Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for October 30, 2007

Lovelock: Damned If We Do, Damned If We Don’t

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Professor James Lovelock gave a public lecture hosted by the UK Royal Society on Monday 29th October.

Lovelock said, “Any economic downturn or planned cut back in fossil fuel use, which lessened the aerosol density, would intensify the heating. If there were a 100 per cent cut in fossil fuel combustion it might get hotter not cooler….We live in a fool’s climate. We are damned if we continue to burn fuel and damned if we stop too suddenly.”

The Royal Society Press Release from which the above extract was taken is here.

Drought and Climate Change ‘Not Linked’

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MOST farmers believe climate change is a natural phenomenon and not man-made, senior delegates to a farmers’ conference said today.

NSW Farmers Association (NFA) executive councillors Howard Crozier and Ian McClintock’s comments were applauded by the 60 fellow NFA councillors at their bi-annual meeting in Sydney today.

Read the full article entitled, ”No link’ between drought and climate change’ in The Australian.

Kevin Rudd to ‘Save’ Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

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An extensive plan to save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been announced by Prime Minister John Howard’s main rival in the forthcoming elections.

He announced the A$200m (£90m, US$185.5m) plan while on a glass-bottomed boat tour of the reef in Queensland in the north-east of the country.

Mr Rudd said the bulk of the fund, A$146m (£65.4m), will go towards a water quality grants scheme to encourage landowners to adapt more environmentally-friendly agricultural practices.

Read the rest of ‘Rudd unveils Barrier Reef plan’ on the BBC News Website.

NZ Scientists Find Cure for Frog Killer Fungus

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New Zealand scientists have found what appears to be a cure for the disease that is responsible for wiping out many of the world’s frog populations.

Chloramphenicol, currently used as an eye ointment for humans, may be a lifesaver for the amphibians, they say.

The researchers found frogs bathed in the solution became resistant to the killer disease, chytridiomycosis.

The fungal disease has been blamed for the extinction of one-third of the 120 species lost since 1980.

Story from the BBC News website: Frog killer fungus ‘breakthrough’

Cleaning Oil from Birds: A Note from Ann Novek

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bird being washed 4 blog.jpg

Every year millions of birds die in oil spills around the world. Here’s the basics of how to clean a seabird:

– The birds suffer from hypothermia and have damages to their internal organs due to toxic oil. They suffer also from dehydration from diarrea.

– Do NOT clean the birds immediately. They need first to be stabilised with fluids and activated charcoal solution.

– It takes about 40 minutes for two people to clean a single bird.

– A good liquid to clean birds with is Dawn’s dishwashing liquid.

– After the cleaning, the birds often loose their appetite and need to be tube-fed with suitable nutrients , fluids and drugs.

– After the cleaning, the birds need a very warm place to rest in.

– After some days they are ready for the warm water pools, and finally for the cold water pools.

– Advanced rehab centers take blood samples from the birds to check if they are healthy enough to be released. The hemoglobin will be destroyed if the birds are too toxicated, causing anemia.

Cheers,
Ann
(in Sweden)

PS You can find more information here http://www.ibrrc.org/oil_affects.html

The Japanese and the Democrats want Australia GM Free

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A delegation of Japanese anti-GM activists recently visited Australia demanding our farmers not grow genetically modified canola and then the Australian Democrats declared “keeping Australia GMO free” a federal election issue.

Today the Australian Oilseeds Federation has responded with a media release:

“The Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) urges recognition of the Australian grains industry’s capacity to deliver choice across the supply chain spectrum with the commercialisation of approved GM canola.

The capacity to deliver choice is built on the comprehensive and world-class protocols and processes that already operate in the Australian grains industry to enable grains and grain products to meet regulatory and customer specifications, and provide confidence to consumers.

Commenting on some recent claims from lobbyists that the Japanese market didn’t want GM canola, President of the Australian Oilseeds Federation, Robert Green, said the opposite is true.

“Japan has purchased GM canola from Canada for many years. Indeed, more than 80% of Japan’s canola imports are from Canada, and this is generally mixed with canola from Australia and from other countries,” he said.

“However, the AOF and the grains industry supply chain do recognise that within some markets there may be customers who prefer non-GM products.”

Mr Green said this is precisely what the Australian grains industry supply chain has considered, addressed and endorsed.

“If customers wish to purchase non-GM grain they can do so with confidence, knowing that the supply chain can be managed to meet their needs.

In August, the industry released a report signed-off by 29 key industry organisations.

Mr Green said this report demonstrates the industry’s capacity to manage canola in the supply chain and move ahead with the commercialisation of the approved GM canola varieties, whilst still ensuring the supply of non-GM canola.

“In endorsing this report, the AOF supports the lifting of the market-based moratoria so that farmers who want access to the approved GM varieties can choose to benefit from the technology, just as their competitors in Canada have been choosing to do for the past decade.”

Mr Green notes that the moratoria are concerned with market and trade considerations, the crux of which is the ability to deliver choice.

“Australia has a global reputation for delivering quality grain and oilseed products that meet customer specifications and requirements, and as such, has the capacity and flexibility within its supply chain to deliver choice and meet market requirements,” he said.

The ‘Delivering market choice with GM canola’ report is available via: www.afaa.com.au or www.australianoilseeds.com