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  • URGENT: We need to fight Adani in court

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    URGENT: We need to fight Adani in court

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    Adrian Burragubba via GetUp!
    1:05 PM (22 minutes ago)
    to me
    Hi NEVILLE,

    It’s Adrian Burragubba here. I’m writing to you again because we need your help.

    After I first wrote to you and others, Wangan and Jagalingou people were overwhelmed by the response. To know that more than 90,000 people have chosen to stand with us as we fight to protect our land and our culture from Adani has given us real strength and confidence. On behalf of Wangan and Jagalingou people who are opposed to this mine, we sincerely thank you.

    But Adani is playing dirty, and the fight is even bigger than we expected.

    we rejected Adani’s offer to exploit our land they took aggressive legal action to overrule our rights just six days later. Now we have to fight to protect our land in court.

    They have betrayed our trust and are getting set to destroy our land and our culture. You’ve pledged your support, but now I’m going to have to ask you, if you can, to help me again.

    We face losing everything that is our inheritance. But to mount this fight to protect our heritage, we need more than our conviction and courage. We desperately need funds to mount a legal challangeand appeal against Adani’s action. Can you please make a donation so we can fight Adani in court?

    Adani is trying everything, and from the beginning have shown their arrogant, disrespectful treatment of our law and customs. They have misrepresented us, and they have betrayed us. They have now taken action to remove our rights through a legal system designed to favour big mining over the rights of Indigenous peoples. It seems they’ll stop at nothing to get their mine, which will destroy our ancestral land and the underpinnings of our lore and culture.

    If we can raise enough money, we will appeal the National Native Title Tribunal’s decision to allow the Queensland Government to issue mining leases to Adani, despite our refusal to enter an agreement with the company. The Tribunal even recognised that we have not given our consent or agreement to the mine, but still overruled our internationally recognised rights in favour of Adani.

    The Tribunal has sanctioned the destruction of our ancestral lands and cultural heritage on the grounds that it’s in the ‘public interest’. We will contest the idea that building one of the world’s largest coalmines is good for the people and the country.

    Our right to self-determination and free, prior, and informed consent is being trampled.

    We have to fight back, but we can only do it with the help of our supporters. Can you please get behind us to fight for our rights and our land in court by donating to our fighting fund?

    The truth is we’re up against a multi-billion dollar company and a legal system that makes it very tough for traditional owners. We know we’ve got a strong, righteous case to run, but we’re not going to leave it at that.

    We’ll continue to fight for our rights through the courts, and look to international law if need be. We will visit investment banks around the world to stop the project getting funding. And if it comes to it, we will take our fight all the way to the United Nations.

    This fight will define our people and be a landmark moment for Indigenous rights and climate change in Australia. Can you help us defeat Adani by donating to our fighting fund?

    Adani think they can walk all over us but they’ve never seen anything like this. Our lands and our way of life, and the legacy of our ancestors, mean too much to our people to rollover. We are here to fight and we won’t stop until our land is protected.

    Adrian Burragubba,
    on behalf of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council
    for the Wangan and Jagalingou people

  • Tweet Hunt during QandA tonight!

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    Tweet Hunt during QandA tonight!

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    Josh Creaser – 350.org Australia <350@350.org> Unsubscribe
    11:04 AM (2 hours ago)
    to me

    Dear friend,

    Last week, you asked Greg Hunt to give the Abbot Point coal port expansion approvals the punt — thank you!

    You were joined by thousands who have also sent Hunt this message loud and clear. And now we have an opportunity to amplify our voices even louder when Hunt goes on national TV for ABC’s QandA tonight.

    Can you tweet Hunt during QandA tonight from 9:30pm? To make it easy for you, we’ve composed some tweets that are ready to go:

    Hey @GregHuntMP! When will you give Abbot Point the Punt? #QandA

    To tweet this message, click here during QandA tonight

    What’s more important: our future or coal? @GregHuntMP, give Abbot Point the punt! #QandA

    To tweet this message, click here during QandA tonight

    Don’t wreck Nemo’s home. Protect future generations. @GregHuntMP, give Abbot Point the punt! #QandA

    To tweet this message, click here during QandA tonight

    Or compose your own tweet but don’t forget to include “@GregHuntMP” and “#QandA” in your message.

    Just imagine all the tweets popping up on the QandA screen tonight as Australians everywhere tell Hunt to reject this disastrous coal expansion once and for all – it’s going to be great!

    See you on twitter tonight,

    Josh for 350.org Australia

    P.S. If you want to be involved in the next big moment in the campaign to stop the Galilee Basin and Abbot Point — check out Raise the Heat on Commbank — coming to a branch near you from 19–23 May.

  • Where do we go from here NEVILLE? SAM Get-up

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    Where do we go from here NEVILLE?

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    Sam – GetUp!
    2:24 PM (2 minutes ago)
    to me

    NEVILLE,

    If you’ve been with GetUp a while, you’ll know that this is a member-driven organisation with people power at its core. So every year we like to take the time to comprehensively survey the entire GetUp membership and find out what matters most to you.

    Take our GetUp member survey now and help shape this movement going forward.

    In last year’s vision survey, members told us that they want us to be bigger and bolder. As one member said in the comments: “This is no time for messing around! The way politics are today, we’re all going to have to get up and up!”

    So that’s exactly what we want to do. As we celebrate GetUp’s tenth year, we’ve got big plans for the movement as we build on our people power, and passionately campaign for economic fairness, greater democracy and a more sustainable Australia.

    The scope of our reach and resources is solely driven by members like you, and with your support we can ensure 2015 will be an incredible year. Your voice and actions are the heart of our movement, so can you help shape our priorities for the future?

    Make sure that your vision is part of our plan for the year ahead: have your say now.

    As a thank you, you’ll receive a bumper sticker from us. We want to hear what you’ve got to say, and have your input in the direction of this movement – but we value your time, so we’ve created a shorter version with the most critical questions. However, if you’ve got an extra five minutes to complete the full-length survey we’ve got more to ask and we’ll send along an additional token of appreciation.

    Today there are almost 900,000 of us that make up the GetUp movement. We all have a story to tell, a reason why we’re here and a vision for an Australia we can be proud of.

    http://www.getup.org.au/visionsurvey2015

    Thanks for being part of the GetUp movement – we’re excited to hear from you!

    Sam for the GetUp team

    GetUp is an independent, not-for-profit community campaigning group. We use new technology to empower Australians to have their say on important national issues. We receive no political party or government funding, and every campaign we run is entirely supported by voluntary donations. If you’d like to contribute to help fund GetUp’s work, please donate now! To unsubscribe from GetUp, please click here. Our team acknowledges that we meet and work on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We wish to pay respect to their Elders – past, present and future – and acknowledge the important role all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within Australia and the GetUp community.

    Authorised by Sam Mclean, Level 14, 338 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

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  • How scientists make the case

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    How scientists make the case

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    Adam Vaughan <info@mail.theguardian.com> Unsubscribe
    10:09 PM (11 hours ago)
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    Dear NEVILLE,

    Since I wrote to you last week, asking for members of the scientific community to publicly step forward in support of Keep it in the Ground, we have received more than a thousand notes from doctors, researchers and specialists around the world. Some of these messages have just been published on the Guardian in a special interactive. Featured are a family doctor reporting worsening childhood asthma in Toronto, a biosecurity scientist tackling increasing invasive species in Tasmania and a marine zoologist warning of rising Pacific seawaters on his remote atoll home.

    Please take a moment to read their impassioned pleas, and then help us drive home the case for divestment by tweeting or emailing these messages to the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust, using the buttons on the interactive.

    See the messages

    There’s a lot of great news this week, from the Church of England’s announcement that it will divest from some companies involved in coal and tar sands extraction to the support we’ve gained from IFMSA, the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. You’ll find all updates in Emma Howard’s latest campaign update here.

    Thank you for your continued and valued support.

    Best wishes,

    Adam Vaughan, Guardian environment web editor

  • The John James Newsletter 58

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    The John James Newsletter 58

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    John James
    		4:59 AM (3 hours ago)

    The John James Newsletter 58
    2 May 2015

    Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a littleEdmund Burke

    So many wonderful things! This is the best blog, not just in australia. but the world. The Russia-Iran nexus is very important and makes what else is happening in the region even more interesting and significant. Two fast-rising powers – Russia and Iran. Israel will have to look out. Keep it up, John

    How much fossil fuel has been used in your lifetime?

    How much fossil fuel has been extracted since you arrived at this page? Or since you were born? The numbers below highlight the staggering amount of oil, coal and gas we take out of the ground – and how quickly change is needed

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/apr/10/how-much-fossil-fuel-are-we-using-right-now

    Prince Charles on brink of ending all fossil fuel investments 

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/28/prince-charles-on-brink-of-ending-all-fossil-fuel-investments?CMP=ema_565

    Syria’s Nightmarish Narrative

    With military and political help from Saudi Arabia and Israel, the possibility of an Al-Qaeda and/or IS victory in Syria is coming true, as the army retreats and as Obama remains indecisive.

    http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article41705.htm

    Assad’s hold on power looks shakier than ever as rebels advance in Syria

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/assads-regime-at-increasing-risk-amid-a-surge-of-rebel-advances/2015/04/26/c2742e22-ec32-11e4-8050-839e9234b303_story.html

    Syria’s Revitalized Rebels Make Big Gains in Assad’s Heartland

    The recent offensives in Idlib have been strikingly swift — thanks in large part to suicide bombers and American anti-tank TOW missiles. Regime forces have only held out for hours or a few days.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/28/syrias-revitalized-rebels-make-big-gains-in-assads-heartland/

    Al Qaeda Is Beating the Islamic State 

    Get ready for the clash of caliphates.

    http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/04/al-qaeda-is-beating-the-islamic-state-116954.html#.VTI-2GbHGR9

    Big Insurance Companies warning to Prepare For Climate Changehttp://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/21/3649244/insurance-climate-change-disaster-relief/
    The number of volcanoes erupting now is greater than the 20th century’s YEARLY averageDuring the 20th century, there were a total of 3,542 volcanic eruptions, or 35 each year. There are 36 volcanoes erupting around the world right now. This is the trend. http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-number-of-volcanoes-erupting-right-now-is-greater-than-the-20th-centurys-yearly-average
    ‘We don’t buy panda products – so the Chinese should get their hands off our elephants’Poachers are slaughtering 25,000 elephants a year for their ivory tusks. The elephant will be extinct within the decade. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/07/opinions/paula-kahumbu-china-ivory-elephants-extinction/index.html
    How come we bomb ISIS thugs but finance the thugs of Ukrainian?Ukrainian Neo-Nazis Nail Rebel Fighter to Cross, Burn Him AliveUS-backed militants carry out brutal execution. Video shows Ukrainian neo-nazi militia carrying out an ISIS-style execution during which they nail a separatist rebel to a cross and then burn him alive.http://www.infowars.com/shock-video-ukrainian-neo-nazis-nail-rebel-fighter-to-cross-burn-him-alive/
    Then and Now Photos That Show Dramatic Changes on EarthThe melting of the Northwestern Glacier in Alaska between 1940 and Aug. 4, 2005. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/30-then-and-now-photos-climate-change-earth-melting-glaciers/45986679 andSeven surprising results from the reduction of Arctic Sea ice coverhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofaoiHYKtlc
    The Great Transition by Lester BrownWind and solar costs are falling rapidly, making them competitive with fossil fuels in more and more markets. States and countries are getting double digit shares of their electricity from wind farms and solar panels are popping up on rooftops from California to Australia to Bangladesh. To give you a sense of just how quickly change is happening, the Institute has posted the first chapter of the book online.http://www.earth-policy.org/books/tgt/tgt_table_of_contents
    Most reports assume that 2°C is an appropriate policy targetDavid Spratt’s “Recount: It’s time to ‘Do the math’ again” concludes that the evidence does not support this propositions.http://www.climatecodered.org/2015/04/its-time-to-do-math-again.html
    In Nigeria, university degrees can lead to povertyWith over 20 million unemployed youth in Nigeria, young Nigerians are spending an increasing proportion of their twenties pursuing academic qualifications, rather than gaining work skills. They are doing this on the savings of households living on $2-4 per person a day — families who are scrimping and sacrificing so that one person can break out of these economic conditions and land a good job.http://www.thisisafricaonline.com/News/In-Nigeria-university-degrees-can-lead-to-povert
    What it Means to Be ‘Liberal’ or ‘Conservative’ in ChinaLeftists enjoy greater popular support in lower-income, inland regions, compared to wealthier coastal provinces, whereas the opposite is true for liberals. There is a strong correlation between leftist beliefs and ‘cultural conservatism’ — defined as those who support “traditional, Confucian values”.http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/24/what-it-means-to-be-liberal-or-conservative-in-china/
    Not Your Father’s National FrontMarine Le Pen has assembled the West’s largest, most successful anti-immigration and anti-globalist party, by playing down its racist roots.http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/not-your-fathers-national-front/
    Laundering the Global Garment Industry’s Dirty BusinessTwo years after Bangladesh’s Rana Plaza disaster, a dense network of little-known agents and subcontractors is still getting in the way of better work conditions. The workers protest loudly and often for better conditions, blocking roads with burning tires near sprawling, dingy factories.http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/24/laundering-global-garment-industrys-dirty-business-rana-plaza-bangladesh-factories/
    Hopes of vaccine for Parkinson’s sufferers Scientists believe that an abnormal protein may trigger the condition. It may be possible to prime a person’s immune system so it is ready to attack this protein as it passes through the body so it would not destroy the dopamine-manufacturing cells, where the disease inflicts its greatest damage.http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/25/parkinsons-disease-vaccine-research-protein?CMP=ema_565
    Global forest watchInteractive maps that you can follow global deforestation year by yearhttp://www.globalforestwatch.org/
    Unburnable Carbon: Why we need to leave fossil fuels in the groundPollution from Australia’s coal resources, particularly the enormous Galilee coal basin, could on its oen take us two-thirds of the way to a two degree rise in global temperature. http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/unburnable-carbon-why-we-need-to-leave-fossil-fuels-in-the-ground
    India cancels licences of 8,975 NGOsIncluding Greenpeace as it was financing Indian NGOs which were filing writs. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/47072906.cms
    Wind turbines are less effective and CO2 abatement cost is higher than commonly assumedIt is often assumed that effectiveness of wind energy is 100%, i.e., a MWh of wind energy displaces the emissions from a MWh of conventional energy. But it is usually much less.http://judithcurry.com/2015/04/27/wind-turbines-co2-savings-and-abatement-cost/#more-18516
    Binge drinking in childhood can cause damage to brain for life“Long-term potentiation” permits a nerve cell, to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell. This helps a person acquire new information and remember. It is at its height when a person is young and able to absorb large amounts of new memory. http://rt.com/news/253745-binge-drinking-youth-brain/

    to John

  • Brutality with impunity GET UP

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    Brutality with impunity

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    Alycia – GetUp!
    5:31 PM (2 hours ago)
    to me
    *Trigger warning: descriptions of sexual and physical assault and harassment*

    NEVILLE,

    The Government is proposing new legislation that will give broad powers allowing detention centre guards to use force against asylum seekers. The Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities Bill sounds well intentioned, but it will have dire implications for asylum seekers in our care.

    We already witnessed the fatal consequences of excessive force being used against asylum seekers, when 23 year-old asylum seeker Reza Barati was beaten to death by detention centre guards in February last year.

    We’ve also heard the disturbing allegations of guards on Nauru requesting to see women and children naked in exchange for granting them additional shower time,1 the appalling allegations services as clear evidence that guards are abusing their power. Now the Government is seeking to give them even more power, with less accountability.

    Labor is yet to announce how they will vote on the bill, and their vote will be crucial to blocking it in the Senate.

    Will you contact your Labor senator and call on them to vote against this dangerous bill?

    Despite the mounting evidence of excessive and unreasonable force currently being used against people in detention, the Government’s bill will authorise guards to use force with far less oversight.

    If passed, the bill will allow detention centre guards to use force against asylum seekers who are engaging in a protest – much like the recent protests on Manus Island where it was reported that people were beaten and thrown into solitary confinement.2 It will give guards the authority to cause grievous bodily harm to another person, so long as they “reasonably” believed it was necessary to prevent injury to another person, including themselves.

    “these amendments to the Migration Act will, in effect, result in guards being authorised to beat asylum seekers in detention to death”

    – the Hon Stephen Charles QC, former Victorian Supreme Court judge, 16 April 2015

    Essentially, this bill will allow guards to beat asylum seekers with impunity.3

    In about two week’s time the Senate Committee is expected to hand down their report on the bill, after which it’ll be put to a vote. While Shadow Immigration Minister Richard Marles has voiced concerns about the bill, Labor have not announced how they plan to vote.

    Contact your Labor senator and let them know why they must reject this bill.

    These powers are on par with, and in some instances broader than, the powers granted to federal police officers. Despite this, guards won’t be required to undergo the same rigorous training and background checks that police officers are subjected to. This will place the safety of asylum seekers at further risk, particularly children and people with mental health conditions.

    Furthermore, if an asylum seeker wants to raise concerns about the use of excessive or reasonable force, they can have their concerns investigated by the Immigration Department – the department responsible for hiring and contracting detention centre guard, a conflict of interest that could deny justice to people in detention.4

    We still have time to convince Labor to vote against this bill. Contact your Labor senator today: https://www.getup.org.au/force-bill

    Yours in hope,
    Alycia and the Getup team

    ~ References ~

    [1] Moss review: Immigration report finds no evidence charity staff encouraged Nauru detention centre refugees to self harm or manipulate abuse allegations, ABC News, 15 April 2015
    [2] Manus Island: four asylum seekers placed in solitary confinement as tensions escalate, The Guardian, 28 January 2015
    [3] Proposed powers allow guards ‘to beat asylum seekers in detention to death’, former judge says, ABC News, 17 April 2015
    [4] Refugee Advice and Casework Service submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee inquiry into the Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 (Cth)