The last polling I'll inflict on readers this year - I rooly trooly promise!

From the folks at Essential Research on 20^th December 2010:

Click on images to make them grow

I'm off to do a bit of camping and fishing - if I can find a dry spot to pitch the tent - see you all in February 2011.

McDonald's rubbishing Yamba in December 2010

Clarencegirl sent me these pics of McDonald's branded litter in Treelands Drive within 100 metres either side of this hamburger joint's driveway at 11am on Monday 20th December 2010.
Not yet open a month in this small coastal town and this is how McDonald's Australia and the franchisee say Merry Christmas?

What is truly mind boggling is that McDonald's litter is now turning up near the corner of Baker Street and River Road, Maclean - at least 16 kilometres away as seen by this pic of what was picked up there by a local at around noon on 21st December 2010.

And this final pic is of litter retrieved from Admiralty Park in Yamba - a good 5 minutes walk from messy Maccas.

More McDonald's Yamba branded litter pics here.

In 2007 Monsanto gets US Government to run heavy-handed interference in Europe?

If you thought that Monsanto & Co doesn’t 'own' successive U.S. governments, this excerpt from a diplomatic cable from the American Ambassador to France concerning the GMO maize variety Mon810 and forwarded to Washington may change your mind.

The highlighting is mine.

¶1. (C) Summary: Mission Paris recommends that that the USG reinforce our negotiating position with the EU on agricultural biotechnology bypublishing a retaliation list when the extend "Reasonable Time Period" expires. In our view, Europe is moving backwards not forwards on this issue with France playing a leading role, along with Austria, Italy and even the Commission. In France, the "Grenelle" environment process is being implemented to circumvent science-based decisions in favor of an assessment of the "common interest." Combined with the precautionary principle, this is a precedent withimplications far beyond MON-810 BT corn cultivation. Moving to retaliation will make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices. In fact, the pro-biotech side in France -- including within the farm union -- have told us retaliation is the only way to begin to begin to turn this issue in France. End Summary.

¶2. (C) This is not just a bilateral concern. France will play a leading role in renewed European consideration of the acceptance of agricultural biotechnology and its approach toward environmental regulation more generally. France expects to lead EU member states on this issue during the Slovene presidency beginning in January and through its own Presidency in the second half of the year. Our contacts have made clear that they will seek to expand French national policy to a EU-wide level and they believe that they are in the vanguard of European public opinion in turning back GMO's. They have noted that the member states have been unwilling to support the Commission on sanctioning Austria's illegal national ban. The GOF sees the ten year review of the Commission's authorization of MON 810 as a key opportunity and a review of the EFSA process to take into account societal preferences as another (reftels).

¶3. (C) One of the key outcomes of the "Grenelle" was the decision to suspend MON 810 cultivation in France. Just as damaging is the GOF's apparent recommitment to the "precautionary principle." Sarkozy publicly rejected a recommendation of the Attali Commission (to review France's competitiveness) to move away from this principle, which was added to the French constitution under Chirac

¶4. (C) France's new "High Authority" on agricultural biotech is designed to roll back established science-based decision making. The recently formed authority is divided into two colleges, a scientific college and a second group including civil society and social scientists to assess the "common interest" of France. The authority's first task is to review MON 810. In the meantime, however, the draft biotech law submitted to the National Assembly and the Senate for urgent consideration, could make any biotech planting impossible in practical terms. The law would make farmers and seed companies legally liable for pollen drift and sets the stage for inordinately large cropping distances.
The publication of a registry identifying cultivation of GMOs at the parcel level may be the most significant measure given the propensity for activists to destroy GMO crops in the field.

¶5. (C) Both the GOF and the Commission have suggested that their respective actions should not alarm us since they are only cultivation rather than import bans. We see the cultivation ban as a first step, at least by anti-GMO advocates, who will move next to banor further restrict imports. (The environment minister's top aidetold us that people have a right not to buy meat raised on biotechfeed, even though she acknowledged there was no possible scientific basis for a feed based distinction.) Further, we should not beprepared to cede on cultivation because of our considerable planting seed business in Europe and because farmers, once they have hadexperience with biotech, become its staunchest supporters.

¶6. Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits. The list should be measured rather than vicious andmust be sustainable over the long term, since we should not expect a nearly victory.

PARIS 00004723 002 OF 002Stapleton

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

A 'Bah, Humbug!' for Telstra from one irate customer

Hanging up on Telstra is still on the cards on the NSW North Coast if this 20 December 2010 featured letter to The Daily Examiner editor is any indication:

Click on image to enlarge

Bob Brown and Co say have a brilliant summer

 

Senator Bob Brown, Federal Leader of The Greens, looks forward to the holidays in his latest media release…………

Dear friend,

What a fantastic 2010! And it will flow into 2011, not least with our four new senators increasing our team in the federal parliament to 10 on 1 July.

Three of the great policy challenges for 2011 will be saving the Kimberley's James Price Point from a gas hub, permanent protection for Tasmania's high conservation value forests and getting a decent carbon price for Australia.

But Christmas is coming first. Don't tell Paul, but I've been down to the outdoor gear shop to get him a decent sleeping bag so that we can head off to Tasmania's central plateau, careless about any summer blizzards. I don't need any present as there is a new footbridge over the Liffey River, which will be a boon for platypus watchers and walkers headed for Drys Bluff alike.

I and my fellow MPs, Christine, Rachel, Sarah, Scott and Adam, wish you and yours a brilliant summer with many happy times together.

Yours sincerely

Bob Brown

Wikileaks - when the shoe finally drops

Ian Martin over Laberal noticed the paucity of US diplomatic cables mentioning Oz Coalition pollies:

That is now changing and it’s fitting that remarks by a former Howard Government foreign minister become some of the first to see the light of day.

The Age on 22^nd December 2010:
“THE former Howard government urged the US to force the collapse of the North Korean regime by denying it aid, despite advice the country had a growing nuclear arsenal and could unleash an artillery barrage on South Korea's capital at a moment's notice
''Let the whole place go to shit, that's the best thing that could happen,'' former foreign minister Alexander Downer told the commander of United States and United Nations forces in South Korea at a meeting in Canberra in February 2005.
A leaked US embassy cable reports that Mr Downer told General Leon LaPorte that the international community should sharply increase pressure on North Korea, suggesting that "aid that could prop up [North Korea's] failing infrastructure should be withheld in order to bring an end to the regime's tyranny''.
And, according to the cable obtained by WikiLeaks and made available exclusively to The Age, Mr Downer's ''off the top of his head'' remarks also derided the approach of New Zealand to the Korean problem.
If US officials wanted to hear the ''bleeding hearts'' view of ''peace and love'' with respect to North Korea, Mr Downer joked, they only had to visit his colleagues in New Zealand.”

Clarence Valley shows Citizens Electoral Council the door

From A Clarence Valley Protest earlier today:

Citizens Electoral Council's Clarence River proposal filed under rubbish

The Daily Examiner on 22 December 2010 recounts efforts by that LaRouche-inspired, climate change denialist, fringe political party, the Citizens Electoral Council of Australia, to further their conspiracy theories and support of the water raiders:

AN IMPROMPTU visit by members of the radical, right-wing political party, The Citizens Electoral Council (CEC), to Clarence MP Steve Cansdell's office last Thursday resulted in the former boxer coming out swinging in defence of the Clarence River.

Mr Cansdell said his “fight” lasted only five minutes before the campaigners were asked to leave. He said the two women conned their way into his office under false pretences, claiming they wanted to talk about flood mitigation of the Clarence.

“They started talking about world order and conspiracy theories and I said if you don't want to talk about anything local, I'm not interested,” he said.

The women went on to ask Mr Cansdell about his views on the management proposals for the Murray Darling Basin, and whether he supported the diversion of the Clarence to revive the Murray River system.

“There is no way I would support diverting the Clarence River and if that's what you want to talk about you are wasting your time,” he told the women.....

When the CEC members visited The Daily Examiner's Grafton office, a journalist listened to their theories and filed their leaflets in the bin when they left.

Centrelink finally comes to Iluka once a month and Yamba getting an upgrade

Welcome news delivered via Federal Labor MP Janelle Saffin's media release on 20 December 2010:

Page MP Janelle Saffin is delighted to be able to advise residents of Iluka that there will soon be a Centrelink presence in their town.

“I had been approached by a number of people in Iluka wanting to have easier access to contact with people from Centrelink.

“There are a significant number of people on pensions and other benefits in the town and I took up the issue on their behalf.

“Now I’m pleased to report that early in the new year Centrelink officers will visit Iluka on a monthly basis.

“This trial will be evaluated in April, and will give Centrelink a clearer understanding of the service needs of the community.

“Meanwhile I am advised that Centrelink’s Yamba office is expected to open around the middle of 2011.

“So this will mean better access to services across the lower Clarence,” Ms Saffin said.

Japan's whaling fleet extends Antarctic killing fields for 2010 hunt

Montage from Tsaparang

Australia-Japan-New Zealand news roundup concerning the whale slaughter about to take place in the Southern Ocean.

Asahi Shimbun 1 December 2010 Pro-whaling nations gather for confab:

SHIMONOSEKI, Yamaguchi Prefecture--Delegates from 23 nations and regions kicked off a two-day conference here Tuesday on devising a strategy to resume commercial whaling now banned under international rules. Japan's Fisheries Agency hopes the Meeting of Representatives on Sustainable Use of the Cetaceans will come up with a new proposal on commercial whaling to be submitted to the general assembly of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in London next year…….Although research whaling fleets usually leave Japan around mid-November, whaling ships had not departed for the Southern Hemisphere as of Monday due to concerns about heightened confrontations with anti-whaling groups. The Fisheries Agency plans to have armed Japan Coast Guard officers join the whalers for the next expedition.

Earth Times 2 December 2010 Japan's whaling fleet leaves port for annual hunt :

Tokyo - The Japanese whaling fleet left Thursday for this year's hunt in the Antarctic later than usual and with a much smaller fleet, the Greenpeace environmental group said. The reason for the delay was the lack of demand for whale meat, the non-government organization said. Traditionally, the fleet leaves Japan in November and returns in April. "The reduced size of the Japanese whaling fleet means they will be unable to catch more than half of their quota," said Wakao Hanaoka, oceans campaigner for Greenpeace Japan, which said the reduced fleet was caused by ships being sold or scrapped. The whalers "are up to their necks in it," Greenpeace marine biologist Thilo Maack said. "First, they lose their tanker and refrigerator ship, then their sightings ship. Now they have to satisfy themselves with a halved quota and a drastically shorter hunting season." A majority of Japanese do not eat whale meat, leading to the accumulation of a huge stockpile. According to the latest government data available, as of the end of August, there were 5,790 tons of whale meat in cold storage.

Evri 15 December 2010 NZ warns of dangerous Antarctic whaling season:

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand warned Wednesday that the mood between Japanese whalers and protesters who challenge them annually off Antarctica is especially volatile this year, and urged both sides to show restraint to ensure no one is killed.

The Sydney Morning Herald 16 December 2010 Fillip to Australian whale case

NEW ZEALAND has come to the aid of Australia's legal case against Japan over whaling.By deciding to ''intervene'' rather than formally filing as a ''party'' to the case, New Zealand will enable both governments to have a judge on the panel hearing the case in the International Court of Justice.Its decision was pragmatic and reflected Australia's preference, the Foreign Minister, Kevin Rudd, said yesterday.''New Zealand will be able to make both written and oral submissions to the court that Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean is contrary to its obligations under applicable international conventions,'' Mr Rudd said.His NZ counterpart, Murray McCully, said his country already had a judge on the court, Sir Kenneth Keith, and joining the two actions would have resulted in Australia losing its entitlement to a judge.Canberra has yet to nominate an Australian judge.Mr McCully said he had spoken to the Japanese Foreign Minister, Seiji Maehara, about further diplomatic initiatives.

ABC News 17 December 2010 Conservationists condemn 'illegal' whale hunt :

The Japanese whaling fleet has come under more pressure to abandon its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean this summer.Conservation groups have accused the country of breaching an injunction issued by the Federal Court two years ago by undertaking its annual whale hunt this summer.The Japanese whaling fleet is currently on its way south and this year its quota includes more than 1,000 whales.The injunction, secured by Humane Society International in January 2008, argues the hunt in Australia's Antarctic territorial waters is illegal.The Federal Government's case also calls into question Japan's scientific whaling program.It has been lodged in the International Court of Justice, but it could take years before the matter is heard.ABC News 20 December 2010 Newest anti-whaling boat to set sail:The newest addition to the Sea Shepherd anti-whaling fleet is due to leave Hobart this morning for the Southern Ocean. The 30 metre monohull and its crew of 11 have spent the past two weeks preparing for the campaign against the Japanese whaling fleet. The multi-million dollar Gojira will meet up with the conservation group's ships Bob Barker and Steve Irwin.

The Sydney Morning Herald 21 December 2010 Whalers double hunt area to foil activists:

JAPANESE whalers have radically changed their plans this summer, doubling the area of the Southern Ocean in which they say they may hunt.The change, notified to the International Whaling Commission, will make it more difficult for anti-whaling activists to find the whalers.Japan's self-awarded scientific permit for 2010-11 gives the whaling fleet millions of square kilometres of ocean south of Australia in which to hunt, as well as south of New Zealand………The Greens leader, Bob Brown, said the shift made it imperative for Australian authorities to watch the hunt, at least through aerial surveillance.''I will be talking to the Japanese ambassador in Canberra and offering the opinion that this is criminal behaviour in the Australian Antarctic Territory,'' Senator Brown said.The Environment Minister, Tony Burke, said there had been no decision to send a monitoring vessel south this season, and there were adequate international protocols to fulfil search-and-rescue obligations.The permit confirms that a four-ship fleet plans to take up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this summer. Humpbacks also have been included, but Japan told the commission it would continue to suspend this catch ''as long as progress is being made in the discussions on the future of the IWC''.These talks stalled at the commission's annual meeting in Morocco last June, and no further talks have been scheduled.Greenpeace's international whales campaign co-ordinator, John Frizell, said the fleet's size had been reduced for the second year, and the season shortened by one month.''Whatever they are doing, it is not business as usual, and I suspect it is being driven largely by the fact that sales of whale meat in Japan are poor and that they need to cut operating costs,'' he said.

What gives with Kwoff these days?

Every so often this warning turns up when I try to have a look at Aussie news aggregate site Kwoff. As far as I can tell this notice is unwarranted, so who dislikes this site so much that they are reporting it?