Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for November 10, 2008

Looking for Community?

By

If you want to be an integral part of this blog community visit the Community Home page.  There are links to the best online videos, upcoming debates on climate change, and more.  

If you would like to share with this community, send me an email with ‘For Community Page’ in the subject line.  

We all need a home and it’s nice to have a community.

[Photograph of the crab taken by Jennifer Marohasy at Mackay, North Queensland, Australia, on October 2, 2008]

No Shortage of Water in Australia

By

ON a daily basis we hear the following two statements repeated in relation to water in Australia: 1. That Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth; and 2. That water is very scarce in Australia and we must take immediate action to conserve it. It is time we took a closer look at these assumed facts.  

If we convert the average annual rainfall into megalitres and do the same for the other continents, then yes, Australia does receive the least precipitation of all of the inhabited continents.  This is exemplified by comparing some average runoff data.  Of all of the rain that falls on Australia about 11% finds its way to the sea via our river system, which on average amounts to 290 million megalitres per year from mainland Australia. Another 50million megalitres runs to the sea from Tasmania.   By comparison the Mississippi river alone in USA averages a discharge of 560 million megalitres annually – almost double all of the rivers from mainland Australia. The Yangtze Kiang in China discharges 690 million megalitres annually and the Amazon in Brazil nearly ten times that amount.

So, yes, Australia does have meager water supplies compared to the other continents, but these figures lack relevance unless we consider two other vital factors. [Read more…] about No Shortage of Water in Australia

Bob Carter and Bill Kininmonth on YouTube

By

Hi Jen, 

 

For your info & to pass on to others.

 

1) The presentations on climate change by Bob Carter & Bill Kininmonth made at the recent AEF conference in Canberra are on the youtube.com/bushvision web site as detailed below. 

 

Cheers

Leon Ashby

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=9tOFoFx7S6M Bob Carter AEF 2008 Pt 1

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaVUFXZ1E8 Bob Carter AEF 2008 PT 2

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=4v4N25xIDDI    Bob Carter AEF 2008 Pt 3

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ta-EQ1H87hA  Bob Carter AEF 2008 PT 4

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=IPPZNk5ozig  Bill Kininmonth Pt 1

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0mW8uaj8Evg Bill Kinimonth Pt 2

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=JNRYacFgIqI   Bill Kininmonth Pt 3

 

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=i-5PCN6wVVE Bill Kininmonth Pt 4

Why Campaign Against Hunting Polar Bears?

By

THE World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has condemned Nunavut – the most sparsely populated and largest Canadian Territory – for maintaining its polar bear hunt quota threatening that boycotts may follow the decision.

CBC News ran a story last week that Environment Minister, Olayuk Akesuk, has accepted a recommendation from the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board not to change this season’s polar bear quota of 105 polar bears for the Baffin Bay area.  This is despite concerns from government officials about overhunting. Baffin Bay is an area of water and ice between the northern Baffin Island and Greenland. 

Of course much of the English-speaking world would be surprised to learn that polar bears are still hunted.   [Read more…] about Why Campaign Against Hunting Polar Bears?