Bob Carr has proved himself capable of making very astute observations about the choices that we face as a nation, particularly in regard to population, ecology and ethics, but his policies as Premier of NSW far more often ran directly counter to those words.

The last thing that Battalion Chief Oreo Palmer expected as he surveyed the dwindling flames on the 78th floor of the World Trade Center South Tower at 9:54am on 11 September 2001 was, seven minutes from then, for the South Tower to come crashing down on him and to collapse almost completely into dust at a rate barely slower than free fall. Many scientists and engineers, who have since disputed the official US Government explanation of the World Trade Center collapses, would have agreed with Palmer's judgement on the day, however the ABC's Science Show, presented by Robyn Williams seems reluctant to let its listeners know of their views.

See also: articles: "Fire Department Tape Reveals No Awareness of Imminent Doom" In New York Times of 9 November 2002, "NY firefighters reached South Tower crash zone" in the Guardian of 5 Aug 2002
sites: Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, www.911oz.com, wearechange.org.au, 911research.wtc7.net, Firefighters for 9/11 Truth, Patriots Question 9/11, Pilots for 9/11 Truth, 911truth.org, 911blogger.com

James Sinnamon recently posted a letter to Greens Senator Scott Ludlam on behalf of Citizens Against Selling Telstra to commend his call for the Australian Government to take a controlling stake in the planned National Broadband Network (NBN) on behalf of the Australian people.

Contents: Australia could have had universal fibre-optic broadband access before 2000, Former Telstra owners at the mercy of imported US management team, Democracy subverted to by-pass public opposition to the sale, Holding to account those responsible for the wreckage, How to fix up the mess?.

Original letter published on citizensagainstsellingtelstra.com See also: Keep broadband in public hands - Australian Greens of 14 Dec 08.

Is the Letters Editor of Brisbane's Murdoch-owned Courier Mail newspaper apprehensive at the geo-political themes included in the latest James Bond Movie?

See also: "007 Bolivian socialist?" in the New Statesman of 14 Nov 2008 and discussion

With The Final Energy Crisis, the editor, Energy and Population Sociologist Sheila Newman, gives us the opportunity to examine the theory, measurement, history and future of fossil-fuel depletion within a social paradigm where thermodynamics is the primary social constraint. This is 'applied peak-oil' - a multi-authored, but tightly integrated, collection of social and physical science writing, where the authors test the strength of the hypothesis that industrialised society faces an imminent energy crisis which will bring civilization as we know it to an end.

See also: Review of The Final Energy Crisis by Mark O'Connor author of Overloading Australia (RRP AU$20) on page 8 of the December 2008 newsletter (pdf 923K) of Sustainable Population Australia.

My request to discuss the September 11 terrrorist attacks on Online Opinion was initially rejected. After I question the reasons for rejection, it was subsequently approved.

However, the discussion was marred by relentless personal attacks and the usual time-consuming debating ploys. These comprise much of the 280 contributions posted thus far to the discussion. In spite of this the forum contains a lot of useful material, and those who are prepared to wade through the forum will find very good contributions and, I believe, will see that the case of the 9/11 Truth movement does withstand the test of argument.

Nevertheless, that is a difficult undertaking for most users. This article is intended to guide users through the maze and to deconstruct the attempts to prevent them from understanding the issues.

Around the world, scarcity-driven increases in the cost of metals are driving the vandalisation of electrical and communications infrastructure as thieves steal copper and other valuable and even not-so-valuable metals to sell to metal recyclers. Is the only solution the removal altogether of the profit motive from the metal recycling industry?

See also: transcript of ABC Radio National Background Briefing program "Metals, money and madness" (2 Nov 08).

Those who recently demanded the privatisation of NSW's electricity assets against the wishes of the NSW public would have us forget how much of NSW's publicly owned wealth has already been privatised and for no apparent benefit for its rightful owners.

See also: "Media contempt for facts in NSW electricity privatisation debate" of 19 Sep 08.

Analysis of the reporting of electricity privatisation initiatives in New South Wales brings disturbing confirmation that the major Australian newsmedia does not accurately report essential facts on issues of vital concern to us. Indeed, it often acts as a conduit for propaganda against our best interest.

Contents: O'Farrell pilloried, Parliamentary debate ignored, Earlier misreporting: Iemma exhorted to ignore Labor conference, public will, What can be done about this?.

Also published on webdiary.

See also: ABC gives free kick to Iemma, NSW electricity privatisation of 21 Jul 08.

ABC Radio National's By Design program of 30 August ran a story which seemed to depict the growth of the 'self-storage' industry as somehow positive. The fact that so many of us can no longer store our accumulated possessions where we live and must, resort to paying to rent space to store them is yet another indicator of our declining standard of living.

James Sinnamon, on behalf of Citizens Against Selling Telstra, urges NSW state Opposition members of Parliament to continue to hold the line against the privatisation of NSW's publicly owned electricity assets.

What is the point of having an elected Parliament if they ignore the wishes of 79% of their electorate?

Originally published on citizensagainstsellingtelstra.com.

See also: NSW electricity privatisation can be stopped!, Electricity Privatisation bill a test of whether the people or carpet-baggers rule NSW, Costa threatens MPs over electricity, Rallying against power privatisation, Democratic rights must be respected says State Independent candidate.

NSW Premier Morris Iemma has seized upon a limited and deficient Auditor-General's report (pdf, 354K) as grounds to proceed with electricity privatisation and plans to rush through the legislation next week.

However, the sale has been consistently and overwhelmingly opposed by the NSW public and unions, and can be stopped.

In an article Brisbane house prices tipped to fall 10 per cent in the Courier Mail of Thursday 31 July 08, property analysts differed over to what extent Australia's current record high immigration rate can counter the reduction of demand for Brisbane's hyper-inflated housing caused by the credit crisis.

See also: Brisbane's housing unaffordability crisis spun by ABC to promote property lobby interests of 23 June 2008.

Why did the Howard Government ignore ASIO's consistent advice that it had no evidence that Dr Mohammed Haneef posed any threat to Australian security and that "there was [nothing] indicating any specific, credible terrorist threat in Australia linked to the UK attacks"?

On 28 July Premier John Brumby came out and said that he thought that Victoria had reached its population limit. Candobetter comments on Mr Brumby's statements and asks the Premier of Victoria for more details in this open letter.

See also: Brumby's call for 'pause' in rate of population growth insufficient of 1 Aug 08, Premier John Brumby warns of dangers in growing too fast in the Herald Sun of 28 July 08, Brumby 'blaming' migrants in the Age of 2 Aug 08

When Barrie Unsworth complained on Sydney's local ABC radio of the New South Wales Labor Party's efforts to ensure that state Labor parliamentarians vote against the privatisation of NSW's electricity assets - a policy already rejected resoundingly by the electorate in 1999 and currently opposed by 79% of the NSW public - his interviewer Toni Matthews expresssed her total agreement with the former NSW Premier: "Why - It seems obvious to me - Why isn't it obvious to these younger members that you're talking about that they're creating mayhem within the party?"

Professor Ross Garnaut claimed in his Climate Change Review Draft Report that public ownership of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Authority could restrict future development and competitiveness in the national electricity market. This appears to have been seized upon by Kevin Rudd as an excuse to privatise the Snowy Hydro in spite of the fact he promised before the 2007 elections to keep it in public hands.

Economic growth

Australia's contribution to runaway global warming through its accelerating rate of coal exports has been acknowledged in part by the Garnaut report. However, whether this will lead to a reduction, rather than an increase in exports is not yet clear.

Should Australia allow its agricultural soils to be destroyed because of economic pressures caused by our unsustainable booms in mining and real estate?

See also: Working the land - or not of 24 Jun 08 by Jenny Hume on Web Diary, Who owns your sewage? of 3 Jul 08 by Valerie Yule on Online Opinion, Last gasp for single desk marketing of Australian wheat of 17 Jun 08, Peak oil prices cause South Australian Farmers to call for 'fair market forces' of 10 Jun 08, Orwellian Waterworks: big-agribusiness and Victorian Gov of 27 May 08, Insight program's take on Labor Shortage of 17 Jun 08, A 10,000 year misunderstanding of 1 May 08 by Canadian soil microbiologist Peter Salonius, I will govern for all Victorians (caveat: but only if you are powerful and connected) of 26 Jun 08.

Why has the Courier Mail in its editorial of 23 June advocated that the Rudd Government adopt Brendan Nelson's proposal to cut fuel excise even though such a measure would deny the Government millions in needed revenue and have negligible effect at the bowser in comparison to the demand-driven rise in the price of oil?

Almost invariably reporting of Australia's acute housing unaffordability crisis does not inform the public of its causes, nor help it to arrive at a solution. The ABC's report No relief in sight for Brisbane's renters of 20 June 08 is no exception.

See also: Rent gouging threatens Brisbane inner city retail community of 8 Mar 08

The Electrical Trade Union's threat to disaffiliate from the Labor Party in protest at its treatment by the Queensland and Federal Labor Government begs the question of how trade unions can ever hope to be adequately represented in Parliament.

See also: QLD Labor stung by protests, poll in the Brisbane Times of 21 June 08.

On Radio National's Breakfast Show of 16 June 2008, Canadian Maude Barlow, author of "Blue Covenant - The Global Water Crisis And The Coming Battle For The Right To Water" (RRP AU$29.95), broke more alarming news of yet another aspect of humankind's combined problem of resources scarcity and overpopulation …

See also: Against the flow of 7 Jun 08 in the Melbourne Age, www.plugthepipe.com.

At the elections of 15 March pro-developer councils were trounced in Redland City and on the Sunshine Coast, but this popular rejection of over-development means little to the State Labor Government of Anna Bligh and the property developers she serves.

See also: More chickens of population growth come home to roost in Queensland of 14 May 08, How to end the Queensland economy's addiction to population growth? of 26 Apr 08, Courier-Mail beats up on public for complaining about cost of 'progress' of 14 Apr 08, The Australian laments outcome of Queensland local government elections of 30 Mar 08.

This was posted to an online discussion concerning the dramatic increase in the rate of immigration to this country at larvatusprodeo.net.

Labor Senator-elect Doug Cameron is the only Federal politician, so far, to have summoned up the courage to raise a critical voice against the Government's recently announced plans to raise the annual immigration level to 300,000. For this, he has earned the wrath of The Australian newspaper.

See also Doug Cameron: guest workers threaten Australian wages and conditions of 20 May 08, Is it reactionary to oppose Immigration? of 16 Dec 07 (also on Web Diary), Another global village Idiot of 20 May 08 and comment

Until I saw the date of publication, 1 April 2008, the Australian newspaper's article Population soaring across country by Andrew Fraser purportedly 'celebrating' Australia's current record high rate of population growth had me mystified.

In 2007 the Queensland Government forcibly acquired the water assets of South East Queensland local governments. Now, in 2008, having lost control of their water assets, residents in these areas face hikes in their water bills.

See also: Water prices to surge of 19 June 08 in the Bayside Bulletin, The Australian's April fool's joke of 20 May, More chickens of population growth come home to roost in Queensland of 13 May 08, The Australian laments outcome of Queensland local government elections of 29 Mar 08, Water prices to soar of 15 May 2008