newcastle nsw au photos, city, port, valley : In bulk by bulk Carrington

Saturday, January 27, 2007

In bulk by bulk Carrington

'...Those ...sleepers which cushioned the tremendous travelling weight of trains: they had been axed from the forests of Grey Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata)...axemen filled export contracts for the expansion of steam across China, India, British Africa. Most of the sleepers for the Trans-Siberian.. were cut from the forests around Bunyah (NSW) and so - here's poetic justice - carried the weight of thousands of Russians, transported to isolation and worse. Truly, Grey Ironbark is one of the hardest woods available to man...'
from Murray Bail: Eucalyptus 1998 Text Publishing Melbourne.
1999 winner of the Miles Franklin Award and the Commonwealth Writers Prize.

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THE future.... restating the obvious at the time of the Copenhagen summit Dec 09

Outstanding films are made about natural history. We know much more about nature than ever before. Every aspect of habitat and biodiversity is demonstrated before us in stunning images.
Yet, it is perverse. Does this influence our reactions to nature? To the global community? Are we influenced towards conservation and towards lessening the pressures on the environment by significant change to our lifestyle. We are interdependent with nature. It is vital. What is the excuse for inaction, for instance, loss of species, for one, would be self-evident to believers and unbelievers of climate change alike.
Who will change the impact of their western lifestyle? It takes much more than doing away with plastic shopping bags!
Perhaps the glossy wildlife films about bounteous and rich, remote environments are really only a form of entertainment and escapism. The reality of our local communities and their stand offs with nature will never be related in our mind with the glamourous nature films nor seen as every bit as vital.
To rehash: Climate, conservation, economy, global warming and sustainability are not separate concerns. An organic approach makes the most sense, nay, is the only valid approach to a combination of challenges.