EcoRadio

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

  • Coal is making us sick Cathy – via 350.org

    More

    3 of 49

    Coal is making us sick

    Inbox
    		 x

    Cathy – via 350.org <350@350.org> Unsubscribe

    1:34 PM (31 minutes ago)
    to me
     Why then did Labor’s Tony Burke sign off to  to 16 New Coal Mines in the
    Hunter Vallet in 2012 ????

    This email is being sent to you on behalf of Newcastle nurse Cathy, via 350.org Australia. Your details have not been shared with anyone.

    Dear Neville,

    My name is Cathy. For the past thirty years, I have worked as a registered nurse in Newcastle, home to the world’s largest coal port.

    Newcastle is the final destination for coal trains in the Hunter Valley. In fact, each year 22,000 trains with four million coal wagons travel through my home city. Four million coal wagons, each without any form of covering, constantly exposing our suburbs to harmful levels of coal dust — coal dust that is needlessly undermining the health of Newcastle and Hunter communities.

    HESTA, Australia’s largest health industry super fund, invests in coal and its harmful impacts. Join me in calling on HESTA to divest for our health.

    Coal dust is comprised of fine, rigid particles. When inhaled, these particles are breathed down into the lower regions of the lung, lodging themselves in the lining of blood vessels. This can lead to lung disorders in the short term, and heart disorders or cancer in years to come.

    In Newcastle, we are constantly fighting back coal dust. We’ve done monitoring to show that coal dust frequently exceeds the benchmark for healthy air. But this evidence is repeatedly shrugged off by the coal industry and our government refuses to pull them into line.

    But there is one group whose actions coal companies do care about – and that’s their investors.

    HESTA invests in coal, and by investing in coal they are supporting an industry responsible for undermining the health of my community. HESTA has already divested from tobacco because of its health impacts. Now it’s time for HESTA to do the same for coal.

    Whether you’re a HESTA member or not, join me in asking HESTA to help us combat these harmful impacts by divesting from fossil fuels.

    When coal’s impacts are combined with the health impacts of climate change, it becomes clear that the situation is even worse. The most respected medical journal in the world, The Lancet, recently reported that climate change could undo the last half century of heath development work.[1] That’s 50 years of tireless work to protect the wellbeing of communities around the world – thrown away.

    And beyond Newcastle, communities across Australia are battling the health impacts of unconventional gas drilling – often known as ‘fracking’. Waste contaminates from the drilling process frequently leak into interconnected water ways, travelling long distances, before making their way into sources of drinking water.

    As Australia’s largest health super fund, HESTA has the power to decide how much coal dust ends up in our suburbs, contaminates in our water, and pollution in our air. It’s time for HESTA to invest in our health, by divesting from fossil fuels.

    Click here to support the health of my community by asking HESTA to divest.

    Yours for a healthier planet and healthier communities,

    Cathy

    [1] Climate change threatens 50 years of progress in global health, study says, The Guardian, 23 June 2015.

    350.org is building a global climate movement.You can connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and become a Climate Defender and donate monthly to help 350.org keep Australia’s fossil fuels in the ground.

  • The John James Newsletter 78

    1 of 43

    The John James Newsletter 78

    Inbox
    		 x

    John James <gothic@johnjames.com.au>
    7:26 AM (1 hour ago)
    to John
    The John James Newsletter 78
    12 September 2015
    Wonderful, as usual 
    I look forward to this every week now
    it gives me a picture of what’s going on that I cannot get elsewhere
    it is, for me, better than the Economist, and that is very high praise
    for the Economist is the best news publication in the world 
    I’m sending it on to a few friends who I think might also be interested in reading it
    and might like to subscribe (it’s free!)
    Australian bookmaker takes bets on first beaches to ‘disappear’ due to global warming
    Betting agency Sportsbet.com.au says rising seas are threatening the nation’s beaches and invited bets on the first to go, with Palm Cove in Queensland at 4-1 favourite
    Gaza water shortage catastrophic: ‘We can’t drink, cook or wash with it’ 
    More than 90% of the Gaza Strip’s water is undrinkable. The rest is quickly running out. A combination of factors is rapidly depriving the population of this most basic of needs. RT investigated day-to-day life under these conditions.
    Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of olive trees after West Bank shooting
    The Israeli army had deployed around the villages of Beita and Einabus and completely sealed their entrances, preventing Palestinian residents from entering or leaving “until further notice.”
    The Refugee Crisis Has Been A Long Time Coming
    The forces that have created this crisis are massive and historic in scale. The crisis is a symptom of the far greater and far more brutal reality – a new Holocaust we refuse to acknowledge. There is widespread genocide in the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia. The US destabilises one country after another. It slowly builds and grinds. Areas that are lost to civil strife can never find peace. Cities reduced to rubble can never be rebuilt. Communities that are torn apart can never again knit together. Worse will come and it will not end until the US empire is destroyed. Please let us find a way to do that without another World War.
    Dead Refugees And Dead Topless Girls 
    For a change those rightwing leaders in Europe may read history books. Europe has benefitted from migration immensely: when the continent was ravaged by war seven decades ago, rest of the world embraced the refugees with open arms. After the Second World War, Australia, New Zealand and rest of Americas accepted huge refugee population from Europe.
    Europe’s Migrant Crisis By the Numbers
    In 2014, nearly 78% of asylum-seekers occurred at sea—the most common being Syrians attempting to traverse the eastern and central Mediterranean. Eritreans were one of the most frequent along the central Mediterranean, while Afghans, Somalis, and Iraqis along the eastern Mediterranean.
    The link between Amazon fires and devastating hurricanes
    Pro-Kurdish HDP Party Offices Attacked Across Turkey
    Having suffered a serious setback at the general elections on 7 June, the President made his ambitions explicit when he declared,“None of this would have happened if we had won 400 seats in the parliament”.
    Ancient Mayan impact on the environment is still seen today
    Evidence from the tropical lowlands of Central America has shown how activity dating back more than 2,000 years not only contributed to the decline of the culture’s surroundings, but continues to influence conditions today.
    Turn Cities Green to Save Trillions of Dollars
    The massive savings could reach US$22 trillion by 2050, and by 2030 the equivalent of 3.7 gigatons of pollution could be avoided — higher than India’s present greenhouse gas output. The report debunks the idea that investing in preventing climate change is too expensive to be worth while.
    Ethiopia – Land for Sale
    As the economy thrives, we examine the plight of Ethiopians forced from their land to make way for foreign (mainly Chinese) investors.
    Is left-winger Jeremy Corbyn about to shake up British politics? 
    Jeremy Corbyn, a little-known backbench MP until a few weeks ago, is now the clear favourite to become the next leader of the Labour Party.
    Climate Change Is Already Reshaping The Earth
    About 6% of the global total land area has shifted toward warmer and drier climate types from 1950–2010, and significant changes include expansion of arid and high-latitude continental climate zones, shrinkage in polar and midlatitude continental climates.
    Rooftop solar states among top 30 generator
    California Just Voted To Divest From Coal
    “Coal is the fuel of the past and it’s no longer a wise investment” California assemblyman Rob Bonta, who presented the bill, said in a statement. “I’m pleased that my colleagues agree: it’s time to move on from this dirty energy source.”
    Catholic leaders make climate change plea to California lawmakers
    Taking a cue from pope’s call to action, bishops ask legislators to say yes to proposed legislation that would reduce emissions and residents’ energy use
    Super-rich = Super-Waste
    $us.23,000 to fly First Class.
    Washington’s Responsibility is Missing From Reports of Yemeni Carnage:
    The US was providing intelligence and logistical support for the campaign in Yemen, and that President Obama had authorized a ”joint planning cell” with Saudi Arabia to coordinate American support for the military offensive.
    ‘Despair of a Generation’ as Violence Blocks Education for Millions
    Nearly 14 million children across the Middle East and North Africa prevented by war and conflict from attending school.
    Trees Are Disappearing From The World At An Alarming Rate
    In 2014, the planet lost more than 45 million acres of tree cover, with loss in tropical countries accounting for more than half of that total losing nearly 25 million acres of tree cover about the size of South Korea. Tree cover loss in the tropics is speeding up.
    California to List World’s Most Commonly Used Herbicide as Carcinogen
    World Health Organization found that glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, was a probable human carcinogen based on extensive research.
    Monsanto Turns Its Attention to the Produce Aisle
    It’s the business model for distributing it that is so scary. The patenting of vegetable seeds will follow the path of corn and soybeans, where genetic diversity and quality of seeds has been lost as consolidation has increased.
    Bottled water
    Follow the links – illusions of purity
    China’s New Toys
    The Dongfeng-21D, a land-based anti-ship ballistic missile capable of destroying one of those multibillion-dollar US aircraft carriers with a single hit. No wonder China’s parade celebrating the end of WWII had to be demonized.
    The 12 military ‘hits’ and ‘misses’ of China’s historic parade
    Stonehenge archaeologists discover ‘superhenge’ neolithic site buried undergroun
    The monument is one of the largest known henges ever found. It measures 500 metres across and more than 1.5 kilometres in circumference. Surrounded by a 17.6-metre-wide ditch and a bank around 1 metre high, the site has long mystified archaeologists as one side is straight and the other curved. Now ground penetrating radar has revealed that the straight edge in fact sits on top of a “C-shaped” monumen.
    The “Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project”
    ‘Hasn’t it been a terrific two years’
    Labor MP’s 90-second tirade against Abbott government goes viral – video
    In Africa, more smoke leads to less rain
    Each year, about half of all fires on Earth are in Africa. For centuries, Africans have been setting fires to increase agricultural productivity and clear land for farming. The smoke coalesces into huge plumes that have far-ranging impacts, influencing weather and precipitation patterns and supplying nutrients to land and ocean regions downwind.

  • The #5and5 TONY BURKE LABOR

    1 of 43

    The #5and5

    Inbox
    		 x

    Tony Burke Unsubscribe
    7:51 PM (56 minutes ago)
    to me

    The latest politics update from the Australian Labor Party | Unsubscribe
    .
    Neville —

    Forget the politics for a moment. This week started with the number of additional refugees to be helped by Australia at zero. By the end of the week 12,000 refugees displaced by the conflict in Syria will have a new start and a secure future in Australia. That change eclipses everything else.

    Here’s the #5and5

    BEST

    1. The Syrian crisis represents the largest movement of displaced people since World War Two. On Monday Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek and Richard Marles all called for the help for Syrian refugees to be on top of Australia’s existing quota, as well as calling for additional support for the UNHCR. By the end of the week we had outcomes we could welcome.

    2. On Tuesday – wait for it – Tony Abbott pulled a stunt. The Libs thought the Prime Minister pretending to still be in Opposition and moving a policy motion to wedge the other side of politics was really clever. Well they thought it was clever before they did it. Bill moved an amendment which made it clear Labor supports a Free Trade Agreement with China but we want guarantees of jobs for Australians to be legislated. Tony Abbott’s anger during the debate really said it all – in fact he stood up and left mid-way through. He only came back in to vote against an amendment calling on him to protect Australian jobs.

    Screen_Shot_2015-09-11_at_5.01.15_pm.png

    3. By Thursday the Government was so worried that they’d made a mess of the Free Trade Agreement with China they decided to change its name. All of a sudden it was now known as the “Export Agreement with China”. Julie Collins asked a really cutting question when she queried Andrew Robb: “I wonder if the Minister could tell us if any imports are allowed under the China Export Agreement he has just told the House about?”

    4. Sometimes a speech just takes off. More than a million and a half Australians have already watched Jason Clare ‘celebrate’ the second birthday of the Abbott Government with a stinging 90 second speech. If you’re one of the few who hasn’t seen it yet, watch it here.

    Screen_Shot_2015-09-11_at_5.02.38_pm.png

    5. On Wednesday night Terri Butler had had enough of Government members claiming they cared about jobs yet always trying to destroy the organisations which are dedicated to giving people dignity at work. So just before Parliament finished for the night, Terri let fly.


    WORST

    1. You know those movies where robots take over the world? It may have already happened. Here’s the direct transcript of an interview Tony Abbott gave from Parliament House on Wednesday night.

    Leigh Sales: When Labor left office, unemployment was 5.8%; it’s now 6.3%. Growth was 2.5%; it’s now 2%. The Australian dollar was 92c, it’s now around 70c. The budget deficit was $30 billion when you took office and now it’s $48 billion. How do you explain to the Australian people that you were elected promising, in your words, to fix the budget emergency, yet in fact, Australia’s economic position has worsened under your leadership?

    Tony Abbott: Well I don’t accept that. The boats have stopped.

    Leigh Sales: We’re talking about the economy.

    Tony Abbott: The boats have stopped…

    Screen_Shot_2015-09-11_at_5.04.07_pm.png

    2. Even though Tony Abbott’s savage cuts to young jobseekers were defeated in the Senate, Scott Morrison again committed the Government to bringing the cuts back to the Parliament. These are the cuts that leave young unemployed Australians with nothing to live on for a month.

    3. Anthony Albanese has been exposing “WorkChoices on Water”. When it became clear the Government had advised a cruise company on the “benefits” of sacking the Australian crew and bringing it back as a foreign vessel with a foreign crew, both Tony Abbott and Warren Truss denied it had ever happened. Albo and I moved to suspend parliamentary debate on Tuesday to expose both the PM and the Deputy PM for lying about the impact of their agenda.

    4. Greg Hunt’s legislation to stop community groups from being able to test whether the decision of an environment minister has been made legally passed the House of Reps. If it makes it through the Senate we’ll end up with a situation where an environment minister could make an unlawful decision and no-one who would have an interest in fixing it will be able to do a thing about it.

    5. Chris Bowen took Joe Hockey on about the fall in consumer and business confidence. The Westpac data is down 5.6%, ANZ fell by 5.8% and the NAB Monthly index has fallen to one. Remember Joe Hockey claiming his mere election would be an adrenaline charge to the economy? It’s been less adrenaline and more Mogadon.

    We’re now one week away from the Canning by-election. Alannah MacTiernan has been unstoppable taking the Government on over the chaos in their approach to WA. Please keep doing what you can to help Matt Keogh. He’s a great candidate.

    The #5and5 will be back next week.

    Thanks
    Tony

    P.S. It was the second birthday of the Abbott Government and true to form the two-year-old birthday party was filled with tantrums and bad behaviour. So for the band, the name and the state of the Government: here’s LA indie pop band Fitz and the Tantrums with Merry-Go-Round.

  • Momentum Ellen Sandell MP GREENS
    More

    Momentum

    Inbox
    		 x

    Ellen Sandell MP
    4:59 PM (32 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear Neville —

    Momentum is building to replace Hazelwood with clean energy. Late last week, over 200 of our closest supporters joined us to hear from energy experts about the end of coal, and why we need to replace Hazelwood. The event was a huge success.

    IMG_2439.JPG

    Roger Dargaville, from the Melbourne Energy Institute, told us that the age of coal is over, but that if left to the market, Hazelwood will linger on because brown coal is so cheap. That’s why we need to build the pressure on the Labor Government to intervene to replace Hazelwood.

    John Grimes, from the Australian Solar Council, inspired us to keep up the fight for renewables and for the clean energy future we need. He said we can already power our state with the renewable technologies we have – all we need is to shift the political landscape.

    The clearest message to emerge from the forum was that we have what it will take to replace Hazelwood — people like you. Everything tells us it is time to replace Australia’s dirtiest power station with clean energy, and the only thing lacking is political will. That’s where you come in.

    On Saturday, October 10 we will door knock inner city marginal electorates and ask people to join our campaign to Replace Hazelwood. Sign up now to be part of the Day of Action at www.replacehazelwood.com.au/dayofaction.

    Together, we can make replacing Hazelwood the only option for the Andrews Labor Government.

    Thank you for standing with us to replace Hazelwood with clean energy,

    Ellen, with Adam Bandt

  • 500 year old forest cleared for 4-day event AVAAZ

    2 of 47

    500 year old forest cleared for 4-day event

    Inbox
    		 x

    Dalia Hashad – Avaaz Unsubscribe
    4:35 AM (4 hours ago)
    to me

    A 500 year old forest is being clear cut to make way for Olympic ski facilities that will be used for a four day competition! The International Olympic Committee has mandated these games as “Green Olympics”, let’s hold them to it and save the ancient forest. Sign then share on Facebook, Twitter, email…everywhere:

    Sign now
    Dear friends,

    We have a choice to make:

    Preserve a 500 year old ancient forest, home to four threatened species, 

    or

    Clearcut the ancient forest for an Olympic ski competition.

    It seems like a no-brainer. And it should be. But right now, Olympic organisers in South Korea are tearing down a forest, with trees half a millennia old, to make room for new ski facilities.

    It’s shortsighted, illogical and worst of all, irreversible. Once the precious forest is gone, it’s gone forever. But we can stop them from clearcutting for an Olympic sized resort. The International Olympic Committee laid down a mandate that this event should be a “Green Olympics” built and operated by principles of sustainability. If we launch an enormous global outcry from every country participating in the Winter Olympics, we can shame the International Olympic Committee to living up to their ideals.

    Join this urgent campaign and Avaaz will deliver our voices directly to the Olympic Committee offices. Sign then share on Facebook, Twitter, email…everywhere:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_ancient_korean_forest_loc/?bhPqncb&v=64804

    Pyeongchang, South Korea won the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, and to hold just two ski events, they are clearcutting the world’s largest expanse of Wangsasre tree, while devastating one of the last remaining habitats of four vulnerable animals: the Eurasian Otter, the Leopard Cat, the Marten and the Flying Squirrel.

    This place has been considered sacred in Korea for hundreds of years and the mountain has long been protected. But to win the Olympic bid, the government removed the protection. Now, huge scars have been carved into the mountains, and developers are moving fast to clear cut enormous areas of forest to create a massive ski resort.

    There is no reason for this — the Games could take place in another city like Muju, and that could save $138 million! The International Olympic Committee’s own environmental standards outline sustainable development for the Games. It’s time to hold them to account for turning a blind eye to Pyeongchang’s destruction, and demand they uphold their own rules.

    It’s unconscionable to think of thousands of 500 year old trees felled for a few winter Olympic races. What’s been torn down can never be replaced. But if enough of us raise our voices we can stop them from expanding it, and ensure that the Olympics never destroys our global wonders for the games again. Join the urgent call:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_ancient_korean_forest_loc/?bhPqncb&v=64804

    Forests are the lungs of our world, vital to the clean air and stability of our shared planet.  Time and again, Avaaz members from across the world have come together to protect these treasures. From thousands of us chipping in to purchase a corridor of Borneo rainforest to winning major battles to protect the forests of Amazon, Aceh and Australia, Avaaz has shown that when we come together, we all win. Let’s do it again.

    With hope and determination,

    Dalia, Jooyea, Mais, Nataliya, Alice, Emily and the rest of the Avaaz team

    PS – This campaign was kicked off by Avaaz member Koh I Jiseon. If there is something you want to start a campaign on just click here to start a petition:  http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?cl=8563263437&v=64804&bhPqncb

    MORE INFORMATION

    Olympics Construction Scars Sacred Korean Mountain (VOA)
    http://www.voanews.com/content/olympics-construction-scars-sacred-korean-mountain/2844122.html

    Korean officials criticised for “neglecting duties” and “abusing authority” during Pyeongchang 2018 preparations (Inside the Games)
    http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1027154/korean-officials-criticised-for-neglecting-duties-and-abusing-authority-during-pyeongchang-2018-preparations

    What to do with Pyeongchang venues after the 2018 Olympics? (The Hankyoreh)
    http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/679070.html

    Event sharing for Pyeongchang Olympics could save more than $300 million (The Hankyoreh)
    http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/681410.html

  • Register now for information session on October 6th [Sponsored by The Earth Institute at Columbia University]

    1 of 44

    Register now for information session on October 6th [Sponsored by The Earth Institute at Columbia University]

    Inbox
    		 x

    Grist advertising@grist.org via pmta.sailthru.com 
    9:03 PM (50 minutes ago)
    to me
    VIEW IN BROWSER
    Grist
    Grist’s sponsors are almost as good as solar panels! They help us keep the lights on so we can keep bringing you the best, most Gristy journalism on the planet. To learn more, read our advertising policy.

    Hello,

    For the past thirteen years, I have headed a unique graduate program at Columbia University that has graduated professionals who are working on the very issues that you read about every day on Grist. I would like to introduce you to this program, and ask you to share this information with any prospective student who would benefit from the education that this program offers.

    The Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy is the only program of its kind to combine the study of management and policy analysis with applied environmental science. The achievements of the program’s graduates – nearly 700 leading professionals in business, government and civil society – speak to the effectiveness of using scientific data to inform sustainability decision-making. The program also stands out because of its intense one-year schedule (summer, fall, and spring semesters), which saves students both time and money, and allows graduates to re-enter the workforce better prepared to meet the increasing demands on leaders. Prospective students may learn about the program at an online information session on Tuesday, October 6, 12 – 1 PM EST.

    RSVPThe program attracts students from countries around the world, who want to study in New York City, a global nexus of sustainability, policy, finance, and technology. The program also situates the cohort of some 60 students in both Columbia’s School of International and Public affairs – one of the world’s premier academic institutions – and in the Earth Institute, a university-wide research center that takes an interdisciplinary approach to addressing the world’s most important sustainability issues. All students who apply by November 1, 2015 – the early decision application deadline – are eligible for the Dean’s Fellowship – a full tuition grant and internship – and for numerous other partial fellowships. The final application deadline is February 15, 2016.

    I believe deeply in the quality of and the great need for the education that we offer, which is why I’m asking you to help me spread the word about these programs.

    Best Regards,
    Steve Cohen
    Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs
    Director, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy
    Director, M.S. in Sustainability Management
    Executive Director, The Earth Institute, Columbia University