Saturday, 16 August 2008

An American view of global warming and energy costs: new poll

An August 2008 ABC NEWS/PLANET GREEN/STANFORD poll on the environment and energy:

Overall, even with broad conservation efforts underway, 64 percent now rate “finding new energy sources” as more important than improving conservation – up 9 points since 2001. Previous polls have shown broadest support for alternative energy such as wind, solar and hydro power; today’s support for oil drilling, and lessened objection to nuclear power, indicate the level of concern raised by the current energy situation.....
Another element is global warming; with concern still running high –
albeit slightly down from a year ago – most Americans support a so-called cap-and-trade system intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
And two-thirds say the U.S. government should act on global warming even if other countries do less. Nearly three-quarters believe global warming can be reduced only if individuals make major changes in their lifestyles.
Fewer, though, 44 percent, think addressing the issue also will cause them financial hardship, and fewer still foresee “serious” hardship.
Many do see reason to act: Eight in 10 believe both that global warming is happening and that it poses a threat to future generations, and about six in 10 think it’s caused mainly by things people or businesses do.


Interestingly, the conservative climate change denialist 'industry' in the U.S. courtesy of Joseph Farar has a very different view in WorldNetDaily
last Thursday:

The latest
ABC News/Planet Green/Stanford University poll on "global warming" suggests more Americans are beginning to understand they are being manipulated by one of the biggest hoaxes in the history of the world.
Though one must read carefully between the lines of this survey conducted by three entities entirely committed to perpetuating the fraud, it's clear fewer Americans are buying in to the notion that the world is on the precipice of man-made, catastrophic climate change.

These competing views represent the continuing problem - how to bring the United States of America into the fold when it comes to tackling climate change.
The Australian Prime Minister needs to direct more energy into convincing the next U.S. president that continuing good international relations rely on the American response to climate change as much as any other factor.
Should the Democrats win the White House at the end of the year, in theory this task should be a little easier than in the past.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle....

In a U.S. presidential race which is turning into a same old, same old campaign, it was a bit of a laugh to peek at Barack Obama's official MySpace page.

It naturally has all the bells and whistles possible, as well as 449,126 'friends' proudly listed as of yesterday.

Suppose with all those friends it was easy to miss the fact that one, Mani the Philosopher, posted a thumbnail pic of two lions h*mping on the savannah.

Mani (a self-professed former gang member from Nevada) cheerfully tells us on his MySpace page:
BUT DONT GET IT TWISTED,I BELIEVE IN KILLING PEOPLE, I JUST DONT BELIEVE IN MURDER. and KEEP IN MIND I AINT A G*D DAMN CHRISTIAN SO I DONT TURN THE OTHER CHEEK.EVER.

Pic courtesy of Barack Obama!

Friday, 15 August 2008

Has Telstra crossed that 'bad taste' threshold?

Telstra CEO Sol Trujillo has recently had his salary package increased by $1.6million to $13.39million.

Now Telstra is not really doing as well as it has in the past, so why is it heaping enormous cash bonuses and incentives, shares and options to buy on senior executives?
More importantly - why is its principal shareholder, the Commonwealth, not putting a brake on these huge payouts?

I don't care how business savvy a CEO is; no-one could possibly 'earn' or deserve that sort of money.

The Telstra board wins the 2008 Bad Taste Business Award as far as I'm concerned.

Placing all our woes into a broader perspective

2008 August 13
NGC 6888: The Crescent Nebula Credit & Copyright: Tony Hallas
Found at NASA

Explanation: NGC 6888, also known as the Crescent Nebula, is a cosmic bubble about 25 light-years across, blown by winds from its central, bright, massive star. This beautiful telescopic view combines a composite color image with narrow band data that isolates light from hydrogen and oxygen atoms in the wind-blown nebula. The oxygen atoms produce the blue-green hue that seems to enshroud the detailed folds and filaments. NGC 6888's central star is classified as a Wolf-Rayet star (WR 136). The star is shedding its outer envelope in a strong stellar wind, ejecting the equivalent of the Sun's mass every 10,000 years. The nebula's complex structures are likely the result of this strong wind interacting with material ejected in an earlier phase. Burning fuel at a prodigious rate and near the end of its stellar life this star should ultimately go out with a bang in a spectacular supernova explosion. Found in the nebula rich constellation Cygnus, NGC 6888 is about 5,000 light-years away.
Click image to enlarge.

Meanwhile just over the border

Queensland's new conservative bandaid on the waning fortunes of the Liberal and Nationals parties is in a spot of bother.
Some wag has hopped in smartly and set up a spoof Liberal-National Party of Queensland discussion forum website at liberalnationalparty.org.
One of the discussion contributors is Joh Bjelke-Petersen, who joined the site this month.
It seems in the rush to amalgamate someone forgot to register internet addresses with all the permutations of the party's new name.
Likely to give the party faithful a heart attack are sentiments such as these; "All drugs should be legalised in my opinion. Drug use should be treated in the same way as alcohol and nicoteine which are both deadly drugs sold on shopping shelves and taxed to the hilt by every government."
Well done, fellas - it's good to see Coalition pollies getting the respect that they deserve.

Thursday, 14 August 2008

Crib sheet: NSW North Coast local government elections, 13 September 2008

A 2008 council crib sheet for local voters

Ballina Shire Council - 3 ward system and popular election of mayor
17 candidates for election as councillors
5 of these candidates standing for mayor
9 councillor positions available
Population est. 39,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Byron Shire Council - no ward system and popular election of mayor
3 parties registered
36 candidates for election as councillors
7 of these candidates standing for mayor
10 councillor positions available
Population est. 29,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Clarence Valley Shire Council - no ward system and mayor elected by councillors
21 candidates for election as councillors
9 councillor positions available
Population est. 50,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Coffs Harbour City Council - no ward system and popular election of mayor
2 parties registered
38 candidates for election as councillors
5 of these candidates standing for mayor
9 councillor positions available
Population est. 65,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Kyogle Council - 3 ward system and mayor elected by councillors
18 candidates for election as councillors
11 councillor positions available
Population est. 9,300
Link to NSWEC web page here

Lismore City Council - no ward system and popular election of mayor
4 parties registered
51 candidates for election as councillors
9 of these candidates standing for mayor
12 councillor positions available
Population est. 42,300
Link to NSWEC web page here

Richmond Valley Council - no ward system and popular election of mayor
24 candidates for election as councillors
4 of these candidates standing for mayor
9 councillor positions available
Population est. 25,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Tweed Shire Council -no ward system and mayor elected by councillors
2 parties registered
39 candidates for election as councillors
Under administration since 2005, before which there were 11 councillor
positions available
Population est. 81,000
Link to NSWEC web page here

Monsanto marches on and on....

Click on map to enlarge

The GeneEthics network has just published a map of Victorian sites where 2008 winter crops of genetically modified canola are growing.


I don't know which assertion I find funnier. However, it is clear that GeneEthics has hit hard on a business nerve.

I only wish there was a NSW map, as I shop with an eye to avoiding produce and products which may contain GMO ingredients.
Still, now I know to avoid quite a few canola-based groceries coming out of Victoria.