Starving Baby Endangered Cockatoos

The price of logging and the Margaret River bushfires as starving cockatoos move to Perth city. 

To help, sign the petition here: http://ccwa.org.au/content/save-our-cockatoos

News - Great Barrier Grief: Gladstone fish kill spreads upriver

See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-04/investigation-underway-into-queensland-fish-kill/3758334

News: It was a bad year for Rhinos as Asian demand for Rhino horn drives record slaughter in Africa

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/43786

News: Wildlife Protection at Glover's Reef, Belize Falling Short

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/43769

Great White Sharks must be protected

HSI Press Release:
HumaneSociety International’s (HSI) Campaign Director MichaelKennedy today expressed alarm that the WA Government should issue a“kill” order for the globally protected great white shark(GWS), following the tragic death of diver George Wainwright off RottnestIsland in Western Australia.

MrKennedy commented that, “Suggestions by gillnet fisherman thatthere has been definite increase in great white shark numbers is purefantasy, especially coming from an industry that has recently been exposedby HSI for killing dolphins and threatened Australian sea lions in itsnets.”


“Great white sharks have been protected in every stateand territory and at the Federal level in Australia since 1999, as a resultof HSI nominations for legal listings, following concerns about theirnational and international decline. The species is considered to be“vulnerable to extinction”, and there is absolutely no evidenceto suggest that great white sharks have experienced a surge innumbers,” said Mr. Kennedy.


Greatwhite sharks, like many sharks, are very, very slow to recover from thedepletion of their numbers, and although much effort has been put into theconservation of these threatened animals since their protection in 1999,much more needs to be done to reverse this decline. HSI was alsoinstrumental in gaining international protection for the GWS under twointernational treaties.


MrKennedy continued, “Issuing an order to kill is a completelypointless exercise, and as Regional Fisheries Manager TonyCappelluti pointed out, there is absolutely no way of knowing if it wasthe shark that killed George Wainwright. This uncertainty is highlighted inan interview with Australia's foremost white shark expert, BarryBruce from the CSIRO. Dr Bruce also made it clear that it ishighly improbable that the same shark is involved in all the recentkillings.

WAFisheries Minister Norman Moore stated that the Government had acted tomake the public feel safe, but recent history shows that those that havesurvived attacks, families who have lost loved-ones in such attacks, andthe public, are becoming far more tolerant and understanding of thesetragedies when they occur, acknowledging that entering GWS territory comeswith risks that are well-known to all.  They are not “roguekillers” as fisherman would want everyone to believe, but representincidents of GWS’s doing what they normally do in their ownenvironment.


CSIRO’s Dr Barry Bruce makes it plain that there isreally nothing more that can be done to minimise what is already anationally minimal risk situation. HSI would certainly oppose theimplementation of further shark net programs.

Mr.Kennedy concluded that, “As a member of the great white sharkand national shark recovery teams, HSI will be asking the Federal Ministerfor the Environment, who protects the great white shark nationally underthe Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, 1999, toensure that WA Government actions do not further threaten thisspecies.”

Sustainable development, RIP

The British government's 'vision' for SD make clears the intent to marginalise it the point of invisibility

Posted by Jonathon Porritt Friday 4 March 2011

First they killed the SDC. Now they are trying to kill off sustainable development itself.

The paper that Spelman put out on Monday, under the compelling title 'Mainstreaming sustainable development: The government's vision and what this means in practice', is without a doubt the most disgraceful government document relating to Sustainable Development that I have ever seen.  { http://sd.defra.gov.uk/documents/mainstreaming-sustainable-development.pdf }

Far from demonstrating how sustainable development will be mainstreamed across government (which was the commitment it made when it axed the SDC), it reveals that its clear intent is to marginalise SD over the next four years to the point where it will be all but invisible.

Even I did not think the coalition government could sink this far. Historically, the Tories have been pretty sound on articulating what SD means, going right back to the UK's first sustainable development strategy in the 1990s. No one will be more distressed at this derisory 'vision' than Chris Patten who was responsible for the strategy. And as for the Lib Dems ...

You probably ought to read it for yourself to see for yourself that I'm not exaggerating. Here are one or two highlights:

1. "Ministers have agreed an approach for mainstreaming SD which in broad terms consists of providing Ministerial leadership and oversight, leading by example, embedding SD into policy, and transparent and independent scrutiny."

However, the government has rejected out of hand the recommendations from the Environmental Audit Committee that SD should become the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.

It will therefore stay within Defra – the weakest department in Whitehall, with the weakest set of ministers anyone can remember. Does anyone suppose that any other departments will pay the slightest attention when Defra "reviews other departmental business plans in relation to SD principles".

2. Spelman will apparently exercise her mainstreaming role via her (newly announced) membership of the Economics Affairs Committee.

One can only assume that Defra officials were having a laugh here as they crafted the words "to enforce the government's commitment to sustainability across policy-making".

And they must have been in hysterics in penning this little gem: "HM Treasury will support green growth and build a fairer, more balanced economy."

3. As I've said all along, there will be no comprehensive, independent scrutiny of government performance on SD. Here's what it says: "Independent monitoring of sustainability in government operations, procurement and policies by the Environmental Audit Committee."

Yesterday, at the SDC's valedictory event, Joan Walley, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, declared categorically that the EAC would not be able to carry out that function – especially as no additional resources had been made available.

The EAC is a parliamentary committee. Ministers cannot instruct parliamentary committees as to what they should do.

So, had officials checked with Joan Walley before issuing the 'vision'? Or was Spelman seeking to mislead or even deliberately deceive in allowing the document to go out with that wording?

4. Astonishingly, there is just one tokenistic reference to Scotland and Wales, where SD still has some traction: "We will continue to work closely with our neighbours in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, sharing approaches and best practice in SD."

The reality is that there is now no UK-wide SD capability left. So who will represent the UK at the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro next year? Will Spelman (or David Cameron himself, perhaps?) have the nerve to lay claim to that role?

The rest of it is just guff.

The role of the Lib Dems in this dismantling exercise remains startling. We already know that Nick Clegg literally couldn't care less about SD. Ditto Vince Cable. But what does this 'vision' tell us about Chris Huhne? About Norman Baker? About all those benighted and deluded Lib Dem MPs who always thought that SD was one of their greatest strengths – instead, now, of a source of enduring shame.

And how, I wonder, will our environmental NGOs read this? "Just one of those things"? or definitive confirmation that the next four years are going to be bloody – and that they had better get themselves prepared for that reality.

So, that's that. SD RIP.
• This article first appeared on Jonathon Porritt's blog

Abbott to reduce Marine Protected Areas if Elected !

This is disgusting! It seems silly politically and could be disastrous environmentally. We need to protest this.

And what is with the media stunt of gutting a fish for cameras? What is it about people and fish... why do our ethics always seem to go out the window around them? I can't imagine a political leader gutting a cow for the cameras!

See: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201007/s2966304.htm

and the Australian Marine Conservation Society's response:
http://www.amcs.org.au/MediaReleases.asp?active_page_id=61

Basking Sharks in Danger

http://notextinctyet.blogspot.com/2010/02/its-big-problem.html

Fish and Wildlife Service Removes Endangered Species Act Protection From Arizona's Desert Nesting Bald Eagles

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/desert-nesting-bald-eagle-02-24-2010.html

Aborigines 'exploited over nuke dump'

ABORIGINES should not be forced to trade their country for housing and education, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says.

http://tools.themercury.com.au/stories/41077091-breaking-news.php

Wildlife park operators fear sands of mine

The largest free-ranging wildlife sanctuary in NSW could be under threat from a proposed sand mine that will operate less than 40 metres from its boundary.
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/wildlife-park-operators-fear-sands-of-mine-20100304-plsg.html

Methane bubbles stir Arctic warming fears

Large amounts of a powerful greenhouse gas are bubbling up from a long-frozen seabed north of Siberia, raising fears of far bigger leaks that could stoke global warming.
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1207616/Methane-bubbles-in-Arctic-seas-stir-warming-fears

Scientists Studying Ocean Acidification

Scientists from all over the world are collaborating to put ocean acidity and its effects under the microscope - before it's too late, writes Megan Johnston.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/oysters-and-urchins-early-warning-agents-20100304-plsw.html

Peter Garrett under fresh attack over Coral Sea

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,1,26798497-3102,00.html

If you read the last article I posted along with this one you will see that something weird is going on here. A study by Marine Queensland is claiming that the science that led to Peter Garrett naming the Coral Sea a conservation zone is flawed because it was funded by the Pew environmental group who are pro the conservation area. Except that Marine Queensland who did the study is against the conservation area, so isn't this really the pot calling the kettle black?

As for the claims that the methods used have been discredited in the literature, I don't know. But as someone who personally supports the conservation zone passionately, I fear that this is a bit of a low attempt to try and get the minister to cave to pressure and not create the conservation zone. This would be a disaster for a diverse range of biodiversity, particularly sharks and I hope and pray it doesn't happen. I hope you will join me.

Funding shake-up prompts fears for research centre

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/03/2834921.htm

This can't be aloud to happen. Prayer point people.

Rees's plan to save redgums faces the axe

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/reess-plan-to-save-redgums-faces-the-axe-20100302-pgex.html

Sad

River choked for 700km with algal bloom

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/river-choked-for-700km-with-algal-bloom-20100302-pgg5.html

It might be good to pray about this one...

A rare plant species found only in south-east Queensland's South Burnett region has been declared critically endangered.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/03/2834984.htm

And another one heading for the dust...

Climate change puts ecosystems on the run

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/december21/climate-species-habitats%20-122409.html

Rapid investment needed to protect biodiversity

http://www.acfonline.org.au/articles/news.asp?news_id=2651