The following letter was published in one of Australia’s broadsheet newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald on June 17, 2006. The Sydney Morning Herald could claim to have a more educated and influential readership than any other newspaper in Australia.
“Fellers not fellows
During my long and interesting life, and my travels around the world, I have observed that there are only two kinds of people: civilised people who plant and look after trees, and uncivilised humans who chop them down.
Moray MacDonald
Franz, Lane Cove”
The letter is perhaps indicative of the extent to which our elite is being swept along by environmental fundamentalism.
And I can’t help but wonder whether Moray MacDonald knows where his toilet paper comes from:
“Here’s to a logger
Who fills a need
From houses to paper
From one little seedFor those of you who
Wish to disagreeTry wiping your arse
without felling a tree.”
The poem was on my stubbie holder at the TCA Conference last year.
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD has worked in industry and government. She is currently researching a novel technique for long-range weather forecasting funded by the B. Macfie Family Foundation.