From: Outdoor cats are prolific killers, study finds | MNN – Mother Nature Network.

In the first year of my degree, I undertook a unit called Earth Systems 1: The Lithosphere. The subjects aim was to develop an understanding in the earth’s geological systems on which all life relies. The major assessment task was a consultancies report  (as opposed to a scientific style report which we would normally write) regarding the rock formations at Cabarita Beach at far north New South Wales. I’ve decided to revisit this paper and to share it with you. It’s been a funny reflection for me, because I find this paper to be quite simple compared to what I write these days. I guess three years of education has taunt me one thing: how to write a good paper. I hope you will enjoy it.

Introduction

Location

Boganbar is a beach side town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. All six sites for this exercise are located on the local beach, Cabarita Beach(Figure 1). Road access is via tarred roads, and access to the beach sites is available at the end of Pandanus Parade via a public access ramp.

Figure 1 Google Map showing the location of all six sites and public access ramp. (Photo Credit: Google)

Evidence of History

The geography and geology of this area was exceedingly different 400 million years ago during the Late Paleozoic Era. The coastline laid further west then it is currently located and was in close proximity to a chain of volcanic mountains that included the Tweed Volcano. Wollumbin -Mount Warningis the central volcanic remnant of this ancient shield volcano. Beyond this mountain chain, the then active continental margin extended seaward and the present coastline was under more than 200m of water (CBEH, 2010). It was during this era that the layers of sands and muds were deposited that would later form the graded sedimentary rock bedding sequences that is visible at this location.

The sedimentary basin experienced some tectonic activities as ancient ocean flooring was subducted beneath the continental plate approximately 360 – 280 million years ago (Willmott, 1986). At such times, more sediment was scraped onto the continental plate causing folding and crumpling of existing bedding during some low-grade regional metamorphism as the area was uplifted (CBEH, 2010).

It was during the late Mesozoic Era approximately 210 million years ago (Willmott, 1986), that the area experienced an onset of volcanic activity. Dykes that remain intact and visible give evidence to a changed landscape one of heavy volcanic activity. The faulted landscape surrounding the site is further indicators. It is estimated that the Tweed Volcano erupted just 20 million years ago (Seach,ND; NA, 2009), during the early Cainozoic Era, layering the area with further sedimentation.

Site Description

Site One

Site one introduces us to all the sedimentary rock types present at all the sites. The area has been exposed to gentle and medium currents allowing for the formation of light coloured medium grained sandstone in the former, and dark coloured fine-grained mudstone in the later. It is presented today as a classic bouma sequence of graded bedding. The lack of traditional layer cake formations indicates that did not commence horizontally, and at some point in the past has “fallen” to its current position. Some of the other structures visible at this site include:

• Rip Up Clasts – largely eroded out of the surrounding rock, leaving enough material to tell what once filled it.
• Flame Structures – wavy mud structures resembling flames projected onto the surrounding sandstone.
• Cross Laminations – formed in the lee side of bedrocks as ripples due to sediment movement by tidal water.

Figure 2 Site one demonstrates a primary sedimentary graded bedding with several features including Rip up Clasts and Flame Structures. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Figure 3 Cross Lamination as seen at Site One. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Site Two

Site two consists of light coloured medium grained sandstone and dark coloured fine-grained mudstones that form a sedimentary rock structure.  The fault that is present at site two must be viewed from the top of the rock structure (figure 4). This structure is only 1 – 2 meters high and is easily climbed. The fault off set is approximately 50cms. Other smaller faults may be seen at some of the other sites. A small fault of 4cms was found in a boulder at site five.

Figure 4 The fault at Site Two is difficult to see unless standing over the structure. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Site Three

Site three consists of sedimentary rock structure formed from light coloured medium grained sandstones and dark coloured mudstones.  The dominant dyke at this rock face has been offset at the top by a slump by approximately 20cms, and is intercepted at several points by joints such as that in figure 5. The dykes all contained mafic igneous rock formed from cooled magma, and was identified as basalt. The basalt contained minerals such as feldspars and quartz. Further analysis is needed to determine if other minerals are present in the basalt (figure 6) as basalt formed at 600^oC can also contain muscovite and orthoclase (Scheffers, 2009).

Figure 5 One of the three dykes found at Site Three. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Figure 6 A close up of the basalt within the dyke containing Feldspar and Quartz. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Site Four

Site four is located close to Norries Head just off of the main beach. This location can be difficult to gain access and is obtained via the rocky headlands. The eroded rock surface shows signs of chemical and physical weathering, and features many quartz veins, known as Cherts, such as those in figure 7. These veins form when aqueous solutions carry minerals ooze through fractures in the mudstone (Scheffers, 2009).

Figure 7 Quartz veins as seen at all sites including Site Four. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Site Five

The dramatic folds present at site five are showing signs of physical and chemical weathering caused by the tidal sea waters. The rock face display faults and joints amongst the sedimentary layering, however, the sediments at this end of the beach display mineralogical and textural changes resulting from a regional metamorphism. This is evident by the less distinct layering indicating that recrystallisation of the rock structures has occurred.

Figure 8 Folds such as this one were seen at a few of the sites.  (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Figure 9 Folding in sedimentary rock as seen at Site Five. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Site Six

Mass wasting is evident at several sites, and includes wasting events such as slumps, falls and slides. Site six shows evidence of a fall, with much of the debris loose at the bottom of the slope originating from this rock face. The boulders at the bottom are showing signs of erosion as they are moved backwards and forwards short distances on the tidal waves. Eventually the boulders will be reduced to sand through such actions, having been at the mercy of physical erosion (Grotzinger, et al, 2007).

Figure 10 Mass Wasting events were seen at multiple sites, featuring slumps and falls as indicated here. (Photo Credit: Joseph Sparks)

Conclusion

The geology of this area commenced formation around 400 million years ago (Willmott, 1986) when the geography was vastly different then it is today. The current coastline was miles inland from this location. This site was under vast pressure as it was 200m underwater (CBEH, 2010). This helped form the geology that we see today in this area.

The rock sediment that is visible through out the sites was accumulated over more than 200 million years. The joints, faults, and folds that are found throughout all sites are evidence of tectonic movement through uplifting and crumpling between plate movements (Willmott, 1986).  The continental margin that produced this movement through its activities has since ceased to exist, making the margin passive (Clarke, 2010).

The dykes and basalt found is a constant reminder of the volcanic era of this area ranging over the last 200 million years that ended with the eruption of the Tweed Volcano 20 million years ago. The Wollumbin – Mount Warning is the massive remnant of this shield volcano that dominates the surrounding environment, and is one of the largest of this type in the world (NA, 2009; Seach, 2010).

The mass wastage events we see today result from both chemical and physical erosion indicate the decay of the locations history. The rip up clasts allows us to see deeper into the formations without destroying structure. The boulders present at Norries Head were once a part of this greater rock face but today are at the mercy of the waves. Ultimately, they will be reduced to sand, eroding with them the visible history of this locations formation (Grotzinger, et al, 2007).

A concise sequence of events describing the formation of this landscape can be described thus:

• Turbidite bedding deposited in a deep-sea environment. Each deposit adds to the graded bedding.
• The sediment is buried and is lithified.
• The sedimentary rock is exposed to metamorphism associated by mountain building along the active plate margin. This results in folding and faulting of the rock bedding.
• Dykes form along existing join structures crossing folds and other metamorphism.
• Mineral rich aqueous solutions run thru jointing forming quartz veins.
• Further joining occurs.
• Major faulting offsets some dykes.
• Uplifting from within the earths crust brings the rock beds to the surface and exposes it to the elements of weathering to reveal what is the current landscape (CBEH, 2010).

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Malcolm Clarke for his contagious enthusiasm in geology. The time you have given us will not be forgotten.

I would like to thank Jason and Simon who help me to understand and forgave my questioning and panic.

And I would like to thank Joe Sparks, who helps me in all ways.

References

Clarke, M. (2010): Coastlines and Ocean Basins

Grotzinger, J., Jordan, T. H., Press, F., Siever, R., (2007): “Understanding Earth.” Fifth Edition. Published by W.H. Freeman and Company.

NA, (2009): Big Volcano Tourism Marketing and Media: “The Caldera of the Tweed Volcano.” (http://www.bigvolcano.com.au/natural/wollum.htm) Retrieved May 2, 2010

NA, (2001): “Cabarita Beach Excursion Handout 2010” (CBEH).

NA, (ND): Tweed Shire, Jewel in the crown of the Northern Rivers. “Mount Warning in the Tweed Coast Hinterland. Far North Coast of NSW, Australia. Australia’s Green Cauldron.” (http://www.mtwarning.com/) Retrieved May 3, 2010.

Scheffers, A. Dr, (2009) “Earth System 1: The Lithosphere. Study Guide.” Third Edition. Published by Southern Cross University.

Seach, J. (n.d): Volcano Live: “Mount Warning Volcano – John Seach” (http://www.volcanolive.com/tweed.html) retrieved May 2, 2010

Willmott, W. F., (1986) Rocks and Landscapes of the Gold Coast Hinterland. Published by Geological Society of Australia.

Reblogged from unprme:

Sustainable development cannot be achieved by government action alone. It requires the participation of all sectors of societies. At the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, a document called Agenda 21 was released that, among other things, formalized groups whose contribution is crucial to making sustainable development a reality. Since then, these nine groups have represented the voice of their respective constituencies within UN meetings, including all subsequent Earth Summits.

Read more… 583 more words

Project Pressure, a collaboration of photographers, scientists, web developers and cartographers, is working to document the terminal decline of many of the world’s glaciers as they slowly melt away. Here they trek to the slopes of the Rwenzori mountains in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

See all 10 amazing photos at guardian.co.uk

CIWEM has began calling for photographers to submit entries for its 2012 award. Honouring amateurs and professionals alike, the contest is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography and video. Here is a selection of past entries:

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: contest, Photography ]]> http://envirorhi.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/ciwems-environmental-photographer-of-the-year-in-pictures/feed/ 1 mizrhi http://envirorhi.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/book-review-homemade-health-by-anke-bialas/ http://envirorhi.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/book-review-homemade-health-by-anke-bialas/#comments Thu, 31 May 2012 23:05:36 +0000 Rhianna http://envirorhi.wordpress.com/?p=708 Continue reading →]]> Every now and then, a product comes across my desk that catches my eye. When I first heard about this book, I have to admit that my interest was perked. After all, who isn’t interested in healthy remedies for what ails us?

Homemade Health is a collection of home remedies straight from a time, not so long ago, when people went to their garden or kitchen pantry before going to a doctor. Some tried and true, some quirky, but all based on natural remedies your grandmother knew and most likely used on a regular basis.

The book highlights the healing properties of common culinary herbs and covers 43 common ailments. It boasts more than 160 remedies with recipes and uses both common & botanical names for easy use. It covers everything from harvesting & preserving herbs to making herbal remedies at home. In short, its your one stop natural health resource!

The idea behind Herbology at Home: Homemade Health  is that it is stepping stone, giving you an insight into the type of remedies that used to be popular instead of their modern synthetic counter parts. Perhaps you already know some of these old world treatments from your own Grandmother, or maybe this book will inspire you to chat to her and learn more about what health measures she grew up with.

Book Exert: A tea made from apple skins is meant to induce sleep. Add dried apple skins to water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, sweeten to taste and drink 2 – 3 cups during the evening.

The author of the book, Anke Bialas from the Herbology website was lucky enough to have been raised with herbal traditions and has expanded her knowledge of herbs and their applications over the years which she now shares with those new to natural health.  She encourages use of herbs in unconventional ways, advocating that even a little bit of Nature goes a long way.  With a firm believe that herbal health can fit into even the most conventional home, she makes all things herbal appealing to everyone.

I am quite excited to announce that Anke has agreed to do a guest blog spot for my foodies blog Rhianna’s Guide to Ethical Eating on the 13th June. Anke will be also answering a herb Q&A on The Environmental Rhi-Source on the 26th June. The questions for the Q&A will come from you guys. If you would like to ask Anke a question, please leave a comment below or email me at rblackthorn22@gmail.com

Exciting times ahead with guest blogs and a Q&A session! Who knows what else is install for us?

ONE of the country’s rarest mammals and Victoria’s faunal emblem will be the subject of a captive breeding program – the first major breeding and release program for Leadbeater’s possums – as scientists intervene to build up the wild population and establish an insurance population in captivity.

The precarious state of the endangered possum – numbering less than 2000 in the wild – prompted Zoos Victoria to embark on the project after the Black Saturday bushfires destroyed 45 per cent of its habitat and roughly halved the wild population.

Last week Healesville Sanctuary’s threatened species biologist, Dan Harley, identified the ”male founder” of the program, which has passed health checks and had a microchip the size of a grain of rice inserted between his shoulder blades.

The tiny two-year-old, weighing in last Wednesday at 131 grams, hails from the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, 50 kilometres east of Melbourne. It’s here in the swampy forest – no more than four kilometres long and 120 metres wide – that the only population of lowland Leadbeater’s possums live. In the past eight years there has been a 40 per cent decline in population, with fewer than than 70 individuals remaining.

The animals are genetically distinct from their central highland cousins after thousands of years of isolation. But their low numbers mean the Yellingbo Leadbeater’s possums are considered most at risk of extinction. ”A single fire could wipe them out,” Dr Harley said.

This fragile existence has made them prime candidates for captive breeding and Dr Harley is now scouring the reserve for a suitable female mate. The task is easier said than done – the animals breed for life, so researchers have to be careful which they remove. And the breeding animals selected not only have to be single and healthy, they need a fair dollop of ”street cred” as well.

”An animal that has been able to cut it in the wild for a few years is far more valuable to us than a young animal just out of the pouch,” Dr Harley said.

Two breeding pairs a year will join the captive breeding program over the next three years, with scientists monitoring the genetic diversity and health of their offspring as they climb towards their target of 150 wild animals.

Melanie Lancaster, assistant curator for threatened species, said infrared cameras would monitor the founding animals in their enclosure, allowing researchers to ensure they retained key behaviours vital for their survival in the wild post-release.

Read more & see video: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/saving-the-species-this-tiny-twoyearold-is-the-right-possum-for-the-job-20120521-1z1d1.html#ixzz1vax3WLGS

This coastal python (Morelia spilota mcdowelli) came from Mullumbimby. He was noticed by local residents and was described as “not looking well with several infected wounds”.  He was very underweight, a condition that wildlife carer Michael McGrath is desperately trying to reverse.  Michael says, “We’re not sure what happened to him although the injuries look like dog bites”. He has been in care for about 6 weeks already, and will be in care until he is better. As snakes take a long time to rehabilitate, that may be months.  The cost for this snakes rehabilitation so far has been around $70 and has included a trip to the vets for antibiotics, and routine feeding.

Pythons are exceptionally long-lived animals. Some reports have dated them to be in excess of 100 years of age. Research indicates that they are extremely bound to their home range. Removing them from their home range will often cause clinical stress, dissociation and disorientation. The python will search for long periods to find its own home range, exhausting itself in the process. Research suggests that a large majority of relocated snakes starve. This is no small statement, considering it takes up to a year for an adult snake to die for starvation.

Technical side note: I shot this photo specifically for this look. This python was a huge 2 metres long, and I wanted to emphasise that by going out of focus (tail end) to clarity at the head. This image has not been submitted by mistake, but rather, with excitement! I will be interested to see how you feel about the foreground being (intentionally) out of focus.

This red bellied black snake is in care with reptile handler Michael McGrath. It was attacked by a dog, causing extensive injuries to its body. As part of its treatment, it requires regular dosing with an antibiotic to treat the infection caused by the attack. Snakes take a long time to heal, requiring continual handling. This poses issues for both snake and handler, and without techniques such as this tubing technique, care for this animal would be impossible.

It is true that Australia is home to 18 of the top 20 deadly snakes in the world. Despite this fact, we have some of the lowest instances of snake bite, and death resulting from snake bite. Most people who do get bitten are trying to kill or capture the snake at the time. Yet despite these facts, people will still try to kill a snake once they have seen it. People fear that the snake poses a threat to their pets, kids and themselves. There is little evidence to support this fear, however, overwhelming academic evidence supports the fact that snakes are shy and avoid contact with society at large.

Technical side note: Despite the weather being a spoiled sport, I got several good photos from this sequence. I love the intense concentration in Michael’s face during this procedure. The posture of the snakes tail tells me that he is in considerable discomfort from the injection. I think it’s a really powerful image (although, I would have loved for that spray bottle to have been anywhere except there!).’

Working with venomous snakes is dangerous. Over time, handlers have developed many different methods of handling and caring for venomous snakes without being bitten. This method, known as “tubing” involves allowing a snake to put its head into a tube and holding it in place once its head is safely half way along the tube. The diameter of the tube needs to be carefully selected; if it is too small, it may injure or even kill the snake while a tube that is too big may allow him to turn in the tube and put him in range of your hand. Although there is condensation on the tube from his breathing, this red bellied black snake is displaying no obvious signs of stress.

A turtles top shell, known as a “carapace” is made of bone and the turtles whole skeletal structure is fused to it – his spine, ribs, shoulders and pelvis. This poor saw shelled turtle came into care after serving as a chew toy for a dog in Lismore. The dogs teeth punched holes straight through the carapace. While he is no doubt traumatised, physically strained and compromised, he is an amazing story of survival. About a quarter of his entire carapace is missing in what seems to be an old injury sustained in the wild.

This turtle is one of the most amazing statements of survival I have seen in a wild animal. From my experience, an injury of this nature would have taken a year to heal at least in captivity. I can only assume it would have taken much longer in the wild. With the placement of the missing carapace, a good deal of ribs and at least half of his pelvis is missing. Yet somehow, despite all of this, he is alive, and in amazing condition considering his (assumed) history.

How sad and ironic would it be if, after having survived whatever caused his injuries, he dies to a dog attack? Most people have heard the term “responsible pet ownership”, however, most people don’t think about the impacts of pet ownership on the wildlife that inhabits our yards. Luckily for this turtle, he has found himself in the hands of experienced wildlife carer, Michael McGrath. If he will survive this latest threat to his life, the odds are in his favour with Michael to look after him. Michael says, “Its been in care for 3 weeks now.  So far we have spent about $20 for its food, heating and antibiotics”.

Related Articles

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• Digital Photography Assignment: Macropods (envirorhi.wordpress.com)
• Digital Photography Assignment: Reptiles (envirorhi.wordpress.com)
• Digital Photography Assignment: Bats (envirorhi.wordpress.com)

Discuss the economic importance of Biodiversity

We could answer this in any way we wanted in under 3000 words. I decided to branch out into a new territory and decided to do mine by video. Below is the supporting paperwork / mind map / think pad for my ideas. I hope you will enjoy these videos.

I have a passion in the ethics and sustainability of food. As consumers, I think most of us over consume, contributing to declines in environmental health. During this course, I have become more and more aware of the impact of consumerism and indeed, the economic vehicle that drives it all. I wanted to do something that tied in my love of biodiversity, sustainability and food in an economical context.

This document

This document is my “think pad” / mind map. It is my end notes, that is, what actually made it into the end production. A LOT of editing went on before this final version while I worked through the processes. I thought you might like to see how I thought through my process and how I aimed to present the material. It might not be in the exact order of the final document, but you can see how my readings have influenced what I presented.

Referencing resource rationale

A lot of the material I have presented through this presentation is really a summary of three years worth of study and as such, referencing in general was difficult. Although unorthodox, I have chosen to lean heavily on FAO documents for a few reasons. This does not mean I didn’t read widely, just that I chose to include these as my primary sources. The rationale is as follows:

1. They are an independent global authority.
2. Most independent research I looked at referred to FAO.
3. FAO have reported about food for more than a decade.
4. Most countries are signatories for the United Nations, the parent organization for FAO giving their documents a lot of political weight.

Viewing the Video

I used a somewhat free (cost me $30) website for my animations which I think turned out really well. Because of size constraints, the entire presentation runs over four videos. For simplicity, I have broken them into acts and scenes.

I have wracked my brains to think of a way to send them to you without bursting your email box. I think the simplest way for me to give you my work is to actually post it on youtube and give you the links. IF you do want me to send them to you, I can, but they are quite large files. Please let me know either way.

You can see Act 1 at:  http://youtu.be/pa2ZLL7WXGA (0.40 min)

You can see Act 2 Scene 1 at: http://youtu.be/fzKCi-Ga81Y (2.11 min)

You can see Act 2 Scene 2 at: http://youtu.be/nkj-aS5wTqE?t=3s (4.30 min)

You can see Act 3 at:  http://youtu.be/b1pz-BQc_2c (1.06 min)

These URLs do work (I’ve had people test them for me) even though they seen odd with a dot in the middle. This is because they are hidden from public view and can only be accessed if you have this link.

The final word

I have to say, I have enjoyed this process. I had NO idea how to produce a video 4 weeks ago and am pretty happy with the end results. I would love to know how to combine them into one presentation, but it seems impossible on a PC (Found lots of easy ways to do it on a Mac – so typical!). At the end of the day, I am sure it conveys the message and answers the question. I hope you will enjoy it too.

Cheers!

Scene: Ordering Dinner

• Son orders dinner – a burger, fries and a soda.

Scene: What are you eating?

• Exchange between Son and Biodiversity Crusader
• Wait! Do you know what you are eating?
• What’s in that burger?
• BIG MAC BUN:
  • Wheat Flour, Water, Yeast, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Canola), Sesame Seed, Iodised Salt, Gluten, Soy Flour, Preservative (282), Emulsifiers (471, 472e, 481), Malt Flour, Mineral Salt (170), Antioxidant (300, 304, 307, 330), Enzyme (1100) Vitamin (Thiamin, Folate).
• BEEF PATTIES:
  • Beef (100%). Energy (kJ)  2060 24% 1020
• CHEESE:
  • Cheese (Milk, Salt, Starter Cultures, Enzyme (rennet)), Water, Milk Solids, Butter, Emulsifier (331), Salt, Acidity Regulators (260, 330, 339), Colours (160b, 160c), Soy Lecithin, Preservative (200).
  • SALAD

Scene: The burger (McDonalds, 2012a, 2012c, 2012b)

Scene: Biodiversity in food

• Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture play a critical role for the survival of man. Biodiversity for food and agriculture is essential for feeding the world’s human population and improving quality of life (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012b).
• The management of agricultural production is one of the most important factors globally affecting biodiversity (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012d).

Scene: What is Biodiversity

Scene: Socio Economics

• Today, there are 7 billion mouths to feed and that number is expected to increase to 9 billion by 2050. Today, 1 billion people are undernourished and that is expected to double by 2050 (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011).
• Agricultural management decisions are driven by socio – economic factors such as policy, cost and benefits to the farmer and land management opportunities and constraints. The need to feed the worlds hungry people will be a vital contributor to economic development (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011).
•  In the face of a growing population, these pressures will only increase as food security becomes more prominent (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012d).
• Some of that diversity stems from thousands of years of agricultural practices and millions of years of natural selection (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012b).
• Agricultural system sand landscapes have been created, shaped and maintained by generations of farmers and herders based on the available resources using local and adopted management practices (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012a).
• Outdated and unsustainable practices (Smil, 1997) contribute to climate change and climate change is expected to negatively affect agricultural productivity up to 40% (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012b) while population increase demands 70% more food than required today (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011).

Scene: Agricultural Heritage

Scene: What is Sustainability?

• Dialogue: But what is sustainability (Butler et al., 2007; Deke, 2008)?
• “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987)
• Land use conflicts result from an increasing need for food, demographic pressures, climate change and water (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2011).

Scene: The externalities of Agriculture

• We are living, right now, through the sixth mass extermination of species in the history of planet Earth (Hay, 2008).
• Land use conflicts – habitat clearing for grazing land results in biodiversity loss, soil instability and degradation. Agriculture already uses 11% of the worlds land surface.
• Water conflicts – increased competition for water resulting in a decline in water, in some cases, only 5% of the former water volumes remain in streams. Run off pollutes available water. Ground water stores are becoming depleted. Agriculture makes up to 70% of all water withdrawals.
• Green House Gasses – agriculture is the largest GHG contributor account for 13.5% of all GHG emissions. The resulting climate change brings unpredictability for farmers; extreme weather events, shifts in rainfall patterns, warming and aridity.
• Overfished and collapsing fish stocks resulting in a changed ecosystem (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2010).

Scene: Ecosystem Approach

• For agriculture to change to more sustainable methodologies, an ecosystem approach to management is needed. Such as system would manage land, water and resources in amore conservative and equitable way utilising scientific methodologies that incorporate local knowledge (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012c).
• Ecological opportunities and trade offs must be identified and managed efficiently. Adopt a One Health approach where the genetic resources of livestock and fisheries are supported and used in a sustainable fashion (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2012c)
• Agricultural practices adopt and incorporate sustainable land use techniques.

Scene: How can we mitigate

• Biodiversity is important. How can we stop further decline? (Sullivan, 2012c, 2012d, 2012e)
• PES (Payments for Environmental Services),  Carbon trading schemes, Carbon Taxes (Sullivan, 2012a, 2012b)

Scene: Changing the order

• Son gets a chance to recap and change the order.

Butler, S. J., Vickery, J. A., & Norris, K. (2007). Farmland Biodiversity and the Footprint of Agriculture. Science, 315(5810), 381-384. doi: 10.1126/science.1136607

Deke, O. (2008). Environmental Policy Instruments for Conserving Global Biodiversity. Kieller Studien – Kiel Studies, 339.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2010). State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Rome, Italy.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2011). The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture. Rome, Italy.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2012a). Biodiversity and Agricultural Heritage  Retrieved 19 May, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/biodiversity/cross-sectoral-issues/agricultural-heritage/en/

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2012b). Biodiversity for a world without hunger  Retrieved 19 May, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/biodiversity/en/

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2012c). Ecosystem Approach  Retrieved 19 May, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/biodiversity/cross-sectoral-issues/ecosystem-approach/en/

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2012d). Socio-economics  Retrieved 19 May, 2012, from http://www.fao.org/biodiversity/cross-sectoral-issues/socio-economics/en/

Hay, P. (2008). Science, ethics and emotion in the politics of biodiversity. In T. Lefroy, K. Bailey, G. Unwin & T. Norton (Eds.), Biodiveristy: integrating conservation and production: case studies of Australian farms, forests and fisheries. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing.

McDonalds (2012a). Allergen – Ingredient List – Nutrition Information. Core Menu Australia.  Retrieved 16 April, 2012, from http://mcdonalds.com.au/sites/mcdonalds.com.au/files/images/Main-Menu-Combined-List-6-March.pdf

McDonalds (2012b). Big Mac (R)  Retrieved 16 April, 2012, from http://mcdonalds.com.au/our-food/menu/#/favourites/big-mac

McDonalds (2012c). What’s in it? Quality Ingredients for Quality Food.  Retrieved 16 April, 2012, from http://mcdonalds.com.au/our-food/whats-in-it

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Sullivan, C. (2012b, 10 April). [Topic 6 - Economic instruments for environmental management].

Sullivan, C. (2012c, 17 April). [Topic 7 - Ecosystem Good and Services].

Sullivan, C. (2012d, 24 April). [Topic 8 - Economic Development and Sustainability].

Sullivan, C. (2012e, 15 May). [Topic 10 - The Economics of Water Resources].

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a male dingo with pups Deutsch: ein männlicher Dingo mit Welpen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

FEWER than half of the threatened species listed under Victorian flora and fauna laws have had a formal plan drawn up by the environment department to manage their survival.

An analysis by lawyers at the Environment Defenders Office (EDO) found that of 599 threatened plant and animal species listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, only 270 have an action statement to manage their conservation as legally required.

Of the 75 ecological communities and potentially environmentally harmful processes listed under the act, just 31 have action statements.

Only one draft action statement – for the dingo – has been released in the past year.

The analysis found that virtually nothing had changed since a damning April 2009 Auditor-General’s report concluded that laws to protect threatened species were out of date, underused and failed to provide a framework to conserve endangered flora and fauna.

White dingo (Canis lupus dingo). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EDO chief executive Brendan Sydes said steps to protect threatened species had further slowed under the Baillieu government, which had made no mention of a 2010 draft biodiversity strategy prepared by the previous Labor government in response to the Auditor-General’s report.

Mr Sydes said it showed state governments could not be trusted to administer national environmental laws. He said legal powers to protect species were almost never used. When they were, they were administered without transparency or accountability.

”There seems to be a policy vacuum at the moment on where the government stands on protected species and biodiversity protection under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act,” he said. ”This demonstrates that state governments don’t really have the capacity or wherewithal to handle that responsibility.”

Dingo on a chain in Alice Springs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A state government spokeswoman said the Coalition had spent $2.4 million on threatened species recovery programs. ”The department [of Sustainability and Environment] has progressed in establishing new systems to meet our obligations,” spokeswoman Emily Broadbent said.

The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 requires the secretary of the department to prepare an action statement as soon as possible after a species, ecological community or threatening process is listed.

An action statement is supposed to apply for three to five years before being updated. As of 2009 only 15 of the completed statements were updated.

While the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act was found to be poorly administered, the EDO analysis judged that the Wildlife Act was better used.

But it found decisions made under the Wildlife Act, such as declarations of state wildlife reserves and nature reserves, were difficult to find.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/animals/threatened-species-still-missing-out-20120508-1yawr.html#ixzz1vazkvjoH