"Can't you see I'm Hungry!"
Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan
Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan
Australian Immigrants Retiring to Home Countries
How a joke can become truth. People who have moved to Australia and indeed spent most of their lives here are going back to their home countries because of favorable exchange rates. Not so much the English. They seem to be staying here.
Between 2007 and 2012 the number of Australians living overseas and drawing the Aussie pension increased by 30 per cent. In the same period the overall number of Australian pensioners went up only 17 per cent. Recent changes in the budget will not affect those currently on the pension. Most will not be here when the pension age goes up to 70 years in 2035.
Most expatriates by far return to Italy and Greece in their twilight years. While the majority of citizens in Greece are doing it tough now, those on Australian pensions have guaranteed income. Others go to Spain and oddly, the Netherlands - there must be something tempting to move to a cold wet country from a hot dry one.
This group of baby boomers, however, will probably be the last ones to enjoy such a bonus. As people retire who have paid superannuation all their working lives it is inevitable that state funded pensions will be phased out. This is seldom admitted but it is the truth. Changes are being made now by government to ultimately benefit government.
Society by Ty Buchanan
New Technology is Feared by Many
Australians are like people everywhere. They want change but they fear it. Advancement in technology appears to make our lives easier, but in a way life is becoming more complex.
People make themselves known to millions of others. They fear that in the long run they will regret it. As they grow older what they did in their carefree youth will come back to haunt them.
Only half of people feel secure about the technological future. One would expect that this would be higher. Young people in particular seem to welcome new gadgets with open arms. Nearly half of the population believe robotization will make their lives worse.
Many use wearable gadgetry to help with their exercise and fitness. However, these could turn out to be just faddish endeavours like all the new exercise machines advertised on TV.
The giant technological companies are experimenting with weird ideas. They have run out of rational concepts. These have been used up. Reviewers condemn the new tech offerings as silly and laughable. Then see people adopt the latest new thing with gusto.
Technology by Ty Buchanan
Languages Falling in Number With Deforestation
With evolutionary advancement certain things are lost. Tree clearing has led to an unforeseen event: languages are disappearing. Some, usually forest living, people speak more than a dozen languages. However, their tribes are decreasing in number as more contact with advanced societies and destruction of the environment they live in continues.
Papua New Guinea still has about 1,000 languages. Isolation is diminishing so more dialects are lost as times goes on. It has been said that as biodiversity falls so languages decrease in number. However, less biodiversity is an effect of less forestation rather than a causal factor.
Forest living people are moving to cities to find work as their livelihood disappears. Furthermore, governments find it easier to ignore minor languages and concentrate on teaching the one most used. Therefore, language are being lost at a much faster rate than wildlife and forests.
Anthropology by Ty Buchanan
Australia Breaks Supercritical Steam Record to Replace Coal
Australia has made a new world record in "supercritical" steam. This involves the use of solar panels to generate heat that boils water and generates steam. The steam could be used instead of coal in power plants.
Pressure reached 3,400 psi at a heat of 1,058°F. This is peak performance "stuff". It rivals coal in its efficiency. The first time a non-carbon source has at least equalled the efficiency of coal.
Six hundred mirrors (heliostats) were used and their beams were directed at two towers housing solar receivers and turbines. In the future power generation could be virtually free from the sun during daylight hours.
This technology is new and supersedes older "subcritical" steam production. More work has to be done but there is no doubt power generation will eventually not need coal. It is not good news for Australian exports. It is good for the world though.
Science by Ty Buchanan
Carbon Sinks in Australia Reduce Carbon
As carbon pollution continues what will happen to the Australian climate? We have just had the warmest May on record and are heading for the mildest winter ever. This will probably mean a stinking hot summer. Heat is rising while places like the United States are getting extremely cold conditions. This is mainly due to a permanent change in the Gulf Stream.
Because Australia is large open savannah, it does store carbon, but storage is only short term. It will be released again further down the track. Ironically, plants are absorbing more anthropogenic CO2 (man-made) than ever before. It seems the higher level of carbon is making flora work harder.
Forget pollution from cars it is maintenance of the Amazon Rain Forest that is important. As more land is cleared to make money residual carbon in the atmosphere will rise.
A change "is" taking place. Arid areas like Australia are getting greener. Warmer conditions seem to increase rain and plant growth. This is mostly in the tropical northern regions - the top half of the country. When El Niño returns this could all change. El Niño = hot and dry.
Funny Animal Photos by Ty Buchanan
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