Spring didn't make much impact on this corner.  Rain has been scarce.
ENVIRONMENT.  A dim pink and dusty summer sky is not unusual but not so in England where they were confronted with a red sun, and dust and smoke driven from deserts and fires in countries to the south.
Scenes from a sc fi coupled with the effects of a hurricane - is it a wake-up call?
Shame the anti-intellectuals, including our so-called scholar and politician, were not meeting this week in this strange atmosphere in London.
 

Motto: Truth / Veritas
Parody (clumsy) of Daily Telegraph columnists on Yes/No voters behaviour and SSM  - more of the same for this blog.

Frequently it is observed that many climate change campaigners are the bullies and bigots they claim to oppose. No, that claim belongs to the deniers.  Tim Flannery uses his scientific credentials of wide renown to relate the latest news of environmental issues. His fellow scientists who worked for official organisations have been released from their roles in climate studies by the federal government who acted in a shortsighted manner. These were regular workers not crooks or criminals. But their  gallant efforts to inform the nation is usually strongly countered by the newspaper columnists of the Daily Telegraph.
  Tim Flannery has a passion for the Australian environment and understands the consequences of our lifestyle.  His 'crime' is to have our future at heart. Environmentalists are subjected to strong criticism and put on a par with criminals by columnists who have no credentials in science and who act as true bigots by spreading disinformation far and wide to stimulate an army of intolerant readers.
Who are the real villains?  Is it the green activists who use a tiny bit of power to support environment issues without use of violence or personal attack.  The big names should pick on someone their own size.
The real villains are those who manipulate information and print bigoted headlines and use their power to raise conflict.  The real bullies are those who have no well-formed considered doubts and put the future of our planet at risk.  They must drown-out all common sense notions and abuse the modest efforts of reasonable people. Support for the big end of town must be behind the commentary misrepresenting itself to the average  reader.
 Are the real bigots those columnists who do not produce a balanced opinion piece and rely on sick, outdated, backward opinion to exploit and use shock tactics to keep sales afloat safe in a conservative media company of the Murdoch clan.  Right wing friends in the back benches or right wing Optus Dei members may be there in the background.  To some of which, the environmentalist Pope must be like a red rag to a bull when he gets a hearing.

In this book ...Nature is as important to children as food and sleep....the message is about the connection to nature and the crucial part it plays in develop(ment)....for a generation of todays children the pleasures of free-range childhood are missing and their indoor habits contribute to epidemic obesity attention-deficit disorder, isolation and childhood depression....SAVING OUR CHILDREN FROM NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER. Atlantic Books London 2009 2010
'A cri de coeur for our children'... Margaret Stead, Guardian.

Nature and crisis....Song bird ownership, trading and competition is a large undertaking in Indonesia. Forest birds are endangered.  The forest goes silent.
The program, Earshot, on ABC Radio National, 11 Sep 2017, The Silent Forest, reveals more.  The program is available on media if you are brave enough.
I made an effort to be aware of bird life in Indonesia and while some were seen many a time it slipped my memory but no big numbers were there like in those instances where we have to use spikes to discourage them nesting on the front of city buildings or where they will literally steal food as you are about to take a bite. By and large, city birds are a different matter to wild birds.

Critically endangered tigers.  See a decent clip about Sydney's Toronga Zoo. See a new tiger experience there.  You will take a simulated flight and live life-on-the-edge in beautiful Sumatra (Indonesia).  Meet real Sumatran tigers in the jungle.  Walk in a local village and market stall.
Most importantly, see about palm oil - a ubiquitous ingredient in many of our products.  Palm oil plantations all over are supplanting jungle habitat.
 The jungle is vital habitat for endangered tigers, orangutans, elephants and more and regulates green house gases.
 In Indonesia, prolonged wildfires and smoke pollution on a vast scale have happened, the soil, the timber and rivers all need protection and policing as well as maintaining a healthy natural environment for the people and the visitors to enjoy.  Just as we need to do the same in our own 'backyard'.

Been fishing?
Eco announcements.  From the supermarkets, lagging in several states, single use plastic shopping bags will cease use months out from today. Reusable plastic bags will be sold for 15cents each.  Reusable fabric shopping bag are also sold and are used by a lot of shoppers.
 What is the point of selling PLASTIC shopping bags?  Convenience and sales. 
Will the customer bring them back to reuse or will these new bags also go straight to landfill? At best, the bags are destined for landfill or litter after several uses.
We are all paying higher prices for our groceries to cover the growth of duplicate supermarkets in many suburbs.  In theory it provides competition but it would seem that customers are mobile and shop wherever and can manage without new giant twin supermarkets on every corner. They put the familiar shops right out of business and diversity is lost all round.
Often it is easy to see the country towns that remain vibrant in their centre are those that do not have a vast supermarket on the edge of town. When that happens they become a shadow of their former selves with rows of empty shops and disjointed pockets of activity. Grand interesting shops of note go wasted. If a town is clever enough to see the trend they might integrate a smaller supermarket into the existing stock of buildings and with parking lots nearby keep the town alive.
Aldi do not have single use plastic bags but, again, reusable plastic ones are sold. 
  Secondly, a massive storage battery is to be built in South Australia, the state that has bit the bullet and established alternative energy supplies despite total lack of support by the negative Federal gov.  Out of the blue, a famous American of Tesla fame I believe , said the battery will be built in 100 days or will be free of charge.
 Recently, the G20 was centred on vital change and carbon targets to save our environment yet reporting was dominated by the antics of the US and Russian dictators and their problems unrelated to climate change.

Its war

 

War on waist.  I surrender!
Australian Broadcasting Corporation is promoting a WAR ON WASTE....rethink plastic usage, the wiles of fashionable cloths, BYO coffee cups, supermarket and household wastage of good food these are but a few of our wasteful ways that demand attention. Study ABC web site and their other media.
What would be a creative use for old xray films?

Not long ago in the images fire was the big enemy when bush fires struck.
 Last week, it was a different story when the stubble left after harvest was burned off.  Small crops grown on the pretty undulating land of the central south west of the state were seen on fire here and there leaving large black and brown patches over the landscape.

  Recently it was said that agricultural fires are a big contributor to global warming via the emissions so are the fires very essential?

Down horse stud lane it was different to see the surroundings in softer light after rain.

Do you believe in miracles?  Anything is possible.  Our political man at the top has phoned Tesla.
 Mr Turnbull has deceived us in ignoring renewable energy in the past, failing to debate or plan and all the while he has solar and a battery storage at his own residence it is said.
 Tesla had twitted that the company would build battery storage for South Australia within 100 days or no charge (!). More words go back and forth
  South Australia is now taking charge of its own electricity.  No more ridicule.  The state will develop renewables.  It will develop natural gas and use it to power new generation. This is unlike others who export too much natural gas and leave us short as they seek the higher returns.
  Soon our household is going onto batteries. Whether off the grid or not remains to be seen.  Other aspect of the house need work done and that will come in time. Inshalla.
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Following the pack.  Camel rides and belly dancers were out in force at Hamilton street fest known for staging cultural presentations from new comers from other lands. The belly dancers were probably not in that category.
Despite the exotic vendors I couldn't go past the sushi bar....conveyor....automaton.. .. . . maybe Korean style is best as sushi varies a little.
Sushi -  another rice product. Is nothing sacred, a program with good credentials told us that rice is naturally contaminated with arsenic and suggested that soaking and rinsing and boiling in a large volume of water is mandatory.  Amazing. We wondered if the contaminate has cleared up, used up, leeched out of the environment in Eurasia where rice has been grown for centuries. However, contaminate might arrive with each new flood from the rivers or from the rain fall.

Midsummer nightmare

Heatwave today.  The growth in extreme high temperature events between 1910 and 2015. These are the days in the 99th percentile of the mean temperature for that day. Australian data from CSIRO  in Renew journal Issue 138 January - March 2017

Meteorology and CSIRO.... report that Australia's average surface air temperature and surrounding sea temperature have both increased by around one degree C since 1910.  Extreme heat events and fires have increased, while rainfall has decreased in the south and increased in the north.  Our oceans have warmed and become more acidic.......emissions reduction target of 26% to 28% on 2005 levels by 2030 is not sufficient to protect Australians from worsening heatwaves, bushfires and other extreme weather events.  Renew. Technology for a sustainable future. Issue 138, page 10.

A showy crop. Are they weeds?

Yes, adolescents must make the 'break' from their parents, learn to be 'street wise' and take some risks. 

All the same, schoolies week is not a good look.

School leavers roll into the Gold coast and elsewhere, and law enforcement takes on some responsibility to steer kids in the right direction.  

Other kids might go to Bali to live it up which is what Bali has to offer. And, believe it or not, Bali is in Indonesia, where tourism and lawlessness co exist with inscrutable policing. Law enforcement is on Indonesian terms which would leave the young or old visitor right out of their depth.  Only a  small minority get into strife and road accidents add to the toll.   

Really,  Schoolies week is an unfortunate tradition.

Alternative end of year schoolie destinations occur..  Believe some groups head to a needy culture to immerse themselves and do good works - all in a week's work. Could be from a church school, where church education largely amounts to raising issues of social justice..

Road Trip at 7600 ks

   Becoming a 'true blue'. Is that what it takes to enjoy the dry unruly bushland.
Trees reach up then reach down again. It grows on you!   Could it be mallee scrub.



THE highly enjoyable concert last night was life affirming or was it about all that has changed on our home front?   Thanks ABC TV.


 

Road Trip

Darling River  Wilcannia. NSW.
A series of connected lakes are filled by periodic flooding of the river...a process that is becoming rarer and rarer.
Lake Woytchugga (2000 hectares) is one of the ephemeral overflow lakes, getting water every 7 - 10 years. Overall, water birds and others including the red-tailed cocatoo use the vegetation to nest and to survive. Aquatic life is present.
The area is full of cultural significance in the life of the traditional inhabitants.  Fish, yabbies, mussels, shrimp, ducks, swans and waterfowl were foodstuffs during gatherings.
Sufficient water is key to survival of these age old remote environments.
Data displayed by river authorities. 

Road Trip

Parliament House displays a whole wall of large panels: Six River Odyssey.  In vain.  Green wash.  That's all it is.
Many of the politicians therein are incapable of a noble decision. Anti environment. Water - Water minister!!

Dedicated heros work to prolong the life of the Murray Darling Rivers while others ignore all the science and work in opposition.
The overall picture is of most importance and those who suffer up stream could restructure with assistance.
Deals are broken and South Australia, a small threatened but competent state, has been doubled crossed.

  From Hindmarsh Island, S A -  the ultimate mouth of the Murray River, in the distant centre is the outlet to the open sea and a dredge or two are in situ, this October. Water was less scarce at the time.

Coorong National Park in its beauty was the setting for the classic nature tale Storm Boy by Colin Thiele which was also made into a film.  And it has an indigenous aspect.
The National Film and Sound Archives is currently featuring an on line revival of this significant film.
 See nfsa.gov.au
 

Frosty morning in Wallerawang this morning. An hour later the sun broke thru.

Hear Ye  Hear Ye!

PEOPLES CLIMATE MARCH.

   Broad and diverse coalition organizing Peoples Climate Marches around Australia on w/e of 27-28 November 2015 just before world leaders gather at the UN climate summit in Paris.

   Go to www.peoplesclimate.org.au 
Backed by every organization worth its salt.

Will you host a film event?
Reverse the image with which our own trading port is burdened by coal exports.

 Care of Creation, Sep 1st, a day set aside by Pope Francis.
Prayer AND action is surely most appropriate.
Outstanding and sunny day with old fashioned, somewhat rare flowers - freezias, crocus, anaemone, and blossoms but too much glare. Adjust settings - come off it.
As if I can spell.  It is nice to put ae when it is not recognized by spell check.

 When traffic is light, cruise the Golden highway, roll along over hills and dales for a very pleasant drive from the nor'west into the Hunter valley past dairy farm, horse stud and coal mines.  Other times, unfortunate road accidents have occurred.

 When stormy weather was subsiding last week.  Billboards and signs took a beating.
  A hugh effort still took over a week to restore all power supplies so widespread was the damage.
  I guess we are fortunate that this incident occurred before privatisation went ahead or was it a bigger effort to make sure all was ready for that day? Now there is talk of controls and cheaper electricity.  Obviously all this electricity business is not clear to me.

A little gift from Thailand. 
Something for everyone. Directions and uses: Take one to four tablespoons as a supplement.  Mix with hot or cold drinks and smoothies.  Mix with cooked rice. Use in place of butter or margarines. Use as a cooking oil (savory and dessert).  Ideal for hair and skin moisturizer.  Use as a make-up remover. Use as a sunburn prevention.
Yes, coconut is trending.  The labelling: organic, raw, unrefined.
Coconut plantations as a vast monoculture are environmentally undesirable and no better than palm oil plantations that involve clearing jungle habitat.
I am not endorsing all the above uses of coconut oil.