World Environment Day

Antarctica - Emma Johnston

Bron is back and Anth is on the panel

The weather was unusually cold, with there being speculation of why the weather was issued early. The general conclusion was that they were on their way home from rave - Anth did a creditable impersonation of a beatbox..

The Breakfasters are having a live broadcast on Tuesday (World Ocean Day) down at Fed Square to celebrate 2004: Australian Culture Now Exhibition.

The Banksia Awards were given out yesterday - Sylvia Earle won the international prize and was in Syndeny to accept it. The United Nations Association of Australia had their own WED awards on Friday night. The team are looking forward to finding out who the winners are and what they did to win their awards.

World Environment Day was established in 1972 to mark the opening of a UN Conference in Stockholm. It also marked the formation of UNEP. This years theme: Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive. while confrounting, it is about making that choice.

This year it is being hosted by Barcelonia - but not much of it is marine. It features a big solar plant, and an underground rubbish handling system.

The UN Secretary General made a few points of the day. He noted we can't treat it as a dump, nor as an unlimited resoource. 40% of humans live within 60km of the ocean, and fish catches are declining, and degradation is increasing - and people are not doing what they promise under the different action plans.

Check out the UNEP website for what is happening around the world to celebrate World Environment Day - and then follow the links

Casey Station is about 4000 km due south of Perth - and the trip was punctuated by 6m swells.Most people were unconcious on seasick pills, but Emma was lucky enough to enjoy the trip down. It was a trip in a hired Russian freigher, which made it a real experience. The lifeboat test was a bit disasterous - and the crew didn't enjoy swinging by the boat. The ofal diet was also of note - very nice if you are used to eat.

Oncee there, two dive teams were doing sub tidal research - to be covered in the next time we catch up with Emma..

Whales - No humpbacks, but a nice pack of Orcas
Penguins - they move around the water, but their eyes follow you as they move around the area.
Leopard Seals - being buzzed by them is a real experience, like being checked out by lions. A British Scientist was lost to a seal in the past, but seeing one while you have divers in the water is a bit of a worry.

Diving under the ice is spooky. Imagine taking 40 min to get into a shiny red vinyal drysuit with a full face mask, radio communciation and a teathered air lineand then jumping into a ice slushy. You end up in an area with difuse light and you get to see organisms the occupy the familiar nichies.

" Green"

" Antarctica"

" Song of the Whale "

Totally Gourdgeous

Midnight Oil

Eric Bogle

Sunny in Rye by the wind has daggers in it ! The back beach is nice diving, and tomorrow will be better. 15C outside the bay, 13C in the bay. The bay is calm but the current is really racing