iParliament delivers little for NSW North Coast browsers

iParliament is quite a good idea. An easy to navigate one-stop shop allowing your local Federal MP to highlight official records, media releases, articles etc., for their electorate's attention.

Alas, although North Coast MPs Saffin, Elliot and Hartsuyker are listed as members of this site they have yet to post any entries.

A opportunity gone to waste it would seem.

An American look at global food shortages. Just how vulnerable are First World countries?

How Far is the US From Food Shortages and Food Riots?

by Monica Davis ( davis4000_2000 [at] yahoo.com )
Saturday Apr 12th, 2008 2:37 PM

 

Even the United States is not immune from the potential for food shortages, food riots and food insecurity. We're just blind to the possibility.

As Americans complain over high gasoline and food prices, many third world countries are experiencing food riots over price and scarcity of food. In some parts of the word rice is so expensive that it is transported in heavily guarded convoys and farmers guard their fields from thieves.---

Experts say the high prices will continue for years, putting billions of people at risk for malnutrition or starvation. World leaders continue to cast fearful eyes at the burgeoning bio-fuels industry, noting that the competition generated by the industrial biofuels industry and food agriculture is pushing up food prices and making it more profitable to grow fuel crops for industrialized countries than it is for big farmers in Third World countries to grow food for their own citizens.---

 

So far, Americans are mostly bystanders in the game, content to grumble at the gas pump and complain in the grocery aisles. As a "First World" nation, the United States so far has not been subject to the food riots, which we have seen in Haiti and other parts of the world. Americans have more per capita income than much of the world; hence the crisis of the Third World, so far, is inconvenience in the "First World" and in developed nations such as the United States.

That said, however, we must understand that this situation is not sustainable. While Americans do have more disposable income than the rest of the word, that income is not unlimited and our food supply is much more vulnerable than we think. When it comes to food security, both in terms of supply and accessibility, this country is much more vulnerable than we think.

As one retired grain salesman noted, most of the nation's grain is moved around the country by just TWO railroads. Little is stored in the event of disaster and the whole system is extremely vulnerable. While we in the United States look at the food riots in other countries with a sense of disbelief, we are not immune. Under the right circumstances, we could be in the same boat. (Ibid)

In order for riots to break out the whole food supply doesn't have to be wiped out. It just has to be threatened sufficiently. When people realize their vulnerability and the fact that there is no short-term solution to a severe enough drought in the Midwest they will have no clue as to what they should do. Other nations can't make up the difference because no other nation has a surplus of grain in good times let alone in times when they are having droughts and floods also. (Robert Felix, "US Food Riots Much Closer than You Think")

Critics say the US is currently too preoccupied with foreign excursions and oil to pay attention to food security, particularly how concentration of suppliers and processors threaten the food chain. The highly concentrated meat processing industry has generated millions of pounds of recalls this year. Outbreaks in e.coli and other food borne pathogens continue to haunt the headlines, as food prices rise around the world.

 

Complete article here.

Desperate measures for desperate times in Liberal Land

With Brendan Nelson failing to secure good opinion poll figures and John Howard always inconveniently popping up on the evening news to remind voters that no matter how the Liberals try to re-brand themselves they remain arrogant little dictators at heart, rumour is starting to surface that some Canberra party heavies are becoming rather desperate.

One or two are even said to be hunting for a connection (any connection) between the Rudd family and the NSW political donations scandal.

Apparently search engines have been running hot and now these little possums are beginning to scratch above ultra-violet and dig below infra-red in an effort to find something which will go crack-boom during the next round of Question Time.

So far they appear to be having limited success, but are providing a bit of amusement for those ever present watchers on the hill.

Nelson's mob seem to have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock these days.

Barack hits back at 'elitist' jibe, but doesn't miss a beat in money raising efforts

Using the Obama for President email campaign as a guideline, one can be forgiven for thinking that an American president is being chosen solely on the success of fundraising efforts.
Here is today's email hitting out at Clinton and McCain while shoving a begging bowl under the nose.

You've probably heard about the latest dust-up in the Democratic race.
A few days ago, Barack spoke about the frustrations that working people in this country are feeling and said what we all know is true: that many people are bitter and angry because they believe their government isn't listening to them.
You and I both know that the hope of changing that reality is what drives the unprecedented support for this campaign from ordinary people in every part of the country.
But our opponents have been spinning the media and peddling fake outrage around the clock. John McCain's campaign, which will continue the George Bush economic policies that have devastated the middle class, called Barack out of touch and elitist. And Hillary Clinton, who is the candidate who said lobbyists represent real people, didn't just echo the Republican candidate's talking points: she actually used the very same words to pile on with more attacks.
These comments show just how out of touch Senator McCain and Senator Clinton are with the reality of what's happening in this election.
We've built the broadest campaign of ordinary people in the history of presidential politics -- and more people across this country have voted for Barack Obama than either one of them.
And we've done it the right way: our campaign is funded by everyday people giving $5 or more. That's distinctly different from Senator McCain and Senator Clinton, who both rely on money from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.
There's nothing elitist about a movement of more than a million people standing up for a different kind of politics.
If you're fed up with these kinds of tired attacks, you can do something about it right now. We're setting a goal of 1.5 million people giving to this campaign by May 6th.
Right now, one of those million people who have already given to our campaign is waiting to match your first donation. No matter what amount you choose to give, our system will match you with a supporter who has promised to match someone's first donation today.
You can see for yourself exactly what kind of movement this is. When you make your donation, you'll see the name and town of the person just like you who matched your gift. You'll also see a note from them with their story and why they gave, if they chose to write one.
You'll double the impact of your donation if you make a matching gift right now. Will you help fight back now?
http://my.barackobama.com/match
Barack Obama's own life and story are reflected in the character of this grassroots campaign. He was raised by a single mother with help from his grandparents. He has a family he loves, not long ago finished paying off his student loans, and he's doing what he can to help change this country.
That's what he's done for his entire career. After graduating, he became a community organizer, working with people in Chicago who -- like many people across the country right now -- felt left behind by their leaders.
When you make a matching donation, you'll be paired with someone with that same sense that it's time for a government that is responsible to the people for a change.
Someone is waiting to hear your story, and to share theirs with you. If you can support the campaign at this crucial moment, you'll be able to share your story about why you're committed to this campaign.
And because this is a matching donation, your gift of $25 will be doubled by another supporter. You'll have twice the impact and help reach our unprecedented 1.5 million-person goal. Make a matching donation now and be a part of history:
http://my.barackobama.com/match
The attacks from the Clinton campaign -- on Barack Obama himself, and on supporters like you -- can be expected to increase as her chances of winning dwindle further.
A few weeks ago, one of her top aides tried to diminish our success by referring to the places we've won as "boutique" states and to our supporters as the "latte-sipping crowd."
That means 30 states and territories -- twice as many as Senator Clinton has won -- qualify as "boutique." And the nearly 15 million people who have voted for us (again, more than Senator Clinton) must drink a lot of latte.
It's clear that Senator Clinton will continue to say or do anything as her campaign gets more and more negative.
But 1.5 million donors will be an astonishing and undeniable signal that it isn't the elites fueling this movement -- it's the American people.
That starts with you.
Thank you,
David
David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

How clean are our Northern Rivers valleys?

The Australian National Pollution Inventory allows you to take a tour of your area by post code and see exactly what significant pollutants are considered to occur in local industry.
Something perhaps NSW North Coast residents in all our many valleys should be doing.

Here is a snapshot of northern NSW Clarence Valley basically listing the substances which are required to be reported.

Yamba post code area only has 2 substances from 7 sources, which are nitrogen and phosphorus coming from agricultural activity.
Across the Clarence River and into the Iluka post code area showed that a very similar profile existed to that in Yamba.
While in the Maclean post code the plot thickens with 10 substances out of 15 sources, mostly coming from mineral, metal and chemical wholesaling with some from agricultural activity.
In the Harwood post code there were 33 substances from 8 sources, mainly coming from the sugar manufacturing in the area.
Grafton post code had 28 substances from 20 sources, adding log sawmilling, timber dressing and other wood product manufacturing to the first two broad categories.

Unfortunately this only tells a fraction of a very complex story - a little herbicide or pesticide anyone?

How dumb is Liberal Frontbencher Christopher Pyne?

Answer: As dumb as proverbial dog sh*t!

Today's Age reports that Pyne, the Liberal Party Federal Member for Sturt (SA), holds the view that the electoral system should be changed so that if a member of the House of Representatives retired, his [sic] party could choose a replacement to see out the term.

What a coincidence! Pyne is running with this line at a time when a number of coalition rats are gearing themselves up to jump ship despite having stood before their electorates not so long ago and declared their intentions of representing those electorates for the term of the current parliament.

Yes, Christopher, the election was only as far back as 24th November 2007.

Already, Peter McGauran, a Nationals' MP, has pulled the plug and created a vacancy in the Victorian seat of Gippsland.

Who'll be the next rat? Will it be Pyne's fellow crow eater, the out-to-lunch Member for Mayo, Alexander (of fishnet tights fame) Downer? Or, will it be the Nats' Mark Vaile, who has already done a spot of moonlighting?

Sorry, Christopher, but if your colleagues are not prepared to go the distance of a full term in Opposition and you would have electorates saved the expense of a by-election then a more palatable solution could be to have the candidate who finished second in the election fill the vacancy.

Of course, we could always require retiring MPs to fork out and contribute towards the expenses of the by-election.