RESEARCHERS URGE FOR STRICTER REGULATIONS IN …

DEEP SEA MINING

Deep sea mining (DSM) is the process of retrieving minerals from the ocean floor at depths of up to 5km.

This can be done in one of two ways, depending on the type of minerals being retrieved. It can involve scooping up metallic modules from the sea floor or the more intrusive method of extraction from underwater geological features.

Unlocking deep sea deposits using these methods could be an important part of meeting future demand for metals. Such deposits are great examples of orebodies which we haven’t traditionally been able to access due to technological limitations, however these could contribute significantly to the future metal supply.

In order to ensure a smooth transition when accessing these potentially risky orebodies, a strong governance framework will be needed when it comes to deep sea mining; something that is currently missing.

Due to the distinctiveness of the deep sea, and the technologies involved in DSM, it is difficult to confidently assess the environmental, social and governance impacts of this type of mining, thus making a strong government framework difficult.

In terrestrial mining, government use existing projects to help assess the environmental and social risks.

In DSM there is currently no commercial-scale operation, meaning these precedents don’t exits. As such it is near impossible to know how DSM would affect the natural environment on the seafloor and sea life.

COULD WE HAVE A NEW SOLUTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN

PLASTIC RECYCLING PROGRAM?

Of the 3.5 million tons of plastic thrown out each year in Australia, only 10% is recycled. The rest is either burnt, buried or shipped overseas.

The majority of waste shipped overseas went to China. However, in January 2018 China announced they would longer be accepting recyclable waste from Australia.  Since then Australia has been struggling to deal with a growing waste crisis.

Australian scientists working at Licella may have the answer to this crisis.  Dr Len Humphreys, Licella’s co-founder & chief executive officer and Thomas Maschmeyer, Sydney University professor have developed a technology that can recycle all plastics. They have been trialling this system for the past decade in a NSW central coast pilot plant and are now ready to take it to the market.

The Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor (CAT-HTR) uses a form of chemical recycling that changes plastics and turns them back into oil. It does this at molecular level using hot water at a high pressure. From there the oil can be turned into bitumen, petrol or back into different types of plastic, meaning plastic products can be recycled again and again.

This technology differs from other plastic-oil technologies as it doesn’t require plastics to be separated according to type and colour, before being recycled. This is a huge advantage, as the sorting process is what makes many recycling schemes non-viable.

Meet one of 4T’s long-term clients …

GREGORY CRINUM

Over the years Gregory has been very important to the regional economy.  We’ve been through the growth of mine, and continued our monitoring while it was under care and maintenance during the coal industry downturn.

It’s great to see that there is life in the old girl yet, as Sojitz gets Gregory Crinum ready to reopen production.

Covid under the microscope.

In the recent months, millions of people all over the world have changed their lifestyle and behaviours in an attempt to fight COVID 10.

For climate scientists this has given hope that it could be possible to do the same to fight the Climate crisis.

The natural world fully embraced the effects of lock-down and the drastic reduction in human pace. In China alone, between January & February, NASA and the European Space Agency spotted a significant pollution decrease.

The agencies compared the levels of Nitrogen Dioxide, caused by cars, power-plants and other industrial facilities, on the 23^rd Jan and during quarantine between the 10^th-25^th Feb.

The results showed a significant decrease in the gas, with an estimated reduction of between 10-30%  – A startling change.

Then there were all those photos on social media showing wildlife returning to areas where they hadn’t been seen for decades, people could see the Himalayas for the first time in 30 years, and the canals of Venice were clear.

It’s time for China to step up and save the Pangolin …

… and all the other trafficked wildlife.

Correctly, we are all taking notice of the Coronavirus epidemic. We’re following the news about how many cases are diagnosed, where those cases are, the effects on international trade and stock markets. These stories are heading every news bulletin and newspaper front page.

What we are hearing a lot less of though is the role of China’s disgusting and despicable wildlife trade in creating this outbreak of human and economic misery.

Scientists have told us that the corona virus emanated from bats – as did many other viruses that have taken human lives.

But they also tell us that the corona virus most probably made its deadly way into humans via the Pangolin.

What is a Pangolin?

The Pangolin is a smallish animal (up to 60 cm high and 12 kg – depending on the species) that is covered by scales.  It’s an ant-eater, (mostly) a ground-dweller, and is native to Asia and Africa.

But it’s most distinguishing characteristic is that it’s the World’s Most Trafficked Animal.

Like most other illegally trapped animals, most end up in Asian marketplaces – predominantly China. Their meat is eaten, and the scales used in traditional medicines.

The scales are keratin. That’s the same keratin as your fingernails (and rhino horn).

“In two record-breaking seizures in the space of a week in April 2019, Singapore seized a 14.2-ton shipment and and a 14-ton shipment of pangolin scales—from an estimated 72,000 pangolins—coming from Nigeria.”  National Geographic

China has long been condemned for trafficking Pangolins, on humanitarian and ecological grounds – just as it is condemned for poaching ivory, rhino horn etc.

We can now add health grounds to that list.

The Chinese social points system

The Chinese Government is able to control all aspects of its citizens lives. So much so, that it uses a social points system to reward and punish its citizens’ behaviour.

“Good deeds gain points; bad deeds lose them, with perks and hardships attached. If you fall afoul of a pilot system, you cannot get a loan or mortgage, even if your offense is nonfinancial, like quarreling with neighbors. Conversely, nonfinancial “good deeds”—like giving blood—can cause your loan’s interest rate to drop.”  Time Magazine

Even face recognition technology is deployed to check up on behavior.

It’s time to stop

It is now time for China to step up and control this despicable trade, using the social points system if necessary. If it’s there to reward and punish social behavior, wouldn’t stopping the wildlife trade be a good use?

The trade in wild animals has supposedly been stopped following the outbreak of coronavirus, and that is certainly a good step. But this has happened before, only for the ban to lapse with time.

The Chinese Communist Party has an entire Department of Publicity (propaganda), and it’s very effective. Surely it’s not beyond the Chinese Government to use this very efficient publicity machine to educate its citizens that;

• keratin doesn’t give you a giant penis, stop you being hysterical, cure malaria or prevent deafness,
• slaughtering and distributing animal meat and parts in open, wet markets is a health hazard, and
• they are affecting millions of people other than themselves by doing so.

It’s time for China to step up and stop the wildlife trade for good.

4T CONSULTANTS | 17 March, 2020

4t Consultants Business Excellence Award 2019

Inducted into the Hall of Fame – Award 2019

4t Consultants are the proud recipients of this years award for Professional & Business Services – Award Winner 2019 at the CHDC Business Excellence Awards night.  We are pleased to say that after 21 years of hard work, it is always nice to be recognised.

4t Consultants won the award for Business Excellence, as well as an award for being inducted into the Hall of Fame.  The 4t Team were all there and we would just like to say a huge thanks to the organisers of this years event, including Qantas and CHDC for hosting such a prestigious event.

As you know, Bronwyn Reid is a strong participant and advocate for Regional and Rural business, working closely with Central Highlands District Council on many occasions.

Important new regulations for grazers & growers in the Great Barrier Reef

In February 2019 the Queensland government introduced the Environmental Protection and Other Legislations Amendment Bill 2019 (EPA Bill).

The bill aims to strengthen the protection of the Great Barrier Reef by reducing water pollution, from agriculture and industrial land use, entering the Reef.

Under the EPA Bill, government officers can assess the operations of graziers & grain growers across the Great Barrier Reef catchment and request information about farm activities. The bill also allows the government to ask for data on fertiliser and chemical use, soil testing and crop yields, to ensure farmers are meeting the practice standards.