I hope all Birds in Backyards have survived in good shape the wild, flooding, coastline-eroding weather affecting the eastern states. Stay safe, one & all.
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yes woko I'd say no matter what side of the global warming argument one's on, better prepare for more extreme weather. Be it bush, river, beach, or sun kissed wind swept plains. Events local and globally are getting more frequent, more extreme, and more out of season. Seems we maybe are entering the 11 hour, be a wild ride for the next 20 years. Lets hope the reef and many other facits of nature can hang on.
I've been listening alot and thinking long and hard about who to vote for, if at all. I keep thinking of the definition of stipid; Stupid = doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result. To me economics is quite simple really, to bring the books back into the black, you need to spend less than you earn, full stop. Their is litle growth pridicted for the globe, and no one knows what will happen in 12 months let along 5 years, so why do politicians expect us to believe in predictions of growths and balancing the books. Of which both parties can't do without a mining boom. And we are far from enovative though we have the character. Our two party preffered, compulsary voting democracy.... keeps bringing me back to the definition of stupid again.
Maybe the third party that is often considered as nut cases may be worth a try. Don't agree with all of their policies, but a propper change may be what our domocracy and our part of the earth needs. Don't know, will keep listening.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
Disillusion with our politicians seems to be rampant. There are now far fewer rusted on voters & far murkier differences between the major parties than there were back in the day. Even the Greens are becoming more like the majors as they all strive to attract volatile voters & in doing so further alienate many of us. As you imply, Jason, why keep doing that which doesn't work?
Although they're not directly related to birds, tnere are several thoughts which come to mind.
As yet few, if any politicians or voters for that matter, make any connection between the state of the natural environment & our economy. We continue to plunder our natural capital, to use an economic term, with gay abandon. So much four our economic expertise.
We consistently hear about the need to balance the budget & yet we unhesitatingly spend billions on wars & preparations for wars - often preparations which are next to useless. Why do we engage in such behavior if balancing the budget is so important? Or are we being sold a myth by those who benefit from myths? Almost immediately after trillions of dollars were spent on World War II there was a massive economic boom in many parts of the world. And the US economy chugged along very nicely after the huge sums spent on trying to smash the hell out of Vietnam which is now one of out trading partners. So perhaps unbalanced budgets are the way to go if we want economic growth - at least until the natural environment has decided it's no longer able to support us.
What has happened to our souls & sense of wonder & curiosity that we prefer concrete boxes to natural riches?
Given our intense addiction to money & economic growth is democracy able to rescue us from the pit into which we seem to be sliding? If we eventually wake up to what's going on will it be too late for our civilization & our species? Will there have to be an aeons-long biodiversity recovery, free of human interference, to enable the evolution of anything remotely like our current civilization? And then will we go around again if there's anything left of us to go around?
Why is it that the supposedly most intelligent species on our planet seems hell bent on making the dumbest decisions even to the point of risking it's very survival?
Such are my thoughts as I type this overlooking the desultory yet important coastal revegetation efforts of the Alexandrina Council at Horseshoe Bay, Pt Elliot in SA. Good luck, fellow humans, & keep presenting an alternative way of treating our precious planet.
I saw a Brown Booby and Australasian Gannet at Bargara Beach on Sunday lunch time
Peter
Thats a bit random Peter, but all welcome. Thanks for the giggle. Lol.
I can sympathise Woko. The greens are more into social interests to gain votes as I presume there aren't enogh in the environment. I liken our situation to an expodential curb. Humanty has drawn a long base line over the centuries not harming things to much with population and progress. The acute swing up happened in 1900 with the industrial revolution, and the sky rocket upward swing is current consumption of land, resources, and population. Mean while earth is taking the hit, but there seems no stopping the sky rocket of human kind 's perception of abundance.
Whats really pathetic I think is the way technology is dwafing everthing in its path, to spend billions on weapons over the next 30 years, it will be obsolete by the time the ink dries on the paper. Mean while our extinction rates of wildlife and habitate are at world leading rates.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
And a ironic thing is we can't an bugger off to space..
I heard on the radio last week humans have polluted space that much that now it's become an economic mine field. A spec of litter the size of your little finger nial blew a 5cm thick glass window out on the space station. I can't recall how much it cost to fix, but this human wast has the potential to completely distroy satellites. Each time an inicedent happens, more space litter is created. This produces the the very real scenario of bringing communications, security, mapping, or the human race to it's knees pritty quickly. So now every bit of space junk is tracked and satellites are moved out of the way when required. Trouble with moving satellites is their fuel is limited, and thus shortens the life of the expansive asset. The fuel they do carry is meant to trim their orbit as they slowly drift out of it, not to shuffle them in and out of it. I didn't know wether to laugh or cry but seems nothing is beyond us.
Dr Karl Kruszeinicki summed up global warming pretty bluntly: some places with get hot, some will cool, lots or people will die, but the human race will adapt. As stated, the most inteligent species on the earth with all the power, still happy to larley vote liberal or labour because that is what they always have done.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
A terrible thing indeed, Woko. Nature has to compensate somehow with the weather. It could've been a lot worse though.
Jason, I have to admit I don't know much about politics but what I do know is I will not vote for any government party that values our plant life (trees) as a source of money. I've been talking to my logger neighbour and, well, the horror of it all. State forests and National Parks are targeted by the Department of Forestry to be chopped down as a source of income. Most, if not all of the timber is sold overseas. The roots of the trees are bulldozed out of the ground, and along with the branches and other smaller stuff from the trees are then shredded, bagged up and shipped off to China for the means to make paper with. None, and I mean NONE of the areas that are logged are revegetated. The whole area becomes a wasteland, devoid of trees. If you have property that is on Government owned (State Forest) land - you have no real say. The trees on your property will probably be logged sooner or later.
Which brings me back to the weather. Here in Tenterfield the weather is changing so dramatically. We just went through almost 7-8 months of hot weather. I'm not kidding either. There is a shift in the seasons, and Autumn and Winter are merging together. At the rate the weather is changing here in a few more years well probably just have a summer and a winter and nothing inbetween.
The trees are struggling to survive because of the lack of substantial and regular rainfall, too much heat, and the suddenness of the onset of the cold weather.
I know something bad is happening when two things happen - that have already happened this year. 1. The neighbours big trees drop branches without warning; and 2. The movement of non-local bird species passing through the area that have never been in this area before. (I'm referring to recent sightings of Magpie Geese and a pair of Scarlet Robins.) I have also seen individual birds without their flocks (Australian White Ibis and either a Little Corella or a Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo). It is way too early in the year to see these bird species in town, and they were spotted just a week ago in town. Something is just not right.
I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)
Yes I think you are right Shirly, for those who observe something is not right and will continue to gain momentum I fear. Thanks for sharing your neighbours story. It's quite amazing what you learn when you talk to someone in an industry.
Interesting you mention tree clearing. I had dinner last night with a guy who is a computer ? with minnes. Copper, gold, coal, bauxite, any type of minine really. He said times are tuff. But he said what really annoys him is due to te actions of cowboys in the 70's, the nowdays most controlled, accountable,and restricted industry in the county suffers badly due to it's past rape and pillage image. He said people have no idea what a mine has to do to get the OK these days. The media don't or won't mention it, and report negative all the time. Things like 24hr back to HO water monitoring. 7 to 1 acre set aside for any bird considered less than common. Monitoring ants amongst everything else for 10 years after a mine closure. BUT get an aerial map of Qld and the tree clearing is out of control. A land owner with no impact studdy or any research, and no plan to return the land to something as close as possible can get out the bulldozer and go hard. He sad it's astonoshing the amout of it accoss the state. So what he is saying supports what you neighbour is saying.
I head recently, again on ABC radio, that even though the Qld State Labour government re jigged the laws to make it harder and a more involved process to clear native bush, tree clearing is at an all time high. Like Woko said, what we are actually told and who is making to money is the question. Perhaps not hard to conclude large companies who donate signifigantly to our good old two party preffered system get the understanding, and the public get sold the BS story. All sounds familure and that defination of stupid rings in my head again. Camble Newman got hauled over coals for allowing tree cleaing I recall, something came up here on it but sadly one rarely hears about it again.
It frustrates me greately that scientist, you know really smart people who studdy for a long time, are passionate about their subject, and usually seeking no fame, or side, all to often are ignored. Where as polticians who don't have to have any formal training, or requie ethics, are good with the tongue, and often seeking power and ego grooming juggle our lives like a show in a circus.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
I know what you mean Jason. Its all stupid what is happening in our world and in our country. I don't blame the miners nor the loggers for doing what they're doing. They have to make an income just like the rest of us but their jobs are extremely dangerous and it never ends. My neighbour has a guaranteed job for the next 10 years but he is sick of the sight of trees. I don't think he really likes his job. Unfortunately he was involved in an accident recently with his truck. His logging truck is a complete wipe off, and has to replace it (the rig and the trailer). Without talking to a logger and getting to know what they have to go through just to chop down trees, we really don't know anything at all. It is a real eye opener on the reality and dangers of how our society is constructed. I really feel for loggers and miners but it is a shame there are no other alternatives in our society. There has to be an easier and less dangerous way to maintain this society, or perhaps we need a new one!
I'm at Tenterfield, NSW. (Formerly known as "Hyperbirds".)
Shirley I'm sure there are alternatives, voters just need to give someone else a go. But judging by dinner with the wife's family yesterday it's possibily never going to happen. I am the only nature caring one out of 7 adults and two teeenagers not far off voting age. They are all money focused good Liberal minded people. Fresh air, clean water, habitate for nature and the biodiversity from which makes earth habitable for all may as well be extinct. They will all tell you how they like nature but seems just not when it comes to them making money.
In their minds wild weather, global warming is a natural thing and what can us little humans do to evolution anyway. It seems the old two party preffered compulsary voting system works fine, they only ever vote one way regardless. Never stopping to think it could be broken or a form of blackmail. Thay accept that both paties are happy to change the "elected leader" when the parties feels their power is threatened. Happy for the party to put up a more populus leader in the parties view rather than ask the people for another vote. And don't mind being treated with contempt and thought of like sheep that are stupid. I guess more wild weather is in its way. I wish earth had a Marry Poppins.
Ipswich Shire Eastern flanks
There are strong indications that there are few voters who give a damn about nature & our dependency on it. Certainly the political parties have little or no interest. Even the Greens are only a pale green shadow of their former selves. The environment has slipped so far down the list of priorities that it has fallen from the bottom of the page. My impression is that if we're looking for collective, government action to improve the environment then we're wasting our time. Generally, people would much rather be bitten oh so viciously on the bum than do anything positive about our natural world.
At the same time it's extremely important to keep hope alive as keeping hope alive provides us with the energy to do good things. Individuals can make a difference in their backyards, along their streets & roadsides, on their beaches....you get the picture. Urban ecological renewal & restoration is possible. Individuals can make a difference if they go about things quietly, in their own ways. Phantom revegetators can do great things. Avoid arguing with the energy-sapping climate change deniers & those addicted to the latest fancy gadget. Provide good environmental role models because these are surely needed as the crunch becomes ever fiercer.
apparently this weekend will have some of the same type of weather - take care all
Peter
Yes indeed.