gasland

hey guys,

I thought I would share a documentary that I've just finished watching. As I type this, the credits and banjo solo music accompanying it is playing in the background. I want to write up some of the strongest impressions and memorable parts of the documentary to share.

It's called Gasland, directed and produced by Josh Fox. I first heard of it during the Oscars, as it was nominated for best documentary. In summary, it investigates the natural gas mining method called hydraulic fracturing and it's environmental impact. It is a industry that is actually growing in size today.

Hydraulic Fracturing, or fracking, is a method of freeing up natural gases trapped within a formation of rock called shale. It uses deep core drilling to pump liquid at high pressure into the ground, to fracture the surrounding shale to free up the gas. It resembles a small earthquake.

The first issue is that out of the 1 - 7 millions of gallons of liquid that is pumped into the ground, about only half is recovered. This isn't too much of an issue if it was just water. But in fact, the fracking liquid that is used contains over 596 types of chemicals; drilling additives, anti-corrosives, acids etc. All of this goes straight into the environment, and because almost all of them are non-biodegradable, it's in there for good.

This kills local wildlife, poisons all the near by streams and rivers, goes into live stock's drinking water, decimates plant life. The list goes on. There was a sad part of the doco, where a lady had frozen multiple species of animals for proof. Rabbits, frogs, birds, even a baby doe. Fish get their gills eaten by chemicals and die.

It also goes into our groundwater and thus our drinking water. The scariest part was when a farmer filled a tub of water from the tap, and applied fire to it. You can actually SEE melted plastic forming on the surface of the water. That's how much poly-whatever is actually present in the water.

Another scene was when a man let his tap run for a few seconds, and then applied a fire. There was so much gas within the liquid, it lit on fire and burnt his arm hairs off.

Some communities are on this water right now, and suffer large amount of brain damage because of the chemicals. Most suffer headaches, lack of taste, lack of smell, unable to see clearly.

The documentary goes through interviews, investigations, researchers and even congress. It's a really good perspective. I really enjoyed this documentary and encourage anyone that interested to have a look. I have a copy if anyone wants it.

teoh,

this strange feeling...

so I've been using a itrip that my friend greg at work gave me (so generous even if he doesn't use it anymore) and I use the station 99.9 cause it just looks cool on my radio. Niiiiinety nine, oh yeah. Kinda James Bond style. Maybe I should get some matching James Bond music...mmm. 

Anyway, I've discovered a strange alien broadcast on 99.9 just past the stud road and high street intersection. I drive down stud road everyday to get to uni via ferntree gully, and without fail, my music starts to crackle and fizz, like you usually have when another device near by over rides yours. I guess the experience level of my itrip is not high enough. Maybe I need to equip it with better items (like, not my sister's old ipod?). Or maybe itrip is weak to belkin-type. I digress again.

So this particular area seems to have a broad cast on going all the time. I can hear the faint thump of drums and murmurs, but I can never quite hear what it is. Sounds alien like to me. Maybe they're not building houses in that construction lot at all. Maybe it's a government cover up for alien landing zones and you need the decryption to understand the broadcast.

So yeah, when you take a drive down to knox via stud road, switch your radio over to 99.9 and join the mystery fun.

(picture of starcraft 2 carrier unit =] may or may not be real.)

On a more realistic note, here's a fun fact: we're running out of helium (via gizmodo):

Apparently, the world is running out of helium. Robert Richardson, a Nobel Prizewinner, believes that helium supplies will run out in 25 years. And since no other substance has a lower boiling point than helium, this could be a problem.

I guess we’re wasting helium by throwing it into birthday balloons because Richardson thinks that “helium is far too cheap and is not treated as a precious resource.” And he’s right, when you inhale something for the sole purpose of talking in a funny voice, you’re not exactly treating it as a precious resource. Helium, because of its low boiling point, also makes for a great cooling source and is used to manufacture fibre optics and LCDs. So it’s actually kind of important.

Yeah I bet you regret those happy moments with those balloons that you probably accidentally let go of anyway and let it flew away. Now our children won't have floating balloon. sad. =[

teoh,

going for office

I just watched the most amount of television I've seen than in the holidays. Hurrah for MasterChef, good fun. Very pleased with the outcome.

The only thing the Great Debate gave me was confirmation that politician are so frustrating. Always dancing around the issue, repeating their slogans over and over and generally annoying me. Initially I wasn't going to vote Labor due to take over from Gillard, but Tony Abbott used the word 'fair dinkum' too many damn times, so he's lost my vote. Also, he hasn't got any charisma, do not like him at all.

Therefore we should all vote for me to be Prime Minister instead. I have past experience! Back in Primary school, when we were learning about Parliament, we set up a mock Government, and I was elected Prime Minister, no joke! As leader of our country, I would address the real issues of our country.

Teleportation would be the highest priority and my driving force for my election. With Teleportation, our country would both be more sustainable and boost our economy to make our country not only the strongest in the world, but in the galaxy (beat that Gillard). It will help decrease the cost of living, as there is no need to spend money on fuel, transportation for major companies will cut out, decreasing the price on goods and generally improve our lives. It will resolve the ridiculous Myki system and the coming waste of money on it.

This would also solve the boating problem, as a detention center with minimal space could be easily created within weeks (and in Australia, not in some unstable government place I've never heard of), by throwing people into a teleporter back to where they came from. Easy.

Teleportation will help create more jobs for people and emphasis education in the Mathematics field, which is lacking. I would personally supervise to ensure research is completed by 2020. That is my promise to YOU.

I respect the Australian electorates, and I think they will respect me as a fellow Australian. As a hard working student, I know many of the grits of life and the common problems in our lives. As Prime Minister, you can count on me to know the people of Australia and the important issues.

Vote for Teoh, and help me teleport Australia forward!

teoh,

out of the study box

two down, two to go my friends.

I spent today mostly relaxing, sleeping and watching the news. I only just heard about the wild teenager running around with a shotgun in Richmond, crazy stuff. I also caught up with news about the oil spill - I'm interested to hear my friends reaction to this, as it's not really discussed in public. Frankly, it's pretty damn shocking, especially after you see the oil spilled covered birds and such.

At the moment, BP's got a cap sucking up more or less half of the leak, but there's still at least 25 000 barrels of oil being leaked every day. crazy. This is what the oil spill will look like soon, as ocean currents carry it to the Atlantic =[

there was an interesting article on ideas from the public of how to plug it and why they wouldn't work listed here. I personally like the epoxy warhead lol. Cause blowing stuff up always works. (yes, sarcasm)

In other news, the missing plane with 6 mining personnel in the western regions of Africa, including chairman on the company Sundance and a billionaire. Apparently flights in the mining industry are quite hazardously usually, I guess cause you go out to the rural areas for the mine. Poor families of those 6 people, I wish all the best with the search and rescue effort.

However! I was thinking. Strange timing for this to happen isn't it. With the whole Super-Profit Tax mining thing happening that I hear on the radio. You know what. I think it's CONSPIRACY THEORY TIME. Mind you, it's most likely full of holes, as I don't know much about the current mining tax or how mining works in Australia, but let's have fun anyway.

Looking at keepminingstrong.com.au, and doing a quick google, reveals that at least 4 of the missing personnel's have past ties to large mining companies, such as BP and Macarthur. Sundance is not listed under MCA (Mining Council of Australia), but I'm pretty sure they get effected by the tax too (although most of their mining is based in Africa, so I dunno how that works).

Anyway! Assuming all of that holds true, this could all be part of a big conspiracy to undermine mining companies so that the mining tax goes through. Imagine, you're a big CEO of Teoh Mining Co., earning billions about to get cut by 58% (I saw this figure on the website, not sure how it applies lol). Of course, you fight the tax. Then, after a dinner of watching the news, of a 'mysterious' explosion and then suddenly a missing plane full of CEO and billionaires, you start to think, hmm. Then, unknown to the public, you get a letter. IT COULD BE YOU NEXT. After a few sleepless nights, you decide to withdraw your support in the pention against the government.

Yeah, think about it. And think about investing in Teoh Mining Co. as well, their shares are well up (or will be when you give me money).

teoh,

there must be clovers in the atmosphere

okay, conspiracy theory time.

has anyone else noticed that all centralized buildings that the public visit, are always pleasantly cool? Office building, shopping malls, university admin buildings, tourist attractions, halls etc. etc. All have air conditioners to keep us nice and cool.

but why do we never hear pleasantly warm inside a building?

my theory is that the world is slowly being conditioned to be weaker to the sun; which is odd considering with global warming and all, you'd think we should be upping our resistance to heat. There was a time where people could enjoy a hot sunny 30 degree day, with nothing but short, t-shirt and maybe an icy pole. Wind down the window in the car. Now, it's all a/c this, a/c that. And the thing with a/c is once you turn it on, as soon as you turn it off, you're hot! so back on it goes.

How silly is this? Plus using the a/c will only accelerate global warming, needing more a/c, thus accelerating faster and faster until the world just stops spinning because of the huge amount of irony interfering with the magnetic fields.

I am now resisting this conditioning, by refusing to touch the a/c (i shall have to learn from the master of stingyness ling) and always putting down the windows. This also saves the environment. woot.

teoh,