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Tuesday, 5 June 2007

The old population canard on this world environment day
Mood:

d'oh
Topic: ecology

$18fractals.jpg$

Picture: Fractals 18 by Polish born Autralian artist Barbara Lichi, showing at Brenda May Gallery till June 23rd 2007, 2 Danks St Waterloo Sydney

From our 15 years in the green ngo sector and obsessive media monitoring we advise the following:

First:

The world population is levelling out at about 9 billion by around 2050 says legendary Professor of Biology at Harvard University, Edward O Wilson on an ABC radio national show earlier this year on an alliance with theologians to vouchsafe our future:

Big Idea - 4 February 2007 - EO Wilson and Harvey Cox on Saving ...

Even that is surely too many, but at least slowing down.

Second:

The only proven method of reducing population apart from war or cataclysm or pestilence, which even then is usually short term, is to promote educational life opportunities to the women of society. With such life choices expanded the fertility rate decreases markedly. This is the experience apparently in Indonesia, and certainly in most if not all western countries. More here Green Left - Issues: US feminists debate population control

Conclusion:

So.... if the population pressure can be managed and moderated, then the issue of excessive affluent material consumption remains squarely on the table as well. It's a walk and chew gum kind of reality: There is no avoiding the discipline of a less greedy lifestyle here in Australia, in the West and globally.

Stop being so greedy, seek cultural and spiritual rewards on this earthly strut upon the stage rather than shallow, self defeating materialism per se. Really.

Postscript #1

On cue for World Environment Day, 5th June 2007 Mayor and MP Clover Moore says Sydney will exceed NSW's ecological footprint SOS for a city that's eating itself

Posted by editor at 9:33 AM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007 7:41 AM NZT

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Monday, 4 June 2007

More frequent mega fires an inevitable result of decades of logging, chipping landscape change
Mood:

irritated
Topic: wildfires

These diagrams below first presented in 1995 reveal the process of landscape conversion of native forest from moist old growth fire resistant type, derived from their closed canopy, to dry sclerophyl bushfire prone regrowth type.

As long as a moisture rich closed canopy is in place a high density of ground cover remains of moderate risk and tends to break down quite quickly as well.

The most severe process of logging disruption of the closed forest canopy has been going on since the advent of high intensity 'integrated logging' for timber but also high proportion of woodchips especially since the mid 1970ies. This was around the time of the advent of bulldozers, other big machines and modern chainsaws.

Thus even if a small proportion of a forest of say 2 or 3% suffers high intensity logging per year, after 40 years of pathworking, close to 100% of the moist micro climate will have been destroyed along with the broken canopy. It will take maybe a century to re establish the moist old growth closed canopy microclimate across broad areas of forest IF devastating fires don't constantly set the clock back to zero again in a cruel ecological game of snakes and ladders.

That's how grim the situation has become in large areas of forested south east Australia as a result of rampaging logging and greed. Even much contemporary national park has been patchwork logged already prior to reservation in the last 40 years and still to regain closed canopy moisture. Depending on the fire patterns in the future they may never regain that closed canopy and moisture level.

There are many other factors contributing to bushfire such as ignition sources like arson or naturally occuring dry lightning. Climate impact of low rainfall also impacts fire intensity and risk. Ground fuel levels are also very significant.

But what is apparent in the current anxious reflections and research into how best to deal with the impending catastrophic fires of the futre is that the modern logging industry have been getting away with environmental murder that promotes mega bushfires. It all follows from breaching the natural water cycle under a closed canopy:

The diagrams above are based on the following scientific papers:

Cornish PM (1982) The variation of dissolved ion concentration with discharge in some NSW streams, Forest Hydrologist, Forestry Commission of NSW, The First National Symposium on Forest Hydrology, eds. EM O'Loughlin & L J Bren, May 1982,

Rieger W A, Olive L J and Burgess J S (1982) Behaviour of sediment concentrations and solute concentrations in small forested catchments, University of NSW, Department of Geography, FAculty of Military Studies, The First National Symposium on Forest Hydrology, eds. E M O'Loughlin & L J Bren, May 1982

Stokes R A and Loh I C (1982) 'Sustaining Sensitive Wildlife Within Temperate Forest Landscapes: Regional Systems of Retained Habitat as a Planning Framework', pages 85-106 in Ecology and Sustainability of Southern Temperate Ecosystems, eds. Norton T W & Dovers S R, CSIRO 1994.

Wronski E (1993) Tantawangalo research catchments, Change in water yield after logging, Report to the Forestry Commission of NSW, 1st July 1993

Declaration: The editor/author was called as witness to the NSW Parliamentary Inquiry, and briefly to the Coronial Inquiry after the summer 1993-4 bushfires, as a representative of the Wilderness Society in NSW.

..........................

Postscript #1 to and fro with pro logger Mr Chipman in crikey ezine this last week

Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 7:27 AM

Subject: loggers court megafires with science references, rebuttal of Chipman here

Been a hard 4 weeks but flu is on the turn, thank God. If I'd gone to Gulaga I think it might have finished me but here is silver lining for you folks (of sorts, note the nihilistic twist in the tail to borrow Rod Qantok approach to ousting Jeff Kennett back in 1999, sadly it's quite true). Follow the link to get the diagrams and especially the fantastic scientific references, all credit to the original authors shown on the book cover, Woof, Taylor, Thomson legendary forest defenders of the south east 90-95. Crikey.com.au goes to abut 45,000 a-grade political demographic.

The central thesis is that landscape change via highly mechanised logging this last 40 years has stuffed the water cycle in forests making them highly prone to mega fires. It's grim allright.

Yours truly, Tom McLoughlin

----- Original Message -----

From: ecology action australia

To: boss@crikey.com.au

Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 10:37 PM

Subject: Reply to Chipman: Logging causes mega bushfires

Re Mr Chipman (Comments 4th June). He makes my point: Prof Kirkpatrick presumably was so dis-satisfied with the 'flexibility' as per the quote with the first 7 years of the Tasmanian RFA logging plan that he and 99 brave colleagues wrote a political letter before the last election repudiating it. Kirkpatrick's Order of Australia in 2003 just adds weight. But it was always a trick of bad public policy isolating Tas forest when Australia generally is a vast open plain and/or desert. And redundant now as we are doing national auditing of carbon store. We also have global responsibilities beyond the shire size population of Tas. And shows that high impact mechanised logging this last 40 years has been destroying cool moist (and therefore) fire resistant closed canopy old growth forest. This is replaced with dry sclerophyl regrowth that really burns. Extrapolate this effect onto whole landscapes patchworked with 1 or 2% a year logging with a minimum 100 year canopy regrowth timeline, then turbo charge with climate change, and presto, I submit we have the root cause of frequent mega bushfires. Truth is these 1000 year old canopies will never re establish, suggesting another climate change tipping point via cyclical megafires. We really are in big doo doo. A very basic first step is keep the closed canopy upstanding, then restore moist canopy in the regrowth somehow. We would need 100 Prof Kirkpatricks to do that ie it'll never happen. Just as we won't stop the polar ice caps melting. Truly one can say in Chipman's case, to win, as he undoubtely has on forest destruction this last 10 years, is to lose. Just like Iraq. Suck it up.

Tom McLoughlin, ecology action Australia

Tasmanian logging:

Barry Chipman. Tasmanian state manager, Timber Communities Australia, writes: It is rather interesting that the Ecology Action Australia spokesperson (Friday, comments) didn't choose to tell the full story about the nationally agreed criteria (JANIS) for Australian forest conservation, which has brought about Tasmania's world-class forest reserve system of 47% forest biodiversity, 80% old growth, 97% wilderness. What was overlooked is the following very important element and quoting directly from application of the criteria: "Flexibility in the application of reserve criteria is needed because of differing regional circumstances. The criteria are considered to be guidelines rather than mandatory targets. In some circumstances and for some criteria, lower levels of reservation may prove adequate. The extent of potential social and economic impact may limit the ability to meet reserve criteria (see Sections 5.2, 5.4 and 6.1.1 of the JANIS document). Where different configurations of reserves are identified as meeting the criteria, the option that imposes the least cost on the community should be adopted." Also worth noting is one of the key environmental scientists deeply involved in the development of this criteria and then helping bring about Tasmania's balanced world-class forest reserve system gratefully accepted in 2003 the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) medal of his involvement. That citation reads: "Professor James Barrie KIRKPATRICK, Member of the Order of Australia (AM). Citation: For service to environmental conservation, particularly in relation to World Heritage assessment and the development of forest reservation criteria. Date Received 09 June 2003."

Tasmanian Logging:

Tom McLoughlin, ecology action Australia, writes: Mr Chipman (yesterday, comments) must be baffled by his own corrupt RFA agreement specifications. 100 of our best independent forest scientists led by Prof Tony Norton, Prof Jamie Kirkpatrick and other luminaries have described this document as follows: "The Tasmanian Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) is widely perceived in the scientific community to have failed to deliver the intended protection for environmental, wilderness and heritage values that state and federal governments committed to when they signed the National Forest Policy in 1992. The scientific processes in the Tasmanian RFA were overwhelmed by political compromises. Established criteria for forest conservation were not fully applied. There are large areas of high conservation value forest that would have been reserved if the RFA criteria for forest conservation had been fully applied. Logging practices and the conversion of native forests to plantations have intensified in the seven years since the signing of the RFA, resulting in record volumes of export wood chip production. This intensification, combined with the well-documented inadequacies of the conservation reserve system (exemplified by the large areas of unlogged Eucalyptus regnans tall open-forest that remain unprotected) has produced highly modified forested landscapes with diminished landscape values." The full statement and signatories is extracted here. This devastating criticism was before the widespread public concern over climate change. This scientific advice was reported at the time on the radio national Earthbeat program until it was axed soon after the re-election of the Howard Government in 2004.

Posted by editor at 9:07 PM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 6 June 2007 9:07 AM NZT

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Our part in Laurie Oakes diet (?!), PM Howard's 'invincible' Sherman Tanks on the ridge
Mood:

d'oh
Topic: election Oz 2007

Apologies to Spike Milligan for a crib there in the headline turned to a happier subject matter. We had a busy day yesterday

- opening of the chess set at Addison Rd Centre here

Mayor Hanna to officially open the chess board 11am 3rd June 2007

and on YouTube here Independence Square

- trying to catch up on the press and losing

- brief tour of Sustainable Design show at Everleigh Railyards (a rip off $5 for 41 minutes parking, if only flu free I would have cycled) and stay tuned for that report

- 'End of the World' provocation at Sydney Writers Festival at The Rocks Sydney Dance Theatre with Ecos Corp, ex SMH enviro editor Murray Hogarth (pictured, sorry about the red eye Murray but it makes you look more ferocious too), Marian Wilkinson and author William Lyons. Report in due course.

We put our thesis there to some writers that the Montreal Protocol/Ozone Hole problem with its qualified success, is a template for forcing China/India to a carbon reduced economy because the affluent markets of the west decide the conditionality for them to sell their manufactures and services into.

This indeed is the precedent based on historical affluence of the west they want to sell into, why China is moving now based on that experience and geopolik economy, and why a unified western countries position (read Kyoto 1997) is a precursor to enforcing such green house gas limited rigour on China/India.

And why Rudd's Chinese language skills are so critical.

So the USA and Australia (read Howard) have been literally sabotaging the ghg reforms in China by confusing our western markets bargaining position to condition India and China's sales into our market. Shameful stuff.

We made this same point in summary on the Adam Spencer abc radio talkback show earlier this morning too.

.....................

But what really makes us feel chuffed is this page 3 report in the Sydney Murdoch press Sunday

regarding Laurie Oakes diet at channel 9. We broke that story with this picture Sunday May 13th:

In fact we eyeballed the legend mid 2006 at the Sydney federal govt offices during the Costello/Howard leadership stoush, as we shook his hand, and suggestively asked "How long are you going to keep going?"

Yes it was bald, yes it was possibly rude, but it was also damn timely and we can't help suspecting the Big Laurie might just have reflected and taken the personal sustainability challenge. Great effort. He said at the time "Another 25 years." with a twinkle and now it looks credible.

As to PM Howard at his Party Council yesterday and fiesty Costello flourishing his fists as if to box on to the election as reported on the ABC vision last night (a nice touch in the coverage):

If the political community want to crank up the heat in this federal political contest, we submit refer to

- Howard's self description as in effect 'indispensible' which is such an annoying posture to society and real life workplaces.

- Second Howard's hubris in lecturing even hectoring comment to Australians in effect we "never need a change" presumably until his Coaliton overlords tells us "it is for the better". As the old saying goes PM, we'll be the judge of that.

- In summary talk about arrogant SOB's. We scoff at that impertinence of the current federal govt 'leaders'. Indeed in terms of trust notice this under the bed still from 2004:

In any case here come the Coalition "Sherman Tanks" to quote Christian Kerr at ezine crikey.com.au somwhere, ie poll turn back toward the Coaliton today 4th June 07. Just like the "invincible" Rommell.

PS It's not a Garrett recession that we need to worry about. It's nuke apocalypse via sleep walk into a new nuke weapons arms race, resultant nuke detterence on our soil via so called missile defence. That's real, not rodent. Notice Russian, and China here in the news only today 4th June 2007

China's missile warning | The Nation | The Australian

Posted by editor at 10:22 AM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 7 June 2007 10:46 AM NZT

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Sunday, 3 June 2007

Sunday political talkies: Women's nurturing vote subtext to climate change, labour crudity, nuke threats of apocalypse
Mood:

caffeinated
Topic: election Oz 2007

Picture: Today's Murdoch press in Sydney - speaks to Labour tough guys in unions, and to women who want a latter day sensitive new age strong Bruce Willis in their lives. And fair enough too.

Author’s general introductory note (skip this if you know this regular weekly column):

This is not a well packaged story. It’s a contemporaneous traverse of the Sunday television free to air political talkies indicating the agenda of Establishment interests: Better to know ones rivals and allies in Big Politics and Big Media.

Indeed it’s the tv version monitoring task similar to what Nelson Mandela refers to here in his book Long Walk to Freedom (1994, Abacus) written in Robben Island prison (where he was meant to die like other African resister chiefs of history in the 19C), at page 208

“..newspapers are only a shadow of reality; their information is important to a freedom fighter not because it reveals the truth, but because it discloses the biases and perceptions of both those who produce the paper and those who read it.”
Just substitute ‘Sunday tv political talkie shows’ for "newspapers" in the quote above.

For actual transcripts go to web sites quoted below except with Riley Diary on 7. And note transcripts don’t really give you the image content value.

Media backgrounder:

37 minutes (ie 60 Minutes) is doing a feminism story tonight with Prue Goward MP in the story. She is not promoting environmental side of the portfolio: It’s to amplify the NSW women’s vote against the ALP federally which is a Rudd strength leveraging as best she can through the NSW Parliament which ironically has far more ALP women MPs.

Just as Iemma is going hard against nuke energy in state parliament here in NSW against the Howard policy agenda to harvest votes as well [which we strongly approve of re nuke energy madness]

But women being natural nurturers generally speaking surely have their eye on climate change with revered scientists like NASA’s Dr James Hansen saying its quite possible a 5 metre sea rise in 90 years. We know they took man to the moon, I think we can trust them on the weather.

Additionally, Singapore govt reacting to an emerging new cold war arms race over missile defence with dual use nuke energy a precursor for nuke detterent on Australian soil in 5 to 10 years at this rate of hawkish foreign affairs. Leading to human error and potential apocalypse.

Labour movement folks like the chubby twins in the building union in WA are similarly exposed for allegedy rough behaviour, but it's a joke to think the developers and Howard govt's BACC quasi police body are healthy for democracy with $20K individual fines for going on strike. That's fascism.

- amusing road runner metaphor by Mike Carlton in Herald rings true on the polls but caution steel of Howard on tv vision Saturday night abc. Never time for change unless its for the better. Elegant riposte

- Stephen Bartholomeusz, Herald business section, column supports go slow and steady on carbon emissions – worthy writer but too narrow like a younger Gittins - who better realizes the value not just the economic price. That is: no economy on a dead planet, China/India can only sell responsible manufactureds/services into a strong unified regulated market position on carbon by the West. That is we conditionalise what they sell to us, but only once the USA stops sabotaging the rigor of that conditionality.

- beware, beware, beware sleep walking into a nuclear arms race via 'missile defence' with dual use nuke energy then nuke weapon silos here in Australia eg China's missile warning | The Nation | The Australian but also Russia Missile test response to US moves: Putin - Breaking News - World ... and fascinating talk of sleep walk into the same stand off in the 50ies and 60ies Shute's sands of time | The Daily Telegraph

10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am

McFarlane looking like the dinosaur that he is on climate change. Footage of Howard in penguin suit – nice for the female voters? Or old fashioned?

Mutual sledges Swan and Tuckey.

1st ad break – public education 2nd school visuals Teachers Fed

Panel is Maria Hawthorne AAP (suitably Italian looking, on Italian national day), Mal Farr Murdoch press.

Farr tackles pro nukes approach as prefaced above – McFarlane hedges, which is sleazy. Clear pro nukes [and will go to weapons too on our soil].

McF plays nuke waste card, alleges shipping container in a general hospital somewhere. Farr tackles him but again hedges – sleazy.

Ignores drawing international waste dump future of MH of AAP.

Sept to Cabinet timeline to repeal laws for a site for waste.

MH strong q re legal advice onto C’th land at say Jervis Bay. Implies public will say yes based on big information campaign.

Nicholson rubbery figures excellent grasp of the politics. That uranium business could get ugly re Singapore and safety South East Asia and USA China emerging cold war over missile defence arms race.

Talent is Will Hutton author re China with good access to Oz media this last week – emphasizes Rudd language skills is the right man at this time at economic expansion of that future super power. Says economic model in China is limited must change.

Big risks – two 1 conservatives reject further engagement of China society to market economy western democracy 2. China buying foreign reserves unsustainable.

What value our example on anything like climate change carbon emissions? Thinks our democracy has made an impression in South East Asia from Japan to South Korea to Indonesia to Thailand. And will affect China.

[Farr question ignores market impact of Montreal protocol of Western market to China’s manufacturing. That’s the real influence.]

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary - Come on 7 time to start streaming this on your website???!!!!

Andrew shows his class noting Mabo 15 years now. Happy Days theme allusion to Howard leather jacket is fair. Union culture re Dean Mighal.

[note Gittins profound column this weekend re less share of profit to workers and trending down – that’s the Howard rodent effect, why Therese Rein is rich (at least in part), and why Mighal is right to support the Greens financially and politically, bad language or not. What the unions need to remember it's about the women’s vote and fear of crudity in male culture, a very fair concern.]

Q and A: Discussion of Mighel. Note concern about taping of private conversations - I know from 2 years at Media Monitors that they are increasingly an unofficial arm of Big Brother Govt - based in the federal police building Cleveland St Surry Hills.

Increased advertising on national security, lead up to APEC. German extremist protester violence plays directly into this and will run on tv vision tonight as night follows day. Quite foreign to Australia – we hope and trust. [sure enough runs ABC TV prime time, and twice at least 9 Sunday show].

Just as there was increased superannuation advertising all Saturday last night. That’s a lot of money.

Sunday 9

Laurie Oaks looking fitter, well done old man. Interview with Bob Brown early in show missed the start, 3 seats affected by green preference flows. No threats to Rudd, wants a change of govt. Warns about Steve Feilding types going to Howard.

Fundamentalist party like Family First true based on Assembly of God like Exclusive Brethren nutters.

Greens will take ETU support. Strong on IR - view by Gittins. Bob Brown doesn't swear! Far worse than Dean Mighel.

Summary - don't take us for granted. Interesting choice of talent there by LO.

Feature story on sleep apnea? No actually Big Pharma scandal of safety profile of a sleep drug differential regulatory consumer info in USA and here. Serious gotcha story.

Poll on Therese 84% said yes should sell her business [ which she did "for the country". Bravo Ms Rein. You are a champ.]

tune out for 20 minutes

Important interview with Ray Martin re Middle East China, Iran, Iraq, oil etc Gwynne Dwyer "The Mess they made"

Story on Congo looks good, have to push on though.

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Run G8 protester footage, doesn't have to be APEC sydney. Time for ngo to start a pledge movement for peaceful democracy.

Insiders 2

Talent is Mal Turnbull who constructs a fantasy based on ignoring the lesson of Montreal Protocol - clean up our market destination for Chinese Indian product manufacturers etc leveraging our advanced economy and affluence that they want to sell into, that we can condition, just like CFC, HCFC in the Ozone protecting Montreal Protocol. That's the global template to quote Turnbull back at him. Revealing why he is a late comer to environmental policy development (!).

But he like whales so that counts for something too, tiping that kids hat on the vision last week. (Port Stephens crew in Alaska, bravo)

Turnbull namedrops talent Jon Thwaites Vict Govt Env spokes.

Missed alot of Everyperson segment but green metaphor of golf course background.

Panel says Mal Turnbull mixed message re going global, versus PM going it alone. [ Calls up false premise above of MT on Montreal Protocol economic mechanism discipline on China and India, IF west gets its own policy unified, not least USA post Bush probably.]

Paul Kelly soliliquy: Notes "huge" policy reversal [as per Rudd thesis] re carbon trading. Kelly praises Rudd 60% target. [Kelly has shifted immensely to pro ALP future in his analysis and rhetoric. This trend in place for about 4 weeks now.]

Footage of discipline on Dean Mighel - Kelly likely to be approving - sure enough likes [as per DLP history?]. Comes back to IR policy, and what do?

Panel is Lenore Taylor AFR (still?!), Meglogenis Murdoch press, Bolter Murdoch press.

Panel moves onto reality of increased energy price - moderate increase unlike Bolt argument but will be increase, [so people will start turning off their standby's and use their intellect]. Vigorous discussion, healthy.

LT shows her very appealing side smile for an Irish pudding face, has read House of Lords report mid 2006 [relied on by dinosaur Hugh Morgan, nuke booster] "is not credible".

Rudd footage shows him finding his voice and tone powered up, Howard notices and goes extremely personal, alleged glass jaw, claims lecturing etc. Howard felt and reacted to Rudd sounding ...prime ministerial. [refer West Wing stand in President episode]

Bolt significantly concedes and makes a speech which boosts Rudd - in effect that he is prime ministerial. Congratulations Kevin, you are arriving as per the Sunday Telegraph gist above in the world of the Murdoch Press.

Is he tough enough says Bolt, question has been answered posiitively, a reality Big Kev might not have known himself till now tested, but does his strong nuggety Father proud from all those years ago on the share farm grind. Gotta love that.

Every party has their black sheep grab by Swan again as per 10 above re Tuckey and bumps in rugs (mmm bit close to home here)

Talking pictures on demand video stream usually, very amusing especially Primeval Howard image.

Great footage of Julia Gillard not so much the answer re mind your own business about my personal life, but the fact she looks happy, and can't hide that. This guy Tim is doing wonders for her hair style too, changes and very very telegenic. Applause shows she has moved beyond this focus on her marital status.

Ouch footage of dinosaur McFarlane mucking up his language on currency, echoes the perception of isolationist attitude to energy policy and amateurishness at that international level of cooperation. [compare Rudd expertise, what about other ALP folks, got a second language?]

The Age front pager runs with potential 5 metre sea rise as per Jim Hansen NASA guy best scientific advice.

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/

Posted by editor at 10:48 AM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 11:15 AM NZT

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Saturday, 2 June 2007

Pre emptive buckle of Gunns Ltd and chief logger Drielsma* in forest plantation conversion scandal
Mood:

special
Topic: election Oz 2007

Media release today 2nd June 2007 follows

Tom McLoughlin, principal of Ecology Action Australia, a private non profit foundation (with no tax deductibility) based in Sydney said today :

"The policy backflip to discontinue, after 20 years, forest conversion to plantation logging is well overdue. But there is as much spin as there is smoke in a logging regeneration fire as to the real cause of this policy backflip. It has precious little to do with reported comments here on Sydney radio by ex NSW Forest Commissioner Drielsma now for Tasmania's forestry commission (ABC radio 702 Sydney, Friday afternoon 1st of June 2007): It has precious little to do with the conservative green group WWF advocating against clearing for plantation.

" The real reason for the policy backflip is this: A month ago our micro ngo had rediscovered the original text of the election statement of 100 of Australia's best forest scientists on 9 Sept 2004 made just before the Howard v Latham vote.

"That scientists's statement specifically rejects the forest conversion to plantation logging agenda, and makes devastating critique of the whole Regional Forest Agreement, then 7 years old. This best scientific advice was ignored by Howard and lost in the Latham election loss but it is like a delayed hammer blow to the credibility of the Federal and Tasmanian Governments RFA in this sensitive pre 2007 election with climate concerns also paramount and intense criticisms over a new pulp mill in Tasmania.

"The scientists' statement first aired on radio national Earthbeat programme which was axed in early 2005 suggesting how sensitive it was. We have recently republished the senior scientists' statement in full on the ecology action website with 100 signatories here:

An abbreaviated version ran in the crikey.com.au ezine yesterday Friday 1st of June 2007 in the comments section to their 45,000 recipients, found in full here:

9/2004 - statement of Australia's best forest scientists on Tasmanian logging problem

"We applaud the courage and integrity of these wonderful forest scientists who deserve a medal for speaking out in Sept 2004. If only their advice had been heard before now.

"We have in the last few weeks broadcast emailed the senior forest scientists' statement to federal members of parliament. Kevin Rudd as Opposition Leader stated earlier this year on ABC radio that it is the science that matters in such a debate and with a 20 point lead in the opinion poll he may well have the power soon to implement real science, not the distortions of Barry Chipman of the TCA group, also running on crikey.com.au. As such Gunns and Drielsma are pre emptively buckling to pressure from the real science, not censored or biased commentary" Mr McLoughlin concluded.

Mr McLoughlin holds a zoology degree from ANU. The credentials of the ecology action group are here:

More: tel. 0410 558838

* Hans Drielsma was NSW Forestry Commissioner and was removed soon after the ALP Carr Govt election in 1995 in NSW due in part to the cooperative campaigning of the author then NSW Campaign Coordinator for The Wilderness Society.

Posted by editor at 12:49 PM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 2 June 2007 12:57 PM NZT

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Friday, 1 June 2007

Carr - Iemma corruption of Planning Inquiry process in NSW as per Port Botany expansion
Mood:

sharp
Topic: legal

We first appeared in a Commission of Inquiry for the Total Environment Centre in 1992 under the 1979 Planning legislation before Kevin Cleland.

The same Commissioner Cleland in the Visy Pulp Mill Inquiry in March 1998 as an ngo green party for Friends of the Earth.

In this century we supported the 30 groups of Botany Bay Catchment Alliance such as NOPE and Gary Blashke on ABC radio just now including BBACA participation in the Planning Inquiry by Commissioner Kevin Cleland in 2005.

Trouble is the Cleland report didn't give the pro ALP developers a blank cheque which is what they wanted at Port Botany centralising container freight to the Eastern side of Sydney, ignoring economics of Port Kembla and Newcastle with even more access to greater Sydney.

So the Iemma Govt set up a parallel corrupt planning process with selective pro industry submissions headed up by retired federal MP Laurie Brereton called the Freight Infrastructure Advisory Board. This has been nothing more than a bald attempt to destroy the Planning Commission process. And so far it has been working. It was an industry apologist for this Big Govt/Big Business FIAB we heard on the Trioli Show abc radio show after 10.30 am yesterday, as per the front page Financial Review story May 31 2007 (offline).

It's a corrupt decision to dump transport congestion including noisy sooty diesel locomotives on the inner city 24 hours a day from a corrupt process by a corrupt government effectively repealing the checks and balances in the 1979 Environmental Planning & Assessment Act.

Some strong background on this disgraceful compounding of Sydney congestion is here:

These links are strong independent groups with good information on this huge catchment covering the south half of metropolitan Sydney:

Botany Bay & Catchment Association, covering south/western half of Sydney, umbrella to 33 community groups opposing Port Botany expansion

Save Botany Beach Inc based around the suburb of Botany and thus the eastern side of 'BBACA' network

No Port Enfield, or NoPE, campaigns for equitable share of container transports across NSW and to stop expansion of Port Botany, thus inner west of 'BBACA'

Index of items

3/06.. Good repudiation of the NSW ALP government's economic analysis for dredging and expansion into Botany Bay of the Port facility.

19/3/05...Sydney's biggest export - empty shipping containers at 1000 per day is just one consequence of redundant consumerism at $10 billion per year as per Australia Institute study/SMH, says green lobbyist Lynda Newnham

16/3/05...So called 'draft' (but really approval) conditions for Port Botany expansion, with introduction on the NSW framework of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Commission of Inquiry (CoI) process.

Feb 05...Botany Bay: No Port Enfield Community Group (NoPE) submission to 2nd hearings of Commission of Inquiry

8/2/05...pollution plume huge threat to Botany Bay by 7.30 Report's Jonathan Harley re ICI/Orica site northern side Botany suburb.

5/2/05...Sydney Morning Herald letters re working Sydney Harbour/Port Jackson

10/11/04...You can no longer fish from the ONLY jetty on north Botany Bay, as from November 2004

2004...first of two sessions of the Botany Bay Forum held at University of NSW, which it must be said is geographically close and is angling for govt and industry grants around the Bay

2004...2nd session hosted by self interested UNSW here

Posted by editor at 11:23 AM NZT

Updated: Friday, 1 June 2007 12:07 PM NZT

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Thursday, 31 May 2007

Morris Iemma head keeper in NSW Parliamentry Zoo making governance here a circus?
Mood:

incredulous
Topic: nsw govt

If ever one needed proof the NSW Parliament is descending into farce it's this picture above. It has a heading which is a take off of our satirical culture jam here of May 28th:

Oh dear, blogster Tim Blair implies climate change worrier Rupert Murdoch is in terrorism denial

Which in turn was about a satire of the green movement by News Ltd. And on the ripples go. Thus the Telegraph's editor got a bit personal with this yesterday asking what goes on the wall of the Greens?:

And the answer of course is not a stuffed capsicum but beautiful landscapes reflecting the true spirit of this country as with our wall at the SAM office:

Prue Goward MP shadow minister for environment and women has been ticked off apparently for criticising her workplace too much, as if we should all be careful what we wish for now she is actually elected:

Outspoken Goward ticked off Daily Telegraph p2 31 May 2007.

Nor does she seem to be out of the woods by a long chalk in the press just today

Goward walks out after Gibson wink SHE had been carpeted by her party and told to curb her attacks. But yesterday, a wink and five words from NSW Labor MP Paul Gibson fuelled Pru Goward's anti-Parliament tirade even further

The spin doctors on Trioli show 702 this morning recommend she get focused on the issue de jour namely climate change and it's hard to argue with that even if a speech on women’s concerns is squarely in here job description. It’s just that she jumped the gun and it seemed to many miscued with her characterisation of the parliamnet workplace as sexist.

But we have reasons to add moral support to an otherwise ideological opponent in Ms Goward. For one it's damn good for democracy to have a well functioning Opposition let alone Shadow Environment Minister.

Second if Goward can hit her stride yet she has undoubted depth of intellect, experience and guts. Let’s hope she can get there. In fact we strongly suspect the attacks on Goward, via favoured cipher Simon Benson here

Gender imbalance hurts Libs | The Daily Telegraph

and similarly Greg Smith MP for Epping here

Accusations fly as Power row goes on

are motivated by that understanding, and in fact a back handed compliment. The ALP wouldn’t be taking the trouble with their psychological violence stock in trade if either Goward or Smith were lightweights. They undoubtedly are not.

We saw Smith in particular on Tuesday at question time in the House and he did well under duress. Not quite as focussed as he might be on the strongest political ammunition but showing a real capacity to speak and think on his feet under sustained pressure.

All the while the real dead cat in the house was the memory of Milton Orkopoulos alleged pedophile and former loyal torch bearer for the ALP, and everyone knows it, which is why the Big press ran the attacks on Smith much lighter than you would expect.

Thirdly Goward is onto something profound about the poorly functioning culture of the NSW parliament. We carefully observed the scene in the Upper and Lower House question time 2.15 and 4 pm respectively last Tuesday first day back in session. In Paul Simon’s words it just isn’t “amusing anymore”. In columnist Matt Price’s words it’s “sad” for democracy in NSW.

In the lower house Iemma was the chief zoo keeper of a fairly mediocre bunch, flourishing as Carr would answering questions with cutting political analysis that Nats State leader Stoner was after Vaile’s federal seat. That Debnam was already counting his leader O Farrel’s numbers. Etc. There is no doubt this is where money and power grinds away but also no doubt most members are vain, adolescent, shallow, ignorant, and sleazy. We were treated to time wasting mundane speeches on otherwise worthy social services and disability topics running the clock down on questions, like a feature film that missed the cutting room.

There was Shoquette Moselmane (ex ALP mayor of Rockdale) too in the public gallery shepherding the visiting dignatories through an otherwise faction ridden closed shop of nepotism. No wonder Premier Morris Iemma sought Independent Torbay MP as speaker to try if he might to improve the process of question time at least. We didn’t notice much improvement.

Iemma provided an example of the sleaze culture himself during the election campaign. Leveraging the photogenic female "yuppie" MPs on his side Kristine Keneally, candidate Jody McKay, Angela D’Amore, Virginnia Judge a tactic care of ex ABC tv reporter Ben Wilson of parading these camera fodder for Premier press conferences. But it was easy for this blogger to tag them as policy bimbos who were not allowed to make a verbal squeak, just stare or smile inanely. That was demonstrated patriarchy. And as soon as we made the point on our blog site the wheels started falling off with Jody Mackay in particular fluffing her lines, as a political yuppie.:

Simon Benson running the female proportionate numbers should be read down for this reason until we see serious policy performance by the ALP sisters.

The cover ups of ALP culture continued too with recently demoted (?) Cherie Burton MP noticeably chatty with Paul Gibson MP as if to prove see he is not a woman beater after all. Then the censure motion of Greg Smith MP former deputy crown prosecutor came up and it was a grim skirmish over who hated pedophilia the most, Smith or the ALP.

When we went over to the Upper House at 4 pm we noticed Marrickville based MLC for the ALP Penny Sharpe enjoying the high dudgeon with the best of the brothers. And they were quite self aware. When an immaculately dressed delegation from the Vietnamese legislature took their seat the decibels dropped 90% and it was all decorum. Up until then increasingly fat hobbling Treasurer Michael Costa was disdainfully and haughtily speaking out loud as speeches proceeded at the microphone.

Much hilarity and play acting over traffic fines through a city motorway tunnel. It was all superannuated charades much worse than the Lower House. If I wasn’t mistaken the only focused individual was Attorney General John Hatzistergos busy with paper work who looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else. The Greens were subdued in the face of all this duopoly gerrymander hidden behind the gallery wall.

And the meaning of all this WW2 Singapore style hilarity just before the Japanese invasion, convincing only to themselves? It’s clearly the lack of real moral purpose of the NSW legislature under the duopoly major party scrapping over an increasingly ecologically unsustainable economy. If it’s not land clearing at Gwydir enraging all thinking people:

Bulldozed: a vital wetland - National - smh.com.au. on 21^st May 2007,

it’s the tragedy of intensified logging on the NSW South Coast running in all the press there:

Or the destruction of Botany Bay for more useless consumer goods to compound the ballooning national debt and trade deficit, making our notorious congestion and smog even worse. Threefold increase in containers says the infrastructure industry on abc radio this morning with their big political donations. And Morris Iemma sounds almost convincing accusing the Coalition of “base political purposes ……..in the wilderness”. Well he would know about that.

Truth is Morris Iemma was not quite focused on the welfare of NSW quite as much as on the federal election and not just Stoner taking Vaile’s seat – an intriguing gibe. Sitting near us on the couch at reception watching the screen of proceedings was none other than one David Epstein new chief of staff of Kevin Rudd:

On cue the next day in a state and federal choreography Iemma did the work of the federal ALP leader:

Bid to overturn nuclear ban - National - smh.com.au

The only person who seemed to exude dignity was the Leo McGarry type figure on the paliarmentary staff at reception of similar age to the West Wing character sorting everyone with that face like a map of the world. We cursed the lack of battery charge in our camera.

And no one asked the question we were interested in regarding affidavit of Treasurer Costa seemingly in breach of his duty to protect the public revenue in the Tim Priest affair:

Costa's affidavit help for Priest - National - smh.com.au

Costa's whistleblower mate wins damages

Let me tell you about the copper deal - Opinion - brisbanetimes.com.au

Ms Goward the Shadow Minister is copping it bad now but NSW is copping it alot worse as regards good governance so we hope she has more success as soon as possible.

In the longer term the unhealthy two party gerrymander will have to be reformed to get more talented alternative competition into the place.

Postscript #1 June 5th 2007

This story ran on June 3rd 07, 2007 in the Sydney Daily Telegraph causing suitably appalled and incredulous reactions, not realising perhaps that the Iemma ALP Govt have been working to appease and pander to the sporting lobby for most of 2006 and 2007. This is a belated slap down by Big Media with the ALP govt guiltily sitting on their hands. Pathetic really:

Posted by editor at 5:32 PM NZT

Updated: Tuesday, 5 June 2007 4:07 PM NZT

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Singapore freaks over Asian neighbours unsafe nuclear ambitions
Mood:

accident prone
Topic: nuke threats

Picture: Australian PM John Howard peers into the reactor at Lucas Heights. Will Australia like the USA be promoting unsafe nuke energy in South East Asia?

Here is a story that senior writer Marian Wilkinson of Sydney Morning Herald reported from Darwin APEC energy minister's conference yesterday 30th May 2007 but it only appeared on the web (!?) not our press version (reproduced in full below).

We telephoned her about this and apparently there was lack of space. But first her pithy story builds on another by the competition here a week earlier from Nigel Wilson, 15 years in that role:

The Herald ran another story to the Darwin fracas 30 May 07 instead about Morris Iemma repudiating John Howard's nuclear plans

Advice found on axing state bans on nuclear - National - smh.com.au

[which is funny because it runs in the press but is missing from the web based text index for 30 May. But a bit of googling throws it up here for a different date. Advice found on axing state bans on nuclear - Sydney Morning Herald - 29 May 2007. The googling is guess work because the article is actually printed under the headline "Bid to overturn nuclear ban" bottom right page 6. ]

Whatever the confused (deliberate or otherwise) Herald indexing, the issue of nuclear energy expansion in Australia was the question time strategy it seems in both NSW and State Parliament. Seems its not just Premier Iemma and Opposition leader Rudd who will fight the nuke expansion plans on the beaches: Singapore are obviously very alarmed at the lack of safety implicit in the sleep walk to nuclear proliferation by Vietnam and Indonesian governments. But what about Australia's role in our neighbours' planning? We would be selling the raw materials and probably much technical support out of Lucas Heights reactor, do yer think? Is the Pope a Catholic? Does the bore hole ooze hot mud (ie a disaster in Indonesia recently)?

As explained to journo Wilkinson we see one alternative future like this on a 5 or 10 year horizon:

- USA promotes missile defense system vis a vis Nth Korea, Iran, China leveraging support of Japan, South Korea, Australia, Taiwan and likely others.

- An arms race to prevent USA first strike capacity (via foolproof shield) ensues.

- Tensions rise. Allies of the USA feel the need for a nuke weapon deterrent of their own, as Japan is flirting with right now.

- Australia's PM seeks nuclear energy dual use capacity in order to prepare for this strategic security possibility.

- Somewhere along the line someone makes a human error or comparatively minor clashes are exagerated like the precursor to the Vietnam War, and a nuclear weapon is launched by someone.

- Apocalypse. Do not collect, do not pass go. Game over.

No wonder Singapore are scared about this kind of future, even likelihood under a Howard Bush style regime of the future.

We tipped off some others like MP Peter Garrett and Senator Bob Brown's office about this report of diplomatic rage up in Darwin, and here is the rather scary story in full:

http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2007/05/29/1180205251031.html

Asia-Pacific nuclear authority plan scuttled after safety debate

Date: May 30 2007

Marian Wilkinson in Darwin

A plan to set up a regional nuclear safeguards authority for the Asia Pacific has been ditched after an intense debate at the APEC energy ministers conference in Darwin which centered on the importance of nuclear safety.

The proposal was dropped from the final declaration of the conference, despite being included in earlier drafts. But the Industry Minister, Ian Macfarlane, denied there had been a "bitter debate" over the issue after Singapore raised questions over nuclear safety.

The discussion on the role of nuclear power as an option to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the APEC region was strongly supported by the US Deputy Secretary of Energy, Clay Sell. Mr Macfarlane said Singapore had requested that any decision by an APEC country to pursue the nuclear mix should be made in consultation with their neighbours.

Officials from both Vietnam and Indonesia told the APEC conference their countries were studying the option of nuclear power stations that could come on line in the next decade.

The final declaration contained a watered down clause encouraging APEC members to join the organisation's nuclear technologies group to ensure the "safety, security, seismic health and waste handling aspects" of nuclear power were "adequately addressed".

The final declaration by the 21 APEC countries also supported sharing technologies on energy efficiency, biofuels, clean coal and renewable energy as well as measures to increase energy security in the growing APEC region. But there was little support for a regional carbon trading emissions scheme that would put a price on greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels across APEC.

A report on emissions trading is set to be delivered to the Prime Minister, John Howard, tomorrow. But it is now believed it will be unlikely to set hard targets for Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Mr Macfarlane strongly signalled in Darwin that the targets will be left to another economic committee to assess how they can be achieved without cutting into economic growth.

Mr Macfarlane told reporters any target will depend on the technology capable of achieving it. "The challenge at the moment is not to set targets, the challenge is to actually have the technology to achieve targets."

Labor has set a long-term target of reducing Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, based on emissions in the year 2000 which the Government has dismissed as irresponsible.

Tomorrow's report will, however, pave the way for Australia to finally establish an emissions trading scheme that will put a price on Australia's greenhouse gas pollution.

The importance of clean coal technology in achieving a target for greenhouse gas cuts was highlighted yesterday when a slanging match broke out between Mr Macfarlane and the Queensland Premier, Peter Beattie, over his state's high profile "zero gen" clean coal project.

Mr Macfarlane told reporters in Darwin the project has "collapsed" but Mr Beattie said he had "no idea" what Mr Macfarlane was talking about. "Why would the coal industry invest $600million in clean coal if they weren't serious?" Mr Beattie said. "Ian Macfarlane is repeatedly trying to undermine clean coal technologies?"

..............................

Postscript #1 1st June 2007

By coincidence (or not ?) a prominent reflection on widespread public fears of nuclear apocalypse was published today in the high circulation Sydney Daily Telegraph:

Shute's sands of timeBy Gideon Haigh: THEY don't make novelists like Nevil Shute any more: a self-made millionaire who served in both

Posted by editor at 2:20 PM NZT

Updated: Friday, 1 June 2007 1:04 PM NZT

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Wednesday, 30 May 2007

Steve Truman of 'Agmates' of Gympie Qld - the 2nd hand farm machinery seller who likes land clearing
Mood:

down
Topic: ecology

Crikey.com.au runs this story today, as per similar advert in The Land this week threatening possibly illegal land clearing from 1st July 2007:

3. Each day more trees will die

Steve Truman, renegade farmer [actually not a farmer as admitted to Dan Lewis journo at the Sydney Morning Herald pers comm 30/5/07] and member of the Commonwealth Property Protection Association writes:

Australian farmers have had enough of federal and state governments' reclamation of their land by stealth. So, on Sunday 1 July as a form of civil disobedience, thousands of farmers across Queensland, NSW and Victoria will cut down a tree. On 2 July they will cut down two trees and so on.

How has it come to this? The Federal Government sent Senator Ian Campbell to the Kyoto Conference in 1997 with a simple instruction. Only sign the agreement if the Australian government could insert a clause that allowed them to count the carbon credits accrued from stopping landing clearing in Australia. The clause 3.7 is known internationally as "The Australian Clause"................

The end result of Governments acting unfairly and unjustly towards its citizens is civil disobedience. History has shown that in a strong democracy, if its citizens can’t rely on their judicial system to uphold their democratically won rights, civil disobedience is the only course of action. The result of Governments behaving badly towards its citizens is, in turn, a protest in the form of its citizens behaving badly.

Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or submit them anonymously here.

........

Nor is this the only anti environmental ratbag in the last few days rushing into the media: Don Burke the determined anti recycler and green baiter was at it for the rippoff of the Australian Conservation Foundation with a real democratic basis. Burke calls his bogus group the Australian Environment Foundation in a clear attempt at misleading and deceptive conduct on the opinion page of the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday. A good legal case under the Trade Practices Act by the ACF would be our view:

Farmers' offer too good to refuse - Opinion - smh.com.au

It's mostly hogwash trying to cover up the outrageous criminal clearing of the Gwydir Wetlands here page 1 21st May 2007

Bulldozed: a vital wetland - National - smh.com.au

And we notice this story running of Rio Tinto paying farmers $1M for not clearing to get the carbon credits, which is just no good for someone like Steve Truman in the farm machinery land clearing business May 26th

Farmer makes $1m for doing nothing at all | NEWS.com.au

with this heartening image captioned "Tree change ... Queensland farmer Peter Allen and his wife were ready to chop down their trees until Rio Tinto stepped in / Annette Dew"

The following is a tip sent to Crikey.com.au this afternoon:

......................

Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 4:26 PM

Subject: Steve Truman 2nd hand farm machinery seller for ...... land clearing

some astute googling of "Steve Truman" brings up Wesfarmers business link back in 2001

Store cattle producers in the Far West of New South Wales are ... then "Steve Truman livestock brings up this massive financial conflict of interest as a seller of farm machinery to do the clearing, ploughing etc etc

At first I thought he must be one of the Shooters Party 'cede from Australia' ultra right wingers but now I get it, another financial angle, not a gun seller but a dozer etc seller.

Tom McLoughlin, ecology action

[links with evidence attached of Steve Truman financial vested interest in pushing land clearing as a 2nd hand farm machinery seller based in Gympie Qld]

..........................................#1 of 2

http://www.aussieweb.com.au/map.aspx?id=2293479

Truman Livestock

Farmers Dealing Direct With Farmers

We call you now in 5 seconds.

(07) 5483-9388
0428 966819
Website: http://www.agmates.com Address: 106 River Road
GYMPIE
QLD, 4570 GREATER SUNSHINE COAST AREA Contact: Steve Truman Opening Hours: Not available ABN: 32 556 307 251 Established: 2005 Payment

Listed In:

Marketing Consultants

Newspapers - Rural

Real Estate Listing Services

Secondhand Machinery

...................................................

..................................... #2 of 2

http://agmates.blogspot.com/2007/03/australian-farmers-really-what-hope.html

AUSTRALIAN FARMERS - Really, what hope have you got?

Labels: Carbon Credits

G'day Agmates,

What hope have FARMERS got when the people that represent them have given up. I was appalled by this email I got from an AgForce person. I can't even imagine why they'd be purporting to represent QLD farmers.

Below is a copy of the email I got and below that my reply. As you will see I've kept this AgForce person's identity confidential. I see this persons name in the Queensland Country Life regularly.
_______________________________________________

From: (Name suppressed by Agmates) [mailto: @bigpond.com]
Sent: 08/03/2007 10:05 AM
To: Truman Livestock
Subject: Re: Agmates Alert - Breaking News

Please remove me from your Email list. This is unsolicited Email Perhaps you should read some of Agforce's press releases on Land clearing.
We know we have been sacrificed but only 4% of the population are farmers and that voting % means nothing.

_________________________________________________

Below is my reply, which the AgForce person has not answered.

_________________________________________________

From: Truman Livestock [mailto:trumanlivestock@bigpond.com]
Sent: 08/03/2007 11:51 AM
To: 'Name suppressed by Agmates'
Subject: (Name) - Australian Farmers Need YOU

G’day (Name),

Thanks for your email. At your request I’ve removed you from the Email list. I’d just like to clarify 3 points you raised in your email:

1. “This is unsolicited Email”:
Your email address is listed on the AgForce web site. I can only guess it is there because you want people to contact you about issues that are related to your role as an AgForce office holder.

In my 2 emails that is exactly what I’ve done. The only thing I’m peddling is a FAIR GO for the 1,000’s of QLD farmers your organization represents. I apologizes if this has offended you.

2. “Read AgForce’s press releases on Land Clearing”:

I would like to read the press releases on Land Clearing that you refer to. If you could tell me where to get hold of them, I’d be grateful.

I have a completely open mind on the subject and can only present the facts as I find them.

My suspicion is that AgForce and the other farmer representative bodies have been badly let down by the NFF on this issue and I’d like to bring that to every AUSTRALIAN FARMERS attention.

3. “We know we have been sacrificed, but only 4% of the population are farmers and that voting means nothing”:

(Name), unfortunately this is not the 1st time I’ve heard this sentiment / opinion from a representative of a State Agripolitical organization. I detect a lot of frustration in what you and others are saying. From what I’ve discovered I can understand your feelings.

However I’d urge you not to give up. I know you and your fellow AgForce representative know that Farmers HAVE BEEN SACRIFICEDand the real story of why FARMERS ARE NOT BEING REPRESENTED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

But the problem is getting that information, and THE STORY OF THIS SCANDALOUS SITUATION to the 120,000 farmers across Australia.

THAT"S WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH AGMATES. Let me clarify firstly that Agmates has absolutely no political agenda, it is 100% PRO-FARMER.

Agmates uses the latest technology, email and – Blogging to give informed opinion backed up by links to the source documents, e.g. any farmer in Australia is able to Click the Link in my article Australian Farmers – Are they Second Rate Citizens?

FARMERS can read the 263 page NETS discussion paper or the related communiques and submissions for themselves. This is an incredibly powerful medium.

I don’t believe for a minute that my vote, your vote, plus the other 119,999 FARMER votes across Australia means nothing.

That number does represent 4% of the voters but it does not take into account all ex farmers, people who come from the land (and still have a strong affiliation with rural Australia), extended families and friends.

With the above numbers and the number of people who are sympathetic and empathetic to farmers would be 5 times that number or 20% of voters. Look what the GREEN’S have achieved with just 6-8% of voters.

We just need to get active and get the message out there. At present Agmates is being regularly read by people from Port Douglas to Perth.

We have a big percentage of our readers are people in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra (interesting), Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. We also have readers in the UK, USA, China, India, Europe and Asia. What an opportunity to get REAL AUSTRALIAN FARMER ISSUES out one the table.

(Name), from your email I think you are ONE OF THE GOOD GUY’S.

I’d ask that you join me and my friends in helping spread the message, rather than just give up.

Mate I’d really like to publish your email to me and this reply but respect your privacy and will only do so with your permission (otherwise I’ll publish it anonymously).

You can help and contribute by firstly contributing your views and information to be published on Agmates for every one else to read (You can do this by email).

Secondly by emailing an Agmates link to everybody you know so they have the opportunity to see the issues that you / we raise and pursue.

So there you have it. I have taken you off the AGMATES email distribution list and will leave it like that unless I hear from you. All the best!

Cheers – Your Agmate, Steve Truman
_____________________________________________

P.S. I never heard back from this AgForce person. Really, I mean What Hope have QLD farmers got with an attitude like this AgForce person has.

Cheers - You Agmate Steve

Postscript #1

Steve Truman makes a gracious respone in the comments section below, and interestingly hails from the Gwydir wetlands area. He denies directly (but obviously still indirectly) benefits from agri machinery trade but he also makes no apology for the clearing of wetlands which has really angered the broad community.

There may well be some degree of truth in his notion the miners and other industry are getting away with greenhouse murder at the expense of farmers. On the other hand my experience of agri industry (in particular the National Party)is that they are usually very gracious and personable folks - and just keep on killing the environment ...however nicely. We agree carbon pricing to keep bush upright would be a good way forward. We also note Prof Peter Cullen comment that much farming on marginal land should have been shut down decades ago. Harsh but true.

Posted by editor at 6:14 PM NZT

Updated: Thursday, 31 May 2007 3:02 PM NZT

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Aidwatch oppressed by Howard Govt, and why our Ecology Action never bothered with tax deductibility status
Mood:

sharp
Topic: human rights

Picture: Top left inset Lee Rhiannon, founder of Aidwatch, and later Green MP in NSW from March 1999. "1993 Lee co-founded AID/WATCH, an international monitoring body of Australia’s overseas aid program. Lee was Director of this group for six years and instrumental in establishing this independent organisation. It is now widely respected for its vigorous scrutiny of projects undertaken by the World Bank and AusAID." Top right, Environment Minister in 1996 Senator Faulkner. Headline in the Herald today, and below that the Friends of the Earth '$20K edition' of Chain Reaction newsletter of Friends of the Earth of July 1996 prefacing repeal of their federal govt admin grant for that ngo.

We rang the ABC radio this morning and gave some background on the politics of tax deductibility (TD) for non govt groups in relation to their story on Aidwatch (AW) non profit: Canberra's gagging us, say charities - National - brisbanetimes.com.au and locally here

Canberra's gagging us, say charities THE freedom of welfare, aid and environment groups to speak out about government policies has been called into question by a decision of the Australian Taxation Office to strip a voluntary watchdog of its charity status.

The guy carrying the can today is card carrying bleeding heart idealistic public intellectual Dr James Goodman.

First the notion of charity and non profit should be clarified. Charity is usually understood as social services like food, clothing, shelter, medical including mental health services. Non profits are a much more intangible public good like art, theatre, environment, civil society, democracy, human rights awareness. They both deserve and get TD for a better society and a better democracy, if you believe in those kind of things.

AW falls into the second class of TD but the conservative Howard Govt only believe it seems in the first class. Sad really. In this way the arts and theatre people should be very worried.

TD as we understand it is administered by the Australian Taxation Office but the gate keeper for TD are the relevant govt departments of the relevant ministerial portfolio - arts for those ngo groups, health for those ngo groups, environment same and on it goes. This is logical because those specific dept bureaucrats have expertise on which non profit ngos are fair dinkum community based and which ones might be bogus or fraudulent.

In 1996 Senator John Faulkner was Environment Minister (we on behalf of The Wilderness Society had months earlier been bushwalking with the guy and his two kids in the Blue Mountains with press man James Woodford in a pre election Pic Fac). I was working with Friends of the Earth Sydney in Bathurst St Sydney in 1996. Aidwatch was above The Wilderness Society shop in Liverpool St a block away fora a year or two (just back from Hungry Jacks today and opposite World Square, then a dead hole in the ground). AW was run by Lee Rhiannon, then a fairly unknown activist, and we had moved on from The Wilderness Society. Lee and I were both members of the Eastern Suburbs Greens (I'm non aligned since 2000.)

AW a recent startup were desperate for TD and requested a letter of support from FoE who were categorically a TD green group accredited by the Federal Dept of the Environment probably for decades like a constellation of groups including the Australian Conservation Foundation promoted by such as conservative Sir Garfield Barwick back to the 1960ies.

Being of a legal litigation experience and knowing how sharp Faulkner was, I knew blather wouldn't cut and AW would have to meet the obvious concern with AW getting TD under an environmental category: That they were busy on human rights and social justice concerns.

But FoE had a perspective on that with their slogan "environmental protection in a human rights context". This was the extra step from say ACF on environment, or The Wilderness Society again on environment per se. So I wrote a reference with a view to Faulkner in terms similar to:

'We are a well recognised green group who understand how the environment inter relates with human rights concerns such as tropical deforestation leaving villages ripped off and poverty stricken. Often as a result of corruption of govt process. Civil society rule of law and democracy are valid issues for a green group to fight for. So we are comfortable with such as AidWatch being characterised as an environmental group from human rights perspective"

Of course since then the concept of "environmental justice" cross over between environment and human rights/social justice has become mainstream like .....

- climate change refugees,

- Javanese villagers land being flooded by hot spewing mud from a bore hole,

- compensation concerns for nuclear test victims including army veterans, Indigenous etc

- racialised and socio economic siting of polluting industry generally including here in Sydney eg containers, dredging, poisons in Botany not Pittwater

AW contacted us way back then and were wrapped with our "great" letter. Well thankyou, all in a days work in fact. AW was indeed given TD. And so Lee Rhiannon's political career took another big step. Not the other way round as some might think today with Big Lee rampaging across the political landscape from Gulaga forest protest to coal mines in the Hunter.

The rest is electoral history with Howard's govt marching to power later in 1996.

We don't know whether the basis of AW TD has changed since 1996 but in the nature of these things we imagine its remained the same all the way back to 1996. Now it's all in the news today on AM show this morning 30th May 2007 with assistant treasurer Peter Dutton etc. No doubt the government figure such as academic Dr James Goodman of that group are "undesirables" given this image of the great and good James alternatively bearded and clean shaven at different times in his career

Indeed we wonder what possible expertise the ATO actually has in regard to portfolio related decisions as to valid community based ngo groups involved in art, health, environment, human rights etc. It's not an expertise that naturally fits with the bean counters in the ATO at first instance. It should be a portfolio ministerial discretionary advice based on the research of their officers in the relevant field.

Also the idea that such ngo's should not be part of political discourse or engage in political posture as somehow the ethical basis for cancelling TD is a joke at the expense of real democracy and civil society and to protect the govt from scrutiny. Everything is political from the choice you make at the supermarket to handing out at a polling booth.The idea public interest groups should not express a view in any forum is fundamentally fascist. The point is whether you want people with expertise to advocate on these public virtues whether charity, narrowly defined, or non profit social benefits more broadly.

The real question is whether the ngo is working for an appropriate topic known as a public good and worth supporting financially in a democracy, not where they do so. The real question is whether it is medical, human right, environment, art, social service, whatever not whether it is 'political'.

In the current context for AW to be promoting more direct hypothecation of govt aid expenditure to poverty alleviation for our neighbours, and the govt to argue sufficient nexus via indirect benefit to global budget of the beneficiary country is fair game, and fair play. Penalising AW for exposing that allegedly sly accounting of Treasurer Peter Costello is highly suggestive, with rumours now in crikey.com.au yesterday of corrupt developers in Africa via Indonesia tsunami.

If AW watchdog didn't exist today it would be necessary to invent it. The hypocrisy regarding the Coalition commitment to the Building and Industrial Commission quite fascist watchdog issuing $20K individual fines, but not mild mannered herbal ngos says alot. Here is that crikey item in the public interest from their subscriber material yesterday 29th May 07:

7. Tips and rumours

Our ever-alert DFAT mole has come up with some very interesting news emanating from, of all places, Lome, the capital of Togo. As Crikey was reaching for an atlas, the mole explained: Togo is nestled between Ghana and Benin and is under the control of a strict dictatorship and, like most African countries,is rife with corruption. We gather the mole has seen reports emanating from Lome -- he wouldn't identify the author, but as Australia is represented in Ghana it's not hard to guess. The message is that the building boom in Lome, which is of huge proportions, is being financed by some high-ranking Indonesian officials allegedly using tsunami relief funds. The mole says there's more to come -- and it's not nice. Crikey was reminded the Australian Government was a huge relief donor and this information might just explain why the rebuilding of the worst-affected tsunami areas is going at snail's pace.

All this underlines why in late 2002 we requested from the Environment Dept the tedious lengthy forms for TD for our ecology action australia network busy on green projects as such here and then decided no, it wasn't safe to deliver all that confidential personal information into the hands of this government. They couldn't be trusted. Better to proceed as a private non profit foundation. Such distrust, based on demonstrated experience of the ngo movement not least the FoE national organisation (whose admin subsidy had been cut already some years earlier for the newsletter pictured above). And so it has come to pass with AidWatch last October 2006 and in the news today, and other groups feeling the heat as reported in the Fairfax press today.

Make no mistake there is a creeping culture of fascism in this government just as this writer was blacklisted from blog reporting on the campus of Sydney University recently (a student anti govt rally), and Big Media have "drawn a line in the sand" on protection of journalists and their sources.

Bring on a change of government, democracy depends on it.

..................

Postscript #1 Crikey.com.au writes today 30th May 2007

28. Has the Tax Office become the Government’s knee-capper?

Former ATO auditor Chris Seage writes:

Allegations of politicising of the Australian Taxation Office have surfaced this morning in The SMH. It is alleged the charitable status of Aidwatch was revoked by the ATO because it has been "trying to procure changes in Australia's aid and development programs" and for being involved in political activities.

“This is a direct attack on free speech and on democracy” said Aidwatch Chair James Goodman. “Aidwatch is the only independent watchdog of Australian aid. We have to raise these issues publicly or else no one will. Charities exist for public benefit. How can we benefit the public if we keep silent?"

Aidwatch Co-director Flint Duxfield said “It’s clear that the government is using the ATO to target charities such as Aidwatch who speak out in the public interest against misguided policy.”

“The ATO Ruling threatens our very existence and sends an ominous message to all charities– question Government policy and you will lose your charitable status,” said Mr. Goodman. Aidwatch has lodged an appeal with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

In its decision the ATO recognised that Aidwatch objectives, as stated in its constitution, were entirely charitable. They observed that these objectives were fulfilled by Aidwatch through a range of different research and education activities, including through the provision of advice to governments in Australia and overseas.

However, the ATO cited three activities of the organisation that it believed were not consistent with charitable status:

(i) urging the public to write to the Government to put pressure on the Burmese regime;
(ii) delivering an (ironic) 60th anniversary birthday cake to the World Bank;
(iii) raising concerns about the developmental impacts of the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

The ATO alleged the three activities sat outside the ATO definition of 'incidental' political activities for a charity, and removed its charitable status.

In my view this decision is a crook one and needs to be examined by the external authorities. My advice to Aidwatch, along with their appeal to the AAT, is to lodge complaints with the Commonwealth Taxation Ombudsman and the tax office watchdog David Vos, the Inspector-General of Taxation. Vos is a rottweiler and is not frightened to stand up for taxpayers against the might of the tax office or government. In fact I think he would love to get his big paws on this.

It is not the first time the ATO have been accused of being politicised. Crikey readers will recall the infamous Robert Gerard tax fiasco where the ATO sliced $75 million dollars off the big liberal party donor’s tax bill. He was also provided a comfort letter personally signed by the former tax commissioner Michael Carmody effectively clearing him of any tax foibles which facilitated his promotion to the Reserve Bank Board.

I think this government may have been in power too long.

Send your tips to boss@crikey.com.au or submit them anonymously here.

Posted by editor at 9:56 AM NZT

Updated: Wednesday, 30 May 2007 9:12 PM NZT

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