This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
I got the steely eye this month and a pointed reference to the need for 'somebody' to do a post on Monsanto to keep readers up to date and "Mr. Monsanto" on his/her toes - so here goes.
Some folk just can't help themselves - they have to try to go that one step too far.
This is Monsanto blogging last Tuesday mocking concerns about the environmental impact of GM seed varieties known as Roundup Ready; "It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's SUPERWEED!"....And finally, what the heck is a superweed? Seriously, this term gets thrown around a lot, primarily in non-agriculture venues. I imagine pigweed standing tall with a red cape, refusing to die. Glyphosate may no longer be able to kill these weeds, but that by itself doesn't make them "superweeds." There was a time when glyphosate wasn't around, and guess what? These weeds existed....
The first resistant weed –horseweed – was discovered in Delaware in 2000. But,I guess the mainstream media has decided weed resistance is now in vogue."
Yep, that's right! It's perfectly fine that wild weeds are developing spontaneous genetic responsesto Roundup and other glyphosate products used as part of genetically modified grain and cotton agriculture.
Something which was pointed out in late 2009 in a PNAS article concerning the dicot weed Palmer's Pigweed; "Thisoccurrence of gene amplification as an herbicide resistance mechanism in a naturally occurring weed population is particularly significant because it could threaten the sustainable use of glyphosate-resistant crop technology."
Nothing we at Monsanto need to worry about! After all there are at least 18 glyphosate resistant varieties of weed globally, but other herbicide manufacturers are having similar problems so ours doesn't really count.
And even though the media has been reporting on 'superweeds' since news first got out between 1987 and 1996 we'll just pooh pooh all this attention, reset that ticking clock to 2000, ignore the fact that the we knew about the potential for herbicide resistance long before putting GM seed on the market, that our patented meddling has created almost one new resistant variety each year and pretend it's really all the farmer's fault anyway.
Oh, well done Monsanto!
* This post is part ofNorth Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.
HEATHER Lewis (The Daily Examiner letters, April 15) was mistaken when she attributed to me statements such as 'big numbers of school kids in Treelands Drive making a mess' and 'visitors wouldn't go there'.
Given Ms Lewis also remarks that she passes over some of my letters to the editor, these recent errors are hardly surprising. However, as Ms Lewis has raised the subject of 'making a mess' perhaps I should look at the propensity for McDonald's fast-food outlets to generate waste and become a focal point for branded litter.
Firstly, the McDonald's development application states that it intends to send certain trade waste into Yamba's sewer system with little more than a modern version of an in-ground concrete grease trap between itself and the sewerage treatment process (McDonald's Australia Limited, Statement of Environmental Effects (SEE) March 2010, p.19). A matter which is of more than passing interest given the known limitations of the treatment plant, the fact that any plant upgrade is literally years away and McDonald's own figures suggest that it expects to sell thousands of cooked-on-premises items per average day.
Secondly, McDonald's is rather coy on the subject of its own in-house paper waste once this proposed 24-hour fast-food outlet is operational. It is likely that Australia-wide it creates approximately 20,816 tonnes of waste per annum with an estimated 26 per cent of this being paper/cardboard and only 40 per cent of total waste is possibly being recycled (Popai Sustainability 2008 & McDonald's Australia Ltd 2006). Grafton Regional Landfill currently accommodates approximately 7560 tonnes of commercial/industrial waste in fill per year (Clarence Valley Council, 2010) and another 24-hour McDonald's would potentially add up to somewhere between 17 to 30 tonnes of extra waste each year - or more in a worst case scenario in light of the fact that the company admits contaminated food packaging is unpopular with commercial recyclers.
Given this waste volume, one begins to wonder about any beneficial claims made by McDonald's in the development application.
Thirdly, litter is generated by McDonald's customers in considerable quantity. Clean Up Australia's own 2007/08 National Litter Index highlights the fact that in NSW McDonald's items made up over 14 per cent of all branded litter for that survey period, making it the leading branded litter found on footpaths and in gutters etc ( www.kab.org.au/litter-research/what-we-do/national-litter-index).
This despite McDonald's asserting for years that it has effective litter management in place.
In Britain in 2008/09 a two-day government contracted survey of 10 cities found that McDonald's items comprised approximately 29 per cent of all gutter litter share ( www.prnnewsire.co.uk). Again McDonald's was way ahead of any other branded fast-food litter. It would appear that McDonald's corporate legend should read 'In Litter We Trust'.
So along with further heavy traffic and peak period congestion along Treelands Drive, increased traffic on four residential roads, noise and odour issues in the vicinity of the store, possibly taking business from 'some local take-away food outlets' (SEE,pp. 22-42), and establishing a new focus for late night antisocial behaviour; it seems that Yamba can also expect an increase in the volume of street litter it experiences. All to enhance the interests of a businessman who does not live in the Clarence Valley and a foreign multinational which eventually repatriates most of its profit back to its head office overseas.
Elsewhere in the media there has been some talk of change for the better in relation to the McDonald's application. Now change in any town is inevitable, but such change should be sustainable, positive for the local economy, add to social cohesion and fill the expressed needs of the community generally. If proposed change does not meet these criteria it should be viewed with some suspicion.
In my opinion, McDonald's Australia does not attempt to do more than pay lip service to these four basic requirements - intent only on its own corporate imperatives. Imperatives which see it blithely state that the negative impacts of establishing a McDonald's in Yamba 'are restricted to a small percentage of the population', as though this makes those impacts of no consequence to the many local residents they may impinge upon (ibid,p.42).
As a resident in one of those streets which will feel the impact of council's decision I intend to fully exercise my rights as a local government elector and so strongly do I feel on this subject that, should Clarence Valley shire councillors continue their ever-growing list of disappointingly ill-conceived planning decisions and grant consent for the McDonald's development, this will necessarily inform how I fill out my ballot paper in 2012.
"The University of Tasmania study aims to help urban landscapers design greener cities that satisfy their residents.
Findings from the three-year nationwide study will be used to plan leafier cities.
Professor James Kirkpatrick, who is leading the survey, says socio-economic status is the main influence on choice of garden.
"There was no relationship whatsoever between how close you were to your neighbours and what your garden was like, so quite dramatically different gardens can be right next door to each other," he said.
Professor Kirkpatrick says the tertiary-educated prefer leafy gardens, while bare turf was popular in gardens in poorer areas.
"It tends to be associated with income, the higher the income the higher the proportion of trees in front gardens, we found that for the whole of eastern Australian cities," he said."
The tertiary-educated have more aesthetically pleasing front yards? G'arn! Aside from the blindingly obvious fact that people with more money can afford to buy those leafy plants, pay increasingly hefty water bills and probably don't have physically demanding jobs and so aren't as bone-tired on their days off, all this study is telling me is that higher education gives life-long advantage.
The good professors collared $130,000 to prove that? And not for the first time either. Presumably there is more to this on-going study than Aunty has revealed so far. Otherwise taxpayers will have a right to feel browned-off.
The Dolphin Sighting Network is an opportunity for anyone to contribute directly to the research, appreciate and learn about dolphins and their environment. The DEAP Dolphin Sighting Network is an important initiative that will provide education and awareness throughout the community in addition to improving the understanding of the status and ecology of cetaceans along the Australian coastline.
It is an opportunity for you to help monitor the populations of dolphins in your local area or in areas where you are visiting. As we, the researchers, can not always be out observing the dolphins all along the coastline, we are appealing to the community for assistance. In doing so, you can help provide important information on the status and health of dolphins in your area.
Anyone can become a certified dolphin observer by attending one of our regular training workshops held between the Gold Coast, Queensland and Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. By becoming a certified dolphin observer, your reports will be contributing to the knowledge base of the dolphin populations from south east Queensland to central New South Wales. (Southern Cross University Dolphin Ecology & Acoustics Project)
Workshop Timetable
21st May Byron Bay
Byron Bay Community Centre (upstairs SCU room)
2-4pm
Byron Bay Community Centre (upstairs SCU room)
4.30-6.30pm
28th May
Gold Coast
GECKO House – Currumbin 2-4pm
GECKO House – Currumbin 6-8pm
Book your attendance at a workshop - cost $25 individual, $60 family, group booking rate available.
There are so many holes in the argument concerning climate change policy in this 1st May 2010 letter in The Daily Examiner that one has to wonder at the state of the candidate's grey cells. For starters it would have been more illuminating if Kevin Hogan had actually mentioned the terms "climate change" or "emissions trading" - as it now stands many who don't closely follow the political debate will be left wondering exactly what is supposed to be triggering a double dissolution because the Coalition has given the Rudd Government so many to choose from! Or was obscure what Hogan aimed for. Had he mentioned those terms readers might've immediately asked themselves; "Hey, didn't the Lib-Nats Coalition block the ETS legislation and don't they hold enough Senate seats to do that again?" You're not letting Murray Lees ghost write are you Kevvie H? Big mistake if you are. How many candidates has he failed to get up at Australian federal elections so far? Or did you just crib from your fearless Coalition leader?
Teh Lettah: Kevin Rudd's leadership A FRIEND of mine a number of years ago use to admire two opposing politicians equally, Jeff Kennett and Paul Keating. While he appreciated they were very different on the policy front, he viewed both men as leaders with conviction.This week has shown our current Prime Minister does not fall into this category. How can a leader go from believing something is the 'greatest moral challenge of our generation ... and to delay would show cowardice', to six months later doing a back-flip on the issue.Every person in the country is entitled to the answer of this question: Why is he not prepared to go to a double dissolution election on something he supposedly feels so strongly and passionately about? This, added to the him backing out of the mismanaged home insulation scheme, changing his policy on border control, (till the next election at least), shows the only thing Kevin Rudd seems to believe in, is the latest opinion poll on an issue. KEVIN HOGAN, Nationals candidate for Page
Possum tweets on that Newspoll result - Coalition 51% and Labor 49% on a two party preferred basis.
Pollytics Just food for thought before the ALP folks commit suicide or the Libs go out and order cases of Moet...... If anyone thinks that the ALP vote is 35% - Simon Crean territory - they're smoking crack. Newspoll - rogue..... It's worth mentioning that in the 494 Newspolls, the ALP vote has only ever moved by 8 points or more 4 times. All rogue via TweetDeck on 3 May 2010
*I apologize for the there-and-gone-again stutter in publishing this post - one of the tables would not show (think I may have accidentally doubled up images). That full poll is now a PDF link.
Rather unobtrusively Conroy has been dragging his feet on presenting the federal parliament with legislation introducing mandatory national ISP-level filtering of the Australian Internet - thus leaving the policy in play but not at the forefront of the national election debate.
Should Labor be returned to government the way is then open for Rudd's authoritarian right-wingers to claim that the people gave Labor a mandate to introduce this information technology censorship. Presumably argued on the basis that a vote for Labor covered every single one of its policies, even those it was attempting to camouflage because of sustained opposition from a significant numbers of Internet users.
As for Conroy's assertions that policy consultation is transparent or that filter circumvention will not become an offence under law - well I'd take that with a grain of salt.
While his claim that the intention is merely to block unlawful content or content ACMA deems refused classification can be seen to be by all to be a flat out falsehood, given information in North Coast Voices on 5 March 2010 andDelimiter on 9 February 2010 concerning filtering of senators' Internet access. Websites ranging from an online gay newspaper to political comment in the mainstream media are currently filtered out.
One would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to have noticed that Yamba (a small coastal town at the mouth of the Clarence River on the NSW North Coast) is coming out strongly against the McDonald's Australia Limited application to build a 24hr eat-in and drive though fast food outlet in Treelands Drive.
So it was rather amazing to find that McDonald's only gave the ABC a short written statement after refusing to have a spokesperson interviewed for a segment on ABC North Coast Radio's Sunday Morning program out of Newcastle on 2 May 2010 - citing a belief that the ABC would not give the corporation a fair hearing.
The mind boggles as to why it would state something so blatantly untrue. Unless it was attempting to get the radio presenter to over compensate it its favour during that on-air segment or was looking to curry a sympathy vote from Clarence Valley shire councillors.
billmaher Every asshole who ever chanted 'Drill baby drill' should have to report to the Gulf coast today for cleanup dutyvia webRetweeted by you and 100+ others
The long term tax plan we announce today will strengthen the economy and make the tax system fairer and simpler for Australian working families and businesses. These are the first steps in a 10 year agenda that will help ensure we share prosperity fairly, maximise our opportunities, and keep Australia in the box seat as the global recovery gathers pace. Australia faces important decisions about how we structure our tax system. This package is carefully calibrated to make the most of the opportunities presented by commodity boom mark II, but also to address the challenges that it presents. This is a long term plan to apply a Resource Super Profits tax to the profits earned from resources that are owned by all Australians, and use it to: generate more superannuation savings for working families; lower tax for all companies, especially small businesses; and invest in our future infrastructure needs, particularly for mining states. Excerpt from Treasurer Wayne Swan's joint press release with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, 2 May 2010
"The National Plan for Action.......highlighted that 350,000 women experience physical violence and 125,000 women experience sexual violence each year in Australia. As well as the devastating human cost, this violence comes at an enormous economic cost, with research showing that, each year, violence against women costs the nation $13.6 billion. Australian Law Reform Commission President, Professor Rosalind Croucher in media release on 29 April 2010
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the NSW Law Reform Commission (NSWLRC) today released the much anticipated Consultation Paper for the joint Inquiry into family violence laws—Family Violence: Improving Legal Frameworks (Consultation Paper 1).
ALRC President, Professor Rosalind Croucher said that over 60 individuals and organisations from around Australia working in the areas of family violence, sexual assault and child protection had already been consulted to inform the thinking behind the Consultation Paper.
"This Inquiry will be one of the largest and most significant in the ALRC's recent history. The Inquiry's Terms of Reference have asked the Commissions to focus on laws and legal processes and to consider what improvements could be made to protect women and children from family violence. Building on the work of the Family Law Council, Professor Richard Chisholm and the Australian Institute of Family Studies Evaluation of the 2006 family law reforms, this Inquiry looks at the interrelationship in practice of at least nine sets of criminal laws, eight sets of child protection laws, eight sets of family violence laws and the Family Law Act, as well as evidence laws, sentencing laws and a range of other legal processes."
ALRC Part-time Commissioner for this Inquiry, Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough, stated, "This is a critical opportunity for national reform, and for those working in and around the justice system, to ensure the Commissions hear which of the federal and state laws do, or do not, work in practice to protect all victims of family violence—whether child or adult."
Commissioner Professor Hilary Astor from the NSWLRC stated, "Families in crisis often have intersecting problems involving family violence, sexual assault and child protection matters.They are presently faced with a complex maze of courts, legal processes and services which often don't relate well to each other. At the moment, it is far too easy for people to fall through the cracks, for them to leave the process disillusioned, or for outcomes not to deliver maximum safety for families in crisis. The Consultation Paper asks people to respond to questions and proposals, and to contribute their own ideas, for improving law and practice so that our systems for dealing with all forms of family violence are approachable, effective and easy to navigate."
The Commissions have also released a Consultation Paper Summary to assist people who want to make a submission. This Summary and the Consultation Paper are now available on CD ROM and to view and download from the ALRC's website. Hard copy versions will be available by mid May....
Hard copy submissions addressing the questions and proposals in the Consultation Paper can be posted, faxed or emailed to the ALRC.Online submissions are encouraged. Information about how to make an online submission is available at http://submissions.alrc.gov.au. The ALRC is also conducting an online discussion blog around the Consultation Paper and encourages people to participate at www.alrc.gov.au/FVIblog.
Closing date for submissions is 4 June. Late submissions may not be able to be considered. The Commissions will submit their final Report to the Cth and NSW Attorneys-General on 31 July 2010. [ALRC media release,29 April 2010]
North Coast Voices no longer allows the Facebook Button sited at the end of each blog post to activate when it is clicked on by a reader.
This button has been deactivated because it has become clear that Facebook Inc. is not now and has never been a corporation genuinely committed to principles of digital privacy and security of Internet users' personal information and other associated data.
Unfortunately, because Blogger installs this button as part of a set, Gmail, Blog This!, Twitter, Pin Interest and Google + have also been deactivated and, we apologise to readers who may use these features.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
[Adopted and proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948]
Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.
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Some folk just can't help themselves - they have to try to go that one step too far.
