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ABC News
15 hours ago
- ABC News
The financial and psychological benefits of off-grid living inspires new generation
Tucked away in southern Tasmanian bushland, Eily Stevenson and Jon Oliver are embarking on an off-grid journey. The couple, originally from Sydney, moved to Tasmania for the weather and the lifestyle. "We knew we wanted to have a family and the idea of raising a young family off-grid in nature was really attractive to us," Ms Stevenson said. They purchased their bush block a few years ago, which already had the dwelling on it. Now, they are beginning to transition the property off-grid, which means being disconnected from the main electricity grid. Off-grid can also mean disconnected from other public utilities, such as water and sewerage. Their first major task will be switching the home to solar, for which they have budgeted about $25,000 to include up to 24 panels and a few batteries. "Five years ago, probably would have been upwards of $30,000, any longer probably up towards … $40,000, and the technology was nowhere near as good either, so definitely it's become more affordable to move off-grid." They have already spent $45,000 on their driveway and access. They expect to spend $18,000 on improving the septic system, $3,000 on adding two additional water tanks, and $25,000 on upgrades to the house. Phillipa Watson is a research fellow at the Australian National University and has been studying the social change in energy uptake across Australia for two decades. Although there is no national database on the number of people living off-grid, Dr Watson said there had "certainly" been increased activity by power companies over the past decade to create more off-grid systems for their customers. She said that shift was primarily thanks to solar power systems becoming more affordable. "The old school off-gridders needed to have a lot of technical knowledge and were getting involved either because they had to, or they really, really wanted to," Dr Watson said. "Then we had this newer kind of household that had to consider the new connection costs which could go into the tens of thousands in those edge-of-grid or remote areas … which then became comparable with putting in an off-grid system." Dr Watson said with the increased uptake, technical support had become more readily available. "We saw in those households they didn't need to be technically able about their off-grid system because the installers were becoming more sophisticated and were able to offer them a long-term support program." Mr Oliver said their property was already connected to the electricity grid. Council regulations can also pose a challenge. "Contact your local council if you've got your eye on a property to make sure that you can do everything, that it's permitted," Ms Stevenson said. Dr Watson said resourcefulness was a huge motivator. "Especially in Tasmania, we see a really strong resourcefulness streak … people who are just really, really proud of being efficient," she said. Ms Stevenson said the "psychological benefits of knowing that you are living off the land and producing a lot of your own resources is really attractive".
SBS Australia
a day ago
- SBS Australia
What to know about the rare 'brain-eating' amoeba found in Australian tap water
One of the world's most dangerous water-borne microorganisms, commonly called a "brain-eating amoeba", has recently been detected in two drinking water supplies in south-west Queensland. Both affected towns are about 750 kilometres west of Brisbane: Augathella (population roughly 300) and Charleville (population 3,000). During an analysis of water samples commissioned by Queensland Health, Naegleria fowleri was detected in the water systems of two health facilities, one in Charleville and one in Augathella, as well as in the incoming town water supply at both facilities. The Shire Council of Murweh, which takes in the two affected locations, issued a health notice for residents and visitors on August 7 warning of the detection of N. fowleri in the water supplies. So what is this organism? And how significant is the risk likely to be in these Queensland towns, and elsewhere? What is the brain-eating amoeba? The N. fowleri amoeba is a microscopic organism found around the world. It only lives in warm freshwater, generally between 25 and 40°C. This can include ponds, lakes, rivers, streams and hot springs. If someone is infected with N. fowleri , it causes what's called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, a serious infection of the brain. Symptoms include a sore throat, headache, hallucinations, confusion, vomiting, fever, neck stiffness, changes to taste and smell, and seizures. The incubation period of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis — the time between infection and symptoms appearing — typically ranges from three to seven days. Tragically, this illness is nearly always fatal, even if someone receives medical attention quickly. Death typically occurs about five days after symptoms begin. Fortunately though, cases are very rare. In the United States, there were 167 reported cases of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis between 1962 and 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only four survived. A global review of the disease up to 2018 reported that, of 381 known cases, Australia accounted for 22, the fifth highest number, after the US, Pakistan, Mexico and India. Some 92 per cent of people died. How do people get infected? The route of infection is very unusual and quite specific. N. fowleri infects the brain through a person's nose. The amoeba then passes through a protective membrane called the nasal epithelium. This is an important physical barrier and allows the amoeba to travel to the brain through the olfactory nerve, which is responsible for our sense of smell. The infection then kills brain tissue and causes swelling of the brain, termed cerebral oedema. Infections occur in people when infected water travels up their nose. Most cases involve children and young people who have swum in infected waters. The majority of cases occur in males, with an average age of 14. Even water sports in affected waterways can be dangerous. A person is currently in intensive care in Missouri after it's believed they became infected while water skiing. Regarding the recent detection in Queensland water supply systems, the source of the infection has not been reported. It's possible a fresh waterway, or groundwater, which feeds into the affected drinking water systems, was contaminated with N. fowleri , and the amoeba travelled from there. But this will likely be determined with further investigation. Is it dangerous in drinking water? First, it's important to note you can't get primary amoebic meningoencephalitis from drinking contaminated water. But any activity that allows infected water to enter a person's nose is potentially dangerous. This can happen during a bath or a shower. Some people flush their nasal passages to clear congestion related to allergies or a viral infection. This has been linked to infections with N. fowleri . If you're going to flush your nasal passages, you should use a sterile saline solution. Even young children playing with hoses, sprinklers or water activities could be at risk. A 16-month-old child was fatally infected following an incident involving a contaminated water "splash pad" in the US in 2023. Splash pads are water-based recreation activities, primarily for young children, that involve splashing or spraying water. What is the risk in Queensland? Regarding N. fowleri , Australian drinking water guidelines advise: "If the organism is detected, advice should be sought from the relevant health authority or drinking water regulator." The guidelines also provide recommendations on how to disinfect water supplies and control N. fowleri , using chlorine and other chemical compounds. All public town water supplies across Australia are regularly tested to ensure that water is safe to drink. We don't yet know the exact cause of the detection of the amoeba N. fowleri in these Queensland towns' water supplies. But drinking or cooking with water contaminated with this amoeba will not cause an infection. Any activity that allows potentially contaminated water to go up the nose should be navigated carefully for now in the affected areas. Contamination of a town drinking water supply from this amoeba is very rare and is unlikely in other Australian town water supplies. To reduce your risk in potentially infected warm, fresh waters you should keep your head above water while swimming. And don't jump or dive in. You can use a nose-clip if you want to swim with your head under water. The amoeba cannot survive in salt water, so there's no risk swimming in the ocean. Also, properly maintained swimming pools should be safe from the organism. New South Wales Health advises that the amoeba cannot survive in water that is clean, cool and adequately chlorinated.
ABC News
2 days ago
- ABC News
Researchers study impacts of coral bleaching on Lord Howe Island
Researchers hope studies into the world's most southern coral reef at Lord Howe Island will help experts better understand how marine systems are adapting to changing oceans, and how to protect them. The island's reefs, 600 kilometres from the Australian mainland, are on a boundary line between warm and cool environments. They support a range of marine species found nowhere else in the world. Their remote and southern location, away from stressors which impact other reef systems, means they are an important benchmark site when assessing the wider impact of warmer ocean temperatures. Last February, Lord Howe experienced its most severe coral bleaching event, the fourth and worst recorded there since 1998. Since then, a team of researchers from Sydney's University of NSW (UNSW) and University of Newcastle has been monitoring the recovery of the island's reefs. "We are looking at understudied reef systems … what happens after a bleaching event, how do corals recover?" UNSW PhD candidate Paige Sawyers said. "And are there different tolerances for recovery for different species?" Ms Sawyers has observed the Lord Howe Island reef systems on four visits to the island since the start 2024. She said a low tide anomaly at the island last May left coral exposed and further damaged and stressed the reef system. Ms Sawyers said the reef was showing observational signs of recovery earlier this year, but was experiencing ongoing strain after an "incredibly challenging year". "A lot of the reef was looking OK, unfortunately, the temperatures were higher than normal," she said. "While we didn't reach bleaching thresholds or witness visible bleaching this year, the reef was still under thermal stress. "Sea temperatures remained above the summer average of 24.06 degrees Celsius, sitting between 24 and 25 degrees for around four to five months. She said the prolonged exposure occurred at a critical time when the reef needed to recover. "Instead, what we're seeing is recovery being stalled just when it's most vital," she said. Ms Sawyers said compared with tropical reefs, subtropical reefs such as Lord Howe typically recovered more slowly after bleaching. She has been analysing her findings and said she hoped to visit Lord Howe in the coming months. Lord Howe reef tour operator Dean Hiscox regularly monitors the island's ocean temperatures and coral health. He said he was concerned about the impacts of residents living on the island, particularly on the marine park's water quality. "We really need to get our head around sustainability, and we need some baseline information," he said. Work is underway to gather that information. Lord Howe Island Marine Park managers have been working with researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Southern Cross University, and the University of NSW to investigate water quality and nutrient levels in the marine park, which can directly impact marine system health. AIMS senior research scientist Shaun Wilson was part of a research trip to the island late last year to try and determine the level and movement of nutrients in the coral lagoon, and whether they were coming from human or natural sources. Dr Wilson said there was evidence modern waste and sewage management had led to a reduction in nutrient levels in parts of the reef. His team hoped to return in the next 12 months to collect more data. "Lord Howe is one of our most temperate reefs," he said. As part her research, Ms Sawyers has also been investigating bleaching and recovery in an understudied tropical reef system in Samoa, where a mass bleaching event also occurred in 2024. "When we went back five months later, they'd [the corals] recovered," she said. Ms Sawyers said she was comparing the Samoan reef's resilience with Lord Howe. "This helps us identify patterns in resilience and recovery. "The findings can then be used to inform predictions and management strategies for other Australian reef systems."
