Australia, uranium and fracking

There are two good articles over on New Matilda worth reading.

Inquiry Bursts The Gas Bubble by Ben Eltham covers the recent Senate inquiry into fracking and the not too subtle rebuke that resulted.

India's Nuclear Horror Story by (Australian Greens Senator) Scott Ludlam is a criticism of the ALP government's plant to sell uranium to India.

Another rapid-fire burst of stuff

Possibly of no interest to anyone outside of Australia, the House Speaker resigned today to return to his native Labor Party. While Speaker, the rep is not involved in party politics. In the interim, the Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper has become House Speaker. Slipper's from the Coalition. Slipper seems to have been on the outer with his party. If he accepts the job permanently, his party have threatened to kick him out. If he is offered the job (traditionally Government offers the job to a member of their party), and he accepts, the Lubs and Nats kick him out, and the ALP can stop being a precarious minority government, ending Tony Abbott's ploy to call an election everytime someone farts or sneezes. More on ABC News here.

One of Australia's favourite media douchebags - and perennial Arseholes of Australia contender - 2GB's Alan Jones recently got a good pwning from The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). While I have no idea of the controversy that got him that slapping, I'm glad to see he's also under investigation for his continuous stream of climate denialist horseshit. Check out more here. If you don't know Alan Jones, he's the radio 'personality' largely responsible for starting the Cronulla race riots.

Live in NSW or Queensland? Want to know if there are planned fracking operations near you? Then check out this beauty.

Can Bernie Sanders run for President. Please?

Why the ALP has to change and the Nat Conference is the place to do it

A brief tirade against the ALP and a look at the trio of big-ass fights they are due to have at the National Conference.

Wait... who's the good guy?

The United States - self-proclaimed champion of democracy. Destroying own nation's infrastructure and economy for the benefit of the privileged few. Champions torture.

Bolivia - one of those untrustworthy 'socialist' countries the US is always warning us about.

One country allowed two Supreme Court judges to take bribes to declare massive corporations as having the same rights as human beings. The other country is passing a law declaring that nature has the same rights as human beings. Which one? The answer can be found here.

So who's the good guy again?

Passage of the Carbon Tax and Liberal tantrums

The Carbon Tax bills have passed. The Liberal Party, of course, have thrown a tanty that would do any red cordial-hyped toddler proud.

A shocking act of sheer insanity

The Federal Government has approved the dredging of an area of the Great Barrier Reef for three CSG/Fracking plants to be built.

Fracking. In the Great Barrier Reef. In a world heritage listed area.

To Minister Tony Burke and the Gillard ALP Federal Government. I have but one short message for you: FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING MORONS!!

Now that's out of my system, let's get down to brass tacks.

If you're angry already, go sign this petition

UPDATE: Big thanks to America's Progressive Voice on Facebook for spreading the word of GetUp's campaign to US folk. Cheers! A glass of Australian beery goodness is yours should you ever meander in an Antipodean direction!

More dangerous news about fracking

Many people already know about the toxic nature of fracking - its capacity to poison drinking water, and many other deleterious effects. Now, it is revealed that fracking may also cause seismic activity, as a fracking site in the UK (part Australian owned) causes approximately 50 earth tremors.

This comes as, in Victoria, it has been arbitrarily decided by the Liberal State Government, that wind farms must be built a minimum set distance from residential property but exploratory drilling for fracking can be done almost... anywhere.

Read about Tony Windsor's (independent MP) call for investigation of fracking here.

Okay Tony, so now we've proved you're full of crap, can we move on?

So this morning, this caught my eye. To make a 2 page article shorter, a scientist who was deeply concerned that some scientists were fudging climate science data, determined to perform the biggest, most comprehensive survey of climate science data.

We need to talk...

This piece touches on the practice of Coal Seam Gas drilling, aka 'fracking', but it more broadly addresses our failure as a society to honestly discuss important issues.

(Update: and this is what I'm talking about right here and of course here )

Science, Media and Climate Change

From The Conversation;

"Recent research at the University of Queensland found that among Australian politicians, the percentage whose views on climate are influenced by scientists — as opposed to, say, the local publican or barber — ranges from 44% to 98% across parties. The party at the bottom, which in its majority rejects science, is the Liberal party. The party that nearly exclusively prefers peer-reviewed science to gossip is the Greens. In this context, it is worth recalling that The Australian — taking a stand against radical activism and flying the banner of journalistic impartiality — has recently vowed to help destroy the Greens at the ballot box. This is what most people would call an agenda."

Warning: your journalism may contain deception, inaccuracies and a hidden agenda

Denial is a river in Egypt

And another interesting series from The Conversation on climate change and how you are intentionally misled by vested interests.

Climate change is real: an open letter from the scientific community

What the world thinks - our Carbon Tax

Avaaz, the international human rights advoacy group, has taken note of the Murdoch Press' attempts to skew national perceptions on our government's attempt to put a price on carbon, and is running a petition (link below). Check it out, and if you are so inclined, feel free to sign it. Make no mistake either way - industry lobby groups, large swathes of the Australian media, and a good chunk of our Parliamentarians are all lying to you shamelessly to scuttle any and all attempts to do ANYTHING about carbon emissions and climate change.

The petition is here.

Some additional things to read and think about;
Opinion piece from the SMH
Australia overtakes US in CO2 output
UK PM Cameron on Carbon Tax

Climate Change - the Military angle.

And now, a different take for the need for action on climate change - military and security reasons. Yeah, weird huh. Interesting to see folk you'd usually dislike or distrust coming to the table.

National Security and the Threat of Climate Change - The CNA Corporation

The National Security and Climate Change Project explores the serious U.S. security implications of potential climate change, led by a Military Advisory Board consisting of retired three-star and four...

Hey Americans! Better not let Rick Perry become President!

US Presidential hopeful Rick Perry: climate denialist, water waster, in bed with fracking, praying for more rain, while letting his industry paymasters suck Texas dry.

Why Rick Perry Would Put the World on a Fast Track to Total Meltdown | | AlterNet

The Carbontaxapocalypse

Update: Since these ads first appeared, they have now been modified to have a political statement blurb at the end. This shows at the very least that they always had a political intent.

Why the ATI anti-carbon tax ads make me want to throw my TV at the heads of about half of our wealthiest 10 Australians, who - by pure coincedence - all happen to be mining magnates.