Habitat Australia articles from February 2002

Habitat Australia archives from February 2002

Bombers greenwashed? (green views).
February 1, 2002... I am interested in the reasoning behind your selection of the Essendon football team as a cover story [Habitat, October 2001]. Why would ACF hail a `bunch of blokes' who wear green electrical tape for a few hours as heroes? I was under the...

Tithe and taxes. (green views).
February 1, 2002... I enclose a large one-off donation as part of a `portfolio' of donations that I am making to organisations that benefit the poor/disadvantaged and the environment. My moral belief is that one should aim to give a percentage of one's annual...

Call for a referendum. (green views).
February 1, 2002... This is a campaign for a referendum to make care of the world environment a requirement of the Australian Constitution. It will then be an obligation that the Government cannot avoid. It includes a requirement for international activity. We...

The three Rs. (green views).
February 1, 2002... I was interested in Paul Lee's letter, "Food for Thought" [Habitat, October 2001]. Paul's letter closed with a reminder to remember the three Rs--reduce, reuse, recycle. I agree with Paul entirely but feel an examination of the most useful...

Christianity and habitat. (green views).
February 1, 2002... I have been a member of ACF for many years and have been generally satisfied with its direction and initiatives. In particular the "Repairing the Country" initiative seems to me a timely and innovative one. However, the article "Prayer for...

Perfect paper chase. (green views).
February 1, 2002... Australian paper manufacturer Paperline (formerly Amcor) clearfells Australia's extraordinarily beautiful old growth eucalypt forests. Even the so-called recycled copy papers, Renew 100 and Renew 80, are made using at least 70 per cent virgin...

Fresh air--too much to ask for? (green views).
February 1, 2002... I moved to the country from the city 10 years ago for the fresh air as I have chemical sensitivities. The first few years were alright but four years ago the farmer behind my five acres decided to use more of his land for cattle. He can't...

Roo meat--under the cover of darkness. (green views).
February 1, 2002... I write in response to the argument put forward by Jason Alexandra [Habitat, August 2001] relating to the eating of kangaroo meat. Jason's view that it is reasonable from an environmental point of view to consume wild kangaroos, "assuming...

Members' night--"Home is where the bulldozer isn't". (green views).
February 1, 2002... Charlie Sherwin ACF's Biodiversity Coordinator ACF Melbourne Members' Night Thursday 14 March, 6-8pm 340 Gore St, Fitzroy $4 members and volunteers; $5 non members (drinks and finger food provided) RSVP Angela on (03) 9926...

Solicitors and financial planners. (green views).
February 1, 2002... Would you be willing to display or have available for interested clients a brief flyer about bequests and donations to ACF? If you would like to assist ACF in this way, please contact Nola Wilmot on (03) 9926 6712, 1800 332 510 or...

A word from the President.(author's resolutions for the new year)(Brief Article)(Column)
February 1, 2002... Dear Cousin I decided to write as the old year rolls into the new and I'm listing my resolutions sitting under a beach umbrella. Incredible as it sounds, charred gum leaves and debris are falling out of a very hazy sky. The holiday season...

Ambassadors wanted. (green views).
February 1, 2002... We are seeking people to join a new speakers' group to represent ACF and help spread the word about our environmental campaign work. We will provide speakers with information and materials. An excellent opportunity, especially if you are...

Membership milestones. (green views).(Australian Conservation Foundation members reached milestone)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... ACF wishes to congratulate and sincerely thank the following people from around Australia who, during the months of January and February in 2002, reached the milestones of 25 and 30 years of continuous membership. Your support is invaluable to...

World Bank loan betrays landowners. (Asia Pacific Campaign).(Papua New Guinea)(financing may endanger rainforest)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... In December, the World Bank approved a second segment of a loan to Papua New Guinea, despite strong opposition from local landowners and environmental activists who believe the move endangers the world's third largest rainforest. The...

US Navy sonars killed whales. (Marine Campaign).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... The US Navy has formally acknowledged that sonar emitted by its warships in the Bahamas in March 2000 contributed to the death of seven whales and the stranding of 10 others. For a long time scientists and conservationists have tried to...

Casual TAS and NSW vacancies. (campaign Trails).
February 1, 2002... Nominations are invited from members to fill ACF Council vacancies in Tasmania and New South Wales. Each nominee and seconder must be an ACF member. Nominations must be received at ACF's Melbourne office, 340 Gore St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 by close...

Bushfires, bleaching and business. (Climate Change Campaign).(Queensland Tourism Industry Council supports Kyoto Protocol)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As if the Christmas bushfires weren't enough, coral bleaching on our Great Barrier Reef has driven industry leaders to call on the Australian Government to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. In January, Daniel Gschwind, chief...

Second reactor set to boil. (Anti-Nuclear Campaign).(Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation plan to build nuclear reactor)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Plans by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to build a second nuclear reactor in suburban Sydney came under the spotlight at a hearing convened by Australia's nuclear regulator in December. The forum heard...

South Australians make the choice. (Election).(environmental concerns)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... As Habitat goes to press South Australians are preparing to go to the polls. April's Habitat will have a more detailed analysis of the outcome of the election and it's implications. During the campaign, ACF built on previous efforts to create a...

The reel story on Jabiluka. (campaign Trails).(film Fight for Country looks at uranium mine blockade)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Throughout 1998 more than 5000 people travelled to Kakadu to actively support the Mirrar people by halting the construction of the controversial Jabiluka uranium mine through peaceful direct action. With over 500 arrests, Jabiluka became a...

Good news! Kimberley irrigation project on hold. (Land and Water Campaign).(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Conservationists have welcomed the decision of Wesfarmers/ Marubeni to withdraw from the Ord River stage two irrigation scheme near Kununurra that would lead to the clearing of 33,500 hectares of native woodlands for irrigated agriculture. ...

VIC government throws up logging in proposed ironbark parks. (Landclearing Campaign).(Victoria)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... Victoria's threatened woodlands of ironbarks and box trees are again in the news, with the Victorian government opening up the prospect of commercial timber cutting in new conservation parks. Eighty-three per cent of Victoria's box-ironbark...

Minutes of ACF's 35th AGM. (campaign Trails).
February 1, 2002... 24 November 2001, 6.45pm 340 Gore St, Fitzroy, VIC. 1. Welcome Acting President Penny Figgis warmly welcomed members, Councillors and staff to the 35th Annual General Meeting of the Australian Conservation Foundation. 2. Apologies...

Chips on our shoulders: Tasmanians have made their feelings clear; their ancient forests are worth more than woodchips and the upcoming state election is their forum.(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2002... TASMANIA IS SET for a state election early this year, and the latest polls show that the environment will play a major role in deciding who wins. When asked which issues will influence how people will vote, Tasmanians indicated that the...

Wildlife in the big smoke: there's more to the Sydney bushfires than saving property and fiscal assets.
February 1, 2002... THE HEATED DEBATE surrounding New South Wales' recent bushfires and the aims and influence of the conservation movement in bushfire management rages on, long after the last embers have been extinguished. The press has been swarming with groups...

Leaving the scene of the mine: BHP Billiton's exit plan for the Ok Tedi mine leaves a murky wake.(copper mine in Papua New Guinea)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... IN 1984, MINING COMMENCED at the Ok Tedi copper mine situated at the headwaters of the Ok Tedi River in Papua New Guinea. The Ok Tedi is part of the Fly River system which winds its way through rainforests and tropical savannah, and flows into...

Backyard blitz: feral fire ants are costing the country millions in control programs. Why? Because we've seen the impact of these ferocious pests on the outdoor lifestyle in America.
February 1, 2002... THE FIRST THING I remember thinking was how evil it looked. Then, that it felt like it had made a hole right through my toe. I screamed and frantically flicked at it till it flew across the sand, landing mangled a few yards away. In a frenzy I...

The writer and the sea: Australia's best loved novelist invites us to be "changed" by a marine wonderland, and to protect it from gross tourist development.(Tim Wanton and the Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... TIM WANTON IS ONE OF Australia's best-loved novelists. Since An Open Swimmer was published in 1982 he has won numerous literary awards, been named a "National Living Treasure" (1997) and an "Achiever of the Year" (1998). But he's also a...

Buying power: Victoria's energy supply has now been fully deregulated, but an unusual move by three local councils has put the ball back in the court of the little people.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... IN JANUARY, Victoria's state government introduced Full Retail Contestability of its electricity market. This means that all of the state's consumers will be able to choose their electricity retailer from a range of providers. This could spell...

The natural step: Sweden's esteemed environmental thinker, Dr Karl-Henrik Robert, believes we should incorporate the laws of nature into industry to achieve sustainability.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN if all the major decision-makers in the world--those in business, government and science--joined together to ensure the ultimate sustainability of the planet. Sounds far-fetched? Too altruistic? Not so, says...

Weather without you: by the end of this century, membership of the Commonwealth of Nations is expected to shrink. Of the 54 members, three are at risk of ceasing to exist due to total submersion. Another could face being expelled.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... MOST OF US ARE NOW well-primed in the climate change argument. In terms of the Commonwealth of Nations, the developing countries are likely to be the most severely affected by climate change, while the developed members are expected to suffer...

For the birds: Graham Pizzey describes the seeds that germinated into a lifelong fascination with Australian birds. (ACF Member Profile).(Obituary)
February 1, 2002... FROM THE EARLIEST MOMENTS he can remember, Graham Pizzey wanted to express in words and pictures the excitement that he felt watching wild Australian birds going about their daily lives. He wanted to describe the fine perfection of the markings...

Ideas in print.
February 1, 2002... For the Forests By: Helen Gee The Wilderness Society RRP: $79.00 A history of the Tasmanian forest campaigns, For The Forests is the people's tale about their fight to save these magnificent treasures. The reader is transported to the time...

Pandora's inbox. (Consuming Chioces).(recyclying old computers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2002... "I'm buying a new computer for my home office, but don't know what to do with my old 486. I'm reluctant to put it out in the hard rubbish but don't have room to store it either. Where do old computers go when we no longer need them ?" ...