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The sad news that Dr. Peter Oliver passed away on 20 November 2012 arrived during our week of Thanksgiving. There was some solace in learning that after many months of medical insults (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation therapy, etc.), Peter’s last moments were not painful. We also can give thanks for having had the wonderful opportunity of [...]
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Peter Oliver gave his final lecture entitled “Effectively communicating wicked problems–emotion, ethics, action and those funny little things called facts” at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The lecture was originally scheduled to be held at the University of Queensland, but the interest was too high and Peter’s desire was to have people seated at [...]
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Dr. Peter Oliver gave his “Retirement Lecture” at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Queensland, Australia on 23 August 2012. I provided the introduction to Peter’s lecture and the text of that introduction is what comprises this blog post. Peter provided a thought provoking, funny and well delivered talk, with audience participation and interaction. [...]
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I read in the Washington Post that the Australian Government passed the Clean Energy Bill through the Senate on 8.11.2011. It was widely covered in U.S. media, with even a theme of anticipation in the lead-up to the vote. Some of the responses to articles were quite funny including “…those Aussies are going to have [...]
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Paying homage to the annual migrating Canada geese flying overhead, it is apt to discuss the unusual balance that exists around Chesapeake Bay between hunting and conservation. My recent visit to the local Walmart required passage past three aisles of camouflage attire, duck decoys, bird whistles, knives and of course guns. I spotted a whole [...]
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Having worked as an investigator with the former Queensland EPA in Australia, I was gob-smacked by the progressive way that the U.S. EPA deals with environmental crime. EPA Special Agents are sworn federal law enforcement officers with statutory authority to conduct investigations, carry firearms, make arrests for any federal crime and execute and serve any [...]
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Tim Carruthers has begun a new chapter in his career and life by moving from Maryland to Samoa on June 2011. Tim came with me from the University of Queensland to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) in early 2002. We came to UMCES to set up the Integration and Application Network, [...]
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Clouds drifting slowly across the Bay Lorikeets swooping and diving, flashes of red Crows calling out and generally having their way Four wheel drives with fishing and surfing gear passing by Rusty utes with dogs hanging out the window sputtering along Aboriginal middens with gum trees standing high A small clump of mangroves standing firmly [...]
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Just as Randy Alberte served to get the Alberte laboratory together in Chicago, his recent death has provided the impetus to get us together via the emails that we have exchanged recently. I think that he would have appreciated these enduring connections. A major factor in my decision to come to The University of Chicago [...]
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Zanzibar airport was a scene, as we crowded into a small room to painstakingly fill out forms for our missing bags. The forms had to be filled out by hand with several carbon copies by a fellow at the airport as we attempted to communicate the changes in our itinerary. Missing our bags also led [...]
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