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sydney alternative media - non-profit community independent trustworthy
Friday, 9 November 2007
Walk Against Warming 11th November 2007, Remembrance Day
Mood:  cool
Topic: globalWarming

 

 


Posted by editor at 10:38 AM EADT
Updated: Friday, 9 November 2007 10:58 AM EADT
'Green Action' slogan of national Green Party echoes our 'ecology action' message since 2002?
Mood:  special
Topic: election Oz 2007

 


The editor of this humble news website was a pioneer amongst many of the Green Party in NSW from about 1994 and as one of the first crop of Green Party councillors 95-99. (Before that we helped deliver the ALP into power in March 1995 as NSW campaign coordinator for The Wilderness Society for 2 years.) We got a bit jaded/exasperated with Party personalities by 2000 and let our membership lapse after a very busy 6 years including 4 doing our public duty on Waverley Council in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Since July 2002, in addition to community media development we have been promoting the 'ecology action sydney' and now 'ecology action Australia' message mostly online and with email networking. Our influence is mostly subliminal - we see our phraseology and conceptual analysis reflected back all the time, often in real politik time as well.

The lower case name in the screenshot below is deliberate - we seek to spread flat and horizontal and to NOT compete for profile or fundraising in the green ngo sector, which in fact is usually the same thing inviting all kind of compromises with institutional power for access/grants/platforms and indeed postures, not least the consumption economics based Big Meeja (we don't reject 'growth economics' theoretically, but in reality its still mostly unsustainable extraction here).

We notice the latest notable echo of our missionary vocation - The Green Party election platform in The Australian feature yesterday. We have our sincere critics and rivals in sections of the Green Party here in NSW but when their national platform echoes our message .... well you can't complain. Indeed we find it very gratifying.

Pictured: Santaigo Chile mid 2002. Chief and staff of national green group CODEFF  affiliated to the international Friends of the Earth organisation which supervised our $15K seed funding 2002 - 2004 to employ Mitzi Urtubia and Marisol Frugone as national communications team, now with another group Ecosistemas there. From left above: Patricio Ramos (lawyer), Codeff chief Jenia Jofre, this writer Tom McLoughlin, Rodrigo Herrara (lead campaigner) now with Greenpeace Chile and Sydney based translator and activist Marlene Marquez Obeid.


Here is a picture (immediately above) of our first serious campaign here in Australia - helping Chilean environmentalists stop a US$3 Billion hydro smelter project in Aysen, Patagonia which would have destroyed 10,000 ha of primary forest, 3 rivers Condor, Cuervo, Blanco, lakes and dump some 600,000 tonnes per year of waste into the fjords of the scenic region. The proponent of the development Canadian based multinational Noranda who makes aluminium with cheap electricity via mega hydro was thwarted. It was the Chilean version of the Franklin Dam campaign of 1983 here. We played our role including $15,000 in seed funding for a community campaign over two years. For this we are very proud of our ecology action. And this worldwide attempt to turn mountains and rivers in to aluminium profits goes on including with Australian investors.

Very few Australians know about local informal network 'ecology action' role in boosting that winning campaign against huge odds - not least because this writer is a non aligned sometimes critic of one's own ngo sector and thus not favoured for profile or media access or back slaps.

Indeed we notice action over talk is a little confronting for lazy or less committed or informed careerist folks. But after 6 years, in 2000 we just got bored with endless diplomacy and preferred peaceful confrontation in the Gandhi style and honest independent review of who, and what works, and what doesn't to save our planet from ecological destruction by powerful cynics in our society. We still feel that way.

Our programme of current campaigns are explained further here. Feel free to donate via snail mail C/- Addison Rd Centre 142 Addison Rd Marrickville 2204 or call 0410 558838 first. But only if you want to make a difference: like this

#1

dscf0017.jpg

and this

#2

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2007 9:30 AM
Subject: Timbiki Wetland [in Colombia]

Hola Tom,
I know that your mind and hands are full with elections and so much happening at the moment, there is always something happening, but this time is crucial, it is probably because the future of the planet is at stake. I find it frustrating that it seems as if the majority of people don't understand it, and that to lessen our impact on what is sustaining us, the natural environment, can't be business as usual.
Anyway, Paulina sent another report of her activities in restoring the Wetland, I even spoke to her on the phone this week. The situation as you know it is not better there, the group is fighting against big influencing landlords and multinationals, so from death threats, to bad publicity, you name it, they are going ahead with the plan to restore and recuperate the wetland. The area is dominated by sugar cane plantations which have destroyed the rivers and wetlands, so the small farmers have been left without water and their livelihood, so what they are doing now is fighting back to restore the area and praying for rain.
I will translate the report, it is around two to three pages and will send it soon, in the meantime I am forwarding the photographs, including wetland, members of the Foundation, farmers and local school students whom they are trying to educate and get them and their families on the project's side. ...
Amparo


Posted by editor at 8:24 AM EADT
Updated: Monday, 12 November 2007 7:36 AM EADT
Activists take on USA Fox News again for abusive broadcasting
Mood:  energetic
Topic: election Oz 2007

Our correspondent Jarrah Keenan forwards this email doing the global rounds:

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

Dear activists, colleagues and friends,

Most of you are aware, and most likely have been for a while, that under the guise of "news" Fox has offered its viewers a steady stream of bias pertaining to social and political issues since its inception in 1996. From attacking Black America to pushing for war with Iran, from demonizing bloggers to distorting environmental issues, theirs is quite a record of achievement in propagating propaganda that is neither fair nor balanced.

Watch the video
Today we have a surprise (well at least it surprised all of us at BNF). Thanks to the terrific work of the News Hounds, we bring you Fox and ole' Billy O'Reilly attacking decency. Yes, you read that right. The self-righteous, pompous, bloviators who deign to lecture on how we should behave in our personal lives, are in fact exploiting women, pandering to the lowest common denominator and pushing smut out on the airwaves on a daily basis!

Watch the video: http://foxattacks.com/decency?utm_source=rgemail

And this will definitely raise your hackles. YOU ARE PAYING FOR THIS! Yes, you read that right too. So watch the video and pass it along to as many on your email list as possible. We simply must let the FCC know we are mad as hell about having their smut in our homes and being forced to pay for it. And we're simply not going to take it anymore.

Sincerely,
Robert Greenwald, Cliff Schecter, and the Brave New Films team

P.S. Here's what Gloria Steinem had to say about the video: "Fox News shows more sexualized violence and humiliation than probably any other network -- all in the name of condemning it -- while under-showing violence in Iraq, all in the name of supporting it. After this video, smart viewers and advertisers will boycott Fox."

--
Brave New Films is located at 10510 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 and
info@bravenewfilms.org . To stop receiving new videos from us, click here.


Posted by editor at 8:13 AM EADT
Updated: Friday, 9 November 2007 10:36 AM EADT
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Readership stats for Sydney Alternative Media October 2007
Mood:  hungry
Topic: independent media

* measure up to 6th Nov, more like 9,100 hits up to 3rd Nov07 

  • Sept -  8,100 (roughly, no screenshot)
  • August - 8,845
  • July - 7475
  • June - 9675
  • May  - 9, 059
  • April  - 12,087
  • March  - 6,684
  • February - 5,372
  • January 07 -  2800 (3rd Jan - 3rd Feb 07)

Posted by editor at 10:33 AM EADT
Updated: Wednesday, 7 November 2007 10:46 AM EADT
Media backgrounder last 10 days
Mood:  energetic
Topic: big media

In the absence of the usual chunky package of big media background notables in our last Sunday Political Talkies story (due to ragged recovery from trip to the wilds of south west Victoria) we shall start a listing here as we catch up the grist:

- Joe Hildebrand hidden away on the inside last page of the Saturday Tele with this cracking quote in I feel right at home in state of fearing death | The Daily Telegraph attributed to colleague Simon Benson, which is saying something given Benson's big 'in' with this State ALP

"As my exasperated colleague Simon Benson recently put it to a nervous Liberal staffer: "For God's sake, this is a Government whose main policy agenda is killing its citizens - and you blokes can't even land a glove on them in Question Time!"

Trioli on abc 702 before 9 am today implicitly makes the same point over the DOCS minister  over the tragedy of the 7 year old who never got a fair chance in life, dead of starvation. Bad governance, nepotism, cronyism, sinecures, zoo like attitude in Parliament (especially the Upper House), stacked branches, cynical power games, developer donations. It's very ugly governance in this state, and the Coalition are potentially as bad. It's the crap two party duopoly to my mind.

Simon Benson clearly has broken cover from the ALP skirts (like Putin's KGB from the tattered skirts of the Yeltsin/Oligarchs?!), which is surprising given his very big 'in' to the ALP networks, or alternatively is that Benson the cipher via Sussex St strategically helping Kevin07 break down that Howard line on 'ALP Federal/7 State dictatorship' election strategy?

The notion that Kevin will help remove the appalling NSW ALP govt will indeed be popular but just as likely a temporary posture till the election on Nov 24? 

Sincere or not, Benson's logic has great resonance with Barry OFarrell so obviously competent as an Opposition Leader if not his bunch of rat bag/religious nutter shadows, with a few honourable exceptions.

Read Simon's piece today timed late 6th Nov 07and judge for yourself: State ALP gone if Rudd wins

 

 

- This cracking tip off to catch John Laws who apparently is in melt down mode after 55 years in the career until the federal election when he resigns. Tune in to hear Laws let rip | The Daily Telegraph

- The laughable PR postures of Bob Carr given his pro woodchipping history (dealt with here on SAM news site last week): Ex premier Bob Carr's push to protect his bush | The Daily Telegraph

Au contraire, the truth is much more like this: 

Bogus Bob Carr's revisionist history on 50% forest destruction on his watch
- Fears over frieght noise in Valley Times Oct 25 07 3, Canterbury City Council is very worried about the new Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre - "the centre will operate around the clock, seven days a week ... 800 container movements per day ....local councils could unite ....this is going to be the worst disaster for the area ....this is the biggest single issue in Canterbury".
And guess who is Shadow minister for infrastructure in the Inner West to deliver the ALP brothers intensification of transport at any health and amenity cost? Anthony Albanese.
Virginia Judge state ALP MP for Strathfield is also getting sledged mercilessly as she should be by one Anthony Poljak of Strathfield in the letters page of the Inner West Courier p36 9/10/07 over the over development intensification, so super tanker container ships can save money while everyone else suffers.
- a surprisingly balanced and sober assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Kyoto protocol as a symbol and a process by Matthew Warren the energy industry spruiker who represents as an environment reporter here Few understand significance of 'symbolic' Kyoto | The Australian back on 29 Oct 07. We find it gratifying because we pick up the symbolism reported here separately just like the Montreal Protocol. Warren notes a learned article in Nature.
- Gittins notes the election season violence to sound economics Politicians' old con - making it affordable - Business - Business ...
The thesis is that demand increases for subsidised supply of whatever widget or service, which puts pressure on supply then a feedback loop to increase demand and therefore price. Sounds right.
- Hans Blix, Hans Blix, Hans Blix on JJJ, Dateline, abc 702 and radio national, winner of the Sydney Peace Prize 2007 which presumably means a nice free trip down under and a pat on the back. He deserves it. He also strongly supports nuclear power (which we don't) but then you want a nukes expert as a weapons inspector. Blix encourages sales of our uranium to the world. Australia recently were blackballed by India at the cost of "billions" of export revenue for imposing USA inspired conditions. Symptomatic of a very fluid dynamic in this area of geo politics (Richard Broinowski Credentials the cost of nuclear sell-out - Opinion - smh.com.au, , and probably a reason to indulge such as Peter Garrett despite all his double talk and carpetbaggery, otherwise the Blix view will win out, rather than the clean renewables vision. Sheridan at The Oz (link is scarce) is suitably pissed off that sales to India are not going ahead so far India sets new talks on nuclear deal - Breaking News - World ...
- Underlining the ruthless nature of our Coalition govt 'values' commitment to trade above all else this ugle story re Burma Sanctions don't work, says investor with Liberal ties - World ...
- Geof Gallup releases the inner lefty here New wave of radicalism | The Australian which won't impress the fiscal conservatives, although he might mean social policy as per Big Mal on some 'token' equal financial rights for gay couples
- unfriendly profile by Steve Lewis of the 'red menace' Julia Gillard in the Daily Telegraph as "Left to own devices", (and similarly in Melb Herald Sun as  "Fighting fire with burning ambition" ) tucked away on page 83 of the Saturday Tele which kicked off the latest phase of attacks on Gillard as too left. She was heard parrotting Rudd as an "economic conservative" with a cute form of words like always supporting 'competition and hard work'.
- Chris Masters classic quote out take on full page feature notable for leaving the ABC but also for the spineless nature of our political professional class, by Erin O'Dwyer p57 Sun Herald Oct 14 07 (offline) called "  'I never had a problem, but there's a problem now'  " presumably a quote of the veteran journo'  "
Masters believes the media must change - slowly, from the grassroots  up - but he wonders whether the politicians have really taken any heed. The same ones who clapped him on the back still "run up to Jone's flat for the endless meetings".
It made me think if they crawl to Alan Jones and they so disrespect him, what do they think of the rest of us?
You can see the answer amongst the antics of the machine men and women of the Upper House of say the NSW Parliament any sitting day of the week, full of themselves at their financial security via parliamentary pension having gotten to the top of that particular greasy pole and with no gravity or sense of public duty, a pathetic club of cynical wankers with few honourable exceptions. A very depressing place.
- AMP 'Investing in sustainability" advert looking to the ethical investment sector , full page Oct 6-7 Australian Weekend Magazine.
- cruel picture of the 'Governor General' Senator John Faulkner on 17/10/07 p7 Australian in story Wily Faulkner eyes Rudd tyros | The Australian
- Funny take on time travel postures this election season by two major parties by Steve Burrell leveraging a Tardis picture Plague of time lords enters Australian politics - Business - Business
- Flattering profile of 'national leader' of the Greens Bob Brown with big pic p7 29 Oct The Australian, in a purple patch for the veteran (also reported here separately) of serious real politik relevance arguably previously denied The Greens and Senator Brown alleging electoral credibility gap. Refer Brown launches bid for balance of power | The Australian, and the pragmatic preference deal between The Greens and the ALP last Saturday corroborates the theme Sat 3rd Nov 07, with the official statement here:

Media Statement - 3rd November 2007

Federal Labor has today confirmed its preference arrangements with the Australian Greens.

Labor will direct preferences to the Greens in the Senate. The Greens will preference the ALP for the House of Representatives ballot in target seats in all States and Territories, except Tasmania.

The ALP will preference One Nation, Citizens Electoral Council and Pauline Hanson last on all ballot papers in seats running candidates from those parties.

Federal Labor campaign spokesperson Penny Wong said, “Federal Labor has made these preference agreements only on the basis that they do not, in any way, influence or change Labor policy."

 - On the same page and perhaps of equal import one of the infamous union twins Kevin Reynolds proves his durability with the targeting of Joe McDonald there in WA with the old mantra that '$ talks and bullsh*t walks' in this story: We gave Rudd $1m: union boss | The Australian Mmm that's compelling PR to the Kevin07 to lay off the contract wedding of union-alp election campaign. We here fell a little sympathy for rough hewn Joe with too many meat pies under his belt - how many funerals of building workers has he been to due to bad safety practices in such a dangerous job? Too many is surely the answer. The financial PR approach reminds us of our favourite poster of Coalition Union money politiks way back Oct 7 2005:

- Gavin Brown as Sydney Uni vice chancellor parades his pro democracy free speech right to know credentials in a curious crouched photo in the Ed Supplement p25, 24 Oct 2007 next to canonised academic John Buchanan in Hockey smear 'attack on freedom' | The Australian.  There's a big story here of some kind but not the obvious - the PM's man Shergold was rumoured as interested in the $600K perch to replace Brown in Crikey.com.au earlier this year. Sydney Uni is in trouble for black listing this news blogger (covering an education rally) and the NSW Ombudsman Office is indeed pursuing it as we have been further contacted. But the Uni is clever with its PR too - they did a friendly pic fac with the student agitators (in The Glebe which refused to publish our letter to the editor about the black list) to deflect our official complaint of oppression of free press by community media. 'Students good, community media bloggers bad' is the tactical line. But its dishonest - the uni holds public events advertised to the public and tax subsidised by the public and the public should be able to do community media on the campus.
- Acoa are all over some mutual backslapping awards of the AbaF - Australia Business Arts Foundation. Refer a supplment Oct 26 p7 of The AustralianSomething to do with ALCOA FROG WATCH. The public need to balance up this almost certain greenwashing with the solid electricity known as aluminium with huge greenhouse implications and the global record of searching the world for unspoilt mountains and rivers to dam for cheap hydro and bugger the locals. this writer helped stop one such US$3 BILLION project in Aysen Chile (refer Patagonia project)

- Kimberley set to become battleground | The Australian - piecemeal LNG developments come under fire.

- Desire and the green cure - Richard Glover - Opinion - smh.com.au

 


Posted by editor at 9:35 AM EADT
Updated: Thursday, 8 November 2007 9:27 AM EADT
Monday, 5 November 2007
www.maynereport.com dishes the dirt on Perpetual major shareholding in Gunns Ltd
Mood:  energetic
Topic: corporates


 


Posted by editor at 5:39 PM EADT
Lucy Macbeth wades into the politics of marriage and divorce in Wentworth
Mood:  sharp
Topic: election Oz 2007

About 6 months ago we wrote one of our prods at Christian Kerr noting that ALP candidate George Newhouse had a very appealing family and spouse ..... at least from memory some 10 years back while a colleague at Waverley Council. We saw the Newhouse family as inevitable pictorial assets in the election platform. Hence the real politik comment to Kerr.

Now the whole world knows not least via front page press coverage that the Newhouses have split up, he was dating rival candidate Ecuyer, and is in a tough contest with Big Mal Turnbull.

So now George is vying for the divorcee vote and Mrs Turnbull seems to know it very well with brutal references to her '30 year relationship' with hubby Mal in a public letter. We think it's likely to be damaging to the Newhouse candidacy - she didn't get to be a Sydney CBD mayor once for nothing. One presumes there are more marrieds in Wentworth than single adult voters once you weed out the 40% annual churn of transient Bondi visitors and non traditional lifestylers.

Which all reminds this writer of the reputed talent of the English to be very rude while formally polite. In the immortal words of Bob Dylan, Lucy Turnbull probably prefers to see Newhouse "paralysed" than keep her out of the Lodge as First Lady. Over to Lady Macbeth here extracted by crikey.com.au last week:

 

 


Posted by editor at 4:44 PM EADT
Updated: Monday, 5 November 2007 5:16 PM EADT
Vale Peter Andren MHR, MP for Calare ...'he gave politics a good name'
Mood:  special
Topic: local news

 

The obligatory baby photo

 

"This member is not standing for re-election". So reads the parliamentary website the official reason being a re destribution of the seat of Calare, and a plan to shift to the senate.

The other reason is that Peter Andren has died last Saturday of pancreatic cancer very soon after the diagnosis. Here is Greens Leader Bob Brown on the death of his colleague in grassroots politics:

 

Saturday 3 November 2007

Peter Andren was a political inspiration for Australia, Greens leader
Bob Brown said today.

"He gave politics a good name. He brought it fresh air. In the
conservative electorate of Calare, his vote grew at each election,
though he tackled the Howard government on the Iraq war, the Tampa
crisis, climate change and its approval of logging Tasmania's forests.
He worked hard for Calare and the electorate loved him. His was
political representation at its honest best," Senator Brown said.

"I extend heartfelt sorrow at his death to his partner, Valerie, family,
friends and the people of Calare," Senator Brown said.

Contact: Prue Cameron 0408 473 379


Posted by editor at 3:15 PM EADT
International Buy Nothing Day 24th November 2007
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: ecology

 

 

As Port Phillip in Melbourne prepares for a massive dredging and expansion for imports of more junk, and Port Botany is identified for more expansion for import of .... you guessed it ... more junk, Lynda Newnam writes as follows:

START THIS ELECTION DAY BY SAYING NO TO AFFLUENZA:    Saturday 24th November 8-11am Penrhyn Boat Ramp, Penrhyn Road, Port Botany (see photograph below)

main.jpg

 

for Birdwatching and Photography and Contemplation 27% of Sydney’s ‘trade’ = the export of empty containers.  

The majority of greenhouse pollution is embedded in the goods we buy and transport. A third container terminal, intermodal terminals, tunnels and other $multi-billion infrastructure are being built in Sydney to accommodate the export of empty containers and other ‘trade’ that congests Sydney but some of which would provide opportunities if located elsewhere in NSW.

Further details on BUY NOTHING DAY:  http://www.bnd.dk/english.htm  and/or email chairperson (at) botanybay.info or just turn up with thermos, binos and camera.

For a no nonsense commentary on why we should ’shift to thrift’ read Richard Glover at http://www.smh.com.au/news/richard-glover/desire-and-the-green-cure/2007/10/18/1192300941282.html  Glover says that  ”The really radical response to global warming - the one you won’t find in any of the glossy green magazines - would be to rehabilitate the concept of thrift. The advertisers would hate it, but we could once more celebrate it as a virtue - in just the way it used to be celebrated by generations of Australians.”

Further details on Birdwatching: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/ - This particular day we will also remember Lance Ferris, The Pelican Man, who died 14/10/07.  Under the Ports expansion plan the Pelicans which now grace the area have been identified as birds to be actively discouraged.


Posted by editor at 1:24 PM EADT
Uh oh Sydney research reactor built by 'Dodgy Bros' of Argentina proves to be dodgy in front of world experts
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: nuke threats

 

 

[Greens media release] 

Six month reactor shutdown as nuclear delegates arrive in Australia

4.11.07

The admission by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology
Organisation that Australia's only nuclear reactor will remain shutdown
for six months shows the need for a new direction on nuclear power,
Greens Senator Kerry Nettle said today.

The embarrassing revelation comes on the eve of an International Atomic
Energy Agency conference, which starts in Sydney tomorrow and is focused
on research reactors like the Lucas Heights OPAL reactor.

The week long conference, The International Conference on Research
Reactors: Safe Management and Effective Utilization, is being hosted by
Australia and 220 delegates from around the world are expected to
attend.

"The government now has egg on its face as the world's nuclear
scientists gather in Australia," Senator Nettle said.

"Just before Australia hosts a major international conference on
research reactors we learn that Sydney's nuclear reactor will be out of
action for at least six months."

"John Howard called this reactor a 'triumph' but just three months after
his government opened the reactor it has broken down and will now be off
line for at least 6 months."

"There is major gap between the rhetoric and reality of nuclear power in
this country. How can John Howard and ANSTO argue for 25 nuclear power
reactors when they can't even run one small research reactor?"

"There is still no clear answer to the cause of the reactor shutdown and
who will foot the bill."

"The admission that the reactor will remain closed also undermines the
claim that it is necessary for nuclear medicine. ANSTO says it is
spending $90,000 a week to provide nuclear medicine while the reactor is
shutdown. The reactor cost $400 million to build so for the cost of
building a reactor Australia could have had 100 years of medical
isotopes."

"The government should cut its losses, keep the reactor closed and focus
on real solutions to climate change like renewable energy and energy
efficiency."

For more information:  Damien Lawson 0419 253 342


Posted by editor at 1:01 PM EADT
Updated: Monday, 5 November 2007 1:07 PM EADT

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