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Articles by Abigail Spink
Young Marlborough talent to shine at Lights Over Marlborough
Amoeba from Marlborough Boys' College. From left, Angus Walter, Hunter Cotton, Isaac Moore and Nico Kenyon. Photo: Supplied. Whitney Investment Collective’s (WINC) annual firework fundraiser will light up the skies above A&P showground once again on Saturday 14 November. Lights over Marlborough is returning for another year of community fun, designed this year to raise funds for unique and creative play spaces around Whitney Street School.
Teen choreographer among MAD’s standout Sydney successes
16-year-old MAD dancer and choreographer Ruby Cook.
New public artwork to recognise Marlborough’s RSE workforce
A ‘Patapata’ from Mike Austin’s 1960s and 70s pacific architectural archives, which inspired the design of the Blenheim Pae. Photo: Supplied A proposed interactive public artwork will bring a piece of Pacific culture to Blenheim, honouring the 20,000 workers who are invited to New Zealand each year to support the horticultural sector under the RSE scheme. Paererewā charitable trust is on a mission to create 1000 unique benches or ‘Pae’ around the country, each intended to last 1000 years.
NZTA seeks resilient solutions to storm damage
From left, Steve Murrin, Marlborough Roads Recovery Manager; Wayne Oldfield, Marlborough Roads Systems Manager; and Chris Davies, Picton Menz Shed Publicity Manager. “If you live in the Sounds, it’s a fantastic place to live and work. But you’ll know the environment is changing, isn’t it? The climate is changing,” said Wayne Oldfield, NZTA Marlborough Roads System manager.
Vintage Car Club donation fuels Marlborough Cancer Support
Marlborough Cancer Society General Manager Phillipa Hatton receiving a $6805 donation from Marlborough Vintage Car Club Secretary Chris Bird. Photo: Abigail Spink Marlborough Vintage Car Club handed over $6805 to the Marlborough Cancer Society last week at Brayshaw Heritage Park, raised from its annual Daffodil Day vintage car show in August.
Surf Lifesaving Club seeks next generation of lifeguards
Rārangi Surf Lifesaving Club Lifeguard Manager Brendon Ferguson at Whites Bay Beach. Photo: Abigail Spink Rārangi Surf Lifesaving Club is preparing for the summer season, with Lifeguard Manager Brendon Ferguson calling for more volunteers aged 14 and over. After a challenging season last year, when July floods cut off beach access and delayed the club’s opening until mid-December, Brendon is hopeful for a full patrol season this summer.
Walkers discover revived Kaipūpū
Eli Kennedy, left, and son Chip Kennedy spot a Tūī while walking Kaipūpū's loop track. Photo: Abigail Spink Kaipūpū Sanctuary, Picton’s pest-free paradise in the inner Queen Charlotte Sound, welcomed more than 150 people to its first Discover Kaipūpū fundraising walk last Saturday. Participants strolled the sanctuary’s peaceful 2.7km circular track, wandering through native bush, spotting birdlife and taking in views across Shakespeare Bay and Picton Harbour.
Unusual strandings aid whale research
The female juvenile pygmy right whale found near the Wairau diversion on 14 September. Photo: Rangitāne O Wairau Two pygmy right whales have stranded on South Island shores within weeks of each other, prompting questions over whether the events are linked and offering researchers a rare chance to study the elusive species. Pygmy right whales are thought to be the rarest species of baleen whale and strand in New Zealand once per year on average, making the double stranding an unusual occurrence.
Dry summer sparks wildfire concerns
The Nelson-Marlborough Fire and Emergency crew are bracing Marlborough residents for a period of heightened wildfire risk due to a dry and windy spring and summer. With the region already experiencing the early impacts of a strong El Niño – an active climate pattern that causes stronger and more frequent winds, below-normal rainfall and extended dry spells – assistant district commander Shane O’Brien urges Marlborough residents to prepare sufficiently and take caution around vulnerable areas.
Pest watch puts public on the lookout
Would you know how to identify Marlborough’s most concerning pests? Senior Biosecurity Advisor Julia Andrews is on a mission to highlight a selection of the region’s invasive species to the public each month as part of the council’s new ‘Pest Watch’ initiative. She says the initiative aims to raise awareness of species that pose a threat to our environment, agriculture and economy, while encouraging people to report sightings to the council.
Roads and rivers at heart of rates debate
Caption: From left, Kaikoura electorate candidates Jamie Arbuckle (New Zealand First), Stuart Smith (National) and Matt Flight (Labour). Photo: Abigail Spink Kaikōura electorate candidates Stuart Smith (National), Jamie Arbuckle (New Zealand First) and Matt Flight (Labour) faced Marlborough business owners on Friday morning at a Meet the Candidate’s event, with the proposed four percent council rates cap emerging as a point of contention.
Packed multicultural market exceeds expectation
Li Gao cooking at the Marlborough Chinese Community food stall. Photo: Abigail Spink "I feel like we’ve done something people have been looking for,” says Matilde Figuracion, Marlborough Multicultural Centre (MMC) Manager and organiser of Blenheim’s inaugural multicultural night market. Her team estimates that over 5000 people flocked to Brayshaw Heritage Park on Friday night, to experience the MMC’s vibrant display of cuisine and culture.
Greening the Grey
STANDING IN HER GROUND-FLOOR East London flat, where builders are in the throes of laying floor tiles, Rosannah Smith motions to the bubbled, water-marked linoleum on the kitchen floor and damaged paintwork around the skirting boards. “The water just came pouring in,” she says, recalling a deluge in July 2021, when a series of downpours swept across London. The rain turned streets into rivers of muddy floodwater that ravaged houses, cars, and businesses.
Australia’s Toondah Harbour wetlands are under serious threat from development
A proposed development at Toondah Harbour, in the Moreton Bay area of Queensland, would devastate crucial breeding habitat for birds, argues Melody Kemp As the story goes, in 1842, Britain’s appointed governor to Queensland, Sir George Gipps, visited Cleveland in Moreton Bay to formally announce the town as Queensland’s capital. At that stage it was already considered the commercial capital, off the back of convict and Aboriginal labour.
Seize the day: coronavirus pandemic presents opportunity for renewables
Though the pandemic has gripped the world's attention, lying just in reach is an opportunity to radically restructure our energy system The ‘green’ decade is off to a bumpy start. Though carbon emissions have temporarily dropped, the pandemic has diverted governments’ attention away from climate and decarbonisation priorities. COP26 has been postponed to 2021.
As China and UK fall out, millions are displaced in devastating China floods
Millions have been displaced due to severe floods in central and southern China China has hit the UK headlines for all the wrong reasons. Last week, as UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab accused China of ‘gross and egregious’ human rights abuses against its Uighur population, the country’s UK ambassador was forced to counter-claim that: ‘There is no such concentration camps in Xinjiang’.
Thousands of tonnes of microfibres released from clothes in washing machines
Researchers have revealed just how many polluting microfibres are released into the oceans when we wash our clothes In January 2018, the long-awaited ban on plastic microbeads in cosmetics and washing products came into force in the UK. These tiny bits of plastic were revealed to enter the ocean in their millions, where they could absorb toxins, be easily ingested by marine animals, and ultimately eaten by humans.
It’s worth a shot: how the Tequila plant could provide clean fuel
The agave plant, used to make Tequila, has proven itself not only key to producing an iconic drink, but also a form of bioethanol that could present a green energy solution Since the creation of the Renewable Fuel Standard in the early 2000s, biofuels have increasingly been considered a key solution to the environmental problems caused by fossil fuels.
Race continues to influence cardiovascular health in America
Across nearly every metric of cardiovascular health, US African Americans fare worse than non-Hispanic whites George Floyd’s death on 25 May, outside a shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota, focused the world’s attention on racial disparities, not just in the US but around the globe. With governments, organisations, schools and individuals prompted to assess racism’s many forms, a conversation about the impact of racism on health is reigniting.
Coronavirus: the world has never been more connected, a new way of doing things is possible – Sian Sutherland - Geographical Magazine
In 1990 American director John Guare brought a new play to the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre in Manhattan. Six Degrees of Separation follows the exploits of a conman who gains the trust of wealthy New Yorkers by convincing them he is the son of Sidney Poitier. As the lie grows bigger the fraudster exploits the close social linkages that bind a seemingly disparate city together. Guare was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and New York was forced to confront a potentially uncomfortable reality.
Learning how bears hibernate without losing muscle could help humans recover from illness
New discoveries about the way grizzly bears retain muscle strength during hibernation could help patients with muscle atrophy The grizzly bear does something very special in that it hardly loses any strength during hibernation,’ says Professor Michael Gotthardt, head of the Neuromuscular and Cardiovascular Cell Biology group at the Max Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin.
Geopolitical Hotspot – the ongoing war on terror - Geographical Magazine
In Klaus Dodds’ final geopolitcal column, he says goodbye by coming full circle When I first started this column, the then editor agreed to an initial trial period. Neither of us was quite sure how it would go and how popular it might be with the readership. Well over a decade later, it is remarkable how enduring the column has been. So much so that I realised I started the column when Tony Blair was still the British prime minister.
Most people think they are more environmentally friendly than others – they’re wrong - Geographical Magazine
Most people think they are more environmentally friendly than others. Most people are wrong... Humans are a remarkably optimistic and confident bunch. In psychological circles this is not just conjecture but a proven phenomenon known as the ‘better than average effect’ (BTAE). Academic research has demonstrated that people consistently think they are better than the average person when it comes to driving, teaching, athletic ability, leadership skills and social skills.
Voices from Wuhan: why the coronavirus is spreading anger in China
Thomas Bird reports on the coronavirus, speaking to those trapped in Wuhan and beyond, and unpicking the ways in which tradition and geography have accelerated the spread of the virus On 25 January 2020, the full moon signalled that the year of the pig was giving way to the year of the rat in what should have been a jovial occasion of national celebration. The rat is the first of the twelve animals on the nation’s astrological cycle and stargazers predicted 2020 to be a year of ‘new beginnings’.
DOSSIER: Confronting the global rubbish crisis
For years, China was the go-to destination for exporting the West’s refuse material. But with an import ban now in place for everything from plastics to e-waste, and a growing global population producing an ever-greater amount of rubbish, what exactly is the future for a world awash with garbage? First came the Green Fence in 2013. National Sword followed in 2017. In 2018 it was Blue Sky.
Addressing the Unaddressed: giving hope and home to millions
Most of us will have never considered the importance of having a home address, but for millions of people on the planet, lacking one can have serious consequences Of all the difficulties facing the residents of India’s slums, many are obvious on first sight. Dwellings are hemmed in, without access to water or electricity. Rubbish piles up, children play near railway tracks and open sewers run through the streets.
Chris Tucker: chairman of the American Geographical Society
Chris Tucker is chairman of the American Geographical Society, and serves on the boards of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and the Open Geospatial Consortium. His book, A Planet of 3 Billion, is out now The American Geographical Society is a collection of geographical organisations from across America.
Revolutionising research through digitisation
Histories of exploration have become an increasingly popular area of research over the past few decades Here at the Society, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, we host PhD students carrying out research on our Collections through the Collaborative Doctoral Awards (CDA) scheme.
Climatewatch - Why 2020 marks the start of a crucial decade for the environment
As a new decade begins, Marco Magrini wonders if the 2020s could be make or break for when it comes to fixing the environment Welcome to the 2020s, a crucial time in history. To put it bluntly, during this decade humankind will either decide to steer clear of the climatic maelstrom, or to plunge into it. For some time, climate scientists have been describing 2020 as a key turning point.
Turkey’s legacy of civilisation is a blueprint for the future
Ani is a Middle Age city of remarkable historical importance, one in urgent need of preservation and protection Among the soft shadows and gentle hills of eastern Turkey lies the medieval city of Ani. For centuries, the city of the Kamsarakan kings faded into obscurity between the ravines and rivers which fortify the site, a victim of the westward shift in the centre of global events.
Geographical: Staff Writer
Syon Geographical, an award-winning publisher of magazine and digital titles, is currently looking for a staff writer to join its small, but busy team in West London Role: Staff Writer Contract: Full-time Salary: £DoE Geographical is looking for a staff writer to join its small but busy team in West London. Geographical is a monthly print publication produced in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and has been published monthly since 1935.
Waste World - Picturing the pollution in our seas
The January issue’s dramatic cover image was designed to highlight the overwhelming problem of garbage pollution in our planet’s seas. We caught up with Karl Taylor, the photographer behind this shot, to see how and why the image was created How to create a striking image? Is it about capturing the raw, unvarnished truth; or is it about shock, drama and creativity? Commercial photographer Karl Taylor chose the latter approach when it came to highlighting the extent of litter in our oceans.
Don’t bottle it: why aluminium cans may be the answer to the world’s plastic problem
Recent claims suggest that plastic recycling does little to tackle the issue of plastic pollution.
Why a lack of transparency and trust is hindering the recycling efforts of 39 per cent of the UK
Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO and co-founder of TIPA, argues that clearer messages in regards to waste disposal are vital in getting the country’s recycling rates to rise This year marks the third consecutive year of reductions in the number of people who regularly donate money to charities in the UK. Considering in 2015, a report by True and Fair Foundation revealed one-in-five charities spend less than half their income on good causes, the decline is hardly surprising.
Mapping the 2019 UK General Election
If the 2016 vote for Brexit was described as a political earthquake in the United Kingdom, then the 2019 general election is the equivalent to the tsunami that followed Approaching the outcome of the general election from a visual perspective puts metaphors about physical geographic upheavals into quite stark relief, as this cartographic analysis of the outcome of the December vote shows.
COP25: Citizens and scientists unite behind steel curtain of climate injustice
Protestors from the global south were physically removed yesterday from the Madrid climate conference. However, a civil society armed with climate science refuses to be left out in the cold Brandon Wu is director of campaigns and policy at Action Aid USA and he has just been reunited with his jacket. He’s spent a few chilly hours outside the COP25 United Nations climate summit in Madrid after being ejected from the venue.
COP25: ‘Fossil’ awards highlight ‘good and evil’ players in Madrid
‘Mankind is not likely to salvage civilisation unless he can evolve a system of good and evil which is independent of heaven and hell,’ reads a famous George Orwell quote.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Rising Star
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year’s Rising Star winner brings us a nature study in white With outstretched wings, a bald eagle lands in fresh snow on the bank of a river in southeast Alaska. Its aim will be to grab a salmon from the icy water below.
Heating the UK from below
Abandoned coal mines contain a precious resource in the warm water they hold within Across the UK, 23,000 coal mines lie abandoned. Carved into the subsurface, they now rest beneath 25 per cent of the country’s built environment. But these once-productive voids are not dormant. Former coal mines are flooded with water that has been heated by geothermal energy radiating from the Earth’s core.
China’s social credit systems - a step too far in a bid to shape a society?
The Chinese government aims to put a ‘social credit system’ in place by 2020; a virtual scoring platform that uses personal data to assess the behaviour and ‘trustworthiness’ of every citizen. But can 24/7 surveillance ever be a good thing, and is the growing accessibility of personal data placing the UK on a similar path? Credit scores are a familiar part of life in the UK.
Ways to Work - Mapping the UK’s commuting choices
How do you usually travel to work? Question 41 in the last UK Census asked employed people to indicate which mode of transport they used for the longest part of their usual journey to work.
Louise Callaghan: Middle East correspondent and author
Louise Callaghan is the Middle East correspondent for the Sunday Times and author of Father of Lions, the true story of Abu Laith, his family and team, who ran a zoo in Mosul during the Isis occupation, risking their lives to protect the animals in their care Technically my title is Middle East correspondent but I roam around everywhere in the region. When I first went to Turkey it wasn’t a huge story for the British market, but then a lot of things start happening after I arrived.
The Silk Road: An object lesson
In an epic new book from traveller and curator Susan Whitfield, 80 leading scholars detail the history of the fabled Silk Road is through its people, cultures and landscapes Silk Roads situates the ancient routes against the landscapes that defined them, to reveal the raw materials that they produced, the means of travel that were employed to traverse them and the communities that were shaped by them.
Why a tree-planting surge is vital in 2020 - the ‘super year’ for nature
Ben Fogle is a broadcaster, writer, adventurer, UN Patron of the Wilderness, and chair of Nature 2030 In December 2004 Kenyan professor, Wangari Maathai, set off for Norway from her home in Nairobi. Upon arrival in Oslo she headed to the capital’s City Hall. There the Kenyan activist was presented with the Nobel Peace Prize – the first African woman to be honoured by the committee in its 103-year history.
Nottingham making progress towards becoming the UK’s first carbon-neutral city
In a bid to boost its green credentials and make a significant contribution to the fight against climate change, Nottingham is working to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2028 ‘We wouldn’t say we’re the greenest city in the UK, but we’re certainly among the top. We’ve been at this for a long time now,’ a spokesperson for Nottingham City Council recently stated.
Ocean blooms: tracking the rise of jellyfish swarms
Many scientists believe that jellyfish numbers are increasing, pointing to their remarkable resilience to climate change and the increase in hugely damaging jellyfish blooms. But are jellies really taking over, and if so, what should be done to prevent the jellification of the ocean? The winners of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry owe their success to jellyfish. Specifically, to Aequorea Victoria (or the crystal jellyfish), a delicate, translucent species whose organs emit light.
Gallery: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019
Prepare to be inspired, startled and filled with awe in equal measure – the Natural History Museum’s annual contest is back with another set of the very best nature photography the world’s shutterbugs have to offer Now in its 55th year, the 2019 competition will see one hundred images across 19 categories displayed at the Natural History Museum, London from 18 October 2019 to 31 May 2020.
WHO shines a light on the global vision crisis
More than two billion people globally have uncorrected poor vision, something that can be corrected with a simple pair of glasses. As the WHO releases the first ever global analysis of the state of poor vision, James Chen, founder of Vision for a Nation shows how concerted action can make a world of difference The publication of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World Report on Vision last week was a landmark moment for the eye health sector.
New evidence points to microplastics’ toxic impact on the human body
Scientists at the Plastic Health Summit taking place in Amsterdam are revealing groundbreaking research on micro- and nanoplastics, warning of their potentially deadly effects on human immune cells by Abigail Spink Scientists at the Plastic Health Summit taking place in Amsterdam are revealing groundbreaking research on micro- and nanoplastics, warning of their potentially deadly effects on human immune cells Microplastic pollution is no small issue.
Plastic tea bags are releasing billions of microplastics into your tea
Canadian researchers have found that plastic tea bags, common to premium tea brands, release billions of micro plastics and nano plastic particles The global movement to wean off plastic has led to concerns about single-use plastic teabags, deeming them wasteful and potentially dangerous. New research by a team at at McGill University found that a teabag submerged in 95ºC water, released 11.6 billion units of microplastics and 3.1 billion smaller nanoplastic particles.
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