitation failures, rectification of major vegetation/ ecosystem failures, and management of tailings dams.
“This report puts a big question mark over the Warkworth Sands and Wilpinjong mine extensions which were both approved on the basis of big rehabilitation promises,” Ms Smolski said.
“In light of the Auditor-General’s report, there should be a full independent review of these projects to see whether the numbers put forward by the mining companies stack up.”
Ms Smolski said the system of environmental bonds needed a complete overhaul.
“Not only do they fail to cover all the immediate environmental risks, they also fail to address the biggest hazard of all time – global climate change,” she said.
“If coal companies had to pay to repair the environmental damage their industry causes, these projects would never get off the ground.
"Instead, taxpayers and future generations are being forced to pay to clean up the mess because successive governments have given these companies a free ride.
“The government should require coal companies to take out insurance at market rates before they can turn the first sod.
"Let the market decide how much it will cost to rehabilitate these toxic sites, not government’s that have cozy relationships with these big companies.”
May 11, 2017: Nature Conservation Council NSW
A new Auditor-General’s report has found environmental bonds have failed to keep pace with the environmental risks associated with the mining industry, which in NSW has risen by more than 400% in the past decade. [1]
“The NSW Auditor-General’s report confirms what we have been saying for years,” Nature Conservation Council CEO Kate Smolski said. “Taxpayers are facing massive financial and environmental risks because the government does not make companies stump up enough money to cover the full costs of mine rehabilitation.“It is a damning indictment of the successive state governments who have mismanagement this issue by putting mining company profits ahead of the environment, communities and taxpayers.”
The report found:
- Environmental bonds have ballooned more than 400% between 2005 and 2016, from $500M to $2.2B, yet are unlikely “to cover the full costs of each mine’s rehabilitation in the event of a default”.
- Formulas for calculating bonds are least four years out of date.
- The bonds don’t cover long-term rehabilitation activities such as groundwater and mine void water management, rectification of rehabilitation failures, rectification of major vegetation/ ecosystem failures, and management of tailings dams.
“This report puts a big question mark over the Warkworth Sands and Wilpinjong mine extensions which were both approved on the basis of big rehabilitation promises,” Ms Smolski said.
“In light of the Auditor-General’s report, there should be a full independent review of these projects to see whether the numbers put forward by the mining companies stack up.”
Ms Smolski said the system of environmental bonds needed a complete overhaul.
“Not only do they fail to cover all the immediate environmental risks, they also fail to address the biggest hazard of all time – global climate change,” she said.
“If coal companies had to pay to repair the environmental damage their industry causes, these projects would never get off the ground.
"Instead, taxpayers and future generations are being forced to pay to clean up the mess because successive governments have given these companies a free ride.
“The government should require coal companies to take out insurance at market rates before they can turn the first sod.
"Let the market decide how much it will cost to rehabilitate these toxic sites, not government’s that have cozy relationships with these big companies.”
Conservation Groups Cry Foul On World Migratory Bird Day
Sydneysiders Urged To Listen Out For 'Powerful Owls'
April 7th, 2017Beth Mott, Birdlife Australia is asking Sydney residents to report the presence of Powerful owls in their area.
Please report any sightings to beth.mott@birdlife.org.au
If you are interested in becoming a Powerful Owl Project volunteer or would like to submit a sighting of a Powerful Owl, please contactpowerfulowl@birdlife.org.au.
You can help us learn more about the Powerful Owls by letting us know if you see or hear one in your area (particularly around Sydney, Blue Mountains, Newcastle, Central Coast, Illawarra). Send an email (to the email addresses above) with your location (street address or GPS location), an attached photo or call recording (if you have it), details of when you saw or heard the bird, and anything interesting you noticed about where it was or what it was doing (e.g. holding prey, perched on a tree branch).
Caution: rarely, some birds can get very aggressive while nesting and it can be very dangerous for people to be too close to the nest tree at night. If you come across a Powerful Owl nest hollow, use caution and please do not approach it (especially at night). Do not use flash photography at the nest as this may disturb the birds and cause them to abandon the nest.
Powerful owl Ninox strenua- picture by Paul Wheeler, 2014 - at Clareville.
April 7th, 2017
Beth Mott, Birdlife Australia is asking Sydney residents to report the presence of Powerful owls in their area.
Please report any sightings to beth.mott@birdlife.org.au
If you are interested in becoming a Powerful Owl Project volunteer or would like to submit a sighting of a Powerful Owl, please contactpowerfulowl@birdlife.org.au.
You can help us learn more about the Powerful Owls by letting us know if you see or hear one in your area (particularly around Sydney, Blue Mountains, Newcastle, Central Coast, Illawarra). Send an email (to the email addresses above) with your location (street address or GPS location), an attached photo or call recording (if you have it), details of when you saw or heard the bird, and anything interesting you noticed about where it was or what it was doing (e.g. holding prey, perched on a tree branch).
Caution: rarely, some birds can get very aggressive while nesting and it can be very dangerous for people to be too close to the nest tree at night. If you come across a Powerful Owl nest hollow, use caution and please do not approach it (especially at night). Do not use flash photography at the nest as this may disturb the birds and cause them to abandon the nest.
Powerful owl Ninox strenua- picture by Paul Wheeler, 2014 - at Clareville.
North Coast Net Trial To End In June
Call For Public Comment On Draft Seabird Threat Abatement Plan
15th March 2017
Public comment is now being sought on the draft Threat abatement plan for the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations (Threat abatement plan for incidental catch of seabirds). The public consultation period is open until 30 June 2017.
The draft Threat abatement plan for incidental catch of seabirds provides a national strategy to guide the activities of government, industry and research organisations in abating the impact of oceanic longline fishing operations on seabirds in Commonwealth fisheries.
The consultation paper and related documents are available on theDepartment of the Environment and Energy website. Your comments on this consultation paper are welcome.
Further information about the existing Threat abatement plan 2014 for the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations is available at the Threat Abatement Plan – seabirds page
A black-browed albatross with chick, on Macquarie Island. (Photo: Kim Kliska)
15th March 2017
Public comment is now being sought on the draft Threat abatement plan for the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations (Threat abatement plan for incidental catch of seabirds). The public consultation period is open until 30 June 2017.
The draft Threat abatement plan for incidental catch of seabirds provides a national strategy to guide the activities of government, industry and research organisations in abating the impact of oceanic longline fishing operations on seabirds in Commonwealth fisheries.
The consultation paper and related documents are available on theDepartment of the Environment and Energy website. Your comments on this consultation paper are welcome.
Further information about the existing Threat abatement plan 2014 for the incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations is available at the Threat Abatement Plan – seabirds page
A black-browed albatross with chick, on Macquarie Island. (Photo: Kim Kliska)
Department Seeks Community Views On Narrabri Gas Project Proposal
Department Seeks Community Input On Hume Coal Project Proposal
HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE FUTURE OF Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, Lion Island Nature Reserve, Spectacle Island Nature Reserve And Long Island Nature Reserve
Online Support To Close Eating Disorder Gap
08 May 2017: Media Release - NSW Minister for Mental Health, The Hon. Tanya Davies
Minister for Mental Health, Tanya Davies, has today launched two vital online resources, one for people living with or at risk of developing an eating disorder, and a second for their families, friends and carers.
Navigating Your Way to Health and Navigating Their Way to Health both include tips on how to access help throughout the eating disorder treatment process, navigate treatment options, and assist carers and friends with information on how to best support their loved one and understand the recovery journey.
“These new evidence-based resources emphasise the importance of seeking help early, and will enable people experiencing an eating disorder, and their loved ones, to make some sense of what they are going through.
“The key is for this information to work alongside an individual’s treatment plan and navigate a way back to health,” Mrs Davies said.
Around four per cent of Australians are affected by an eating disorder at any one time, with almost 300,000 of those people living in NSW.
Navigating Your Way to Health and Navigating Their Way to Healthhave been developed by the Hunter Institute of Mental Health in collaboration with the Centre for Eating and Dieting Disorders at the Boden Institute, University of Sydney, the Butterfly Foundation and people with lived experience. The initiative has been funded by the NSW Government.
Ms Jaelea Skehan, Director of the Hunter Institute of Mental Health said having access to up-to-date information and support can be critical to recovering from an eating disorder.
“People can and do recover from eating disorders and our hope is that these resources make navigating the experience a little easier.
“We also need to ensure families, carers and friends look after themselves too, a factor that is often overlooked,” Ms Skehan said.
The resources complement the NSW Government’s Service Plan for People with Eating Disorders 2013 – 2018, which is being implemented in local health districts across the state to improve and redesign treatment services for people with eating disorders.
These resources are for any gender, age, culture, or stage of an eating disorder, and are available at Hunter institute for mental health and Centre for eating & dieting disorders.
For support:
The Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
beyondblue: 1300 22 4636
eheadspace: eheadspace
Large-Scale Urban Art Features On New Stamps
10th May 2017
Australia Post is releasing a stamp issue on street art, featuring four vibrant large-scale works painted in the streets of Melbourne and Adelaide by internationally respected artists.
Australia Post Philatelic Manager Michael Zsolt said: "Australia is known as one of the world's great locations for high-quality street art. Melbourne, in particular, is renowned for the many and varied works featured in its small laneways, as well as more prominent locations, often as part of official commissions. Many people appreciate these works of art as making an important contribution to a vibrant urban culture."
The four domestic base-rate ($1) stamps were designed by John White of the Australia Post Design Studio:
Mural by Adnate
Adnate's large-scale works can be seen all over the world. Commissioned by the City of Melbourne, his expressive 23-metre mural of an Indigenous boy was painted in Hosier Lane, Melbourne, in 2014. Adnate's portrait subjects are often members of Indigenous communities, and the artist has done a significant amount of fundraising work in this area.
$1 Street Art, Hosier Lane Melbourne, 2017 stamp.
Portrait by Vans the Omega
Influential Adelaide-based artist Vans the Omega painted this vivid female portrait in Railway Terrace, Adelaide, in 2015. Producing works nationally and internationally for more than two decades, his stated influences are many and varied including ancient scripts and architecture.
$1 Street Art, Railway Terrace
Forever curious by Rone and Phibs
Two well-known Australian artists Rone and Phibs collaborated on Forever curious, the expressive portrait of a woman in Rutledge Lane, Melbourne, in June 2013. It was commissioned as part of a campaign to encourage exploration of Melbourne's laneways. As is the transient nature of much street art, it was painted over with blue paint by another artist only two months later. Both of these highly-respected artists have substantial profiles overseas.
$1 Street Art, Rutledge Lane
Shinka by Fin DAC
Irish-born artist Fin DAC employed a stencil and spray paint technique to create the vibrant mural Shinka, as part of the Little Rundle Street Art Project in Adelaide, in early 2016. Fin DAC specialises in large-scale portraits, often featuring women wearing masks and a mix of traditional cultural dress and western fashion.
$1 Street Art, Little Rundle St
The products associated with this stamp issue are a minisheet, first day cover, stamp pack, a set of four maxicards and a booklet of 10 x $1 self-adhesive stamps.
The Street art stamp issue is available from participating Post Offices, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at auspost.com.au/stamps from 16 May 2017 while stocks last.
Visit the Australia Post Collectables website auspostcollectables.com.au and stay up-to-date with new Australian stamp issues. The Australia Post Collectables website is a central resource for stamp collectors and philatelic enthusiasts across the globe.
Oldest Evidence Of Life On Land Found In 3.48 Billion-Year-Old Australian Rocks
May 10, 2017
Fossils discovered by UNSW scientists in 3.48 billion year old hot spring deposits in the Pilbara region of Western Australia have pushed back by 580 million years the earliest known existence of microbial life on land.
Previously, the world's oldest evidence for microbial life on land came from 2.7- 2.9 billion-year-old deposits in South Africa containing organic matter-rich ancient soils.
Spherical bubbles preserved in 3.48 billion-year-old rocks in the Dresser Formation in the Pilbara Craton in Western Australia provide evidence for early life having lived in ancient hot springs on land. Credit: UNSW
"Our exciting findings don't just extend back the record of life living in hot springs by 3 billion years, they indicate that life was inhabiting the land much earlier than previously thought, by up to about 580 million years," says study first author, UNSW PhD candidate, Tara Djokic.
"This may have implications for an origin of life in freshwater hot springs on land, rather than the more widely discussed idea that life developed in the ocean and adapted to land later."
Scientists are considering two hypotheses regarding the origin of life. Either that it began in deep sea hydrothermal vents, or alternatively that it began on land in a version of Charles Darwin's "warm little pond."
"The discovery of potential biological signatures in these ancient hot springs in Western Australia provides a geological perspective that may lend weight to a land-based origin of life," says Ms Djokic.
"Our research also has major implications for the search for life on Mars, because the red planet has ancient hot spring deposits of a similar age to the Dresser Formation in the Pilbara.
"Of the top three potential landing sites for the Mars 2020 rover, Columbia Hills is indicated as a hot spring environment. If life can be preserved in hot springs so far back in Earth's history, then there is a good chance it could be preserved in Martian hot springs too."
The study, by Ms Djokic and Professors Martin Van Kranendonk, Malcolm Walter and Colin Ward of UNSW Sydney, and Professor Kathleen Campbell of the University of Auckland, is published in the journal Nature Communications.
The researchers studied exceptionally well-preserved deposits which are approximately 3.5 billion years old in the ancient Dresser Formation in the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia.
They interpreted the deposits were formed on land, not in the ocean, by identifying the presence of geyserite – a mineral deposit formed from near boiling-temperature, silica-rich, fluids that is only found in a terrestrial hot spring environment. Previously, the oldest known geyserite had been identified from rocks about 400 million years old.
Within the Pilbara hotspring deposits, the researchers also discovered stromatolites – layered rock structures created by communities of ancient microbes. And there were other signs of early life in the deposits as well, including fossilised micro-stromatolites, microbial palisade texture and well preserved bubbles that are inferred to have been trapped in a sticky substance (microbial) to preserve the bubble shape.
“This shows a diverse variety of life existed in fresh water, on land, very early in Earth’s history,” says Professor Van Kranendonk, Director of the Australian Centre for Astrobiology and head of the UNSW school of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences.
“The Pilbara deposits are the same age as much of the crust of Mars, which makes hot spring deposits on the red planet an exciting target for our quest to find fossilised life there.”
PNG History Makers Tell Their Stories
10 May 2017: University of QLD.
A new website hosting interviews with prominent Papua New Guineans on the period leading up to and following that nation’s independence from Australia in 1975 has been launched today.
‘PNG Speaks’ has been developed by the National Museum and Art Gallery of Papua New Guinea, The University of Queensland (UQ), Deakin University and the Australian Government to preserve Papua New Guinea’s oral history.
Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery acting Director Mr Senea Greh said the PNG Speaks project provided important insights into how Papua New Guineans experienced the transition to an independent nation in 1975.
“This project comes at a time when we are looking back at PNG’s path to independence over the years since the end of World War II,” he said.
“This is the subject of a major exhibition at the National Museum and Art Gallery, scheduled for later in 2017.”
UQ’s School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry Adjunct Professor and former Australian High Commissioner to PNG Mr Ian Kemish said the figures interviewed represented only a sample of the many people who had important views and recollections to share on the period.
“We recognise that, given the many thousands of Papua New Guineans who participated in the independence period, this website will remain a work in progress for many years,” Mr Kemish said.
Deakin University’s Dr Jonathan Ritchie said Dr Anne Dickson-Waiko from the University of Papua New Guinea and Professor Musawe Sinebare from the University of Goroka had played significant roles in the planning and conduct of interviews.
“This project is an important element in a broader body of oral history research which sheds light on key moments in PNG’s rich history,” Dr Ritchie said.
Those interviewed so far have included Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare, former PNGDF Commander Ted Diro, prominent journalist Biga Lebasi, former senior public servants Charles Lepani and Jean Kekedo, Papuan separatist leader Dame Josephine Abaijah and political scientist and former premier Stephen Pokawin.
The website also contains resources, including a digitised version of A Papua New Guinea Political Chronicle by UQ’s Emeritus Professor Clive Moore and Dr Mary Kooyman, which provides detailed contemporary accounts of PNG political developments from 1967-1991.
Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Mr Bruce Davis said the High Commission was pleased to have partnered with organisations in Papua New Guinea and Australia to support the project.
“To better understand one’s history is to understand the opportunities of the future, which is why projects like this are so important,” Mr Davis said.
UQ Adjunct Professor and former High Commissioner to PNG Ian Kemish AM (centre) at a Kokoda ceremony with the late Ben Moide (right), a WW2 veteran
TEDxSydney 2017
Our flagship TEDxSydney event is a unique and vital day of talks, films, music and debate, and is one of the largest TEDx events in the world.
TEDxSydney 2017 will take place on Friday 16 June at our new home at ICC Sydney, Darling Harbour, allowing us to welcome a record number of attendees into our TEDxSydney community.
ABOUT TEDxSYDNEY 2017
It is clear that 2017 is a time of great flux and disruption. Many of our beliefs are being challenged, or even turned completely upside down, for better or for worse. In times such as these, it feels as though we need guidance, inspiration and hope more than ever before.
TEDxSydney has always believed in ideas that can change the world. Our speakers, curated from a wide cross-section of disciplines and backgrounds, don’t just argue for change; instead, they show us how to make change real.
As an attendee, you’ll get the chance to witness, first-hand, the unique TED-style combination of transformative talks delivered in a vibrant and passionate community atmosphere. You’ll also watch a stellar live program featuring some of our country’s finest musicians, along with a hand-picked selection of new Australian short films, created especially for TEDxSydney.
The day would not be complete without a special TEDxSydney food program (morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea are all included in the registration price), the one-of-a-kind TEDxSydney Tote Bag (filled with books, gifts and special treats) and the chance to meet other members of the TEDxSydney community and exchange ideas, foster friendships and kickstart collaborations.
OUR SPEAKERS
We are thrilled to announce our initial line-up of Australian speakers who will be sharing their bold ideas on 16 June at ICC Sydney. They are:
- Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founder and co-CEO of the software company Atlassian
- Uncle Jack Charles, award-winning actor, Aboriginal elder and musician
- Jordan Raskopoulos, comedian, actor, singer and co-creator of The Axis of Awesome
- Sarah Houbolt, Paralympic swimmer and circus performer
- David Hunt, award winning Australian historian, satirist and author
- Tom Griffiths, Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Science at Berkeley University
- Bronwyn King, Australian radiation oncologist
- Scott Griffiths, researcher of male body dissatisfaction and eating disorders
- Judy Atkinson, community worker and academic in the fields of violence, trauma and healing
- David Power, helping to end the threat of illegal fishing and overfishing to Pacific Island communities
- Sarah Blasko, acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician and producer
- Gawurra, award-winning Yolngu singer-songwriter
- Ngaiire, one of Australia’s most unique and fearless musicians
More speakers and performers, as well as details of our Film program and Fast Ideas pitch competition, will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event.
PRICING
TEDxSydney is designed as a full-day event. Price for attendance in 2017 is held at 2016 prices – standard attendance is $350, and a limited number of concession places are available at $175. Registration includes morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, as well a TEDxSydney tote bag with exclusive attendee-only merchandise.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR TEDxSYDNEY 2017
Attendance to TEDxSydney 2017 is open to all TEDxSydney Members on a first come, first served basis.
TO REGISTER, click below to log in to your Member Profile. Once logged in, you’ll find an option to Register Attendance for 2017. Please ensure that your Member Profile is up-to-date before registering.
NOT YET A MEMBER? Join now to attend TEDxSydney 2017.
LENNOX HEAD TO HOST WORLD'S BEST GROMMET SURFERS AT THE 2017 SKULLCANDY OZ GROM OPEN PRES. BY VISSLA IN JULY
SYDNEY (Friday, May 12, 2017): from Surfing NSW
Junior surfers from all over the globe will once again venture to the northern NSW coastline in July to contest the 2017 Skullcandy Oz Grom Open pres. by Vissla at Lennox Head.
The premier six-day event will kick off from July 7 – July 12th 2017 and crown champions across 12, 14 and 16 age divisions.
David Chegwyn from Skullcandy stated: “Skullcandy is very pleased to sponsor the Skullcandy Oz Grom Open for the sixth year. We are extremely thankful and impressed that we have been able to work with Le-Ba Boardriders and the local community to promote and elevate junior surfing in the local area. The local areas and its local surfers are world class and the Skullcandy Oz Grom Open is an event we are really proud of.”
John Mossop from Vissla echoed similar sentiments: “2016 was the maiden year Vissla was involved with the Skullcandy Oz Grom Open and we felt privileged to be part of the prestigious event. The competition has long been regarded as one of the best junior events on the planet and it is a solid window of who tomorrow’s champions will be.”
In a similar vein to preceding years - where the event has attracted surfers from ten different countries - a full international field is again expected in 2017 with surfers coming from as far away as Europe, USA and Japan to make up a field of more than 170 surfers.
All event divisions will be broadcast live on skullcandyozgromopen.com.au.
Entries into the event will open at 5 pm, Thursday 15th May on www.surfingnsw.com.au
For more information on the event, please contact info@surfingnsw.com.au or call (02) 9349 7055.
The Skullcandy Oz Grom Open presented by Vissla is proudly supported by Skullcandy, Vissla, Ballina Shire Council, Le-Ba Boardriders and Surfing NSW.
Photo by Ethan Smith / Surfing NSW
Acclaimed Youth Program Helps Combat Cyberbullying
Media release: May 11 2017
Films featured in the Rewrite Your Story youth program have taken home Gold at the World Media Festival in Hamburg. This comes just weeks after the program won a Bronze World Medal at New York Festivals TV and Film Awards last month.
The award-winning program, developed by the Office of the Children’s eSafety Commissioner, features real-life experiences of young people facing various forms of cyberbullying.
Brave Australia Creative Director Chris Benz was also recently awarded Best Director in an Online Drama Project at the Australian Directors Guild Awards for his work on Rewrite Your Story.
“We’re incredibly proud of the recognition Rewrite Your Story has received. These accolades help to solidify the quality of this program, both as an educational tool and as a short film series,” says Julie Inman Grant, Children’s eSafety Commissioner.
One of the award-winning films, Zach, was released today for the first time publicly to coincide with the latest achievement.
“Zach’s story resonates with many teens, especially those who are targeted because they don’t quite fit the mould at school. We want to get young people talking about these issues, reinforcing a positive message about not letting others define you,” says Inman Grant.
Rewrite Your Story is centred around eight short films depicting instances of cyberbullying that are designed to be conversation starters—leading young people to discuss the serious implications and possible solutions to cyberbullying.
The program includes a fresh youth-focussed website featuring youth-written blogs, professional advice and an interactive quiz. Other complementary resources include lesson plans for each short film, information for parents, and a series of visually engaging posters.
“We want young people to know they are not alone if they experience cyberbullying. Help is available, including reporting cyberbullying to us, to get the content removed,” says Inman Grant.
The next three films in the Rewrite Your Story series will be released in the following months.
For more information, go to: www.esafety.gov.au/RYS