Author: Wan Kerr

Known as the King amendment the agribusiness company Monsanto is lobbying hard to prevent state governments from being able to legislate over the use of their genetically modified seeds and controversial products such as RoundUp.

Some commentators have called it the Monsanto protection act but the Guardian newspaper also points to its impact on the social fabric of America. Elements of the farm bill, as it stands, will cut food stamps to the poor and the previously incarcerated, thus increasing poverty and possibly crime; add to the growing obesity crisis by encouraging chemical sugar substitutes; and support factory farming at the expense of sustainable food production with abusive crop subsidies.

A March against Monsanto will take place in Brisbane’s King George Square at 2pm tomorrow afternoon.

Â

Â

The guide is a comprehensive, easy-to-use resource for refugees, legal professionals and community organisation volunteers. The guide is widely used by refugees and those acting on their behalf. RAILS originally produced this Guide in 2011 but the recent changes to refugee family reunion that emerged from the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers in 2012 meant that the guide required updating.

The book was launched by Hon Shayne Neumann MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General.

The Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) is a Queensland-based, independent community legal service which provides free legal advice, assistance and, representation and community education to disadvantaged migrants, refugees and other disadvantaged people.

Â

Â

Â

“The Greens have been campaigning on this issue for many years and as Prime Minister Mr Rudd strongly and consistently opposed it,”said Mr Ebbs.

Mr Ebbs accepts the former Prime Minister’s claims that the conversion is genuine and untainted by political considerations.

“The recent rally in Brisbane was moving and effective. The singing in the NZ parliament after the marriage equality vote in that country brought tears to many people’s eyes around the world. The question is simply how effective a former Prime Minister can be after so publicly damning the idea when he had the authority to do something about it.”

Greens Member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, has tabled his private members bill on Marriage Equality to be voted on again in two weeks. Independent member for Sydney, Alexander Greenwich has challenged Mr Rudd to vote for the bill in Parliament.

“It’s the same old story,” Mr Ebbs said, “The Greens work hard for years to push important issues and get rubbished for it then, when the tide turns, opportunistic pollies jump on board.”

Â

Not sure what that is? No problem!

In a nutshell, the project is reaching out to people just like you, a community member of West End, and surrounding suburbs to understand how our much loved house fits into the grand scheme of things in the future.

We want to know what are the present needs and opportunities , we want to know what it is you think we do here, and we definitely want to know how we could do a better job of it. We also want to know what you can contribute to our community. Essentially, we need your help in understanding how we can better serve the community.

So how exactly can you help? Its easy, we just need you to spend 5 minutes of your time to answer a survey; either in person or via the internet.

Internet:

If time is a constraint and 5 minutes is all you can spare, then don’t worry! We’ve put together a small survey up on the internet that would help us dearly if answered. Just follow the link below:

http://tinyurl.com/d94j25b

In Person:

Not too far from now, folks from our house will be either door knocking around west end and asking for you to spare 5 minutes to answer the survey, or appearing at the West End Twilight Markets. This will be a good chance for you to answer in anyway you want and to ask them more about the project.

Call Into The House Or Over The Phone:

If you find you really have something to say, and a quick survey just isn’t enough, then we’d love to hear from you. You can either get us on the phone or drop in anytime to have a chat. So, would you like to get onto us about the project? These are our details:

Address: 4 Norfolk Road, South Brisbane, Qld, 4101

Monday to Friday 8am – 4pm Phone: (07) 3217 2333

Â

Biosolar is a three year old company that has seen stellar growth, despite radical changes to the government’s funding arrangements. The company now turns over in excess of $30million each year selling affordable solar panels to Australian households.

BioSolar founder and managing director Leigh Storr said said at the company’s launch yesterday Biosolar had been quietly achieving remarkable results in Queensland.

“BioSolar is a testament to the success of federal and state solar subsidy initiatives – and what can happen when that’s coupled with excellent strategy.

“We’ve now created 120 jobs for Queensland and are capable of not only surviving, but thriving regardless of whether incentives stay or go,” said Storr. The company operates as environmentally as possible and has researched the industry thoroughly to find the most affordable, environmentally sound products possible.

Young entrepreneur Storr, aged 30, established BioSolar in Queensland in 2010 with a team of three staff.

The new offices at Ipswich Rd, Woolloongabba indicate the degree to which the company looks after its staff and integrates its operations with the community. They feature Brisbane’s first raw foods café, a gym, yoga studio, cinema, living plant wall and graffiti art

The company’s new year’s greeting this year was a mock up of Google maps with solar panels arranged to read 2013. The disclaimer on the company’s site reads “This image was digitally manipulated for entertainment purposes.”

The understated and wry approach is typical of the company’s style and communication.

The offices yesterday were opened by Kevin Rudd, in full celebrity mode. He spoke eloquently about the importance of innovation and renewable energy and the benefits of having successful local businesses in the electorate.

Greens candidate for Griffith, Geoff Ebbs, said “It is a shame that Labor has squandered so many opportunities to implement a robust renewables policy and left The Greens to rebuild an integrated response to the twin challenges of energy descent and global warming.”

Leigh Storr is chuffed to be at the centre of such controversy and will continue the approach of quietly building on the company’s incredible 250% growth in the last twelve months.

“I started BioSolar with a very specific vision and that has shaped the entire way we do business.

“Our vision is to be the leading provider of solar power systems in Australia and, to achieve that, we are committed to providing our customers with the best purchasing experience of their life,” said Storr.

Exposure to sunshine as a small child is crucial to the development of a healthy eye, according to results of long-term myopia study conducted by University of Sydney researchers.

Their findings, published this week in the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s professional journal, tables data showing children who spend more time outdoors were less likely to become short-sighted or myopic.

The researchers say that evidence suggests that small children under 6 years of age should spend at least 10hrs a week outdoors in the sunshine.

Orthoptist Professor Kathryn Rose, from the University’s Health Sciences faculty says exposure to sunlight at a young age assists in the growth of a normal healthy eyeball preventing it from growing too fast or over- expanding and becoming oval or egg-shaped instead of round.

The Sydney Adolescent and Eye Study, a five year longitudinal follow-up study from the Sydney Myopia study, examined more than 2000 children from 55 primary and secondary schools for a number of risk factors linked with myopia.

Professor Rose says all children had a comprehensive eye examination. Accurate measurement of refractive errors (myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism) was conducted using an international standard regime of eye drops, similar to that adopted in WHO studies.

A detailed questionnaire gathered information on the children’s ethnicity, general physical activities including hours spent in outdoor leisure such as cycling, outdoor sports, picnics or walking. Researchers also gathered data on near-sighted activities such as computer use and time taken watching television.

Amanda French PhD candidate and lead author says:

“The results show that the protective effect of time spent outdoors as a very small child persists even if a child is doing a lot of near work such as reading and studying.”

While the results of the study showed television watching and computer use appear to have little effect on the development of refractive errors in the eye, children with one or both parents myopic had a greater likelihood of developing the condition but even for those children, time spent outdoors had a mitigating effect. Time spent in outdoor light also reduced the likelihood of myopia developing in children of all ethnicities.

French says prevention of myopia is important for future eye health as even low levels of the condition place you at higher risk of cataracts and glaucoma in adulthood.

“Promoting outdoor activity to parents and families, and including more outdoor pursuits in school curricula could be an important public health measure to avoid the development of myopia” says French.

Â