Australia

[Eclipse Now]

But I was left off the list! Come on, after all my blogging about New Urbanism, Renewable Energy, peak oil, and sustainable Political reform by Abolishing the States I was sure I was in for a medal of some sort!

[Michaelangelica]

There seems to be a lot of water in SA

Woomera weather radar loop and lightning tracker
If Lake Ayre is 15' below sea level couldn't we build an aqueduct to pipe sea water to it?
This would make the "inland sea" idea come to fruition?
The Romans made huge aqueducts with only a 1" or so drop every mile or two-so no pumping costs.
Surely this would lead to more evaporation, more bird and other life, and more rainfall inland?
As desalination plants become cheaper, this could eventually provide permanent water to inland townships?

[Jay-qu]

Quite amazingly Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia:
"The Lake Eyre Basin is a drainage basin that covers one-sixth of all Australia. It is one of the largest internal drainage systems on Earth, and covers 1,140,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South Australia and the Northern Territory, and a part of western New South Wales"

Most of the lakes in the region have not had water in the last 150 years..

There are some bigs hills in the way of letting it just fill up naturally, but it would be interesting to try and siphon fill it.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by Jay-qu

Quite amazingly Lake Eyre is the lowest point in Australia:
"The Lake Eyre Basin is a drainage basin that covers one-sixth of all Australia. It is one of the largest internal drainage systems on Earth, and covers 1,140,000 square kilometres, including much of inland Queensland, large portions of South Australia and the Northern Territory, and a part of western New South Wales"

Most of the lakes in the region have not had water in the last 150 years..

There are some bigs hills in the way of letting it just fill up naturally, but it would be interesting to try and siphon fill it.

Wow that really is big!
Is all that below sea level?
How much water is in it now?
How did the birds know it was full/filling?
Is there any fresh underground water in that basin?

[Jay-qu]

No, only the lake and some of the surrounds are below sea level, the rest mearly drains to it. As far as I know there is zero water in the lake above ground level. I have no idea if there is water underground there..

[Michaelangelica]

Rudd says ocker sound bites fair dinkum

Posted 10 hours 41 minutes ago
Updated 10 hours 12 minutes ago
Academics say Mr Rudd is using colloquial lanuage in an attempt to reach a broader audience.

Academics say Mr Rudd is using colloquial lanuage in an attempt to reach a broader audience. (AFP: Jim Watson, file photo)


Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has laughed off criticism about his use of ocker language.

Media commentators have accused him of trying too hard to appear like an ordinary bloke after he used the expression "fair shake of the sauce bottle" three times in an interview with Sky News.

During a speech in Sydney this morning, Mr Rudd poked fun at himself.

"Well, I was having a Dad and Dave this morning, that's a shave, and picked up my copy of the Oz," he said.

"I saw - is it George Megalogenis having a go at me? I thought, fair crack of the whip, don't come the raw prawn with me George.

"Or coming from Queensland I'd say you'd get the rough end of the pineapple."

Several months ago Mr Rudd used "shit storm" on Channel 7 while speaking about the Government's decision to spend billions stimulating the economy.

Academics have described Mr Rudd as a sophisticated communicator and that his range in language - from intellectual to colloquial - is an attempt to adapt to various audiences,

Rudd says ocker sound bites fair dinkum - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Australia urged to approve plain-packaged cigarettes


Plain cigarette packaging can be a way of reducing advertising and of increasing health warning messages.

Plain cigarette packaging can be a way of reducing advertising and of increasing health warning messages. (stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site Arjen Doting, file photo)

* Video: Health taskforce recommends plain cigarette packaging (Lateline)
* Video: Cigarette packaging decision may set world standard: expert (Lateline)

A Canadian expert says the time is right for the Government to pursue the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes.

A recommendation to begin selling cigarettes without advertising logos is expected to be handed to the Federal Government by the preventative health taskforce.

Moves towards implementing plain packaging in Canada were unsuccessful.

But the executive director of Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, Cynthia Callard, says tobacco companies no longer have the same influence they had 10 years ago.

Australia urged to approve plain-packaged cigarettes - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[Michaelangelica]

Just add water: Lake Eyre comes to life - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
(Good 'slide' show)

More ABC


Just add water: Lake Eyre comes to life - Yahoo!7 News

Aerial Images (lots_)

New Page 1

Lake Ayre Yacht Club

Sail World - Powerboat-world: Sail and sailing, cruising, boating news


Tourist info

April 2009

From space
Earth Snapshot • Flooding in Queensland Brings Salty Lake Eyre Back to Life - April 16th, 2009





Outback seagulls a long way from home
Outback seagulls a long way from home - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)


I started this search to find images of the millions of birds decending on the lake
this is the best I could do!

What is wrong with SA Tourism?
There was a great photo from Birdsville on Page One of The Weekend Australian April 18-19 . I can't find it on their hopeless site.

Blog
The Nature of Robertson: Water arrives in Lake Eyre - check your Pelicans.

[Michaelangelica]

The biggest lottery in NSW government History
Oz Lotteries - Buy Australian Lotto Tickets Online
$90M.
Buy a ticket
"Million to one chances happen every day" Terry Pratchett

This government owned business /cash cow, is up for sale.
it recently caused NSW parliment to close oits doors, an unprecedented even to my knowledge as the governemnt thought that there privitisation plans would be scuttled in the Upper hous ( Senate/legislative Assembly).
The Shooters Party would not support the bill unles they were allowed to shoot native animals in national Parks.
The Greens did not want the private sector encouraging gambling.
Most Christain parties are against gambling anyway.

[Michaelangelica]

Australia's ocean territory

Listen Now - 28062009 |Download Audio - 28062009
The harbour in Hobart is where reporter Di Martin starts her story.

Australia's ocean territory
View the image gallery

Our ocean territory is greater than our landmass, and one of the biggest in the world. Yet our capacity to explore the deep ocean is smaller than landlocked Bolivia; at a time when the oceans hold the key to climate change. Reporter, Di Martin.

Background Briefing - 28 June 2009 - Australia's ocean territory

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Some Australian Political humour as timeless as "Yes Minister" and "Yes, Prime Minister".
ABC TV - The Hollowmen
and to buy:-
EnhanceTV*::*Educational*TV...
available also on DVD from the ABC shops (online)

[Michaelangelica]

[IMG]http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/240*297/Australia+Opium+Wallabies.jpg[/IMG]

Tasmanian wallabies are forcing their way into poppy paddocks and getting "high as a kite".

The wallabies break into the paddocks, eat the poppies and start running around in circles, said Attorney-General Lara Giddings.

"We have a problem with wallabies entering poppy fields, getting as high as a kite and going around in circles," she said.

"Then they crash … we see crop circles in the poppy industry from wallabies that are high."

Wallabies getting high in poppy fields

'High' wallabies blamed for crop circles - Animal weirdness- msnbc.com
25 Jun 2009 ... Wallabies snacking in Tasmania's legally grown opium poppy fields are ...

‘High’ wallabies blamed for crop circles - Animal weirdness- msnbc.com

Opium-eating wallabies get high, make crop circles in poppy fields ...
Wallabies snacking in Tasmania's opium poppy fields are getting 'high as a kite' and. Enlarge Image Enlarge Image icon. Wallabies snacking in Tasmania's ...

http://hypography.com/forums/politic...-49080906.html

Tasmania supplies about 50 per cent of the world's raw material for morphine and related opiates.
About 500 farmers grow the crop on 49,420 acres (20,000 hectares) of land.