New Research Reveals The Toxic Legacy Of Coal Ash Waste On NSW's Central Coast
July 1st, 2019
New research released today reveals communities across the country are at serious risk from poorly managed coal ash waste – the toxic by-product of coal-fired power that accounts for nearly one-fifth of Australia’s waste stream.
Unearthing Australia’s toxic coal ash legacy reveals shocking flaws in the management and regulation of coal ash dumps and is the first comprehensive national study of coal ash waste management in Australia.
“Coal ash is an enormous toxic legacy issue for Australia that largely flies under the radar, despite it being one of Australia’s biggest waste problems and a huge risk to human and environmental health,” report author and Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Bronya Lipski said.
“Lax government regulation and poor management of coal ash dumps has led to the contamination of groundwater, rivers, lakes and aquatic ecosystems as well as toxic air pollution from dried out dumps.
“Communities closest to coal-fired power stations bear the greatest health and environmental burden. Some of the ash dumps in Australia are very close to communities, including residential areas, schools and recreation centres. Most are extremely close to waterways,” she said.
Earlier this year, research and water sampling done by the Hunter Community Environment Centre found the creek that takes overflow from the Eraring ash dump had a selenium concentration of 110 parts per million, more than 55 times the level recommended to protect fish and birds.
In March this year, the much-loved Myuna Bay Sports and Recreation Centre in NSW was closed suddenly due to structural fears that Origin Energy’s adjacent Eraring coal ash dump may break its dam wall in the event of an earthquake.
“If the Eraring ash dump wall collapsed and flooded surrounding communities with toxic coal ash slurry, the devastation would be unimaginable. Coal ash dumps are a ticking time bomb. All Australian governments need to act now, not wait for a disaster.”
There's a combined 60 million tonnes of coal ash in dams at Vales Point and Eraring power stations on Lake Macquarie - photo supplied - this is at Eraring power station on the Central Coast
“Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals – including mercury, lead, arsenic, selenium and chromium – that have been linked to asthma, heart disease, cancer, respiratory diseases, nervous system damage and stroke,” she said.
A United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) risk assessment found living near unlined ash dumps increases the risk of damage to the liver, kidney, lungs and other organs when people are exposed to toxins at concentrations far above safe levels.
The report also makes recommendations for national best practice management and regulation and provides communities with information to be used when engaging with regulators and operators about coal ash dump issues that affect them.
“State Parliaments need to initiate inquiries into ash dumps to comprehensively investigate the current and future threat, make sure rigorous solutions are determined to clean up contamination, and start planning for rehabilitation and closure that adheres to best practice standards,” Bronya Lipski concluded.
There are coal ash dumps in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia.
Key findings
- Most Australian power stations dispose of ash in the most environmentally harmful way – as wet sludge into predominately unlined dump sites, or directly into mines.
- According to the US EPA, the extent of contamination from ash dump sites doesn’t reveal itself for some 70 – 100 years after the site became operational.
- There is no entirely safe way to dispose of coal ash, only a less harmful method which needs careful management including keeping it dry, in a thoroughly lined dump site, well away from surface and groundwater.
- Conditions for ash dump management differ from state-to-state, and in each state, from power station to power station.
- There is no best-practice management standard for ash dumps in any state, or at a national level.
- There is no requirement that power station operators prepare ash dump rehabilitation, closure and post-closure plans well before closure of the power station occurs.
- Access to information about ash dumps is extremely limited, including access to groundwater monitoring data and ash management plans which have to be acquired through Freedom of Information laws.
- The only state that requires financial assurances be held for ash dumps is Victoria.
Recommendations
1. Australian governments initiate inquiries into coal ash dumps: Australian Parliaments need to initiate inquiries into coal ash dumps to understand the full extent of the toxic threat and make strong recommendations to protect human and environmental health.
2. Rehabilitation plans: Australian governments should impose an immediate obligation on ash dump owners and operators to prepare best practice rehabilitation, closure plans and post-closure plans in consultation with the communities who live near these toxic sites.
3. Tougher groundwater regulation: Australian regulators who oversee ash dumps should immediately develop and implement actions to clean up and manage ash dumps causing groundwater contamination, including re-siting operational ash dumps to thoroughly rehabilitate existing sources of contamination to best practice standards.
4. Safe containment of existing ash dumps: Australian governments should impose immediate obligations on ash dump owners and operators to convert wet dumps to dry ash emplacements.
5. Bond payments to protect communities: Australian governments should immediately impose a bond or financial assurance on ash dumps to protect Australian communities from bearing the cost burden of poorly managed or poorly rehabilitated ash dumps.
6. National guidelines: Australian governments should develop and ensure the implementation of enforceable national best practice guidelines for ash dump management, rehabilitation, and closure and post-closure management (as outlined in this report) to mitigate as far as practicable the future threat of contamination of land, groundwater, and surface water and prevent harm to human health.
7. Transparency and availability of information: Australian governments should make access to information about ash dumps transparent and available to the Australian community, including all existing management plans, details of financial assurance,
rehabilitation plans, pollution incidents, fines and other enforcement actions taken by regulators, monitoring data, hydrogeological assessment, predictions for future contamination, and predictions for future land-use planning.
Download full report HERE (PDF: 5MB)
Birdwatchers Highlight Declines Of Seabirds Off South-Eastern Australia
July 1st, 2019: UNSW
Thirteen species of seabirds are declining off the coast of south-eastern Australia, a 17-year study by researchers at the Centre for Ecosystem Science at UNSW Sydney revealed.
The species include iconic and globally threatened birds such as the enormous Wandering Albatross, as well as locally breeding Flesh-footed Shearwater.
Working with data collected by seabird enthusiasts of the Southern Ocean Seabird Study Association, who regularly take boat trips out to sea from Port Stephens, Sydney and Wollongong, the scientists found that almost half of the 30 most commonly observed seabird species in the region had declined over the 17-year period from 2000 to 2016. The study is published in the latest issue of the international scientific journal, Biological Conservation.
“Seabirds are critically important organisms for maintaining the health of marine ecosystems,” says lead author and UNSW Science Honours student Simon Gorta.
“They act as apex predators, feeding on a range of prey such as plankton, squid, fish and carcasses across the world’s oceans.
“Our findings are worrying, not just because thirteen of our more common species are declining, but because we don’t know for sure what is driving these declines.”
While the exact mechanisms are unknown, the researchers suggest that warming ocean temperatures are likely to be contributing to this trend. The East Australian Current has strengthened off south-eastern Australia, which has led to warmer and less productive waters in the region, potentially driving birds to forage elsewhere, as the marine habitat in this region is no longer suitable for them.
Pomarine Jaeger. Image: Corey Callaghan
“We can predict that as surface temperatures increase with climate change, we will be seeing fewer species that prefer cooler-than-average surface temperatures. The most dramatic example of this was in summer species – Pomarine and Arctic Jaegers - which showed this surface temperature preference and consistently declined in the region over the 17-year study period,” Mr Gorta says.
Worryingly, many other species may also be declining. This is supported by declines in breeding populations of seabirds, linked to a number of threats globally. The researchers say that determining the exact causes of these declines should be a priority.
“Seabirds are the most threatened group of birds on the planet, with roughly 30% of them listed on the IUCN Red List as at risk of extinction,” says co-author Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science.
“They are threatened where they forage at sea, and where they breed, from commercial fishing and pollution at sea, as well as habitat degradation and introduced predators such as rats at breeding sites.”
Relatively little is known about seabirds away from their breeding grounds, as most research efforts are focused on protecting the species at these sites. The researchers identified a clever solution to this by analysing a citizen science dataset, collected by passionate birdwatchers who go on birdwatching trips or “pelagics” out to sea, looking for seabirds almost every month of the year.
Pelagic birdwatchers off the NSW coast at Kiama. Credit: Brooke Whylie
“These types of at-sea observations of seabirds are difficult to come by, so we relied on a unique dataset, collated from birdwatchers’ observations. These datasets are just sitting around from all over the world – waiting to be fully dusted off and used to investigate broader patterns which go well beyond usual three-year funding cycles,” says senior author Corey Callaghan, PhD student at UNSW.
These pelagic seabirds occur in coastal and shelf waters off the coast of every continent except Antarctica, and observations from these trips offer a different, and important insight into the behaviour of seabirds, only otherwise attainable by using expensive tracking equipment on a few individuals.
“These observations inform real and informative trends of great importance to marine ecosystem management and conservation, and they do so through the engagement of the general public. It is important that everyone, not just the researchers, know what is going on in our oceans, because we depend on them, yet they are degrading before our eyes,” says Mr Gorta.
“These issues must be addressed in order to halt the long-term declines of seabirds.”
230 New Species In Real Life Game Of Flies
July 1st, 2019: by CSIRO
Paramonovius nightking, a bee fly named after Game of Thrones’ Night King because it reigns in winter and has a crown of spine-like hairs, is one of 230 new species named by CSIRO during the past year.
"It has a serious side, but naming new species is the most fun a taxonomist can have," entomologist at CSIRO's National Research Collections Australia, "Bry the Fly Guy" (aka Bryan Lessard), said.
The newly named species ranged from a cusk eel named Barathronus algrahami after fish collection manager Al Graham, to a tiny soldier fly from Judbarra National Park, Northern Territory that Dr Lessard named Prosopochrysa lemannae in honour of insect technician Cate Lemann.
Naming our biodiversity is a serious business.
A species without a scientific name is invisible to science and conservation and Australia has only named 20-25 per cent of its half a million species.
"Scientists across the country name around 1000 new species each year. At the current rate it will take another 350 years just to know what exists," Dr Lessard said.
"Australia needs a step change in biodiversity discovery and at CSIRO we're pulling together many strands of science to deliver that.
"We're using AI, machine learning, genomics, digitisation and big data informatics to change the way we use the 15 million specimens in our research collections."
The driver is the value of Australia's biodiversity and its benefits.
"Our biodiversity runs the planet. It cycles nutrients, sequesters carbon, pollinates crops and cleans the air we breathe and the water we drink. We literally couldn't live without it," Dr Lessard said.
Australia's native plants and animals directly support billions of dollars of industries such as fisheries and forestry.
They are rich sources of germplasm for crops like cotton, soybean and macadamias and can be explored to find useful new bioactive molecules and novel materials.
"Native plants and animals are of deep cultural significance to Indigenous communities and simply being out in nature has many health benefits," Dr Lessard said.
One of the group Dr Lessard studies, soldier flies, has an estimated 300 Australian species, only 150 of which have names.
Like many insects, some undescribed soldier fly species have waited in the insect collection for decades for a taxonomist to describe and name them so they can be formally recognised.
"One of the soldier flies I named is from Chillagoe in Queensland," Dr Lessard said.
"It's so different from other Australian soldier flies that it belongs to a new genus, which is the next level up from species.
"I named it Scutellumina parvatra - that means little black fly with no shoulder spines."
There are conventions to follow when playing the name game. Names shouldn't be insulting or derogatory and you shouldn't name a species after yourself.
The scientific name must be unique for each species – it's made up of both a genus name, which comes first, and a species name.
Along with the new insect and fish species, staff of the Australian National Herbarium named six new plants species, including two daisies, two orchids, a lobelia and a trumpet vine.
The next generation of taxonomist are also getting involved to help describe our unique Australian species.
"Xuankun Li, who named the bee fly Paramonovius nightking, is a PhD student at CSIRO and a huge fan of Game of Thrones, proving that inspiration for new species names can come from anywhere," Dr Lessard said.
Paramonovius nightkingis a bee fly named after Game of Thrones’ Night King because it reigns in winter and has a crown of spine-like hairs. The name was chosen by Game of Thrones fan Xuankun Li, a PhD student at the Australian National Insect Collection in Canberra.
Australian National Fish Collection researcher, Helen O'Neill, said the process of discovering new fish species often began on research vessels or underwater with marine surveys.
"Marine surveys provide vital information about the biodiversity of our marine environments," Ms O’Neill said.
"Researchers spend many long hours at sea and underwater collecting, photographing and identifying specimens and then preserving samples for more detailed laboratory analysis.
"This work is frontier science and, because we are constantly learning about our marine environments, it can often turn up new species."
Staff of the National Research Collections Australia acknowledge the contributions of their collaborators from Australia and around the world to the many field expeditions, specimen loans and publications that have contributed to the new species named during the past year.
Species lists for Australia are maintained by the Australian Biological Resources Study: Australian Faunal Directory
Taxonomy Australia maintains a running count of new Australian species named each year: New Australian species 2019
Papers about featured species:
- Nightking: A new genus and species of an unusual Australian winter bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae) with discussion on its phylogenetic position
- Cusk eel: Aphyonid-clade species of Australia (Teleostei, Bythitidae) with four species new to Australian waters and a new species of Barathronus
- Soldier flies: Review of the Stratiomyinae soldier flies of Australia (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), with a new genus and first records of Prosopochrysa de Meijere, 1907
- Trumpet vine: Tecomanthe burungu (Bignoniaceae), a new species from northern Queensland
Lion Island's Little Penguins (Fairy Penguins) Get Fireproof Homes
Devastating news this week that 2 Little Penguins (Fairy Penguins) have been killed at Manly. Our hearts go out to their little penguin mates and all those who toil to keep them safe.
At Lion Island, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service rangers have just installed 20 concrete burrows on the island, which are fire-proof and can also protect the creatures from foxes and goannas. The installations come in the wake of the bushfire of August 2018.
The bushfire that destroyed much of the Little Penguins' habitat in August 2018. Supplied: @ausfirefighter
NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean said the burrow program was part of a push to protect the Little Penguins' future.
"We're installing these nests to protect penguins, enable them to nest and hopefully grow the population," he said.
The burrows were designed by wildlife rangers and manufactured by a women's shed group known as the Fix-It Sisters.
Co-founder Linda Prince said her group was delighted to take part in such a worthwhile project.
"It was hard work but we really loved doing it," she said.
"It took hours and hours but there was lots of laughs, lots of sore backs and sore hands."
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger Rachel Labador stated in an ABC report by Jessica Kidd that each burrow has been set up in a location where the rangers know the penguins have been prospecting and where they are likely to nest.
Ms Labador said she lines the new burrows with leaf litter and penguin poo so that any prospecting bird knows it is a safe place to nest.
"This is the primo penguin real estate," she said.
"Penguins like coming back to the same place, so if we can have a burrow that will last for decades we know that the penguins will keep using it."
If the burrows are successful in the forthcoming breeding season it is likely they will be installed at other Little Penguin colonies. Another Pittwater first thanks to the hard work of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, their rangers and the great women at the Fix it Sisters Shed.
Between June and August, male penguins return to their colonies to reconstruct old burrows, dig new ones and attract mates. So we're heading and into Little Penguin breeding season right now.
As visitors are not allowed on Lion Island unless they're rangers or those who have been given access permission to research for studies, Fix it Sisters Shed are allowing us to share their photos from the Little Penguins Project: Installation Day — at Lion Island.
in late May 2019.
Linda Prince, co-founder and Chief Sister, Fix it Sisters said this week;
“When the Fix it Sisters Shed were asked if we would build 20 burrows for the Little Penguins on Lion Island, we couldn’t say yes quick enough. How could you not help these wonderful Little Penguins!”
“It was an exciting brief - 20 concrete and perlite burrows to be ready for the start of the breeding season. They were a brand new design and the Fix it Sisters’ job was to manufacture them.”
“We had sore hands and bad backs when we were making them over a few months, but the pain faded away when we travelled with our precious cargo by barge to Lion Island to help install the burrows - a joint effort between National Parks and Wildlife, the Land Care volunteers and us.”
“Now we have been asked to make ten more burrows for the Little Penguin colony off the NSW South Coast. We can’t wait!”
This Issue's Pictorial runs some of the Fix it Sisters photos from the installation day, which started very early in the morning with a group of staff and volunteers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Office of Environment and Heritage and Hawkesbury Environment Network (HEN) - and the Fix it Sisters penguin mascot.
A barge took them all over to the island and after a cup of tea and a special penguin cupcake, the group spent the day getting the new penguin homes set up and ready to welcome some Little Penguins.
The ABC Cameraman and Jessica Kidd interviewing the Fix It Shed's Linda Prince on Lion Island View the ABC News Report Video
Did you know that we once had Little Penguins right along our beaches until feral animals and domestic pets devastated this population? Ken 'Sava' Lloyd recently shared:
They used to walk across Ocean St Narrabeen and nest under Ross Jorgensons house,and there was a colony at Bollicky Beach(Turrimetta) Nth. Narrabeen. You could hear them from up on the Plateau, Edgecliff Bolv. down in the surf.There was a bait ground just off Sth Narra SLSC. Sava
Fortunately Pittwater's Lion Island colony is seen playing and 'fishing' regularly in the estuary and off nearby beaches - still!
What great news for our community, especially since this is the 65th year people have worked at ensuring Lion Island's Little Penguins are safe on their home grounds.
Visit April 2019's Issue 401:
Visit July 2019's Issue 410 Pictorial for more:
Little Penguin on nest - supplied
About the Fix it Sisters Shed
The Fix it Sisters Shed is a not-for-profit organisation which empowers women of all ages in southern Sydney with practical and creative skills, through educational workshops and facilitated DIY sessions. We also coordinate and volunteer for various projects throughout the community.
Our current projects include traineeships for domestic violence victims, a mentoring program with students from Arncliffe Public School and building penguin burrows for the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. If there is a need for the Fix it Sisters and we can practically help, we are there!
In addition to our community projects we’ve also run a number of fun and educational workshops in local schools across southern Sydney, with Bunnings Kingsgrove and at our shed in Arncliffe.
Fix it Sisters was the brainchild of co-founders, Linda Prince and Lynn Kristensen, who met on a woodwork course in 2015. They struck up a friendship, discovered their mutual passion for helping women to learn new skills and an idea was soon born!
After lots of hustling and get-togethers around the work bench, Fix it Sisters was officially launched in September 2018 with an all-female volunteer Board of Directors.
Our aim is to build a social connection with a diverse range of women and girls (over 12 years) in the community, but with a particular focus on supporting new migrants, refugees, widows and domestic violence victims to become independent, skilled and confident. We're all about changing social norms and enabling women to reach their potential and find new passions in a creative, safe and supportive environment.
Fix it Sisters is auspiced by 3Bridges Community and supported by various local community organisations, including Bayside Council, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Lions Club of Lugarno and Bunnings Warehouse Australia. The Hon Linda Burney MP is our inaugural patron
Get in touch with us for more info: hello@fixitsistersshed.org.au or @fixitsistersshed / #fixitsisters on Instagram and Facebook. We hope to meet you soon!
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fixitsistersshed
How Planting Trees Could Save The Climate
July 4th, 2019:
Around 0.9 billion hectares of land worldwide would be suitable for reforestation, which could ultimately capture two thirds of human-made carbon emissions. The Crowther Lab of ETH Zurich has published a study in the journal Science that shows this would be the most effective method to combat climate change.
The Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich investigates nature-based solutions to climate change. In their latest study the researchers showed for the first time where in the world new trees could grow and how much carbon they would store. Study lead author and postdoc at the Crowther Lab Jean-François Bastin explains: “One aspect was of particular importance to us as we did the calculations: we excluded cities or agricultural areas from the total restoration potential as these areas are needed for human life.”
Reforest an area the size of the USA
The researchers calculated that under the current climate conditions, Earth’s land could support 4.4 billion hectares of continuous tree cover. That is 1.6 billion more than the currently existing 2.8 billion hectares. Of these 1.6 billion hectares, 0.9 billion hectares fulfill the criterion of not being used by humans. This means that there is currently an area of the size of the US available for tree restoration. Once mature, these new forests could store 205 billion tonnes of carbon: about two thirds of the 300 billion tonnes of carbon that has been released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity since the Industrial Revolution.
According to Prof. Thomas Crowther, co-author of the study and founder of the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich: “We all knew that restoring forests could play a part in tackling climate change, but we didn’t really know how big the impact would be. Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today. But we must act quickly, as new forests will take decades to mature and achieve their full potential as a source of natural carbon storage.”
The study also shows which parts of the world are most suited to forest restoration. The greatest potential can be found in just six countries: Russia (151 million hectares); the US (103 million hectares); Canada (78.4 million hectares); Australia (58 million hectares); Brazil (49.7 million hectares); and China (40.2 million hectares).
Many current climate models are wrong in expecting climate change to increase global tree cover, the study warns. It finds that there is likely to be an increase in the area of northern boreal forests in regions such as Siberia, but tree cover there averages only 30 to 40 percent. These gains would be outweighed by the losses suffered in dense tropical forests, which typically have 90 to 100 percent tree cover.
Land available for forest restoration (excluding deserts, agricultural and urban areas; current forestland not shown). (Image: Crowther Lab / ETH Zurich)
Look at Trees!
A tool on the Crowther Lab website enables users to look at any point on the globe, and find out how many trees could grow there and how much carbon they would store. It also offers lists of forest restoration organisations.
The new research published July 5th in Science estimates there's enough suitable unused land on the globe for reforestation to store around 205 gigatonnes of carbon.
NSW'S Best Junior Surfers To Call Coffs Harbour Home For The 2019 Woolworths NSW Junior State Titles
Over 250 competitors will call Coffs Harbour home when the Woolworths NSW Junior State Titles pres. by Ocean and Earth kicks off from 19th – 25th July 2019.
Competitors will be vying for an NSW Junior Title and in turn, earn their position into the upcoming 2019 Australian Junior Surfing Titles, which will take place in Western Australia at the end of the year.
All qualifiers for the Woolworths NSW State Junior Titles pres. by Ocean and Earth were determined by eight individual regional titles, which took place up and down the NSW coastline earlier in 2019.
Coffs Harbour City Council's Mayor Denise Knight was elated that the region would continue to build on its long and rich history of hosting junior surfing events.
"I’m thrilled that Coffs Harbour will again be hosting the Woolworths NSW Junior State Titles later this year. An event like this further strengthens our great relationship with Surfing NSW, and the event itself is a brilliant way to encourage and support youth participation in sports. As a destination, I know the local tourism sector will look forward to welcoming competitors and their families from all over the state to enjoy the beautiful Coffs Coast."
Surfing NSW CEO Luke Madden echoed similar sentiments.
“The Woolworths NSW Junior Titles pres. by Ocean and Earth is one of the most fiercely contested events on our calendar with competitors hungry to gain themselves an NSW Title in a region that consistently delivers decent surf and has a variety of quality breaks for whatever Mother Nature dishes up.”
The last two days of the event will comprise of the NSW School Surfing Titles.
2019 will be the ninth year Surfing NSW will combine the NSW School Surfing Titles into the event.
Former competitors in the NSW Junior State Titles include current World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) surfers Owen, Mikey and Tyler Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons, Matt Wilkinson, Wade Carmichael and Connor O'Leary.
Winter Vincent getting airborne - photo by Ethan Smith/Surfing NSW
The daily schedule and location will be confirmed via the event hotline at 6:45am each day. The event hotline is 0458 247 212.
The event will be fully mobile in the Coffs Harbour area with Macauleys, Park Beach, Diggers, Gallows and Sawtell all venue options.
The Woolworths NSW Junior Titles pres. by Ocean and Earth will be proudly supported by Woolworths, Ocean and Earth, Coffs Harbour City Council, Carve, Australian Skin Cancer Clinics, Mothernest, Volkswagen, H2Coco, Reflections Holiday Park and Surfing NSW.
ABOUT WOOLWORTHS
Future Australian surfing champions will receive further help to ride the wave to success, with Woolworths expanding its commitment to the sport to include Surfing Australia’s six affiliated State branches Woolworths State Junior Surfing Titles, with 18 events to be run nationally across six States in 2019.
For those of us who were knee high to a grasshopper when made to watch this by mum and dad, on an old PYE television in our case, this will be of interest -
To mark the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon landing, CSIRO – Australia's national science agency, will be celebrating with open days at its Parkes radio telescope on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 July.
At 12.56pm on 21 July 1969 (AEST), humankind took its 'one giant leap' onto the Moon's surface and the incredible images were broadcast to 600 million people around the world.
While it was NASA's moment, it was Australia's too: sending astronauts to the Moon and sharing the momentous occasion couldn't have happened without the pivotal role Australia played.
The initial TV pictures from the Moon and Neil Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface were broadcast through NASA's Honeysuckle Creek tracking station near Canberra.
After a few minutes, the higher quality television signal received by CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope was relayed around the world.
Crowds gather around a television set in the window of the Bank of New South Wales in Sydney to watch the the broadcast of American astronaut Neil Armstrong becoming the first man to land on the moon, July 21 1969. Picture: SMH Staff
On 20 and 21 July, you're invited to join CSIRO for the open days at 'The Dish' and take the rare opportunity to enjoy a tour inside the telescope.
As well as tours of the telescope, CSIRO will be offering plenty of fun-filled activities including the chance to drive the telescope to detect pulsars in real time.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to hear from representatives from the Australian Space Agency, as well as Australian-born NASA astronaut Dr Andrew Thomas, who will be in attendance thanks to support from the U.S. Embassy in Canberra.
"The Apollo 11 Moon landing inspired humanity to dream bigger and even imagine solving the impossible using science and technology," CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said.
"This too is CSIRO's purpose, solutions from science and our science-driven national challenges and missions of today will inspire our children to solve the challenges of tomorrow, knowing no boundaries but their own imaginations, dreaming as big as space itself."
There will be a special treat for visitors on the Saturday evening, with a screening of the movie 'The Dish', to be introduced by one of the movie's stars – Roy Billing, who played the Mayor of Parkes in the movie.
CSIRO has also partnered with ABC Radio for a live broadcast during both days of the event, and Parkes Shire Council to ensure everyone visiting the open days has a fantastic visit to the region.
For more information about the open days visit www.csiro.au/apollo11
NB: NSW Winter School Holidays: Saturday, 6 July 2019 to Sunday, 21 July 2019
We acknowledge the Wiradjuri people as the traditional owners of the CSIRO Parkes Observatory site.
Buzz Aldrin with the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP). Credit: NASA
Australian Jumping Spider Named After Fashion Czar Karl Lagerfeld
July 2nd, 2019
New to science species of Australian jumping spider was named after Hamburg-born fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) after the arachnid reminded its discoverers of the designer. Intrigued by its distinct 'downplayed' black-and-white colours, the Hamburg-Brisbane-Melbourne team likened the spider's appearance to Lagerfeld's trademark style: his white hair and Kent collar that contrasted with the black sunglasses and gloves.
Thus, the curious species, now officially listed under the name Jotus karllagerfeldiI was described in the open-access journal Evolutionary Systematics by Dr Danilo Harms of the Center for Natural History of the University of Hamburg (CeNak), Dr Barbara Baehr, Queensland Museum (Brisbane, Australia) and Joseph Schubert, Monash University (Melbourne).
Newly described ‘brushed’ jumping spider species Jotus karllagerfeldi. Photo by Mark Newton, CeNak
When compared with other members in the 'brushed' jumping spider genus Jotus, the novel species clearly stands out due to its black-and-white legs and tactile organs (pedipalps), whereas the typical representative of this group demonstrates striking red or blue colours.
"The animal reminded us with its colours of the reduced style of Karl Lagerfeld. For example, we associate the black leg links with the gloves he always wore," Danilo Harms explains.
In fact, what was to be now commonly referred to as Karl Lagerfeld's Jumping Spider was identified amongst specimens in the Godeffroy Collection. Kept at CeNak, the historical collection was originally compiled by the inquisitive and wealthy tradesman from Hamburg Johann Cesar Godeffroy, who financed several expeditions to Australia back in the 19th century. Here, the research team identified another link between Australia, Godeffroy, Hamburg and Jotus karllagerfeldi.
Besides the tiny (4 to 5 mm) arachnid, whose pedipalps resemble a white Kent collar, the scientists describe another seven new to science species and add them to the same genus. Two of those, Jotus fortiniae and Jotus newtoni, were also named after inspirational figures for their hard work and creativity: educator, molecular biologist and science communicator Dr Ellen Fortini (Perth College, Western Australia) and keen naturalist and photographer Mark Newton. All novel species were found either in the Godeffroy Collection or amongst the jumping spiders housed at Queensland Museum.
Typically, the members of the jumping spider genus Jotus demonstrate striking red and blue colours. Photos by Robert Whyte (Jotus fortiniae sp. nov., top row) and Michael Doe (unidentified species, bottom row), CeNak.
Surprisingly, even though the genus Jotus comprises numerous species found all over Australia, there is not much known about these spiders. An interesting feature, according to the scientists behind the present study, are the huge telescopic eyes, which allow for spatial vision. The Jotus species need this ability in foraging, since they do not weave webs, but rather hunt in the open. Thus, they have evolved into extremely fast and agile hunters, capable of jumping short distances.
Curiously, back in 2017, the team of Barbara and Danilo, joined by Dr Robert Raven from Queensland Museum, described another previously unknown, yet fascinating species: a water-adapted spider, whose sudden emergence at the coastline of Australia's "Sunshine State" of Queensland during low tide in January brought up the association with reggae legend Bob Marley and his song "High Tide or Low Tide." The species, scientifically known as Desis bobmarleyi, was also published in Evolutionary Systematics.
Female individual of the marine spider Desis bobmarleyi, named after reggae legend Bob Marley. The species was also described in the open-access Evolutionary Systematics in 2017 by the team of Barbara and Danilo. Photo by R. Raven.
Barbara C. Baehr, Joseph Schubert, Danilo Harms. The Brushed Jumping Spiders (Araneae, Salticidae, Jotus L. Koch, 1881) from Eastern Australia. Evolutionary Systematics, 2019; 3 (1): 53 DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.3.34496
