Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion model

Renewable energy sources are always of interest where they provide a pathway to conservation of  non-renewable resources. One method is to harness temperature change.



Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a process used to produce electricity based on the temperature difference between deep cold seawater and warm tropical surface seawater. Because this temperature difference is small, large quantities of seawater are processed with the attractive benefits of firm base load (24/7) power production, no direct carbon emissions and an environmentally sustainable plant that can provide massive levels of energy.  

See more here 

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TED TALK: Jakki Mohr: How does nature do that? and Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in action

No one can argue with the millions of years that nature has been solving complex problems. This Ted Talk is a must see for people who want to understand how that knowledge can be used to rethink the way we do things. 





I guess it is a matter of just asking nature first. 


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Thanks to Lynchpin for sharing this documentary




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Perpetual Ocean: An Animated Scientific Visualization

We all know about the restless sea however NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have come up with this fascinating model.





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Calendar of environmental events 2012

Aussie hearts are tied to the ocean and earth. Most would love to find out about and celebrate the things they wish to conserve and protect. 

The Australian Government's Environmental Events Calendar  (below) has done us a great favour by providing dates of recognised events for the environment during the year. For marine folk the following extract highlights things more relevant to the marine environment up to end of December. 

• Keep Australia Beautiful Week  - 22nd to 28th Aug
• National Biodiversity Month - all month September 
• World Habitat Day   - 1st October
• World Animal Day   - 4th October
• National Water Week   - 21st to 27th October
• National Recycling Week   - 12th to 18th November
• Coastcare Week  - TBA

There is one more event that we should strive to have acknowledged on this calendar - 

World Ocean Day on June 8th. Although it was first initiated in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio, it was officially recognized by the UN in 2008 and has been coordinated internationally by The Ocean Project and  the World Ocean Network since then.

Thanks Media Centre!!

Australian Calendar of Environmental Events   

·                            2012 International Year of the Cooperatives 

January

·                            National Bird Day  - 5th

·                            Australia Day  - 26th

February

·                            World Wetlands Day - 2nd

·                            The Sustainable Living Festival   - 11th to 26th

·                            Business Clean Up Day   - 28th

March

·                            Australian Women’s History Month   - all month

·                            Schools Clean Up Day   - 2nd

·                            Sea Week   - 4th to 10th

·                            Clean Up Australia Day   - 4th

·                            Ground Water Awareness Week   - 11th to 17th

·                            World Forestry Day   - 21st

·                            Harmony Day   - 21st

·                            World Water Day   - 22nd

·                            Close the Gap   - 22nd

·                            World Meteorological Day   - 23rd

·                            Ride2School Day   - 23rd

·                            Earth Hour   - 31st

April

·                            Australian Heritage Week - 14th to 22nd

·                            World Heritage Day   - 18th

·                            Earth Day   - 22nd

·                            Anzac Day   - 25th

May

·                            OZ' Water Week 2011   - 8th to 10th

·                            World Migratory Bird Day   - 14th to 15th

·                            National Volunteer Week   - 14th to 20th

·                            International Museum Day   - 18th

·                            Walk Safely to School Day   - 18th

·                            International Day for Biological Diversity   - 22nd

·                            National Sorry Day   - 26th

·                            National Reconciliation Week   - 27th to 3rd June

June

·                            World Environment Day - 5th

·                            Global Wind Day   - 15th

·                            World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought   - 17th

·                            Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development   - 20th to 22nd

·                            Red Nose Day   - 29th

July

·                            NAIDOC Week   - 1st to 8th

·                            World Population Day   - 11th

·                            Schools Tree Day   - 27th

·                            National Tree Day   - 29th

August

·                            Jeans for Genes Day  - 5th

·                            International Day for World Indigenous People  - 9th

·                            International Youth Day  - 12th

·                            Keep Australia Beautiful Week  - 22nd to 28th

September

·                            National Biodiversity Month - all month

·                            National Wattle Day   - 1st

·                            National Landcare Week   - TBA 5th

·                            Sustainable House Day   - 9th

·                            National Bilby Day   - 9th

·                            International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer   - 16th

·                            25th anniversary of the signing of the Montreal Protocol - 16th

·                            Walk To Work Day   - TBA 17th

·                            World Parks Day   - 17th

·                            World Car-Free Day   - 22nd

October

·                            World Habitat Day   - 1st

·                            World Animal Day   - 4th

·                            National Water Week   - 21st to 27th

·                            National Ride to Work Day   - 17th

·                            International Day for the Eradication of Poverty   - 17th

November

·                            International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and     

                                                                                                                                 Armed Conflict   - 6th

·                            National Recycling Week   - 12th to 18th

·                            World Fisheries Day   - 21st

December

·                            International Day of People with Disability  - 3rd

·                            International Volunteer Day  - 5th

·                            Coastcare Week  - TBA

·                            Human Rights Day  - 10th

·                            International Mountain Day  - 11th

For more information on these and other events call toll free  1800 803 772
or visit the website at http://www.environment.gov.au/about/media/events/index.html

www.ausmepa.org.au

Australian Marine Turtle 1st Biannual Symposium

Buderim, Sunshine Coast, Queensland – Sept 14 to16 2012



The first Australian Marine Turtle bi-annual Symposium will be hosted by members of Turtle Care Volunteers Qld Inc. They have put together a program showcasing existing science and management initiatives from within Australia.


The conference will cover 2 days. Each day will comprise a keynote address plus 5 or 10 minute community or research presentations. There will also be a panel discussion on satellite telemetry & bio-logging.



If you wish to present your research, share your community group’s activities, or just wish to attend this excellent initiative please contact the following for registration details:


Col Limpus (07) 3170 5617
Bev McLachlan (07) 5445 1238
Mark Hamann (07) 4781 4491
austmarineturtles@gmail.com   




www.ausmepa.org.au

FLEC: 2012 Townsville Primary Future Leaders Eco Challenge

Waterway monitoring

James Cook University, Townsville 25.07.2012


As a 2012 FLEC partner, AUSMEPA was delighted to assist Reef Guardians Sally McFee who  introduced 65 students from 10 Reef Guardian schools in the region to a variety of environmental topics through interactive challenges.


Partnering the event were 

• Townsville City Council, 
• James Cook University (TropEco) and Education Students
• Australian Marine Environment Protection Association (AUSMEPA), 
• Reef HQ, 
• North Qld Dry Tropics, Museum of Tropical Queensland, 
• CSIRO, 
• Sea Turtle Foundation, 
• Ocean Watch, 
• Paluma Environmental Education Centre,

Students test the health of a revegetated waterway through water quality testing and identifying the diversity of macro-invertebrates (water bugs) with the help of Paluma Environmental Education Centre.

Students explore the biodiversity of bugs that can be found in their

schoolyard to indicate ecosystem health with the help of NQ Dry Tropics and the Museum of Tropical Queensland.

Sea Turtle Foundation educate and inspire about local turtle conservation.

Students act the part of environmental scientists to solve environmental mysteries in the 'Eco-inigma' program provided by CSIRO.


Thanks very much to Sally McPhee, Reef Guardian Project Officer –Schools for an excellent event in Townsville, one of several being held by Reef Guardians throughout the state of Queensland. 









www.ausmepa.org.au