🔵 What's all that plastic doing?

HEARD THIS WEEK👂

🎞️ What’s on this April

Highlights include:

• Kubrick Retrospective

  From Fear and Desire to Eyes Wide Shut, the Orpheum will be hosting a complete retrospective of Stanley Kubrick films this April and into May. All adult tickets $27.50, concession/student $22.50, children/seniors $19.50.

• Donington Autobrunch

  The “autobrunch” car show has fast cars, old cars, new cars and strange cars: come along to St Ives Showground to see them all. Free entry, $5 donation to display your car.

• Second Hand Hornsby Markets

  Everything sold here - including clothes, furniture, books and toys - must be second hand.

Read the full guide below.

🦠 How plastic pollution is messing with plankton and photosynthesis

The millions of tonnes of plastic entering our oceans each year are typically considered an environmental issue. This pollution devastates local ecosystem health and globally, with around 100,000 marine mammals dying every year from plastic ingestion or entanglement.

But researchers around the world are beginning to consider the significant impacts plastic pollution could be having on our climate. 

The ocean is one of our best defences against global warming. Oceans are full of phytoplankton, which can perform photosynthesis, taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and replacing it with oxygen.

When these species of phytoplankton die, the carbon they have absorbed is buried at the bottom of the ocean, away from the atmosphere.

This system, however, is being disturbed by an influx of microplastics into our oceans. 

Studies undertaken at Macquarie University indicate that exposure to commonly used plastic items “strongly impairs” the photosynthetic capacity of plankton.

The role these tiny lifeforms play in protecting our atmosphere isn’t trivial. Research from the CSIRO shows that the ocean absorbs almost 30% of human carbon dioxide emissions. 

Watch the full explainer below.

🌳 Get off the grass: 21-person group limit set for North Sydney parks

Any group larger than 21 people will soon need to cough up some dough to use St Leonards Park, under a new North Sydney open space policy.

What happened: The amended policy was written with the aim of addressing commercial use of North Sydney’s public parks, such as St Leonards Park, Blues Point Reserve and Ted Mack Reserve.

Adopted on Monday evening, the policy will come into effect on July 1.

Previously, up to 60 individuals had been able to use a park before any booking or fee was required.

Who is it for: The targets of the policy are professional dog-walkers, fitness classes, weddings and private schools making use of the many parks in the North Sydney LGA.

Under the new rules, anyone conducting commercial activity on public land will be charged a fee by council.

Watch the full video below.

LOOKING NATIONALLY 👀

❓️ What’s Karl Stefanovic up to?

In January, Stefanovic launched his podcast, and has since interviewed guests including Pauline Hanson, Barnaby Joyce, Matt Canavan, some UFC fighters and the Prime Minister.

But what’s the point of it? After looking at the guests he’s welcomed — and the topics he’s covered — Archie’s got a few questions.