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The Generator news service publishes articles on sustainable development, agriculture and energy as well as observations on current affairs. The news service is used on the weekly radio show, The Generator, as well as by a number of monthly and quarterly magazines. A podcast of the Generator news is also available.
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  • Have you signed yet? Ask Senators to stand up for people not polluters ACF

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    Have you signed yet? Ask Senators to stand up for people not polluters

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    Geoff Cousins, ACF Unsubscribe
    1:21 PM (2 hours ago)
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    Hi INGA

    In just a few weeks Senators will decide whether to rip out the laws that protect our air, water, wildlife and the places we love to pave the way for big polluters.

    Already 19,139 people have added their voice to tell Senators to put people before polluters. If we can reach 50,000 signatures, our voices can’t be ignored.

    Will you add your quick signature to ask Australian Senators to reject the policies of the past and keep life thriving in Australia?

    We all share a responsibility to live in a way that embraces life – that protects our air, water, rivers, forests, oceans and wildlife. And our laws should reflect that.It’s just a small handful of politicians – fuelled by greedy coal lobby groups – who are trying to strip away environmental protection.

    If these Bills are approved they will:

    • silence communities so they can’t hold governments to account and challenge big developments like coal ports on our Great Barrier Reef.
    • weaken the laws that protect life by handing over responsibility for places and wildlife we love, like our World Heritage and threatened species, to under-resourced state governments.

    If it wasn’t for communities standing up and our national environmental laws, places like the Franklin River, the Great Barrier Reef and Kakadu would be lost to the exploits of big polluters.

    Because people care, we can take our kids for a walk in our national parks, drink clean water filtered by forests from our city taps and swim at unpolluted beaches.

    Thousands of people like you have called and emailed your MPs and turned out at rallies to show how much you care.

    Will you send a strong message to Australian Senators to stand up for people not polluters?

    In the next few weeks, we’ll hand over your signatures to Senators. With tens of thousands of voices we can send a strong message so Senators feel confident to stand up for our air, water, wildlife and the places we love.

    Geoff
    Geoff Cousins
    President
    Australian Conservation Foundation

  • End Monsanto’s dream come true Dalia Hashad – Avaaz

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    End Monsanto’s dream come true

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    Dalia Hashad – Avaaz Unsubscribe
    11:18 PM (10 hours ago)
    to me

    Australia and 11 other countries just sealed a secret deal that gives corporations vast powers over 40% of the world’s economy. But if the Labor Party votes no, the Trans-Pacific Partnership dies. The good news is a growing chorus of politicians of all stripes oppose it. Let’s give them the massive public backing they need to bury it. Sign now and share widely: 

    Sign now
    Dear friends,

    Australia and 11 other countries just sealed a secret deal that gives corporations vast powers over 40% of the world’s economy. But the Australian parliament can stop it.

    The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a monster global trade deal that could massively expand internet censorship, and is Big Pharma and Monsanto’s dream come true. But to become law, each country has to ratify it, and if the Labor Party votes no, this terrible agreement dies. The good news is a growing chorus of Greens, Nationals and Independents oppose it.
    Even Labor’s key supporters, the trade unions are pushing hard to stop it. Avaaz can uniquely bring voices from across Australia and the whole world to the table. Let’s give our allies in Parliament the massive public backing they need to protect all our freedoms — join the call and tell everyone:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tpp_2015_loc_aus/?bhPqncb&v=66176

    The TPP will shape lives across the world, but most of the text was written in secret by negotiators and corporations, without public input. When Wikileaks revealed a portion, we got a sampling of how bad it is:

    • If a nation bans a toxic chemical, or labels genetically modified foods, or tightens environmental regulations, TPP empowers companies to sue governments in secret global tribunals, run by corporate arbitrators. If the government loses, taxpayers could be forced to pay companies billions of dollars for lost profits.
    • Under TPP, pharmaceutical giants could extend their monopolies so far that cheap life-saving drugs for cancer and AIDS patients could be prevented.
    • The deal could criminalise those who sound the alarm on corporate illegal activity through a computer system.

    Those are just a small part of the agreement. We have no idea what corporate lobbyists wrote into the bulk of the treaty because governments have refused to release the text to the public. While trade treaties can be critical to a healthy global economy, representatives should never be able to ram through new laws without letting citizens know what’s in them — and they certainly should not do it in service to corporate profits at the expense of the public good.

    We’ve been fighting these types of agreements for years, and have won. Allies in the US Congress just told us ‘this is not a done deal’, but to bury it, they need all the public help they can get. Let’s stop the corporate takeover of our democracies. Join the call and spread the word. This needs all of us:

    https://secure.avaaz.org/en/tpp_2015_loc_aus/?bhPqncb&v=66176

    It can be easy to feel small in the face of big corporate forces driving our governments. But when they tried to push a trade deal that threatened our internet freedom, almost 3 million Avaazers took action, and our community was a key force in stopping it completely. Let’s do it again here and remind our governments that people, not money, are the true source of power.

    With hope and determination,

    Dalia, Nataliya, Alice, Mais, Emma, Danny and the entire Avaaz team

    Sources:

    An explainer on Obama’s ‘secret’ trade pact (Guardian)
    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/12/trans-pacific-partnership-explainer

    Who is writing the TPP? (Boston Globe)
    https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2015/05/11/elizabeth-warren-and-rosa-delauro-who-writing-tpp/2FQ…

    Trans-Pacific Partnership is reached, but faces scrutiny in Congress (New York Times)
    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/06/business/trans-pacific-partnership-trade-deal-is-reached.html?_r=1

    TPP: What is it and why does it matter? (BBC)
    http://www.bbc.com/news/business-32498715

  • Call for CountryMinded Candidates 2016 Federal Election 70 Rural and Regional Electorates Need New Representation

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    Are you CountryMinded?

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    Joanne Stuart <admin@partnerships.org.au>
    		7:50 PM (46 minutes ago)
    to Colleagues
    If you cannot read this email click here for the webpage
    Call for CountryMinded Candidates
    2016 Federal Election
    70 Rural and Regional Electorates Need New Representation

    Australian politics is broken. Everyone now acknowledges that trust in our political leaders and political parties is at an all-time low. Disaffection and cynicism is widespread, and new micro-parties are popping up everywhere. None of these, however, have the grassroots base and inclusive platform necessary to drive a new mainstream political force.

    The Country Party of Australia changed its name last month to CountryMinded. It unites countryminded people in a new politics that puts the country first ahead of party and personal careers.

    CountryMinded aims to be a broad mainstream force representing rural and regional Australia. It has been created by farmers but it welcomes the involvement of anyone concerned about rural and regional communities and the national interest.

    In the 1940s, Robert Menzies brought together a broad spectrum of Australians to create the Liberal Party, to represent the ‘forgotten people’ of Australia. Today the Liberal Party has forgotten many of these same people. The National Party and the Labor Party have also forgotten their core constituents. All three parties have abandoned rural and regional Australia, small businesses, and the battlers, and appear to have lost their purpose. Once again, a wide spectrum of Australians need to come together to create a mainstream political voice for ourselves and our communities.

    Call for Federal Election Candidates 2016
    Express your Interest
    CountryMinded aims to restore an uncompromised voice for rural and regional Australia on the premise that:

    • A viable rural sector is vital to the future of the Country
    • Increasingly the Country’s economy is reliant on a viable rural sector
    • The policies that will sustainably resolve issues facing rural Australia will benefit all sectors of the economy
    • The current political representation does not and cannot effectively reflect the needs of rural and regional Australia
    Peter Mailer
    President of CountryMinded
    Husband, Father, Farmer,
    Boggabilla NSW
    Join Up Today

    CountryMinded needs your support and input into our policies and development.
    Become a member, start a branch in your district, consider standing in next year’s critical federal election.

    www.yourcountryparty.info/join_us

    		 Expressions of Interest Invited
    Express your interest to:
    CountryMinded

    PO Box 1308

    Goondiwindi QLD 4390

    or
    admin@countryparty.info

    Principles

    • CountryMinded is a political party that stands for national and universal recognition of the contribution of rural and regional Australia and Australians to the social, economic and environmental well-being of the nation.
    • The Party seeks to arrest poor political advocacy for the sector resulting from the shrinking rural population and the increasingly disconnected urban population.
    • The Party is committed to a promote a modern “countrymindedness” to foster better social awareness and public policy to support sustainable and prosperous rural and regional economies for the benefit or all Australians.
    • It aims to restore to individuals the right to make their own choices and to accept responsibility for their consequences, on the basis that they make better decisions than government.
    • Government has a responsibility to intervene where free markets fail.
    • Elected representatives are public servants and their first and binding commitment must be to their constituency in the context of being a servant. The practice of politicians placing their relationship with a party above their obligation to their constituents is abhorrent.
    • Government has a moral and ethical responsibility to act in the interests of future generations as well as current Australians. The preservation of the natural resources of the nation including agricultural land is essential to the prosperity of future generations. Similarly, the exploitation of the nation’s non-renewable resources should provide significant benefits to future generations without risk to productive lands.
    • Australia is a Christian democracy based on Christian ethics, but beyond this ethical standard there shall be a clear separation of church and state. No person or people shall be subject to persecution or prejudice due to sexuality, religion, race or ability.

    Contact Us
    i. send an email to Helen at  admin@countryparty.info, or

    ii. send a private message on Facebook.

    Website http://www.yourcountryparty.info

  • What stories should we tell James Randerson, The Guardian

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    What stories should we tell

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    James Randerson, The Guardian <info@mail.theguardian.com> Unsubscribe
    9:47 PM (11 hours ago)
    to me

    Can’t see this email? View in browser
    Dear Neville,

    It has perhaps never been more important to make our voices heard on climate change. The UN’s crunch climate change conference in Paris is less than eight weeks away and on Monday we launched the second phase of our climate change campaign.

    The new focus for Keep it in the Ground came directly from our readers, who told us they wanted stories of hope about the transition to a world run on clean energy and the potential of solar power in particular.

    Hundreds of thousands of supporters from more than 170 countries and a multitude of different professions have joined the campaign. We want to make the most of that amazing resource and understand better how we can support the fight against climate change.

    So will you tell us: what stories would you like to see us covering? What would you like to understand about renewable energy and the conference in Paris?

    If you can spare a few minutes, please answer a few questions.

    Share your ideas

    We’ll then use your responses to plan the next stage of the campaign.

    Thank you for your help, as ever.

    Best,

    James Randerson and the Keep it in the Ground team

  • The John James Newsletter 84

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    The John James Newsletter 84

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    John James
    8:15 AM (21 minutes ago)
    to John
    The John James Newsletter 84
    10 October 2015
     
     
    When those who are honestly mistaken learn the truth, they will either cease being mistaken, or cease being honest. They cant do both. 
    Anonymous
    Fiji PM Warns Of Syria-Style Refugee Crisis If Rich Nations Don’t Do More On Climate
    Frank Bainimarama has taken aim at advanced nations for ignoring the plight of Pacific Islanders in pursuit of short-term economic growth.
    Sanders Condemns ‘Disastrous’ TPP as Ministers Seal Deal for Corporate Elite
    Critics say the pact will raise the price of essential drugs, drive industrial scale agribusiness, and threaten workers rights. Most of the global economy will be subject to corporate courts in which governments can be sued for protecting the public interest from corporate greed; Medicine prices will rise as Big Pharma gets more power to monopolize markets; Small farmers will suffer from unfair competition with industrial scale agribusiness.
    No wonder this has been agreed in secret.
    TPP agreement slammed as ‘betrayal’ of environment, boon for fossil fuels
    What Sovereign Rights Did We Just Sign Away?
    The Greens worry the deal will expose Australia to litigation from multinational corporations under its Investor-State Dispute Settlement clauses.
    Pro-Corporate TPP Could Kill the Internet
    Global Internet censorship will criminalise online activities, censor the Web, and Internet Service Providers would be required to ‘police’ YOU, take down Internet content, and cut you off from Internet access.
    China’s 3,000-Acre Aircraft Carriers Could Change the Balance of Power in the Pacific
    Thus far — and construction continues — China has created nearly 3,000 acres of land out of the ocean. Just consider that the highly touted and massive US aircraft carriers (from which can launch a wing of more than 70 jets and helicopters) are only 5 acres of flattop. Are these artificial islands similar to hundreds of unsinkable aircraft carriers in the South China Sea? That shifts the balance between the two competing militaries.
    In South China Sea, a Tougher US Stance
    Rejecting China’s “Great Wall of Sand,” the US Navy concludes that failing to sail and fly close to the outposts would signal that Washington tacitly accepts Beijing’s far-reaching territorial claims.
    Half of Europe opts out of new GM crop scheme
    14 countries and three regions would make two-thirds of Europe’s population and arable land GM-free
    Solar Company Announces Huge Step Forward In Efficiency
    Residential solar company SolarCity announced Friday that its Buffalo, New York “gigafactory” will be producing solar panels that are more efficient — and 30% more powerful — than its previous version.
    Syrian Battle Lines Create Tough Questions In Geopolitics
    Whatever news is coming from the region bears uncertainty and increased tension with far-reaching implications in geopolitics. Many of the major geopolitical-players in the region are finding it difficult to estimate the total account.
    US, Allies Blast Russia For Attacking Al Qaeda In Syria
    Obama says Russia “doesn’t distinguish between ISIL and a moderate Sunni opposition that wants to see Mr. Assad go… From their perspective, they’re all terrorists.”
    Is Russia Repeating Cold War Mistakes in Syria?
    US reluctance to be more assertive in Syria: A strategic necessity born out of war weariness and a lack of attractive options or an overall strategic retreat from the region.
    Putin Risks Enraging ‘the Entire Sunni World’
    Russia’s stepped up efforts in the country have infuriated the Sunni Arab governments of the region, which have long called for Assad to step down and pressured the US to bolster support for Syria’s rebels.
    Iran claims Russia has started delivery of S-300 missile defence system
    The S-300 is capable of tracking multiple planes at once and some versions have an interception range of 200 kilometers. It is considered to be one of the most sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons in the world.
    Russian ‘volunteer’ forces headed for Syria
    more than 600 Russian military personnel were already on the ground in Syria, not counting aircrews, and that tents for nearly 2,000 people had been seen at Russia’s air base near Latakia.
    Israeli gunfire injures roughly 500 Palestinians during West Bank clashes
    Violent clashes have erupted between Palestinian youths and Israeli troops in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
    Palestine: A Land in Fragments
    More than 200 Israeli farms occupy the West Bank, plus military zones and highways. The West Bank is no longer a viable or contiguous state. The Palestinians are being squeezed out like pips.
    Why the violence? Watch how their land has been annexed and eaten away leaving the Palestinians without identity or governance. What’s left?
    Deforestation, Argentina
    A series of NASA then and now images of the 1972-2009 period of agricultural “annexation” of the Amazon.
    NSW town provides blueprint for 100% renewable energy communities
    Uralla has outlined plans to go 100% renewable energy, in a government-sponsored blueprint that could become the model of many other towns. The Zero Net Energy Town – the Uralla Case study – describes a two-stage process that the town could adopt “zero net energy”. Two dozen towns in the state have already expressed interest.
    Hunt says “inevitable” large numbers will quit grid with battery storage
    Hunt will use the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency to help accelerate the deployment of battery storage in Australia.
    Counting the lost, one by one, in Syria’s Book of the Dead
    You can say ‘100,000 people have died’ in two seconds, but will take 72 hours to read all their names.”
    Ruminations of an Afghan Girl Burning to Death in a Hospital Bed
    Physical pain makes clear-thinking and generous thinking more difficult, until death appears in front of you, and then the physical pain is as nothing.
    The Chinese are taking over the movie business by sheer force of numbers
    China is opening 100 new screens each week, and has grown by an average of 30% every year for the last 10 years. The US has 40,000 screens and its once mighty domestic movie market is shrinking, Chinese could grow to 160,000 screens in the next 30 years. China is already the number two movie market in the world, behind US domestic (which includes Canada). Five years ago, China was eighth.
    10 Million at Risk of Hunger Due to Climate Change and El Niño
    The production of maize, Malawi’s staple food, has dropped by 30% in 2014, while prices have risen 100%.
    Denmark: Poverty And Inequality Are On The Rise
    The number of homeless people has increased by 23% since 2009. Denmark is losing its egalitarian luster.
    We Need To Fight The Coup Plotters
    South America’s largest country, Brazil, has been rocked by a political crisis fuelled by a mass protest movement calling for the dismissal of centre-left president Dilma Rousseff. The protests come as the country officially moves into recession, with Brazil’s economy expected to contract this year by 2%.
    The Gun Smuggler’s Lament
    Libya is torn apart by two warring governments and a web of rival militias. This is the story of a failed revolution and the people it engulfed. If you wonder what the recent history has been of that sorry country, read here

  • Massive underwater heatwave Gemma – Fight for the Reef info@fightforthereef.org.au via cmail19.com
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    Massive underwater heatwave

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    Gemma – Fight for the Reef info@fightforthereef.org.au via cmail19.com 
    7:11 PM (31 minutes ago)
    to me

    They’re calling it the “White Death”.
    		 No Images? Click here
    Fight for the Reef
    ​
    ​
    Hi NEVILLE,

    They’re calling it the “White Death”.

    Scientists are alarmed that this summer the Great Barrier Reef could be hit by a massive coral bleaching event.  They predict this could damage up to fifty percent of the Great Barrier Reef. [1]

    This is the impact that global warming is having on our Reef.

    This is the impact that the mining and burning of coal is having on our Reef.

    Scientists say that the most corals in the Reef could recover, but only if we tackle global warming and stop other threats to the Reef. That means halting further industrialisation and reducing water pollution.

    Now is not the time to be pushing new coal export projects like Adani’s Abbot Point port expansion, which will lead to increased dredging and shipping on the Reef. Adani’s mega mine will also add to global warming, which means more frequent coral bleaching events like the one we face this summer.

    But it’s not all bad news.

    Just this morning we heard Australia’s new Minister for Resources and Energy Josh Frydenberg on Radio National say that “Adani is a commercial project… it needs to stand on its own two feet.. it wouldn’t be a priority”

    This is the first time a Turnbull Government Minister has come out and said Adani’s coal mine, rail and port development is not a priority for government.

    Although these comments are promising, we need them to completely rule out using any taxpayer funds to bail out this disastrous Reef-wrecking project.

    SHARE this photo on Facebook with your friends, tag @JoshFrydenberg and ask him to protect the Reef from Adani’s mining project.

    The mining and burning of coal is a leading contributor to global warming, causing the waters to warm and become more acidic.

    Bleaching happens when the Reef’s waters remain too hot for too long.

    The Reef is clearly under stress and the Turnbull Government needs to do more to help reduce impacts on the Reef, including stopping mega-ports, dredging, the Carmichael project and pollution.

    You can help today by SHARING this photo on Facebook and tagging @JoshFrydenberg.

    Thanks for standing up for the Reef,

    Gemma Plesman
    on behalf of the Fight for the Reef team

    [1] http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/08/worlds-oceans-facing-biggest-coral-die-off-in-history-scientists-warn