Category: General news

Managing director of Ebono Institute and major sponsor of The Generator, Geoff Ebbs, is running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith at the next Federal election. By the expression on their faces in this candid shot it looks like a pretty dull campaign. Read on

  • THE JOHN JAMES NEWSLETTER NO 34

    2 of 17

     

    Web Clip

    ESPN.com – Riley: Huskers have pieces to go after titles – 2 hours ago

    The John James Newsletter 34

    Inbox x

    John James

    5:09 AM (3 hours ago)
    to John

    The John James Newsletter 34

    8 December 2014. 

    Thankyou for your replies. Once a week in this time-poor world is the favourite theme. I will aim for the weekend.

    Guy McPherson on a faith that I share

    “I want to remind us all that we are mortal. That we don’t have long on this planet even if we live to be 100, so we should pursue what we love instead of pursuing the next dollar…. if you love having children, have children and love them, and no matter how long their lives are, make them be years of joy. And that goes for all of us. If that means you want to bring children into the world, who am I to stop you from pursuing what you love? …. Our social responsibility is to live here, here now, and contribute to the happiness of those around us. We are in a hospice where we are serving as witnesses to our own demise, as well as to the demise of all the other species who dying with us. So let’s embrace our joy and love for this living planet, even as we cause it to become a lot less lovely. And bring joy to all those around us.”

    News is what people want to keep hidden; everything else is publicity.  – Bill Moyers

    Australian girl inspires the religious leaders 

    of the world to pledge to eradicate slavery by 2020

    http://www.smh.com.au/world/australian-girl-grace-forrest-inspires-pope-francis-and-other-world-religious-leaders-to-sign-pledge-to-eradicate-slavery-by-2020-20141202-11ytpw.html

    IS Supply Lines Originate in NATO’s Turkey

    Germany’s international broadcaster Deutsche Welle published a video of immense implications – possibly the first national broadcaster in the West to admit that the ISIS is supplied not by “black market oil” or “hostage ransoms” but by billions of dollars worth of supplies carried into Syria across NATO member Turkey’s borders via hundreds of trucks a day. The report confirms what has been reported since 2011 – that Turkey has allowed a torrent in supplies, fighters, and weapons to cross its borders unopposed to resupply ISIS positions inside of Syria.

    http://freewestradio.com/2014/11/breaking-germanys-dw-reports-isis-supply-lines-originate-in-natos-turkey/

    Civil Liberties in Peril Down Under

    Australia has passed sweeping secrecy laws, while police officers in New Zealand recently raided the home of a reporter who had published information regarding a government scandal.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/28/opinion/civil-liberties-in-peril-down-under.html

    How the IPCC has consistently underestimated climate change.

    As a result we really haven’t explored a world in which the emissions growth rate is as rapid as we have actually seen happen.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-ipcc-underestimated-climate-change/

    The Permian mass extinction 250 million years ago, also known as “The Great Dying,” was triggered by a massive lava flow in Siberia that led to 6 degrees Celsius. That caused the melting of frozen methane deposits that caused temperatures to skyrocket further. This caused the extinction of 95 percent of all species on the planet were wiped out. Today’s scientific evidence strongly suggests we are in the midst of the same process – only this time it is anthropogenic, and happening exponentially faster than in the Permian.

    In 1981 the US had accumulated what was then an astounding $1 TRILLION in debt. 

    This had taken more than 205 years to accumulate. It would take less than five years to accumulate its second trillion. And as the US government just hit $18 trillion in debt on Friday afternoon, it has taken a measly 403 days to accumulate the most recent.

    http://www.sovereignman.com/trends/five-complete-lies-about-americas-new-18-trillion-debt-level-15661/

    Dealing with despair means dealing with our own grief – it is OUR issue

    In my personal experience this is the Way to overcome despair. As Guy set out earlier, to bring Joy to our friends we need to deal with our own grief and defences. This is the Way to Resilience with the capacity to Love.

    CEFC turns focus to commercial-ready bioenergy for Australia

    The $10 billion clean energy investment vehicle set up by the Labor Gillard government – and since targeted for the scrap heap by the Abbott government – has so far contracted investments of over $900 million in projects with a total value of over $3 billion. Of this, bioenergy investments make up about 10 per cent or nearly $100 million of the total portfolio, and have been focused on waste-to-energy and biogas.

    http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/cefc-turns-focus-commercial-ready-bioenergy-australia-99980

    Russia’s Patience Is Wearing Thin

    With the western propaganda flying thick and heavy, it’s more important than ever to cut through the chaff and learn what we can about the most important geopolitical realignment (and renewed tensions) in recent memory.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40353.htm

    and

    Erdogan hosts Putin to tighten Turkey-Russia alliance 

    Talks were expected to focus on energy cooperation and to discuss how to triple bilateral trade to a target of $100 billion in the next years from $32.7 billion in 2013, a goal some analysts see as wildly over-ambitious. His visit came just over a week after talks between U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and key NATO ally Turkey failed to reach a breakthrough on cooperating over Syria.

    http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Dec-01/279493-erdogan-hosts-putin-to-tighten-turkey-russia-alliance.ashx#sthash.nsKt9B3n.dpuf

    and another report, in video

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Te289Iel73Q

    and

    On the geo-political implications of cancelling the Southern Gas Route.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40381.htm

    Russia has recently sealed a key deal with Iran to swap Iranian oil for Russian industrial goods. Russia has also agreed to invest heavily in the Iranian nuclear industry. If and when sanctions on Iran are lifted the Europeans will find the Russians already there. Russia has just agreed a massive deal to supply gas to Turkey. Overshadowing these deals are the two huge deals Russia has made to supply gas to China. These show that Russia had made a strategic decision to redirect its energy flow away from Europe. Though it will take time for the full effect to become clear, the consequences for Europe are grim. Europe is looking at a serious energy shortfall, which it will only be able to make up by buying energy at a much higher price.

    So far from Russia being dependent on Europe as its energy customer, it is Europe which has antagonised, probably irreparably, its key economic partner and energy supplier. Through the arrangements with China, Turkey and Iran, Russia has dealt a devastating blow to the energy future of the EU. In a few years the Europeans will discover that moralising and bluff comes with a price. By cancelling South Stream, Russia has imposed upon Europe the most effective of all the sanctions we have seen this year.

    The map shows how the Ukraine unrest has limited the winter gas supplies for Europe, and how Bulgaria’s blockage is affecting the alternative route across the Black Sea. Agreement with Turkey could keep Europe warm if built in time.

    Australia will disgrace itself in Lima, just as it did in Kyoto

    In the 1990s, Australia joined with Saudi Arabia in throwing road blocks to the Kyoto Protocol. Australia’s recalcitrance was “rewarded” then because the world was keen to get any sort of treaty, and thus it gave Australia the so called “Australia clause” — which allowed it to increase emissions rather than cut them. So when the Abbott government crows about Australia being one of the few countries that actually met its Kyoto targets, it means nothing. And even less on the international stage.

    Now, as talks resume in Lima with the best chance of an agreement in a generation Australia is once again an outlier. And it can expect further “bollockings” in the months to come, particularly as the moves to seal a deal in Paris intensify. The Chinese were reportedly stunned that Australia did not want the environment and environmental goods  included in the free trade agreement just negotiated. No other country has insisted on that.

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2014/12/01/australia-will-disgrace-itself-in-lima-just-as-it-did-in-kyoto/?wpmp_switcher=mobile

    At Home and Abroad, UN Report Details Abysmal US Record of Abuse

    An official report by the United Nations Committee Against Torture found that the US has a long way to go if it wants to earn its claimed position as a leader in human rights.The committee slammed the US for its domestic policies such as prolonged solitary confinement; botched state executions; heavy-handed and discriminatory policing practices in the nation’s cities; the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system; and serious problems with its immigration enforcement policies.

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/11/29/home-and-abroad-un-report-details-abysmal-us-record-abuse

    Saudis risk playing with fire in shale-price showdown as crude crashes

    Saudi Arabia and the core Opec states are taking an immense political gamble by letting crude oil prices crash to $66 a barrel, if their aim is to shake out the weakest shale producers in the US. A deep slump in prices might equally heighten geostrategic turmoil across the broader Middle East and boomerang against the Gulf’s petro-sheikhdoms before it inflicts a knock-out blow on US rivals.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/oilprices/11263851/Saudis-risk-playing-with-fire-in-shale-price-showdown-as-crude-crashes.html

    and

    http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-12-01/can-the-us-fracking-boom-survive-with-oil-65-per-barrel

    MH17 Witnesses Tell BBC They Saw Ukrainian Jet. 

    Shortly after the tragedy, a BBC Russian correspondent interviewed numerous eyewitnesses who described seeing a second aircraft in the sky moments before MH17’s fatal crash. The BBC pulled the report. Why?

    http://russia-insider.com/en/military_media_watch/2014/11/12/11-48-09am/mh17_witnesses_tell_bbc_they_saw_ukrainian_jet_bbc

    In Canada, More Jobs in Green Energy than Tar Sands

    A 37 percent employment increase and a cumulative investment of $25 billion in the green energy sector over the past five years has expanded the energy-generating capacity of Canada’s wind, solar, run-of-river hydropower and biomass plants by 93 percent since 2009. The sale of electric vehicle has doubled between 2012 and 2013. The global clean energy revolution isn’t a future scenario. It is underway right now,

    http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/12/02/canada-more-jobs-green-energy-tar-sands

    To unsubscribe email me.  Getting your friends to subscribe would benefit the TRUTH.

    Attachments area

    Preview YouTube video South Stream closed, Gazprom builds new Black Sea pipeline to Turkey

  • Some stood against GET-UP

    More

    1 of 17
    Web Clip
    The Sydney Morning Herald Sport HeadlinesWanderers far from ‘crap’, says Popovic1 day ago

    Some stood against

    Inbox
    x

    Erin – GetUp!

    7:09 PM (2 minutes ago)

    to me
    “Scott Morrison is now the most powerful person in the Australian government. The passage of the migration and maritime powers legislation amendment (resolving the asylum legacy caseload) bill 2014 has given the immigration minister, while he holds that job, unprecedented, unchallengeable, and secret powers to control the lives of asylum seekers.” – Ben Doherty for The Guardian 1

    Dear NEVILLE,

    The very early hours of this morning were some of the darkest in Australian political history.

    Just a little before 1am, the Migration and Maritime Powers Bill passed by one vote, with Senator Ricky Muir finally caving to some of the most intense and despicable emotional blackmail that the Parliament has witnessed.

    He was visibly anguished, saying “I am forced into a corner where I have to decide between a bad decision and a worse decision – a position I would not wish on my worst enemies.

    It’s difficult to blame Senator Muir for his decision once you learn just how Minister Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott emotionally blackmailed him into giving his support.

    Minister Morrison, in a political move that must go down in history as one of the most despicable abuses of power in Australian history, quite literally used desperate kids in detention as human hostages. It’s a story that’s so disgusting, so emotionally manipulative, that it’s hard to believe: it is being reported that our Immigration Minister actually used the children he had been keeping locked up, having them call Senator Ricky Muir and beg him to support the Bill and set them free.2

    As Refugee Council of Australia’s Phil Glendenning said on ABC News today, the choice some of these Senators faced was essentially “Sophie’s Choice” in action.

    There were some outcomes that are definitely a step in the right direction, and they were the result of the public and political pressure GetUp members helped bring to bear – a promise to increase humanitarian intake to nearly 18,750 and releasing children from detention on Christmas Island. But those “sweeteners” came at quite a cost.

    It takes a brave politician to stand up against the tactics we saw used last night – tactics that Senator Xenophon and the Palmer United Party both inexplicably folded to and then celebrated – but in situations like this it’s really important that we let our deserving leaders know we’ve got their backs. The Senators who stood up in the face of intense dirty lobbying and appealed to their opponents’ better sides through powerful statements and admirable courage deserve our thanks. That’s why we’re sending thank you cards to all the senators who voted against the bill – this battle may have been lost but the fight isn’t over, and we must help them stand their ground.

    Will you sign the thank you card we’re sending to all senators who voted against this bill? https://www.getup.org.au/thanks-senators

    The children Minister Morrison used as political pawns in his power play are children who, the evidence shows, have been victims of sexual and physical abuse. They’ve been languishing in horrendous conditions for over 15 months. They’re desperate to be free – and Scott Morrison knew it. In fact, instead of using them as bargaining chips, he could have released them at any time. Same goes for raising humanitarian intake and giving people on bridging visas working rights. But he was waiting for this moment so he could emotionally blackmail some well intentioned Senators, and make them feel they had no choice.

    As Jacqui Lambie said: “These kids have been in there for 15 months and you want a pat on the back? You’ve got to be kidding yourselves.”

    It’s a terrible story. A shocking abuse of power. A Bill that should never have passed, and almost didn’t but for Morrison’s dirty tactics. But there’s hope — and it’s our movement that is going to be there to take this fight to wherever it needs to go until there is justice for asylum seekers and refugees in Australia.

    We’re still waiting for all of the amendments to be made public and for the legal and real-life scenarios for refugees to become more clear, but in the meantime, even before an in-depth analysis is done, some things are already clear: this Bill gives unprecedented, unbelievable and undeserved power to Minister Morrison, which is exactly what he was bargaining for.

    The downright abhorrent way in which the lobbying for this Bill was handled by some of our most senior Government officials makes it difficult to find any silver linings. But there are some, and in the interest of fairness and accuracy we have detailed some of the good, bad and the ugly at the bottom of this page.

    We’re not going to sugar-coat what happened last night. It was ugly. But our movement has been lighting the dark throughout this entire year – turning out in our thousands, providing hope when it seemed lost, finding innovative, creative and inclusive ways to campaign for small advances during difficult times — like journalists funded to let them tell the truth, vigils attended by over 20,000 people, thousands of calls to Senators and MPs, petition deliveries at electorate offices, and just this week, a petition of over 100,000 delivered directly to the Senate.

    And we’re not going anywhere. Already more than 4500 GetUp members have made their New Year’s resolutions and pledges to take the fight into the new year for a better way forward on asylum seekers. If you haven’t made yours yet, you can here: www.getup.org.au/take-action

    With hope for a better way forward,
    Erin, Alycia, Kelsey, Sally and Aurora for the GetUp team

    PS – It’s not just politicians who played this dirty game. It’s worth mentioning that Paris Aristotle — the man behind advocating for the “no advantage” law, and who shares some responsibility for the 30,000 “legacy caseload” — was reportedly working in cahoots with the Coalition, advocating for the passage of this Bill too.

    PPS – A new video3 released today by the Maurice Blackburn law firm details one of the more depressing aspects of this week’s news: as early as tomorrow, 44 children, including 25 babies born here in Australia, will be flown to Nauru to suffer offshore – out of sight, out of mind. We will be fighting for those children in the coming weeks, as we work with partner groups to provide you with as many tangible, effective, creative and helpful ways to support refugees and asylum seekers as possible. Watch this space for our exciting next efforts, and stay tuned for a powerful video soon.

  • Tony Burke via sendgrid.info

    1 of 15
    Web Clip
    The Sydney Morning Herald Sport HeadlinesMariners need fans to survive: Owner22 hours ago

    #5and5

    Inbox
    x

    Tony Burke via sendgrid.info 

    5:24 PM (18 minutes ago)

    to me
    .

    Neville, Last week Tony Abbott wanted to scrape a few barnacles off the ship of state. This week he wanted to try and turn the whole ship around – things didn’t quite go as planned.

    BEST:

    1. What a year for the Government. Broken promises as far as the eye can see, no Assistant Treasurer for nine months, a Defence Minister on the chopping block and no clear answer to who will be Prime Minister at the next election. None of these things are good, but Bill’s speech summing up the year is definitely the best moment of the week.
    2. The week began with Christopher Pyne and the Government telling anyone who would listen, the big victory in the final sitting week of Parliament for the year would be passing its unfair Higher Education changes and $100,000 degrees. Well, they tried and they failed.
    3. Joe Hockey’s mini-Budget comes out soon. On Thursday the Treasurer, for now, tried to claw back some of his lost economic credibility in a speech to Parliament. Chris Bowen fired back saying Labor will never accept the false premise that Governments can choose either growth or fairness.
    4. On Thursday, just as we were all walking in to Question Time, Terri Butler stood up and tore the government apart for its cuts to education. It’s only 90 seconds to watch, but will be felt by the Government for a very long time.
    5. After the Senate Crossbench complained that Christopher Pyne wouldn’t stop texting and begging for their vote on Higher Education, Labor decided to give people the chance to text back. We set up a text only line where all messages get passed on to Christopher Pyne. Well, nearly all, we have had to censor a couple. More than 6,000 people have already texted him on 0477 333 555.

    WORST:

    1. Last week was the worst week in the Abbott Government’s history, so far. On Monday Tony Abbott tried to hit refresh by holding a 45-minute press conference. So what’s he changing? Nothing.
    2. In the same press conference on Monday, in his first answers talking about the change of Government in Victoria, Tony Abbott made an appeal to Labor Premier Daniel Andrews – what was the appeal? For Premier Andrews to break an election promise.
    3. We’d be a better country if books like this weren’t required. The “Little Book of Lies” goes through, policy by policy, Tony Abbott’s year of broken promises. There are a lot.
    4. The cuts to Australia’s foreign aid budget continue, with Julie Bishop claiming ‘if the Government keeps cutting, it won’t be the Government’s fault’. It seems like Ministers are starting to wish they were no longer in charge. Click here to add your name to the campaign against foreign aid cuts.
    5. The Liberal MP for Gilmore discovered it’s sometimes best to say nothing this week, when Tanya Plibersek referred to 97% of scientists agreeing on the connection between human activity and climate change, Ann Sudmalis interjected “but that’s only climate scientists.” Well she’s right. It’s only 97% of the people who are experts in the field.

    Finally, in my part of Sydney people have always been very generous in wishing me the best for each cultural or religious festival they are celebrating. In the same spirit, I wish you all the very best for Christmas and a happy and safe new year.

    Finally, finally, thanks for the reaction to and support of these emails. It started as a one off, but has become an effective way of keeping you up to date on what happens when Parliament’s on. There’s also a BuzzFeed version of the #5and5, check out this week’s here. Parliament will be back in February next year and I’ll be in touch then.

    Tony

    Lastly, finally, finally, in honour of Tony Abbott who describes the disastrous year of broken promises as a year of achievement, who describes his ministers who are at each other’s throats as being part of a team, the #5and5 song is from the Lego movie: Everything is Awesome!

  • Congratulations Ged Kearney ACTU

    1 of 17
    Web Clip

    Congratulations

    Inbox
    x

    Ged Kearney <info@actu.org.au>

    5:56 PM (31 minutes ago)

    to me
    Neville —

    As I write this the politicians are starting to head to Canberra airport and back to their electorates. Parliament is finishing up for the year.

    Thanks to your efforts Tony Abbott is leaving Canberra without having passed one piece of his anti-worker agenda.

    So let me say, Congratulations!

    Together we have pushed hard against changes to the Fair Work Act that attack penalty rates and make it easier for bosses to cut pay and conditions. In the last few months more than 20,000 emails were sent to cross-bench Senators and more than 1,000 phone calls were made asking them to vote no.

    If Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz thought that they could get these changes through this year they would have taken the opportunity. Your hard work stopped them.

    We have also seen a full-frontal assault on the institutions that maintain Australia’s high living standards like Medicare and affordable tertiary education. Together we fought back and made a difference. It hasn’t been easy but we have made an impact.

    Liberal MPs will be licking their wounds over the Christmas break. Tony Abbott is deeply unpopular. Their unfair budget agenda is in tatters. Their anti-worker laws are stuck in the Senate. The momentum against their cuts to universities and Medicare is growing.

    This is all because of you and the work that you’ve done.

    Parliament will return next year and the Liberals brainstrust–Abbott, Hockey, Pyne and Abetz–will try again to cut our pay, conditions and the crucial services that make up our social wage. We will be ready to fight back stronger, louder and in greater numbers.

    I look forward to standing with you to continue the fight in 2015.

    In union —

    Ged Kearney

  • Stop it for good . The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission carries out vital work

    1 of 16
    Web Clip

    Stop it for good

    Inbox
    x

    Andrew Leigh via sendgrid.info 

    5:31 PM (0 minutes ago)

    to me
    .

    Neville,
    The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission carries out vital work for our charities and NGOs. It streamlines processes and reduces red tape so that charities like the RSPCA and the Red Cross can focus on delivering for our communities.

    It’s now been 253 days since Kevin Andrews, the Social Services Minister, introduced a bill to repeal the charities commission.

    Despite that, the Government has not yet had the guts to bring the bill to a vote. Why? Because they know they’ll lose the vote in the Senate.

    Let’s make sure they never bring it to a vote and make sure they understand Australians don’t back their repeal of the charities commission.

    Can you share our petition on Facebook and help grow it even further? It may seem small, but sharing this petition means that more people see it and more people will sign it. This makes our voice stronger.

    Today is also the second birthday of the charities commission, which has done a terrific job for community organisations. Four out of five charities continue to support it, while hardly any approve of the government’s vague notion of going back to the tax office as charities regulator.

    That’s why we need to stand up for the charities commission. Click here to share our petition today.

    We can make sure our Members of Parliament understand — Australians support the charities commission.

    Andrew Leigh
    Shadow Assistant Treasurer

  • Global Divestment Day – are you in? 350 org

    Click here to enable desktop notifications for Gmail.   Learn more  Hide
    More

    1 of 4
    Web Clip
    The Official Google Blog‘Tis the season for mobile shopping11/24

    Global Divestment Day – are you in?

    Inbox
    x

    Charlie Wood – 350.org Australia <350@350.org> Unsubscribe

    5:02 PM (11 minutes ago)

    to me

    Dear friend,

    As negotiators meet in Lima exactly one year before a new climate agreement needs to be signed in Paris, we face a pivotal moment in our movement’s response to the climate crisis. We know that world leaders won’t act in accordance with the urgency of the climate crisis as long as the fossil fuel industry holds the balance of power.

    That’s why a growing global fossil fuel divestment movement has been directly challenging the power of these rogue corporations who prioritise profits at the expense of people and planet. In just two years, this movement has already secured huge victories that are putting the industry on the backfoot. But to truly win this fight, we need to step things up.

    So, this February, we’re holding the first ever Global Divestment Day and we’d love you to join us.

    Click on the image below to register today!

    On February 13 and 14*, thousands of people around around the world will turn out to take collective action and demand institutions do right by the climate by divesting from fossil fuels.

    Exciting plans are already taking shape on 5 different continents.

    • Students will hold flash-mobs, vigils, sit-ins and rallies calling upon their university endowments to invest in a liveable future.
    • We’ll be joined by the UK and Africa as, together, we close our accounts with banks and super funds investing in climate chaos.
    • Faith leaders, doctors, farmers and people living on the frontline of climate change will band together to urge their communities to divest from climate destruction.
    • In financial capitals, people will gather for large, colourful rallies calling on investors to break up with the fossil fuel industry and sever their ties once and for all.

    Together, we will show that we are a global and growing force to be reckoned with. As the fossil fuel industry throws more money at fossil fuel expansion, we will turn up the volume of the  divestment movement. And we won’t stop until we win.

    Join us to for Global Divestment Day and together, let’s make fossil fuels history!

    Yours for a world free from the tyranny of fossil fuels,

    Charlie, Louise, Yossi, Tim, Jay, Hoda, Liang-yi, Ferrial, Lushendri and the whole 350.org team.

    *We’re spreading Global Divestment Day across Friday and Saturday to take into account the huge diversity of target institutions and tactics that will be needed across five different continents – click here to see which day your nearest event is taking place or to register your own event.


    350.org is building a global climate movement.You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a sustaining donor to keep this movement strong and growing.