Miscellaneous comments from 8 October 2011

Sat, 2011-10-08 00:47 by admin

If you have anything you would like to raise, which is likely to be of interest to our site's visitors, which is not addressed by other articles, please add your comments here.

Comments made on previous "Miscellaneous comments" page from 22 May can be found here.

Topic:

Comments

Geoffrey Taylor

Sat, 2011-10-08 01:31

From links.org.au, web-site of Green Left on 4 October 2011:

Too Many People? provides a clear, well-documented and popularly written refutation of the idea that "overpopulation" is a major cause of environmental destruction, arguing that a focus on human numbers not only misunderstands the causes of the crisis, it dangerously weakens the movement for real solutions. No other book challenges modern overpopulation theory so clearly and comprehensively, providing invaluable insights for activists and environmental scholars alike.

Ian Angus is editor of Climate and Capitalism, an online journal focusing on capitalism, climate change and the ecosocialist alternative. His previous books include Canadian Bolsheviks and The Global Fight for Climate Justice.

Simon Butler, a climate justice activist based in Sydney, Australia, is co-editor of Green Left Weekly, the country's leading source of anti-capitalist news, analysis, discussion and debate.

Reviews

"This excellent book is steadfast in its refutations of the flabby, misogynist and sometimes racist thinking that population growth catastrophists use to peddle their claims. It's just the thing to send populationists scurrying back to their bunkers."
—Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved

"How did apparently progressive greens and defenders of the underprivileged turn into people-haters, convinced of the evils of over-breeding among the world's poor? How did they come to believe the 200-year-old myths of a right-wing imperialist friend of Victorian mill-owners? It's a sorry story, told here with verve and anger."
—Fred Pearce, author of Peoplequake

... etc. etc.

CSI (not verified)

Sat, 2011-10-08 08:40

Unfortunately much of the environmental movement seems to have been taken over by Marxists and Marxist thinking. That even seems to include the mainstream Green party. Marxism and environmentalism are wholly incompatible. Principally, Marxists seem to believe more people are always good, the world is almost empty and can support many more people, by science and technology nature must be remade so it can support more people, the strength of the working class is in their growing numbers and that population control is a plot by the wealthy classes to weaken the working class. That's the impression I get from perusing Marxist literature, I'm sure someone who has studied this in detail could explain further.

Sheila Newman

Sat, 2011-10-08 11:23

Marxism is a reaction to Capitalism and has the same values and beliefs about progress and material wealth, just differs on distribution. Marxists, like Capitalists, believe that humans can always find what they need through new technology.

They are industrial-scale movements that find their power in cities and do not value localities and environment any more than they value local self-government.

There was a third way, led by Bakunin, called Anarchism, which tried to defend local lands, traditions and populations, but it fell under the wheels of the other two behemoths.

Communists could have stopped the rise of Nazism but infiltrators interfered. They could also have stopped Hitlers' forces in Italy and Greece, but the allies (Brits etc) failed to help them.

I personally feel that relocalisation is our only hope. That is really what anarchism is although most people have been indoctrinated with a very wierd idea of what anarchism is.

Relocalisation relies on emotional and geographical closeness to locality and the right to local self-government with delegation of power in cooperation with other communities. Such a system can preserve environment where industrial systems simply overlook it.

Sheila Newman

Geoffrey Taylor's reply has been adapted to become the article All humankind loved by population growth pushers ... except Libyans?. - Ed

Anonymous (not verified)

Sat, 2011-10-08 09:21

"How did apparently progressive greens and defenders of the underprivileged turn into people-haters, convinced of the evils of over-breeding among the world's poor?"

  • overpopulation is misanthropic - and the plight of the Horn of Africa and the threats to Tuvalu are warning signs
  • as for people-hating? The human urge to dominate, spread, consume and reproduce to unrealistic levels is a sign of collective self-annihilation. It's a self-destructive gene, inherent in our DNA, that needs to be reined in, for our benefit.
  • either we as humans control our numbers, or let Nature do it for us. The first is confronting, but the alternative is ugly.
  • The conflict between the environmental conservation and/or people and their reproductive urges should be renewed and revisited to one of cooperation, co-dependence and harmonious cooperation.

Bandicoot

Mon, 2011-10-10 13:13

TOWNSHIP OF LARA CARE GROUP INC (T.L.C)

Request your presence at a large public rally organised by Green Wedges Coalition in support with other concerned groups to reinforce the message to Minister Guy to:

PROTECT SERENDIP SANCTUARY, LARA from high density housing

PROTECT LARA AND LITTLE RIVER’S RURAL LAND /GREEN WEDGE BOUNDARIES FROM THE THRUST OF INAPPROPRIATE DEVELOPMENT

PUBLIC RALLY
WEDNESDAY 12TH OCTOBER 1PM

STATE PARLIAMENT STEPS (cnr Bourke & Spring St)
We are still waiting for the Minister’s decision to overturn Geelong Council’s shameful decision approving Amend.C73 to enable development opposite Serendip Sanctuary, jeopardising not only the Sanctuary and its wildlife, but also setting a dangerous precedent for “open slather development “in our rural land.
Make your presence and voice heard.

Bring a sign/placard.
See you there….
TLCGROUP LARA

Brimbanker (not verified)

Fri, 2011-10-14 21:24

Draft Biodiversity Strategy Consultation Period Oct 10 - Nov 2 2011 http://www.brimbank.vic.gov.au/News/News_and_Updates/Draft_Biodiversity_Strategy_Consultation_Period_Oct_10_-_Nov_2_2011 Tuesday 4 October, 2011 Have your say about Brimbank’s ‘Plants and Animals’ Brimbank City Council’s draft Biodiversity Strategy, which provides a plan to protect and enhance our natural areas over the next 10 years, is now available for community feedback. The strategy has been developed as part of Council’s commitment to protect, maintain and enhance biodiversity within the municipality as identified within the Brimbank Community Plan (2009 - 2030). These natural areas which are scattered throughout Brimbank provide us with a snapshot of the plants and animals that were once widespread across the area and in fact across a large area of Western Victoria. Many of these significant plants and animals have been recognised and are protected by State and Federal government legislation. The strategy will assist the Council to implement measures to ensure we continue to protect and improve the quality and quantity of these natural areas and look for opportunities to connect these sites through natural corridors ensuring the long term sustainability of the native species and vegetation communities. Most importantly, we will continue to foster greater community understanding and connection with our significant natural areas which will continue to create and build on the active participation and ownership already shown by the wider Brimbank community. Get Involved Workshop One: October 19 2011 6:30pm-8:00pm Brimbank City Council - Keilor Municipal Offices 704B Old Calder Highway Keilor 3036 Melway Map 14 H5. Workshop Two: October 27 2011 7.00pm-8:30pm Glengala Community Centre. Corner Simmie Street and Glengala Road West Sunshine 3020 Melway Map 40 E2. Please note: Light refreshment will be provided. Further Information Draft Biodiversity StrategyDraft Biodiversity Strategy Community Consultation BrochureDraft Biodiversity Strategy Technical Reference Provide your comments by: Completing our questionnaire Comments can also be made in writing by 5pm on November 2nd 2011: Submission to draft Biodiversity Strategy Environment Department Brimbank City Council PO Box 70 Sunshine VIC 3020 Or email comments to [email protected] For further information or to RSVP for the Workshops please contact our Biodiversity Officer on 9249 4905 or email [email protected]

nimby (not verified)

Wed, 2011-10-19 08:51

The mining protest in Bacchus Marsh is not only a case of not-in-my-backyard, but should be not-in-anyone's-backyard. About 120 people have attended a meeting at Bacchus Marsh west of Melbourne (Tuesday 18th Oct) to try to stop a mining company from taking over their land for an open-cut coalmine. Residents now fear Mantle will apply for a full mining licence to exploit the coal, which it would export to India. West Australian company Mantle Mining has said it's discovered a huge seam of brown coal under a farming community in Parwan, just outside Bacchus Marsh. This is supposed to be an age of "clean" energy? How can Mantle Mining be in the early stages of exploration in the area, with plans to begin mining? Even if they have legal mining rights to coal under private property, it is impossible and unethical to access it without permission from the owners. No financial compensation to owners would be adequate if they lose their peace, lifestyles, and the food-producing potential of the area. But West Australian company Mantle Mining could have a fight on its hands, with the local community bitterly opposed to its plans for an open-cut mine. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/not-in-our-backyard-locals-tell-upbeat... Under the Brumby government, Victoria’s Minister for Energy and Resources Peter Batchelor ruled out an Exergen plan of exporting up to 12 million tonnes of Latrobe Valley brown coal to India. Now the Baillieu is considering the retrograde step of opening the door to the export of greenhouse gas emissions. Premier Baillieu condescendingly sympathised with the land-owners, but apparently personal rights to protect rural businesses and fertile farming land should "not at the expense of the state's economic interests"! Victoria's "economic interests" should be based on much-needed 21st century innovation, knowledge-based investments, food production, well-managed investments in natural resources, and clean renewable energy. Our State's economy shouldn't rely on extreme and counterproductive industries that sacrifice long-term sustainability for short-term gain. The Coalition went to the Victorian elections without an environmental policy - and their retrograde policies are evidence of it.

Sheila Newman

Thu, 2011-10-20 10:08

"Waratah Coal's Environmental Impact Statement says 52 per cent of the refuge would become an open-cut mine and the remaining 48 per cent could be affected by subsidence from long-wall mining."

For full article go to: http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/Anger-Palmer-threatens-nature-abc-2134511312.html?x=0
A massive coal mining project in central Queensland has set off a debate about the future of one of the nation's land conservation schemes.

If approved, Clive Palmer's Galilee Basin proposal would be the first mine to be allowed in a nature refuge.

Half of it will become an open cut mine, while the other half will be significantly affected by long-wall mining.
[...]

Standing in the mine's way is the Bimblebox Nature Refuge, set up by local landowner Paolo Cassoni.

The prospect of the Waratah mine has horrified Mr Cassoni, who signed the land over as a refuge in the belief it would be protected forever.

"We've seen a lot of land clearing and probably central-west and central Queensland had the worst land-clearing right of Australia, and so we decided to buy a property and to secure it from land clearing.

That property was Bimblebox," he said.

A nature refuge is a voluntary but legally binding agreement between the State Government and a landholder to preserve land with significant conservation values.

[...]
Queensland's Department of Environment website states that the intent of a nature refuge agreement is permanent protection, and termination can only be enacted under exceptional circumstances.

Mr Cassoni is concerned the mine will create a precedent [...]

"Mine is the first to go under the chop if you like.

There's another 54, I think, for exploration, flash mining lease for coal and 54 other minerals," he said.[...]

[...]

A spokesman for Mr Palmer declined the ABC's request for an interview.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke issued a statement saying: "I understand there is some community concern around the proposed development.

The proposal is now open for public comment.

[...]Queensland Environment Minister Vicky Darling was not available for comment.

Bandicoot

Fri, 2011-10-21 13:32

The 5th annual World Go Vegan Week is taking place this year from October 24th through 31st. (with In Defense of Animals) The vegan lifestyle is picking up steam; celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, Alicia Silverstone, Lea Michele, Carrie Underwood, Emily Deschanel, Tobey Maguire, and Bill Clinton, among many others, have all made this compassionate and healthy lifestyle choice. Give it a try for at least one week. The animals, the environment, and your health can only benefit from your compassionate choice. Click here for more information on the vegan lifestyle. Veganism enables people to live in balance with all of Earth's creatures and promote freedom from exploitation for animals as part of their everyday lives. Modern animal agriculture is cruel and violent toward the chickens, cows, pigs and other creatures used to make meat, milk and eggs.

Anonymous (not verified)

Sat, 2011-10-22 18:51

On Friday, October 21, 2011, Chris DeRose, president and founder of Last Chance for Animals (LCA), was the only guest (non-shareholder or media), invited by Rupert Murdoch himself, to attend the News Corporation's annual general meeting. DeRose was given almost five after which Murdoch replied "yes" to all three of the following questions. -Will you publicly condemn Australia's live animal export? -Will News Corporation allow a forum for a fair and impartial voice through your media outlets? -Can I have a contact person to talk to so that we can get that kind of dialog going in Australia? DeRose also added, "You're the one single individual who can make a difference on the issue." LCA's position is that some of the papers owned by News Corporation print defamatory and inaccurate stories that are anti-animal and anti-activist, particularly on the issue of live animal export. Murdoch is a powerful man whose voice could end the unnecessary suffering of millions of animals. Last Chance for Animals website: http://www.lcanimal.org/

Sheila Newman

Sat, 2011-10-22 23:31

Interesting. I have found The Australian to be quite uninterested in humane treatment of other species. I seem to recall that at the time people first became aware of the treatment of Chinese bears for bile, the Australian had almost nothing to say about it.

Mary D. (not verified)

Mon, 2011-10-24 10:19

WELL I AM A NIMBY AND PROUD OF IT. AND I HAVE YET TO FIND ANYONE WHO IS NOT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. Face it, if you like where you live you have a right to look after it. Actually I am worse I am a NIABY - Not in anybody's back yard and if they don’t want it I will help them fight it. [Ed. Mary Drost wrote this comment in response to the biased and contrived article in the Age (see link below) which reported on some planning modeling which, of course, ruled out the democratic option of stopping accelerated population growth and targeted so-called NIMBYs for standing up for the peoples' rights. The article pretended that developers (the ones who push for population growth, were defending some kind of planning process for affordable housing. They are not and the article is very dishonest.) The true cost of NIMBYism of 19 Oct 11 by Jessica Irvine at http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-true-cost-of-nimbyism-2011... Mary Drost

Anonymous (not verified)

Mon, 2011-10-24 19:12

The authour of this post is actually nimby but for some curious reason the Drupal content management system (cms) in use by this site prevents me from being able to set the author to 'nimby', even though nimby originally posted this elsewhere as 'nimby'. This has been reposted from where it was originally posted as a comment to the story Occupy Melbourne, Sydney ... movements may be real chance for democracy . A flaw in the (outdated) version of Drupal cms in use by this site prevents it from properly handling more than 30 comments to the page. I intend to rectify this problem by upgrading Drupal to a more current version (6.* or 7.*). Please make further posts here about Occupy Melbourne. My apologies, nimby, for the delay from 7.34AM in re-posting. - Ed, 7:21PM AEDT, 24 Oct 11.

Nimby has now advised me; "... they actually DID post the comment on the Occupy Melbourne website after all." That's why the title of this post has been changed from "Occupy Melbourne CENSORED ME on Population Growth - Ed, 25 Oct

Update (10:05PM AEDT, 26 Oct): As we have learnt from nimby below, her comment has been unpublished from Occupy Melbourne after all., so we republish below, nimby's original post, which complained of the earlier removal of her post. - Ed, 25 Oct

Nimby's original post on this page

This was originally posted at 6:12PM on 24 October and was unpublished at nimby's request after she learnt that her post on Occupy Melbourne have been published after all. Now that nimby's post on Occupy Melbourne has been removed again, I am now republishing nimby's original post. - Ed, 26 Oct

I put up a comment on population growth displacing young people and causing financial woes, but it was not published. Unless the Occupy Melbourne face up to the un-politically correct but obvious, courageously, ie the fallout from our boosted population growth rate, then they will be another ineffectual group, tinkering around the edges of issues. Developers and other influential big businesses have access to governments due to political donations, and economic power.

nimby (not verified)

Wed, 2011-10-26 04:43

Some of the topic of the Occupy Melbourne are: Money, Banking & Economics Internet Security for Activists Indigenous Communities & Mining Environment discussion group Renewable Energy forum Refugees & Australian politics Economic Inequality Legal information Education discussion group Becoming a Conscious Co-Creator Unions and Social Change (not population growth) They did print my comment, after a delay, then TOOK IT OFF! They are obviously feeling uncomfortable about the topic of population growth! Surely a few of the above topics can't be discussed without relating them to the impacts of our boosted population growth rate?

Sheila Newman

Wed, 2011-10-26 11:18

Okay, it seems that our internationally-linked movement that is supposed to represent democracy, really is refusing to deal with the one topic that affects everything and unites most Australians. They will deal with refugees, but not with the massive imposition of recolonisation by economic immigrants which is undermining our industrial conditions and housing, and which drives the unsustainable population growth that is removing our ecological envelope. Who is dominating this discussion? How are they getting away with it? If this is correct, this Occupy Melbourne movement is only toeing the government line - so we still need a real Occupy Melbourne movement. Articles please.

quark

Wed, 2011-10-26 16:29

The apparent unwillingness of Occupy Melbourne to even include a comment on population on their blog spot highlights the difficulty of organising on a grand scale against the hopeless overpopulated future which is being laid down for us. Occupy Melbourne protesters would have much in common with those who care about the environment and who can see that unending population growth and development are undermining democracy, creating scarcity of resources and will make it impossible to preserve our heritage. If Occupy Melbourne is blinkered on or intimidated by the subject of population they will be very limited in scope . This is a huge stumbling block in opposing the forces that are stealing our future .

Geoffrey Taylor

Wed, 2011-10-26 20:06

I think if we had a closer look at the track record of many groups who support population growth and are helping to turn the plight of the boat people into a smokescreen for high immigration it would be clear that it could not be for reasons of compassion for the plight of their fellow human beings. Since NATO's illegal war against Libya began in March 2011, Australia's "far left" political parties have been astonishingly quiet.

Geoffrey Taylor

Tue, 2011-10-25 12:31

Embedded below is a speech also broadcast from YouTube and Global Watch TV (also includes longer article by speaker, "Is an Attempted Citizen's Arrest of War Criminal George W. Bush 'a Criminal Act'? ") in which journalist and scholar Joshua Blakeney addresses Occupy Vancouver rally. He points out the Canadian Government is obliged under its own law passed in 2000 to arrest and prosecute any war criminals and torturers on Canadian soil. Amnesty International had also requested of the Canadian Government that it arrest George Bush for crimes he has committed against humanity. Although some on the stage including the saxophone player tried to disrupt his talk, Blakeney was cheered by the crowd and his motion put to the crowd was carried.

James Sinnamon

Wed, 2011-10-26 12:25

The following is what I posted to the web page of ABC local Melbourne Radio presenter Jon Fain this morning: How Jon Faine, of all people, with his legal qualifications, failed to grasp that the cruel cold-blooded murder of the surrendered combatant Muammar Gaddafi was a violation of the Geneva Convention is beyond me. On Monday Morning, either knowing the circumstances of Gaddafi's cruel murder, or having failed to inform himself of them, he celebrated Gaddafi's death. Either way, he has shown himself unfit to broadcast for the ABC or to hold legal qualifications. This is only one example of Jon Faine's violation of basic journalistic ethics in his one-sided reporting of international events, including of the illegal NATO invasion of Libya, in recent months. Please expect a formal complaint to the ABC from me. In the "Your web page" field of the submission form, I included a link to an International Clearing House Story story which shows images of one of Gaddafi's captors thrusting a knife up his rear shortly before his murder. Please don't follow the link unless you have a strong stomach. Update, Sunday, 30 Oct : I have posted a formal complaint here. I will advise how they respond. (To see that I am also capable of praising broadcasters when they do a goo job, please view this comment which thanks SBS for broadcasting an excellent documentary about JFK earlier tonight.)

For Protectors ... (not verified)

Thu, 2011-10-27 01:06

Save Hays Paddock - Meeting at 2 pm Saturday 29 October 2011 at Hays Paddock Pavilion Time: Gather at 2 pm Date: Saturday 29 October 2011 Place: At main Pavilion near carpark Hays Paddock East Kew (Melways Map 45 J 1) Why Meet: The City of Boroondara threatens to destroy this magnificent park with open woodland, creek and billabong used by people from all over Melbourne chiefly for passive recreation, dog walking and bird watching plus by some sports groups. The natural playground for children fits with the Park. Council plans to "develop" the Park i.e. load it up with infrastructure (1) Construct a new Pavilion more than double the size of the existing building apparently for use as club rooms - obviously the liquor licence will follow - for sports groups mainly an old boys soccer club (2) Construction of a commuter cycle path (3) Fencing of the billabong (4) Construction of a new toilet block - no one has requested this. (5) Provision of more carparking. We plan to discuss action plans Council Fast-tracking Development: Last week Council pulled a "swifty" on us. Over the last year, Council staff stated that construction of the redeveloped Pavilion would come to $1.55 million. (Projects over $1 million are subject to a planning permit.) We discovered, however, that unbeknown to us the Project Officer had revised the cost of the Pavilion down to $1 million and had advertised the tenders. Submissions closed on 25 October 2011. Thus the public's rights to object to the Pavilion development has been removed. We are extremely concerned that the take over of parkland for expensive sports facilities for special interests groups including private schools is proceeding in Boroondara, not only in Hays Paddock in East Kew but in the Gordon Barnard Reserve in Balwyn and possibly in the HG Smith Reserve in Hawthorn (opposite Scotch College.) Contact: : Ian Hundley Mobile: 0466 977 957 Email: ianhundley[AT]hotmail.com and Julianne Bell Mobile: 0408022408 Email: jbell5[AT]bigpond.com

James Sinnamon

Sun, 2011-10-30 21:09

(Sorry about the very short notice , but) tonight (in 17 minutes time) there is a documentary which explores how the Vietnam War would have turned out if President Kennedy had not been murdered on 22 November 1963, Virtual JFK: Vietnam If JFK Had Lived.

Don't miss it!

Having already made myself familiar with the story of JFK from Oliver Stone's 1991 movie of the same name and subsequently from the books JFK and the Unspeakable - Why he died and why it matters by James W. Douglass and Brothers by David Talbot, the answer that the documentary should provide is clear to me. JFK would have ended the war - a fact which has been largely concealed by mainstream opinion moulders and, surprisingly, even many on the so-called 'left' which supposedly campaigned to end the Vietnam War after Kennedy's death.

E-mail posted to SBS after I had finished watching the program

Subject: Than you so much for having broadcast documentary about JFK tonight

Dear SBS program managers,

The documentary was every bit as good as I could have hoped.

It would be difficult for a writer of fiction to come up with a character with such charisma, selfless courage and good intentions as President John F Kennedy. Yet he lived and, by amazing good fortune for all humanity, he got elected to the highest most powerful political office in the world and literally saved the whole world from nuclear devastation on at least three occasions.

Any doubt that JFK acted throughout his life for anything but the best possible motives can be dispelled by studying his record in war where he courageously put his own life at risk to save the lives of members of the crew of the boat PT109 after it had been sunk by the Japanese in 1943. The account of this can be found in the movie also named 'PT109'. We are so lucky that he lived through that.

I think it would be difficult to broadcast too many programs about JFK. Please keep them coming.

Also, please consider broadcasting docos about the other great leaders of the 1960's who were also murdered - JFK's brother Robert, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

yours sincerely,

James Sinnamon

James Sinnamon

Mon, 2011-10-31 13:58

Next Sunday evening (6 November) at 9.00PM will be shown as a follow-up to the excellent Virtual JFK: Vietnam If JFK Had Lived of last night. Below is the outline description from the SBS program guide:

JFK: 3 Shots That Changed America

Although the famous Zapruder film is the most complete visual recording of JFK’s assassination, it is just part of a vast record of sights and sounds captured on camera that day. This two-part documentary uses some unique and rarely seen footage to document the Kennedy assassination and its aftermath. Home movies from eyewitnesses, Dallas police dispatch radio recordings, and raw news footage provide a shocking, unflinching look at the assassination of the president and the days that followed. (From the US) (Documentary) (Part 1 of 2) (Rpt)

admin

Tue, 2011-11-01 10:30

Bobby is one of thousands of calves who are considered 'waste products' of the Australian dairy industry. Bobby's story must be told. Watch Bobby's video and make an urgent donation in the form below to help us place this eye-catching ad (see pdf file) in major metro newspapers next week.

The video embedded on this page can also be found on the Animals Australia web-site.

As the video shows, dairy cattle are forced to give birth to one calf a year in order to enable the to produce milk. Calves like Bobby are not fed for a whole day before their murder. Please give generously to stop this cruelty.

Be a voice for animals at AnimalsAustralia.org

nimby (not verified)

Wed, 2011-11-02 11:46

Up to 20 asylum seekers are believed to be drowned, presumably coming to Australia. The deaths were in Indonesia waters, thus, their border security should be watching for asylum seekers leaving and stopping the boats. Our hands are tied by the UN Refugee Convention that encourages displaced people to, instead of finding temporary refuge and safety from conflict, to make dangerous voyages to developed countries. We are not obliged under the convention to give permanent residence to asylum seekers. They are being lured here with this hope. Ultimately they should return home and rebuild their own nation. The UN Refugee Convention is outdated and encourages asylum seekers to seek our shores, even more now due to having on-shore processing. The Greens are losing all credibility as a serious party. Sarah Hanson-Young want to make it easier for them to come here. We should have a fixed yearly quota of refugees, selected off-shore, and no more. The boats would stop coming, and with a population policy from the Greens, our economic immigration rate would be addressed accordingly and not ignored in the "immigration" debate - 100% about asylum seekers when they make up less than 5%!

CSI (not verified)

Wed, 2011-11-02 22:54

I supported the Greens last election but unfortunately I think this was a mistake now. Has the green party ever been in favor of population stabilization? There's a 1998 policy statement in which they proudly stated they rejected the concept of zero net immigration. Their latest policy statements on the subject have backed away from that a little, but nowhere can I find any serious consideration of population stabilization. The greens, labor and liberals may make vague allusions to the end of population growth, but none of them actually believe its ever going to happen.

Sheila Newman

Fri, 2011-11-04 12:14

Legislation has been introduced to Parliament to upgrade Frankston Reservoir's designation to that of Nature Conservation Reserve! There will be parliamentary debate in the next few weeks, however Cabinet have accepted the recommendations of local MP Geoff Shaw and Minister for the Environment Ryan Smith of the upgrade to the designation.

This is a monumental step forward in the conservation of this Reserve.

Also, please set aside 27th November as the date for Friends of Frankston Reservoir Friends AGM.

Mary (not verified)

Fri, 2011-11-04 14:56

Michael Ball and his business partner sold their property in NSW, but they never suspected a South Korean steel giant was buying it. The firm that bought the farm was registered less than two months ago as Aurelius Rural, which has also bought a property of about 90ha. After the settlement, they found out the vendors were acting on behalf of a coal firm more than 70 per cent owned by South Korea's POSCO. Land, housing, industries, businesses, manufacturing, mining, and prime agricultural properties are all up for grabs! There's a conspiracy theory that Australia is to be denuded as a global resource. That's why there's no long-term planning, and "sustainable" is just a throw-away word with no meaning. We as a nation are disposable, with a use-by-date. If our population blows out to unsustainable numbers, the fall will be dismissed as unfortunate, due to "natural" disasters. There's no future in Australia as it has been known. We are becoming international land, and a global natural resource to plunder and eventually be abandoned. The "winners" will be the economic giants of China, Arabic nations and India. It's about global predation on weak governments like we have in Australia. Our sovereignty and food chains are being dissolved by foreign investors. Patriotism doesn't exist now, except in small (but retro) pockets of the older population.

nimby

Sat, 2011-11-05 10:37

An Xstrata coal port is being planned for Balaclava Island at the mouth of the Fitzroy River. A pod of some seventy snubfun dolphins currently call these clear waters home. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says that this pod could be completely eradicated in ten to twenty years if the proposed coal port moves forward. Researchers believe the 70-strong snubfin dolphin population at the mouth of the Fitzroy River, 40 kilometres north of Gladstone, is genetically distinct from other Australian snubfins. "The unfortunate situation is that the habitat they rely on is exactly the type of habitat that's likely to be destroyed or significantly damaged by the Balaclava Island development," said a WWF spokesperson. Coal Port could wipe out dolphin pod Minister Tony Burke, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population, and Communities must not sacrifice allow yet another species, struggling to survive, be killed off by the economic drive of mining giants. This anthropocentric drive for energy and power can't be a the expense of other species. It assumes that their lives are no more than unavoidable damage as a means to an end! Sign the petition