Miscellaneous comments from 19 June 2011

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There is no way, even if we achieve our most ambitious plans for the expansion of , that we can hope to be able to publish, on this site, more than a small fraction of all the stories on the Internet that are likely to be of interest to all of our regular readers. But we can, with your help, in addition to publishing here some of the more far-sighted material on the Internet in our areas of interest, hope to be able to provide links to more of the important material on other sites in similar fields. For now, until we develop a more comprehensive system, please visit the page and add, as , information, including links, about articles which may be of interest to candobetter visitors.

The carbon tax will put undue financial burden on families, and taxpayers in general. It it were a case of us all in this together to combat the worst of climate change, and reduce carbon emissions, then maybe the public could be convinced that a united effort was worthwhile. However, there are too many contradictory policies coming from Canberra. Despite the global challenges of overpopulation, climate change devastation, environmental degradation, food threats, pollution and species extinctions, we as a top-species are still multiply our numbers and keep consuming at an exponential rate! It defies logic and that we are supposedly rational and intelligent creatures. It's all about denial, and thinking irrationally that a bigger herd will actually protect us from multiple threats, but this is what, in turn, is actually threatening us! Global populations boomed with colonial expansion,oil and technological developments, but there are no new territories to conquer, and scientists know there are limits to growth. Economic demands for growth are hijacking governments, contrary to our interests. Australia is the biggest exporter of coal, and we are still clearing land, exporting woodchips, encouraging the livestock industries, and immigration means that those from developing countries adopt our lifestyles and consumption patterns. The same politicians enforcing population growth are those also imposing a carbon tax on consumers!

I posted the following comment to Ex Senator Andrew Bartlett's blog at 9.00AM this morning. As of 2:56 PM it's publication is still awaiting approval (although nothing else has yet been added in the intervening 6 hours either). I will be interested to read Andrew Bartlett's response.

,

Have you noticed that none of those who have been outspoken for the rights of the ‘boat people’, not even you, it seems, have been able to find their voices to speak up against and the threatened war against Syria?

Editor's comment: The article was published on 17 April, over two months ago, and only two more articles have been added to in the intervening period of more than 2 months, so I would not hold my breath waiting for Andrew Bartlett to read your comment, approve it and respond to it. Still, should he ever respond, I would be most interested to read his response.

THE head of the meat industry has joined animal welfare groups in opposing the religious slaughter of sheep while they are conscious, amid calls to ban the ''unnecessary and unconscionable'' practice in Australia. Most sheep remained conscious for up to 20 seconds after their throats were cut. Religion should inspire higher moral and ethical standards, and compassion for other living beings. There is nothing to be gained by prolonging the suffering of animals being slaughtered - nothing useful at all. It's all about dogma, rituals and scriptural interpretation of ancient creed. Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick is out of depth by calling for humane animal treatment as "anti-Semitism". This is clouding the issue, and manipulating what has been the terrible treatment of the Jewish people. However, there are parallels. The confinement of animals in factory farms and the mass slaughter of animals for our increasingly meat-based diets inflicts horrific cruelty and abuse on sentient creatures. Violence towards animals overflows into society - and it not surprising that we have increasing crime and violence towards each other. "Diversity" should not include more animal suffering and abuse, and what "god" really enjoys allowing pain to be inflicted on His creatures? Animals have rights too, and our animal welfare standards and laws in Australia make stunning mandatory. Religious "rights" should not over-ride animal rights. Religion is no excuse for animal cruelty, and it should not obfuscate the laws or transparency on how animals are treated. Suffering achieves nothing but enforces ritualistic human dominance. Times have changed, and so should we. Pain and bleeding and stress in animals is detrimental and cruel, and using religion to support it is about avoiding scrutiny and accountability. Meat is not an essential food item, and there is a lot of evidence to support the healthy aspects of vegetarian/vegan diets - and it saves lives!

There will be a $30 million bailout made to struggling farmers. The government is cautious about resuming the trade until it can assure animal welfare standards. Producers and farmers cannot rely on gross animal cruelty for their livelihoods. How could they not be aware of the atrocities happening to the cattle they bred? Don't they have any morals, ethics or compassion? We need Wikileaks and groups like Animals Australia to expose the government and industry corruption in high places. The slashing deaths of millions of animals is horrific and shameful for Australia. These farmers should be held accountable, and not be pushing for the resumption of such on obscene industry. No amount of profits and income can be based on animal abuse. For nearly 30 years animal activists have witnessed tragedies and cruelty because of the live export trade. There is a long list of other disasters over the past 25 years, for example: 1980 – Farid Fares – abandoned on fire 160km off the SA coast; 40,605 sheep died. 1996 – Uniceb - abandoned on fire off coast of Africa; 67,488 sheep died. 1999 – Kalymnian Express – 300 cattle died or were put down after ship met a cyclone. 2003 – Como Express - 5,581 sheep (around 10% of its cargo) died. Some improvements were made, but the industry is inherently risky and animal welfare can't be assured. Now, the extent of the cover-up and evil is exposed, many - and some innocent people - will suffer. Ultimately, it's us, the taxpayers, who will have to bail-out the farmers for something most people have been against for years! Dark and cruel secrets and corruption aren't good for business, and exposure makes many people vulnerable. New Zealand banned live exports years ago when the safety of their animals couldn't be assured, so why is it taking Australia so long to learn?

Why bailout an immoral trade like live cattle and live sheep export? The immoral trade was entered into by buggering the northern savannah ecosystems of Australia, treating them as cow paddocks. The participants have been fully cognisant of the inhuman shipping conditions, have turned a blind eye to the primitive 'slit throat while facing Mecca' ritual and well aware of the fact that the weight limits are such that the likes of Indonesia are buying livestock live to eventually eliminate livestock imports anyway. The whole live export bizzo is short term profitteering, buggering everyone else in the process. It is a backward attitude feeding off a backward culture. Those who choose to live by the immoral sword... well no sympathy for participants going to the wall, fast the better! Taxpayer $30 million bailout is akin to bailing out people smugglers, drug traffickers and slave traders...I could go further, but this comment would be censored. Tigerquoll Suggan Buggan Snowy River Region Victoria 3885 Australia

"The old Federal Democratic Republic is dying"

Is the US turning into a National Security State?

"This is crazy. This was what we do today. We do war. The old Federal Republic is dying."

Embedded interview with Lawrence Wilkerson, with comments originally posted to BrassCheck TV at http://www.brasschecktv.com/videos/war-is-a-racket/they-love-war.html  Embedded video also on YouTube at .

I saw " " with a friend tonight. I enjoyed it like I can't remember enjoying a film for a very long time. This was felt by the friend who accompanied me and a number of other cinema-goers, I could talk to. I don't know for how long it will be still showing at the cinemas, but if you can possibly see it on the big screen at the cinemas, don't miss it. It will still be worth watching on video, but there is no way that a small screen in the home can do justice to the special effects and sounds of "Super 8". The plot turns out in a way that I could not have imagined. The acting and characterization of the lead characters, mostly children, was superb. The plot involves an encounter between the US Air Force, a small rural US township and an alien in 1979. Whilst most of 's movies approach "Super 8" in excellence, I have occasionally been disappointed with his movies. Spielberg movies, which have disappointed me, include some, but not all, of the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" series, and "Saving Private Ryan". However, "Super 8" is confirmation of his talent and deserves every possible success.

I agree that it is a terrific movie. One of the reasons I would recommend it to children and their parents is that it portrays the difficulty busy parents have in adjusting to the fact that their children have independent lives. It also shows dope-smoking up for the way it dumbs people down and makes them boring and tuned out. Each child character is superbly individual, self-confident and focused. Despite very varied backgrounds, and some tragedy, all of which have their problems, the children just go ahead and do what they need to do. As they approach the cusp of adulthood they retain an unselfconsciousness that our modern societies tend to rob us of, via an increasingly puerile media that panders to narcissistic CEOs and politicians. The setting is the 1970s, when corporations had not quite succeeded in robbing peoples lives of almost all local meaning and action. The children have loads of open space to play in and life, although it is beginning to move rather fast, has not yet robbed people of most of their freedom to use time creatively. But the military machine is up to no good as usual and presents a greater hazard than another of Spielberg's aliens. This alien is really nicely done, and uses a very cute technology, which of course the military will stop at nothing to get, at peril of private citizens. Well done Spielberg, you are a force for good.

Minister Karl Hampton, Minister for Natural Resources in the Northern Territory Government is quoted as saying. “The Territory Government believes in protecting the environment and the pastoral industry and that’s why we have developed landmark legislation to achieve this goal.” It would appear as if the Minister is unaware of the ongoing ecocatastrophe and the impossibility of protecting the environment and the pastoral industry simultaneously. The Minister is also not aware that the grazing of beef cattle in Central and Northern Australia was identified as ecologically un-sustainable in the 1996 national State of the Environment report. The pastoral occupation of the lands had drastic consequences for the Aboriginal people and their traditional economy. The new fire management regime imposed on the land by the pastoralists blocked the recruitment of new individuals to the mid-stratum and the upper-stratum of the forests and woodlands, Grazing and trampling by cattle and other introduced stock animals wrecked the lower-stratum. Frequent burning has stopped the nutrient recycling systems in the soil from working well and nutrients are being lost from the system. Many trees are sterile or nearly so because they are malnourished due to the nutrient recycling failure. Land clearing has catastrophic consequences but they decided to ignore that fact. Large scale land clearing for agriculture and pastoralism in the Northern Territory should be stopped. The Pastoral Land Act of 1992 makes it very clear that the pastoral use of land must be sustainable. The industry has been exporting nutrient elements in stock for more than 100 years without making any attempt to replace them with fertiliser. This is a serious matter. This is theft pure and simple. (The safely of gm crops cannot be assured either). This theft inevitably weakens the ecosystems and sabotages the natural essential element recycling systems. It inevitably reduces the nett primary productivity of the ecosystems. The fire regimes imposed by the industry have also caused a loss of nutrients to the atmosphere. Soil compaction, trampling and grazing have also damaged the soil and the hydrology, and blocked the recruitment of new trees. In many places it seems that run-off of rain water has increased by a factor of 10, so that the infiltration of water into the soil ( and to some extend down to the underground water supply) has been reduced to one tenth of what it was. Central Australia holds the Guinesses Book of Records, record for the most mammal extinctions on the planet in modern time. Cattle did not co-evolve with the Australian biota and its ecosystems in antiquity. Inevitably they are parasitic grit in the machinery of our ecosystem. How could it be otherwise ? There is a grave conflict between the fire regimes required to conserve biological diversity (and ecological integrity) and the fire regimes that suit the pastoralists. Inadequate and unsatisfactory fire management seems to be an inevitable side effect of the pastoral occupation of the land. We should cut our ecological losses and shut the industry down now. The industry is not ecologically sustainable, and it is not economically viable. It is an anachronism in modern Australia. The fact that cattle stations in Northern Australia have been un-profitable for the last 5 years or so has recently been reported by the ABC. What we should be doing is working out how to replace the fire management role of the industry and organise appropriate compensation for the lessees when the industry is closed down. Read more on "Flogging a dead horse" is a horrible expression, but the live export exposure of gross mis-managment, secrecy and hiding of sadistic abuse of animals should be the sign of just how unsustainable and unethical the NT pastoral grazing industry really is.

Hello Vivienne,

Your link to 'Read more on The pastoral industry in the Northern Territory is ecologically unsustainable' has been compromised.
If you have the original source please re-post; as we all know how our governments tend to hide inconvenient environmental facts.

Thanks.

Tigerquoll
Suggan Buggan
Snowy River Region
Victoria 3885
Australia

This is a report from an Israeli Newspaper, suggesting that MP Danny Danon, of Melbourne Ports, who has a portfolio that includes immigration, is going to propose that Israel off-load Muslim illegal immigrants who have found their way to Israel. The reason for his proposal is apparently mostly because he believes that Muslims in Israel would threaten the Jewish state. He seems to be acting like Australia is some kind of dumping ground. Why is he an MP here? From the Jerusalem Post Fri, Jul 8, 2011:
""Danny Danon: Send African migrants to Australia By LAHAV HARKOV 06/30/2011 16:35 Likud MK and Australian MP discuss "humane solution" for thousands of 'Muslim infiltrators' in Israel: Send them to live down under. MK Danny Danon (Likud) asked Australian MP Michael Danby on Wednesday to propose, in parliament in Canberra, sending African migrants from Israel to Australia. Danon and Danby discussed the issue during the Australian politician’s visit to Israel for the World Jewish Congress’s International Conference of Jewish Parliamentarians. [RELATED: African migrants, activists hold World Refugee Day rally Gov’t: Number of African migrants reaches high for 2011] “The arrival of thousands of Muslim infiltrators to Israeli territory is a clear threat to the state’s Jewish identity,” Danon told The Jerusalem Post. “The refugees’ place is not among us, and the initiative to transfer them to Australia is the right and just solution. “On the one hand, it treats the refugees and migrants in a humane way. On the other hand, it does not threaten Israel’s future and our goal to maintain a clear and solid Jewish majority,” he explained. Danon said Danby enthusiastically agreed to present the idea to the Australian Parliament. Danby was not available for comment, however, as he was in-flight on his way back to Australia. According to the Knesset’s Research and Information Center, there were 35,638 migrants in Israel as of May. Fewer than 1 percent are recognized by the UN as refugees. Some 61% of the migrants – 21,748 people – are Eritrean, however, and categorized as members of a “temporary humanitarian protection group” by the UN, because they cannot be returned safely to their home country due to internal strife." “Since Australia has a policy of accepting refugees and groups under protection, I would appreciate it if you could promote a solution in which Australia would accept those who seeking refuge,” Danon wrote in a letter to the MP from Melbourne following their meeting.

I wrote a book and published it a couple of years ago in 2009 about smoking and pollution. I've now given up smoking myself, and may cannibalise my own book for an update. The upshot was that people cause pollution - which in a round about way, I think Dick Smith is saying, in his book, Population Crisis - which Sheila Newman discusses here on Can Do Better. I think Dick will need to sell around 12,000,000 copies in Australia - assuming that every person of child bearing age is interested in keeping the population (and thereby, pollution) down. Not if one's hormones have anything to do with it! ... Eh??? It is neither the heart nor the head which rules.. it's hormones ! . Well, Dick (excuse the double entendre here ... I'm referring to Mr Smith) what've you got to say to that? Dick invites someone under 30 to come up with a solution to population explosion ( I think I saw this written amidst the blurb?). That's like telling a ball not to roll down the hill, isn't it? But Dick's right ~ button up your pants, cross your legs, folks and think of England! Perhaps there's a refugee boat heading somewhere with more available room now that... oh well.. you never know ~ perhaps we underestimate our young. Keeping themselves is hard enough - God knows, they're too self centred to want to keep anyone else... there's hope yet! Fingers crossed (and legs) that the Population Explosion is merely the figment of some old wowser's angst.

All of the issues on this site are very serious, and Can Do Better provides us with the opportunity in a great forum to discuss many of our mutual concerns. However, sometimes a bit of levity can do what a lot of 'brow beating' fails to do ~ I hope that my fellow comrades enjoy a bit of light relief from the above piece. Yours Respectfully Agent Provocateur

On June 25, six indigenous activists were reportedly killed and dozens more wounded when Peruvian police opened fire on a 4000-strong crowd occupying the Manco Capac airport in the city of Juliaca. On the same day, a mining concession granted to Vancouver-based Bear Creek Mining was annulled by the Peruvian government. The English language press misconstrued the massacre as having been related directly to Bear Creek, when in fact protesters there were protesting other mining projects and a proposed mega-dam. There are no environmental policies, no social justice considerations, and little of the wealth trickles down to the traditional landowners. Departing President Alan Garcia, whose tenure has been marred by conflicts over natural resources that have killed nearly 100 people over the past three years, said the mostly indigenous protesters were making a show of force to get a slice of power in the government of President-elect Ollanta Humala, who takes office on July 28 - a very narrow win! In Peru, “development” means mining at the expense of local agriculturalists the hardy, resourceful people who support themselves at near subsistence level. They have been consistently undermined by the Lima-based governing class through two decades of “free market” policies. This economic growth has done nothing to help the citizens of Peru reach out towards 21st century living conditions. There are many still living in the dark-ages of lack of sanitation, power, water, schools and health care. Another round of bloodshed brings the number of documented killings in recent days to nine. There are not human rights in Peru, supposedly a modern country making economic progress. These protesters are protecting their territory from invading and polluting foreign mining companies. The poverty in Peru is extreme, despite economic growth and mining profits. The killing of protesters is simply a total abuse of human rights and environmental destruction.

Radiation from Chernobyl was found in many parts of the world in birds that traveled through the site’s exclusion zone, senior research professor emeritus I. Lehr Brisbin said, and birds flying along Japan’s coastline could be similarly affected. Radioecologists trying to define the extent of species mutations or population changes will need good data on bird migration routes. Studies found birds contaminated in Chernobyl winter in North Africa, the Mediterranean and southern Europe. The Fukushima incident, Brisbin said, also underscores the need for education programs in radioecology, the study of how radiation affects the environment. Along with the radiation that was found in the air, radiation from Fukushima’s reactors was also found in the water and milk of some cities in Washington. There are revelations that at least one of Fukushima's reactors suffered sufficient damage from the earthquake that hit the region ... prior to the tsunami! The Japanese government has warned that unless more reactors are restarted the country might experience power shortages. What is surprising is that Japan itself, despite the fact that it is the one hit by nuclear disaster, rejected the proposal to exit nuclear energy. UAE and Iran are also in favor of nuclear energy. In Australia, the former chair of Austrialian Nuclear Science and technology organisation, Ziggy Switkowski and Australia federal minister for Resources, Martin Ferguson support nuclear energy. Martin Ferguson had said that Australia's ability to meet its energy needs would not be sabotaged by the Fukushima disaster. Read more: ">Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident may not Sabotage the World Energy Needs of 8 Jul 11 at  ">http://technorati.com/politics/article/japan-fukushima-nuclear-accident-... "Big Australia" will mean the failure of the carbon tax to reduce carbon emissions, and nuclear power as inevitable!

My curiosity for a reason for by virtually all of the 'Marxist' left in Australia and elsewhere led me to do online research about what these groups are doing, or not doing, these days, that is when they are not baiting opponents of immigration as 'racist', stacking meetings of other organisations such as or the Tasmanian Unemployed Union's nut shop as they did in 1984.

I discovered a "journal of socialist renewal". I hope to be able to learn, from its pages, how socialism in Australia, a country for which socialism has always, in recent decades, surely been a viable political program, ever faltered and needed 'renewing'.

Prominently displayed in the current issue of the Australian 'socialist' magazine is a celebrating the 30th anniversary of the mass protests against the New Zealand tour of the South African white-only Springbok Rugby Union team. At the time our televisions were full of images of radical students confronting lines of New Zealand police as well as spectacular actions on the football stadeums themselves to embarass the Springboks and the New Zealand Rugby Union board.

The protest helped further isolate the white-supremacist South African government leading to its , and replacement with today's multi-party South African government. This was definitely an advancement for humanity, but according to Chapter 10 Democracy born in chains (pp194-217) of Naomi Klein's of 2007 brought mixed blessings brought to black, coloured and white South Africans by the government committed to 'free market' reforms.

So what of the effects of the protests in New Zealand itself and the South Pacific?

Political theory, espoused by 'Marxist' organisations such as the Socialist Workers Party of Australia as the producers of links.org.au were then known, holds that radical protests will inevitably radicalise broader layers of society and make more likely the transition from capitalism to socialism and a more just and rational society. Yet in New Zealand, precisely the reverse happened in subsequent years. To be sure, the protests led to the downfall of the Conservative Government of Robert Muldoon, but if, anything, the replacement 'Labour' Government of David Lange was economically far to the right. The on Davide Lange describes his government's record:

Upon coming to office, Lange's government uncovered a skyrocketing public debt, ostensibly the result of Muldoon's policy of government regulation of the economy, including a wage- and price-freeze and regulation of the . Such economic conditions prompted Lange to remark: "We ended up being run very similarly to a ".-2">[3] Lange and engaged in a rapid programme of deregulation and public-asset sales, which brought criticism from many people in Labour's traditional support-base. The Labour Party also lost support from many elderly people by introducing a after having promised not to reduce superannuation.

Commentators coined the term for these policies, drawing connections with and with . After the Lange administration's first term (1984–1987), significant divisions started to form in the Labour parliamentary , with Lange becoming uncomfortable with the extent of the reforms, while Douglas and wanted to push on.

The Shock Doctrine could have also used a chapter on the Lange' Government. A question that could have been addressed was what was done during those years by all those who had protested so fiercely for social justice during 1981? Did they lose their voices as Lange was privatising the wealth the belonged to them or were they co-opted into working for Lange and the vested interests they served?

Another question that could have been addressed is whether other means to protest against the Springbok tour could have been found? Clearly the violent confrontations between radical protestors and police were not good publicity for Muldoon, The New Zealand Rugby board and the Apartheid regime of South Africa, but supposing the anti-Apartheid protestors had found less confrontational ways to get their message out? In all likelihood, I suspect participation in the protests would have been greater and larger numbers of New Zealanders would have gained a political education and have been less willing to tolerate the Rogernomics that was imposed upon them in subsequent years.

Protesters will walk into the logging exclusion zone at Sylvia Creek, near Toolangi, in a bid to stop logging work. Mr Chamberlain, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society, said the area included mountain ash trees which were home to the endangered Leadbeater's possum, Victoria's animal emblem. Victoria’s Central Highlands, an hour north of Melbourne have suffered years of bushfires, destructive salvage logging and reckless logging for woodchips to be made into Reflex paper products. What irony! Julia Gillard will spend millions on advertising the carbon tax, and consumers will suffer paying more for power, but our State government will release copious amounts of stored sequestered carbon into the atmosphere and destroy old growth trees for short-term financial benefits! We are in the hands of a vandalistic State government with no scruples or environmental credentials whatsoever! These trees take centuries to grow, and nothing about their destruction is "sustainable"! Most of these ancient trees will be wood-chipped to make Reflex paper.

Thank you, Bandicoot, for telling us about where that cheap paper you buy at Officeworks comes from. Does anyone know of paper that is made from Australian plantation timber? I would rather pay for that.

According to the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the forest being logged contains critically endangered Leadbeaters Possum, rainforest of state significance and Mountain Ash tree. "Save Sylvia (creek)" was launched in order to protect a beautiful piece of unburnt Old Growth forest just 500 metres from Wirra Willa. A popular tourist destination and old rainforest. It's yet another unburnt forest being chopped for Australian papers REFLEX copy paper. There are ferns in the understorey that could be as old as from the 13th century AD. These towering ferns are 8-10 metres tall and occur alongside the endangered Tree Geebung and old Mountain Pepper. How could this be in any sense "sustainable"? They can't grow back within even centuries! Acting Premier: Ms Asher or call her and let her know what you think: 03 9596 9680 Preliminary studies have found the forests meet Leadbeaters Habitat Zone. Victoria is under the control of big business interests and corporations that are undermining the interests of the public, and democratic processes. Common sense and enlightened environmental knowledge and understanding should be the priority in these times, yet we still have State governments vandalizing our heritage and pushing species further to extinction.

It seems that decades after we were promised that computerisation would lead to the "paperless office", if anything, it seems, instead, to have led to an astronomical increase in the consumption of paper, particularly Reflex A4 copy paper made from chopped Victorian rainforests referred to by Vivienne. An office cleaner, I know spends much of his day throwing out large volumes of out-of-date glossy printed material. It is time that Government offices and private offices had a closer look at their printing practices. They should ask: Is it really necessary to print out, in such large volumes, material that most recipients would be able to read from their computer screens anyway? Whilst a totally paperless office may not be a realisable ideal, we could certainly should have been able to go a long way further towards reducing the amount of printing which is helping Reflex to profit so much at the expense of our rainforests and their inhabitants.

MEDIA RELEASE Anger as logging begins at controversial Sylvia Creek forest near Melbourne Friday, 22 July 2011 VicForests has sent the chainsaws into the Sylvia Creek forest on Melbourne’s north east fringe, despite conceding that the area contains old-growth trees more than 110 years old. Over 100 people protested at the site near Toolangi last weekend, forcing both VicForests and the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to conduct new surveys to check the forest’s environmental values. “DSE has confirmed the logging coupe contains old growth trees, even though VicForests and Government Minister Louise Asher insisted last week that it was not old growth forest,” said Wilderness Society forest campaigner Luke Chamberlain. "We demand an acknowledgment from the then Acting Premier that she has either been deceived by VicForests or she herself has misled the public. Louise Asher must apologise to the people of Toolangi." “As a result of community action, VicForests has been forced to remove three hectares of old growth and rainforest from their logging plans, but they have sent the chainsaws into the remaining forest today.” DSE and VicForests claim that the area being logged is not suitable habitat for the endangered Leadbeater's Possum, but expert scientists and conservationists disagree. “Over half the Leadbeater's Possum’s forest habitat was destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires, so every last bit that survives is incredibly precious, and essential to this tiny animals’ survival,” said spokesperson for local group ‘My Environment’ Sarah Rees. “The criteria the government is using to identify Leadbeater's Possum habitat are too conservative. We’re talking about Victoria’s wildlife emblem, we should be making sure they multiply and flourish, not simply cling on to the edge of survival.” “The local community is up in arms about losing this beautiful, high conservation value forest, and is planning further protests.” The Burned Area Emergency Response Report (BAER) commissioned by the Brumby Government after the 2009 bushfires recommended preserving refuge areas such as those in Toolangi for biodiversity recovery. Note: photos of Leadbeater's Possum available on request For comment - Luke Chamberlain, The Wilderness Society 0424 098 729 - Sarah Rees, My Environment Inc. 0438 368 870 Our State government is showing complete disregard for community concerns, for the intrinsic biodiversity value of these old-growth trees, and for wildlife that is being pushed further towards extinction. The forests may have survived Black Saturday, but vandalism with chain saws might be beyond their ability to endure and survive,

A large contingent of police and DSE officers arrived early this morning. It looks as though warnings will be given and arrests made. Logging is likely to resume today. The Tree-sit has been cleared and logging of Gun Barrel Coupe has recommenced. An emergency community meeting is planned for this evening (Tuesday) at 7:00pm, at the C J Dennis Hall, Main Road, Toolangi. This is to discuss what the community wishes to do next so no press,no pollies.

Wilderness Society Victoria are planning a sit-in in Premier Baillieu's office tomorrow, where they will be refusing to leave until they have a meeting with him. The intention is to call on Baillieu to put an immediate halt to logging in Toolangi. The meeting is at the Wilderness Society's office at 9:45am sharp tomorrow morning for a briefing before carpooling out to his office in Campberwell to begin the sit in at 11am. Carpooling available - contact Pia M: 0412 739 201 Address: Level 2, 288 Brunswick Street Fitzroy Victoria 3065

When Ted Baillieu became Premier, he promise "transparent and common-sense" government. In Opposition, Mr Baillieu promised his Government would be open, transparent and accountable but the reality has been very different. Instead, this Government has been shutting down questioning, dodging issues and stifling attempts of the public to explain policies. Today, instead of a meeting to discuss forestry, he and the staff at Ted Baillieu's office decided to shut the doors to the voting public! At least the media were able to expose their secrecy and lies. If they had no secrets, then they would not need to hide from the public.

I received thee following e-mail from Christine Pruneaux of the .

Hello Everyone,

A very special update, because Council will be making a 30 year decision tomorrow night (Wednesday) at Kyneton Town Hall, 7.00pm.

The Macedon Ranges Settlement Strategy is up for decision, and it will be there until 2036. This document affects everyone in the Shire, so MRRA is urging people to get to the Council meeting.

We have taken the unusual step of including our report on this issue in this email, as well as posting it on our website That’s how important we think this issue is.

We have also included contact details (below) for Councillors by the wards and towns they represent, and encourage you to send your thoughts to your Councillors.

Please help let people know by forwarding this message to your networks.

Kind regards,

Christine Pruneau

Humans can be extremely selfish and unkind. The University of Queensland is continuing terminal surgical procedures on unclaimed homeless animals from shelters for use in dissection and vivisection, despite a recommendation from the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (AWAC) that the practice be stopped. Please urge them to switch to non-animal teaching methods immediately by using the link below! Thanks in advance for your action for animals!

According to the Department of Sustainability and Environment, the old growth forest at Toolangi contains critically endangered Leadbeaters Possum, rainforest of state significance and senescent Mountain Ash trees. There are ferns in the understorey that could be as old as from the 13th century AD. Preliminary studies have found the forests meet Leadbeaters Habitat Zone 1a. However, logging continues at Sylvia Creek. With our state government culpable of environmental vandalism and forcing endangered species further towards extinction, how are the public meant to respect it? Lawlessness from the top means hypocrisy and those in government show little example to follow, or role-model. This area survived Black Saturday, and the BAER report recommended that it be protected from logging. However, it falls on deaf ears of our Baillieu government! They have betrayed their integrity for profits, and short-term ism at its worst. Their vandalism sets a very poor precedent for the public to follow. We are encouraged to save water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recycle, but at the same time all the sequestered carbon from these trees, and their ability to absorb it, is being eradicated! Shame on our State government, and they are no better than Brumby! Email Premier Ted Baillieu:

Our government won't be keen to have the extent of homelessness revealed by the census. The rate of population growth, due to our Ponzi property investment and growth-based economy, means those who are down the bottom of the pyramid, the vulnerable, become dispossessed and discarded while those at the top skim the wealth from society for themselves. While the "immigration" debate is cleverly distracted by the asylum seekers, economic immigration creates greater competition for housing and jobs, and thus higher house prices and lower wages. In South Australia alone, the population has more than tripled in 95 years from 408,558 in 1911 to 1,514,337 in 2006, but this is only one tiny statistic the census has been able to tell us. The numbers of homeless people in Victoria has increased by 13.8 percent from 17,840 in 1996 to 20,305 people in 2001. With the latest census figures suggesting more than 20,500 people are at present homeless in Victoria, the government is preparing to overhaul the way agencies assisting the homeless are funded - with public money! Like the indigenous peoples before us, the vulnerable and powerless are being dispossessed from land ownership, and the basic human right to shelter. The "Lucky country" has become history!

Australia should learn from the woes and social unrest of London, and the decline of the USA. We have been sold the wonderful economic benefits of "diversity" and multiculturalism, but once the mainstream get overwhelmed by sub cultures and become alienated by overpopulation of new-comers and various foreign cultures, society becomes fragmented and disoriented. The costs of social security payments in the UK must be massive, and the cuts are hurting. People like to live in harmonious societies, and mix with like-minded people. It builds nations and cements people together. Diversity can be stimulating and beneficial, but an economy based on perpetual growth -for growth's sake - is misanthropic and damaging socially and economically.

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