Jennifer Marohasy

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Muzzled Australians Gain a Voice on ETS

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The Australian Environment Foundation today launched an online petition opposing the federal government’s “Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme”. The petition will eventually be presented to Parliament by Dr Dennis Jensen, MHR for Tangney.Oppose the ETS

AEF Chair Dr Jennifer Marohasy said there is a strong need for the petition because none of the major political parties are offering an alternative to carbon trading.

“To quote John from Cheltenham, Victoria, one of the early signatories, ‘At last a chance to protest, a chance to be heard, a chance for the millions of Australians who have not fallen for this propaganda to speak out’.”

Dr Marohasy said that many Australians oppose this scheme because they know it will cost them and their families dearly, sending Australian industries and Australian jobs overseas. It is flawed and won’t have a measurable impact on CO2 levels or global temperature.

“As Chris from Roma in Queensland says, it is ‘Unnecessary and impotent’.

“That’s why even before the petition is launched we have almost 1,000 signatures.”

Dr Marohasy said there were clear themes that emerged from comments left on the petition, and rather than speak for the signatories, they should speak for themselves.

[Read more…] about Muzzled Australians Gain a Voice on ETS

Gone Fishing

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“Gone Fishing” is an expression we use here in Australia to let people know that a business is closed for a period of time while the owner takes a break.

I’m off for a bit – “Gone Fishing”.   Cheers,

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The photograph is of a pelican near Ingham, North Queensland, taken September 29, 2008.

Changing Temperatures Likely to Impact Frogs

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Image:Infrafrenata1.jpgWHEN news headlines simultaneously suggested that both warm weather and cold weather might adversely affect frog populations, there was some mocking from climate change sceptics. [1, 2]

But given the extraordinary impact of the pathogenic fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, on frog populations worldwide, and the pathogen’s apparently relatively narrow temperature optima, a small change in temperature may have a significant impact on local frog populations. [3]

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1. Climate threat to Nordic amphibians, January 23, 2009, http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=8358&lang=6

2. Cold weather hits The Lizard wildlife, January 10, 2009,
http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/cornwall_news/4036969.Cold_weather_hits_The_Lizard_wildlife/ 

3.  Threat Abatement Plan, Infection of Amphibians with Chytrid fungus resulting in Chytridiomycosis, Australian Department of Environment and Heritage, 2006, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/tap/chytrid.html
“In culture B. dendrobatidis grows slowly at 6°C, develops most rapidly at 23°C but dies if kept at temperatures above 29°C.”

Picture of the Giant White-lipped Tree Frog via Neil Hewett. http://www.ccwild.com/index.html

New Jungles

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By one estimate, for every acre of rain forest cut down each year, more than 50 acres of new forest are growing in the tropics on land that was once farmed, logged or ravaged by natural disaster.  Read more here in the New York Times.  This good news was reported eight years ago by Marc Morano, Read more here. 
And also here.