Regrow Qld 10 May 2022 Issue 17 Vol 3
Plants sale this Sunday, Good news from India, Algae as a biofuel fail, email candidates about Climate risk, food supply issues, and Greg contemplates political ignorance.
Editorial
Anna Hitchcock
My friends,
while I was up to my elbows in potting mix yesterday (did I mention the plant sale?) I had time to contemplate just how your experience sinks in without you even knowing.
This kind of knowledge was in use yesterday as Peter and I worked out our own special blend of potting mix, and suddenly it was right, based on look and texture, but also smell as well.
We have a diverse array of experience with plants, but we could agree on a good potting mix. That I knew what good potting mix smells like, was a bit of a surprise.
Similarly, I think we all know what integrity smells like, and this election, I’d like you to consider not just the policies but the integrity of the candidates. Do they have a long list of dodgy dealings, or are they an upright citizen? What’s the rest of their party like? What’s their voting record? (Some candidates make big promises but don’t walk the walk). Smell any rats?
It’s not very hard to sniff out your local candidates’ integrity - with a few google searches it is usually pretty obvious. Make the effort to decide what order to put the candidates in, because this has a strong bearing on the result. Sometimes this is a case of ‘who do I hate the most?’ with your ballot paper filling up from the bottom.
But do make the effort to vote, this is a critical election for climate change issues and we desperately need bipartisan support to bring the changes in that need to be made with urgency.
Your country needs you.
Anna
Project Update
We’ve finalised our plants for our very first plant sale at the Rotary Markets this Sunday 15th May. Prices will range from $5 to $20 depending on the size of the plants.
If you would like to secure some of these native plants for your garden, please email us at gladconscouncil@gmail.com or drop in and see us this coming Sunday.
We can source most native plants so if you are looking for anything in particular please let us know and we can contact our suppliers for you.
Plant Profile:
Orthosiphon aristatus (Cat’s Whiskers) is a plant species in the family of Lamiaceae / Labiatae. The plant is a medicinal herb found mainly throughout southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, South East Asia and tropical Queensland.[1][2][3][4] It is known as kumis kucing in Indonesia and misai kucing in Malaysia, both of which translates to cat's whiskers. In the US it may be commonly known as cat's whiskers or Java tea.
Orthosiphon aristatus is used in landscaping to attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to its nectar.[5]
GOOD NEWS
The Indian government is rolling out “big bang” clean energy policies and reforms including the green hydrogen and green ammonia policy, production-linked incentive schemes in solar module and battery manufacturing, market based economic dispatch, general network access, green energy corridor schemes and privatisation of state-owned assets across distribution, generation, and transmission.
https://ieefa.org/ieefa-indias-lead-role-in-the-new-wave-of-energy-sector-growth/
Those who watched or attended Q&A in Gladstone last week may have heard MP Bob Katter say (among other dubious claims) that liquid fuel problems were all over because algae in ponds can eat CO2 from the air and make lovely bio fuel. Well it turns out the idea is not exactly new, and the link below is very informative:
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/lessons-from-the-great-algae-biofuel-bubble
Hugh
What regions need on the path to Net Zero: New Report
Dr Amanda Cahill, CEO of The Next Economy, said “The discussion about energy futures in regional Australia has changed dramatically since the last election.
“When we started our consultations two years ago, most people were questioning the whole concept of the energy transition. Now people see that things are changing quickly, with early closure announcements for coal plants, our trading partners increasing their climate ambitions and the rapid expansion of renewable energy projects across the country. They want to see a clear plan and support so they can manage these changes.
Read the full report here:
https://nexteconomy.com.au/work/what-regions-need-on-the-path-to-net-zero-2/
Email your candidates about Climate Risk
Check out the new interactive Climate Risk Map from the Climate Council. You can input your postcode and it will tell you how many properties in that area are at risk. You can then e-mail the map to your federal candidates if you choose. I have already received back two responses from my local candidates, specifically about climate issues.
Here’s the link:
What We’re Watching:
Fork in the Road: Impacts of Climate Change on our food supply - 9 March 2022
“Empty supermarket shelves have become almost commonplace in Australia over the past few months, as floods and COVID have converged to break down our supply chains. So what do our supply chains look like in a changing climate, especially in light of the latest IPCC report? We commissioned Stephen Bartos, an internationally recognised expert, to develop a report on exactly this, working closely with ag sector and supply chain partners. Mr Bartos wrote a report for the federal government in 2012 examining resilience in the Australian food supply chain. On Wednesday 9 March we launched this report, and discussed its findings with Stephen, GrainGrowers Chairman Brett Hosking and Cattle Council CEO John McGoverne.”
Opinion
Greg Bray
The Joy Of Ignorance
If ignorance is bliss, then politically unaware Australians must be the happiest people on earth!
I suspect this is not actually the case…
Anyway, regarding the upcoming election, I’ve heard the following quite a lot lately:
1. I don’t follow politics?
2. Both sides are as bad as the other!
Each statement hints at a level of political ignorance which must have some politicians either dancing little jigs on their desks, or banging their heads on their desks… after they’ve given them a thorough clean first ( Parliament House staffer sacked over desk masturbation scandal makes report to police - ABC News )
Some voters have become so disgusted by the antics of the last three years, they’ve either joined a party, started a new party, begun protesting or, in some drastic cases, learned how to use Twitter in order to maintain their sanity.
Sadly, too many have decided to completely disengage from the entire political process.
Whenever I stumble across someone who has clearly joined team ‘I Don’t Give a Rats!’, I usually ask them:
Q: Who are you going to vote for? A: ‘Dunno.’ ‘Trump?’
Q: Why don’t you follow politics? A: Shrug ‘Dunno’, ‘Media are all liars’, or ‘All politicians are crooks.’
Q: Do you think the current Government is corrupt? A: ‘Yeah, but they’re all the same.’
Q: What system of Government would you prefer? A: Shrug.
Honestly, how much political pain do these people have to be in before they take an interest?
NOTE: I suspect the current Government is plumbing new lows to find out!
In spite of the outrageous corruption, rorting, lying and gleefully kicking the stuffing out of minority groups over the past decade, there still appears to be a massive fog cloud of undecided voters who will make their minds up on election day who to vote for.
Which is a bit frustrating for people who genuinely care about living in a fairer, less corrupt, more forward-thinking society.
So, if the current mob are voted back in because of the undecideds’ ignorance, then the death of a thousand cuts will continue and our nations’ much needed environmental, social and renewable infrastructure reforms will be further eroded, ignored, or shot through the head.
And by the time the politically unaware realise that ignorance isn’t bliss, but a one-way ticket to a flogging that will sting for generations, it will be too late.
But, maybe I’m ignorant? There’s a pretty good chance the real number of swinging voters is much lower than I think, and that they’ve merely disengaged because they’re waiting in the wings with well-oiled cricket bats to send a very clear message to Canberra.
And, if that’s the case, come election night my ignorance will genuinely turn to bliss!
Greg
gladconscouncil@gmail.com 0466 396 388