13 December 2009

The Story of Cap & Trade or COP15 & ETS

The animated Story of Cap & Trade is looking at the current climate debate at Copenhagen COP15. "Annie Leonard introduces the energy traders and Wall Street financiers at the heart of this scheme and reveals the "devils in the details" in current cap and trade proposals: free permits to big polluters, fake offsets and distraction from what’s really required to tackle the climate crisis."

From 'trashing the planet' to making profit from polluting with CO2 (giveaways to polluters), pulping the rainforest for consumer products to sinking island neighbours - it is all there. A fossil- fuel addicted society insisting on unrestricted consuming and BAU: business as usual. After explaining how businesses trade with permits to pollute (ETS) she proposes alternatives: solid caps, strong laws, citizens' actions, carbon fees and climate justice. and a clean energy economy.

Do take the 10 minutes, gather your household members, stop consuming and watch it.

The previous 'The Story of Stuff' (tweets) is about 'our consumer driven culture'. Annie Leonard authors the texts, Free Range Studios produces real web-based films. There are also many other collaborative climate justice advocates involved. Looking forward to the story of bottled water and electronics..

The Story of Cap & Trade from Story of Stuff Project on Vimeo.

27 September 2009

Dust Storms, Turbulent Climate and Survival

While the life-supporting fabric of planet Earth is being undone, a turbulent 21 century is rushing towards us. Self-inflicted 'intertwined global-scale challenges' are unleashed leading to uncertainty. Climate disruption, decimation of biodiversity and rapid depletion of materials and energy are some the achievements of the anthropocene. The overheated Earth is being pulverised in the human stampede. Human-generated aerosols, sediments from parched river beds, mining and anthropogenic (toxic) junk space combine into 'dust'. Vigorous storms distribute the ambient particulate matter into their breathing organs which did not evolve to be vacuum cleaners. They choke.

Dense orange pollution cloaked south eastern Australia. "But despite this obvious sensory input, people... seemed to be essentially oblivious to the poor air quality and went about" business as usual. First things, first: The oversized suvs had to be freed from particles with a lot of water. Simply "defending national ideals". As "the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter per capita" there has to be some pride in standards. "Sleepwalking into an environmental disaster" is not on for the sporty nation - driving, or racing with the aid of 3629 kg might be.

But now you can ensure the survival of your family. Just like your suv, this is "a self-contained living system a gated community for one". Whatever the disaster will be, "at least you can weather all (dust) storms". Buy now SurvivaBall Model X7


Video via survivaball, You Tube Channel

24 August 2009

Emission Intensive Events at Manly Beach

Events in Manly are announced via a BIG CO2 footprint. At the beach front/Corso plastic banners are hung into the pines to announce an event. The banners and plastic strings weighing a few grams are being put up and taken down with a maximum of petrol usage and noise pollution.

Also a huge section of the public pedestrian space is taken up by parking a suv, a trailer and a crane in it. With the machinery running, the worker extracts the bit of plastic.

It is especially ironic that 'green events' are being advertised in this emission rich manner. Digital channels do exist. It seems incompatible with the council's 'Sustainability Strategy for Future Generations'.

The 'green family fun' event at Manly Lagoon also degraded the sound scape for the waterbirds/wildlife and adjoining residents. Amplified noise or anthropogenic noise pollution are not beneficial for wildlife. A high impact event.

NB In image 2 note the plane trails of high emission in the blue sky celebrating the aerial combustion engine as well. Families were fascinated with the pollution and the disappearing atmosphere for their off spring.

19 August 2009

The Paper - an iconic culture that needs your help

The dead tree media is dying. Yes, they are still being delivered daily to many doorsteps via petrol in sub-urbia. Lovingly wrapped in plastic, thrown on the manicured lawn at 6 am. In cafes they still get into THE paper rage to do the crosswords first. On Saturday, fight over the glossy sections to be in the know what the latest 'must have' should be. Sometimes the paper is just blowing about on Manly Beach.

But now YOU can support the struggling industry. There are also many more examples how you can use the paper: When retreating from the coast, pack all your stuff in it. Start the next BBQ with it or just do clean up that dog§*+" from the walkway.

Video via Slate videos

15 August 2009

Manly Wharf - Depriving the Public of Access?

There are attempts to grab some of the public pedestrian space by private enterprise on Manly Wharf.
The wharf is in the middle of Manly Cove, which is framed by green National parks with the odd whale or dolphins visiting Sydney Harbour. It is also the gateway for people arriving in Manly by public transport. Some 6 million commuters pass through this point for work of leisure. The options are to walk through the enclosed middle in the inside, which is crowded and full of cooking fumes. Alternative paths are walks to the right and left on the open air, along pubs and eateries on one side and a natural habitat on the other. The actual Cove and the infrastructure under the wharf are a dense biotope for local wildlife. Unique Manly Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) have their habitat in various locations. Walking along the wharf the lucky resident or visitor can catch a glimpse of what makes Manly unique.The plan to privatise some of the Wharf's walking paths on the West Esplanade side to monetize the "spectacular waterfront positions" for a few paying customers is myopic. Bursting suburbia is thirsty for public spaces, which are fast disappearing in Manly. Visitors come to be "seven miles from Sydney, and a thousand miles from care" and not to be 'in it' again. Encroaching with intensified commercial operations would not be beneficial for the wildlife.

The human footprint seeking constantly to enlarge in delicate environments, can trample an area. Already there are signs of visible pollution in the Cove water: dumped bikes, chucked shopping trolleys etc. With intensification the noise pollution would negatively impact on human and wildlife habitat.

Boat parking is proliferating and also a danger to swimmers and wildlife. Some just come to 'get tanked' in private racing boats, unload their dogs, have some alcohol, clutter up the cove and then race off again. A trend to be encouraged?Do not deprive the public of access to the Manly Wharf walkways
Do not accelerate rapid development and hence human disturbance to penguins and other wildlife.
Do not forget why people come here to live or visit

"Sprawling from land right out into the ocean as we clamber for more of its resources" Ocean Sprawl on Planet Green 0809

Update:
- Manly penguin wardens "will protest against what they say is the possible encroachment on penguin habitats by Hugo’s restaurant." Penguins already have lost habitat to the School of Artillery at North Head and "People living near the beach want to build pools on top of penguin nests". There will be a protest on September 13 via Manly Daily 180809
- Little Penguins, climate change, ongoing coastal development and habitat degradation. PDF

Image: 1 and 3 Google Maps

10 August 2009

Humpback Whales Passing Manly Beach

Whales are passing by. Today two Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) swam slowly along Manly Beach. It appeared like mother and calf logging, in close contact. After Shelly Beach they slowly drifted along the shore in the shallow water. Their habitat was free of polluting motors in the air and in the ocean, which is rare.A bit further north in a more protected terrestial area, there are rock engravings by the Eora of a Humpback mother and her calf. The 14 m long petrography depicts them overlapping in close body contact. An engraved person nearby is watching with views of the Pacific. Today the aquatic territory is littered in motorboats. Like measles they clutter up the shorelines. Noise and chemical pollution emanating from their presence interferes today with the large marine mammals pursuing their ancient migratory routes.The place is framed by the Eora shield, lovers and various symbols etched onto the sandstone.

With the unregulated access of mountain bikes these memes from 25000 years ago could disappear from the rocks and human memory. The whales too have to battle a degraded habitat with many human-made dangers.
More on whales and bikes in NPs.

04 August 2009

Manly Beach Drift 'wood' - August

A monthly summary of what has washed onto the shore or beach through the winds, tides, waves or human action. Marine debris, flora and fauna, dead or alive:

Crested Terns are back. Unusual footprints of a large shorebird. Unfortunately beach-nesting or just visiting Manly Beach for Australian birds is not on. We only share the beach with dogs. Daily, there are dogs ON the beach illegally. Today a large pony-like thing and a shrunken dwarf.


There were unusual shells along the beach.

Old wood-based media blowing along the beach.
Rich in glass chips, probably the remains of causing 'facial injuries' in Manly's nightlife, just washed down to the beach to glass beach users as well.
Three helicopters swooping in on the beach/surfers, adding noise pollution.
At the Queenscliff end of the beach one wonders about getting into contact with the toxic Manly Lagoon mouth. Is it safe to swim there? Too poor to decontaminate?
The southern end still has eroded stairs and is fenced off.

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Erosion: The large stairs at the southern end are still undermined and various debris is scattered at that end of the beach.
Noise: Ear-bursting building sites all along the beach front.
Glass, but a relative absence of the usual fast food packaging.
Daily illegal dogs: one white fluffy thing at Queenscliff and a large one on Manly Beach. A lot of council staff with a focus on parking revenue. Pity, they do not take advantage of collecting from dog owners that do not abide by the law.

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A small pod of dark dolphins swimming orderly behind the surfline. A large juvenile Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator) diving for fish.
The horizon cluttered with boats and ships, but free of that brown haze from yesterday.
The beach is free of visible pollution, shells and sand.
Along the beach a cacophony of building sites and road building/cleaning machinery. Noise pollution.

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A few plastic bits appearing again. Surfers Against Sewage just return the plastic garbage to the offender/sponsor. Better would be to charge for the removal of the anti-product from beaches. The ocean is to dear to be treated like a cheap tip.

A lot of large ships hovering for days on the horizon now. Tinnies whizzing, doing their best to scare any marine mammal away.

Noise pollution all along South and North Steyne, building sites, road building and the usual gas-guzzling vehicles. Manly on permanent beta.


Impervious Surfaces and Coastal Water Quality
A mobile factory has settled in at around 135 Steyne with various large machines along the beach. The asphalt truck/ machinery indicates, that they are 'paving a bit more of paradise'. Most sealcoating of roads/pavements contains toxic PAH which finally finds its way into the stormwater runoff or is blown away in the form of dust particles. PAH is toxic to mammals and the aquatic ecological system, it is also accumulative.

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Two Humpback Whales swimming slowly and in constant touch along Manly Beach. Following the curve of Manly and then Shelly Beach, they leave, hugging the coastline. Mother and calf logging? There was an unusual absence of combustion engines in the air and aqua-space.

The post-weekend beach-scape: A black plastic bag full of untreated dog feces ON the beach.

Plastic
toys, balloons and polystyrene chips.


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With post rain and that tsunami feeling many birds behaved in unusual patterns:
Some Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, (Cacatua galerita),(audio) flew very high along the beach.
A Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) left the lagoon end to head north.
A Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), (audio) was chased by a smart Australian Raven ( Corvus coronoides )(audio).
Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena) surfed the sand dunes
Willie Wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys), (audio) investigated the beach
Magpie-larks (Grallina cyanoleuca) pierced the air with their 'pee-wee' (audio)
Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) joined in (audio)
In the pines a faint Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carnunculata), (audio)
High in the sky: Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus), (audio)

The surf had a thick greenish foam, that lingered and stained the beach sand in a slimy, bubbly green.

Strange media attention to people hassling aquatic wildlife at Shelly Beach Aquatic Reserve and killing a Wobbegong shark. One person's conservation efforts to save the Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus) are another's 'sports trophy' in spear fishing.

"The day you fail to find sharks cruising your favourite beach is the day you should really start to worry."

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An epidemic of 'convenient' 'one-mouthful-wrappers' and take-away & chuck coffee plastic garbage. There are definitely waves of usage, bound to fashion,'must do', 'must have'. Before it was the plastic water bottle one carries around jogging to look cool. Now it is the cup. Either way, the absence of mindful food and drink does not entice social responsibility. It is incorporated in the product/consumer mind: quick, convenient stuff for me, I, myself - the rest, the anti-product belongs to the public sphere. Chuck!

More green slime and frothy foam.
Garden clippings, mostly sawn wood washed onto the beach. Beach as cheap tip?

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A whale swam slowly along Manly beach towards Shelly beach. (Video) Both marine mammals and internal combustion vehicles take, unfortunately the same path along the shore. Boats usually 'park' ON Cabbage Tree Aquatic Reserve and then race off. The whales hug the shoreline going south now.

A very noisy chopper hovered over Manly Beach, vibrating all living beings. Deafening for all mammals, terrestial or aquatic. So much for acoustic comfort.
Along the Esplanade, pneumatic drills undoing the last jobs. Audible at the beach.

More of the convenient one-mouthful plastic wrappers left along the beach.

The daily illegal dog ON the beach.

At Queenscliff beach front the garages to house the CO2 intensive life-saving gear are apparently doubled. More habitat for combustion engines, less green space, more impervious surface and a new building on the sand dunes in times of 'planned retreat'.

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F o u r illegal dogs AND their owners ON Manly beach today. Two dogs at Queenscliff were allowed to freely urinate all over the sand. Think about it next time you roll on it, play with it or even eat it. Approaching the offending dog owners leads to verbal assaults and often physical threats. Emotional beasts defying the human law. Together with the feces draining from the walkway on to Manly Beach it poses a serious health hazard. There seems to be no enforcement of the law and an absence of a concerned community.

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Just like in August 2007, the 'green slime' (120809, above) of the day turns in to glowing waves of bioluminescence at night. (Video)

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Two school girls walking two rats on a leash ON the beach and around the pool. Doing their best to mingle with the wild rodent populations, facilitating a pathogen ecology for salmonella and typhus.
But why not, if cats are walked around Manly town to harrass the endemic bird population and dogs do IT ON the beach, then anything seems to go lacking effective regulation.

Divine swimmers doing the Queenscliff to Shelly Beach loop. Jet ski speeding further off. Incompatible ocean activities.

More plastic turning up as it gets warmer. All the plastic in the ocean and on the beach decompose, releasing hazardous chemicals (toxic bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer ) to ALL life. Treating the beach or the Pacific as a cheap tip/externality will reveal itself as a toxic legacy for all to come.

Glass on the beach.

With great confidence they are building more at the low-lying 'sanddune/path' at Queenscliff. It appears to be doubling built habitat for CO2 gear (garages). Rising sea levels denial? No retreat, no deserting coastal strips.

Retrograde amnesia forgot the eroded volleyball posts just a short time ago. A new turf is quickly staked out and 'pay & play' can continue. Privatisation of the beach? Only the ocean and the sky pose a limit.

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Jelly stingers are back at Manly Beach with 11 degrees above average today. The cycle starts again: nutrient enriched hot ocean, glowing at night with bioluminescent dinoflagellates , then jelly fish and algea bloom. The ocean and atmosphere as a tip are being 'cooked up'.

Flies are also back after the weekend stampede. 900 million people are presently sprawling around the globe, 'seeking to get away from it all'. Fast food anti-products all along the beach.

An extra large oil tanker hovering at the horizon. The white sand could contain more than green slime and dog poo...

Toddlers baking at the beach in full sun for hours.

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Washed up right in front of the Corso a Rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster). The endemic 'water-rat' lives on Manly's rocky foreshore. It has a dense, water-repelling fur, partly webbed hind feet and a tapering tail with a white tip. It lives on aquatic invertebrates which it dissects with its specialised molars, it is a good swimmer. "It is reported to leave bigger ones out in the sun. As the bivalve heats up and dies, its valves gape, allowing the rat access to the interior." In mythology it features as a spouse of Moon.
As the unrestrained dogs and cats are allowed to freely enter its habitat it can be assumed, that this Australian local will soon vanish, just like the little Penguins. People choose to exchange rich biodiversity, which makes this place unique, for an impoverished monoculture.

A lot of post-event garbage and glass along the beach. The junkspace left behind these events should be a cost factor to the organisers.

At the Queenscliff end the diesel fumes from various buidling sites were so dense, that the beach could not be utilised.

The eroded large stairs at the southern end still have their foundations exposed. Rusty iron jarring amongst the rock and various mysterious mats are sloshed in the surf.

There was a large array of small shells.

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A very large pod of dolphins swimming along Manly Beach today. When they came closer to the shallow waters a yellow kayak raced too close to them, interfering with their route. A swooping helicopter finally put an end to the marine mammals visiting the beach.

Junkspace:
Noisy polluting sand-moving equipment at the Queenscliff end, 'doing the lagoon'.
At the horizon, an oil tanker emitting black plumes of pollution.
A lot of 'one mouthful' wrappers, a lot of sharp broken glass

Light pollution IN the ocean at Cabbage tree aquatic reserve & the Bower. A hassle for nocturnal marine life. Looks like the aquatic peeping and grabbing industry needs regulation.

On the Esplanade: Dog owners allow their beasts on extra long leashes to chase the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos which are picking up the pine seeds of the ground. The lawn is littered in dog turds. The leashes of careless dog-owners seem to get ever longer to the extend that even people get entangled in them now.

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Around the Queenscliff Rock Pool, many black flippers in the ocean close to the beach. Unfortunately they were not marine mammals, but many humans with lethal weapons. The scale of the operation was more akin to a professional Take and Go. The weapons seemed taller than the guys and a safety hazard for swimmers and walkers at Manly Beach. Armed 'sports' activities are not appropriate at a busy urban beach. It is just a matter of time before an 'accident' happens.

Where is the Manly Beach Watch, monitoring violations and pollution and collecting data on species?

Junkspace:
An unusual amount of very sharp glass all along the beach. Post event by-product. Soon signs should be erected: 'Danger! Do not go barefoot on Manly Beach. You carry all risks, ok! ' The usual amount of take-away garbage, left there by beach users. It is actually relatively rare that garbage gets washed in. Busy boat-days can lead to float-in junk. Unusual weather conditions bring minced plastic from the BIG Pacific tip.

Unusual large dead fish at the beach.

At the North Steyne Beach Club, the toilets on the beach side are being renovated. Could that be white paint tossed on to the beach sand?

Oil tanker at the horizon. The same as the days before? The uncluttered horizon will be a historical phenomenon.

At the Esplanade:
Large Red Wattlebirds (Anthochaera carnunculata) in pairs are very daring in the pines. They even clean the many garbage bins of insects.

Walking along the parade people devoting their lives tending to live-stock (dogs). Driven (CO2) to the beach, often three in harness, to empty all the 'meat' (CO2) at Manly Beach. How are these people prepared for emergency evacuations? Three 'calves' in the hummer and off to greener pastures?
Others in the stay at home nation, prefer to push multiples of their own species along, drowning out the screems with digital gear.

What a giant footprint!

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Three illegal dogs on Manly Beach today within a short time span. One dogowner allowed their two white inbred bull terriers to freely roam along the beach. This bully-behaviour had obvious effects on other beach users that felt uncomfortable. Potentially a dangerous situation

At North Steyne Beach, a dog owner sun-baking with a dog. As the beach seems to be a law-free arena, 'accidents' are about to happen. Will tourists really want to come to Manly to 'discover packs of dogs' and be harangued defenceless at the beach?

At this stage some risk factors at Manly Beach are dogs, glass, weapons (spearguns), fishing junk, kites and speeding vessels in the ocean.

Driftwood: July, June, May, April, March, February, January, 2009

17 July 2009

Beach Sand, Fecal Contamination and Salmonella

Salmonella has been found in sand of playgrounds in Mona Vale, Winnererremy Bay, Warriewood, Palm Beach and North Avalon. One year on and the bacteria (Salmonella paratyphi bio var java) have resurfaced in the sand. In Dunbar Park, which is now closed the sand will be replaced with 'treated bark'. Both in May 08 and November 08 Mnly wrote about the connections between(exotic) pets, fecal contamination and aggregation of minors in beach sand.

New research has also found that people digging in beach sand or building sandcastles risk gastrointestinal diseases and diarrhea. The epidemiological study looked into sand contact activities and illnesses.

"Researchers found evidence of gastrointestinal illnesses, upper respiratory illnesses, rash, eye ailments, earache and infected cuts. Diarrhea and other gastrointestinal illnesses were more common in about 13 percent of people who reported digging in sand, and in about 23 percent of those who reported being buried in sand...We have known for some time that swimming in waters polluted by fecal contamination can result in illness, but few previous studies have focused on sand."

Beach users should use a hand sanitizer or wash their hands/body after contacting beach sand.

The runoff from urinating and defecating dogs at the beach promenade/wall, draining through the pvc pipes/stairs onto the beach sand does not seem to make the beach sand less risky.
Questions remain:
Where was the sand sourced from that covered the playgrounds?
Where can information be obtained regarding fecal contamination of beach sand at Manly Beach?

Links
Sand, salmonella, e-coli and that cute pet, May 08
More salmonella mysteries on the Northern Beaches, November 08
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2009, July 10). Digging In Beach Sand Increases Risk Of Gastrointestinal Illness. Via ScienceDaily

Christopher D. Heaney et al., Contact With Beach Sand Among Beachgoers and Risk of Illness, American Journal of Epidemiology Advance Access published on June 18, 2009, Am. J. Epidemiol. 2009 170: 164-172; doi:10.1093/aje/kwp152

06 July 2009

Seven Little Penguins killed by a Dog at Manly Beach

Seven endangered Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) were butchered by one dog in their "protected" habitat in the National Park. (Images). This is the last and only colony in N.S.W.

Dog owner's attitude: ‘what’s one penguin against my dog’s freedomManly Daily 060709

Mnly Blog points to an abundance of dogs being illegally allowed to be on Manly Beach (daily), in penguin habitats, Shelly Beach, North Head NP and the National Parks. There seems to be very little enforcementt and a lot of encouragment of the introduced canine obsession. The unleashed dogs are gaining territory, as wildlife is lacking a sponsoring industry.

Many cafes have dogs INSIDE, and outdoors they have their snouts on the same plates as the customers. Staff fondle the saliva of dogs and then continue to serve human beings.

But then in a society where children are mauled by dogs, people have their face ripped off, little flightless birds only get a few lines, before its back to serious business.

It is a state of poverty to exchange rich biodiversity for a monoculture of dangerous animals mauling people and Australian wildlife.

Questions:
How many convictions (on-the-spot fines) have been served on dog owners for illegal behaviour?
What proportion of resources are being devoted to the protection of wildlife?
What is the ratio of dog sponsorship by council, compared to the effective enforcement of the 'critical habitat' law?
Which tourist/visitor will want to see packs of dogs?

Update: 170709
T E N endangered penguins killed. Mnly Tweet
Penguin Habitat, Manly Cove

01 July 2009

Manly Beach Drift 'wood' - July

A monthly summary of what has washed onto the shore or beach through the winds, tides, waves or human action. Marine debris, flora and fauna, dead or alive:
010709Plovers reclaiming the beach.
Glass, as every day.
Erosion: The southern end of the beach is a building site. Two earth-moving machines and some 11 workers sifting through the rubble. Sandstone, basalt, cement garbage, iron bars, plastic/fibrous mats, that have been dumped there and now have to be hand-picked. Lines of vehicles parked on walking parade.

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Erosion: Southern end of the beach manufacturing: fencing down, rubble largely removed. Diesel machines still pumping on the beach and pedestrian parade.

An unusual amounts of shells along the northern end of the beach. Ocean acidification thinning shells? One look along the beach, it is 4x4s crawling, with the odd rocket pumping CO2.
A large tanker hovering on the horizon. A motorboat racing just meters from the surfies' lineup towards the Cabbage Tree Aquatic Reserve to 'park'.Glass, splinters, broken bottles, as every day. Image displays the average daily crop of sharp health hazards on a beach.

A flock of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) feeding on the ground seeds of the Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla). Two dogs have just been emptied on the same bit of lawn. Usually people: toddlers, bootcamp training clients etc roll on this turf.

Illegal dogs at the Queenscliff end daily. Dogs & motors in summary.

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Erosion: 'Nature' and many labourers hand raked the beach for the last debris/rocks at the southern end.
Daily illegal dog on the beach
A lot of glass collected. All forms of styropore at the northern end of the beach.

The daily ocean-going ship hovering on the horizon. Elsewhere they now have " regulation mandating that all ocean-going vessels within 24 miles of the state's coast must use cleaner burning low-sulfur diesel fuel". Less premature deaths from air pollution/smog. Less acidification of the oceans.
Manly will probably soon give up "choking on noise and fumes of the international combustion engine" and be declared car-free. Breathing at Manly Beach and 'immersive Manly village' will be possible.

Fisheries without fishes, tourism without reefs, beaches and wildlife is not unthinkable. The collapse of the ecosystems would turn the present economic crisis into a hiccup.

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Highlight was a pod of dolphins upstaging the surfies by leaping high out of the surf.

For some 3 million years they were at home in their coastal habitat. Now this aquatic sphere is claimed by our species. 'Flipper' becomes bait, 'bycatch' or it has its habitat degraded by us. Marine infrastructure clutter up the coast, anthropogenic noise pollution from motor boats, toxins, waste and (fishing) garbage degrade the ocean even further. Eating 'our' tuna and squid the 'competitors' are often turned into bait. Many die from entanglement and ingestion of fishing gear which is so often found at Manly beach.

There are many Eora depictions of Bottlenose dolphins engraved into Sydney sandstone. Let's continue to share the ocean with these smart marine mammals!Image: Google Maps: Manly Beach, pipe, North Steyne/Raglan St.

Five Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) flying north, leaving bird-unfriendly Manly behind.
A flock of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos feeding on the lawn under the pines on cones. Only the dogs posed a danger to them.
Two large dead fish at the beach. One a Porcupinefish as so often.

The appearance of the beach seems to be normalising.

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Crested Terns, Crows and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
Divine cloud formations, sun and rain. Permanent tropics in Sydney?
Again a new lot of plastic junk: Drink bottles, tops and a lot of polystyrene in the shape of orecchiette pasta. At the sandstone wall a small 'run-off' pipe exuded small polystyrene balls with a black discharge on to the beach.

At the horizon, two navy ships hovering. Scary to think that in an event of an oil spill, the 'clean-up' costs could not be recovered as it might "hurt Australia's reputation."

A large noisy (navy) helicopter swooped a couple of times along the beach /surfers. The 'manned scarecrow' chased all birds away. No marine mammals were in sight with that noise. Time to switch to 'unmanned' air vehicles in a regulated airspace.

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Manly Beach going to the dogs...A dog owner took their dog in bright daylight illegally for a walk all along the shoreline of Manly Beach. Black plastic dog feces bags blowing on the dunes. On the walking parade a dog defecated in a puddle. The rain drained all untreated excrement down a pipe onto the beach. One would think, that with an explosion of the dog population, corresponding enforcement services are being made available. There is supposed to be a 'litter guard', where is the canine/feces guard? What is public health?The usual amount of glass on the beach. Maybe there will be less in the future, as premises of alcohol merchants will be regulated. Drinkers will no longer be trusted to handle glass after midnight in some places.

Re the daily ocean-going vessels at the horizon: Elsewhere a Clean Air Act will set standards for engine and fuel to improve the air quality, save lives and the environment.

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Manly Beach is a unique parrot beach: White cockatoos during the day, lorikeets in the afternoon and black cockatoos occasionally. Echos of some 55 million years of a bio-diverse heritage. Locals facilitate captive non-Australian animals.

Junkspace: Plastic in the form of a lot of drink bottles, toys, lighters, caps/lids and 'party balloons'. Differently shaped polystyrene packaging bits today.
The usual crop of freshly cracked glass.
The 'run-off' pipe around Raglan St. has a distinct odour of miasma.

Tourist buses with idling motors spill their customers on to the beach. Photo, litter, off.
Yet again, another motorboat racing along the lineup and then, as they all usually do straight to the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve to 'park'.

Erosion: The southern end of Manly Beach is still fenced off. Rocks and black plastic mats are scattered over the beach.

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Junkspace: An unusual large amount of packaging from a wasteful 'throw away' society. Plastic bottles, styrofoam cups and a very large number of 'disposable' domed plastic lids and foam cups. A large array of 'one-mouthful edibles wrappings'. Carry-out trays are the latest to be dumped at the beach. Maybe the cafes/crèche are too unbearable? If the sale of these wasteful items can not be prohibited or regulated, then it could at least be taxed.
Litter in the sky: A large clump of 'party balloons' released and stuck in + 25 m high pines. The entangled strings pose a hazardous environment for birds/wildlife. What form of 'waste management' will remove the plastic junk: kites, balloons etc out of the 'littered' giant pines?

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos
are boldy grazing the pine promenade for seeds, hoping, that all dogs are on a leash.
Daily dog illegally on Manly beach.


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Diesel ploughing at the Queenscliff end. More diesel fumes belching from train-like trucks and vehicles 'moving' along road-side Steyne cafes. Other than deadly diesel fumes, the ocean did not smell of kelp and salt.Erosion: Rocks, cement junk and black plastic mats still jumbled up on the Sth.Steyne end of the beach. The $3,000,000 building site 'stabilising the sea wall' all along Manly beach is supposed to be completed by 2010. Holding back the sea level rise for the "the long-term viability of the local economy".
A walled off rising ocean
, caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions, might be a quick fix instead of an Integrated Coastal Zone Management that is interdisciplinary. Taking the needs of the coastal ecology into account and reducing CO2 emissions might be a sustainable prevention of a rapid retreat.
Image: Katsushika Hokusai , The Great Wave off Kanagawa , Tsunami via Zeno

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Large waves, calling plovers and sunshine.

The dumped rubble of cement, plastic mats and sandstone is still exposed from the erosion from the Corso to the southern end of the beach.
The rubble and steep sandcliffs provide a welcome family entertainment in the school holidays. There are attractions like throwing the rocks around. Digging up the metal beach sign and converting it into a funfair guillotine is all part of recreation. Digging diarrhea sandcastles has branding potential as a theme park. If the kids are bored with chasing seagulls, then there are attention-grabbing helicopters hovering over the beach or the many planes overhead going to desirable locations.A last look at the historic sandstone wall, studded with life and remnant dune vegetation before the disaster preparedness wall will be errected. Will it equally be studded with an abundance of pvc pipes draining dog feces, lawn chemicals etc onto the beach? Will the sandstone stay? Will they get rid of the Asthma Weed?

The daily dog ON the beach of course. A procession of packs of dogs on the esplanade. Mostly driven in suvs to Manly Beach to be emptied. A minimum of three harnessed dogs, or at least one each on display. The white fluffy thing is so 'yesterday' and serious hunting animals are 'in' this season: Doberman, Great Danes etc. Fashion dictates and the old models get churned into a dog pound to get pulped or released into 'freedom'.

Most walkways are parked out with service trucks/utes from uncountable building sites. The noisy 'green machine' seems to go for peoples' toes sitting on benches at 10.40 am.

Broken glass of all colours, shapes and sizes.

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Small to fist-size rocks along the southern end of the beach have emerged since the erosion. Ideal for toe-stubbing or family target practice.

The butt littering was overwhelming. A lot might have washed down from the roads with the rain. A couple of plastic lighters thrown in.
Styropore disintegrating into bubble-sized pieces. Broken glass

At the beach wall, dogs urinated on the wall/steps and the rain washed all down on to the beach sand.

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos picking seeds from under the cars and are in danger of being run over by speeding cars.

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The beach stairs at Victoria Pde/ Sth. Steyne are hollowed out from underneath. Deep water and surf hits the stairs.200709
Severe erosion of the beach stairs at Victoria Pde/Sth Styne. Waves continue to undermine the stairs' foundations, distributing rubble and fibrous mats along the beach. Deep surf is pounding this area. Up to fist-size rocks have been dislodged and cover the previously sandy beach from the Manly Surf Live Saving Club to Raglan St.

An unusual amount of freshly cracked glass, a post weekend crop?
Some unusual shells at the northern end of the beach.

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T h r e e dogs on Manly Beach illegally. A regular male dog owner walks along the entire esplande throwing a ball ONTO Manly Beach which his brown Australian Kelpie is fetching. A Doberman tied to the bottom of the stairs preventing access to the public. The daily dog at Queenscliff. No enforcement.

An angler set up multiple rods and clutter at the beach. Joggers got entangled in the 'loine'. Beach rage over disputed legitimate activities on a crowded beach. A health hazard! Time to make it a NO-TAKE area.Plastic 'take away' junk is increasing at a rapid rate. Plastic lighters and glass.

A lot of cut garden refuse. Endless leaves which are blown by petrol-powered 'leaf' blowers into the the gutter. Seen all over Manly the owner/ contractor blows the debris from the private proverty onto the public pathway/ road and finally into the gutter. Council workers do it too. All privatise the soundscape. The collected works are then flushed down the pipes onto Manly Beach and get sloshed back up onto the sand. It takes a lot of petrol and noise to achieve this state of 'tidyness'.

In the sky three light aircraft affording their paying clientele swooping views of Manly surfies. From the road (Steyne) roaring building noise as the road is cut open.

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Two speeding jet skis (tautology) racing along Manly Beach. This could be life-threatening for the frequent long distance swimmers. Little Penguins feeding on the upper layers of the ocean and other marine mammals are also endangered by this petrol-fuelled activity.

Manly Beach as cheap garden tip? Rich in debris and garden refuse after a night's rain. Most large pieces are cuts from an iconic sub-urban palm: The Cocos palms (Arecastrum romanzoffianum), a weed. The rest is flushed or blown down to the beach with the air of petrol from the streets of suburbia. (see 230709 above)

The one-mouth plastic wrappers are rapidly increasing. Silencing devices to not get ones hands dirty? The odd plastic lighter.

The horizon looked uncluttered with an occasional 'bump' like a migrating Humpback whale. But then to allow jet skis and motorboats to speed is not very inviting for a large marine mammal mother and her infant. The time she needs to lift her breathing infant out of the water is often not granted in the motor-boat infested oceans. Many young have to die, or are 'put down' by 'benevolent' human beings after the freshly born and mother have been separated by noisy, speeding objects that criss-cross their migratory routes. Encroaching 'peep industries' also pose a danger.

A dead Rainbow Lorikeet on the beach. Either fed to death on sub-urban balconies and gardens. Or maybe a fox got it out of a pine?The daily illegal dog ON Queenscliff Beach. A lot of dog/fox turds left on the Esplanade lawn, awaiting rain to flush it down onto the beach sand.

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A dolphin pod swimming up and down Manly Beach today. The group consisted of ten dark individuals that swam in a tight formation to occasionally form a vivid hunting? circle. The access of these marine mammals to the surfline was only possible, because of an absence of hooning motorboats or jetskis.

Shells all along the beach.
A lot of freshly cracked glass and styropore bits.

Along the Esplanade:
A noisy building frenzy all along the beach.
Event advertising (small pieces of cloth) being hung into the pines with the aid of a suv and crane idling and parked on the footpath, as most 'service' vehicles do. An absurd idea of communicating events with an high emission footprint. The daily green machine, just sitting there idling and adding to the noise pollution.A lot of dog feces was left on the walkway by irresponsible dog owners, despite the machine cleaning. Many people stepped into it and smeared it along. The rest just runs down the stairs/ through the many pvc pipes onto Manly Beach. Just on the other side of the beach wall people rolled in the 'sand'.

But then it is 'just' a hygiene and enforcement issue compared to the large scale ecological vandalism being committed by Australia, depriving other species of a right to existence and leaving a degraded 'quality of life' for the ones to come.

See also Driftwood of:
June,
May, April, March, February, January, 2009