COMIC BOOKS AND

from Quarry Oct 2019

UNDERSTANDING THE

WHAT DO COMIC BOOKS AND COMPLIANCE HAVE IN COMMON?

With the amount of ‘red tape’ involved in securing approvals for construction projects – and in turn ensuring that proponents are in compliance – John Callaghan asks if it would be simpler if all contracts were translated into pictures, not words.

You’ve won the bid to design a piece of infrastructure set to change how quickly commuters get to work. It’s a major project and your designs are heralded as extraordinary. You can’t wait to see the end product come to life – but wait you’ll have to, and so will the city! The design development and approval procedures, with its changes, recommendations and further compliance reviews, changes and recommendations, is a “spaghetti bowl” of processes that, despite the project’s purpose, is everything but quick. Sound familiar?

We want to ensure excellence and accountability, yet all these checkpoints, wrapped up in complex and challenging contractual and commercial frameworks can end up making one big rabbit hole – complicated and congested at best. In today’s complex world of procurement, it seems at times we can build a bridge quicker than we can design one.

On the flip side, given our species’ track record of environmental flagrancy and the ever increasing loss of business trust, someone has to be the gatekeeper and assure the voiceless are spoken for. Somewhere economic growth has to be filtered through the sieve of environmental and social impact. Somehow we have to ensure history doesn’t repeat itself, and the essential checks and balances hold business at bay. After all, it’s not much use closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

But what if there was another way? Rather than overhauling the current systems, how about redesigning them? Take contracts as an example. Imagine if they were reduced to their core principles and read like comic strips, rather than telephone books.

Imagine if they were written to encourage the behaviours we so desperately need to get our economies moving (such as innovation and creativity) instead of a litany of punitive actions that will befall those who dare suggest a change to their terms for the better.

Would it be much simpler if contracts were in picture form rather than the written word?

Think of what could be unleashed if contracts balanced our efforts and didn’t bottleneck them. We may end up proving that, even in the complex world of projects, less is still more.

PROCESS NIGHTMARE Procurement and design processes can often feel like the Encyclopaedia Britannica of rules and roadblocks – smothered in fingerprints, with far too many fingers in the pie. They are typically a convoluted approval process of multiple gatekeepers that cause delays – in part from lack of clarity of roles and responsibilities, but more around multiple hurdles to jump for multiple gatekeepers. In a world where the common vernacular is “move fast”, the time taken to realise a project or initiative often means it runs the risk of being out of date by the time it hits the starting blocks. Being first to get a foothold and stake your claim on the “next big thing” is essential for success – yet project approvals and complex procurement processes work in the opposite way. This not only raises the cost for delivering the infrastructure but it raises the risk of running late and putting a dampener on the very economic activity that revenue-strapped governments are so desperately needing to stimulate.

Too often, agreements for major projects are too complicated for their own good. Those who develop the agreement often lose sight of the original purpose and intent of the project and when it’s written to focus on penalties for lack of compliance, the appetite for innovating quickly becomes zero.

NEVER TOO OLD … Alternatively, imagine if contracts could be understood in intimate detail, including their intent. Imagine if your four-year-old son or daughter could make sense of one and actually enjoyed reading it. Imagine if the contract encouraged innovative behaviour and ideas to save time and money and that those ideas could come from anyone on the project?

Believe it or not, it may be possible to take 300 pages of penalties and liabilities, of

indemnifications and risk transference and distill them into a mere handful of pictures that everyone can understand. They wouldn’t require a magnifying glass to read them; in fact, there would be no words.

Pictorial and to the point, these contracts would clearly indicate what is expected from all parties involved. No juris doctors needed; even our own kids could understand the take away. These comic strip contracts could be smart contracts as well, ensuring companies receive payment after meeting their predetermined conditions set on the Ethereum platform.

From where you’re sitting now, this level of red tape reductionism may seem impossible. But Professor Camilla Andersen from the University of Western Australia believes it can be done, and it should be done. Andersen says: “I think what we are seeing is that we’re making law more approachable, we’re making it clearer. The idea is to reduce conflict and to focus more on driving behaviour rather than focusing on creating a legally binding instrument.”

At the IQA/CCAA/DNRME Queensland health and safety conference in June, delegates each received a summary in cartoon form from illustrator Brett Bower recapping the key messages of each session.

Lawyer Robert de Rooy, who worked with artists to reduce the South African Employment Law contract to cartoons and used the cartoon concept to support more than 650 contracts for fruit pickers, reports this approach saw the on-boarding of employees reduced from four hours to 45 minutes and conflicts at the end of the season to zero.

Of course, the danger is you can lose some nuances of the contract when translating compliance into simple pictures. But this tension leaves companies to ask the healthy questions: “What is the most important behaviour we want to address? And what can we afford to leave out in the larger scale of things?”

Ultimately, we all want the same thing – but how we get there needs to be reimagined. The business world today is overwhelmingly complex. But our solutions, in the face of this complexity, need to stay simple. Perhaps comic books and compliance have more in common than we think! •

John Callaghan is the executive director and the global director of major projects at the Aurecon Group, based in Sydney.

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IQA FELLOWS & HONORARY FELLOWS

The IQA acknowledges its Honorary Fellows and Fellows. Honorary Fellows are members who have given exceptional service to the quarrying industry and the IQA. Fellows are members who have attained significant experience, qualifications and time within the quarrying industry. These honours are the IQA’s highest form of recognition.

HONORARY FELLOWS

Basil Cocks VIC Rob Corkery NSW Peter Duffy SA Danny Duke NSW Ken Fletcher ACT Greg Goodsir NSW Sam Grima VIC Bob Jones VIC David Kershaw QLD David Lane WA John Malempre VIC Graeme Martin VIC Bruce Neumann QLD Kevin Quon TAS Fred Reid QLD Rob Robson NSW Graham Smith TAS Ian Stainton NSW Dennis Staley QLD Garry Utmar VIC Lloyd Veal NSW

FELLOWS

James Adriaansz NSW Brad Allman NSW Peter Ambrose QLD Michael Anderson VIC Blake Ardrey QLD Gordon Atkinson NSW Craig Banthorpe VIC Kevan Barrie SA Wayne Beattie NSW Rob Bell QLD Michael Benic NSW Adam Betterman SA Goetz Bickert NSW John Blake OS** Mitchell Bland NSW Richard Bolton NSW David Bolton NSW Trevor Bovell WA Shane Braddy VIC Andrew Brodbeck NSW Patrice Brown QLD Luke Brown VIC Mick Bullock NSW Shane Burton NSW Steve Butcher NSW Mike Cameron VIC Mark Campbell NSW Mike Canny SA Allan Carr QLD

78 Quarry October 2019 Kyle Caruana QLD Patrick Cashmore WA Scott Chalmers NSW Duncan Chalmers NSW Darren Champion SA Stan Cheeseman WA Dave Cilento NSW Michael Close SA George Constantinou OS* Chris Cox VIC Ray Crellin VIC Tony Cross QLD James Cuthbert QLD Paul Dalton VIC Carlson Daniels WA Ross Davidson NSW Craig Dawson NSW Ron Delaney SA Bill Delaney WA Steven Della Bona WA Diss Dissanayake QLD Ion Dumitru NSW Darren Dunn QLD Damian Eastman VIC Paul Eimbrodt NSW Deon Esterhuizen QLD Reno Fabretto QLD John Fahey QLD Hermann Fasching QLD Greg Fieldwick TAS Mitchell Flor QLD Malcolm Frost NSW John Gardiner NSW Andrew Geue SA Richard Godson NSW Phillip Goode QLD Alan Graham QLD Dugald Gray QLD Graham Greig WA Ron Griffey QLD Geoff Hall VIC Chris Hamilton NSW Bob Handley WA James Hankins NSW Matt Hardy WA Phillip Harris WA Michael Harvey SA Sam Hatchard QLD Bill Hayes QLD Shaun Henderson OS* Ben Henry SA Darren Herdman NSW Clayton Hill QLD Michael Holz NSW Brett Hoyle QLD Ricky Jackson VIC Brett Jarvis NSW Simon Jeffery QLD Graeme Jones VIC David Jones VIC Kai Kane QLD Bernie Kavanagh SA Wayne Kelly NSW Andrew Kemeny NSW Tom Kendall WA Paul Kerr QLD Ronald Kerr VIC Scott Lancaster NSW Chris Landry NSW Kevin Larcombe NSW Andrew Law WA Peter Lawlor NSW Ian Laws WA Scott Lean VIC Richard Lightfoot VIC Ken Little SA Frank Lourey NSW Walter Lukic WA Andrew Lyell NSW John MacDonald QLD Jason MacDonald NSW Phillip Mackenzie QLD Declan Mackle QLD Kelly Manning SA Gavin Markwell QLD Terry Martin NSW Wes Martini WA Jeffrey Mathrick VIC Adrian McLean OS* Tim Meehan NSW Don Miller VIC Tim Millis OS* John Mitas VIC Rob Moffitt TAS Ferdinando Moschini VIC Stephen Mossie NSW Kevin Munday QLD Simon Murcott NSW Bob Murphy NSW Daniel Naismith WA Basil Natoli VIC Reece Naylor QLD Thomson Ndhlovu QLD Mike Newcombe NSW Vernon Newton WA Wes Nichols QLD Christopher Nixon NSW Karen Normanton QLD Adam Norton QLD Campbell Nunn WA Terry Oakes-Ash NSW Paul O’Brien VIC Geoffrey Oldroyd QLD Ray Osborn QLD Mick O’Sullivan QLD Ross Outen VIC Aidan Owens QLD David Pallot VIC David Parker QLD Iain Paterson NSW Tim Perkins WA Tony Pignat WA Chris Pike NSW Mike Pilcher TAS Eddie Plume WA Adrian Preece NSW Greg Price NSW Gordon Price NSW Garry Price WA Chris Prowse VIC Chris Rakena QLD David Ramage VIC Ranjit Ratilal VIC Don Reed TAS Michael Renfree VIC Rob Rhodes WA Alan Richards VIC Ian Ridoutt QLD Ivo Rigoni VIC Michael Rixon NSW Peter Roberts NSW Alan Robertson QLD Brad Rooney VIC James Rowe SA Jason Rudge VIC Greg Runge QLD Kane Salisbury SA Kelvin Sargent VIC Tony Savia NSW Philip Schacht NSW Ross Schapel TAS Leigh Schiller NSW Folker Schilling WA Angus Shedden NSW Matthew Shinners VIC Graham Shorten QLD David Simpson NSW Rob Sloman QLD Raymond Smith NSW Lionel Smith QLD David Smith QLD Warwick Smyth QLD Rob Snowden QLD Garth Stacey NSW John Stanton TAS Aaron Steinert QLD Lindsay Stephens WA Peter Stitt NSW Leigh Street VIC Shine Summerfield NSW Joe Sweet WA Brad Tallon QLD William Taylor QLD Graham Terrey NSW Chris Terry TAS Mary Thompson VIC Greg Thomson NSW Paul Timmins NSW Richard Tomkins NSW Rikki Toms VIC Ian Turnbull VIC Terry Tye WA Anthony Van Duyn WA Denis Wagner QLD Paul Walker NSW Michael Walton NSW Tony Ward SA Bob Ware QLD Peter Watts NSW Royden Webb VIC Jackie Webster VIC Geoff West NSW Paul West QLD Alan Wilkins VIC John Wilkinson ACT Dallas Wilkinson NSW Michael Williams SA Chris Wilson QLD Russel Wilson QLD Catherine Wood VIC Graeme Woodruff VIC Chris Wulf TAS

2019 IQA EVENTS

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

ACT BRANCH 15 Nov Dinner meeting

NSW BRANCH 23 Oct Sixth Annual Quarries and Concrete Seminar

NSW ILLAWARRA SUB-BRANCH 30 Nov Races day/Christmas function (Venue TBA)

QUEENSLAND BRANCH 15 Nov Lunch meeting, Brisbane

CENTRAL QUEENSLAND SUB-BRANCH 23 Oct Safety and Health Seminar, Rockhampton

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH 8 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Townsville 30 Oct Technical and dinner meeting, Cairns 15 Nov Christmas Party, Townsville

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 8 Nov Dinner meeting, Adelaide

VICTORIAN SUB-BRANCH 21 Nov Dinner meeting, Bendigo

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN BRANCH 22 Nov Annual golf day, Joondalup Resort

All dates and venues for the above branches are correct at time of press. Not all branches had confirmed their activities/ dates. For further information about IQA branch activities, contact your local branch representative (see IQA branch contacts on page 81) or visit quarry.com.au

PDP WORKSHOPS & EVENTS

To register for the courses below and for further information, visit: quarry.com.au/Education/ProfessionalDevelopmentProgramsCalendar.aspx

IQM CONEX 2019 Palm Garden Hotel Malaysia 15-16 October, 2019

The theme of the Institute of Quarrying Malaysia’s (IQM) annual conference and exhibition is “Innovative Quarrying Technology – Industry 4.0 (IQTech 4.0)”. It recognises that the quantum leap into the era of Industry 4.0 (cyber-physical systems) will require the quarrying industry worldwide to stay competitive and to evolve quickly through cutting edge knowledge, skills and innovative practices. The role of Industry 4.0 in the quarrying application will be explored and discussed across a range of presentations, including smart equipment manufacturing, the latest trends in rock fragmentation/blasting, smart and autonomous features in transportation, and cyber-security risks and safety precautions in data management. For more information, contact the IQM secretariat, tel 60 3 8062 4194, mobile 60 12 219 7519, email nirmala@iqm.com.my or visit iqm.com.my/news&events.htm

PRINCIPLES OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND RESPONSE WPDP 25 October, 2019

All Australian and New Zealand quarrying legislation either implies or specifies that quarrying operations must have a plan to respond to emergency situations. Those plans must be appropriately comprehensive, resourced, tested and updated. This webinar is designed to introduce principles and methodologies of quarry emergency planning and response, including definitions, interpretations and legislative requirements and all aspects of emergency management and response, including planning, resourcing, testing, reviewing and updating. It is suitable for quarry managers, supervisors, leading hands and other employees with responsibilities for the planning and management of emergencies.

IQA NEWS

New blood: Incoming branch chair David Smith (right) and deputy chair Anita Waihi.

Outgoing Queensland branch chair Rob Sloman received this trophy for his dedication in the past three years.

QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS

Technical/Dinner Meeting, Brisbane Joel Fletcher from Scope Engineering, a Queensland branch premium supporter, presented on crushing plant design at the technical meeting in Brisbane on 7 August. Ben Moke, the Australia, Pacific and Asia vice president of GroundProbe, also presented on slope stability monitoring, utilising radar and laser monitoring technologies to increase safety and productivity outcomes.

GroundProbe, part of Orica Group, is a manufacturer/supplier of slope stability radar technologies. From origins as a University of Queensland PhD project, GroundProbe has grown rapidly into a provider of geotechnical monitoring tools. Its technologies have detected hundreds of wall failures which have helped some of the world’s largest mining producers to better manage risk and improve productivity outcomes.

Annual General Meeting Dugald Gray FIQ was MC for the branch’s AGM. Outgoing branch chair Rob Sloman presented a comprehensive report on the branch’s activities in the past 12 months. He thanked the branch committee for its support throughout the year, before all positions were declared vacant. The following members were elected to the incoming branch committee: • Chairman: David Smith, Holcim. • Deputy chair: Anita Waihi, Metso. • Treasurer/secretary: Mike Cooper, MD Cooper Consulting. • Branch committee members: Darko Cvitanovic, Karen Normanton, Rob Sloman, Clayton Hill, Rob Payne, Russel Wilson, Carl Morandy, Alec Harries, Ajith (Diss) Dissanayake, Paul Soden, Jason Egan, Rebecca Holman. President Clayton Hill presented Rob with a trophy in gratitude for his leadership in the past three years. David Smith also thanked Rob, and welcomed the new branch committee. There are two more meetings for the Queensland branch this year: • The Central Queensland safety and health seminar in Rockhampton on 23 October. • A technical/lunch meeting in Brisbane on 15 November. For more information, contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au

NORTH QUEENSLAND BRANCH NEWS Technical Meeting/AGM, Townsville The technical meeting and annual general meeting on 13 August was sponsored by Sensortronic, which presented on the developments and applications of weighing and inspection within the quarrying industry. QSolutions Group presented on the awareness and legislative requirements for respirable crystalline silica and the variance between qualitative and quantitative personal testing of respiratory protection equipment. The branch welcomed Clancy Mackaway and Chris Wake from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science for the keynote technical presentation. They discussed how the department is structured to support assessment and compliance to the extractive resources sector, the services and guidance available for operators and the expectations of the department in a disaster event.

Clancy and Chris also shared the statistics for the North Queensland region on extractive

The Townsville meeting featured keynote presentations from Clancy Mackaway and Chris Wake.

permits, inspections and compliance outcomes, plus outlined the regulatory strategy going forward. This includes a compliance focus on erosion and sediment control, water management, rehabilitation, and community and industry engagement. They also discussed the technological advances in compliance capability and monitoring, including use of drones and remote sensing. At the AGM, the new branch committee was inducted as follows: • Chairman: Sam Hatchard, Boral (reelected). • Deputy chair: Tim Lowy, Honeycombes (re-elected). • Treasurer/Secretary: Bradley Hamilton, Fulton Hogan (re-elected). • Branch committee members: Darren Caddy, Greg Rains, Greg Green. Sam thanked the committee’s outgoing members for their service, and the ongoing assistance of Jennifer Milward. He also acknowledged the branch’s premium supporters: Markwell Group, Impact Drill & Blast, Komatsu, Hastings Deering, and Ritchie Bros Auctioneers.

There are three more meetings for the North Queensland branch this year: • A technical/dinner meeting in Townsville on 8 October. • A technical/dinner meeting in Cairns on 30 October. • A Christmas party in Townsville on 15 November. For more information, contact the Queensland branch secretariat, tel 0419 782 688 or email qld-admin@quarry.com.au By Jennifer Milward

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN BRANCH NEWS Industry Breakfast Seminar The SA branch held its second industry breakfast seminar to continue a novel

The Institute of Quarrying Australia

approach for members, suppliers and sponsors. This was initiated to enable MAQOHSC, the Department for Energy and Mining (DEM) and SafeWork SA to brief members on current industry related issues. Caroline Andrews (DEM) provided some helpful tips for understanding the interaction between the Planning Act and the Mining Act and what to consider when undertaking development within mining tenements. Development of infrastructure such as crib rooms, concrete plants and associated related infrastructure are required to go through the development assessment process via council. Caroline encouraged members to seek clarification from the DEM prior to planning and undertaking infrastructure works on-site to save on cost and time blowouts.

Luke Brammy provided an update on SafeWork SA’s activities for the past 12 months, including industry statistics and proposed focus areas for 2019. He summarised the site investigations undertaken for the period 2018-19, highlighting some of the common safety problems (eg guarding requirements on fixed and mobile plant, incorrect ladders being used, etc). Members were encouraged to invite SafeWork SA inspectors to their sites at any stage for some informal guidance on safety-related matters. Work health and safety specialist Les Allen provided an overview of MAQOHSC’s programs: workplace health assessments, mental health first aid training, dust and noise monitoring, a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, respiratory PPE fit testing and the Employee Assistance Program. MAQOHSC programs are largely fully funded initiative programs on offer to mining and quarrying operators. The presentation highlighted areas for improvement that would assist operators to manage health and safety on-site. The breakfast meeting was very successful, with about 50 attendees. It is likely the format will be a regular feature on the branch calendar.

AGM Dinner The SA branch’s AGM was held at the National Wine Centre on 30 August and was a very well attended event. Current branch chair Andrew Wilson was re-elected (unopposed) and he will be supported by: • Vice chairman: James Rowe. • Secretary: Todd Threadgold. • Treasurer: Kevan Barrie. • Branch committee members: Andrew Geue, Cathy Moore, Rodney Kazem, Michael Close, Paul Thompson, Mark

Medals galore! Commonwealth Games medallist and athlete Matthew Glaetzer with Rebecca Foster and Andrew Wilson.

Southern Contracting Group’s Matt and Bronwyn Ramke provide an insight into their growing family business.

Taylor, Irene Harasymyszyn, Sarah Bellman, Colin Stormonth. • WIQ branch co-ordinator: Sarah Bellman (re-elected). Membership certificates were presented to: • Corrie Beythien (Hitachi Construction Equipment). • Bronwyn and Matt Ramke (Southern Contracting Group). • Nicole Manning (Groundwork Plus). Special acknowledgement was extended to Michael Harvey, who stood down from the committee after serving for more than 20 years. He received a gift basket as a token of thanks from the committee and members. The SA branch gives sponsors the opportunity to make a company presentation at its functions. Southern Contracting Group’s Matt and Bronwym Ramke gave the audience

IQA NEW MEMBERS

GRADE NAME BRANCH Fellow Reece Naylor NQLD Member Darren Bass QLD Member Luke Tavener QLD T Member Benjamin Murray QLD Associate Scott Simpson QLD Associate Stuart Munn QLD Associate Samuel Benson TAS Member Stephen McNair VIC Member Jason Barrett VIC Associate Andrew Sach WA an insight into their growing family business – from its inception to its current status as a highly regarded regional country quarry operator, concrete supplier and contractor.

Han Alam, the area sales manager for Finlay Crushing & Screening Systems, presented an overview of his company’s mobile equipment range and capabilities.

The guest presenter for the dinner was Matthew Glaetzer, who is a Commonwealth champion, world record holder, sprint world champion and the world’s fastest track cyclist. He gave a wonderful insight into his career, the challenges he faced and how he started off as a pole vaulter.

The SA branch acknowledges the following companies for their ongoing support of both the AGM/dinner and the industry breakfast meeting: Aplus Blast Management, Bridgestone Mining Solutions, Cavpower, CK Prowse & Associates, Finlay Crushing & Screening Systems, Groundwater Science, Groundwork Plus, Hitachi Construction Machinery Australia, Impact Drill & Blast, Komatsu Australia, MAQOHSC, Orica Quarry Services, Position Partners, Quarry & Mining Manufacture, Southern Contracting Group, VRENTS and Warrin Mining/Volvo.

The next South Australian branch function will be a dinner meeting on Friday, 8 November at the Pullman Hotel, Adelaide.

For more information, contact the SA branch secretariat, tel 08 8243 2505 or email sa-admin@quarry.com.au By Marie Cunningham

IQA BRANCH CONTACTS

ACT Peter Hewson: 0429 001 476 NSW Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Northern Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Hunter Gemma Thursfield: 0402 431 090 Illawarra Dylan Treadwell: 0418 632 057 Central West Mitchell Bland: 0428 462 987 NT Darren McKenna: 08 8988 4520 QLD Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Gladstone Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Townsville Jennifer Milward: 0419 782 688 Cairns Chris Wilson: 0438 134 752 SA Marie Cunningham: 08 8243 2505 Tasmania Nicholas Palmer: 0418 126 253 Victoria Eli Carbone: 03 8637 4723 Vic Sub-branch Craig Staggard: 0407 509 424 WA Celia Pavri: 0417 027 928

GEOLOGY TALK

HEY! YOU GOT ROCKS IN YOUR HEAD?

The hippocampus, highlighted in blue, creates new cells throughout a person’s life. Illustration courtesy of Jay Leek, UC Davis.

Continuing his exploration of the periodic table, Bill Langer this month examines the mineral elements on which the brain relies for sustenance and growth …

Sometimes when I was a kid and I did something stupid, my dad would say: “Hey! You got rocks in your head?”

I should have replied: “Absolutely, that’s why I am so smart!” That would not have gone over too well. But it is true – at least the “rocks in my head” part! There are numerous elements that are critical to a healthy brain, most of which come from rocks.

People used to think the brain cells we were born with are the only ones we will ever have, and that when they die they’re kaput.

However, recent research suggests at least one part of the brain – the hippocampus – continues to create new cells throughout a person’s life. The hippocampus is involved in the formation of memories, with learning, and with emotions, so you want to keep it healthy. This cellular regrowth, as well as other brain functions, requires a lot of energy. (When we are resting the brain uses about 20 per cent of our calories.)

Most of our energy comes from eating carbohydrates, which are composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). If the brain does not get enough energy (calories), we can experience confusion, irritability, forgetfulness, and even blackouts.

OK, so C, H and O come from the atmosphere. But the brain relies on many trace elements that come from rocks.

Different elements occupy different parts of the brain and if those elements are not present in the right amount, a mental weakening occurs that affects memory, concentration, alertness, ability to learn, and ultimately the quality of life. For example, a deficiency in iodine can lead to brain damage. Iodine is the 61st element in terms of abundance, making it one of the rarest elements needed for life. Fortunately, iodine can be found nearly everywhere in trace amounts in water, soil and rocks. Iodine is taken up from the soil by plants and from seawater by algae, seaweed, and other sea vegetables, and is then propagated through the food chain to humans. Fish (such as cod and tuna), seaweed, prawns, animals, fowl and dairy products and eggs are generally rich in iodine.

The brain also needs zinc, the 24th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. Zinc is one of the eight essential micronutrients crucial to plant development, so when you eat a plant you probably are consuming some zinc. But beware: brain performance drops significantly when the diet is poor in zinc, so eat your veggies!

Another critical element is boron, which is believed to be important for attention, perception and short- and long-term memory.

Boron is another of those micronutrients essential for plant growth. However, unlike iodine and zinc, boron has more limited distribution and there are many areas where plants suffer from boron deficiency. But never fear, you can get your boron from dried fruit, nuts and – get this – from wine!

The brain’s health relies on maintaining a delicate balance between too little and too much of the elements it contains. Too little calcium and magnesium can lead to diminished awareness and mental fatigue.

Too much metal such as copper, iron, chromium, and manganese can cause brain fog, mood swings, confusion and excess emotions. Metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, nickel, aluminium and beryllium can also be neurotoxins.

So maybe when I did something stupid I should have told my dad that I didn’t have enough rocks in my head. •

Bill Langer is a consultant geologist. Email bill_langer@hotmail.com or visit researchgeologist.com

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