Holocene environmental change in northern New Zealand: the view through the lens of Lake Spectacle
Loading...
Date
2014-06-29
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Australasian Quaternary Association Inc
Abstract
During 30th anniversary Australasian Quaternary Association (AQUA)
Biennial Conference Professor Jim Bowler and Professor Roger Jones delivered
public lectures to a full house at the Grand Ball Room, Mildura. This event was
introduced by Glenn Milne, Mayor, Mildura rural city council, and conducted
by Dr. Jessica Reeves, former president of AQUA.
In the first lecture Jim engaged us with his passionate talk on “Journey to
Discover, Who are we”, where he focussed on his lifelong research at Lake
Mungo. Jim reminded us about the six decades of scientific research at Mungo,
including a vivid description of the day he discovered Mungo Man’s skeleton
in the dunes at Joulni, which was to go on to change our understanding of
Aboriginal occupation of Australia. However, his emphasis then moved onto
the challenges for future research. This included the key role that the current
traditional owners have in managing and facilitating science, their potential
role in researching their history, and the need to establish a keeping place onsite
at Mungo to repatriate the archaeological finds, both past and future. Jim
finished by encouraging young researchers to engage with the site, particularly
given the continued erosion of the dunes and destruction of cultural and
natural heritage, especially given the world heritage listing.
In the second lecture Roger focused on our future world in the face of climate
change, and how we will experience it. Roger began by highlighting the
dominance of uniformitarianism over catastrophism in scientific thinking
during the past few centuries. He described how this trend in thought has
shaped our perspective, and narratives on trends in present and future
climates, highlighting the overall gradual increases in temperature with
time. Roger contended that this is only part of the story, and that we miss the
importance of non-linearity in the climate system – or alternatively stochastic
variation along with a gradual change. He described the importance of this
variability in influencing the lived experience and response of people to
climate change, with particular focus on how we feel an abrupt shift given
the step changes in the nature of extreme events. I think this fact should be
communicated properly to make people concerned about possible future
abrupt change for proper adaptation and better management.
Along with all the conference attendees, many non-scientists, indigenous
people and local electronic and print media reporters attended the public
lecture. People were engaged by the lectures and posed some interesting
questions. Both lecturers were happy to answer questions and share their
practical and research experience. The public lecture got media attention and
huge public interest. I think it was a great idea to arrange a public lecture
during the AQUA conference as it is the best way to engage some of the
community and let them know our scientific findings. I hope it will continue
at all AQUA events in future. © 2014, AQUA Biennial Meeting Mildura.
Description
Keywords
Quaternary period, Environment, New Zealand, Lakes, Australia, Climatic change
Citation
Augustinus, P., Horrocks, M., Munro, H., Gadd, P., & Linnell, T. (29 June - 4 July, 2014). Holocene environmental change in northern New Zealand: the view through the lens of Lake Spectacle. Paper presented at the AQUA Biennial Meeting The Grand Hotel, Mildura, 29th June - 4th July, 2014.