Believe it or not? Going underground to predict future rain!
Research revealed at ANSTO’s first rainfall conference shows that cave stalagmites can be used to reconstruct past rainfall cycles and help predict future rainfall patterns.
“By carbon dating young stalagmites and comparing the water drip factor which helped create them, with modern weather bureau statistics, scientists at ANSTO, Newcastle University and the Australian National University were able to show that stalagmites hold near-accurate records of rainfall for the period studied,” said ANSTO’s Dr Henk Heijnis, who chaired the conference.
“These preliminary results show that stalagmite water drip factor is almost a mirror of modern rainfall monitoring. The next stage will be to date older stalagmites so scientists can map rainfall patterns over thousands of years and establish the big picture of past rainfall cycles to ultimately help produce better rainfall predictions.
“This research is therefore very encouraging as the key to successful Australian water management planning is being able to accurately map and understand current and past patterns of Australian rainfall,” Heijnis said.
During the research, the scientists’ main challenge was to ensure they were matching the correct section of the stalagmite with the correct part of the instrumental data. However, conventional dating techniques were not applicable to young stalagmites so carbon dating was applied.
“The solution was to use carbon dating to get an accurate picture as it’s the best method for dating younger objects,” said Dr Heijnis. “This is because the carbon signature left in the atmosphere in the 1950s during the key period when the atomic bomb was being tested gives a clear age benchmark to work from.”
Dr Heijnis said that ANSTO’s particle accelerators are so highly sensitive they accurately measured the carbon activity increase in tiny samples of the 1960s section of the stalagmites being studied.
From www.sustainabilitymatters.net.au)
Aussie projects help with Olympic Games and counterfeiting
Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has announced 67 Australian projects which will receive $30.4 million from the latest round of Commercial Ready and Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) grants funding.
Senator Carr said the projects included SmartTrans which received $707,436 for its major events transport management system for the Beijing Olympics and AMR Hewitts PrintPackaging, $1,386,838 for its anti-counterfeit security packaging.
"SmartTrans project involves the development of its SmartTrans EventTrack system to manage the transport requirements for the Olympic Family (officials, VIPs, etc.) at the Beijing Olympic Games in August," Senator Carr said. "The system will be able to plan, organise, facilitate, track, prioritise and optimise transport requirements for about 5000 personnel/participants in real time, in multiple languages in a high-security environment.
"AMR Hewitts PrintPackaging will use the funding to develop a process where specialised security light-refracting pigments could be applied cost effectively to a sheet-fed lithographic printing press. The anti-counterfeit packaging will be used for folding paperboard cartons, and will initially target the Australian pharmaceutical market," he said.
For more information contact – SmartTrans: Bryan Carr 03 9866 7333; AMR: Matt Mimmo 03 9330 3133.
Turning the roof into a power station
A 100KW solar system with 640 panels was formally put into operation on the rooftop of the Cadbury Schweppes manufacturing facility at Blacktown in Sydney's west last week. Cadbury Schweppes is the first business to take up the commercial solar power offer under the Blacktown Solar City project funded by the Federal Government.
Blacktown Solar City is one of only five initiatives to be included in the Federal Government's $75 million Solar Cities Project. Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett, attending the opening of the project, said the Solar Cities program provides a good opportunity for industry to get involved in projects to reduce greenhouse emissions.
The rooftop solar system is capable of producing enough electricity every year to power 21 homes while saving 140 tonnes of greenhouse emissions or the equivalent to taking 35 cars off the road. It has been called the largest solar rooftop system in NSW by Garrett. The panels were manufactured at BP Solar's facility in Sydney Olympic Park. Along with BP Solar, the Blacktown Solar City consortia include Integral Energy, Blacktown City Council, Landcom, ANZ and Big Switch Projects.
BP Solar's regional director, Brooke Miller said companies around the country could tap into energy and greenhouse emission savings by installing similar solar systems.
"Like Blacktown, there are many other regions across Australia where literally vast fields of commercial roof space lie dormant," said Brooke Miller. "These roof tops could be turned into mini power stations allowing many more Australian businesses to produce emission free electricity at the very time of the day when energy prices are often at their peak."
The Federal Government has invested $15 million in the Blacktown Solar City project, which is expected to run over six years. The project is expected to leverage a further $19 million from industry and other partners. Blacktown is joined by Adelaide, Townsville, Alice Springs and Central Victoria as Solar Cities. (From www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net)
Stepping up to equity capital raising for SMEs
The Australian Small Scale Offerings Board Limited Board (ASSOB) is calling for applications from companies based in Greater-Sydney for the “Stepping Up (Advanced): Equity Capital Raising for SME Program”. This program seeks to assist companies to raise equity-capital via a listing on ASSOB. The NSW Department of State and Regional Development (DSRD) is supporting the program with a 50% grant subsidy of $7,500 per company.
Benefits:
1. Client companies will receive information, tools and mentoring support to
complete a successful equity capital-raising through the Australian Small
Scale Offerings Board.
2. Clients will only pay for 50% ($7,500) of the total program cost
($15,000), with the remaining 50% financed through a government
grant subsidy from DSRD.
3. Client companies will complete their capital raising program in a manner that is compliant with the Corporations Act 2001.
This program will provide client companies with access to 60 hours of one-on-one mentoring with an accredited ASSOB Member, plus an additional 8 hours of workshop training that focus on the key aspects to a successful equity capital raising for SME in an Australian context.
Information Evening Session: Level 47, MLC Centre, Martin Place Sydney 2000; Wednesday February13, 2008 from 5:30pm.
Closing Date for Stepping Up Applications: Close of business, Monday February 18, 2008. To obtain further information including application form about this program please contact ASSOB: Alchemy Innovation Development; Phone: 8233 6170 Fax: 8257 3399; Email: admin@newproductdevelopment.com.au; www.newproductdevelopment.com.au
Your Ideas, Innovations or Events?
If you want publicity for an idea, innovation or technically related event, contact the I&I editor, Colin Seaborn on 4254 0200 or 0419 841829 or click here->
We welcome stories and photos.
If you want to promote your product or service via video please contact YOC office on (02) 4254 0200 or click here-> | 
