Daily Links May 31

In many ways, we never left business as usual for this pandemic. In considering a gas industry in the Channel Country and possible environmental contamination, there’s reference to deep fracking but no mention of the Great Artesian Basin, and the CSIRO research that cites no concerns is carried out in an industry partnership that includes, yep, Santos among a number of gas companies. The blanket coverage of COVID19 is cover for many issues.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/31/warning-on-use-of-fracking-chemicals-in-queenslands-channel-country

Daily Links May 30

Stop Press: Rare outbreak of evidence-based management supported by the court. Let us hope that such outbreaks become more common.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-29/victorian-brumby-cull-alpine-challenge-rejected-by-supreme-court/12301442

Daily Links May 29

And we must remember all the lessons ignored and mistakes made when it comes time to go into the polling booth next election. And we must remember that democracy is not just the thing we do before the sausage outside that booth, that it is what we do when we tell our superannuation holder that we don’t want to support fossils fools, that we respond to the EPBC Act review with our wish for stronger environmental regulation, that we write to our local member about our outrage at Rio Tinto’s desecration of aboriginal heritage. And so on!https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2020/05/they-have-learned-nothing-and-changed-nothing/

Daily Links May 28

Before she shuffled off this mortal coil, my apple-cheeked mater was want to observe that ‘you are known by the company you keep’. Mark Poynter, published author (Connour Court Publishing, …

Daily Links May 27

It’s alright, it’s not as though climate change needs a response any time soon, does it?  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/26/cop26-climate-talks-in-glasgow-likely-to-be-delayed-again From: Maelor Himbury <maelor@melbpc.org.au>Date: 27 May 2020 at 9:02:58 am AESTSubject: Daily Links …

Daily Links May 26

Yet another case where self-interest, masquerading as protection of cultural heritage, is trumping science. The sad thing is the complicity of the media, the sentimentalist claptrap of the ABC TV news on Sunday night and now this rather skewed article on the ABC website. Where are images of muddied alpine creeks, piles of steaming horse droppings studded with weed seeds, pictures of trampled peat bogs no longer home to corroboree frogs? Instead we get plucky mountain cattleman takes on cruel bureaucrats. Bah humbug!https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-25/inside-the-mission-to-save-victorias-high-country-brumbies/12281380

Daily Links May n25

It’s not that I’m planning to go anywhere just yet, but one’s plan does need to take inevitabilities into account. I’m not sure about the term ‘dying sustainably’ in the article though, sustained dying isn’t part of my plan, I’d like to just do it once.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-24/eco-friendly-coffins-gaining-popularity-in-australia/12279940

Daily Links May 24

Sorry, off-list again but a media-related comment all the same. Insiders, 9 am on ABC TV, was my Sunday religious observance and it still is, though my fervour wanes. The encroaching of News Corp is becoming hard to bear. This morning Greg Sheridan, in a third outrageous appearance on the couch, was singing the praises of coal with strident claims of coal-fired power stations mushrooming (he spruiked nuclear too) across Asia. Annabel Crabb was gearing up to take him on .. but they ran out of time. Is this the return for the Happy Clapper’s captain’s pick for Chair, the Itaisation of the ABC?

Daily Links May 23

Angus ‘Fantastic’ Taylor is indeed fantastic. There was his Eastern Australia Agriculture Cayman Islands adventure in the $80 million dollar sale of non-existent water to the government of which he is a member. Then came the Jam Land poisoning of threatened grasslands discussed in this article. And apart from the federal fuzz, who could forget his dodgy document alleging hypocrisy against Sydney Mayor Clover Moore, a political rival to his wife for the next mayoralty. For mere mortals, just one of these would be enough for a trip to the gulag. Clearly Gus is no mere mortal!https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/23/company-part-owned-by-angus-taylor-seeks-ministerial-review-on-illegal-grassland-clearing

Daily Links May 22

Gee, this’d be the time to open up the Galilee Basin, eh. How’s it looking Gautam, Clive and Matteo Canavani?https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/chinese-power-stations-told-to-avoid-australian-coal-in-new-trade-threat-20200521-p54v8w.html