Avalon Boomerang Bags Update
Diary Dates
We were having such fun sewing and making the bags, we almost forgot it's school holidays - no bag making workshops Tuesday 1st or 8th October. Resuming Tuesday 15th 11.30-3.30. Please join us for a hour or two or more.
Avalon Market Day Sunday 17th November
Save the date, this is a great community event and we are pleased to be a part of it and support the Avalon Chamber of Commerce once again. (Thanks for making the free community space available to us).
We need some volunteers for the day to promote our message and sell a few fabulous bags and enviro gifts. They make awesome Christmas presents..................why not 'wrap' ALL your gifts in 'Bought to Support' bags - we'll have some in Christmas fabrics and colours too.
If you can help, please reply or let one of us know..........they more the merrier!
Thanks Yous - just to mention a few
Thanks to Jasmine Bridge from Pittwater High for completing her Duke of Edinburgh award by sewing bags for us , we have signed off for her.
Thanks to Westpac Avalon for donation of 30 bags.
Thanks Peter Reardon for repairs and donation of a sewing machine.
Thanks Karen, for the idea of the dog bandannas, we have made 50 so far, we're sure they will sell well at the Avalon market day, also our local vet and dog groomer at Avalon who loves them and will sell some for us.
Thanks to Robyn for sorting Public Liability insurance for NSW Boomerang Group
Thanks to our newest 'sew at home' volunteer Sally for her beautiful bags, many of the team are quick to purchase them as they are so beautiful
Thanks to Nonie and all the regulars who turn up week after week and produce the bags - without them, none of this would happen.
Australian Companies & Industries Track Towards Zero Emissions: Leaving Federal & State Government Fiddlers Way Behind
In the wake of this week's UN Climate Conference where our prime minister continues along a coal pit deep and drought ridden track of denial, and spent probably his only chance to address the UN taking potshots at truth mongers (and even outright porky-pies according to fact checkers), residents should take heart that it is actually them and their fellow Australians who are making the choices and following those up with actions to exceed any lip-service claims their 'quota' in reducing emissions is being reached.
While our youngsters are taking it to the streets it's good to remember their parents and elders have already seen a fair amount of 'spin' by now and just get on with it. And this is not just us recycling all those trees that are delivered to our letterboxes in thin slices steeped in inky poison or taking our own mug to the local cafe for that morning cuppa to avoid another dead tree/plastic top being what we leave behind us. Australian companies, industries and small businesses are taking up the slack too.
Most know by now that the Commonwealth Bank is getting out of coal, the ANZ has committed to 100 per cent renewable energy within five years and joins RE100 to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. These banks are joined by Monash University, Multiplex, the City of Melbourne, AMP Capital Wholesale Office Fund, CBUS Property, Cundall, the City of Sydney, GPT Wholesale Office Fund, Local Government Super, Nightingale Housing, and Stockland in striving for net zero emissions within 10 years.
These companies do not stand alone.
Our Australian property industry is on track to zero emissions by 2050, or way before. Dexus, Frasers Property Australia, Mirvac Group, GPT Group, Vicinity Centres, Cromwell Property Group and Investa (ICPF) are on their way to zero emissions according to new research from climate change think tank ClimateWork. Dexus has raised the bar again by achieving an average 5 Star Green Star Performance rating across its group office portfolio and a Green Star Performance portfolio rating of 4 Star across 76 office and retail properties.
Six of these companies, represent 36 per cent of total ASX200 property sector market capitalisation. Committing to achieving net zero emissions before 2050 for the assets they own and manage must have been missed by those pushing 53 more coal mines and billions of tonnes of more coal emissions. Download the September 2019 report here.
Our Australian companies, run by Australians, with all-Australian workers, are not alone in taking this stance.
On Monday, September 23rd, 2019, more companies in the private sector had a chance to demonstrate how it can bring about real positive change, when 87 major companies - with a combined market capitalisation of over US$2.3 trillion, over 4.2 million employees, and annual direct emissions equivalent to 73 coal-fired power plants - committed to setting climate targets across their operations.
These businesses include well-known brands such as Burberry, Danone, Ericsson, Electrolux, IKEA, and Nestlé. A number of these companies (you can find the full list here), went a step further, by committing to “science-based targets”, which means that their corporate emissions cuts can be independently assessed.
Speaking at the UN Global Compact Private Sector Forum, Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, an Indian multinational conglomerate with over 200,000 employees, said that more and more business leaders are waking up to the fact that sustainability and profit go together, and that climate action represents the biggest business opportunity of the next few decades.
In the finance sector, some of the world’s largest pension funds and insurers, responsible for directing more than $2 trillion in investments, have joined together to form the Asset Owner Alliance, which committed to moving their portfolios to carbon-neutral investments by 2050. The members of the Alliance are already engaging with companies in which they are investing, to ensure that they are decarbonising their business models.
So how does the population get it through to those currently incumbent or in opposition that they are not reaching their potential or what this generation and the next generation they're robbing require of them?
The pro-mining politicians of both LNP and Labor at state and federal level have made their positions abundantly clear on coal mining. It has been made clear that the logging of every single forest of every single tree until 100% is gone and every single animal is dead is on our representatives 'to do ' list. After so many instances of changing laws and policy and position to benefit their 'friends', why would you think anything else will occur?
After so many decades of robbing the poor to give to the rich, in everything from your local beach where birds once lived and children cavorted safely, to your public hospital being demolished and its land bequeathed to private hands on 99+ year leases, or having representatives alike Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan, whose incessant coal spruiking has, apparently, no benefit to his family’s mining interests, how do the masses take back what is theirs and their childrens?
By getting on with it.
By supporting those Australian companies who have 'gone green' or are following green policies, possibly because that is the future, financially, but also because they too, by doing so, are 'activists' now too. Eat at Ocean Friendly cafes and restaurants, buy sustainable fair-trade coffee, use your Boomerang Bags, plant a tree.
Australia cannot wait for those who embarrass us daily with their flagrant displays of complete disrespect for Australians. These individuals will continue to rob the poor to give to the rich, will sneer at you while doing so, be condescending and arrogant when representing us on the world stage. They will fondle coal during federal parliament sessions, take coal magnates to dinner in Washington, have coal festivals in the state parliament of NSW, promote land-clearing, fracking, the draining of river systems, the extinction of species, the privatisation of public assets.
The change we need will not come from our so-called 'leaders', they will lead us into a black hole.
As always, it will come from us. It will come from our companies, our children, our small businesses and their owners who work 7 days a week all year long. It will come through the steady making and sharing of Boomerang bags, by the beach cleans, through the wildlife carers who look after the animals the roaming dogs have maimed, the mums who make their own biscuits to veto all packaging, the dads who walk their youngsters to soccer instead of taking the car.
Change is being made by every single person who makes a choice for the other people, animals and plants here.
Welcome to 2019, where even your local bank is now an 'activist' too and, while our politicians continue fiddling the numbers, lighting the matches and smirking as the whole country burns, their fellow Australians are the volunteers who are putting out those fires.
Winners Of The 2019 UN Global Climate Action Awards Announced
September 26, 2019
The recipients of the 2019 United Nations Global Climate Action Awards were announced today, helping to shine a light on some of the most practical examples of what people across the globe are doing to combat climate change.
The award-winning projects range from an in-app mini program that’s helped plant 122 million trees, to a “climate positive” burger that’s taking the fast food industry by storm.
The announcement of the award winners comes shortly after the UN Climate Summit in New York, convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, and in parallel with Climate Week NYC.
“The recipients of the UN Global Climate Action Awards are leaders from communities, governments, businesses and organisations, and they are from all corners of the globe and all levels of society,” said Niclas Svenningsen, Manager of the UN Climate Change Global Climate Action Programme. “It is crucial we celebrate all actors who are leading the way. Their award-winning initiatives send a strong political signal to all nations – and through their leadership and creativity, we see essential change.”
Today’s announcement is part of the wider effort to mobilise action and ambition as national governments work toward implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Announced against the backdrop of nations signalling their renewed determination to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, these awards shine a light on 15 incredible examples of scalable climate action around the world,” added Mr. Svenningsen. “These inspiring examples of climate action serve as beacons, guiding us towards a more resilient, more sustainable and more prosperous future for all.”
The UN Global Climate Action Awards are spearheaded by the Momentum for Change initiative at UN Climate Change. The projects are recognised as innovative solutions that not only address climate change, but also help drive forward progress on many other sustainable development goals, for example, innovation, gender equality and economic opportunity.
The 2019 awards were selected by an international Advisory Panel as part of UN Climate Change’s Momentum for Change initiative, which is implemented with the support of The Rockefeller Foundation, and operates in partnership with the World Economic Forum, donors supporting the implementation of the UN Climate Change's Gender Action Plan and Climate Neutral Now.
“This year, we had over 670 applications from all over the world ranging from local governments, global companies, grassroots development initiatives and multi-million dollar impact investment projects,” said Gabrielle Ginér, Chair of the Momentum for Change Advisory Panel. “This year’s winning activities are amazing examples of innovative, scalable, and replicable climate action. We hope they will inspire others as we look to tackle one of society’s biggest challenges.”
The 2019 winners of the UN Global Climate Action Award are:
Planetary Health:
- Impossible Foods | Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Macau: Creating plant-based alternatives to meat.
- Alipay Ant Forest | China: Using digital technologies to scale up climate action.
- Ghent en Garde | Belgium: Creating structural change through local food policy.
- Electriciens sans frontières | Dominica: Providing “emergency pockets” of solar energy to health centres.
Climate Neutral Now:
- MAX Burgers | Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Poland: Creating the world’s first “Climate Positive” menu.
- Natura’s Carbon Neutral Programme | Global: Measuring and reducing emissions across their entire value chain, from the extraction of raw materials through to their distribution.
- Apple’s Emissions Reduction Mission | Global: Reducing their emissions through clean energy and innovative product design.
- Infosys’ Journey to Carbon Neutrality | India: One of the first companies of its type to commit to carbon neutrality, while investing in local carbon offsetting projects.
Women for Results:
- Campaign for Female Education’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Guides | Sub-Saharan Africa: Training young women from marginalised farming communities to become Agriculture Guides.
- Mothers Out Front | US: A movement of over 24,000 mothers mobilising for a liveable climate for their children.
- Women’s Action Towards Climate Resilience in South Asia | Bangladesh, India and Nepal: Empowering women in low-income households to increase their climate resilience.
- Eco Wave Power | Israel, Gibraltar: A world-leading project generating clean energy from the ocean, co-founded and led by a female CEO.
Financing for Climate Friendly Investment:
- Beyond the Grid Fund | Zambia: Providing affordable, off-grid clean energy solutions that are quick to deploy.
- Women’s Livelihood Bond Series | Global: Unlocking over USD 150 million in capital to empower over two million women in South and Southeast Asia.
- Québec’s International Climate Cooperation Program | Canada: Issuing climate finance and support to developing countries, funded by the province’s own carbon market.
The 15 award-winning projects fall within four focus areas: Planetary Health,Climate Neutral Now,Women for Results, and Financing for Climate Friendly Investment. All activities will be showcased at a series of special events during the second week of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Santiago, Chile (2-13 December 2019).
March Against The Central Coast Coal Mine 2 - At Wyong
Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM
2 Hely St, Wyong
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE STATE LIBERAL GOVERNMENT APPROVED AN ENORMOUS SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT-BACKED COAL MINE (WALLARAH 2) RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTRAL COASTS WATER SUPPLY??
This will directly affect the following communities; the Yarramalong and Dooralong valleys, Blue Haven and Wyee areas, Olney State Forest and Jilliby State Conservation Area and have detrimental impacts on the broader landscape of our beautiful Central Coast.
Join us and March Against the Central Coast Coal Mine!!
> Saturday 26th October
> Time of Event: 2.30pm - 4.30pm
> Meeting point: Outside Wyong Council
‘March Against the Central Coast Coal Mine 2’ is our next peaceful demonstration march with the aim to raise awareness of the recently State Liberal Government approved enormous South Korean Government-backed Coal mine right in the middle of the Central Coasts water supply.
A coal mine that is only 5 minutes from Wyong and 20 minutes from Gosford - 28 years of non-stop destruction of our land, air, our water and our children's future.
Together with the community, we will be uniting outside Central Coast Council (2 Hely Street, Wyong) building at 2.30pm to hear a few great guest speakers, then to have a colourful and musical march against the Government's recent approval of the Wallarah 2 Coal Project.
Over 200 people joined the Erina march in July, which was just amazing. Lets double those numbers at this next event in Wyong! Please get sharing this event and spreading the news so we have a bigger, stronger community voice in Wyong protecting our land, water and wildlife. For more info, check out this short film from our last event outlining the situation: https://bit.ly/2TstQyr
Run by the passionate team from Coast Environmental Alliance (CEA)
There are 16 known endangered species, such as the yellow-bellied glider and the sheath-tailed bat, spotted tailed quoll as well as irreplaceable Aboriginal sites in the locality also.
This will be devastating to our area! So we must call on our official State representative, Adam Crouch, to stand up with us, and represent the people he swore an oath to serve, and call on the Liberal Government to stop this mine from going ahead.
While the Government has suggested that the risk to our water supply is minimal, ANY risk of contaminating our water supply is totally unacceptable.
The Liberal Government knows full well there is a risk to our water, that is why they have PROMISED to stop it in the past. Then as soon as elected, they approved it.
••••• Why meet outside Central Coast Council at Wyong? •••••
Historically, Council has been supportive of stopping the Central Coast Coal mine, but since the recent approval of the mine, have done nothing to draw attention to the issue through the media.
We need our local elected leaders to publically call on the State Government to stop this from going ahead.
Right now is an absolutely critical time where we really need our local Councillors and other politicians to publicly stand up and support the community.
Also, it's a good location for the gathering. Only 5 minutes from where the proposed mine will be located.
••••• Why on a Saturday? •••••
Our last March was on a Friday afternoon during work hours. We did this so we could draw attention to the issue in peak-hour traffic. And we certainly accomplished that.
We have made this event on a Saturday so hopefully more people can attend (due to not having to work) so we can build on our numbers from last time.
••••• What is the purpose of a second rally? •••••
Our first rally was great! But unfortunately it was largely ignored by the mainstream media.
We need to build our numbers to a point where this issue can no longer be ignored by the media or our elected leaders.
••••• Who should attend?•••••
Anyone who believes that our community is entitled to breathing clean air, drinking clean water and maintaining a healthy environment in the place we are so privileged to call home.
** Event Details **
When: Saturday 26th October
Time: 2.30pm -4.30pm
Meeting: Central Coast Council, Wyong Office (2 Hely Street, Wyong)
March: Led by drummers, musicians and colourful members of the community we will march to the main road to stand up for the Land of the Central Coast.
Guest speakers from local environmental groups will be at this event to share ways we can get involved in helping to stop Wallarah 2 and what action we have taken to date.
Get creative! Dress up, bring your instruments and your furry friends and the whole family - Lets UNITE to show that PEOPLE POWER is much stronger than the 'people in power'!
Lets make this fun and creative through different forms of expression. Dress in colour, bring musical instruments, and let us come together in solidarity for our precious and unique local environment.
Some ideas for signs that are relevant could include wording such as:
"Save Our Water!"
"Protect our land, water and air”
"Stand up for our wildlife”
"Say NO to Wallarah 2"
This event will go ahead RAIN, HAIL OR SHINE.
PLEASE SHARE THIS EVENT FAR AND WIDE FOR WE NEED MANY VOICES TO CREATE ONE POWERFUL VOICE
*** SOME DISTURBING FACTS ABOUT THE W2CP ***
• 68 percent of the water from this catchment supplies drinking water to the whole Central Coast and will be at serious risk of contamination from the mine
• Round the clock noise, light pollution at night, air and dust pollution from trucks, machinary, railway and traffic
• Extraction of up to 5 Million tonnes of thermal coal per year
• The total greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the mine will be over 264 million tonnes of CO2
• The Jilliby SCA alone provides critical habitat for over 150 native animal species, including 16 threatened species and more than 130 species of birds
• Jilliby is an important cultural and historical area for Aboriginal people. There are more than 40 recorded Aboriginal sites in Jilliby, and the adjacent Watagans National Park also includes art sites, axe-grinding grooves and open campsites.
• Subsidence of up to 2.6 metres beneath a state forest area; increased flooding impacts for more than 170 property owners that could require lifting or relocating homes and increased flooding impacts affecting 15 bridges and roads
Archie's Pittwater Clean Up
My name is Archie Mandin
I am a Seabin Ambassador, I started this campaign because I want to take a stand against ocean plastics!
My goal is to raise enough money to bring a minimum of 20 Seabins to Pittwater NSW as I want to give The Northern Beaches the opportunity to reduce its plastic pollution impact on the ocean. Its amazing how much accidental rubbish comes down our creeks and into our waterways
I need your help to raise money to buy the Seabins a revolutionary ocean cleaning technology which is essentially a floating rubbish bin that operates 24/7 catching all floating debris in the water.
The Seabin helps clean the ocean of floating debris which in turn creates cleaner oceans and we all benefit from this in one way or another. I mean, who really wants to swim in pollution? Not me that’s for sure!
Did you know that 300 million tons of plastic are produced in the world every year, half of which is for single use products, from this more than 8 million tons of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year. We need to do something about it and now with the purchase of a Seabin we can all participate and make a difference!
Join me and my campaign to help ensure cleaner oceans!
What’s a Seabin?
The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that is located in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports.
The Seabin can catch an average of 3.9kgs of floating debris per day which adds up to 1.4 tons per year. (depending on weather conditions and debris volumes) The Seabins is catching large plastic bags, bottles, plastic straws, coffee cups, food wrappers, surface oils and micro plastics down to 2 mm small.
How can a Seabin contribute to cleaner oceans?
The Seabin contributes to cleaner oceans by removing 1.4 tons of floating debris per unit per year. The location of the Seabin in marinas is ideal and where it matters most, close to the source of entry for floating debris. Ports and Marinas are perfect locations to stop floating debris from entering the open ocean and ocean plastics are also brought in by wind and currents.
Are the Seabins a danger to marine life?
The fish According to the team at Seabin, stay away from the surface of the water where the Seabin sucks in the water. They are deterred by the force of the water current. If there are swarms of jellyfish or bait fish it is recommended that the Seabins are turned off until the swarms pass. If a fish was to accidentally go into the Seabin, it would be caught in the Seabin and stay submerged in water until the marina staff retrieve the filter and throw the fish still alive back into the water.
How does it work?
Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through a catch bag inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump capable of displacing 25.000 LPH (liters per hour). The water is then pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.
Who is responsible for the Seabin?
This is the best part of it all, the marina will be the one responsible for the upkeep of the Seabins and also they will be paying for the energy consumption of the Seabin which is around $2 - $3 a day.
The marina enjoys a cleaner marina and the rest of us and the marine life enjoy cleaner oceans with less floating debris polluting our oceans!
Seabins part of a whole solution
Seabins whole solution is Technology, Education, Science, Research and Community. The reason for this is that Technology alone is not the solution to stopping ocean plastics, education is the real solution.
Great! Can our local community be involved also?
Yes! The team at Seabin have interactive programs and lessons designed for schools, community and youth to interact with the Seabins and have over 2000 school students engaged around the world, this is something that we can do locally also with support from the team at Seabin Project.
What will we be doing if we participate in these programs?
You would be joining an international community contributing important data and feedback on ocean plastics to the Seabin central data base. Renowned scientists, universities and environmental agencies are all a part of the programs also.
The lessons range from identifying ocean plastics to data collection of what the Seabins are catching weekly. The data collection is a very easy activity and where we can all see the measurable impact of debris the Seabins are taking out of the water in all weather conditions.
It’s as simple as counting how many plastic bags, plastic particles, food wrappers and then noting it down on a spreadsheet or app. Weather conditions and location information is also entered into the data base.
How can you help our campaign and make a difference in the world?
Every contribution to this crowdfunding campaign helps, be it $1 or $50 dollars, it all adds up and bring us closer to our goal.
Even if you cannot afford a donation, please help by sharing this campaign with your friends and family on social media. The more people that know about the campaign the better!
Thanks everyone for taking the time to check out our campaign!
FOR CLEANER OCEANS!
Archie
FAQS SHEET
Seabin Project FAQs
Q: Can someone pay out the crowdfunding campaign goal?
A: Yes! We need help! The more money we can raise, the more Seabins we can buy.
Q: Why crowdfund a Seabin?
A: Until now, the Seabins were not for the everyday person to purchase because marinas ports and yacht clubs are the target market for Seabin Group. This is a way where everyday people can give something back to the oceans.
Q: How do Seabins work in tidal areas?
A: Seabins at present are designed for floating docks and pontoons. The Seabins move up and down with the tide on the floating dock.
Q. How are the pumps run?
A. The pumps are currently electric, and around $2-$3 a day to run.
Q: When are the Seabins available?
A: Depending on your countries location, Seabins will be available Feb 2019.
Q: Do any fish get sucked into the Seabins? What about smaller marine life?
A: There is a possibility of fish to enter the Seabins, however in the last 2 years of development, the Seabins have only caught a handful of small bait fish. Most of which have been thrown back into the water alive. The fish simply stay away from the flow of water entering the Seabin and with the current fine tuning of the Seabin, the risk is now minimal.
Q: I don’t have any money to donate, how can I help?
A: Don’t worry! Your amazing anyways and thanks for even contacting us. We need help to share this project around with any media we can. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, websites, bloggers. Also with newspapers, magazines, tv, radio and journalists. Also friends and family!
Warriewood SLSC Surf Boats Come & Try Day
Sunday 6 October 9am at Bayview (flat water - time and place subject to weather and numbers)
If you are a patrolling member with Bronze or SRC, come and try surf boat rowing for fun, fitness or competition.
Contact Russ Lamb at boatcaptain@warriewoodslsc.com.au to book a spot.
Head To The Stars: Barrenjoey
Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park
Calling all amateur astronomers to Barrenjoey Headland in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Discover astrophotography, learn about the solar system and tour Barrenjoey Lighthouse at this fun event.
When: Saturday 19 October 2019
Station Beach activities run from 5pm to 9.30pm
Optional guided tours of Barrenjoey Lighthouse run from 5.30pm to 7pm, 6.30pm to 8pm, 7.30pm to 9pm and 8.30pm to 10pm. Select a time slot for your guided tour when you book. Lighthouse tour takes around 30 minutes each way.
Where: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Accessibility: No wheelchair access
Grade: Medium. Station Beach activities suitable for all ages. Optional guided lighthouse tour suitable for adults and children 8 years and over with moderate fitness.
Price: $20 per person.
Meeting point: Station Beach in front of Governor Phillip Park, Palm Beach.
What to bring: Torch, drinking water
Bookings: Bookings required. Phone 1300 072 757 for more information or book online.
Join us at Palm Beach, 1 hour from Sydney's centre, as we set out to simulate a pristine dark sky landscape. We'll be transforming Barrenjoey Headland into an observatory for 1 night only. Come along and witness the sparkly wonder of the solar system under the light of the new moon.
There's plenty to see and do at this great event, including:
- Learning about the solar system from local astronomers and looking through one of the onsite telescopes
- Going on an optional guided tour of Barrenjoey Lighthouse
- Listening to stories about Aboriginal astronomy
- Learning tips and tricks for night sky photography from our experienced astrophotographer. Don't forget your camera and tripod
- Discovering why dark, natural night skies are important to animals, plants and humans
- Enjoying a barbecue dinner and some tea, coffee or hot chocolate
If you're a nocturnal adventure seeker or solar system enthusiast, don't miss this fantastic evening under the stars. Remember to bring a headlamp or torch and a water bottle.
Bee Biodiversity Barometer On Fiji
September 23, 2019: Flinders University
The biodiversity buzz is alive and well in Fiji, but climate change, noxious weeds and multiple human activities are making possible extinction a counter buzzword.
Just as Australian researchers are finding colourful new bee species, some of them are already showing signs of exposure to environmental changes.
Flinders University PhD candidate James Dorey -- whose macrophotography has captured some of Fiji's newest bee species -- says the naming of nine new species gives researchers an opportunity to highlight the risks.
"Homalictus terminalis is named so to indicate that, like many Fijian bees, it is nearing its limit and is at risk of climate-related extinction," he says.
"Found only on Mount Batilamu near the city of Nadi, where many tourists launch their holidays, H. terminalis has only been found within 95 metres of the mountain peak."
South Australian university students on the Australian Government's New Colombo overseas study program have gone to Fiji in the south-west Pacific for several years, naming nine new species in one of their latest research publications in Zootaxa.
The impressive black Homalictus achrostus, featuring unusual large mandibles, is one of the most interesting endemic bee species on Fiji.
But, like many Fijian bee species, H. achrostus has only ever found on a single mountain top.
An impressive black Homalictus achrostus, newly named by Flinders University researchers. Photo: James Dorey.
"Six individuals were collected on Mount Nadarivatu in the 1970s and two in 2010, but despite frequent searching almost every year since no more have been found," says Flinders University Associate Professor Mike Schwarz, a co-author on the paper.
"A likely driver of this possible extinction is changing climates," Associate Professor Schwarz says.
"The cooler climate of the Fijian highlands could be slowly pushed upwards and off the top of the mountains bringing with it the species that require this climatic refuge.
"With H. achrostus one of the four previously described species of endemic bee in Fiji, this raises real concerns about the extinction of many highland species in Fiji and across all of the tropics."
South Australia Museum senior researcher terrestrial invertebrates, Dr Mark Stevens, says the bee genus Homalictus Cockerell has not been taxonomically reviewed in the Fijian archipelago for 40 years.
"These field trips have allowed us to redescribe four known species and describe nine new ones, bringing the number of endemic Homalictus in Fiji to 13 species," says Dr Stevens, who is collaborating on the study.
"Most of the species diversity (11 species) live 800 metres or more above sea level, which highlights the vulnerability of highland-restricted species to a warming climate."
One of the new species, the eye-catching Homalictus groomi, was named in honour of Flinders biological sciences graduate Dr Scott Groom, who began uncovering this hidden diversity using molecular techniques with Flinders University and the South Australian Museum in 2009.
The eye-catching Homalictus groomi was named after Flinders biological sciences graduate Dr Scott Groom, who began uncovering this hidden diversity using molecular techniques with Flinders University and the South Australian Museum in 2009. Photo James Dorey, Flinders University
Previous New Colombo Plan biological sciences field trips have also studied the effects of noxious weeds and human activities on other animals and plants in Fiji.
James B. Dorey, Michael P. Schwarz, Mark I. Stevens. Review of the bee genus Homalictus Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) from Fiji with description of nine new species. Zootaxa, 2019; 4674 (1): 1 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4674.1.1
Flinders University PhD James Dorey on location.
Machu Picchu: Ancient Incan Sanctuary Intentionally Built On Faults
September 23, 2019
The ancient Incan sanctuary of Machu Picchu is considered one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements. Built in a remote Andean setting atop a narrow ridge high above a precipitous river canyon, the site is renowned for its perfect integration with the spectacular landscape. But the sanctuary's location has long puzzled scientists: Why did the Incas build their masterpiece in such an inaccessible place? Research suggests the answer may be related to the geological faults that lie beneath the site.
On Monday, 23 Sept. 2019, at the GSA Annual meeting in Phoenix, Rualdo Menegat, a geologist at Brazil's Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, will present the results of a detailed geoarchaeological analysis that suggests the Incas intentionally built Machu Picchu -- as well as some of their cities -- in locations where tectonic faults meet. "Machu Pichu's location is not a coincidence," says Menegat. "It would be impossible to build such a site in the high mountains if the substrate was not fractured."
Using a combination of satellite imagery and field measurements, Menegat mapped a dense web of intersecting fractures and faults beneath the UNESCO World Heritage Site. His analysis indicates these features vary widely in scale, from tiny fractures visible in individual stones to major, 175-kilometer-long lineaments that control the orientation of some of the region's river valleys.
Menegat found that these faults and fractures occur in several sets, some of which correspond to the major fault zones responsible for uplifting the Central Andes Mountains during the past eight million years. Because some of these faults are oriented northeast-southwest and others trend northwest-southeast, they collectively create an "X" shape where they intersect beneath Machu Picchu.
Menegat's mapping suggests that the sanctuary's urban sectors and the surrounding agricultural fields, as well as individual buildings and stairs, are all oriented along the trends of these major faults. "The layout clearly reflects the fracture matrix underlying the site," says Menegat. Other ancient Incan cities, including Ollantaytambo, Pisac, and Cusco, are also located at the intersection of faults, says Menegat. "Each is precisely the expression of the main directions of the site's geological faults."
Menegat's results indicate the underlying fault-and-fracture network is as integral to Machu Picchu's construction as its legendary stonework. This mortar-free masonry features stones so perfectly fitted together that it's impossible to slide a credit card between them. As master stoneworkers, the Incas took advantage of the abundant building materials in the fault zone, says Menegat. "The intense fracturing there predisposed the rocks to breaking along these same planes of weakness, which greatly reduced the energy needed to carve them."
Ollantaytambo, Peru: The Incas took advantage of pre-existing fractures in local stones to reduce the amount of energy needed to create their master stonework. Photo taken 21 July 2016, credit: Terri Cook and Lon Abbott.
In addition to helping shape individual stones, the fault network at Machu Picchu likely offered the Incas other advantages, according to Menegat. Chief among these was a ready source of water. "The area's tectonic faults channelled meltwater and rainwater straight to the site," he says. Construction of the sanctuary in such a high perch also had the benefit of isolating the site from avalanches and landslides, all-too-common hazards in this alpine environment, Menegat explains.
The faults and fractures underlying Machu Picchu also helped drain the site during the intense rainstorms prevalent in the region. "About two-thirds of the effort to build the sanctuary involved constructing subsurface drainages," says Menegat. "The preexisting fractures aided this process and help account for its remarkable preservation," he says. "Machu Picchu clearly shows us that the Incan civilisation was an empire of fractured rocks."
