Google's visual aid to Australian January 2011 flooding

Google Australia Floods Map 16 January 2011 as flooding moves southwards

NSW's Show Pony made a rare visit to the north coast of NSW

Nice to see the Sydney media pick up on the selective visit Premier Kristina Keneally made to the NSW north coast.

Keneally cannot be bothered to take up a long standing invitation from north coast communities to travel the Pacific Highway and experience the deathtrap first hand , but she managed a flight there as quick as a wink for the flood. 

The Sun Herald's Heath Aston had this piece in his column Naked Eye.

Well done, local journo Terry Deefholts (The Daily Examiner)! 

Media Matters CEO Brock calls Palin out on her 'blood libel' counter attack

This is an interesting vid we thought NCV might run.



Anony-mice
Yamba

* Guest Speak is a North Coast Voices segment allowing serious or satirical comment from NSW Northern Rivers residents. Email ncvguestpeak at gmail dot com to submit comment for consideration.

The GMO lobby creates a LOL

So which contributor in the BIOfortified: stronger plants, stronger science and stronger communication online community was responsible for telling the world that the humble macadamia nut (eaten by indigenous Australians for thousands of years) is a relatively new food?

franknfoode Frank N. Foode

@HerbRealm How many years have Kiwifruit and Starfruit and Macadamias been trialled on humans to ensure their safety? (relatively new foods) 13 Jan

The joke gets better when we remember that 'Starfruit' is merely the commercial branding of a fruit cultivated and eaten for hundreds of years in Asia and, that 'Kiwi Fruit' is the marketing re-brand of a conventionally created cultivar of another ancient food.

* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.

Ethanol production link to modern slavery confirmed?

This is an extract from an August 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable 08SAOPAULO432 (coordinated with and cleared by the Embassy in Brasilia) speaking of forced labour and posted on Wikileaks this month:

1.(SBU) Brazil's high profile, high-tech ethanol industry has fallen under an international spotlight for alleged use of forced or slave labor to harvest sugarcane. The press focus on sugarcane has drawn attention away from other sectors which may be at higher risk for forced labor/slave exploitation (cattle ranching, charcoal production, the sex industry). Top NGO labor experts have stated that while isolated problems remain in the sugarcane industry, the situation is improving and these other industries should be of more concern. Singling out or over-emphasizing sugarcane could play into the hands of some in the GOB who allege that U.S. TIP policy is only a cover to attack Brazil's flagship ethanol industry (Ref B). Mission suggests a broad anti-TIP strategy that enlists the large, more advanced sugarcane producers as allies in the fight against forced labor. Our efforts should also emphasize that the USG commitment to TIP is global in scale and rooted in our commitment to human rights. End Summary. Sugar is (Again) King

2.(U) Brazil has been a sugar producer for centuries and the development of ethanol as a promising green fuel has lent new energy to this key industry. The country's contemporary sugar industry is worth $40 billion, or 2.35 percent of GDP. It directly employs 1.1 million people, and its prospects for growth are tremendous (Ref A). Understandably, Brazil's leaders take great pride in their country's world class status as a leader in green fuels production. The Evidence for Forced Labor/Slavery

3.(U) Reports of forced or slave labor in sugarcane harvesting have marred the image of Brazil's ethanol industry. In May, the State Department's Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report characterized forced labor on sugarcane plantations as a growing trend. Days later, Amnesty International echoed the TIP report's assessment. With Brazilian ethanol production for export on the rise, the issue has caught the attention of the international press, particularly in the U.S. and Europe (Ref A).

How Eastern Australia begins its Saturday 15 January 2011

From the Bureau of Meteorology webpage National Warnings Summary:

Queensland

Warnings current:

High Seas Warning for TC Zelia,

Tropical Cyclone Information Bulletin for TC Zelia,

Ocean Wind Warning from Fiji,

Ocean Wind Warning from NZ,

Flood Warning - Fitzroy River,

Flood Warning - Burnett River,

Flood Warning - Mary River,

Flood Warning - Lockyer, Bremer, Warrill & Brisbane below Wivenhoe.,

Flood Warning - Logan-Albert,

Flood Warning - Condamine-Balonne Rivers,

Flood Warning - Macintyre/Weir,

Flood Warning - Moonie River,

Flood Warning - Thomson/Barcoo/Cooper Ck,

Queensland flood warning summary,

Forecast Track Map (QLD) for TC Zelia.

NSW and ACT

Warnings current:

Coastal Waters Wind Warning for New South Wales waters between Port Stephens and Point Perpendicular, between Moruya Heads and Gabo Island,

Cancellation of Severe Weather Warning for Snowy Mountains forecast district,

Flood Warning - Richmond/Wilsons,

Flood Warning - Clarence River,

Flood Warning - MacIntyre River,

Flood Warning - Macquarie River,

Flood Warning - Bogan River,

Flood Warning - Murrumbidgee River,

Flood Warning - Murray River,

Flood Warning - Culgoa, Bokhara, Narran,

Flood Warning - Warrego River,

Flood Warning - Barwon-Darling US Bourke,

Norfolk Island Tropical Cyclone Advice for TC Vania,

Ocean Wind Warning 1 - South Eastern area.

Victoria

Warnings current:

Coastal Waters Wind Warning for Victorian waters between Mallacoota and 60nm east of Gabo Island,

Brown Rot Advice for Northern Country, North Central and North East forecast districts,

Cancellation of Severe Weather Warning for East Gippsland and North East forecast districts,

Flood Watch for Greater Melbourne,

Flood Watch for Barwon, Hovells Creek and Otway Ranges,

Flood Watch for the Glenelg and Hopkins Basins,

Flood Watch for North East Victoria,

Flood Watch for the Goulburn and Broken Basins,

Victoria Flood Warning Summary,

Flood Warning - Maribyrnong River,

Flood Warning - Yarra River,

Flood Warning - Dandenong,

Flood Warning - Werribee River,

Flood Warning - Barwon River,

Flood Warning - Hopkins River,

Flood Warning - Glenelg River,

Flood Warning - Ovens and King Rivers,

Flood Warning - Broken River,

Flood warning for Seven Creeks / Castle Creek,

Flood Warning - Goulburn River,

Flood Warning - Campaspe River,

Flood Warning - Loddon River,

Flood Warning - Avoca River,

Flood Warning - Wimmera River,

Flood Warning - Murray River,

Ocean Wind Warning 1 - South Eastern area.

Tasmania

Warnings current:

Coastal wind warning 1,

Boating Weather - Wind Alert SW and Central Plateau Lakes,

Flood Warning Summary,

Flood Warning - Forth/Mersey,

Flood Warning - Meander,

Flood Warning - North Esk,

Flood Warning - South Esk,

Flood Warning - Macquarie,

Flood Watch Advice,

Severe Weather Warning 2,

Road Weather Alert,

Ocean Wind Warning 1 - South Eastern area.

This page last updated at:-
Friday January 14 2011 13:36 UTC (GMT) -- January 14 2011 21:36 WST -- January 14 2011 23:06 CST -- January 15 2011 00:06 CDT -- January 14 2011 23:36 EST -- January 15 2011 00:36 EDT

Best flood evacuation centre in Australia 2011?

Tweet sent out on 14 January 2011:

VictoriaPolice VictoriaPolice
Town of Great Western to be evacuated due to being inundated. Evac to Great Western Winery. Emergency alert will be sent to homes #vicrains