People
Free Burma’s political prisoners
Dear Jennifer,
Fantastic news!
After spending 15 of the past 21 years unjustly under house arrest, Burma’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is finally free.
But the Nobel laureate was just one of 2,200 political prisoners in Burma punished for simply engaging in peaceful political activities. Now, as the people of Burma rally around Aung San Suu Kyi, we must remember her words that “the release of political prisoners is the most important thing for all those who truly wish to bring about change in Burma.”
Stand with Aung San Suu Kyi and call for thousands like her to be freed.
This morning in an ABC radio interview, Aung San Suu Kyi acknowledged your contribution to her freedom and the people of Burma’s. Yet her unfair treatment is only the tip of the iceberg of human rights violations in Burma. Imagine: if the government can subject her to such arbitrary detention, we can have little doubt about how vulnerable, less well-known individuals are treated.
People like Mie Mie – a 39 year old mother of two who was arrested in a violent crackdown following an anti-government protest. She is currently serving a 65 year sentence in a prison that is over 1,200 km from her family, making it almost impossible for her children to see her.
Or 32 year old Myo Min Zaw, arrested as student activist – and reportedly tortured – in 1998 for distributing leaflets and organising student. He is currently serving a sentence of 52 years in a prison.
These are only two of over 2,200 people unfairly imprisoned inside Burma: join us and others worldwide to demand the military junta free all prisoners of conscience.
Together, we have been campaigning for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi for over two decades. Thank you for everything you’ve done — your letters, demonstrations, phone calls and discussions with friends, family, and colleagues. Now Aung San Suu Kyi has her freedom, please help her achieve real change for Burma.
In hope,
Jenny Leong
Campaign Coordinator (and Aung San Suu Kyi admirer)
Amnesty International Australia
Eric Abetz Tackles Robyn Williams on Treatment of Bob Carter
THE Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is slashing the budget for its network of foreign correspondence* when more than ever Australia needs to be able to accurately and continually assess its place in a rapidly changing global power dynamic.
At the same time some local ABC journalists, like Robyn Williams from the Science Show, are peddling alarmist propaganda while denigrating our best independent thinkers.*
At Senate Estimates in Canberra* last week, Senator Eric Abetz queried Managing Director, Mark Scott, on the treatment of Bob Carter by Mr Williams and in particular asked why the week Professor Carter’s new book was launched, instead of discussing the book, The Counter Consensus, the Science Show paraded a British journalist masquerading as a climate expert to attack a paper published by Professor Carter two years earlier.
[Read more…] about Eric Abetz Tackles Robyn Williams on Treatment of Bob Carter
More ABC Bias, But Anyway
I should probably be flattered to be invited on to the popular ABC TV program Q&A as a panelist. But why is the promo for the program next Monday advertising Tim Flannery as ‘scientist’ and me as ‘climate sceptic’?
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/
Tony Jones could refer to us both as ‘scientists’. Alternatively the promo could suggest Tim is an ‘alarmist’ and me the ‘denier’.
I am not even a climate sceptic… but rather sceptical of what was the consensus position on anthropogenic global warming.
Anyway, it would be good if there were a few other so-called climate change sceptics at the event… and also some people who don’t believe more water for South Australia will necessarily solve all the environmental problems of the Murray Darling Basin. So, I am encouraging readers of this blog to try for a place in the studio audience next Monday by applying here: http://www2b.abc.net.au/AudienceBooking/Client/AudienceRegistration.aspx
And you can send in questions via email using this link http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/ask.htm
Also, the annual Australian Environment Foundation Conference is this Saturday at Rydges in Brisbane. Max Rheese is organising a Q&A session at the Conference dinner on Saturday night, to give me some practice in advance of Monday, October 18th. Apparently there will be a ‘Tony Jones’ at the dinner and through him you can ask me questions. It should be a lot of fun. You can register here: http://aefweb.info/
NYT: Pachauri Faces Credibility Siege
The New York Times is reporting that: Dr. Pachauri and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are now under intense scrutiny, facing accusations of scientific sloppiness and potential financial conflicts of interest from climate skeptics, right-leaning politicians and even some mainstream scientists. More here.
Peter Spencer: The Starved Farmer
PETER Spencer has talked a lot in recent weeks about climate change and carbon sinks, but the root of his problem with government lies in the native vegetation laws that have prevented him from clearing – and farming – much of his land… Read more here.
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.