What's the deal with prescribed burns in Australia?

On the Australian pm's knee-jerk reaction to call for increased prescribed burns (hazard reduction) in response to random farmers who the pm chose to listen to.

It's telling isn't it, how the pm didn't cut them off, turn his back and walk away, as he did from the devastation at Cobargo. 

You've got no power, you've got no telecommunication, you've got fires all around you. Your sewer is actually hooked up to the power, so that means you've got no sewer. You've got no way of getting food. There is no fuel.
How do you feed all the animals here, and how long is this going to go on for?

If you come into a town when they're in a state of shock and grief, you'd best come with something that can alleviate that. 

Remember the pm literally and figuratively turned and walked away from this devastation.

And if you don't, then you're not going to have that sort of… People aren't going to welcome you and give you a warm embrace either. 

We know the govt hasn't listened to advice from professionals with decades of experience.
Yet, like easily influenced conspiracy theorists, comments from farmers (Who are they, what's their agenda?) are given authority.

"There are two major restricting factors for carrying out prescribed burning. One is the availability of funds and personnel, and the second is the availability of weather windows. 

The 2018-19 annual report of the NSW Rural Fire Service says: “The ability of the NSW RFS and partner agencies to complete hazard reduction activities is highly weather dependent, with limited windows of opportunity. Prolonged drought conditions in 2018-19 adversely affected the ability of agencies to complete hazard reduction works.”

          &

Fires " that had burned only two weeks previously, but “the burnt leaves were burning again”. 

“There has been lots of hazard reductions done over the years – more by national parks than previous years – but the fires have burned through those hazard reduction areas.”    Full article 

"Hazard reduction burning is really challenging and the single biggest impediment to completing hazard reduction burning is the weather," 
"It's only when the conditions back off a little bit that you actually have some prospect of slowing the fire spread."It's important, but not the panacea, and something we should have a very open and frank discussion about." Full article 

We now have the situation where fire chiefs are having to spend time clarifying misinformation that's being DELIBERATELY spread by members of the Australian government.

Think about that.

Australian govt ministers knowingly misinforming citizens with simplistic nonsense, while studiously avoiding the reality of the complex interlinked challenges associated with our changed climate.

What a bloody waste of time.

What's the real agenda here?

Why has this misinformation been eagerly spread by the pm, members of his government,  the murdoch media throughout the world, in a coordinated way by powerful, influential men?

Why are they so keen to give a voice to a random farmer over numerous, highly respected professionals with different areas of expertise? 

Who do these politicians really represent?

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/states-to-feel-federal-heat-over-hazard-reduction-burns-20200105-p53ozo.html

When will Australia's fossil fuel industry stop receiving handouts?

Corporate welfare!

Tax-breaks!

Subsidies!

and fawning adulation!

What more could an undeserving industry lust after?

At the expense of other industries, Australian governments choose to generously support the already wealthy, demanding, powerful and often foreign owned, fossil fuel industry. Petulant, entitled, selfish, like an indulged only child, they suck up our taxes, demand more, and throw hissy fits and stamp their collective feet with fury, whenever a suggestion is made to curb their excesses. 

To continue to support the wealthy fossil fuel industry to the tune of around 10 BILLION dollars every year is unnecessary, unsustainable and unconscionable.

And yet the current government has shown by word and deed that when thinking of an energy future for Australia, they are only prepared to consider fossil fuels. 

It's a case of:

fossil fuels = all good

renewable energy = all bad.

There seems to be no concept that a mix of energy sources would be a sound investment, a buffer for a frighteningly heating country where unprecedented temperatures create a demand for energy to feed fans and air-conditioners. Not unexpectedly there are times when there is peak usage. Australians don't want to be cooked alive in their own homes. And while that seems like an overly dramatic statement, the statistics are there. There are significantly more deaths during, and immediately after heat waves, and heat related deaths are on the rise.

In late January 2014 in this article, "Ambulance Victoria says it received a 700 per cent rise in the number of call-outs it received for cardiac arrests on Friday, when temperatures spike at almost 44 degrees Celsius." There's also a rise in other illnesses as discussed in this paper.

And yet, it's at precisely those times when the air is superheated, that in Victoria, citizens have been asked to go easy on the electricity.  There have been rolling blackouts. The fossil fuels so beloved of the state and federal governments can't cope. 

This seems to the government to be time to roll out the welcome mat and increase our already significant reliance on, and subsidies to, the fossil fuels industry, to increase our emissions and to show that we aren't ready to take our rightful place on the world stage of sustainable energy.

Put simply we're being left behind. Australia is a 'has-been', following the same well worn coal fired path, spewing emissions carelessly into the air, sullying water and leaving sick people and ailing communities in its coal dust wake.

There is massive potential for growth in the alternative energy sector. We have skilled professional, and trades people keen to be involved with what should be a positive growth market. This is a real opportunity for jobs creation! Yet, obstacles are created, hurdles erected and alternatives to fossil fuels are consistently, persistently talked down. 

I've worked with people who are enthusiastic, ready, willing and able to take up positions in the sustainable energy field. It's where their passion lies and they want to be part of a positive future for Australia and see us take our place alongside other countries looking forward, not backward.

They want to have hope that their children will have a positive future, not one supporting climate change and contributing to appalling pollution in developing countries.

Our creative talent is going to waste in this area. We could be proudly sponsoring people and groups to attend international sustainability forums and strut our stuff on the world stage. As a nation, we should be receiving positive accolades, and celebrating!

We're an international laughing stock when it comes to wind power and having a Prime Minister who listens to fringe, discredited pseudo-science as opposed to reputable evidence. Too many other countries to mention are harvesting wind, solar and wave energy. We are far, far behind the 8 ball and need to do a lot to catch up and join this positive, growing international movement.

To take our place alongside the rest of the world who are actively investing in sustainable energy technologies and consequently employing thousands of people, we need to encourage and support our best and brightest minds. Encourage them to stay here and use their expertise to assist Australia to catch up with what's happening in sustainable energy in other parts of the world. How exciting it'll be when we join in with other countries who are already getting up to 40% and often more of their energy from sustainable sources such as wind, wave and solar.

How embarrassing that in this day and age, we'll need to catch up to the rest of the world. How shameful that 5% use of sustainable energy is referred to by our PM as "reliance".

We're not even in the ball park we're so far behind! It's already bad enough attempting to explain to people in Scotland, Ireland, Germany, The Czech Republic and many other European countries as well as a significant number in Africa, why we don't harvest our abundant sun and have solar panels on every roof and wind turbines capturing the wind. They shake their heads in disbelief.

So many countries and regions are doing better than Australia in lowering their emissions. We look pathetic and incompetent while they can strut around pointing at their reduced emissions and be proud of what they're doing in contributing less to climate change. Not only are they reducing their emissions and increasing employment in sustainable energy, but they are therefore less reliant on our fossil fuel exports. Good on them I say!

If Australia is genuinely dedicated to ensuring future energy security, stability and needs, we'll plan for a solid mix of alternative sources alongside fossil fuels.

It should not be a one size fits all either/or scenario where fossil fuels are the only option. It's not a competition, though it's often presented as one. When all our energy sources come from the one kind of energy basket it's a recipe for disaster. There is no back up plan, no plan B, no choice - we are completely at the mercy of that industry.

We should be focusing on Australia going into an uncertain and increasingly volatile climate future where a balanced portfolio of energy is supplied from different sources. 

I'd love to see the government have the courage to remove subsidies, tax breaks and all other forms of hidden assistance from fossil fuel companies and put that level of support into renewable energy. Predictably, the companies become hysterical whenever they're asked to play fair, but it'd finally show how much they rely on government support via our taxes.

The next best thing would be for the subsidies and supports that the fossil fuel companies receive, to be mentioned with the same enthusiasm that the supposed negatives regarding sustainable energy are. 

Illnesses directly related to the extraction of coal have been known for many, many years. They're real, verifiable and have a huge cost, not only on the person suffering, but on their family and community. Yet this massive cost is consistently ignored when fossil fuels are discussed. These real, genuine illnesses, which leave people with asthma and cancers which have occurred due to coal dust, should be mentioned alongside EVERY spurious comment made about renewable energy. 

It's then that the true cost of fossil fuel energy would begin to be understood and a more informed, balanced and honest discussion could take place.  

Any government that is serious about jobs growth will support alternative energy.

Any government that is serious about community health and the significant costs associated with illnesses as a direct result of fossil fuel extraction and in particular coal, will support alternative energy.

Any government that is serious about planning for the future will support alternative energy.  

What will Australia's government choose?

Part of a small mixed farm - including solar
 The Czeck Republic

Now that's what I call a wind farm. Tehachapi Pass. California.

And just in from the IMF:

The planet is "perilously close" to a climate change tipping point, and requires urgent cooperation between countries, cities and businesses, International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde has said.  

Addressing an audience in London, Lagarde said reducing subsidies for fossil fuels and pricing carbon pollution should be priorities for governments around the world.

More reading: 

From Laggard to Leader. How Australia can Lead the World to Zero Carbon Prosperity
http://bze.org.au/laggardtoleader

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/big-fall-in-electricity-sector-emissions-since-carbon-tax-20140205-320a6.html


http://theconversation.com/when-will-australians-finally-stop-wasting-our-energy-21574?utm_source=ReNew+eNewsletter&utm_campaign=a05760e871-&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b6052baff3-a05760e871-248887757



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The environment minister receives a massive petition from GetUp to "Save the reef"

"Look mummy, there's a shark!"

A young child squeaks in delight as a shark, turtle, crab, assorted fish and a man in a wet-suit complete with spear gun, walk past the Fred Smith Reserve playground in Hastings Vic, with the express purpose of delivering a petition, recently signed by 243,236 people (and still coming in!), to the Environment Minister's office. 

Small groups of people formed, chatted for a while, then reformed as they either met up with acquaintances or used the opportunity to expand their network of friendly, local, like minded people. 

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. I'd been unsure what to expect as I hadn't attended a GetUp function before, but the email I received had been positive and explained what to expect when I arrived. What they hadn't mentioned was to expect dozens and dozens of cheerful, local people, many decked out in orange, all with the purpose of standing up for what is important. Some people clearly knew each other but there was a welcoming air and above the general hubbub of chatter you could hear words like 'dugongs', 'turtles', 'mangroves' and 'our children's future'. It was great! 

I chatted with someone who had taken time off work to attend. She'd told her boss that she had an important appointment that she couldn't miss and which couldn't be changed. She also hadn't been to a Get Up event before but felt this was too important not to support. It was local, and she wanted to be there in person to show solidarity for our natural heritage.

Young mums had picked their children up from kinder and come down, a couple of tradies seemed to have downed tools for a while to make time to come along. All age ranges were represented from children in prams to the elderly with walking sticks and everyone in between. 

After a short briefing we set off like a long undulating, orange reef-worm past the playground and shops towards Mr Hunt's office.  Enthusiastically waving drivers were tooting and cheering - that was unexpected and fun!

I remember hearing once that each person who shows up at something like this represents hundreds of people who are unable to attend. I wonder how many people are represented by tooting?!

There was no guarantee that Mr Hunt would be there in person to receive the masses of signatures and see the large group of people from the electorate who had made the effort to show support. But Sam, a GetUp organiser checked; it seems that Mr Hunt was expecting us!  Sam escorted Mr Hunt out to meet the enthusiastic throng.

Sam spoke to Mr Hunt, the media and the crowd about why we were all there - in short to protect the Reef. He was professional, respectful, assured ... and very tall!

Fiona Maxwell, another Get Up organiser also spoke and gave Mr Hunt the placard stating that "243,236 Australians say SAVE OUR REEF". She was thoroughly professional and spoke courteously, yet strongly about how the reef needs to be protected for future generations. 

People who speak disparagingly about Gen Y, about the cult of the self, of selfishness and self-centredness, could get out and spend time with the young activists who will be impacted dramatically by climate change. Many of them are not only aware of the damage climate events will have on their lives, but are committed to doing whatever they can to avert the worst of the impacts. They are truly wonderful and worthy of our respect and commendation.

 

Mr Hunt appeared to listen and was gracious in his reply. He acknowledged the organisers and crowd and accepted the petitions with respect. I was quite relieved as a friend had been involved in presenting a petition to a state minister who had received them with a smirk, then with her watching, had put them straight in the bin. Hardly the response worthy of an elected representative. Mr Hunt, in contrast, appeared to acknowledge the concerns and gave the impression that he'd listen. He then invited a small group into his office to discuss the matter. If/when I hear the outcome of that meeting, I'll add a link.

I've written a bit about the Great Barrier Reef in the past, the first post was in 2011. It's incredibly disheartening to realise that it still has no real security and even though Mr Hunt spoke soothingly, and appeared to acknowledge and understand the concerns expressed, I don't feel entirely reassured that he fully realises the enormous implications from continuing and increasing the use of fossil fuels. However, that's a much bigger issue that what was being specifically addressed today. 

The Great Barrier Reef has been described as one of the 7 wonders of the natural world, as a treasure, as a gift. Surely we should be responsible stewards for this magnificent area and not continue to treat it as a temporary and irrelevant inconvenience. How about we stop treating the fossil fuel industry with kid gloves and kow-towing to their every whim? 

How about we factor in the cost of health care, pollution and environmental damage for those people and areas impacted by fossil fuel mining? My grumpy post about that is at: The vital topic that's not being discussed this election.

Whether the Great Barrier Reef will be adequately and appropriately protected - who knows. However, for myself, and for many others, we can say "we did our best". I know there are many, many other groups both in Australia and around the world trying to get assurance that the reef shouldn't be lined with ports to transport fossil fuels and that dredging shouldn't be allowed. Let's hope that once and for all, sound action is taken to preserve what's left of this incredible wonder!

I grumbled here after seeing the excellent 4 corners programme: The Great Barrier Grief. 

A year later, in 2012, not much had changed, the threats to the reef continued and I wondered if it was to become an open sewer. 

Why the Great Barrier Reef is worth preserving from GetUp!

• The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world and is recognised as a global treasure, due to the amazing biodiversity which it sustains and it's unparalleled beauty.
• The Great Barrier Reef is one of the 7 Wonders of the Natural World.
• The reef brings in billions of dollars of economic activity every year and supports tens of thousands of jobs in tourism and the fishing industry.
• The largest dredging project ever undertaken in Australia was approved to occur within the Great Barrier Reef WHA, at Gladstone Harbour, and is slated to remove a total of around 50 million cubic metres of soil.
• The ecosystem of the GBR is already very fragile and is facing total collapse with the added pressure of the dredging, which releases toxic chemicals into the sea.
• In the past 6 months (the first stage of dredging) there has been a steep increase in deaths of endangered marine wildlife - 6 dolphins, 10 dugongs and 231 turtles have washed up dead near Gladstone on the Great Barrier Reef.
• Fishermen and their families have been getting sick and have noticed that many of the fish have washed up with a strange flesh disease.
• The Australian government failed to inform UNESCO of the approval of the gas facilities in the Great Barrier Reef WHA.

And if you would like to email Mr Hunt and ask him to say no to all mega-ports and shipping superhighways along the Great Barrier Reef coastline: 

www.getup.org.au/email-greg-hunt 

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Mornington Peninsula and Casey Coastal Transition Towns film night - Generation Green and In Transition 2.0

Wikipedia describes Transition Towns as "a grassroots network of communities that are working to build resilience in response to peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability." It's about sustainable living and local resilience to the changes we're experiencing. Communities are encouraged to find "methods for reducing energy usage as well as reducing their reliance on long supply chains that are totally dependent of fossil fuels for essential items."

Given my interest in these issues, it seemed like a good opportunity to find out what's happening locally when a film night was advertised to screen In Transition 2.0 at Pearcedale Community Centre, not far from where I live.

We were invited to bring a plate of food to share after the screening - vegetarian. It may seem a bit odd, given that I believe vegetarian food is not only good for sustainable living but can yummy too, that my natural inclination is to balk when I see it on an advertisement. My brain slips into reactive mode: Will I be expected to sit awkwardly on the floor scrunched up and painfully uncomfortable? Will there be mung beans? Nutmeat? What will the other people be like - surely not as 'out there' as the people at Nimbin, so alternative as to be almost off the scale. But mostly - Will I fit in?

I know I'm not alone thinking like this, and I suspect that there are others who could be interested in the Transition Towns concept, but ... well, sometimes it's easier not to attend things when we feel a bit unsure. But I figured - If they're too weird, I'll leave! So with my BS detector firmly in place I went.

I was pleased and relieved when there was a table full of pamphlets from reliably mundane (some might even say boring) organisations such as Melbourne Water - a promising start!

Two films were shown, the first Generation Green about BZE (Beyond Zero Emissions), a group I'd already 'friended' on FaceBook. They've produced an excellent, comprehensive report of how Australia can be weaned off the addiction to fossil fuels and use alternatives instead.

It was great to meet the people behind the report and be drawn into their commitment to create a viable future for us all. They're under no illusions that the path we're currently on will lead to wholesale destruction of everything we have been conditioned to consider 'normal'. There's a link to two of their reports here.

The 14-minute documentary Generation Green ... charts the "inspiring work of young Australians fighting climate change", its director Briony Benjamin said.
The film focuses on Patrick Hearps a chemical engineer who resigned from oil giant Mobil and joined Melbourne think-tank Beyond Zero Emissions where he co-authored the Zero Carbon Australia Stationary Energy Plan released last year.
"The film is about young people, who have said inaction over climate change is not good enough and are working to shape the future they want to live in," Ms Benjamin said.
"Patrick wanted to use his skills to do good and combat climate change; the Stationary Energy Plan is a detailed, fully costed report on how Australia could have 100 per cent renewable energy by 2020 using currently available technology costing on average $8 a week for a household."
She said Generation Green is a rallying call to mobilise people power to start demanding clean, sustainable energy from governments.
"We have one of the sunniest, windiest continents and we should be leading the world with renewable energy solutions, Generation Green tells us how." (from http://www.qut.edu.au/creative-industries/about/news/news?news-id=52956)

One of the main messages I took from this short documentary is that in this election year, it's up to each of us to ask candidates standing for election what they are doing to actively support sustainable energy locally as well as nationally. I'll be asking my local candidates something along the lines of: "What are you currently involved with to seriously address the complex interlinked issues related to climate change?"

If candidates haven't yet thought about the impact of these issues and aren't committed to addressing them consistently and proactively, they're not worthy of the responsibility of being in parliament. We desperately need wise leaders who act with integrity, who are honest, and who have a viable vision for the future which involves a real commitment to energy, food and water security, beyond what the fossil fuel industry and other huge corporations are willing or able to provide.

We owe it to our children to take climate change and our addictive reliance on fossil fuels far more seriously than the current crop of politicians appears to be doing. At present, huge amounts of food are transported massive distances as well as between countries using fossil fuels. Putting all our energy and food needs into the one basket is a recipe for disaster.
...
The second documentary was In Transition 2.0. If you haven't seen it, and it's being shown near you, go. It's mostly about acting locally with an understanding of our need to be less reliant on food monopolies to supply foods. It's an encouraging film, full of active, proactive people working locally to improve streetscapes, wellbeing, environments. It's about people coming together to learn to be communities again. It's not all hearts, flowers and twittery bluebirds of cutesy happiness. It's real, and there is discussion of difficulties, challenges and failures. It's about responsibility and how we can find potential, then transform our little bit of the world independent of politicians.

In Transition 2.0 is about building resilience, and it's not just for aged hippies or new agers or intense people with a bee in their bonnet, a chip on their shoulder and an axe to grind. These are "normal" people, our neighbours, the kids down the street, the mums, dads, grandmas and grandpas. They're the professionals, the tradies, students and teachers. They're in communities all over the world from India, to the UK, the US, Japan and Australia and the thing they have in common is the desire to connect and to improve their lives. And that's not a bad thing to be part of!
...
Thankyou to Mornington Peninsula and Casey Coastal Transition Towns for showing these two documentaries. I was interested in the discussion afterwards to hear that in both Mornington and Casey it's ok to grow vegetables on your nature strip but that in Frankston it isn't ... C'mon Frankston, get with it!!

It was great to be part of such an engaged audience and in particular to see a local councillor - Antonella Celi - there. I could only imagine how encouraging it'd be to have a local political candidate attend an event such as this.

I'd love to hear if you're involved with Transition Towns or something similar. Are you growing vegetables? Keeping chooks? Bees? A goat?

I'm not sure where this came from, but it seems appropriate!

More on climate and change here.

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The Great Barrier Reef. Beautiful one day, an open sewer the next?

India expects to use coal imported from their Australian mines to power some of their planned 455 coal-fuelled power plants. For this to happen it's expected that The Great Barrier Reef will have even more coal terminals built along its fragile, stressed reef to fill massive tankers which will then be manoeuvred through the treacherous channels between the reefs then around the world.

What could possibly go wrong?

The 350.org India co-ordinator Chaitanya Kumar said "what we now need in India is a dramatic shift in policy that puts sustainable and clean energy access as a priority."

Link here to a petition to share concerns that ...

Indian companies GVK and Adani are proposing a series of mega-mines in Australia’s Galilee Basin to fuel their coal power expansion plans. GVK has just received approval for its controversial “Alpha Coal Project” that includes a massive new coal terminal right in the middle in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Adani Group has plans to build what would be, by far, Australia’s biggest coal mine, along with another massive coal export terminal at Abbot Point and nearby Dudgeon Point.

It's not that India is tardy in investing in sustainable alternative energy. In fact they could show countries such as Australia how to use solar panels to prevent evaporation from irrigation channels as can be seen in the photo from Gujurat.

(photo sourced from the web)

A friend recently said to me, surely the coal industry filters their waste water carefully before releasing it back into the environment, and especially when it's near the Great Barrier Reef?

A recent email from Greenpeace gives the following information that would make my friend's toenails curl in horror (my bold):

"There are 250,000 million litres of polluted water sitting in coal mine pits in the Bowen Basin – that’s the equivalent of 100,000 Olympic swimming pools. Some of this water has been there for two years. Instead of treating the water to remove harmful toxins, the coal industry has spent the last two years lobbying for permission to release their polluted water into Queensland’s waterways.

These waterways feed into the Fitzroy River downstream to graziers, towns, the city of Rockhampton and eventually, the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Last week, Premier Campbell Newman told Queensland Parliament “the government will not do anything to in any way degrade the feed water coming down the Fitzroy for their water supply.”

That same day, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney introduced new legislation that allows that to happen.

The Deputy Premier is proposing to create new provisions within the Environment Protection Act that would enable the coal companies to pollute our waterways.

We need to show the Premier that legislation permitting our environment, including the Great Barrier Reef, to be polluted is not acceptable. Send him this message today urging him to pull the Deputy Premier into line and to defend our drinking water and the Reef from the coal industry. 

This new legislation will give companies the opportunity to ask for permission to release their toxic water into Queensland rivers, beyond the standards and guidelines set for safe drinking water and agriculture at short notice and without public review. 

Please tell Premier Newman we need protection for our waterways and our precious Great Barrier Reef from the coal industry."

Link here to petition to let the Queensland government that allowing rampant pollution along the world Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef is completely unacceptable.

Given that Australia is considered to be the driest inhabited continent on earth, the interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world, and around 3/4 of the land is arid or semi arid, it seems insane (perhaps criminal is a more fitting word) to allow coal mining companies to pollute our fragile and precious waterways.

fish with lesions - picture from link

Pollution in waters outside Gladstone affects fish, the fishing industry, tourism and many locally owned and operated local businesses. Lesions in fish are common, which makes them unsuitable for sale. More information here and here.

This issue affects more than Queensland and their government which seems to be in a state of dribbling, salivating lust about squandering finite fossil fuels to overseas countries. Whether we like it or not, we're all connected. Foolish, shortsighted decisions made in Australia affect people in far off lands, India included. Our governments - all our governments and policy makers - need to have a basic grasp of environmental cause and effect to ensure that our world remains relatively inhabitable.

Politicians, no matter where they are have the ability to push in a direction that ensures shortsighted decisions aren't made. How they choose can have devastating consequences for humankind.

Unfortunately, in Australia the motto often seems to be 

"Dig it, drill it, sell it off and stuff the future" 

Perhaps our politicians need to receive training in "How to say no" to the fossil fuel companies.

Another post on The Great Barrier Reef and the devastation that Australia is allowing (encouraging?) to happen in this beautiful area.

And for a short video added 13 November 2012, showing the official line compared to what's happening on the ground https://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/mining/gladstone/watch-this-video-now

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Halloween poison

Does it strike anyone else
as completely insane 
that Australia sends large, ungainly ships laden with coal
through the beautiful, fragile, world heritage Great Barrier Reef 
all the way to China and India 
so that this finite resource can power dirty factories, 
employing people in appalling conditions
to make
tatty plastic products.












Returning - using more fossil fuels -
for a "festival" with no relevance in our culture?

Where children pound on doors demanding sweets,
and the tawdry, mass produced crap
ends up in landfill
and waterways and oceans,
where marine creatures will choke
or be poisoned by minute, disintegrating plastic particles. 

Plastic pellets found in a few minutes on a beach
in Port Phillip Bay. Victoria.

a Drabble is a story told in 100 words.  No more. No less.

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Addiction & fossil fuels.

Edit - I wrote this in 2012 - 8 years ago. We're now experiencing the result of decades of deliberate lies, denial and obstruction by fossil fuel companies, media, the Australian Liberal National Coalition and others.

If these are not premeditated acts of terror, what is?
....

In the past, I looked at the manic search for, and voracious lust over new finds of fossil fuels as if the companies were drug dealers, eager to feed our addiction and with cynical disregard for the consequences. Unfussed whether the prey lives or dies, the pusher is disdainful, contemptuous about the addict's weakness – there’ll always be new markets to feed.

Company as addict?
However this morning I idly wondered what happens if you look at fossil fuel companies as the drug addict, as well as the dealer/pusher. Locked into a spiral of habit and dependence, and not having the will, nor the need to change.

When we feel guilty about our behaviour (even if only in a very small way), or if we're demonised, we become defensive, aggressive and lash out at any critics. We justify the unjustifiable. We see this with addicts. It also seems to fit the behaviour of these companies.

If it's too good to be true, it's too good to be true
Imagine for a moment that the fossil fuel companies and their entablers have unleashed a destructive genie from a bottle. A terrorist in fact.

After a 100 or so years, they’ve discovered that what appeared at first to be an extraordinarily welcome product, of the “WOW, look what we can do with this, it’s too good to be true!” variety, has now been found to literally be too good to be true. This wonder product is part of a package that has morphed into something truly sinister and frightening.

They say they didn't know, and their actions now show they deliberately concealed evidence that the amazing wonder product unleashes terror. They resist change with venom, lies, conspiracy theories and use confusion as a weapon. 

(Imagine if they'd been sensible & became broad based energy companies years ago, rather than relying ONLY on fossil fuels.) 

Profit with no responsibility for waste
With profits of $375 Million per day, it'd be reassuring to know these companies are paying a fair price to dump their waste. "Alone among businesses, the fossil-fuel industry is allowed to dump its main waste, carbon dioxide, for free. Nobody else gets that break - if you own a restaurant, you have to pay someone to cart away your trash, since piling it in the street would breed rats." (Global Warming's Terrifying New Math)

Fossil fuel companies are shifty, arrogant, brutish, uncaring and aggressive when presented with the destructive results of their product. Unlike the child who is called to account for poor behaviour, or the drug addict who realises their life will come to an abrupt end if they continue their chosen path, they've collectively and consistently avoided responsibility - and got away with it. They don't know any other reality.

To get an idea of where the profits go, Climate Progress is a good place to start. "The entire oil and gas industry spent on average $400,000 each day lobbying senators and representatives to weaken public health safeguards and keep big oil tax breaks, totaling nearly $150 million." (my bold)

A community response?
Perhaps we, as individuals and communities, have a collective interest in supporting change, because no one else seems willing to take up the challenge. I find it impossible to imagine that all fossil fuel companies and their hundreds of thousands of individual employees, their families, friends and communities are proud of what they’ve unleashed. But they haven't spoken out. When will they?

(Edit 2020: we're waiting for any decent employees of the murdoch media to speak out)

Employees should feel uncomfortable with the outcome of repeated "carelessness"; oil spills, unbelievable environmental damage, cruel disregard for native populations. At what stage will these people say “No more”? At what stage will subscribers to superannuation and other funds, both individually and collectively, demand their fund managers act with integrity and invest the funds with a view to a sustainable future?

As Bill McKibben says in Global Warming's Terrifying New Math

international moral outrage and pressure might just help begin a new movement to force change on an industry unwilling to change itself. Movements rarely have predictable outcomes. But any campaign that weakens the fossil-fuel industry's political standing clearly increases the chances of retiring its special breaks. Consider President Obama's signal achievement in the climate fight, the large increase he won in mileage requirements for cars. Scientists, environmentalists and engineers had advocated such policies for decades, but until Detroit came under severe financial pressure, it was politically powerful enough to fend them off. If people come to understand the cold, mathematical truth – that the fossil-fuel industry is systematically undermining the planet's physical systems – it might weaken it enough to matter politically. Exxon and their ilk might drop their opposition to a fee-and-dividend solution; they might even decide to become true energy companies, this time for real. 

Photos D.Abbott. SA

Let's hope change happens soon, because the alternative isn't encouraging.



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The illusion of stability

Call me a bit of an old fashioned, stick in the mud, grumpy pants if you will. That's fine. Maybe last night's earthquake (measured at 5.2 near the epicentre) was going to happen anyway, after all there are fault lines looking a bit like scattered pick-up-stix throughout Victoria. Earthquakes happen here and we expect a tremor occasionally.

Fault lines in Victoria. The area to the East of Melbourne is Gippsland.

But what is different from when I was a child growing up atop Selwyn's Fault, is that exploration for, and extraction of, oil and gas didn't use a technique known as fracking, which isn't as benign as it's somewhat amusing name would suggest.

A local exploration company is quoted as saying that "the fracking process presented minimal risk to the area" (around Gippsland) and "There's been hundreds and hundreds of fracks in Australia for over 25 years without environmental harm from one incidence of fracking", (link) however, the process is acknowledge to have set off earth tremors in other parts of the world (link). This statement about safety is at odds with other reports. (See Quit Coal).

There is evidence that "fracking can trigger earthquakes, [yet in Britain] experts said there was a "very low" chance that it could spark one large enough to cause any significant damage". I sound like a nit picking old fusspot, but that comment doesn't fill me with confidence either. Not at all. The word "significant" is telling. It implies that if someone deems damage from a human induced earth tremor is "insignificant" that's perfectly normal and acceptable. (my emphasis)

Last night, I wasn't on top of the epicentre. The son of a close friend was, and apparently there was damage to his home. I guess that will be deemed insignificant, and assumed to be from natural causes. After all it's hard to prove cause and effect. Particularly as "Australia is not as geologically stable as many think. Despite popular belief, Australia is a geologically active continent with moving fault-lines, regular seismic activity, and a long history of mountain making" (link) The area around Korumburra in Gippsland where last night's epicenter occurred is active.

Call me a kill-joy if you will, but wouldn't it therefore be really, really sensible NOT to poke and prod at the fault lines near Korumburra by forcing all sorts of chemicals and liquids deep into the earth at high velocity to explode the rock? (Information on fracking here and more on Human Induced Earthquakes here) 

There's evidence of contaminated water supplies, unusable pastures and farmland and other negatives after fracking has occurred; all of which have been deemed acceptable to the powers that be.  But it seems that we're way out of our depth (excuse the pun). We simply don't really know what we're unleashing when we allow fracking to occur. 

To me it's like prodding and poking at a sleeping giant just to see how much irritation it will tolerate before retaliating, possible in a manner way beyond our widest imagination.

FFS, last night was scary - un-nerving and unsettling. My mud-brick home groaned and shuddered, the windows, paintings, glassware and china rattled as the ground shook with a deep, low grumbling sound. I now understand (in a very small way) the description I've heard of feeling motion sick during an earthquake. It was over in about 10 or so seconds. They were an unnaturally   l   o   o   o   o   n   g    10 seconds. My hands were shaking for some time afterwards as I watched the standard lamp sway to a graceful, thankfully upright, stop.

We could put an end to this kind of exploration. We could invest in a variety of safe, clean, sustainable renewables with known positives and negatives. We should be cautious about waking our sleeping giant.

Fracking image from QuitCoal

We have a choice, but will we choose wisely and responsibly?

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Climate Matters. V is for Values

This post is for V in the A-Z Blogging Challenge 2012. Link in the sidebar.


Values are often considered to be the basis for ethical actions, they reflect an internal sense of right and wrong and influence behaviour. When a group of people share a common set of values and ideals of social expectations we refer to them as cultural values - they add meaning and value to life. Values generally reflect how we choose to live and ideally won’t be arbitrarily imposed by another group or more powerful person.

Values are different to goals which can be achieved or completed, then ticked off a list. They're often deeper and create an internal reference for what may be good, beneficial, important, desirable or constructive and lead to both individual and community behaviours and actions.

Many values revolve around family, marriage and close relationships, friendships, employment, education and personal development, recreation, the environment and health.

It’s certainly beneficial to reflect quietly on the place of values in your life particularly when you're stressed and ill at ease. It's easy to lose sight of some of our values in the hurly burly of our frenetic pace of life. We're so busily connected and on-line that the illusion of being together can mask a deep loneliness and distance from what gives our lives meaning.

It’s often when people are unhappy at work or in relationships that they find the need to take stock and reconnect with their core values which they may have been ignoring. There's benefit in reflecting on unhealthy attitudes that lead to a feeling of being ill at ease, and questioning whether for instance, your work-life, which may have evolved over many years, is now at odds with deep inner needs.

Some people find it confronting to thing about deep questions, but discover a sense of empowerment when they discover that they’ve been guided by other people’s judgements and opinions which don’t reflect who they truly are. They find it liberating and enriching to acknowledge and consciously choose a course of action in line with their own values rather than those of another person.

Living according to your values isn’t the same as being thoughtless, flippant or glib. Values need to be concrete, positive and proactive to give our lives a healthy, meaningful structure, leading to richness and fulfilment.

How do Values relate to Climate Matters?
Many people are concerned about food security and are putting a higher value on becoming more self reliant rather than being increasingly dependent on food being sourced from across the world.

Food and many other goods are transported in container ships using depleting fuel supplies through unstable weather systems during times of political and economic instability. Many waterways are at the mercy of well resourced and trained pirates intent on destabilising international commerce. As our climate changes individual and community values will be challenged and reviewed in light of unfolding events locally and internationally.

There is an emerging focus on issues such as sustainability, well-being, community building and civic engagement that needs a clear cultural values based perspective to be successfully implemented. Addressing these issues by acknowledging the role of values in communities would reflect common values and ways of life of the communities on which they impact.

Acknowledging the vital function of values both individually and at the community level is increasingly recognised as a critical aspect of social and human development. Individuals and businesses might ask "Does this decision I am about to make support and lead me in the direction of a value I hold? Or does it lead me away from this value?"

See Q is for Quadruple bottom line here and T is for Trees here.

What can you do right now that leads you in the direction of a core value?
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Last year I wrote about what makes people Vulnerable to workplace bullying for the letter V. Here and a drabble about Valiant volunteers here.