(We) can do better

When whalers aboard the Nisshin Maru trained their water cannon on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's Steve Irwin, they were shocked to find themselves on the receiving end of an even more powerful blast of frigid Southern Ocean water from a water cannon on the Steve Irwin. As a result, the Nisshin Maru and the rest of the Japanese whaling fleet are fleeing Northwest pursued by the Bob Barker and the Steve Irwin without having killed a single whale in the three days since they were intercepted.

Originally published on www.seashepherd.org on 8 Feb 10. See also: "Bob Barker Rammed by Illegal Whaler" of 6 Feb 10, "Ban whaling vessels from using our ports" of 16 Jan 10, "Twilight Samurai pride clinging to a right to pillage distant whales in foreign oceans" of 7 Jan 10, "Japanese whaler rams and sinks anti-whaling vessel in Antartic" of 7 Jan 10.

It sometimes becomes medically necessary to expel toxic growthist propaganda before it is fully absorbed in the bloodstream leading to a brain seizure. Exposure to growthist buzzwords can induce the nausea required to induce vomiting. Here is a tentative list that can serve as a quick reference when immediate relief is called for.

Last month, on 29th January 2010, Tasmania's infamous corporate logger, Gunns Ltd, dropped its multi-million dollar defamation suit against the remaining 13 environmental activitists protesting against its immoral pulp mill logging threat to Tasmania's old growth native forests.

But Gunn's Neanderthal arrogance persists. According to Gunns 13 spokesperson Warrick Jordan, "the world needs to know..that Gunns continues to sue Tasmanians who oppose their environmental vandalism.” [Tasmanian Times].

The sector in Australia that has the most costly dependency ratio must be the property sector, since it costs all Australians an enormous and unreasonable amount just to cover the cost of land for housing, business and agriculture. Most of the very high costs involved are completely unnecessary, except in the eyes of greedy developers and their hangers-on. The only reason that the costs are so high is that the industry wants it that way and our state and federal governments are in cahoots with it.

Both the NSW and Australian Government have upgraded Cumberland Plain Woodland from Endangered to Critically Endangered. You would assume any development that proposed to clear over 200 ha of critically endangered bushland would be struggling to get approval. We can assume nothing these days in Australia. Here is another focus where Australians need to unite to help each other get back democracy and protect fauna and flora from the growth lobby. The community has fought to save this area for nearly 20 years.See also related articles.

The Australian has run yet another beat-up by KPMG corporate partner, Bernard Salt, trying desperately to justify continued high immigration. Mark O'Connor, author of Overloading Australia comments.

(Ed. The subject of this article may seem hackneyed, but it is well worth reading.) The word "sustainable" or "sustainability" has been rendered meaningless and oxymoronic by its attachment to the most invasive development proposals and economic activity. But authentic sustainability does not lend itself to semantic pluralism. It can only mean the viablility of the whole, not its constituent parts. There is really only one kind of sustainability.

A retired Australian farmer writes, "Three of the bigger questions in my life have been: Is there a god ? Will the oil run out ? Are humans smarter than lemmings ?"

This not, repeat, NOT, an argument for or against AGW theory. It is about green hypocrisy and double-standards. If we are to follow the corporate money trail, we must follow it wherever it leads, even if it leads to the door of a CBC-annointed demi-god so beloved internationally by those who know him even less than Canadians do.

Following Gunns' complete abandonmment of its case which has tied up 20 Tasmanian anti-logging campaigners and their supporters for up to five years of their lives, Victorian Greens parliamentarian Sue Pennicuik MLC called for the Victorian Government to introduce legislation to prevent corporations from ever again similarly abusing the courts with Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) suits to harass citizen who organise to stop their environmentally destructive projects.

Adapted from media release originally published as "Gunns case shows we need anti-slapp laws in Victoria" on the Victorian Greens MPs web site, mps.vic.greens.org.au.
See also: "Gunns urged to drop 'Triabunna 13' case" of 3 Feb 10, "Gunns 20 in the dust" in the Hobart Mercury of 30 Jan 10, "Gunns settles with last pulp mill opponents" in the Australian of 30 Jan 10, "Gunns abandons legal chase" on ABC online of 30 Jan 10, "Gunns payout ends case" in the Age of 30 Jan 10.

In the aftermath of the Black Saturday Victorian bushfires of 2008, Stella and Alan Reid picked themselves up from the ashes of everything they had lost - especially the native animals they had rehabilitated and released on their property. Almost a year has passed and they are beginning to heal and rebuild their lives and starting over with a new better Wildhaven. The photos clearly show that the animals who somehow survived are deeply grateful for their second chance....

Kevin Rudd has expressed his desire for a "big Australia", contrary to public interests, an independent scientific assessment of our "carrying capacity", and without any population plan or policy.
Our wealth is our natural heritage.
Deliberate population growth is all about greed and consumerism and a failure to appreciate what is naturally "big" about Australia.

On ABC TV Jan 28th 7.30 report the Australian PM appears to have backtracked on the idea of a "Big Australia" for which he said previously that he would make "no apology"

Are stages of governmental and media spin and treatment of forced population growth akin to the stages of grief-predictable and identifiable?

See also: "Rudd facing a Queensland backlash" by Bill Hoffman in the Sunshine Coast Daily of 30 Jan 10, "Rudd cools on a 'big Australia'" in the Age of 29 Jan 10, "Rudd on a 'big Australia'" on the 7.30 Report of 28 Jan 10, "Future Australians could face starvation: Dick Smith" on ABC online of 25 Jan 10, "Population debate needed: opposition" in the Mackay Daily Mercury of 25 Jan 10 (also published in the Shepparton News), "Poll shows Australians do not share rudd's vision for 'Big Australia'" of 10 Nov 09 by Bruce Billson MP, (former) Shadow Minister for Sustainable Development and Cities, "Population to now hit 35 million by 2049" in the Australian of 18 Sep 09.

Tweed Valley Community levied for unwanted and disastrous development in region's main koala habitat.
Koalas are in danger of extinction within two years in Queensland and NSW cannot be far behind. No state is keeping proper wildlife statistics and development is ruining their habitat and ours. See where to send objections inside article.

There was an outcry about the illegal and brutal attack on baby koala Doug, and his consequent death, yet loggers will be allowed to destroy the habitat of a colony of koalas in the state forest on the NSW South Coast. They need protection before they are legally wiped out, simply because their homes are for woodchip profits!

2nd FEB 2010: Victorian State Election meeting held by Kew Cottages with Rod Quantok, MC and featuring a number of Members of Parliament
Topics for discussion: * How has the State of Victoria managed to loose $17 million building and selling 55 houses in Kew ? * What will each of our local MP's do about protecting all of the remaining Kew Cottages Public Land if re-elected ? * Do our MP's support the Kew Coalition's Alternative Plan ? * How can the community help ?
[An article on the current sell off of the Kew Cottages site and its background may be found on this site entitled 'Victorian Madness with Kew Cottages']

The Snowy River was one of the wildest rivers in Australia. But political ambitions destroyed the legend and now 99% of the Snowy is diverted by the Snowy mountains scheme. By the time it reaches the sea it has only 5% of the flow because of the Jindabyne Dam and other major dams.

The Snowy River Alliance is right. Australia's most famous wild river, the Snowy River, deserves to have its natural flows restored. The Alliance argues that if Snowy Hydro schemers releasing 28% of the Snowy's original flows, its ecology could be restored. But the current life sucking 5% dished out by the Snowy Hydro is exploitative, selfish and wrong.

If one visits our Australian CRIKEY website and scrolls down the ENVIRONMENT menu to its current subject listing: 'The case against school veggie gardens' and clicks...one is instantly redirected away from the CRIKEY website to another remote website. In this case away from CRIKEY to 'The Atlantic'

Why is CRIKEY auto-redirecting its readership?

Why is CRIKEY redirecting/outsourcing its content without explanation? Is this laziness? Is this content padding? Where is CRIKEY heading?

One of the most important principles internationally when referring to greenhouse gas reduction schemes it that the polluter pays. This means that national targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions should be based on the historical contribution of each nation to global emissions. It is obvious that Australia's population growth policies have a enormous impact on our greenhouse gas emissions.

Wake up Australia...Be Fair !
Camels are our models here
They drink but once a week

Heavy rain triggered the slides and swept away roads, leaving the tourists stuck in Aguas Calientes, a small town near the Inca ruins. Peru has the most tropical glaciers in Latin America and has already lost 20 percent of the 2,600 kms of glaciers running through its central and southern Andes in the past 30 years. By the end of the 21st century, the tropical Andes may experience a massive warming on the order of 4.5–5 °C.
(photos courtesy of Wikimedia commons)

Click image for film. This is a short film that all politicians and economists and most religious people should see. It is about economics and exponential growth. It is funny and really short.

Someone else who isn't impressed by the Australian and state governments' statistics and treatment of wildlife. 6000 signatures already on the petition!
See alsoDamning Auditor General Reports on Fauna protection in Australia
(Photo by Brett Clifton)

[Video inside article] The recent Auditor General's Report on the incompetence of the Victorian Government's wildlife statistics collection and maintenance mean that the Victorian government could not logically have the authority to make decisions about sustainable forestry where local fauna habitat is affected, in the opinion of this candobetter.org writer and environmental sociologist. It seems to me that Environment East Gippsland has clearly won its case in advance. But we have to get the information out there so that it cannot be ignored. See also: Damning Auditor General Report on Fauna protection for Victoria

Many population- environment organizations concerned about human population impact on the planet believe they cannot talk about ‘coercive’ population policies, only education and good access to family planning. But are they falling into the same trap as environmental organizations that refuse to acknowledge the overriding evidence that our ever growing numbers are a key part of the problems we face?

New research suggest that just two collapsing West Antarctic glaciers could add another half a metre to sea levels this century making the Victorian and Queensland governments' "upper boundary" sea-level rise estimates of 0.8 metres by 2100 already obsolete.

Article originally published on climatecodered.blogspot.com on 24 jan 10.
See also: How the Murdoch press got it wrong on the Himalayan big melt of 21 Jan 10, A climate con: Analysis of the "Copenhagen Accord" of 24 Dec 09, ...

If Victorian Labor is to be epitomised in its wholesale profiteering of Melbourne's heritage, it is the carving up of Kew Cottages 90 acres, which for decades on the prominent Yarra River's prominent hilltop bend was home to Victoria's mentally handicapped, the socially unwanted, the 'too-difficult' vulnerable members of Melbourne's community. It was Melbourne's Bedlam and society labelled them 'mad' and banished them to 'Kew' up on the hill, behind the big wall. Now the Victorian Government is profiting from decades of neglect of many of its most vulnerable.

[This article was initially a comment to the article by Sheila Newman on this site 'Victorian Elections: A Midsummer Night's Meeting with MPs about what's going on'].

National President of SPA, Sandra Kanck, says “If we pause on Australia Day to reflect on our identity, our thoughts should turn to reforming the anthem. It is an absolute nonsense to say that this continent has boundless plains to share, as is claimed in the second verse of the anthem."

"Hi mum and dad - I won't be around when they announce my award on January 26th. I am with Sean Penn, Diana jenkins, Oscar and 15 doctors embedded in the 82 Airborne ( USA) Dante would describe it as hell here. There is no food and water and hundreds dying daily. The aid is all bottlenecked and not reaching here . The other day i assisted with amputation (holding them down) while they used a saw to cut a young boys leg off with no pain killers. " Written by Australia Day Honours List member, Alison Thompson, to her parents in Sutherland Shire (Sydney, on 24 January 2010.

Report from HAITI UN base, relayed by The Real News warns the world to monitor US activity in Haiti because of the US history of 'disaster capitalism' and previous damaging interference in Haiti's politics and economy. Report says that there are hospitals that were not damaged which are not receiving help.