By working with Forests NSW to destructively harvesting Camphor Laurels as biofuels to create GREEN ENERGY. They are currently doing this in the TWEED SHIRE, NE NSW, Australia. The NSW Government and the Tweed Shire Council supports and approves of this “WAR on BIODIVERSITY”.

Forests NSW :- and their Sustainable Forestry Management statements including  their voluntary certification under the Australian Forestry Standard – AS 4708:2007 (AFS)

When this Australian Forestry Standard is agreed to, it means that the operations of the industry support SUSTAINABLE Forestry Management.

DISHONOUR:-  legal meaning of dishonour – this can include breach of faith, shame, nonadherence, noncompliance and LACK of PRINCIPLE

HOW does this Australian Forestry Standard stand with the environmental non-sustainability of destroying habitat -largely a key threatening process (in a region where many Australian native wildlife animals are already undergoing habitat destruction, habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss pressures)?

This “War on Biodiversity” is being carried out by clear felling native  (including endangered) wildlife habitats -  using many bulldozers, heavy machinery, trucks and other vehicles -  working  10 hours  per day, up to 6 days per week on private land. They have caused the habitats that they are clearing and demolishing,  to become bare, steep sloped exposed soil.

Environmental advocacy collage showing BIOENERGY (green energy) habitat destruction where the endangered Rufous Bettong lives, in Upper Burringbar, Tweed Shire, NE NSW (Mt Warning Caldera Region), AUSTRALIA

• “Converting stands of camphor laurel to rainforest” – here you will find some excellent information about “Current approaches to Camphor Control” and management-  (John Kanowski and Carla P.Catterall – Griffith University’s Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies and the Northern Rivers CMA). The information given, shows that Camphor Laurel stands can contribute to biodiversity and if managed environmentally sustainably, can lead to increased biodiversity.

• Bioenergy at wikipedia

• Regional Development Australia – Northern Rivers :- and their Timber and Forestry Information for the Northern Rivers, NSW. This information includes the PDF :-  From Pest to Profit. Prospectus for the commercial utilisation of camphor laurel in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.
• “Power Energy From Renewable Energy Sources” – article at Sunshine Sugar stating that  “The project is one of the largest renewable electricity generation projects currently underway in Australia and from mid-2007 at Condong and late 2007 at Broadwater, these two generators will supply the total electricity needs of the towns of Lismore, Casino, Ballina, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah – all from accredited renewable fuel sources.“
• “Green Power” Landline 28th November 2008 (Pip Courtney)
• “Tree Harvests not so Sweet” article at the Northern Star by Dominic Feain 11th January 2010 – Lorraine Vass (President of  Friends of the Koala) was quoted as saying that the Camphor Laurel clearing was increasingly happening and ““It’s becoming very obvious driving around the region, and we are deeply concerned about damage to biodiversity, habitat for significant species, soil erosion and the risk of further weed infestation.”" The article goes on to state that there was an urgent need to reassess Camphor Laurel management and clearing due to the Ecological and habitat issues surrounding the increased clearing rates.

IN CONTRAST to Authentic Land and Water Stewardship and authentic ecologically sustainable land management, the following has been observed concerning the Bioenergy, Green Fuel  and NSW Forestry approach to Camphor Laurel management:-

Very little native wildlife HABITAT is left, where they have carried out their destructive work. They then, prepare the vegetation they have  taken, (via habitat destruction of endangered species habitats), into vaste piles of  “BIOFUEL” – or camphor laurel chip/dust, which is then trucked away to their storage areas for conversion to GREEN FUEL.  This work has been going on for some time now, under the umbrellas of  “save the world from greenhouse gases” and “lessen the Mining of non renewable resources” pressures.

Burning of vegetation is also occurring onsite, with the smell of Camphour Laurel burning weeks on end. Camphour Laurel is known to produce TOXINS that may cause  illnesses and health problems in humans, and probably animals as well. This is a disputed scientific agenda that has become somewhat of a red herring in the case of the management of Camphor Laurel.

• Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) most toxic chemotypes – rejection of key threatening process listing .

Bluecray reminds anyone that is experiencing health issues due to dust, smoke and related water contamination from this War on Biodiversity to consult their Doctor, and register their situation. Native wildlife that experience health problems, including death of their family members, unfortunately, have no one to tell – no one to go to for help – and indeed, no home either. Bluecray suggests that the benefits of current Camphor Laurel populations for native wildlife habitat survival outway the “toxins” considerations, when taken into the context of having either Camphor laurel stands that are regenerating habitat areas in highly disturbed landscapes or clear felled, bare landscapes, with limited habitat value, and disturbed soils immediately vulnerable to increased weed emergence and growth.

The Broadwater Action Group Ltd bravely took the Richmond Valley Council, and the NSW Suger Milling Co-operative Limited to the NSW Land and Environment Court in 2003, attempting to contain this destructive, toxic and high energy form of harvesting biofuels.

Many – most- conservation groups in NSW will be aware of this issue, and some will have documents concerning the issues of clearfelling native wildlife habitat, under the guise of “green energy” and “weed management”.

BIOENERGY AUSTRALIA -  and its  MEMBERS .

National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development at Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts :-Objective 16.2 is “to incorporate ESD principles as a fundamental objective of relevant government authorities involved in economic, environmental and social decision making” . By this objective,  Governments   WILL “incorporate ESD principles into the objectives of relevant legislation as appropriate, particularly for legislation concerning natural resource use and management”

Energy and Water at the Public Interest Advocacy Centre .

biofuelsaustralasia.com.au :- “Farmers welcome move to turn noxious weed into biofuel”

thinkgrowsustain.com :- Future Focus – current information on green tech and green technology projects in Australia:-

• 9. Innovation in harvesting, processing and transporting camphor laurel “It is proposed to harvest and deliver at least the equivalent of 40,000 green tonnes of camphor laurel over a two-year trial period. If successful, the system will be expanded in an endeavour to control the several million tonnes of camphor laurel estimated to be standing on the north coast of New South Wales.“   “With the assistance of a $500,000 grant under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program, camphor laurel will be harvested to supply efficient year-round energy production for the power station at Condong sugar mill. The project stems from an innovative idea put forward by State Forests of NSW and is co-funded by the NSW Wales Sugar Milling Co-operative and Delta Electricity.“

• 11. Factory- based “cane trash” separation system .

DISHONOUR:-  legal meaning of dishonour – this can include breach of faith, shame, nonadherence, noncompliance and LACK of PRINCIPLE

Camphor Laurel Abundance in the Tweed Shire 2004:- (map3A.pdf) -

Northern Rivers Invasive Plants Action Strategy 2009-2013 for the use of all public and private land managers

NSW Industry and Investment/ NSW DPI  fact sheet 733 – Camphor Laurel PDF and Noxious Weed Declarations showing an extract of the LEGAL REQUIREMENTS from the Noxious Weeds Declaration Data base (This web page provides access to the details of weeds declared in New South Wales, Australia under the Noxious Weeds Act 1993. The information is taken from the Orders published in the Government Gazette. The Order lists the weed, the control class and the control requirements for each species declared in a Local Control Area.)

CLEARING VEGETATION – EDO Fact Sheet 5.3

Native Vegetation Management and Clearing at NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water.

Native Vegetation Act 2003 – Public Register – what is it? NSW Government

the DECCW’s Public Register LINK is HERE .

Many semi trailers of Camphor Laurel “dusty ground fibres” taken away to the Green Energy Storage, each day  – at Condong Mill?? Murwillumbah

In bluecray’s article “Weeds, Biodiversity and Australia’s Land and Water Stewardship Practices (17th November, 2009), you will find some of the principles of Weed Management that are largely ignored by mainstream land and water custodians. There is reference to:-

“Converting stands of camphor laurel to rainforest” – here you will find some excellent information about “Current approaches to Camphor Control” and management-  (John Kanowski and Carla P.Catterall – Griffith University’s Centre for Innovative Conservation Strategies and the Northern Rivers CMA)

The Tweed Shire and NSW Government is allowing mass clearing of Camphor Laurel Vegetation communities and Native wildlife HABITATS across the Tweed Shire, in the name of “GREEN ENERGY”.  The immediate results are bare lands, native flora and fauna losses, multiple localised biodiversity losses, loss of seedbank containing native vegetation, loss of the humus layer that is essential for soil health and loss of ( carbon storing) soil holding tree root systems across steep sloping land, in the foothills of the Burringbar Range.

Some of this destructive habitat loss, being engineered by local land owners, eco clearing consultants, machine operators, the Tweed Shire Council, Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority, National Parks and Wildlife NSW, Condong Mill, Sunshine Electricity, Delta Energy, the NSW Government and the Australian Government (to name some of the groups involved in this mass biodiversity and native wildlife habitat destruction)  includes HABITATS of ENDANGERED SPECIES.

As far as I know, ground trials for this type of work began over ten years ago, at least, if not further back. (Still gathering information here). Also, regulation of this type of INDUSTRY (Bioenergy) possibly operates against  the laws concerning destruction of habitats that relate to the well being of endangered species in NSW.

Office of the Renewable Energy Regulator .

Land and Environment Court NSW .

You can access the Vegetation pages for Tweed Shire here, and download the Camphor Laurel Abundance PDF for the Tweed Shire  at  Tweed Shire Council Flora and Fauna Management : Includes PDF’s on Vegetation Management Strategy ; Vegetation Types and Communities ; Camphor Laurel Abundance ; Koala Sitings ; Soil Landscapes, Steep Land and Drainage Lines ; Ecological Values and Rehabilitation Priorities

Camphor Laurel is a CLASS 4 Noxious Weed. More info about Class 4 Noxious Weeds can be found in the bluecray environmental search .

Bluecray is commencing a new campaign concerning this type of approach to ENERGY CONSUMPTION, Marketing and production, due to perceived destructive consequences on local habitat and biodiversity within the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE QLD.

A series of articles will be written to help explain Biodiversity, Bioenergy, Biofuels the Wisdom therein – and how this all relates to the Mt Warning Caldera Region of NE NSW and SE QLD.  Bluecray will endeavour to show how the current approach to harvesting certain biofuels will promote net increased atmospheric carbon release, net carbon storage loss, on a local level, and direct loss of biodiversity in the immediate and possibly short & long term future.

Bluecray will also QUESTION the FOLLOWING ways

• that the current, above “green energy” extraction of Camphor Laurel demonstrates an illegal act,
• that the way some land holders in the Tweed shire have permitted these actions, demonstrates either an illegal act, or has been done following professional consultation that has advised illegal acts
• that way that the Tweed Shire Council and the NSW Government has permitted and endorsed these Camphor Laurel Extraction Industries could be shown to be  illegal. Bluecray believes that the extraction process for Camphor Laurels, as done in the Tweed Shire, for BIOENERGY contravenes current laws and agreements in place, within Australia and Internationally.

Bluecray will welcome any discussion about these matters, as many minds make a greater “wit”, and it is With Intelligent Thought, that perhaps the perceivable outcomes of this current “War on Biodiversity” can be led to armistice.

Firstly, to help you with some ecological and environmental background:-

“potential value of weedy regrowth for rainforest restoration” -

Loss of Biodiversity – at bluecray environmental search engine.

Evolution and Development of a Code for Private Native Forestry in New South Wales, Australia – search results at bluecray environmental search engine – some of these links may help you understand the current, evolving state of play concerning Private Forestry practices

It is hoped, that with this series of articles, the people who have been affected  by or advocated against this habitat destroying activity by bioenergy entities, will become better informed as to the legal venues which they can use to create a legal argument that will lead to a moratorium and injunction on this form of Camphor Laurel habitat clearing, until it is further understood within the full scope of BIODIVERSITY and ENERGY use in NE NSW and SE QLD (and beyond).

Some of the people who are operating in this industry could lose  income through this action, and so it should be seen as important that decisions to halt this Camphor Laurel extraction not be taken lightly. In fact, in preference to injunction and moratorium, these people who are engaged in this industry should be employed, rather, to work towards habitat restoration in a legal, and environmentally sustainable way. However, the “might is right” tendencies of the Corporate energy groups may chose not to agree, as their profits, projected agreed quotas and economic viability may be at risk.

NSW Constitution : about the Land and Environment Court – extract from a Chief Judge (Mahla Pearlman) Land and Environment Court of New South Wales Paper entitled “The Role and Operation of  The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales”

“The Forgotten Forests the environmental regulation of forestry on private land in NSW between 1997 and 2002 by James Prest,  University  of Wollongong 2003:- the paper can be found at Research Online http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/413 .

The Pursuit of Practical Wisdom by vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz, of Macquarie University. (August 25th 2010). You can download Steven Schwartz’s lecture “Wise up: Restoring wisdom to Universities” here.

A final word here, for this first article of bluecrays’ journey into the world of BIODIVERSITY, BIOENERGY, BIOFUELS and WISDOM:-

Court Cases, Lawyers, Corporations, individual workers, politicians, beaurocratic representatives can all be tied up , very expensively, in COURT ROOM SCENARIOS. Bluecray believes that it is better to educate, advocate, honour individuals’ Constitutional rights and the rights of individuals, under the LAWS of GOD and NATURE, over the seemingly endlessly increasing LAWS of COMMERCE and ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.

It is better to change our ways, accept that we have done wrong, and move ahead speedily, in a creative and harmonious way, than to stop, argue, debate endlessly and waste valuable resources of the people of Australia.

• Rufous Bettong at NSW Threatened Species – Northern Rivers
• Some bluecray educational storyline articles about the Rufous Bettong and Habitat Clearing :- “PK and Litoria look for Rufous Bettong, and on the way, meet up with Goanna” ;  “Rufous Bettong and the Glyphosate Bank“  – this ARTICLE  describes the habitat that the Rufous Bettongs have been seen and heard in, over the past years, adjacent to habitat destruction being conducted by NSW “green energy groups and individual landholders; “Goanna leaves the glyphosate bank, the butterflies leave too” and   “Wildlife leaves glyphosate bank – finds refuge in organic garden“.
• Habitat Loss /Change :- key threatening process (NSW GOVERNMENT) .
  

Bluecray also believes, however, that one of the most powerful and important resources available to the people of Australia, is its BIODIVERSITY and WISDOM thereof.

tread lightly, my friends. Alison Polistchuk

……..about 17 years ago, I was invited to be part of a steering committee for developing protocols re clearing under powerlines in Queensland – the big powerlines that you see transversing the landscape, bringing power to your locality. Back then, environmental considerations were deemed of minimum importance, when it came to electricity, power generation, and land and water stewardship management issues. I suggested back then that heavy machinery operators should be given training in a national standards approach to habitat management issues and understanding of soil/natural vegetation dynamics. The idea fell on deaf ears, and today, the idea is still, apparently considered non essential for heavy machinery operators within the elctricity/power industries. As I write this, the bulldozers are still relentlessly killing and destroying poor Rufous Bettongs’ habitat, and the habitats, homes and food sources of our other precious little native animals. Shame on you, NSW Government. Shame on you, Tweed Shire Council, Shame on you Bioenergy providers.  Mammals – marsupials, are disappearing at an unprecedented rate in Australia, and still the emperors of power play their tunes of glory.

Conservation of Australia’s BIODIVERSITY at Australian DEWHA

The Precautionary Principle . OnlyOnePlanet

The Rainforest Information Centre .

Australian Government State of the Environment Reporting . and BIODIVERSITY .

Habitat advocate – Habitatadvocate.com.au

Public Interest Advocacy Centre :- “The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is an independent, non-profit law and policy organisation that works for a fair, just and democratic society, empowering citizens, consumers and communities by taking strategic action on public interest issues. ”

Total Environment Centre .

a balance of faeries :- you will find bluecray’s story “A Balance of Faeries” here – telling the true story of how bulldozers and fuels, powered together with mankind’s lack of WISDOM, results in loss of the smaller, essential biological components of our wonderful Australian landscapes. This makes the degraded landscapes lose their biodiversity, and lessens the landscape’s ability to withstand the greater forces of nature- wind, sun, heat, cold, fire, rain, flood etc.

Loss of Hollow-bearing Trees – key threatening process determination:-

(a) it adversely affects threatened species, populations or ecological communities, or
(b) could cause species, populations or ecological communities that are not threatened to become threatened.

“Trees retained during harvest are susceptible to damage from logging operations and post-harvest burning, or can suffer poor health owing to changes in abiotic conditions (Gibbons and Lindenmayer 2002). Consequently, retained trees are prone to early mortality, especially with repeated exposure to harvesting events over their lifespan. Prescriptions for forestry operations also stipulate that young trees are retained for long-term replacement of hollow-bearing trees, typically with one recruit for every hollow-bearing tree. The age structure in natural forests, where recruitment and loss of mature trees is at equilibrium, indicates that only a small proportion of younger trees survive to reach maturity. A ratio of one-to-one will be inadequate in itself to sustain the stipulated minimum densities of hollow-bearing trees in harvested areas. In addition, the average age of hollow-bearing trees in harvested areas will continue to decrease as the few remaining very old trees die. Trees are also retained in areas excluded from harvesting, such as along drainage lines, with the aim of creating a matrix of harvested and non-harvested areas. In the longer term as trees mature in exclusion zones they will help to provide hollows across production forest landscapes, yet their usefulness to fauna is affected by the reduction in hollows and the quality of foraging habitat in the surrounding forest.” from http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/lossofhollowtreesktp.htm

DISHONOUR:-  legal meaning of dishonour – this can include breach of faith, shame, nonadherence, noncompliance and LACK of PRINCIPLE

“Ecologically Sustainable Development: Legal Principles “  a paper by Justice Peter Biscoe, Land and Environment Court of New South Wales delivered on 15 April 2009 to the postgraduate course in Environmental Law and Policy conducted by the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of New South Wales .

NSW  Sugar Industry Renewable Electricity Generation : a case study presented by the University of Ballarat. This Case Study explains the processes involved in creating the NSW Sugar Industry Renewable Electricity Generation.

• It shows timelines and technical information that is easy to understand. It is well presented and worth a read. Unfortunately, it does not indicate the ecological significance of clearing Camphor Laurel on a large and lengthy scale, as is being done in the Northern Rivers Shires in NE NSW, Australia for renewable electricity generation. There is a link to the environmental impact statement for the Broadwater Biomass Cogeneration Proposal (I couldn’t get it to work, though).
• It also does not show the calculations concerning the energy that is required to create the “green fuel” from Camphor Laurels and the “energy calculations” for the loss of biodiversity and ecological sustainability  from systems being destroyed by camphor extraction.
• It does not show calculations for biodiversity and carbon storage losses such as carbon storage in root systems, trunks, stems etc , soil and seed bank sustainability factors and calculations relating to individual habitat threatening processes, the loss of native flora and fauna in the extraction process and soil degradation calculations.  These calculations, when compared to the time and energy that it will take to repair the camphor extraction sites, once the machinery and trees have gone, would be interesting to see.

photo of  how your green energy is made by NSW  Sugar Industry Renewable Electricity Generation – Burringbar, Northern Rivers, NSW, Australia

WAKE UP!!!

Mothers of children all around the world care deeply for their childrens’  future. Mothers protect and teach their children. In this uncertain world, protecting and teaching our young requires, amongst other things, continuity of educational basics within a safe teaching environment.  Environmental concerns and fears do not always seem immediate to our lives, if we live in Australia – particularly within the cities and towns along the eastern coast..

We hear about these dreadful things that are happening in our world -fires, floods, droughts, earthquakes, war, oil / gas disasters, species extinction, habitat loss, increasing pollutions and nuclear threat, but often, we are so busy in our own little world, that all these things seem so very far away from the safety of our homes here.  Living safely in our homes, we also forget that there are many homeless families and individuals in Australia.

Homeless Persons’ Legal Service .

The ACE Study – “Bridging the gap between childhood trauma and negative consequences later in life” Adverse Childhood Experiences Study & Score

Public Interest Advocacy Centre :- “The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) is an independent, non-profit law and policy organisation that works for a fair, just and democratic society, empowering citizens, consumers and communities by taking strategic action on public interest issues. “

Below is a poem about a mother and her young son. In the poem, the mother is looking after her son with love and care, teaching him all she knows…..but harsh circumstances prevail  upon her and and, uprooted from her home, she endeavours to find a new place to live with her son….

I will protect you and teach you……..

(an environmental advocacy  poem )

“For you, little young one, as you sleep with your dreams
cradled in arms of protection, it seems
that your future on earth faces heat, drought and less
than the past futures made by “them” leaving this mess.”

“I cry for your children, your hopes dreams and cares
As mysterious moneymen count ill gotten fares.
The userers wallow in time stole from you
Masked wasters of life , toxic moneys accrued.”

“You stir as  the night owl glides from its tree
And the howling of dogs surrounds you and me
My arms close  about you, ancestral strength
I’ll protect you and feed you,  I’ll teach you at length”

“Now waken my dear one, the night closes in
And it’s time that we moved through this forest -so thin
We’ll find a tall tree where the shelter is safe
To keep us till morn – ”

They moved on in good faith.

Following tracks, the mother  showed son
what she’d learnt and had followed when she had been young
But tracks, trees and wetlands – were now tarred concrete
It went on for miles,  it hurt their bare feet.

“For you, my dear young one, hold fast on my back
I promised to lead you, but I’ve lost my old track
The morning approaches, dogs bark -  so near
My darling – please waken – I smell a great fear”

The mother and child then ran for their lives
straddling a fence and cut by the wires.
The fierce dogs chased them and hounded them hard
as a tall tree loomed up – unfenced in its yard

Scrambling treeward  they climbed, then looked down
three dogs barked out loudly with dark dogged frown
Up in the tree, confused,  bleary eyed
Mother cradled her child -  with full strength of the wild.

.  … ….    ….   .   ….    …. …  .

It was a crisp winter’s morning……..a young child woke up and looked out of her window.

(She had woken suddenly from a nightmare, where, as she played in a faery glade,  large fierce dogs came to attack her.  In her dream, she had run into a tall building where smiling business suited men , dripping with oil and tar, offered her suitcases filled with plastic money . )

The young child cried out to her mother,  “Oh Mother – look see – a Koala is in our tree!! Oh, Mama, I think it has a baby with it!!!”

Concreting the Coastal 2003 : Clearing and Development Pressures on the NSW Coast 2003 Total Environment Centre PDF – this compiled resource by the TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE show problematic development, land clearing activity, approvals and proposals in coastal nsw 2002 -2003. It looks at the larger, more controversial, uncompleted developments at that time – (not the smaller, under the radar ones, nor the already completed ones). This is an excellent recent historic resource.

“I will Jail you and Feed you” – Balance of Faeries article at bluecray.wordpress.com – includes links to help you understand SEPP’s for NSW Koala Plan of Management.

Clearing the habit of Habitat Clearing .

SEPP 44 koala plan of management – search results bluecray environmental search

State Environmental Planning Policy 44 - Koala Plan of Management – NSW  Consolidated Regulations

Below is some Koala Legislation, policy, koala advocacy, habitat management information for NE NSW and SE QLD, Australia:-

(not exhaustive, but includes links to some current (2010)  ways in which the governments of Australia steer people and their industries  to save the Koala on the east coast of Australia from increasingly localised Extinction -  habitat clearing and koala corridor destruction-  death and illness.)

• Spatiotemporal dynamics of habitat use by koalas: the checkerboard model .   William A.H. Ellis, Alistair Melzer, Fred B. Berkovitch  Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Volume 63, number 8,1181-1188, DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0761-2.           find at http://cat.inist.fr/ or   SpringerLink .  Published online 31st March 2009 – the keywords are :-  foraging strategies , koalas , phascolarctos, resource use, spatial ecology, home range.

• Bluecray now has a number of Koala Articles and LINKS to Koala info, and so searching the KEYWORDS and using the Bluecray Environmental Search Engine may turn up more info to help you understand.

joint submission prepared by the North Coast Environment Council and the NSW Nature Conservation Council:- Re: Phascolarctos cinereus (Koala) – Assessment of Koala’s eligibility for listing as a threatened species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) EPBC Act nomination to list as a threatened species , ( link disappeared!.. like the Koala?)  at Australian Government Department of  the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts.  FIND  the KOALA info the Australian Government makes available…..

by searching for KOALA listings  at the Australian Government Department of  the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts.

• Threatened Species Scientific Committee assessment of the koala – Australian Environment Minister Peter Garrett Interview with Annie Gaffney ABC Sunshine and Cooloola Coasts         25 May 2010

NCC of NSW = Nature Conservation Council of NSW – their Assessment of Koala’s eligibility for listing as a threatened species under EPBC Act 16th June 2010

KOALA at Qld Government Department of Environment and Resource Management .

KOALA Response Strategy at Qld Government Department of Environment and Resource Management – this link has the following information, mostly  in PDF format :-

• South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provision

• State Planning Policy 2/10: Koala Conservation in South East Queensland

• Offsets for Net Gain of Koala Habitat in South East Queensland Policy

There is also the following information:-

• The  State Government Supported Community Infrastructure Koala Conservation Policy .
• Koala Habitat Mapping .  This section deals with the 2009 SEQ Koala Habitat Values Assessment map & the GHD Report: SEQ Koala Habitat Assessment and Mapping Project .
• Koala Habitat Programs :- This Koala Habitat Program is focusing on the Koala Nature Refuges Program.

I am not sure as to what “on the ground IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS ” to the plight of the Koala all these initiatives are creating.

The information about koala habitats and the capacity to create useful extension tools and outreach programs for KOALA GUARDIANS and koala future wellbeing has been about for decades. Whilst new techniques, scientific studies and all typesof “credentialled experts” and authentic Koala HABITAT guardians have contributed to this “new approach” from the Qld Government, the fact remains that Koalas are and HAVE disappeared from many KOALA HABITAT areas in SE QLD and NE NSW. KOALAS are, right NOW, and in the near forseeable future, GREATLY AT RISK

The above poem about habitat destruction and its consequences on wildlife mothers and their young shows us that the education of young wildlife by their parents can be very stressful in a constantly changing environment. This is especially so when the native fauna habitat is destroyed or altered dramatically. Non environmentally sustainable development and its related infrastructure nightmare in SE QLD and NE NSW are two of the many factors destroying habitat for native Australian wildlife.

BIODIVERSITY LINKS : -  some useful  links for Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna, Koalas, Ecology and Catchment Management  (NE NSW and SE QLD – Mt Warning Caldera Region)

Animal Law Centre :- nice animal advocacy site – giving an overview of Animal Law in Australia – references and links to Australian and State legislation. Includes animal law and the Australian Constitution, enforcements and threatened species laws in Australian States

KOALA SCHOOL

Biodiversity Certification :  enabling ” local government in areas with high development pressure to provide for the protection of biodiversity, including threatened species at the strategic planning stage. These are likely to be mainly urban and coastal areas.

Certification can switch off the need for threatened species assessment under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, providing more certainty for local government, development applicants and other stakeholders. Biodiversity must be improved or maintained for certification to be conferred. ” from environment.nsw.gov.au  – biodiversity certification”

More plans, more paperwork, more “expert opinion” and re-hashing of studies, more re-arrangements of habitats and ecosystems to justify heavy machinery handling and toxic lifestyles???? hard to say, but more than likely it is going to be the same as it always is……. better to focus on education of our young in environmentally friendly ways of living… then, instead of  regulations, paperworks, endless time and money spent on professional “spin”, people may just end up walking gently with the earth….

PLANNING GUIDELINES FOR KOALA CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY – C McAlpine – 2007:- search results bluecray environmental search engine

Advocacy for Animals at Encyclopaedia Britannica and Kangaroo Culling .

Wildife – Native Australian Wildlife Advocacy at (We)  can do better .

Meanwhile, at Kingscliff,NE NSW:-  large developments (that will further fragment our native wildlife habitats) are planned nearby (Kings Forest, Cobaki Lakes ) and the sea is moving inwards – “Hungry Mother Nature bares her teeth” -  infrastructure damage at Kingscliff on the NSW North Coast -  by coastal erosion (2010): SMH article by Saffron Howden

Kingscliff battles beach erosion (story 11th august 2010):- at ABC local + other local beach coastal erosion stories from NE NSW (Tweed and Byron shires)

the above environmental advocacy images by al at bluecray

Tread lightly, honour the earth – it is the only home we have.

..                             and now,

for some philosophical freedom food

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blogs + philosophy + podcast+ videos +philosophical conversations….

“The Bomb in the Brain“

Human Contraptions: Episode Guide - “Academy Award-winning animator and political cartoonist Bruce Petty takes us on an anarchic journey for five minutes each” topic.

Ideas Serving Knowledge and Vision .  Some astrobabble for the anarchist – Includes Australian Federation Astrological Chart.

The Six Clusters of Denial—Death by Storytelling at candobetter.org

News, advertising, tweets, YouTube, advertising, blogs, study, conversation, listening, advertising, talking, writing, movies, advertising, books, magazines and of course… advertising – all these things, and many more,  give us information. Mostly, as undiscerning individuals, we gulp it up then, the next day or so, out  and forgotten…… just some vague memory (the flavour, the texture, the feel, the facts, the perception?).

What is apparent to me is that the once the food (or information) has been absorbed -  to some degree……. that food is what becomes US.  Abit like agreeing  with those that say WE ARE WHAT WE EAT.

Human Contraptions: Episode Guide - “Academy Award-winning animator and political cartoonist Bruce Petty takes us on an anarchic journey for five minutes each” topic.

Pakistan – looking in from the outside – helping them help themselves – ideas about family planning

WikiLeaks .    “Is the Internet Filter Australia’s Berlin Wall”  Wikileaks appears to have anarchy in its essence,  with release of information that is highly emotive, thought provoking and shocking. Shocking as it is to see so much information released, who are the people for which it plays consequence? Where, in the light of things, does the change for the better begin. After points of anarchy and change, rebuilding can occur. This is opportunity. Or rather be like Orpheus,. and Lot – gazing back and viewing the hell that was, instead of looking to the future journey.   And  there are many forms of opportunity which we, as humans, constantly exploit. Discernment and perceptions, the “taste” that we search for – these things help steer our decision making, actions and ideas.

Terrorism and the Economy – Loretta Napoleoni – articles, books, how the war on terror is bankrupting the world, terrorist financing. Money the lifeline of terrorism .

” The Bomb in the Brain“

“The Story of Your Enslavement” – Freedomain Radio

Awakening the Dreamer : homepage, links to Symposiums, ideas and vision

Weekend Workshops: John Seed’s Page .

The Change Agency :   – workshops, case studies, knowledge, serving, ideas and vision.

Journal of Ecosophy :- The Trumpeter – “The Trumpeter is an environmental journal dedicated to the development of an ecosophy, or wisdom, born of ecological understanding and insight.”

Ecopsychology on-line :- “With Earth in Mind”

Below is the Australian Federation Astrological CHART – as created by WhatWatch Astrology Program at PaperTV .

It is here that those who do not subscribe to psychological / astrological theory can leave if they wish. You may not be interested in the following, as it is mainly ASTROLOGICAL and Psychological, with a hint of philosophy and spirit. It is here that I begin the main body of the article…….

Ideas, practical serving, knowledge and faith are associated with the  MUTABLE Zodiac SIGNS  – the Qualities that CHANGE. :

• Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

The CARDINAL SIGNS – the Qualities that LEAD are :

• Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn  and

FIXED SIGNS – the Qualities that FOLLOW :

• Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius

These make up the 12 SIGNS of the Western Astrological ZODIAC.

recapping:-

CARDINAL SIGNS (LEADERSHIP qualities) encompass PERSONALITY & EGO (aries) , NURTURING(cancer), BALANCING (libra) and LIMITING /BUILDING(capricorn).

The above 4 QUALITIES show us that leadership requires a delicate balance of bravery and bravado.

• The masks of the personality as it interfaces with it’s surrounding/immediate environment

• The drives of instinct interfacing with birth, death and the nurturing

• The balancing the individual’s DUALITY, PARTNERSHIPS and AGREEMENTS, and

• The BUILDING, LIMITING and CONSEQUENCES of all previous leadership decisions and actions.

The FIXED SIGNS (FOLLOWING qualities) encompass
HAVING & Possessions(taurus),  CREATING(leo) , CHANGING(scorpio) and HOPE(aquarius).
The above 4 Fixed Qualities show us how we possess, create, change and hope. These qualities follow the “LEADER”, reflecting the consequences of the leader’s actions and decisions through the way they “HAVE”, CREATE”, “CHANGE” and “HOPE”.
The Followers are the “powerhouse” of the social structure identified and nurtured by the “LEADER”. The followers readily possess, create, change and hope for the purpose of fullfilling the “LEADER’s” QUEST.
Followers are rigid, conform, encompass “habits”, learned behaviours and favour following over initiative.

Followers …….. I HAVE and I speculate / create, I change and I hope

Millions follow, immersed in their hopes and desires to have, create, change.

Many are just “SURVIVING”. Many are living it up, overloaded with much more than they can carry on their back,  living at a fast pace, consuming, creating market driven realities that are destroying and creating at a furious pace. Many toxins, much power, poisonous mindsets, taking risks with ourchildrens’ future wellbeing , risking the earth, extinctions…….lots of cover-ups…..

How to CHANGE  leaders, and followers?? via the four mutable qualities…..

THINKING (gemini)
SERVING (virgo)
KNOWING(sagittarius)
Having Faith and VISION(pisces)

Thinking, Serving, Knowing  Vision

The MUTABLE SIGNS ( they can switch from LEADER to FOLLOWER) encompass THINKING, SERVING, KNOWING and HAVING FAITH.
These above 4 qualities show us the anarchist in us all, the place where a change, if it is to occur, can begin, at a deep level. In the choas of the void – the place of no place.

• Through true reflective thinking (gemini/mutable/positive/creator)

• Through the offering of self to service, humbly going about one’s daily living (virgo/mutable/negative/receptor)
• Through seeking knowledge, philosophical values and the realm of the higher mind  (sagittarius/mutable/positive/creator),

and

• offering the self to the selfless good for God and through prayer, selflessnes and holy vision (pisces/mutable/negative/receptor)-

these things can bring about massive transformation and change.

The qualities of thinking, serving, knowing and having faith take us to perceptive realities often far removed from “the real world”.

GEMINI:    Thinking might have got us “here” to begin with, and it may be THOUGHT that takes us away from this “PLACE”, and toward a more endearing future.
VIRGO:      Serving takes us out of ourselves, putting us beyond our own personal needs, and relaxes our minds to think NOT FROM OUR SELVES.
This is a strange way to live, in a world of “JUNGLE (desert) OUT THERE” mentalities of modern man.
SAGITTARIUS:      Knowledge will also take us away from ourselves, and closer to our higher mind, where the realities of life can be seen more clearly than through the “rose” coloured glasses of the Followers and the often sociopathic egosets of our “LEADERS”.
The final quality of the Mutable Signs is PISCES’ FAITH:       It is faith that carries us forward. Vision and faith are the most powerful anarchist, (i use this term to describe those things that bring about what appears to be chaos, in order to create a new vision and future that better serves humanity and more importantly, humanity’s spirit – especially when aligned with love and compassion, humility and courage.) Please try to not get too pedantic about my language. I am writing from my heart here, dear reader…..

Our (CARDINAL points) – leaders are taking us the wrong way. (Leadership = I AM here to NURTURE, BALANCE, and LIMIT (build))

The earth and our prospects of a safe future are changing rapidly.

We have allowed ourselves to be fooled by our free will and the free will of others. We  blindly follow. time to waken ourselves, and examine some of the tools that can be used to implement deep change. A CHANGE that can help strengthen our ability to chose wisely for the coming world events. Help us to Think, Help, become Informed and Knowledgable and create good VISION.

I am writing this as the 2010  Australian Federal election looms. Australian Leadership issues concerning growth, the economy, the environment  been in the news . Leadership qualities of the “mask”, strong personality, nurturing, caring, balance, discussion, agreement, building, limiting, guiding and teaching -  possibly well meant electioneering platforms. Beneath the leadership lies the cumbersome, fixed social fabric that is heading towards an uncertain future, remarkeably bound, in daily life, by the consequences of some not very smart decision making in previous years, decades, and centuries, and of course, in the previous months.

The Pursuit of Practical Wisdom by vice-chancellor Steven Schwartz, of Macquarie University. (August 25th 2010). You can download Steven Schwartz’s lecture “Wise up: Restoring wisdom to Universities” here.

WAKE UP!

environmental advocacy collages and astrological/environmental advocacy collages by al at bluecray

Wisdom in the Land : bluecray’s blog on the Journey for Wisdom in the Land

A Balance of Faeries : bluecray’s blog inspired by a DREAM (pisces – MUTABLE, neptune, vision, dreaming, subconscious, institutions, hidden enemies, the void) about how KNOWLEDGE (sagittarius -MUTABLE,  jupiter, higher learning, religions, universities, journeys for wisdom, long journeys, deep understanding, collective knowledge) and IDEAS (gemini – MUTABLE, mercury, learning, studies, communications, sharing, information, essays, small books, short studies and short journeys) that has led to bluecray’s SERVING (virgo – MUTABLE, mercury, daily lifestyle and daily living, food, clothing, practical work, health, helping others).