What's On at UWA

UWA Health & Rehab Clinic - Running Club 13 week program working towards a 5 or 12km fun run (i.e. HBF Run for Reason - May 25th)

All levels welcome. Perfect for those returning from injury or running for the first time and needing a little extra feedback and coaching.

WHEN: Monday 3rd March - Friday 30th May

Running Sessions = Mon & Fri 6am. Plus "Fit-R" Strength & Mobility Sessions = Wed 6am & Thurs 6pm

WHERE: UWA Health & Rehabilitation Clinic - Parkway Entrance #4, Crawley Campus. Runs will take place around campus, along the river and into Kings Park.

COST: $12 per week (up to 4 sessions/week) for 13 weeks = $156

^Private health rebates may apply for Fit-R sessions

Open to all, the Carbon Neutral Quiz Night 2014! presented by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition UWA, will be a night of fun, games, and a theme of sustainability to start the new semester. 7.30pm, Wednesday the 5th of March (Week 2) at Hackett Hall, UWA. All the proceeds will go to the trees planted to carbon offset the evening and to further the work the work of the campus club to spread awareness about climate change. This is a public, alcohol-free event.

Six recent honours graduates (-5 from UWA-) in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management will present their research (15 min each) at the 'Young Professionals in Agriculture Forum', hosted by the Ag Institute Australia (WA Division)and DAFWA. Following the presentations, the Forum winners will be announced. For topics and student details see URL below.

This paper reports the results of a choice experiment to examine the features of marine offsets that the public finds acceptable. Offsets have become an established element of what is required if developments are to impose no net loss on the environment, once avoidance and mitigation activities have been undertaken. However, there are a number of means by which the same environmental outcome can be achieved. We explore the consequences for public acceptance of different designs of offsets relating to migratory shorebirds with respect to the proportion of direct and compensatory offsets, the geographical location at which the offset takes place, and the possibility of substituting species. Within the survey used we also develop a measure of the oil and gas industries Social License to Operate. We explore whether this measure has an impact on the probability of rejecting the development as a whole, as well as its impact on acceptability of attributes within the offset design. The paper concludes with implications for the further use of marine offsets.

Professor Michael Burton works in the area of environmental valuation, and is currently working on a project valuing marine biodiversity as part of the National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub.

Pro-environmental agricultural approaches have been developed, but their uptake has not been sufficient to mitigate environmental degradation. A lack of suitable theoretical frameworks limits research on famers' environmental behaviours, and there has been little integration of social sciences in the agricultural adoption literature. This paper details a predictive model of pro-environmental agricultural practices, drawing on psychological frameworks: Value-Belief-Norms and Theory of Planned Behaviour. Dry-land farmers in Central New South Wales, Australia (n = 422), were surveyed about behaviours deemed to have positive impacts on the environment by local natural resource management authorities. A rigorous measure of complex land management practice is developed in relation to native vegetation, weeds, soil, stock, and perennials. The model was able to predict 52% of the variance in complex behaviour. Contextual factors, values, attitudes, and norms are identified as important predictors. Results suggest skills and abilities, environmental constraints, biospheric values, and a sense of being able to control one's destiny are significant precursors to pro-environmental practices. The NRM policy context and policy implications are discussed. Holistic strategies and social learning processes are identified as beneficial for farmer well-being and environmental outcomes.

Jennifer Price is an environmental psychologist with the Social and Behavioural Sciences Group of the CSIRO, within the Ecosystem Sciences Division. Her research applies social science to a broad range of natural resource domains and challenges, including agricultural land management practice, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and public acceptance of water supply schemes. Her research interests centre on identifying how cultural values and beliefs about environment shape individuals’ environmental behaviour, policy preferences, and risk perceptions. This work reveals how elements of social identity and personality influence the way people interpret and respond to environmental issues.

There will be presentations by international visitors, games, prizes, a photo booth, treats on offer and lots and lots of information about exchange and study abroad opportunities for UWA students.

Come along to Profectus UWA's Inaugral 2014 AGM on Tuesday April 8. If you are passionate about business and entrepreneurship be sure to drop by at 1pm to learn more about our agenda. We will answer any questions you have about Profectus and events being held this semester!!!

Natural resource managers and conservationists are often confronted with the challenges of uncertainty. In this talk, I will present some of work done for my PhD, in which I used a multidisciplinary approach to gain a better understanding of the role and implications of different sources and types of uncertainty for the management of social-ecological systems. Giving special attention to the issues of observation and implementation uncertainty, I used the conservation of harvested ungulate species in the Serengeti, Tanzania, as a case study to ask questions regarding the monitoring of wildlife and illegal resource use, and the implementation of effective conservation actions.

Ana Nuno recently completed her PhD at Imperial College, London and is interested in the complexities of managing social-ecological systems. Initially trained as a biologist, Ana soon realized that looking only at ecological or social factors in isolation provides a very incomplete picture of the systems where conservation and natural resource management occur. Ana is particularly interested in applying multidisciplinary approaches to conservation which support robust decision-making under uncertainty and is looking forward to new collaborations.

Australia’s grain supply infrastructure has been in the news. Late last year the Federal Government blocked ADM’s proposed take-over of GrainCorp. Here in Western Australia, Bunge have built grain export port facilities in Bunbury and the Chinese firm Heilingjiang Feng Agricultural are currently constructing port terminal facilities in Albany. ABC television’s Landline program ran a 25 minute feature on Australian export grain infrastructure on March 9. Why is there interest in this infrastructure? This seminar will present findings of recent research that has examined the nature and cost of Australia’s export grain supply chains. Some interesting facts emerge with important ramifications for the future of Australia’s grains industry.

Currently Ross is chief economist in AEGIC (Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre) that is a joint initiative of the WA Department of Agriculture & Food and the Grains R&D Corporation. He is also a professor in the School of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Western Australia. He serves on a federal Department of Agriculture’s Expert Advisory Panel and chairs the Australian Farm Institute’s research advisory committee. He has been a co-editor of the Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, president of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society and is a distinguished fellow of that society. In a recent book on the history of DAFWA Ross is listed of one its 50 most historically influential people.

Science and Faith seem to be arguing a lot lately, so is their long term marriage over? The accusations are not pretty, not even true. Can we afford for them to split? Taking a leaf out of "Life of Brian", this talk will present the key players and principles of faith which pioneered modern science up to today. WXED is a series of data-rich multimedia presentations on the theme "What's Christianity(WX) Ever Done(ED) for Us?"

Crop rotation, where a legume, pasture, fallow or oilseed is grown after a cereal crop to manage soil borne disease and on occasions fix nitrogen, is one of the oldest technologies in agriculture.  However, we are still researching the concept because plant breeding helps some crops resist certain diseases, weed management practices evolve, and fertiliser can provide a comparatively cheap source of nutrition.   Farmers reacted to these changes by growing fewer break crops, but may now need to embrace seemingly unprofitable options like fallow on their farms.  Here we demonstrate how the Land Use Sequence Optimiser (LUSO) can generate optimum land use strategies for various biotic stresses and land use options. We compare the performance of optimal sequences to those local agronomists recommend, and then explore how variable the optimal and recommended sequences are by drawing predicted crop yields from simulated distributions generated by a crop model.  When challenged with variable seasons, the optimal sequence is often suboptimal and often the crop sequence has little bearing on the financial outcome. In other situations, the crop sequence choice will heavily influence the financial outcome for the farmer.  I will discuss the deterministic and stochastic versions of LUSO, and the implications of the above findings.

Roger Lawes is a Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO who works across a range of projects in farming systems.  He has research interests in crop modelling, plant breeding, farming systems modelling, agronomy and applied statistics.  Prior to joining CSIRO 12 years ago he completed a PhD at the University of Queensland.

AIESEC in WA is excited to present a panel discussion on the topic of: Building a Successful Career in the Asian Century.

With the number of graduate positions falling in recent years, many students face an uncertain career path post-graduation. But what is certain is the rise of Asia and the important role it will play in the Asia Pacific region.

Our four guest speakers will be discussing the significance of the Asian Century and how your career can benefit from the rise of Asia.

Our Guest Speakers include: Ross Taylor AM (President Indonesia Institution) Michael Wood (Director DFAT, WA State Office) James Pearson (General Manager - Communications & Government Relations, Shell) Kelly Smith (Director, International Centre at UWA)

Stay behind afterwards for some light refreshments and a chance to talk to our speakers

The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) takes viewers through the story of Falun Dafa - from its introduction to the public in 1992, through the beauty and enlightenment of the practice, to the unjust and unrelenting persecution, moving forward through the peaceful resistance of Falun Dafa practitioners worldwide who seek to bring an end to the persecution, then through themes of karmic retribution, salvation and grace, and finishing with a moment of choice.

Storytelling has long been one of fine art's greatest joys, and this Exhibition's ability to cross cultural, lingual and ethnic barriers is highlighted each time it is shown.

Inspired by tradition and divinity, the artists paint - often collaboratively - stories either experienced by themselves or shared by fellow Falun Dafa practitioners worldwide. Realist oil painting, or Neo-Renaissance, was chosen as the style for its narrative capabilities, accessibility and, above all, its purity.

The Exhibition aims to educate and draw focus to an unjust persecution - to record a moment in time when the universal principles of Truth, Compassion, Forbearance are openly opposed. It also highlights the danger of becoming involved in the persecution through state-run ventures such as forced labour and forced organ harvesting of Falun Dafa practitioners. Outlasting these sombre themes, however, is a steady message of hope and fulfilment, as the enduring courage and belief of practitioners bring positive change in numerous dark settings.

A central hope of founding artist Professor Zhang's mission is to promote, through fine art, the understanding that freedom of belief is a fundamental human right, and to raise awareness.

Do you live in fear of needles or blood? If so, read on...

Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia is a fear that is triggered by seeing blood or an injury, or by receiving an injection or other invasive medical procedure. People vary in the way they react to situations involving blood or injections. Some individuals may feel disgust, nausea, or dizziness. Some people may even faint.

The Robin Winker Clinic is a clinical psychology unit linked to the School of Psychology at The University of Western Australia. The Clinic will be running a group treatment program for Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia. The treatment is based on evidence from up-to-date research, and was co-developed by Dr Andrew Page, a psychologist and researcher from the School who specialises in anxiety disorders. The program will run for 8 two-hour sessions, plus an initial assessment session before the group commences and a follow-up session 4-6 weeks after completion. Through this program, individuals will work in a supportive environment to challenge their fears and learn coping strategies to control anxiety and be less worried when getting an injection, seeing blood, or when visiting the doctor for a medical procedure. Techniques for preventing fainting and for coping with feelings of disgust are also introduced.

What do you do now? If you or someone you know would like to take part in this treatment program, or if you would like more information, please call the Clinic on 6488 2644 or email [email protected]

Dates: 6-8pm, Tuesday May 13th to Tuesday July 1st. Fees: $30 per session and $35 for the assessment, 25% discount if paid up front. Reduced fees are available for full time students and pensioners. UWA Location: Robin Winkler Clinic, 1st floor, Third General Purpose Building, Myers St.

Climate change scientists have shown concerns about possible sudden changes due to crossing a temperature threshold. Many authors emphasized the importance of sea level rise due to melting ice sheets of Greenland and west Antarctica and its large economic consequences. We study the economic consequences and policy implications of assuming a certain and uncertain thresholds at 2oC of global warming where it could result in a sudden sea level rise. We introduce these thresholds to the Dynamic Integrated model of Climate and the Economy (DICE model, Nordhaus 2009) and assess their policy impacts. We further modify the DICE model and assess the impacts of the thresholds using a reactive damage function. Results show that certain and uncertain thresholds have different impact on the optimal policy for different years. If the threshold is uncertain, the optimal carbon tax before 2025 is higher than certain threshold. However, optimal carbon tax assuming a certain threshold becomes higher than uncertain threshold from year 2025 and sharply increases between years 2035 to 2100.

The Australian Government still has initiatives to encourage climate change abatement practices by farmers. Under the Direct Action Plan, farmers can gain carbon credits for sequestering carbon in soils or vegetation, or for reducing emissions. Next to mitigation, these 'carbon farming' activities often generate co-benefits such as biodiversity or erosion prevention. In this seminar, I present the results of an Australia-wide choice experiment study, conducted to estimate community values for carbon farming projects. Carbon farming was described in terms of carbon sequestration and the ancillary effects on soil erosion and area of native vegetation on farmland. Analyses revealed that values for carbon farming benefits depend on respondent’s perceptions of climate change. While respondents are generally willing to pay for reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, people who do not believe that climate change is happening do not have a significant WTP for emissions reduction. All respondents were found to have a positive willingness to pay for increasing the area of native vegetation on farmland, and for reducing soil erosion. These preferences demonstrate that the community benefits from carbon farming are larger than just their effects on climate change mitigation. Future policies should take these positive values for ancillary effects into account.

Machine &/or mat based clinical Pilates classes focusing on efficient and effective movement patterns. Classes are designed to strengthen the body whilst enhancing mobility over the colder winter months! Classes may incorporate elements of myofascial and muscle release, contemporary Pilates and a variety of props.

'Group' (max 8 ppl) and 'Studio' (max 3 ppl) sessions available at various times throughout the day (incl. before or after work and lunch time sessions).

All sessions are conducted by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist and private health rebates may apply depending on your level of cover.

For a schedule and prices email [email protected] or call 6488 3333.

Climate simulation models suggest that mean temperatures on the Loess Plateau of China will increase by 2.5 to 3.75°C by 2050, while those in the cropping region of south-west Australia will increase by 1.25 to 1.75°C. The rainfall in south-west Australia rainfall is predicted to decrease by 20 to 60 mm, rainfall on the Loess Plateau of China is not expected to change.

Farming systems in both regions differ markedly in scale, but both have adopted water conservation techniques that benefit crop yields. In south-west Australia zero tillage and adequate use of fertilizers have enabled farmers to increase their rainfall use efficiency and yields of cereals, canola and legumes, while on the Loess Plateau, mulching with plastic, gravel and residues, crop sequence, fertilizer/organic manure application and supplementary irrigation have improved precipitation use efficiency and yields of several crops and enabled the production of maize in areas of the Loess Plateau where temperatures limit its production.

The implications of climate change and adaptation strategies such as agronomic management and crop breeding in the two regions will be discussed in relation to future improvements in water productivity and food production.

Further reading:

Turner, N.C., Li, F.-M., Xiong, Y.-C., and Siddique, K.H.M. (2011). Climate change and agricultural ecosystem management in dry areas (Guest editorial). Crop and Pasture Science 62: i-ii. Gan, Y., Siddique, K.H.M., Turner, N.C., Li, X.G., Niu, J.Y., Yang, C., Liu, L., and Chai, Q. (2013). Ridge-Furrow Mulching Systems - An innovative technique for boosting crop productivity in semiarid rain-fed environments. Advances in Agronomy. 117: 429–476.

Chai, Q., Gan, Y., Turner, N.C., Zhang, R.Z., Yang, Y., Niu, Y. and Siddique, K.H.M. (2014). Water-saving innovations in Chinese agriculture. Advances in Agronomy 126: 149-201.

Liu, C.A., Zhou, L.M., Jia, J.J., Wang, L.J., Xi, L., Pan, C.C., Siddique, K.H.M. and Li, F.M. (2014). Maize yield and water balance is affected by nitrogen application in a film-mulching ridge-furrow system in a semiarid region of China. European Journal of Agronomy 52:103-111.

PS* This seminar is free and open to the public & no RSVP required.

****All Welcome****

The annual Australasian Development Economics Workshop, sponsored by DFAT, brings together development economists from Australia and internationally with particular emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

The next workshop is the tenth in the series and will be hosted by the Business School, The University of Western Australia, Perth.

Professor Lant Pritchett (Harvard University) will deliver the keynote address. We will also have a roundtable discussion on the “Middle Income Trap” with Professor James Riedel (Johns Hopkins University), Professor Xin Meng (Australian National University) and Dr. Sudarno Sumarto (SMERU).

Register here: www.business.uwa.edu.au/research/conferences/10th-australasian-development-economics-workshop

The Institute of Agriculture's annual Postgraduate Showcase brings together some of UWA’s best PhD students at an advanced stage of their research. This year, nine presentations covering a wide range of disciplines will highlight some of the research and progress underway at UWA in the area of agriculture, food science and natural resource management. The event also provides opportunities for students to interact with industry representatives and future employers.

For catering purposes, please RSVP by 26 May to [email protected]