A slow start is no guarantee of a mild hurricane season. In 1992, the first named storm did not form until late August. When it did form, though, Hurricane Andrew became a Category 5 storm that poleaxed south Florida. Read more here.
News
Stunt or Not?
A beluga whale saved a drowning diver by hoisting her to the surface, carrying her leg in its mouth. Read more here.
Australian Politics and Carbon Trading
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s plans for an early double dissolution election have been sunk… The Clerk of the Senate, Harry Evans, is understood to have confirmed that even if Mr Rudd were to go to a double dissolution election to get his ETS through Parliament, the scheme could still be blocked by the Senate. Read more here.
Famous Koala Dies
SAM the Koala was euthanized last Thursday.
When bushfires were raging the state of Victoria earlier this year, the koala became famous after video footage was released showing her drinking water from a fire fighter’s bottle.
But the four-year-old never recovered from surgery last Thursday to remove cysts associated with Urogenital chlamydiosis, a disease which affects about 50 percent of Australia’s koala population.
The Most Important Vote Since Federation?
“The vote that Senators deliver on August 13, and again later should the bill be defeated and resubmitted, is the biggest decision that they will make in their political careers. For the passage or not of this bill will determine the fate of the Australian economy, and the standard of living of average Australians, for decades to come.” Bob Carter
Quadrant Online ETS Forum, edited by Professor Bob Carter, is now online.
Forum participants: James Allan, David Archibald, Bob Carter, Ian Castles, Sinclair Davidson, Terry Dwyer, David Evans, Ray Evans, Viv Forbes, John Izzard, William Kininmonth, Jennifer Marohasy, Des Moore, Alan Moran, Joanne Nova, Ian Plimer, Alex Robson (some essays will be posted over the coming days).
Michael Connor, Quadrant, Sydney
Dawn, North Keppel Island, Central Queensland
APOLOGIES for not posting so much over the last week: I have been driving north along the east coast of Australia and this morning I woke up to this magnificent view across to North Keppel Island. It’s a National Park Island within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.