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December 2007
A Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of our clients. In this edition of the monthly newsletter from Sydney Environmental & Soil Laboratory, we focus on surviving the Christmas break.
You have received this newsletter because you are a current or past client of SESL, or you have communicated with us. We hope you will find much of interest in each issue of Fertile Minds. But if you truly don't want to receive Fertile Minds, please go now to the bottom of this message and click on SafeUnsubscribe. This will remove you immediately and you won't hear from us again.
However, we firmly believe that you will find much of interest in each issue, and hope you will stick around.
In this issue
- The Loam Ranger – GPS
- Star apprentice at SESL
- Day of the agapanthus (not triffids)
- Your own lightning detector
- Did you know ... ?
The Loam Ranger - GPS
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Dear Loam Ranger, Santa brought me a GPS receiver. It looks great. What do I do with it? GPS, or the Global Positioning System, has proven a boon to people in many industries, as it allow precise location of any item anywhere above ground. Surveyors routinely use it now. Robotic systems for planting, spraying or harvesting crops use it. Ships use it. Airliners use it. In-car GPS navigators are now becoming common. You can even use it to play a worldwide treasure hunt game for grownups. Click here to learn more about GPS and how it can help you (600 words, 2 minutes) |
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Star apprentice at SESL
In September 2005, Jesse Fenn began an Australian Apprenticeship with SESL, starting with Laboratory Skills 3. Jesse did all his training in house with either the lab manager or Simon Leake as mentor. Fundamentally the course was driven by Jesse, who set a cracking pace and did extremely well.
An external training coordinator, MD & Associates, provided the course outline and audited Jesse's work in the numerous subjects. The NSW Vocational Education and Training Accreditation Board administered the training.
Jesse completed Certificate III in August and Certificate IV in December.
Michael McLeay, the director of MD & Associates, was very complimentary about Jesse and his focus.
The photo shows, from left to right, Simon Leake (SESL Director), Pat Evans (office manager), Jesse Fenn and Catherine Blake (laboratory manager).
Day of the agapanthus (not triffids)
Christmas time is agapanthus time. The lush heads of beautiful blue or white flowers brighten up many a garden. We all recognize that they're not natives - they hail from South Africa - but we have been seduced by their charms into ignoring their more insidious side.
Have a close look at bushland near urban areas and you'll see that they are slowly invading, pushing aside the plants that belong there. Now is the time to look, while they're in flower.
The Blue Mountains, to the west of Sydney, are a hotspot for agapanthus and other alien plants, which in places are starting to take over the landscape. The qualities that make the Blue Mountains one of Sydney's iconic beauty spots for both locals and visitors place them at particular risk of plant invasions.
Your own lightning detector
Summer is lightning time in NSW. If you work outdoors, you are at risk of being struck during summer. In Australia, lightning kills between 5 and 10 people annually, and injures over a hundred. Three- quarters of those injured will suffer permanent effects.
We all know the rules for protecting ourselves: stay indoors or inside your vehicle, don't shelter under trees, stay away from tall objects, squat with your feet together if you can't find shelter. Seeking shelter is fine if you have advance warning, but what if you're in terrain that blocks your view of approaching thunderheads?
Just turn on your radio!
As well as light, a lightning bolt discharges energy in the radio band. You hear this as a burst of static on your radio.
AM radio is most sensitive to bursts from lightning, picking up clicks and crackles at a distance of several hundred kilometres. The lower the frequency, the more sensitive the radio is. If you hear crackles low on your dial but not high on it, the lightning is around 150 to 400 km away. If you can hear the crackles at the top of the dial as well, then the lightning is closer than 150 km.
So if it is storm season and you're out, turn on your
radio-ideally to
an empty frequency-and keep your ear tuned.
Did you know ... ?
Five things you probably didn't know about doing nothing
- Extreme sports, excessive eating, constant worrying and false ambition can steal your energy. Avoid them.
- Don't be afraid to do nothing, because while sitting down and relaxing you are actually doing something productive: saving energy.
- Every hour less we sleep costs 50 calories of energy. So don't feel bad about sleeping in these holidays.
- Too much exercise can be harmful. Stay away from performance-oriented sports and choose a brisk walk instead.
- Mental stress also uses up energy. Reduce stress - buy a pet or take 5 minutes out to read an old SESL test result. It's bound to help you with sleeping (see point 3 above)!
Click here for 10 things you may need to know this Christmas break (500 words, 2 minutes)