Mood:
downTopic: 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:
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 ................................................... |
|
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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.
