The Lorax by Dr Suess is Now a Movie.

http://myplasticfreelife.com/2012/02/lessons-from-the-lorax-why-nagging-doesnt-work/comment-page-1/#comment-39193

The link is to a blog written about the environmental lessons to be learned from the Dr Suess book The Lorax.

It is about to launch this week as a movie.

REREAD THE BOOK. As an adult, ponder about the message and what might be done, as the writer has done.

A bit provocative and definitely aiming to change YOUR perspective.

It is not the first environmental book, nor does it have the same lengthy text as did Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring", nor as old as "A Sandcastle Almanac" by Leopold - but the message is very clear.
An easily read environmental tale of loss. And.... worth conveying the message to the next generation.

Mythbuster's Catastrophe

Mythbuster's TV show can be amusing, often quite funny.

But things sometimes go wrong........and this did, big time!

Worth watching the video!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57338281-71/mythbusters-cannonball-busts-through-house/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&tag=nl.e703

Cyling - Do You?

Cycling can be a means of transportation, exercise, work, sport or just fun.

This past week in Australia has had the annual ride to work day. Did you?

I did not.......but then my trip to work is a short walk across the carport, into the office.......maybe ten metres. But I do enjoy some serious cycling. Hard, hard, hard training rides of anywhere from 30 - 60 minutes or more, aiming for several times each week [as well as few other pursuits such as swim training and the gym, not to mention some serious dog walking], and I usually return in a very sweaty state.

But cycling can be and should be fun, with a bit of camaraderie thrown in for good measure.

Even the environmentalists think it is fun, while being good for the environment.

Read more here - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-12/phillips-peddling-the-cyclist-cause/3549128 . It is a good read.

Darwin - What a Ripper of a Dry Season 2011 - So Far

The past two weeks have seen some great cool dry season weather here in Darwin.

As I write this at 9pm at night it is 17C and cooling rapidly. Cool enough for a light fleece or jumper even. Many nights, or rather early mornings have been around 13 -15C over the past two weeks. Up to 28C, if lucky, in the day, but with a few around 25C max. Lots of sunshine too......eleven hours approximately every day.

Truly a magnificent dry season so far, and it seems with more to come this week........predictions of a similar pattern this week, with 16 - 17c nights.

Last year the dry season did not ever get started, and this year has been truly different and a great dry season so far. They say if it gets cool early in the dry.......it will continue the same way.

Even the swimming pools are very cool - 21C water temperature earlier today on the sign outside the local pool......that is COOL!!

Roll on 2011 dry season!!!!

FOUND - A New Tropical Frog

Frogs are supposed to be the barometer of the environment. If that is true, then the NT is doing ok............a new frog has been found!!

Rumour also hath it that there may be more.......

After all, the region is relatively unexplored for both flora and fauna, so one could expect these sorts of events, I guess.

But.......it is a new frog, and is as yet unnamed.

More about it here http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/20/3016622.htm including a photo. There are more on the ABC web site too.

And not to be outdone, a new plant was also found recently, near Emerald Springs [ see more here - http://oldfartz-on-tour.blogspot.com/2010/09/emerald-springs-revisited.html ] south of Darwin. This plant however, does have a name - Alysicarpus suffruticosa - a close relative of buffalo clover.

The Weeping Rosewoods are DYING

What a difference a year makes......................

This is what the trees were like a year ago, shown in the middle photo

http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2009/11/yellow-flowers-but-be-quick.html

The weeping rosewoods have beautiful yellow flowers, and are magnificent shady trees.

BUT........a dreadful disease is slowly killing many of the now large trees around Darwin.

The photo below was taken today.......and all the trees in the previous post, about 10 months ago are DEAD, very dead!!!

The problem was first noted in the main city area, and these trees are alongside Bagot Road, at Millner, in the northern suburbs of Darwin, maybe 12 -13km from the first dead trees.

It is hoped disease resistant lines will be available in maybe a year or so, but till then, there will be a lot more trees dead, and sadly, it is the larger specimens that seem to die.

And there are a lot of these trees around Darwin.

Cramped Vision

Oh dear................five long weeks [plus] without a new post.

Doesn't time fly if you are having fun......or busy? Several trips away to distant places, work [not done while away], and a bit of writers block do not aid the sensible scribbling on paper.

That in itself raises some issues. We all seem to use keyboards today, but the easy flow of pen or pencil on paper is quite inspiring.

I spent many months away from family working overseas in some pretty remote regions where letters were it! No phones, telegrams, faxes, let alone computers and e-mail [some of these places still exist you know]. Often letters were quite soliloqual [ except I guess technically a soliloquy is a spoken, not a written piece] conveying observations, events and miscellanea, getting my personal view to the readers in my family. But I actually enjoyed the flow of words across the page.

Keyboards are not quite the same. NEVER.

A hand written note is the exception today............and it is always nice to get one. Or send one too, as a short thank you, bereavement note, even as a card.

BUT.............back to the keyboard.

Darwin can be an odd place........it is mid May, and it has been seriously raining and expected to continue. The local newspaper found an old news item today - May 18 1989, with a photo of heavy rain on that day - 89mm [that is quite a bit], so it is not necessarily rare. But unusual, well yes, if in volume! Especially since it has been about five weeks without much rain except for a few less than 1mm scuds.

However, good for the garden, lawns and will save irrigating.


Interesting conjunction between blog posts and rain.............maybe the recent irrigating rain has allowed the fingers to function again!

Solar Car Race - Global Green Challenge Part 2

The solar car race is different to the "conventional" car event. In this race, the vehicles run all day - 0830 - 1800hrs, and essentially stop by the side of the road, to go on the next day.


Previous winners of the event have AVERAGED 100km/hr plus.........yes, that is correct, over 60mph.


The vehicles are built for speed, not comfort and most certainly do not have much in terms of driver comforts - most are closed for aerodynamic efficiency, and a lot of water is consumed by the drivers in the approx 40C temperatures out on the road.


Winners are expected to take about 3-4 days to reach Adelaide, about 3300 kms from Darwin.






See http://www.globalgreenchallenge.com.au/ for more details.

More current photos here - http://photos.globalgreenchallenge.com.au/


The photos are of two overseas entries - from MIT in the US and Cambridge University

Global Green Challenge 2009 Part 1

Global Green Challenge 2009 Darwin to Adelaide

This event began today at 1230 Darwin time.

Today the street legal vehicles departed. These are alternate energy vehicles, and range from a converted “postie bike” [a 110cc Honda] running on ethanol to a Tesla Roadster all electric plug in vehicle which is an advanced sports car.

The Tesla received a lot of attention……….and deserved. It is a beautiful vehicle. But it still has to complete the 3300kms to Adelaide, and like all the electric vehicles range will be an issue.

They are prepositioning generator trucks to compensate for no refuelling depots for the electric vehicles.

There are also some very efficient diesel cars including the new Mini-D, as well as a Suzuki Alto. Even a petrol Holden V8, and they hope to achieve better than 9L/100kms, by being light on the accelerator.

There are more photos at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfie999/4039230810/

And detailed information at www.globalgreenchallenge.com.au . There is also a blog run by the owner of the Tesla Roadster, which is a real story in itself. See
www.internode.on.net and go to the Internode blog which focuses on the Global Green Challenge blog [around 21 – 28 October 2009].

Tomorrow the solar powered vehicles leave. They come in all shapes and sizes………more then.

More Fabulous Local Trees

As a follow up, there are a few more spectacular trees to be seen around Darwin at this time of year. Yes, there are some fabulous looking red poinciana trees, but have a look at this specimen.




Fabulous flowering and a very sweet perfume

Adjacent to the rain tree! Consensus is that the yellow flowered tree is Albizzia lebbeck or Siris tree.

The Crocodile is BACK

As noted a few times, the local newspaper is renowned for the outlandish front page........normally crocodiles, sometimes fishing and the odd "way out there" story of all sorts. The emu starred a few weeks back, for a short few days.

BUT.............crocodiles are back, and they are large. Over 4m long. The same croc was seen some months ago in the same place at Fogg Dam Nature Reserve just south of Darwin. After that it seems to have been absent for a while. A wet season holiday maybe.

This time it was sunning itself on the earthen dam wall. Seen last week, same spot and it is BIG. At least four metres. That is a serious sized crocodile. The photo was taken in March, the first time it appeared at Fogg Dam.

A front page story again............same crocodile!

Quite a few years ago, when living near Fogg Dam I used to exercise our dog by throwing sticks into the dam for the dog to jump in, swim and chase the stick. Was definitely very safe then with no crocodiles around much. NOT the thing to do now.

Parks and Wildlife are warning people not to walk across the dam wall at this time. Understandably. But is is a great walk, with plenty of native flora and fauna to see...............but you do not want to meet a croc, in or out of the water.



Image taken by Brian Hannand March 2009 at Fogg Dam

Container Deposit Legislation for the NT

It is like a bolt of lightning..........The Northern Territory Government announced today a container deposit scheme, to be similar to that in South Australia.

The press release in part says:

The Chief Minister Paul Henderson today announced the Northern Territory will introduce a cash for containers scheme to reduce litter and boost recycling efforts. “Cash for containers will make the Territory cleaner and greener – it will reduce litter by rewarding people who do the right thing,” Mr Henderson said. “This Government has always supported a national approach to legislation providing cash for containers but I’ve been disappointed with the slow progress. I’m not prepared to wait further.

“I’m taking the lead and hope other states will follow.

“My Government has made the commitment in principle to adopt cash for containers legislation by 2011 provided it is financially viable, legally sound and can deliver in both urban and remote centres. “That’s why I have set up a reference group to further explore those three criteria, and report back to Government in July.”

The Environment Minister Alison Anderson will chair the reference group, which will include Fannie Bay MLA Michael Gunner and the Independent Member for Nelson Gerry Wood. Ms Anderson said the NT’s scheme will be modelled on South Australia’s container deposit legislation where cans, bottles and cartons attract a 10c refund.

“The results in South Australia clearly show cash for containers is a success. In other states beverage containers typically contribute up to 40% - 50% of litter by volume – in South Australia they contribute less than 20% by volume,” she said. “I don’t pretend the scheme is going to fix all our litter problems but it’s very effective for what it targets.

“It gets litter off the streets and money into the pockets of people who do the right thing. It gives kids and community groups a chance to raise funds and we can show a clean green image to visitors who come to share our unique environment and lifestyle.”

The Independent Member for Nelson Gerry Wood said he is simply rapt that after nearly 20 years of trying, a Northern Territory Government has finally bitten the bullet and announced a program that will do great things for the Territory environment and the community.

This is quite amazing............and seems to go against the efforts of a number of strident industry lobby groups who have resisted such a move for many many years.

Sure it is still a year or more away - in 2011 - but that is time to develop the legislation and show others we can do the right thing! [ as the old Keep Australia Beautiful slogan goes]

Silent Killer Lurks in Tropical Soils

Not only do we have to contend with large killer crocodiles, man eating sharks, deadly King Brown snakes, let alone drunken drivers on the roads, there is a new and more deadly killer in our midst.

Chances of recovery.........less than 50%, although they are getting a bit better as medical staff learn how to deal with the disease and treat the symptoms. That is in Darwin......where there is some knowledge. In Thailand, the estimated death toll annually is over 1000.

The nasty is .............melioidosis. And you can catch it while GARDENING.

This is absolutely true http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25112442-23289,00.html gives more details. As does http://abovecapricorn.blogspot.com/ .

In Darwin it used to be called Nightcliff Gardeners Disease, but that is a bit unfair. Just because many residences in Nightcliff have active gardeners, and are more exposed to the disease.

At last there seems to be developing a better understanding of the etiology of the disease, with significant work being done at the Darwin locally based Menzies School of Health Research. I have had a few discussions with staff there regarding knowledge of the disease among medical staff in Thailand, where I have worked and was a bit more apprehensive than normal as I knew I would be wandering around in rice paddies.

It seems to occur in many tropical and subtropical regions and countries. The warning now here is to use gloves while gardening and to wear covered shoes. This can be difficult in a culture where being bare footed is vey common. I have certainly been bare footed in many rice paddies and flooded pasture areas in the NT during my work. When the water is 300 - 400mm deep it hardly seems sensible to be wearing boots.

Frogs and Crocodiles Suffer Too

Increasing amounts of oestrogen are getting into the environment. Mostly via effluent, and effluent reuse. Some also through the food chain, with man [ and women] at the top. A lot via use of the contraceptive pill, both inadvertently, and by disposal via the sewer.

We are probably not doing ourselves a lot of good, overall.

But when oestrogen effects are the subject of an article in the mainstream press, then maybe it is time to be more mindful of the issue.

It is a thoughtful and thought provoking article.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24891709-7583,00.html

and definitely worth reading.

We are lucky, living in a relatively smaller city. But for cities where their sewer is the next cities drinking water, what a mess!