Michaelangelica Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Top scientists warn of catastrophic rise in sea levels Posted Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:31pm AEDTAn ice cave yawns from the pit of a sagging iceberg in AntarcticaScientists say that uncertainty about melting icecaps makes the impact of rising sea levels on the Australian coastline hard to predict. (AAP Image: Simon Mossman) * Map: Hobart 7000 Several of Australia's most pre-eminent climate change scientists have given evidence to a federal parliamentary committee in Hobart. The committee is investigating the impacts of climate change on Australia's coastal communities. Scientists from the CSIRO and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre gave evidence on Wednesday afternoon. They have reiterated the need for drastic action to stop a catastrophic rise in sea levels.Top scientists warn of catastrophic rise in sea levels - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) 4,000M down!CURIOUSER and curiouser. The latest bizarre finds have surfaced from the outsized world of the deep ocean south of Tasmania, and with them comes a warning. Investigations in this sunless sea-life hotspot have yielded regular finds in recent years. Only last October, CSIRO marine scientists announced the discovery of 274 new species living among 80 new seamounts in these depths.http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2009/01/18/coral_wideweb__470x303,0.jpgalsoDeep-sea sub discovers life that time forgotHowever, Dr Thresher said images taken by the submarine provided evidence that the modern reef system was dying. Most reef-forming coral deeper than 1300m had recently died, and ocean warming and increasing ocean acidity may be the cause.Deep-sea sub discovers life that time forgot | The AustralianVideo here (3min)Deep sea creatures revealed - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted January 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 This will give cheer to Michaelangelica, ...Mr Turnbull, who visited Newcastle yesterday, inspected Crucible Carbon and its bio-char technology at the company's Mayfield West research and development centre. Mr Turnbull's visit came a day after he spoke at the Young Liberals conference in Canberra about the Coalition's new climate change policy, the Green Carbon Initiative. Investing in technology such as the bio-char machine is part of that policy. He said Crucible Carbon and its bio-char technology had been neglected by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Federal Government.Turnbull pushes clean-coal role for region - Local News - News - General - The HeraldYes I have made acouple of comments about this on the news and permaculture websites.Labor is so silly leaving farmers out of their carbon credits scheme.Here was a golden opportunity to get traditionally anti-Labor people on side, and they have blown it.Who else is going to sequester carbon if not farmers ?????Farmers could sit on the porch drinking gin-slings and relaxing, occasionally driving to the bank to deposit their carbon credit cheques; or ploughing in, or planting a bit of biomassAre we going to give all the $s to the coal & Oil (Chevron Mobile $60mil from Howard) companies? - $600m to stick CO2 down a hole? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monomer Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I posted this over at Weather Watching, but it probably belongs here too. Adelaide is experiencing a heat wave. I don't think I've experienced it this hot before - temperatures in the 40s with overnight 'lows' in the 30s. It all began on Tuesday with Wednesday peaking at 45oC, and the forcast for the next week (at least until next Thursday) is around 40oC. [ATTACH]2578[/ATTACH] There have been endless power failures around the state, with some suburbs without power for 8 hours. Air conditioners aren't working properly and there is no cold water coming out of the taps. I've already had enough of not sleeping and sweating most of the time! Train lines have even buckled:[ATTACH]2577[/ATTACH] Fingers crossed for some relief next weekend... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Train lines have even buckled:[ATTACH]2577[/ATTACH] Fingers crossed for some relief next weekend...Bugger the train tracks iIs the wine OK? There were broken records in Victoria and Tassie too (although Tassie was and Island not the "mainland")Hot here but just bearable-not like you guys have had- no relief in sight.Bushfires not as bad as they should be (or usually are). Why does electricity always go down? Don't they know that they need to bring more generators on line? I guess that could take 48 hours and be expensive but. .. really. .You need a frig. on a hot day. Without it you get food poisoning and die suddenly I suppose then you could sue :singer: A good argument for household solar panels being fed into the grid and being paid for by electricity companies. Is more solar energy made on hotter days by solar panels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monomer Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Bugger the train tracks iIs the wine OK? My plants are dying so I'm guessing the grapes aren't faring too well. You better buy up big now before the price goes up! Bushfires not as bad as they should be (or usually are). Yeah, you're right. I thought they'd be a bigger problem than usual, but they seem to be well controlled. Why does electricity always go down? Don't they know that they need to bring more generators on line? They can never cope with the demand during summer, but how many summers have we had! By now they should have some decent stats on usage and the demand they need to meet. They should have extreme weather plans in place - even for freezing temperatures because although we don't get snow and ice here, you never know what will happen. They certainly know that it can heat up here. I read this on the ETSA site:How has ETSA Utilities prepared the electricity network for summer?ETSA Utilities has invested $42 million to prepare the electricity network for summer this year. The investment is part of our commitment to improving the reliability of the State's electricity supply. More than 140 street transformers are being replaced, four new major powerlines installed and 18 substations are either being built or upgraded as part of a major pre-summer overhaul.Well, that's great, but not enough by far. And this made me laugh:Do we need to notify ETSA Utilities when installing a new air-conditioner?Please remember to inform ETSA Utilities if you've purchased an air-conditioner - it is one of the simplest ways to help ensure the power stays on in your street.I don't think so! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Is more solar energy made on hotter days by solar panels? No. The temperature does not directly affect the solar panel's ability to gather sunlight. A solar panel's efficiency is dictated by the sun's angle of incidence and most importantly by how many photons are hitting the surface area of the panel. Indirectly, solar panels should have an optimal operating temperature range and exceeding this range in either direction would result in less efficiency or even damage to the cells. Michaelangelica 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 The Australian love affair with the UteMy wave was less than required - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au( Jocasta is his long suffering wife. He has two teenage boys) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Binghi Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Sound like ya got one yerself there Michaelangelica :confused: Found this - http://www.beaututes.com/forum.php ...6,000 members :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Bit sad seeing how part of the 10 billion handout has been spent - PROJECTIONS of a record $2.8billion loss by Victorian poker machine users last year have prompted claims the Rudd Government's economic stimulus payments are being poured into the coffers of gaming companies and state governments.Victorian pokie losses soar in month of handouts | The AustralianI don't understand. How do "losses" indicate that the handout was spent on poker machines. Surely it should be profits? Sorry I see;so the clubs will be announcing Christmas profits?It seems most retailers had a good Christmas with sales up well over 3% on last year- but not across the board. Up-market retailer David Jones did poorly. So maybe the high end of town is not spending, not the low end? I found this encounter I had before Christmas sadder than people giving their money back to the government via betting I was waiting at a taxi stand near a vast "mall"- sorry for the Americanism -but this one was -'The Mawl of Hell'.A guy came up with a trolley full of stuff and we started to chat. He was about 50-55. He didn't look real well. I did the "So, done all your Christmas shopping?" gambit and he said he had. Turns out he was a single parent (maybe on disability or war pension too by the look of him) with four kids. (So he would have got nearly 4-5 grand from Rudd.) He told me very proudly he had spent $1,000 on presents for each kid. the most he had ever spent on his "boys"I mumbled something about that being a lot.He said they were good boys and gave him so much pleasure, that it was good to buy them all this stuffI'm not sure why I found this sad, but I did-very........................................................................................................Thanks muchly, for the Ute link I will send it to Glover!!.......................................................................................................No I a have a car too stupid to brake down, now, and it owes me so much $ I have to keep it. What's a Ute?, non-Auzzies will sayWell just look at our latest hypograpy smilie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooloola Posted February 6, 2009 Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Michaelangelica - do I live in the channel country? No. Cooloola is the koori name for the area around Gympie to Maryborough, inland from Frazer Is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Looks like our luck has run out 50+ people killed in Victorian fires 640 + family homes destroyed(I can't begin to imagine what that would be like)Some town can't be accessed and may be history so the full extent of the disaster will take a while to see.Death toll climbs as killer fires rage - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)One Victorian is caugt up in the Queensland FloodsThe worst flood in 30 years has seen interstate truck driver Kevin DeVries stranded for five days at Rollingstone, near Ingham, in north Queensland. "I've come up form Victoria, I left in 49 degree heat," he said. "I got to the border, the road is melting before me ... tar is splashing up on my truck.Dad stuck in floods, mum caught up in fires - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) $10m bushfire relief fund, Army on way - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) There is af ire near me at Peats Ridge that has been out of control for two daysthere is alot of farms, chicken and fruit and industry up there. Including BEST Energies' prototype Pyrolosis plant There are now around five uncontrolled fires across the state, with two major blazes in the Hunter Valley, one at Peats Ridge on the Central Coast and another in the Bega Valley.New fire breaks out near Sydney - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)]Every news announcer keeps talking about records being broken Longest run of weather over 40, Highest temperature, most rain etcIt will be interesting to try to list them all when the dust settles. We just have to get though February- a bastard of a month. Some headlines from the NewsBushfires north of Melbourne heading for Taggerty 'Absolute devastation': Victoria gutted by deadly bushfires Children traumatised by Vic bushfires ABC Local Radio listeners have been urged to remember the effects Victoria's deadly bushfires may have on young children. . Two police stations lost in Vic fires Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon has confirmed two police stations have been lost in the bushfires. . Red Cross opens fire relief centres Red Cross volunteers are supporting those affected by Victoria's bushfires at 19 relief centres across the state. . ACT on stand-by to assist Vic crews Vic fires delay Telstra industrial action Bushfire deaths appalling, army on stand-by: Rudd Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Australian Defence Force stands ready to help after an "appalling" loss of life in the Victorian bushfires. . More fires to come as climate change continues: Bob Brown Water fears add to bushfire woes Goulburn residents already affected by the killer bushfires that have swept across Victoria are being warned the water in their towns may be unsafe. .Tragic weekend, troops on the way: Brumby Gippsland fires 'will burn for days' Fire authorities say it will be days before they can stop bushfires burning in Gippsland in Victoria's east. .Wiped out: Town destroyed by killer fires The township of Marysville in central Victoria has been almost completely destroyed by bushfires and there are grave fears for the town of Kinglake, where at least 12 people are known to have died. . Death toll climbs as killer fires rage The death toll from the Victorian bushfires now stands at 50, with 640 houses destroyed, making this weekend's fires more deadly for the state than Ash Wednesday. .$10m bushfire relief fund, Army on way States join Victoria bushfire fight Fire crews from New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania are being sent to Victoria to battle bushfires that have so far killed 36 people and devastated communities. . The death toll from the Victorian bushfires is now 50, and at least one town has "virtually ceased to exist". . Search. ABC News Online #Bendigo Bank - Bushfire AppealBendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited Bushfire Appeal. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, ... To donate online through Bendigo Bank's Online Shop, click here ...http://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/specials/bushfire_appeal_feb09.asp - 4 hours ago - Oz only????Anyone know how you can donate on line?? via bpay, Pay Pal of Credit card? WATCH LIVE ONE-HOUR NEWS SPECIAL: Victorian bushfire crisis http://news.ninemsn.com.au/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 Something a bit cheerier and quirkyIts so hot even the Koalas need to drink(No Yanks they are NOT bears-they are marsupials related to kangaroos)This baby got separated from its mum in the bushfires and wandered on to the back veranda of a suburban house. Koalas are not known to drink. (There are actually 4 pics I have on an email I just got (apparently the little Lad? is all over the net.) I can send those to you if you send me your email) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooloola Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 I have always hated February and loved koalas. I also hate cars and highways, particularly the Bruce which has just claimed 5 lives in a fiery crash near Mackay. One person has survived the accident. I hate the Bruce Highway. I hate bushfires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooloola Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 I'm in tears. News reports are just too awful. Some saying possibly 60 people have perished and so many more in hospitals not expected to live. In previous posts I speculated that in this land of fire and flood extremes were to be expected but that sounds so frivolous now. I am so sorry for anyone touched by this horror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 I have always hated February and loved koalas. I also hate cars and highways, particularly the Bruce which has just claimed 5 lives in a fiery crash near Mackay. One person has survived the accident. I hate the Bruce Highway. I hate bushfires.Agreed though I don't know much about the highway. These bushfires were like WW2 fire-storms, travelling at an amazing speed. So much so that houses were just exploding. Even the best prepared people had no chance.A relative 100K away from the Vic fires had her solid front door just fitted with new locks blown off its hinges by the wild winds.. The latest body count is 131. The Red Cross is feeding 4,000Is this the future + an added sign for the north "Floods"? http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/services_emergencyservices_victorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htmBlood Donations The Australian Red Cross Blood Service is not presently calling for emergency donations. Nonetheless, the Blood Service encourages all Victorians wanting to assist possible victims of this weekend's bushfires to call 13 14 95 or use the online registration form at the Blood Service website to make an appointment to donate blood in the coming and days and weeks. These pledges will ensure blood stocks remain at safe levels, including additional coverage for use by burns and other victims resulting from this weekend's bushfire emergency.# Salvation Army is providing emergency relief# St Vincent de Paul -- general inquiry line operational tomorrow# Brotherhood of St Lawrence is not accepting donations of any kind for this event at this time# Smith Family not currently accepting donations of any kind specifically for this event Donations are flooding in to the Red Cross $7 million so far. Enough to house 4,000 + and bury the dead and heal the emotional scars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay-qu Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 This has been a scary few days - there where fires less than 10k from my house, we were lucky the wind changed when it did, or it could have got much closer... Its just tragic, the toll is now pushing 170 and police say its likely to go over 200... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michaelangelica Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 CONDITIONS for a perfect firestorm led to Australia's greatest natural disaster at the weekend.Drought, strong winds and heat combined to produce Victoria fires | Herald Sun Sydney grief expert says bushfire victims face huge mental ramifications | Herald SunPost traumatic stress shock grief may go on for years. It's raining here great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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