Encounters with Urban Nature in Australia: An investigation into environmental values, anti-urbanism, multiculturalism, and the transition to urban sustainability. This project offers strategic basic and applied research approaches to overcoming the neglect of moral experience of ?nature? in urban environments so as to further the transition to sustainability in Australia. Working at the intersection of aesthetic, geographical, philosophical, and sociological studies of ecology, this project dev ....Encounters with Urban Nature in Australia: An investigation into environmental values, anti-urbanism, multiculturalism, and the transition to urban sustainability. This project offers strategic basic and applied research approaches to overcoming the neglect of moral experience of ?nature? in urban environments so as to further the transition to sustainability in Australia. Working at the intersection of aesthetic, geographical, philosophical, and sociological studies of ecology, this project develops a comparative qualitative study of three Australian cities. It explores: (1) the paradoxical appeal of anti-urban environmental values to urbanites; (2) the multicultural axis of diversity in urban environmental values; (3) political sites for contesting experiences of ?nature?; and (4) policy opportunities for expression of local synergies between social and biotic well-being in urban ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Environmental Education and Marine Ecosystem Degradation: The Role of Site-specific Art as Communicative Strategy within Community Awareness-raising Programs. This project investigates a potential application of art as a medium of environmental education. In the context of a World Fish Center sustainable community fisheries project in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, we will deploy works of fine art specifically to communicate ideas and values concerning marine ecosystem degradation. An experienced ecolo ....Environmental Education and Marine Ecosystem Degradation: The Role of Site-specific Art as Communicative Strategy within Community Awareness-raising Programs. This project investigates a potential application of art as a medium of environmental education. In the context of a World Fish Center sustainable community fisheries project in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, we will deploy works of fine art specifically to communicate ideas and values concerning marine ecosystem degradation. An experienced ecological artist will project the issue into the public domain via large-scale video and trans-media installations. Visitor interviews will assess the impact of various modes of visual communication. We believe that visual communication can assist the development of environmental responsibility by shifting perceptions and is, then, of considerable policy value.Read moreRead less
Extraction of gold from thiosulfate leach liquors using selective magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resins. Cyanide processes used for gold leaching can cause severe environmental problems. This proposal studies the use of thiosulfate as an alternative, concentrating on the design and synthesis of new functionalised magnetic ion-exchange resins, which will act as selective adsorbents for the gold thiosulfate complex and thereby facilitate the implementation of this efficient, low environmental impact ....Extraction of gold from thiosulfate leach liquors using selective magnetic ion exchange (MIEX) resins. Cyanide processes used for gold leaching can cause severe environmental problems. This proposal studies the use of thiosulfate as an alternative, concentrating on the design and synthesis of new functionalised magnetic ion-exchange resins, which will act as selective adsorbents for the gold thiosulfate complex and thereby facilitate the implementation of this efficient, low environmental impact process. Since the leaching is typically applied to ores rich in copper, resins for the recovery of copper will also be designed. Laboratory proving trials will be conducted and successful candidates will be considered for future commercialisation of a Resin-in-Pulp leaching and recovery process.Read moreRead less
Winter temperature and salinity profile measurements in the Southern Ocean using elephant seals as ocean sampling platforms. As a result of the paucity of winter data in the Southern Ocean, sophisticated ocean models such as the GFDL MOM are hampered in their ability to properly represent the complex processes in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Elephant seals forage in the Southern Ocean throughout winter, and traverse the water column between 0 and 800 metres many times each day, providing an oppo ....Winter temperature and salinity profile measurements in the Southern Ocean using elephant seals as ocean sampling platforms. As a result of the paucity of winter data in the Southern Ocean, sophisticated ocean models such as the GFDL MOM are hampered in their ability to properly represent the complex processes in the Antarctic sea ice zone. Elephant seals forage in the Southern Ocean throughout winter, and traverse the water column between 0 and 800 metres many times each day, providing an opportunity to collect profiles of temperature and salinity. The resulting data will contribute to oceanographic studies of water mass formation and frontal variability, including comparisons with historical data and assimilation into a complex ocean model.Read moreRead less
ARC Molecular and Materials Structure Research Network. The Network will build powerful e-Science resources for the structural sciences. Collaborative remote access will be developed for sophisticated instrumentation, including instruments planned for the Replacement Research Reactor and Australian Synchrotron. A structure database service with cross disciplinary content and versatile visualisation and analysis capabilities will further exemplify smart information use. The internet services will ....ARC Molecular and Materials Structure Research Network. The Network will build powerful e-Science resources for the structural sciences. Collaborative remote access will be developed for sophisticated instrumentation, including instruments planned for the Replacement Research Reactor and Australian Synchrotron. A structure database service with cross disciplinary content and versatile visualisation and analysis capabilities will further exemplify smart information use. The internet services will ultimately harness the Grid, enabling linkage into other national and international Grid systems. Encompassing physics, computer science, applied mathematics, chemistry and biochemistry, and catalysing interaction across these disciplines, the MMSN will impact all five National Research Priority 3 goals.Read moreRead less
Ethos and Topos: A Philosophical Investigation of the Ethics and Politics of Place. This project will contribute to the public and academic understanding of the way our sense of place relates to our sense of who we are, and the ethical implications of that relation. The outcomes of the project will have an application to a wide range of applied and policy areas in which questions of identity and belonging are at issue. It will connect directly with ongoing public discussion about a number of cr ....Ethos and Topos: A Philosophical Investigation of the Ethics and Politics of Place. This project will contribute to the public and academic understanding of the way our sense of place relates to our sense of who we are, and the ethical implications of that relation. The outcomes of the project will have an application to a wide range of applied and policy areas in which questions of identity and belonging are at issue. It will connect directly with ongoing public discussion about a number of critical contemporary issues relating to ideas of nationhood and community, our connection to land and environment, and our sense of identity and belonging.Read moreRead less