Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Archives for January 12, 2008

Oh, what a golden web she weaves (part II)

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Nephila2.jpg

Take a long look into the face of the world’s largest two-dimensional wheel-web weaving spider: The Golden Orb-weaver (Nephila pilipes).

The red appendages, projecting forward from the head region, are sensory organs called palps. They detect scent, sound and vibration. Between them are the powerful chelicerae; made up of the base segment and the fangs. Above, the cephalothorax houses six eyes with a three-dimensional outlook.

Gigantism in these animals correlates with increased temperature, so I suppose it is inevitable that we should all enjoy a closer familiarity in this anthropogenically-exacerbated interglacial warming period.

Sir David King – ‘Greens’ Want to Take Us Back to 17th Century

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The UK Government’s former chief scientific adviser has accused green activists of putting the fight against climate change at risk by wanting to take society back to the 17th century.

He said: “There is a suspicion, and I have that suspicion myself, that a large number of people who label themselves ‘green’ are actually keen to take us back to the 18th or even the 17th century.

Sir David’s comments were made in an interview in The Guardian.

Farmers Looking Forward to a Golden Revolution: Media Release from The Producers Forum

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Reports in Australian Cotton Outlook that India is on the cusp of a “White Gold Revolution” have prompted renewed calls from for all Australian farmers to be given the right to participate in the biotech revolution.

India has progressed from an importer of cotton to become the world’s second largest exporter, and in just four years production has risen from 17.9 million bales to 31 million bales in 2007-08 with the help of GM cotton.

NSW Convener of the Australian bioadvocacy group Producers Forum Maree McKay is pleased with the easing of NSW and Victorian moratoria, saying Australian growers will now be able to choose to use the technology.

“Canadian GM canola growers have been benefiting at our expense for over a decade. At last we now have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field,” Mrs McKay said.

“Maybe in a few years time the headlines will be: Australian Farmers Experience Yellow Gold Revolution.”

However South Australian Convener, Heather Baldock, is looking forward to the South Australian government announcing the decision of its moratorium review and enabling South Australian growers to take advantage of the economic gains.

“It is farcical that in an attempt to coerce the state government into keeping the GM moratorium, the anti-GM groups are still publicly stating that GM cotton has been a disaster for Indian farmers. If that’s a disaster, I’ll have it any day,” Ms Baldock.

“In fact the reports from India support the Australian experience where cotton growers have reduced pesticide usage by 85 percent, and increased production of food and fibre with less water, less acreage, and a lower greenhouse footprint.”

A recent report in the New Scientist magazine stated that a new generation of GM crops could reduce greenhouse emissions by more than grounding all the aircraft in the world.

National Convener Jeff Bidstrup, himself a GM cotton grower, said the debate from the opponents of GM canola is at odds with the reality. “We have all been eating GM foods for over a decade with nothing but positive benefits for human health,” Mr Bidstrup said.