Australia’s 'Sunshine State' Gets Rare Dumping of Snow During Record Cold Snap

July means winter "down under" in Australia. And winter they are getting. "Icy blasts of wind have led to an unusual blanket of heavy snowfall across Queensland—which typically calls itself the “sunshine state”—during some of the coldest winter weather in decades," reports The Telegraph.
We have snow in #thisisqueensland! So... What do we with this stuff? Any tips? Pic: Alure #Stanthorpe @sqcountry pic.twitter.com/xf1yoTVjX5
— Queensland Australia (@Queensland) July 16, 2015
While it's not uncommon for parts of eastern Australia, including Queensland and New South Wales, to see snowflakes or minor accumulation, there hasn't been snow or cold like this in a while. The last significant snowfall in this area was a little more than an inch in 2007. This time some areas saw three inches of snow and recorded their lowest temperatures in more than 40 years. "Cold fronts, caused by blasts of icy winds from Antarctica, are common during Australian winters but this year’s has been much stronger than usual," says The Telegraph.
Rare snow in Australia as Antarctic chill sweeps eastern states http://t.co/DLffcgMsjs pic.twitter.com/hI0el0udHa — The Guardian (@guardian) July 17, 2015
Queensland, which is about the same distance from the equator as Florida, is more known for sun-drenched beaches and drought than cold and snow. “We haven't seen snow like this in 30 years," Jess Carey, from the Bureau of Meteorology told The Telegraph. "People talk about the 1984 event—it really is the most significant since then."
We are used to our #snowmen being sandy. Well, this is awkward :) --> http://t.co/0CjKLgim5K pic.twitter.com/aZljgXdUYB — Queensland Australia (@Queensland) July 17, 2015
Sydney, in bordering New South Wales, has also "experienced unusually cold weather, with average minimum temperatures of 45 degrees Fahrenheit—reportedly the coldest temperatures recorded in July since 1971," according to The Telegraph.
PHOTO: A kangaroo appears in a vineyard as southeast Australia gets hit by winter storm: http://t.co/RNiW8QwuQy — The Associated Press (@AP) July 17, 2015
Wallabies sitting among fresh snow in Namadgi National Park. ❄️📷: Lannon Harley #Australia #Canberra #igers #igtrav… pic.twitter.com/sk6Bh1zpBT
— NationalParks Photos (@NatlParksPhotos) July 20, 2015
Here's some more proof that some Aussies are not used to this kind of cold and snow at all:
Seriously Rigger ... get some clothes on mate #stanthorpe #snow #snowinqld #queensland #australia #winter A photo posted by James Blundell (@thejblundell) on
Here's a tip: Try putting more clothes on
It may be winter in Australia but they rarely see snow like this on the outskirts of Sydney. http://t.co/Ocrurtl25K pic.twitter.com/IOQENnI2qd — Anthony Farnell (@AnthonyFarnell) July 17, 2015
And, of course, because it's Australia, which has the craziest weather phenomenon, there was even thundersnow.
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Comparing rime ice and glaze ice shows how each changes the texture of the blade. Gao, Liu and Hu, 2021, CC BY-ND
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While traditional investment in the ocean technology sector has been tentative, growth in Israeli maritime innovations has been exponential in the last few years, and environmental concern has come to the forefront.
theDOCK aims to innovate the Israeli maritime sector. Pexels
<p>The UN hopes that new investments in ocean science and technology will help turn the tide for the oceans. As such, this year kicked off the <a href="https://www.oceandecade.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)</a> to galvanize massive support for the blue economy.</p><p>According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem," <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019338255#b0245" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Science Direct</a> reported. It represents this new sector for investments and innovations that work in tandem with the oceans rather than in exploitation of them.</p><p>As recently as Aug. 2020, <a href="https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/esg-investors-slow-make-waves-25tn-ocean-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> noted that ESG Investors, those looking to invest in opportunities that have a positive impact in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, have been interested in "blue finance" but slow to invest.</p><p>"It is a hugely under-invested economic opportunity that is crucial to the way we have to address living on one planet," Simon Dent, director of blue investments at Mirova Natural Capital, told Reuters.</p><p>Even with slow investment, the blue economy is still expected to expand at twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030, Reuters reported. It already contributes $2.5tn a year in economic output, the report noted.</p><p>Current, upward <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/-innovation-blue-economy-2646147405.html" target="_self">shifts in blue economy investments are being driven by innovation</a>, a trend the UN hopes will continue globally for the benefit of all oceans and people.</p><p>In Israel, this push has successfully translated into investment in and innovation of global ports, shipping, logistics and offshore sectors. The "Startup Nation," as Israel is often called, has seen its maritime tech ecosystem grow "significantly" in recent years and expects that growth to "accelerate dramatically," <a href="https://itrade.gov.il/belgium-english/how-israel-is-becoming-a-port-of-call-for-maritime-innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iTrade</a> reported.</p><p>Driving this wave of momentum has been rising Israeli venture capital hub <a href="https://www.thedockinnovation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">theDOCK</a>. Founded by Israeli Navy veterans in 2017, theDOCK works with early-stage companies in the maritime space to bring their solutions to market. The hub's pioneering efforts ignited Israel's maritime technology sector, and now, with their new fund, theDOCK is motivating these high-tech solutions to also address ESG criteria.</p><p>"While ESG has always been on theDOCK's agenda, this theme has become even more of a priority," Nir Gartzman, theDOCK's managing partner, told EcoWatch. "80 percent of the startups in our portfolio (for theDOCK's Navigator II fund) will have a primary or secondary contribution to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria."</p><p>In a company presentation, theDOCK called contribution to the ESG agenda a "hot discussion topic" for traditional players in the space and their boards, many of whom are looking to adopt new technologies with a positive impact on the planet. The focus is on reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, the presentation outlines. As such, theDOCK also explicitly screens candidate investments by ESG criteria as well.</p><p>Within the maritime space, environmental innovations could include measures like increased fuel and energy efficiency, better monitoring of potential pollution sources, improved waste and air emissions management and processing of marine debris/trash into reusable materials, theDOCK's presentation noted.</p>theDOCK team includes (left to right) Michal Hendel-Sufa, Head of Alliances, Noa Schuman, CMO, Nir Gartzman, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, and Hannan Carmeli, Co-Founder & Managing Partner. Dudu Koren
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