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
Astute Westender readers will remember our June article about Food Connect travelling to Jakarta for the 6th international La Vía Campesina conference which is all about giving control of agriculture back to the farmer.
While the La Via Campesina movement was formed in support of peasants in poor countries whose governments have sided with global agribusiness giants, many Australian farmers have found themselves facing similar problems.
We provide here for you the presentation to the conference by Food Connect’s Luke Speghen. It is reproduced here by permission of Food Connect.
For the last 10 years or so George Orwell’s dictum “those who control the present, control the past and those who control the past control the future” [1] has been expressed through a small number of people, arguing against long-established basic laws of physics, the principles of climate science and current measurements.
According to the leader of the Australian opposition “It’s a market, a so-called market, in the non-delivery of an invisible substance to no one” [2].
But perhaps no so invisible? (see Figure 1).
Given major media platforms, the anti-science lobby has (continues to) provide polluting interests and their political mouthpieces with pseudo-scientific excuses allowing an increase carbon emission and lulling populations to a false sense of security (see: Merchants of doubt [3]).
The consequences are upon humanity and nature:
Fig. 2. Growth in CO2 and CO2 equivalent (CO2+CH4) during the Pleistocene and the Holocene.
CO2 levels have reached record levels of 400 ppm exceeding those of the Pliocene (2.6-5.2 million years ago) within less than a couple of centuries, at an unprecedented rate of 2-3 ppm/year [4] (Figure 2).
Since the 19th century global warming has reached 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures on the continents [5]. Mean temperature higher than 2 degrees Celsius are masked by sulphur aerosols, which already constitute an unintended global geo-engineering measure [6]. Ocean temperatures to 100 meters depth have risen by ~0.4 degrees C [7], which has already resulted in melting of the Arctic summer ice (12.6 to 11 million square kilometer between June 1979 to 2013 [8]) and is driving melting of the Antarctic ice sheet [9].
Consequent on the rising CO2 levels ocean acidity has increased by approximately -0.1 pH points [10][10a], placing plankton and corals at risk.
Consistent with rising temperatures in the oceans, increased evaporation and consequent precipitation lead to floods and increased heat/energy results in the intensification of hurricanes [11]
Rising temperatures over continents have already resulted in increase in heat waves and fires [12][12a], Australia being no exception [13].
Not that the above features too much in the Australian elections, where the reality of climate change has been replaced with the hit-pocket-nerve term “carbon tax”, “emission trading scheme” or “direct action”. In the context of the fast deteriorating global climate, plans by both
major parties of 5 percent reduction in emissions relative to 2000 represent no more than climate window dressing.
Nor are coal exports mentioned too often, despite current exports and planned future exports of representing carbon emissions tracking toward an order of magnitude higher than local emissions [14].
According to Dr Adam Lucas of the Science & Technology Studies Program, University of Wollongong, currently Australia (with ~0.3% of the global population) contributes domestic missions of about 1.8% of global emissions [15]. The total domestic and overseas consumption
of Australian coal is responsible for more than 2% of global emissions. Plans to triple or even quadruple coal export volumes over next 10 years would raise Australia’s total contribution to global GHG emissions to around 9% to 11% by 2020 [15].
Which places the “Great moral challenge of our generation” [16] in perspective.
Dr Robin Room of Melbourne University’s Alcohol Policy Research
Head of Alcohol Policy Research, Prof Robin Room, has called for the legalisation of marijuana to reduce binge drinking and violence.
He says that it would significantly reduce government costs to “have a highly controlled legal (cannabis) market and tighten up the legal market of alcohol in the same way we tightened up the market of tobacco”.
“Cannabis is not without harm but it’s substantially less than alcohol and tobacco in terms of social harm,” he says.
More information about Professor Room is available at his website
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has expressed regrets at comments he made to staff last year that the investigation into News Limited was incompetent and unfair and that he would look after staff who were found guilty of wiretapping and other charges.
The comments were in direct contradiction to statements he made to the official investigation known as the Levison Inquiry, were secretly recorded by a staff member at the time and were publicly released last week.As a result of the statements, Murdoch has been recalled to face further questions by a House of Commons sub-committee and has made a series of public statements retreating from the positions expressed in the secretly recorded meeting
Former CIA head, General Michael Hayden, yesterday accused international telecommunications giant, HuaWei, of spying for the Chinese Government, after Malcolm Turnbull said that he would review a Labor government decision to ban the company from building the NBN.
HuaWei has sponsored more trips to China by politicians, mostly coalition members, than any other company, according to the parliamentary record.
General Hayden says “at the very least, Hua Wei is sharing sensitive information about the telecommunications infrastructure of Western countries with the Chinese intelligence agencies.”
The legend of The Bosun lives on with Beenleigh Rum
The Beenleigh Distillery is Australian owned and operated
VOK Beverages has again become the proud owners of the Beenleigh Rum distillery. The oldest registered and heritage listed rum distillery in Australia, established in 1884.
To celebrate this they are relaunching their portfolio of rum, a white rum and a 5 y.o. dark rum, and adding a new product to it, a honey liqueur, that is as unique as the history of the distillery.
Back in 1869 James “The Bosun” Stewart operated SS Walrus as a floating sugar cane mill along the Albert River. Making it easy to mill sugar cane while docked at the plantation jetties. The crafty rogue later decided to install a pot still on the boat to make rum, using the molasses left over from crushing sugar cane.
One morning in 1884 the SS Walrus had run aground on the riverbank, then found by local farmers Davy and Gooding. On the boat they discovered the original pot was still in great condition, but a certain rascal was not to be found. They said a prayer for the missing James “The Bosun” Stewart, applied for a rum license and founded what we now know as the Beenleigh Rum distillery, using his old pot still to make rum.
The Westender had the privilege to taste the new products and enjoy a personal tour of the distillery with Beenleigh Distillery Manager John Mulraney and Vok Beverages Group Marketing Manager Chris Illman. Where they talked passionately about their rum and showing how Beenleigh Rum is crafted. Giving a glimpse into what makes this rum so unique.
The Beenleigh Rum distillery prides itself on producing a product that is based on quality, not quantity. As it was known to be the best rum you could get your hands on in Australia back in its early days, and awarded to be the best tasting rum in the world in 1995 at the London International Wine & Spirit Show — a tradition they intend to continue.
The distillery is an Australian owned company made with Australian-only products. Using locally-sourced water, molasses from Australia’s last remaining, privately-owned sugar mill, Rocky Point, and local, in-house produced yeast.
The bosun’r rum rolls off the line
Beenleigh White Rum 37.5% ABV — With its very mild flavour is intended as a cocktail mixer. Yet it has a smooth and mild sweetness to it which will blend nicely with any drink it is added to.
Beenleigh Dark 5 Y.O. Rum 40% ABV — A dark rum with great character. With a richer taste than the white rum of course, it is still very smooth and can easily be enjoyed on the rocks.
Beenleigh Honey Liqueur 35% ABV — Is a dark 5 y.o. rum infused with Ligurian honey from Kangaroo Island. The honey makes the 5 y.o. rum even smoother to drink without making it too sweet. A perfect and unique liqueur to enjoy on the rocks as well
