Amendments To Pittwater Local Environmental Plan
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
Energy Locals For 100% Carbon Neutral Plans
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From Surf Life Saving NSW
Interested in 100% carbon neutral plans, huge solar feed in tariffs and Australian owned and operated in your energy provider? Look no further than SLSNSW's newest partner Energy Locals to see how they will revolutionise your energy plan: energylocals.com.au/providers/slsnsw
Mine Expansion Approval Will Destroy 160ha Of Koala Habitat, Generate Millions Of Tonnes Of Carbon Pollution
PERMACULTURE NORTHERN BEACHES - OPEN GARDENS TALKS AND ACTIVITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL PERMACULTURE DAY 2017
Sunday, May 7, 2017
9:00am – 6:00pm
OPEN GARDENS!TALKS!ACTIVITIES!International Permaculture Day is annually celebrated around the world on the first Sunday in May. It is Australia's best export! Join us on the Northern Beaches for three inspiring open garden tours as well workshops on aquaponics, coffee making, bee keeping and much more.
1. BUNGAN EDIBLE SANCTUARY: 7 BEACH ROAD, NEWPORT9am-10am - BUNGAN EDIBLE SANCTUARY GUIDED GARDEN TOUR Please start this fantastic day at easily the biggest permi garden around! This humongous garden is set on the beachtop headland, spanning three properties, and consists of a vast array of fruit trees, huge raised beds, chickens, worm farms, self watering systems, honey and native bees and a huge pool to pond conversion with over 200 trout. 10am-10.30am - AQUAPONICS TALK with Charlie Bacon from ECOLICIOUSAquaponics refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment. Ever wanted to grow your own fish to eat, harvest your veges and have it almost completely sustainable, well now you can with this amazing system. Please join Charlie and the Bungan crew around the pool for this interesting talk, we may even get time to throw a line in. 10.30 - 11.30am - PNB SEED SAVERS MEET, GREET AND TALKJoin the crew to learn and talk in the ancient art of saving seeds , Bring your own, swap and buy seeds all grown locally. 2. MONA MAGIC: 22 MINMAI RD, MONA VALE
12.00-12.45 - GARDEN TOUR with Matt WilsonAnother fantastic garden with over 35 fruit and nut trees, a lot of them exotic. A unique sloping block with an aquaponics system built into the landscape, chickens, ducks, ponds plus bee hives scattered throughout the garden. The bonsais are maintained by integrated water systems and it also keeps the veggies from drying out. Loads packed in, come check it out.
12.45- 1.30 - HONEY BEE TALK with HONEY I'M HOMEJoin award winning honey experts Mark and Caroline on a talk about bees and honey! How they make it? Why? The importance of pollination and the state of our bees. Bring your questions and take home some local raw honey.
3. GRAND FINALE! 2 SAMUEL STREET, MONA VALE2pm-3pm - GARDEN TOURJust up the road lies our final garden , another hugely productive level garden with numerous established fruit trees all bearing fruit. Dragon fruit, pomegranate and persimmon just to name a few. A vast array of veggies but a spectacular coffee hedge laiden with beans is the true attraction. 3pm-4pm - COFFEE TALKWhy do we pay $4.50 for a coffee? Because there actually is a load of work involved before that sweet nectar hits our lips, come and learn how to harvest, dry, shell, roast, grind and FINALLY pour the perfect coffee. With a professional barista on call all day to serve it up, this hands on experience will be one to remember. 2pm – 5pm TIME TO PARTY!So bring the kids, let them dance to the live music in the garden, enjoy a wine or a cuppa, talk to experienced gardeners from Permaculture Northern Beaches who will be available at the permaculture stall, along with other various stalls, fun kids activities, plant sales, raffles and many more.
JOIN IN & CELEBRATE!Get involved with Permaculture & your community on the Northern Beaches!Please note the gardens opening and closing times as there will be a strict “gates closed” policy, except the last one, which may run into the night…Entry to gardens is by donations with all proceeds going back into your community group Permaculture Northern Beaches.
Sunday, May 7, 20179:00am – 6:00pm
OPEN GARDENS!
TALKS!
ACTIVITIES!
International Permaculture Day is annually celebrated around the world on the first Sunday in May. It is Australia's best export! Join us on the Northern Beaches for three inspiring open garden tours as well workshops on aquaponics, coffee making, bee keeping and much more.
1. BUNGAN EDIBLE SANCTUARY: 7 BEACH ROAD, NEWPORT
9am-10am - BUNGAN EDIBLE SANCTUARY GUIDED GARDEN TOUR
Please start this fantastic day at easily the biggest permi garden around! This humongous garden is set on the beachtop headland, spanning three properties, and consists of a vast array of fruit trees, huge raised beds, chickens, worm farms, self watering systems, honey and native bees and a huge pool to pond conversion with over 200 trout.
10am-10.30am - AQUAPONICS TALK with Charlie Bacon from ECOLICIOUS
Aquaponics refers to any system that combines conventional aquaculture with hydroponics in a symbiotic environment. Ever wanted to grow your own fish to eat, harvest your veges and have it almost completely sustainable, well now you can with this amazing system. Please join Charlie and the Bungan crew around the pool for this interesting talk, we may even get time to throw a line in.
10.30 - 11.30am - PNB SEED SAVERS MEET, GREET AND TALK
Join the crew to learn and talk in the ancient art of saving seeds , Bring your own, swap and buy seeds all grown locally.
2. MONA MAGIC: 22 MINMAI RD, MONA VALE
12.00-12.45 - GARDEN TOUR with Matt Wilson
Another fantastic garden with over 35 fruit and nut trees, a lot of them exotic. A unique sloping block with an aquaponics system built into the landscape, chickens, ducks, ponds plus bee hives scattered throughout the garden. The bonsais are maintained by integrated water systems and it also keeps the veggies from drying out. Loads packed in, come check it out.
12.45- 1.30 - HONEY BEE TALK with HONEY I'M HOME
Join award winning honey experts Mark and Caroline on a talk about bees and honey! How they make it? Why? The importance of pollination and the state of our bees. Bring your questions and take home some local raw honey.
3. GRAND FINALE! 2 SAMUEL STREET, MONA VALE
2pm-3pm - GARDEN TOUR
Just up the road lies our final garden , another hugely productive level garden with numerous established fruit trees all bearing fruit. Dragon fruit, pomegranate and persimmon just to name a few. A vast array of veggies but a spectacular coffee hedge laiden with beans is the true attraction.
3pm-4pm - COFFEE TALK
Why do we pay $4.50 for a coffee? Because there actually is a load of work involved before that sweet nectar hits our lips, come and learn how to harvest, dry, shell, roast, grind and FINALLY pour the perfect coffee. With a professional barista on call all day to serve it up, this hands on experience will be one to remember.
2pm – 5pm TIME TO PARTY!
So bring the kids, let them dance to the live music in the garden, enjoy a wine or a cuppa, talk to experienced gardeners from Permaculture Northern Beaches who will be available at the permaculture stall, along with other various stalls, fun kids activities, plant sales, raffles and many more.
JOIN IN & CELEBRATE!
Get involved with Permaculture & your community on the Northern Beaches!
Please note the gardens opening and closing times as there will be a strict “gates closed” policy, except the last one, which may run into the night…
Entry to gardens is by donations with all proceeds going back into your community group Permaculture Northern Beaches.
International Environmental Award For Hunter Valley Farmer Wendy Bowman Spotlights Coal Mining Damage
Wendy Bowman
2017 Goldman Prize Recipient
Islands And Island Nations
In the midst of an onslaught of coal development in Australia, octogenarian Wendy Bowman stopped a powerful multinational mining company from taking her family farm and protected her community in Hunter Valley from further pollution and environmental destruction.Islands of farms surrounded by coal mines
New South Wales (NSW), on Australia’s eastern coast, is a region with a rich agricultural history. Dairy farms, ranches, race horse farms, and vineyards dot the rural landscape in Hunter Valley, where descendants of some of the island’s earliest settlers have been working the land for generations. However, in recent years, the region’s farms have become islands surrounded by oceans of open-pit coal mines.
Under directives to prioritize economic growth above all else, government is issuing coal licenses with little regard to mining’s impact on local residents’ lives. Almost two-thirds of the Hunter Valley floor has been given away in coal concessions, producing 145 million tons of coal every year. Some of it is burned at nearby coal powered plants but the majority is shipped off to foreign markets, cementing Australia’s place as the world’s largest coal exporting country.
Coal mining has displaced many landowners in the valley. Those who remain live surrounded by around-the-clock blasting and heavy equipment operation. Coal dust settles onto houses, farmland, and water sources. When the wind blows, residents shut all doors and windows and stay inside. A survey by a local physician found that one in five children in the valley have lost some 20 percent of their lung capacity; asthma, heart disease, cancer, and mental health problems are on the rise.
Uprooted twice, now determined to stayWendy Bowman, 83, is one of the last residents left in Camberwell, a small village in Hunter Valley surrounded on three sides by coal mining. She married a farmer and took over the family business after her husband’s untimely death in 1984. She had to quickly learn how to manage a farm, and abruptly encountered the harsh reality of what coal development was doing to the local community.
Landowners were being forced to move off their property with little say or explanation of their rights. In fact, they often found out their land had been leased to mining companies by reading about it in the local newspaper, where the government posted notices. Coal companies created divisions within the community by offering huge sums of money to select landowners and imposing a gag order on the terms of the deal.
In 1988, just four years after losing her husband, Bowman’s crops suffered a devastating failure. A coal mine had tunneled under a creek that irrigated her farm, and the heavy metals in the water caused the crops to die. Around the same time, another mine broke ground on nearby land, causing constant noise and light pollution. Coal dust from the mine covered her fields, and the cows refused to eat. After a contentious four-year battle, Bowman convinced the mine to buy out her farm that had been destroyed by mining. In 2005, she was forced to relocate again when she was served an eviction notice—and given six weeks to move to make room for a coal mine. She eventually settled down in Rosedale, a small cattle farm in Camberwell. But her battle against coal was far from over.
In 2010, Chinese-owned Yancoal proposed to extend the Ashton South East Open Cut mine, which would bring mining operations onto Bowman’s grazing lands and the banks of one of Hunter River’s most important water tributaries. Bowman was determined to stay and protect the community’s health, land, and water from further destruction.
Protecting Rosedale and Hunter Valley’s healthThe Ashton mine expansion was initially opposed by the regional government agencies because of concerns about the mine’s air and water pollution. Yancoal appealed in 2012, and the planning committee approved the project. By early 2015, more than 87 percent of homeowners in the proposed mining area had sold their property.
As one of the few landowners left in the area, Bowman became a key plaintiff in a public interest lawsuit to fight back the mine expansion. Given that more than half of the coal for the proposed mine is under Bowman’s property, her refusal to sell was a significant factor in the case.
The Land and Environment Court issued its ruling in December 2014: The Ashton expansion could proceed, but only if Yancoal could get Bowman to sell them her land. It was the first time an Australian court placed this kind of restriction on a mining company. The New South Wales Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision, effectively stopping the mine expansion in its tracks.
Bowman has refused offers of millions from Yancoal, and is now working on a plan to have Rosedale protected in perpetuity. She continues to be an advocate for the community’s health and environment, and has worked with the local health department to place air monitors near coal mines. She has also recently installed solar panels on her property, and envisions an energy future where Hunter Valley is powered by its abundant sun and wind.
Join Wendy demand that Australian politicians stop mining companies from destroying rural Australian communities.
The Goldman Environmental Prize is the world's largest award honoring grassroots environmental activistsAbout the PrizeThe Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots environmental heroes from the world’s six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. The Goldman Prize views “grassroots” leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in the issues that affect them. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.
The Prize RecipientsGoldman Prize recipients focus on protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice. Prize recipients are often women and men from isolated villages or inner cities who choose to take great personal risks to safeguard the environment.What the Goldman Prize ProvidesThe Goldman Prize amplifies the voices of these grassroots leaders and provides them with:• International recognition that enhances their credibility• Worldwide visibility for the issues they champion• Financial support to pursue their vision of a renewed and protected environment
Prize Selection and AnnouncementThe Goldman Environmental Prize recipients are selected by an international jury from confidential nominations submitted by a worldwide group of environmental organizations and individuals. The winners are announced every April to coincide with Earth Day. Prize recipients participate in a 10-day tour of San Francisco and Washington D.C.—highlighted by award ceremonies in San Francisco and Washington D.C.—including media interviews, funder briefings, and meetings with political and environmental leaders.
The OuroborosIn addition to a monetary prize, Goldman Prize winners each receive a bronze sculpture called the Ouroboros. Common to many cultures around the world, the Ouroboros, which depicts a serpent biting its tail, is a symbol of nature’s power of renewal.
_________________________________
In the midst of an onslaught of coal development in Australia, octogenarian Wendy Bowman stopped a powerful multinational mining company from taking her family farm and protected her community in Hunter Valley from further pollution and environmental destruction.
Islands of farms surrounded by coal mines
New South Wales (NSW), on Australia’s eastern coast, is a region with a rich agricultural history. Dairy farms, ranches, race horse farms, and vineyards dot the rural landscape in Hunter Valley, where descendants of some of the island’s earliest settlers have been working the land for generations. However, in recent years, the region’s farms have become islands surrounded by oceans of open-pit coal mines.
Under directives to prioritize economic growth above all else, government is issuing coal licenses with little regard to mining’s impact on local residents’ lives. Almost two-thirds of the Hunter Valley floor has been given away in coal concessions, producing 145 million tons of coal every year. Some of it is burned at nearby coal powered plants but the majority is shipped off to foreign markets, cementing Australia’s place as the world’s largest coal exporting country.
Coal mining has displaced many landowners in the valley. Those who remain live surrounded by around-the-clock blasting and heavy equipment operation. Coal dust settles onto houses, farmland, and water sources. When the wind blows, residents shut all doors and windows and stay inside. A survey by a local physician found that one in five children in the valley have lost some 20 percent of their lung capacity; asthma, heart disease, cancer, and mental health problems are on the rise.
Uprooted twice, now determined to stay
Wendy Bowman, 83, is one of the last residents left in Camberwell, a small village in Hunter Valley surrounded on three sides by coal mining. She married a farmer and took over the family business after her husband’s untimely death in 1984. She had to quickly learn how to manage a farm, and abruptly encountered the harsh reality of what coal development was doing to the local community.
Landowners were being forced to move off their property with little say or explanation of their rights. In fact, they often found out their land had been leased to mining companies by reading about it in the local newspaper, where the government posted notices. Coal companies created divisions within the community by offering huge sums of money to select landowners and imposing a gag order on the terms of the deal.
In 1988, just four years after losing her husband, Bowman’s crops suffered a devastating failure. A coal mine had tunneled under a creek that irrigated her farm, and the heavy metals in the water caused the crops to die. Around the same time, another mine broke ground on nearby land, causing constant noise and light pollution. Coal dust from the mine covered her fields, and the cows refused to eat. After a contentious four-year battle, Bowman convinced the mine to buy out her farm that had been destroyed by mining. In 2005, she was forced to relocate again when she was served an eviction notice—and given six weeks to move to make room for a coal mine. She eventually settled down in Rosedale, a small cattle farm in Camberwell. But her battle against coal was far from over.
In 2010, Chinese-owned Yancoal proposed to extend the Ashton South East Open Cut mine, which would bring mining operations onto Bowman’s grazing lands and the banks of one of Hunter River’s most important water tributaries. Bowman was determined to stay and protect the community’s health, land, and water from further destruction.
Protecting Rosedale and Hunter Valley’s health
The Ashton mine expansion was initially opposed by the regional government agencies because of concerns about the mine’s air and water pollution. Yancoal appealed in 2012, and the planning committee approved the project. By early 2015, more than 87 percent of homeowners in the proposed mining area had sold their property.
As one of the few landowners left in the area, Bowman became a key plaintiff in a public interest lawsuit to fight back the mine expansion. Given that more than half of the coal for the proposed mine is under Bowman’s property, her refusal to sell was a significant factor in the case.
The Land and Environment Court issued its ruling in December 2014: The Ashton expansion could proceed, but only if Yancoal could get Bowman to sell them her land. It was the first time an Australian court placed this kind of restriction on a mining company. The New South Wales Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s decision, effectively stopping the mine expansion in its tracks.
Bowman has refused offers of millions from Yancoal, and is now working on a plan to have Rosedale protected in perpetuity. She continues to be an advocate for the community’s health and environment, and has worked with the local health department to place air monitors near coal mines. She has also recently installed solar panels on her property, and envisions an energy future where Hunter Valley is powered by its abundant sun and wind.
Join Wendy demand that Australian politicians stop mining companies from destroying rural Australian communities.
The Goldman Environmental Prize is the world's largest award honoring grassroots environmental activists
About the Prize
The Goldman Environmental Prize honors grassroots environmental heroes from the world’s six inhabited continental regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands & Island Nations, North America, and South & Central America. The Prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. The Goldman Prize views “grassroots” leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in the issues that affect them. Through recognizing these individual leaders, the Prize seeks to inspire other ordinary people to take extraordinary actions to protect the natural world.
The Prize Recipients
Goldman Prize recipients focus on protecting endangered ecosystems and species, combating destructive development projects, promoting sustainability, influencing environmental policies and striving for environmental justice. Prize recipients are often women and men from isolated villages or inner cities who choose to take great personal risks to safeguard the environment.
What the Goldman Prize Provides
The Goldman Prize amplifies the voices of these grassroots leaders and provides them with:
• International recognition that enhances their credibility
• Worldwide visibility for the issues they champion
• Financial support to pursue their vision of a renewed and protected environment
Prize Selection and Announcement
The Goldman Environmental Prize recipients are selected by an international jury from confidential nominations submitted by a worldwide group of environmental organizations and individuals. The winners are announced every April to coincide with Earth Day. Prize recipients participate in a 10-day tour of San Francisco and Washington D.C.—highlighted by award ceremonies in San Francisco and Washington D.C.—including media interviews, funder briefings, and meetings with political and environmental leaders.
The Ouroboros
In addition to a monetary prize, Goldman Prize winners each receive a bronze sculpture called the Ouroboros. Common to many cultures around the world, the Ouroboros, which depicts a serpent biting its tail, is a symbol of nature’s power of renewal.
_________________________________
International Environmental Award For Hunter Valley Farmer Wendy Bowman Spotlights Coal Mining Damage
Wax Worm Caterpillar Will Eat Plastic Shopping Bags: New Solution To Plastic Waste?
April 24, 2017
This image shows a wax worm chewing a hole through plastic. Polyethylene debris can be seen attached to the caterpillar. Credit: Federica Bertocchini, Paolo Bombelli, and Chris Howe
Generally speaking, plastic is incredibly resistant to breaking down. That's certainly true of the trillion polyethylene plastic bags that people use each and every year. But researchers reporting in Current Biology on April 24 may be on track to find a solution to plastic waste. The key is a caterpillar commonly known as a wax worm.
"We have found that the larva of a common insect, Galleria mellonella, is able to biodegrade one of the toughest, most resilient, and most used plastics: polyethylene," says Federica Bertocchini of the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain. A previous study (doi: 10.1021/es504038a) has shown that Plodia interpunctella wax worms, the larvae of dian mealmoths, can also digest plastic.
Bertocchini and her colleagues made the discovery quite by accident, after noticing that plastic bags containing wax worms quickly became riddled with holes. Further study showed that the worms can do damage to a plastic bag in less than an hour.
After 12 hours, all that munching of plastic leads to an obvious reduction in plastic mass. The researchers showed that the wax worms were not only ingesting the plastic, they were also chemically transforming the polyethylene into ethylene glycol. This is suspected to be the case in Plodia interpunctella as well.
Although wax worms wouldn't normally eat plastic, the researchers suspect that their ability is a byproduct of their natural habits. Wax moths lay their eggs inside beehives. The worms hatch and grow on beeswax, which is composed of a highly diverse mixture of lipid compounds. The researchers say the molecular details of wax biodegradation require further investigation, but it's likely that digesting beeswax and polyethylene involves breaking down similar types of chemical bonds.
"Wax is a polymer, a sort of 'natural plastic,' and has a chemical structure not dissimilar to polyethylene," Bertocchini says.
As the molecular details of the process become known, the researchers say it could be used to devise a biotechnological solution to managing polyethylene waste. They'll continue to explore the process in search of such a strategy.
"We are planning to implement this finding into a viable way to get rid of plastic waste, working towards a solution to save our oceans, rivers, and all the environment from the unavoidable consequences of plastic accumulation," Bertocchini says. "However," she adds, "we should not feel justified to dump polyethylene deliberately in our environment just because we now know how to bio-degrade it."
Bombelli et al. Polyethylene bio-degradation by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella. Current Biology, 2017 DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.060
April 24, 2017
This image shows a wax worm chewing a hole through plastic. Polyethylene debris can be seen attached to the caterpillar. Credit: Federica Bertocchini, Paolo Bombelli, and Chris Howe
Generally speaking, plastic is incredibly resistant to breaking down. That's certainly true of the trillion polyethylene plastic bags that people use each and every year. But researchers reporting in Current Biology on April 24 may be on track to find a solution to plastic waste. The key is a caterpillar commonly known as a wax worm.
"We have found that the larva of a common insect, Galleria mellonella, is able to biodegrade one of the toughest, most resilient, and most used plastics: polyethylene," says Federica Bertocchini of the Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology of Cantabria in Spain. A previous study (doi: 10.1021/es504038a) has shown that Plodia interpunctella wax worms, the larvae of dian mealmoths, can also digest plastic.
Bertocchini and her colleagues made the discovery quite by accident, after noticing that plastic bags containing wax worms quickly became riddled with holes. Further study showed that the worms can do damage to a plastic bag in less than an hour.
After 12 hours, all that munching of plastic leads to an obvious reduction in plastic mass. The researchers showed that the wax worms were not only ingesting the plastic, they were also chemically transforming the polyethylene into ethylene glycol. This is suspected to be the case in Plodia interpunctella as well.
Although wax worms wouldn't normally eat plastic, the researchers suspect that their ability is a byproduct of their natural habits. Wax moths lay their eggs inside beehives. The worms hatch and grow on beeswax, which is composed of a highly diverse mixture of lipid compounds. The researchers say the molecular details of wax biodegradation require further investigation, but it's likely that digesting beeswax and polyethylene involves breaking down similar types of chemical bonds.
"Wax is a polymer, a sort of 'natural plastic,' and has a chemical structure not dissimilar to polyethylene," Bertocchini says.
As the molecular details of the process become known, the researchers say it could be used to devise a biotechnological solution to managing polyethylene waste. They'll continue to explore the process in search of such a strategy.
"We are planning to implement this finding into a viable way to get rid of plastic waste, working towards a solution to save our oceans, rivers, and all the environment from the unavoidable consequences of plastic accumulation," Bertocchini says. "However," she adds, "we should not feel justified to dump polyethylene deliberately in our environment just because we now know how to bio-degrade it."
Bombelli et al. Polyethylene bio-degradation by caterpillars of the wax moth Galleria mellonella. Current Biology, 2017 DOI:10.1016/j.cub.2017.02.060
$6.7 Million Centre To Bring High-End Science To Mine Site Restoration
MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 26 April 2017 – Curtin UniversityA $6.7 million research centre based at Curtin University will partner with mining companies to apply world-class science to the rehabilitation of retired mine sites.
The ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration (CMSR), directed by eminent botanist Professor Kingsley Dixon of Curtin’s Department of Environment and Agriculture, is coordinating research between Curtin University, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and The University of Western Australia (UWA).In addition, the CMSR is supported by major industry partners including Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, BHP Billiton, Hanson Construction Materials, Karara Mining, Cliffs Natural Resources, Mineral Resources, and the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia.
Professor Dixon, who was named WA Scientist of the Year last August in recognition of his efforts in conservation science, restoration ecology and plant science, said it was vital that the mining industry was supported in applying high quality science to its efforts to restore the integrity of mine sites.“Restoration sits at the heart of Australia’s ability to sustainably and responsibly exploit its mineral wealth,” Professor Dixon said.
“The CMSR aims to connect high-end science with on-ground practice in mining restoration, and to train the next generation of high level researchers to be industry-ready.
“Researchers both at the post-graduate and doctoral level will work within industry, so industry will get to see them and understand the value of science, and the scientists will see how their research is valued and applied in the industry setting.
“They’ll be able to understand the needs of the mining sector and enhance the sector’s capacity to deliver improved financial, social and environmental outcomes.”
Professor Dixon said the CMSR is one of the first ARC Industry Transformation Centres funded in Western Australia and was the culmination of decades of work and critical discoveries within the field of mine site restoration.
“I’ve spent 30 years working across the broad mining industry – it’s been a really exciting journey and it’s meant that WA, more than any other place in the world, leads in innovation in environmental repair following mining,” Professor Dixon said.
That success has been reflected in the three Golden Gecko Awards Professor Dixon has received, in partnership with industry, for environmental excellence within the mining industry.
“The mining industry in WA has embraced the need for knowledge-led improvement in environmental management, however there is still much more work to be done,” Professor Dixon said.
“The industry has taken it on the chin that they need to do a lot better, because they mine on ancient, biodiverse and often important ecological landscapes, and it’s a great credit to them that they have risen to the occasion to support this centre.”
The centre, based at Curtin and with satellite activities at UWA, Kings Park and a number of mine sites, will focus on six key research areas: restoration genetics, seed technology and enablement, rare species management, restoration ecophysiology, restoration trajectory, and mining industry policy extension.
Its multi-disciplinary staff will deliver a suite of integrated and focused research projects that underpin successful mine site restoration outcomes.“What the centre will do is consolidate and deliver a more effective package across a broad range of industries, identifying a ‘restoration trajectory’ for sensitive sites and a generic toolkit that will have application globally – from transnational companies down to mums and dads working in local community groups to restore coastal dunes, local lakes and more,” Professor Dixon said.
For more information on the centre, visit: http://arc-cmsr.org/
MEDIA RELEASE: Wednesday 26 April 2017 – Curtin University
A $6.7 million research centre based at Curtin University will partner with mining companies to apply world-class science to the rehabilitation of retired mine sites.
The ARC Centre for Mine Site Restoration (CMSR), directed by eminent botanist Professor Kingsley Dixon of Curtin’s Department of Environment and Agriculture, is coordinating research between Curtin University, Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and The University of Western Australia (UWA).
In addition, the CMSR is supported by major industry partners including Sinosteel Midwest Corporation, BHP Billiton, Hanson Construction Materials, Karara Mining, Cliffs Natural Resources, Mineral Resources, and the Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia.
Professor Dixon, who was named WA Scientist of the Year last August in recognition of his efforts in conservation science, restoration ecology and plant science, said it was vital that the mining industry was supported in applying high quality science to its efforts to restore the integrity of mine sites.
“Restoration sits at the heart of Australia’s ability to sustainably and responsibly exploit its mineral wealth,” Professor Dixon said.
“The CMSR aims to connect high-end science with on-ground practice in mining restoration, and to train the next generation of high level researchers to be industry-ready.
“Researchers both at the post-graduate and doctoral level will work within industry, so industry will get to see them and understand the value of science, and the scientists will see how their research is valued and applied in the industry setting.
“They’ll be able to understand the needs of the mining sector and enhance the sector’s capacity to deliver improved financial, social and environmental outcomes.”
Professor Dixon said the CMSR is one of the first ARC Industry Transformation Centres funded in Western Australia and was the culmination of decades of work and critical discoveries within the field of mine site restoration.
“I’ve spent 30 years working across the broad mining industry – it’s been a really exciting journey and it’s meant that WA, more than any other place in the world, leads in innovation in environmental repair following mining,” Professor Dixon said.
That success has been reflected in the three Golden Gecko Awards Professor Dixon has received, in partnership with industry, for environmental excellence within the mining industry.
“The mining industry in WA has embraced the need for knowledge-led improvement in environmental management, however there is still much more work to be done,” Professor Dixon said.
“The industry has taken it on the chin that they need to do a lot better, because they mine on ancient, biodiverse and often important ecological landscapes, and it’s a great credit to them that they have risen to the occasion to support this centre.”
The centre, based at Curtin and with satellite activities at UWA, Kings Park and a number of mine sites, will focus on six key research areas: restoration genetics, seed technology and enablement, rare species management, restoration ecophysiology, restoration trajectory, and mining industry policy extension.
Its multi-disciplinary staff will deliver a suite of integrated and focused research projects that underpin successful mine site restoration outcomes.
“What the centre will do is consolidate and deliver a more effective package across a broad range of industries, identifying a ‘restoration trajectory’ for sensitive sites and a generic toolkit that will have application globally – from transnational companies down to mums and dads working in local community groups to restore coastal dunes, local lakes and more,” Professor Dixon said.
For more information on the centre, visit: http://arc-cmsr.org/
French And Australian Experts On Solving The World's Sustainability Challenge
April 28 - University of Technology, SydneyIn summary: A recent French-Australian roundtable on sustainability identified a range of ways our societies can be greener, from smart solar panels to urban road congestion tolls
The Conversation and the Australian French Embassy presented a panel between French and Australian experts at the University of New South Wales in March, opened by the French Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault.
In his opening remarks, Ayrault celebrated the signing and coming into force of the 2015 Paris Agreement, under which countries agreed to limit warming to well-below 2℃, however he highlighted that more action needs to be taken around the world.
“Some are tempted to slow it down, or worse, to take a step backwards. We can currently see this in the United States.
"Tackling climate change is a democratic fight. Individual actions are like votes: on their own, they seem powerless, but together, they give new meaning to our societies,” he said.
The panel discussion included screenings of clips from the French documentary Tomorrow. View the complete discussion below.
Still from the French documentary Tomorrow. MOVE MOVIE, FRANCE 2 CINÉMA, MARS FILMS, MELY PRODUCTIONS
Better valuing sustainable development in transportFrançois Raulin, Researcher, The Territory Development Institute, Normandy Business School
Since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, sustainable development has gradually become a key issue for public policy in many countries. Despite many global efforts - for example - to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, most small initiatives are being taken at the local level.
Take the example of sustainable mobility in cities. The majority of urban agglomerations have been designed or redeveloped for cars. In order to limit the use of cars, various devices have been put in place, such as the introduction of urban road tolls (for example in Singapore, London and Stockholm), the removal of parking lots in inner city centres, or more recently the installation of eco stickers (road tax) for polluting vehicles in Paris.
In parallel, many French cities have seen a reduction in car use in favour of more sustainable forms of transport. As well as public transport such as trains, buses or trams, bikes and walking are alternative solutions to cars. However, depending on the urban environment, bicycling or walking is not always possible, or is dangerous.
How can these modes of active transport be promoted? Here are three possible solutions:- First, by promoting their health benefits, including the fight against obesity, the decline in cardiovascular diseases or the preservation of mental health.
- Second, by encouraging their intermodality with other transport system, which would reduce the use of cars over short distances. The development of bike-sharing systems or improved walkability are various solutions proposed to encourage their use in the city.
- Third, by increasing the ground area dedicated to cycling (bike paths) and walking (footpaths) while decreasing that of cars.
Beyond environmental issues, the development of sustainable mobility in cities also improves the quality of life of the inhabitants (less pollution, less noise, and so on) and make it more attractive, especially among young people.
Overcoming inertia in the energy systemDani Alexander, Research principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Overcoming inertia, both culturally and technologically, will be the key to unlocking our clean energy transition.
Power has been shifting to the energy consumers with the rapid rise of rooftop solar and falling costs of battery storage. However, with this has come discontent with the large electricity businesses that were built in the traditional model of “big energy” to “small consumer”.
As Belgian historian David Van Reybrouck argues in the film Tomorrow, there is an “increasing sense of theft” among consumers, which can drive action against the system such as “going off-grid”. The majority of Australians are ready to move to a renewable energy system despite the political inertia.
Our researchers at the Institute for Sustainable Futures have investigated the risk of a “death spiral” where, as more people leave the grid, the shared cost of our electricity infrastructure becomes more concentrated among fewer people, leading in turn to yet more people leaving the grid.
Unfortunately, it is often those who are more vulnerable (such as those who cannot afford a personal energy system) that pay the highest price. There are options to improve the way that our energy market works to provide a fairer deal for everyone, but regulatory inertia seems to be strong as well.
But what about technically? Can we move to a renewable energy system without risking the system or soaring electricity bills? Or is a rapid transition irresponsible, as some in our federal government would have us believe? Can renewables provide the same reliable services?
Moving towards more local generation, such as more rooftop solar, does make managing electricity more complex, for example in keeping network voltage in check. Luckily, renewable technologies have already advanced and have the capability to provide the network support services we need. Solar panels with storage will be able to moderate voltage at the source of the problem. Wind turbines already have the ability to provide the “synthetic” inertia to keep the grid stable – if the market allows and promotes it.
So what we need now is a new momentum. Strong enough to overcome the inertia and fast enough to divert our path away from irreversible climate change.
Working from the ground upJoachim Claudet, Researcher, CNRS/PSL University
Global change is a major challenge for human societies. It is modifying ecosystems all over the world, hence threatening our wellbeing through alterations to the flow of ecosystem services. However, global change is not affecting societies everywhere in the same way. Global drivers interact with local drivers.
They can combine with local stresses, such as overfishing or land clearing, creating additive or even multiplicative impacts. Understanding and predicting global change impacts thus requires strong knowledge of local social-ecological systems, of human-nature interactions (such as human use of the environment, natural disturbance history).
Global drivers also emerge from local processes. Hence, attempts to minimise the magnitude of global drivers or strategies to mitigate their impacts require local interventions. These can include incentives to modify human uses or adaptive management to foster resilience of social-ecological systems.
The latter requires a deep understanding of local world views as effective strategies in a place can be culturally inappropriate in another. This is particularly true in some Pacific Island countries – those countries being some of the most vulnerable to climate change – where wellbeing is strongly tied to the connectedness of people and places and where there is no distinction between nature and culture.
The ConversationDani Alexander is a member of the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), which undertakes paid sustainability research for a wide range of government, NGO and corporate clients, including energy businesses.
François Raulin and Joachim Claudet do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
LicenseLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Byline:François Raulin, Ingénieur de recherche à l’Institut du développement territorial (IDéT), Laboratoire Métis EM Normandie, École de Management de Normandie Dani Alexander, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Joachim Claudet, Researcher, Université de Perpignan
April 28 - University of Technology, Sydney
In summary:
A recent French-Australian roundtable on sustainability identified a range of ways our societies can be greener, from smart solar panels to urban road congestion tolls
The Conversation and the Australian French Embassy presented a panel between French and Australian experts at the University of New South Wales in March, opened by the French Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault.
In his opening remarks, Ayrault celebrated the signing and coming into force of the 2015 Paris Agreement, under which countries agreed to limit warming to well-below 2℃, however he highlighted that more action needs to be taken around the world.
“Some are tempted to slow it down, or worse, to take a step backwards. We can currently see this in the United States.
"Tackling climate change is a democratic fight. Individual actions are like votes: on their own, they seem powerless, but together, they give new meaning to our societies,” he said.
The panel discussion included screenings of clips from the French documentary Tomorrow. View the complete discussion below.
Still from the French documentary Tomorrow. MOVE MOVIE, FRANCE 2 CINÉMA, MARS FILMS, MELY PRODUCTIONS
Better valuing sustainable development in transport
François Raulin, Researcher, The Territory Development Institute, Normandy Business School
Since the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, sustainable development has gradually become a key issue for public policy in many countries. Despite many global efforts - for example - to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, most small initiatives are being taken at the local level.
Take the example of sustainable mobility in cities. The majority of urban agglomerations have been designed or redeveloped for cars. In order to limit the use of cars, various devices have been put in place, such as the introduction of urban road tolls (for example in Singapore, London and Stockholm), the removal of parking lots in inner city centres, or more recently the installation of eco stickers (road tax) for polluting vehicles in Paris.
In parallel, many French cities have seen a reduction in car use in favour of more sustainable forms of transport. As well as public transport such as trains, buses or trams, bikes and walking are alternative solutions to cars. However, depending on the urban environment, bicycling or walking is not always possible, or is dangerous.
How can these modes of active transport be promoted? Here are three possible solutions:
- First, by promoting their health benefits, including the fight against obesity, the decline in cardiovascular diseases or the preservation of mental health.
- Second, by encouraging their intermodality with other transport system, which would reduce the use of cars over short distances. The development of bike-sharing systems or improved walkability are various solutions proposed to encourage their use in the city.
- Third, by increasing the ground area dedicated to cycling (bike paths) and walking (footpaths) while decreasing that of cars.
Beyond environmental issues, the development of sustainable mobility in cities also improves the quality of life of the inhabitants (less pollution, less noise, and so on) and make it more attractive, especially among young people.
Overcoming inertia in the energy system
Dani Alexander, Research principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney
Overcoming inertia, both culturally and technologically, will be the key to unlocking our clean energy transition.
Power has been shifting to the energy consumers with the rapid rise of rooftop solar and falling costs of battery storage. However, with this has come discontent with the large electricity businesses that were built in the traditional model of “big energy” to “small consumer”.
As Belgian historian David Van Reybrouck argues in the film Tomorrow, there is an “increasing sense of theft” among consumers, which can drive action against the system such as “going off-grid”. The majority of Australians are ready to move to a renewable energy system despite the political inertia.
Our researchers at the Institute for Sustainable Futures have investigated the risk of a “death spiral” where, as more people leave the grid, the shared cost of our electricity infrastructure becomes more concentrated among fewer people, leading in turn to yet more people leaving the grid.
Unfortunately, it is often those who are more vulnerable (such as those who cannot afford a personal energy system) that pay the highest price. There are options to improve the way that our energy market works to provide a fairer deal for everyone, but regulatory inertia seems to be strong as well.
But what about technically? Can we move to a renewable energy system without risking the system or soaring electricity bills? Or is a rapid transition irresponsible, as some in our federal government would have us believe? Can renewables provide the same reliable services?
Moving towards more local generation, such as more rooftop solar, does make managing electricity more complex, for example in keeping network voltage in check. Luckily, renewable technologies have already advanced and have the capability to provide the network support services we need. Solar panels with storage will be able to moderate voltage at the source of the problem. Wind turbines already have the ability to provide the “synthetic” inertia to keep the grid stable – if the market allows and promotes it.
So what we need now is a new momentum. Strong enough to overcome the inertia and fast enough to divert our path away from irreversible climate change.
Working from the ground up
Joachim Claudet, Researcher, CNRS/PSL University
Global change is a major challenge for human societies. It is modifying ecosystems all over the world, hence threatening our wellbeing through alterations to the flow of ecosystem services. However, global change is not affecting societies everywhere in the same way. Global drivers interact with local drivers.
They can combine with local stresses, such as overfishing or land clearing, creating additive or even multiplicative impacts. Understanding and predicting global change impacts thus requires strong knowledge of local social-ecological systems, of human-nature interactions (such as human use of the environment, natural disturbance history).
Global drivers also emerge from local processes. Hence, attempts to minimise the magnitude of global drivers or strategies to mitigate their impacts require local interventions. These can include incentives to modify human uses or adaptive management to foster resilience of social-ecological systems.
The latter requires a deep understanding of local world views as effective strategies in a place can be culturally inappropriate in another. This is particularly true in some Pacific Island countries – those countries being some of the most vulnerable to climate change – where wellbeing is strongly tied to the connectedness of people and places and where there is no distinction between nature and culture.
The Conversation
Dani Alexander is a member of the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), which undertakes paid sustainability research for a wide range of government, NGO and corporate clients, including energy businesses.
François Raulin and Joachim Claudet do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond the academic appointment above.
License
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Byline:
François Raulin, Ingénieur de recherche à l’Institut du développement territorial (IDéT), Laboratoire Métis EM Normandie, École de Management de Normandie Dani Alexander, Research Principal, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney Joachim Claudet, Researcher, Université de Perpignan
Unlikely Pair Of Australian Plants Named After Stars Of Movie 'Twins'
Daviesia devito (R) a smaller and weaker plant, while Daviesia schwarzenegger is a bigger and more robust plant. Credit: Stuart Hay, ANU
April 28, 2017: Australian National University
Biologists from The Australian National University (ANU) have named an unlikely pair of plants after Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, the stars of the 1988 movie Twins.
Lead researcher Emeritus Professor Mike Crisp said one of the species of Daviesia, a genus of Australian pea flowers, was much more robust than the other, calling to mind the movie about Julius and his twin brother Vincent, the products of a genetic project.
"We discover early on in the movie that the embryo split in two, but it didn't split equally -- all the purity and strength went into Schwarzenegger's character Julius, while the dregs went into Vincent, DeVito's character," said Professor Crisp from the ANU Research School of Biology.
Daviesia schwarzenegger and devito are among 131 different sub-species that Professor Crisp and his ANU colleagues have identified within the genus Daviesia, which are known as 'egg and bacon peas' due to the colours of their flowers.
Professor Crisp said Daviesia Devito was a smaller and weaker plant, while Daviesia schwarzenegger was a bigger and more robust plant.
"We also wish to honour Arnold Schwarzenegger's leadership as Governor of California in pioneering the reduction of carbon emissions, and for advising the Australian Government to do the same," he said.
The unexpected twin species are found in South Eastern Australia in the Mallee region, through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
"Both species are at risk of extinction, because they appear to be confined to tiny remnant patches of bushland in a region that is largely cleared for wheat farming," Professor Crisp said.
"These plants are ecologically important members of the communities of plants in which they grow. They're nitrogen fixers, playing an important role in the Mallee region where the top soil is very denuded and the nutrients are depleted. It's essential to have nitrogen fixers to replace those nutrients."
Professor Crisp said the team's monograph, which was published in Phytotaxa and took 40 years to produce, contributed to the huge ongoing task of documenting biodiversity globally.
Michael D. Crisp, Lindy Cayzer, Gregory T. Chandler, Lyn G. Cook. A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae). Phytotaxa, 2017 DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.300.1
Daviesia devito (R) a smaller and weaker plant, while Daviesia schwarzenegger is a bigger and more robust plant. Credit: Stuart Hay, ANU
April 28, 2017: Australian National University
Biologists from The Australian National University (ANU) have named an unlikely pair of plants after Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito, the stars of the 1988 movie Twins.
Lead researcher Emeritus Professor Mike Crisp said one of the species of Daviesia, a genus of Australian pea flowers, was much more robust than the other, calling to mind the movie about Julius and his twin brother Vincent, the products of a genetic project.
"We discover early on in the movie that the embryo split in two, but it didn't split equally -- all the purity and strength went into Schwarzenegger's character Julius, while the dregs went into Vincent, DeVito's character," said Professor Crisp from the ANU Research School of Biology.
Daviesia schwarzenegger and devito are among 131 different sub-species that Professor Crisp and his ANU colleagues have identified within the genus Daviesia, which are known as 'egg and bacon peas' due to the colours of their flowers.
Professor Crisp said Daviesia Devito was a smaller and weaker plant, while Daviesia schwarzenegger was a bigger and more robust plant.
"We also wish to honour Arnold Schwarzenegger's leadership as Governor of California in pioneering the reduction of carbon emissions, and for advising the Australian Government to do the same," he said.
The unexpected twin species are found in South Eastern Australia in the Mallee region, through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.
"Both species are at risk of extinction, because they appear to be confined to tiny remnant patches of bushland in a region that is largely cleared for wheat farming," Professor Crisp said.
"These plants are ecologically important members of the communities of plants in which they grow. They're nitrogen fixers, playing an important role in the Mallee region where the top soil is very denuded and the nutrients are depleted. It's essential to have nitrogen fixers to replace those nutrients."
Professor Crisp said the team's monograph, which was published in Phytotaxa and took 40 years to produce, contributed to the huge ongoing task of documenting biodiversity globally.
Michael D. Crisp, Lindy Cayzer, Gregory T. Chandler, Lyn G. Cook. A monograph of Daviesia (Mirbelieae, Faboideae, Fabaceae). Phytotaxa, 2017 DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.300.1
Get Ready Australia… ABC’s War On Waste Starts In May
A Greener 2020 Vision: Where Are All The Trees Report
Bird Walks And Talks 2017: PNHA
Come and see and hear some of our fantastic native birds, many of which you'll never see in your garden. Join in a Sunday guided bird walk with Pittwater Natural Heritage Association. All walks start at 8am and end about 10am.
May 28, Warriewood Wetlands, meet at End of Katoa Close, north Narrabeen.
August 27 Chiltern Track. Meet at gate, off northern of Chiltern Rd Ingleside.September 17 Irrawong reserve. Meet at corner Irrawong Rd and Epworth Rd.November 26 Warriewood Wetlands. Meet end of Katoa Close, north Narrabeen.
Bring binoculars if possible. Drink, hat and comfortable shoes.More information contact pnhabirdwatching@gmail.com or Ph Kerry on 0402605 721.
You don't need to book but if we know you're coming we'll watch out for you. Call if in doubt about weather as we won't go out if it's raining.
Come and see and hear some of our fantastic native birds, many of which you'll never see in your garden. Join in a Sunday guided bird walk with Pittwater Natural Heritage Association. All walks start at 8am and end about 10am.
May 28, Warriewood Wetlands, meet at End of Katoa Close, north Narrabeen.
August 27 Chiltern Track. Meet at gate, off northern of Chiltern Rd Ingleside.
September 17 Irrawong reserve. Meet at corner Irrawong Rd and Epworth Rd.
November 26 Warriewood Wetlands. Meet end of Katoa Close, north Narrabeen.
Bring binoculars if possible. Drink, hat and comfortable shoes.
More information contact pnhabirdwatching@gmail.com or
Ph Kerry on 0402605 721.
You don't need to book but if we know you're coming we'll watch out for you. Call if in doubt about weather as we won't go out if it's raining.
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.
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)
Climate Change Review Discussion Paper Released
Department Seeks Community Views On Narrabri Gas Project Proposal
Department Seeks Public Feedback On Wambo Coal Mine Extension Application
Department Seeks Community Input On Hume Coal Project Proposal
Myna Action Group
Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA)
Indian Mynas - what a pest - like flying rats. Contact us on pnhainfo@gmail.com for more information and have a look athttps://www.facebook.com/MynaProblems/
Indian Mynas are displacing our native birds. They often nest in and around shops where their food source is. I took this one down this morning in Avalon (no chicks or eggs but I disturbed the female). There were literally hundreds of tiny bits of plastic in the nest which makes you think that all this plastic would be swilling down the stormwater drains into the sea.
Pittwater Natural Heritage Association (PNHA)
Indian Mynas - what a pest - like flying rats.
Contact us on pnhainfo@gmail.com for more information and have a look athttps://www.facebook.com/MynaProblems/
Indian Mynas are displacing our native birds.
They often nest in and around shops where their food source is. I took this one down this morning in Avalon (no chicks or eggs but I disturbed the female). There were literally hundreds of tiny bits of plastic in the nest which makes you think that all this plastic would be swilling down the stormwater drains into the sea.
Turnbull Government To Deliver $6 Million For Prostate Cancer Nurses
27 April 2017: Media Release - The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Minister for Health
Minister for Sport
The Turnbull Government is providing almost $6 million to continue support for prostate cancer specialist nurses in 15 locations across Australia, with a focus on regional areas.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting men, with over 16,000 Australians expected to be diagnosed this year and although it has a 95 per cent five-year survival rate, more than 3,000 men die from it each year.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will use the funding for 14 full time nurses through to 2019-20, to support men with prostate cancer.
The program has been in operation since 2014 and these nurses are on track to assist around 4,000 men and their families by September 2017.
Men diagnosed with prostate cancer often see a range of health care professionals over a length of time, including urologists, general practitioners, radiologists and allied health staff.
This funding will continue to support prostate cancer nurse positions across Australia so that men with cancer, and their families, receive the support and information they need.
We have seen that the greater coordination of care for other cancers has resulted in better outcomes for patients both for cancer control and psychological well-being.
By funding these nurses we can make sure men battling prostate cancer receive the necessary and timely coordinated care they require.
These nurses will provide:
- vital information, care and support for both patients and their families, as well as health care professionals within a multidisciplinary team;
- improved access to specialists and services;
- coordination of care from diagnosis onwards; and
- continuity of care for patients throughout the entire cancer journey.
A diagnosis of cancer is one of the most confronting health issues anyone can face but the support and compassionate care that prostate cancer nurses provide will be a great help to men as they, and their families, tackle this disease.
Prostate Cancer Nurse Locations
Cairns, QLD Cairns Hospital
Rockhampton, QLD Rockhampton Hospital
Greenslopes-Brisbane, QLD Greenslopes Private Hospital
Port Macquarie, NSW Port Macquarie Base Hospital
Orange, NSW Orange Hospital, Western NSW
Wagga Wagga, NSW Wagga Wagga Hospital and Community Health
North Ryde, Sydney, NSW Macquarie University Hospital
Kogarah, Sydney, NSW St George Hospital
Mildura, VIC Mildura Base Hospital
Footscray, Melbourne, VIC Western Health Service
Mornington Peninsula, VIC The Bays Hospital
Geelong, VIC Geelong Hospital, Barwon Health
Ballarat, VIC Ballarat Health Services
Adelaide, SA Repatriation General Hospital
Bunbury, WA St John of God