The Victorian Governments Duck Shooting Season Atrocious Debacle

 

One can only be pleased that the last vote taken for government was not for given to this party that currently holds our state in thrall. The party that voted Daniel Andrews as leader was the choice of the masses and probably the first thing that suffered was our environment. Our forests, our wildlife and all the precious natural wonders were targetted.

True, the party that was hoped to become the governors of our state and our lives didn't have enough support and the reasons for it can only be imagined. Sadly, one would certainly be; the general public hold as a low priority, the environment and all it includes, climate change, wildlife welfare and rights, water, soil and air quality and all pertaining to these.

It appears Victoria is divided into two main groups. The “Mars Hopefuls” [MH] and the “Earth For Us” [EFU] factions. This appears to be quite obvious to one who is sitting watching the political list of proposals and policy roll out and expose what is being planned by the Andrews government for any future that may still be possible.

The MH people are generally those who can, or imagine they can pay for and secure transport to Mars. Once settled there, begin again making more money as they destroy it. Some of these even believe they will destroy it more slowly. These see the killing of wildlife, destruction of forests and continued pollution of the environment as acceptable harvesting. By increased wealth they are able to indulge in more comfort and prestige by increased power money generates here for a short time, and for a longer time on the next planet. They support such parasitic things like duck shooting, mining and development at any cost to the natural world.

The EFU people are generally what are referred to as environmentalists, hard core or partly living to keep the Earth viable as well as a natural wonder, for their children, for the younger people in this group, and for their grandchildren for the older members of this philosophy. The people willing to sacrifice a little comfort who don't desire power, but wish just to live well enough for their families to thrive. Who want to lift up those less fortunate and assist those who's physical disability means they can enjoy the same things as the hale and hearty, but in a different way.

Killing defenceless ducks, and Daniel Andrews as Premier of Victoria saying duck shooting is just like playing a round of golf beggars belief. Maybe blasting a little white ball round some green landscape with a shotgun would be acceptable, and nothing would be killed, wounded or maimed in the process. That may be the way to go, and give the ducks a chance to breed up and accomplish the purpose nature intended for them?

Duck shooting is wrong on too many levels to be sanctioned by a thinking society.

Stupid people with too much money.....

Some idiot who has more money than sense has sent a car into space. As if there is not enough space junk up there. Proving again that space doesn't belong to anyone. What is that fool thinking? If people who have the money and no real sense of what is right, send their rubbish into space, that's eventually going to be a problem for our children.

Epson printers..

Well, I'll never buy another Epson printer. This last one I have came up with the error message “A printers ink pad is at the end of it's working life”. They want to sell me a reset key? As if they didn't charge enough for the printer in the first instance they want to put any Epson printer buyer on a drip feed. It's not happening to this little black duck.

So the Epson printer range is out for me. There are plenty more that are just as good and some better, so it's no skin off my teeth.

The Sky Muster Satellite

Continuous complaints to Senator Mitch Fifield regarding the Sky Muster satellite, won't call it a service, because it's hardly that, has not instigated many replies. Mostly that the ISP should be contacted. However the long delay in the modem picking up the satellite signal is the responsibility of the Sky Muster satellite maintainers. Because any configurations and problems has to be directed to them by the ISP. The length of time before connection is just one of the issues where the Sky Muster Satellite business fails. However, I digress.

My latest contact with the Senator has generated a reply, which was a little miracle in itself, till I read the content. It was a breast beating, look at me, look at me letter. It's main thrust, from the constructor of the missive, Lynne Thomson - Assistant Director - Broadband Implementation, was to speak of the accolade the Sky Muster Satellite system had received:

[quote]
Despite your reservations, you may be interested to know that the Sky Muster satellite service recently won the Broadband Delivering Social Impact’ award at the 2017 Broadband Awards in Berlin. The National Broadband Network (the network) even surpassed operators such as China Unicorn and Spain's Telefonica to win the award. The network's fixed wireless service was also shortlisted in the Best Fixed Wireless category.
[end quote]

This wasn't an award for excellence of service, but rather an award for supposedly delivering wide coverage of internet service. Lynne Thomson also failed to mention what criteria were involved in this. It was the idea of internet coverage that was being praised not any efficiency or reliability of service.

The reference to "Best Fixed Wireless category" also didn't mention the criteria as to why short listed and not being a winner.

This also was mentioned in the letter:
[quote]
You may also be aware that Qantas is trialling Wi-Fi on aircraft using idle capacity on the Sky Muster satellites. The trial will also allow nbn to develop other health and education products that will benefit regional consumers, as well as increasing the return on taxpayer investment in the satellite service. NBN is already considering whether similar inflight Wi—Fi products could assist community groups, such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
[end quote]

Again, the trials are ongoing, probably because there is a reliability issue, especially for the Flying Doctor Service. The slow modem pickup of the satellite bandwidth, could be a problem when flying.

It has been exposed recently, that some of the largest ISP's have done the wrong thing by choking back their customers speed, but charging them for something that wasn't delivered but was more expensive. However, the NBN has much to explain. The service was not awarded anything for either reliability or speed, because these categories would find the NBN Fixed Wireless or Satellite as being very much inferior to anything else in the world.

However, it is customary for governments of every persuasion to attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the general public, and for business to make as much money as possible by cheating their customers in a way that will only receive a slap on the wrist.

Natures helpers..

Something which most visitors to the Cassilis recreation reserve and cemetery are unaware, is the grass during the autumn, winter and early spring period, is usually kept in check and nicely trimmed by the many kangaroos who feed on it and live in the forested areas round about. This is the way nature works and we who manage the reserve and cemetery, are pleased they do so. It means not having to use blades, and fuel to drive them to cut the grass. Something that's never as good for the grass as the natural way of the kangaroo.

The grass itself is fuel, for kangaroos and other wildlife that frequent these two public places. An added bonus is that the animals who feed on the grass also fertilise it and over the years it has grown richer and more dense.

Conversely, the feral grazers and browsers also feed on the grass and would feed on the larger trees if they weren't protected. However, they to fertilise the ground. They do not want anything without some payment made either. We are learning to live with these, as we must, because they are now naturalised wildlife. They have been introduced into the country the same as the white settlers, convicts and their keepers before them, and like these they are now part of our landscape.

During the late spring and summer months, the wildlife are generally unable to keep the grass of these public areas neatly trimmed, so we have to assist with a mower. However, the wildlife save us a considerable amount of money all year round, and assist by keeping the grass trimmed and in good health.

So Who Is Responsible - Really

It's interesting that the CFA declare the months of fire restrictions in force, but it's possible to light a fire if a permit is requested and granted.

One assumes that the DELWP request a fire permit to burn off during the fire restriction period? Yet so many of those fires have escaped and just about every fire lit under the spurious declaration of fuel reduction burning or ecological burns, has burned more of the forest flora, ground dwelling wildlife and insect composters, than was predicted; or possibly desired, by thinking people.

The people that have always had the blame for this laid at their door was the DELWP [Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning], when it should in fact have been the CFA [Country Fire Authority] For handing out the permits for an area to be burnt. Neither of these departments care or know enough about the environment or the elements that are critical for life on this planet, air and water quality.

The wrong people are making the wrong decisions. These two wrongs are depleting our biodiversity, and creating a state that will be the envy of no one in Australia or overseas.


Every species fears fire yet some fire authorities light it? While species who are without the ability to understand and plan for it run away when fire happens. Our species attempts to prevent it, and if that fails, to stop it as quickly as possible. This appears to be a sound statement, and yet we are aware there are agencies, apart from pyromaniacs, who actually enjoy fire, when they think it is a good time to burn or a good area to burn. One of these agencies has been known by many names and at the time of writing is the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning here in Victoria. [DELWP]

A theory has been entrenched in the minds of some people who are in many cases sociopathic in their thoughts and beliefs about fire and it's prevention and control is, it's a good thing to fight fire with fire. Use small fires to prevent the larger fires. The result from small fires, though these refuse to see it, is very similar to the end result of large fire in a forest area. Possibly even in a suburban area should one be lit in a backyard or house.

The carbon that is released into the air when a fire is lit is massive and completely unnecessary. Recently Thursday 6 April 2017, the television showed burning off large acreages of tall dry grass. I think this was done by the CFA, an organisation that enjoys this fire lighting process. It gives them justification for existing. This grass had survived the summer, dried off and now is being burnt rather than mowed. Mowing it would have placed that grass on the ground and the carbon would have been sequestered into the soil, as the insects, fungi and soil life forms broke it down, but that would have been too easy, and removed the opportunity to light fires.

By burning the grass it puts massive amounts of carbon into the air, kills all that lives on the top layer of the soil, insects, small reptiles and small, seed eating wildlife in the short term, and in the long term by starving the survivors because their food sources have been consumed or despoiled by the flames. The fire leaves only ash which is very water soluble potash that is quickly and easily washed away in a heavy rain into the rivers leading to the lakes or the sea. Leaving behind a dead area.

• The fire arm of the DELWP are more about lighting fires and burning the forest than preventing fires

• Fire is not good. Because it occurs through natural phenomenon does not make it so

• Many Australian plant species can survive fire because their seeds are so designed, most do not require fire or smoke to germinate

• Aboriginal people did not light fires, because they could encroach upon their neighbours hunting grounds and living area, bringing by trouble down of their head

• Fire destroys the small animals, reptiles , insects that if left alone and alive, would compost the detritus of the forest

• Fire pollutes the air with carbon, gases and minute particles

• Fire depletes nitrogen where it might be present in anything it touches

• Fire leaves only highly water soluble potash behind in the ash

• There is no such thing as a cool fire [cool burn]

• There is no such thing as a controllable fire without massive resources on hand or control of the weather

• Fire is the last total destruction weapon of the conqueror.

Burning forest under one of the spurious reasons is even worse.

Another Silly Suggestion.

Heyfield mill doesn't have to close, and the operation using a reduced amount of timber to produce their product will give the same percentage of profit per cubic metre but it won't be as much profit in total, because there will be less cubic metres processed. The mill owners want to get as much profit as they can, so they use the leverage of their workers and their families. Other timber mills have closed down all over the state, and once the dust settles, the people who thought they would never find work, did. It will be no different in this instance.

That's what makes Barnaby Joyce's proposal all the more ridiculous. To destroy forest long protected just to maintain jobs in the short term, is madness. The forests that belong to all Victorians and Australians, and those who live and find food in them, should be preserved for future generations. We have to get our priorities right, we have the chance to make a difference, a difference that will benefit everyone by reducing the amount of timber that is being ripped from the forested areas.

Barnaby Joyce's proposal makes it clear that there is nothing he won't do to get his name in the papers, loves grandstanding, even with silly ideas. He has no idea of the importance of wildlife or how to maintain a sustainable hardwood timber industry, just to mention a few that pertain to this issue. He is all about agriculture which slashed and burned its way through the Australian landscape when there was plenty of timber to be milled, but was cut down, windowed and burned with no benefit. Degrading the land upon which the forest once stood, and losing all the nutrient to leeching into waterways and ending up in the sea.

Some Truths.

It is a cynical exploitation of employees being perpetrated by the Heyfield timber mill management. By telling their employees they are going to close if the government doesn't give them the amount of timber allocation they want. They have incited their employees and their families to protest on the steps of parliament.

The hope of the Heyfield mill management is that the pressure of many people will crush the governments resolve to protect their industry long term, for the next generation by keeping it sustainable. Or conversely, have the Victorian Government give them a grant that will make the management even more wealthy. Because they are not going to take any path that will help their workers, they will be considered collateral damage after all.

Shame Heyfield timber mill management. The percentage of profit will be the same no matter what amount of the Victorian/Australian peoples resource is allocated for milling. It will just be less overall because there will be less timber milled. The mill just runs less timber through less working machines. Yes some jobs are lost, but there are many Victorian towns that have lost their timber mill, and some who have lost two.

It's not about the Leadbeater Possum. Though it should be. It's about ensuring a sustainable timber industry for the children of those who want to continue in that industry. Sad if mill workers can't see any of this.

Just a clarification of the text.....

This text in the: Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Information Guide 2016

[quote]

Objective

To prevent significant or extended pain and suffering of wildlife and to ensure that wildlife entering rehabilitation can be successfully released to the wild. Threatened species are a priority for rehabilitation and therefore are exempt from some of the euthanasia requirements, as listed above. However, threatened species suffering from unreasonable and/or incurable pain, distress, trauma, sickness or injury must be promptly euthanased. How to comply Euthanase any wildlife held under your Authorisation that will continue to suffer if it remains alive. For example, the following must be euthanased:

• wildlife that have lost essential limbs or function of limbs, including tails;
• wildlife that have permanent vital sensory loss (hearing, sight, smell, taste);
• wildlife that have an incurable (able to be treated but not cured) infectious disease;
• wildlife that have permanent damage to their nervous system;
• wildlife that are unable to adjust to temporary care;
• wildlife with chronic ill health;
• under-developed young (eg. un-furred young or ‘pinkies’).

[end quote]

Is only a guide as can be read earlier, in the document in the section: Purpose of the guide.

[quote]

Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Authorisations are governed by a set of conditions that enforce the minimum standards necessary for the humane treatment and successful rehabilitation of wildlife in care.

This guide explains the objectives of the conditions of your authorisation, and how you can comply. The advice provided in the ‘how to comply’ section is not mandatory, but rather provides the suggested method of meeting the conditions. You may choose reasonable alternative methods provided that they meet the conditions of the authorisation.

[quote]

Unfortunately, it gives anyone who is not interested in raising un-furred marsupials and open excuse as “adhering to the guide” to kill these babies that can actually be grown up and released. Though it does take more work. The old school wildlife carers of the past killed these babies under the auspices of being too young to raise. But in some situations they were killed because it was just too much work to try to raise them. Too much sleep deprivation. How many of these babies were killed? No one really knows.

So new carers should not take this guide as gospel, it is just that; a guide. There are some wildlife carers who have raised many pinkies

starting with some very low weights. We know of people who have had success raising babies as small as 50 grams to release weight of 22 to 25 kilograms, and there are probably carers, we don't know about, who raised pinkies that were even smaller. It does take dedication and a great deal of time and vigilance to raise these small ones, So if anyone is not up for it, cannot give the attention and time. Ask around, find someone who can and will and put them on speed dial.

So be aware and have a care.

Live animal trade a little while on.......

The current problem with the live animal exports is that the government is trying to tinker at the edges again. Instead of reviewing the whole situation, it would seem that trying to band aid it, is the way they want to go. Not good, but as expected.

The pressure has to be maintained and I'm not certain that it's possible to do so, as people are already wandering away from the subject to other things that are capturing their attention. This has always been a problem and always will be.

The live animal trade will resume and the Australian cattle industry doesn't worry in the least about the animals it supplies anywhere, as long as they get the money in hand. The cattle producers are all lobbying for the trade to resume as quickly as possible, but that's the normal process with these things. The cruelty issues and the horror that was exposed is not going to recently is not going to live long in memory when money is involved. The cattle producers of this country are into money and not into animal welfare issues. Every cattle producer will have an excuse as to why the live animal trade should continue, and are spurious to some degree. Transparently it's money that rules. Compassion, obligation, morality what are they?

The meat and livestock industry is so obviously sending out signals that it cares not at all about the animals ear marked to go overseas that they are not willing to pay to feed them. It's again a Furphy, suggesting that they don't feed the animals because they believe that the government should pay. They just want to hang onto the money they have accumulated, because that gives them a sense of power.

The government are going to bow to the pressure of more money flowing into the coffers, as the money that was coming in stops. That's the whole business of government, money and not much else, though other things less important will receive lip service.

Live animal export trade..........

The live animal shipments overseas have been a problem since their inception. Because the countries that demand this living flesh being delivered are those who kill animals in a special way, and they don't trust other countries and cultures to kill them the way they wish. Their lack of trust and the special killing are a problem. Yet the cattle producers, the government of Australia and those whom they appoint to oversee this transport, realising this. Because don't for one minute think they didn't know, still wanted to cash in on the lucrative overseas market opportunities available and so the live animal trade went ahead. It was a mistake. After a couple of decades this madness becomes not evident, because the inhumane treatment of animals overseas has always been known, but rather comes to the public eye and ear and finally receives some much overdue attention.

Australia says they are trying to educate the countries that are recipients of the live animal trade to become aware of cruelty issues. They have helped them by creating boxes of torture to assist with this cruelty before killing, and using Australian tax payers money to do so. This and even the live animal trade, rather than paying the wages and accommodation of qualified people to come and live and oversee the work of halal killing and packaging in appropriately registered and authorised abattoirs in Australia.

My last missive to the minister in charge of and regarding this débâcle was in December 2010. Letters to previous ministers with responsibility for this cruelty need not be mentioned, because they were never going to be held accountable and cannot now be touched. This minister the Hon Joe Ludwig, like those before him realised what was going on. In a reply to my letter sent one saying many things and that he has asked the industry to investigate and report back to him by June in this year. It's June, but I'm certain that with a little imagination he would suggest that he meant by the 30th of June.

To send animals overseas alive is a treatment harsh in the extreme though few will see it, because there are few quality stock people who actually work with animals now to ensure they are best handled. The stock people of this day and age are those who have eyes only for money and nothing much else, unless it's what they can buy with it.

Taking the animal from the pasture, the mustering and hunting them up a race and enclosing them in terror increased by the restriction of a pen on a truck is pretty terrifying. Especially when they could be confined with a paddock enemy who is equally terrified. Then travelling along noisy roads and see sights and smell scents which are coming at them faster than they can be processed, never having seen anything like it previously, and because we don't know how they're feeling is just not going to be an enjoyable experience. People like to travel, but most animals, if they travel at all, would like to do so at their own pace and adjust to new sights at their ability to engage anything new. So far, the stress has been considerable and they are then held in holding yard or paddocks awaiting slaughter under normal conditions.

The live animal trade ensures these animals are placed onto a new terror conveyor. Another race to be pushed up and more fear if they have become accustomed to the sights and scents of the sea. Then penned again with paddock or yard mates and enemies on a constantly moving deck. Then the sea voyage rocking, rolling and storms of a kind they have never before experienced. This is not a pleasure cruise for animals that are accustomed to having a solid surface beneath their feet. These are not pampered though they are fed and watered. We have no idea about how animals show motion sickness because most do not vomit or if they do have little opportunity to do so in the crowded conditions forced upon them. They die and are cast overboard with little if any ceremony and just some effort.

For those who survive it's back down a race and onto solid ground, do they walk as if they have never been on a rocking, rolling surface or are they unsteady on their feet? Does anyone notice?

Into a holding paddock or pen and finally onto a truck to travel to a feed lot, where they are fattened, crowded, bored and finally on a truck again, back to have unspeakable things done to them after more terror causing sights and sound. After unspeakable brutality they are finally killed. How long does this terror continue? Do they recognise a respite or is there none for these whom we eat?

Burn out.........

http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2010/11/16/3067698.htm

The above article draws attention to the problems about beating ones head against a wall. It shows that as wildlife carers and those trying to point out that we should care more for our environment we can easily become discouraged and finally give up the fight for the animals of Australia and the world environment for which we are possibly the only champions.The politicians are the champions of money, thinking that if people have money to spend they will be happy, or if not happy, at least too busy to see what is happening all round them. That seems to have been proven by the decades where the people of western countries at least, went about their business of shopping rather than questioning. Then came peak oil and such things and still there was no outcry or change of attitude that can be measured. Climate change, and the planet continues to be ravaged, and not many curbing the excesses and we keep rolling the careless juggernaut powered by greed, onward over the very things that might just save some of our animal, insect and plant species.

The people of each country kill creatures that it considers pests and looks to other countries to stop killing the animals they consider pests. The lines are blurred, because there are few who really understand the role of pest and native animal, and have no idea which is which. While we who know the difference in many cases just filter this through the simple and best formula, being that all animal species are precious and that if they are not native to a country, might be all that survive because they are extinct in the habitat from whence they came. A justification for zoos? Hardly; but it does mean that zoos might become the repositories of an animal species that would otherwise no longer exist, even if it is a pale thing to the one that roamed wide landscapes or swung through and fed in trees that may also no longer exist.

Is there any wonder that wildlife carers and people concerned about the environment become despondent and eventually fall through the cracks created by developers and politicians?

Fire aftermath....... fight or flee...

The Royal Commission into Bushfires saw fit to retain the flee or flight policy that has always been in place in Victoria. In my opinion this was the best possible outcome, as evacuation is never the best option for more reasons than I will mention here. There are dwellings and settlements in this state, and probably others, where the road is like a pipe, and where the residents would have to traverse along it with trees on either side. This could be very hazardous and as seen by the 2009 bushfires, and could leave people exposed between the burning trees on either side of the road, within their burning cars, if the fire takes a turn unexpected and unpredicted.

In a compulsory evacuation scenario there is no leeway. The decision to evacuate might be made by a person who gets it wrong, and this could cause all manner of problems, so instead of getting people to safety, people could be sent into danger, and instead of individuals being injured or dying, masses could perish. Another problem with evacuation is that each persons circumstances are different, causing more headaches for those responsible for the evacuation. Some people can leave in a moment, while others would take ages to put in order the things that will give peace of mind. There are animals to consider for some, while possessions are the main reason for people to be reluctant to leave their places of residence. Evacuating too early places a greater burden on catering and leaving it too late has been mentioned above.

Choice has been retained with fight or flee, and choice is the most important element in every matter of life. No one has been told they must remain with their property, and even insurance companies are willing to pay out if people leave their homes and property to the mercy of fire. So people may leave if they wish, and many will do so, valuing their lives before their property and some cases even their pets. If timing is the main factor that could result in disaster, then this could be misinterpreted by the individual or the professional responsible for evacuating people.

The situation with fires that consume forest and suburb is, that nothing is certain, and that can be seen where houses remain standing, untouched, and yet everything around them has been burnt, and for this reason there can never be a hard and fast rule that would apply to all people.

Further to the joys of caring....

Someone wrote about the joys of caring for wildlife and being close to releasing same and I replied:

There we have it, a description of one of the greatest pleasures bestowed upon us as wildlife carers. The never ending and ever new wonder of another creature like and yet different to ourselves and much closer to the source trusting us with everything they hold dear, their lives. Believing in us, demonstrating their form of affection, believing we'll not only understand but also appreciate its magic. No strings, ties of any kind from carer or cared for, and this “freedom to leave” is what makes it bitter sweet and so very precious.

Be it the walking with possums, wallabies or wombats weighing in at almost 20 kilo's over territory you hope they'll like and remain in when they decide to leave. Noticing all the nuances and requests that are made during the hour or two doing this pleasant morning and afternoon ritual. Waiting while the territory is marked, over the top of another wombats marker. Waiting while feeding on some long tendrils of native grasses that appear to have popped up over night. Feeling the teeth scraped across the top of the boot saying, “move on, I'm finished here”. The jumping round, head up, indicating that it's play time and wrestling with someone who has no handles, just a pushing and shoving match. As the light strengthens and after a time the sun peeps over the mountain and bathes us all in light as we move in the direction of home.

It's a pretty special experience that never tarnishes or loses appeal, and adds poignancy to the moment when they walk away without so much as a look back over the shoulder. Off to explore a larger world. Happy knowing they have bolt holes and burrows of safety in this known territory. Then so much skin tingling pleasure when after some months they are espied by accident, going about their business as if they were raised by their natural mothers.

Amber........

This is Amber, she is growing since we got her on Thursday 9 April 2009. She has been a treat and is starting to get the hang of being without her pouch for longer periods of time. Beginning to eat grass and leaves and she is so inquisitive. Being no trouble at all, other than keeping us on our toes when she hops up onto tables, chairs and anything else she wishes to see the top of or just test her hopping ability.

She is outside in the day now, but still comes in at night. She doesn't mind the cold, but we prefer to keep an eye on her.

She is some time away from soft release yet, though adapting well to being alone all day at least. The summer might see her allowed to roam further.

Quick nest builders

The eastern spinebill [honeyeater] began to build it's nest in the potato vine above the arch covering the gate that leads into the shearing shed garden, and we loved the thought of this pair raising it's babies just over our head as we walked through each day to feed the free range poultry and generally did work in the garden. There is considerable movement around and through the arch and under its gate. The Eastern Spinebill is a fast nest builder and in this way misses out much of what is going on over a longer period of time as it quickly completes the construction of its nest. So when it was ready and decided to lay its eggs and sit, it was suddenly disturbed by all the things it wouldn't normally see and therefore felt threatened and left all this work and resource expended, abandoned, as it moved away

So it is a desirable thing in some instances to go slow, to be certain that we see much of what is going on before we finally decide to expend a great deal of energy and resources to do what we think might be something good. There is no reason for rush, but it appears that human beings pursue speed so that the one who does may get the benefit of whatever they have done. Maybe all we should do, is to make certain that something we are contemplating is not going to create more problems than what it solves, and then, if this is proven and certain, we can go ahead and do it; allowing it to mature for the benefit of our children and grandchildren?

So the magic of planting a tree, especially one that will grow slowly, adapt to the conditions as they change is: it will be mature for our grandchildren to enjoy. We cannot leave a greater legacy for them; a planet disturbed as little as possible and a resource they can use and replenish in turn for their children and grandchildren. Then they may also have time to contemplate what they are going to do before they attempt it?

The mind..........

The true mind when referred to is the being, the one whom we are, the person that is. The mind is referred to in that manner as a rule. The physical mind is the brain mind, that which controls the body of which the brain is part. That which the true mind uses to make the vehicle it travels in, work as it should.

Poddy lamb........

Last night on a hill, we found two skinny sheep belonging to we knew not who? Lying on their side to weak to move with the eye pointing up to the heavens pecked out and their heads pillowed in a pool of congealed blood. One of these was a ewe that had obviously given birth, because we found the lamb, one that had never had a chance to suckle, bleating as it tried unsuccessfully to suckle a rough tree trunk. The lamb ran to us, the only living things, moving about on the hill which it had probably seen all day. It was a strong lamb, willing to fight for the life its mother had died to produce. She was being carried home as I returned with a rifle to send her mother and the other sheep home away from the misery which engulfed them. This is the way of life, there is misfortune and luck and all manner of other factors that are the yin and yang of life.

So two grown sheep have been returned from whence they came and we now have a poddy lamb; a small animal that will be solely reliant on us for some months and then partially reliant on us for a short time after that. This is not the first baby that we have looked after and it won't be the last, and we wonder? But just keep putting on foot in front of the other. It would have made a difference had we not picked up the lamb and left it for the fox, it would not have been better or worse, just different. We did nothing marvellous or wonderful, as the fox would not have done anything wrong. We just followed our natural inclinations as they are and the feelings that moved them in the moment.

Danger Will Robinson........

The warnings continue but few people recognise them. The worry of so many diseases are happening in the livestock industries, poultry enterprises in particular, as people disrespect the food they eat looking only for anything that's cheap, rather than a product that has been farmed well, humanely and lived well. There are more and more diseases that were almost dormant under normal stocking rates and conditions of healthy space and reasonable self determination for animals and birds, which are becoming a serious problem. Not only for the production of the end product which we expect to be of good quality, but also for the people working in these intensive, disrespectful industries. The voices in the wilderness can be heard if one listens and yet no one takes any notice and people continue along what looks like the yellow brick road to plentiful food, but which is really only a sand track leading to a really horrifying, disease ridden mess for the human race.

Diseases that are becoming more prevalent in all livestock and any loss of quality in plants is not going to help us survive all the other problems that greed and carelessness is heaping upon us. Science has for far too long been treating symptoms which it thinks it has overcome, and not the actual causes which affect us and everything on this planet. All human beings have allowed themselves to be mislead by what appears to be glorious time of plenty and happiness, but never looked the mess left behind or the future for our children. Mass production is not the answer and never was, though it looked promising at the start, and should have been long recognised, but like global warming is now, will be noticed only when it's too late.

Small production and producer operations decentralised and in all areas should be encouraged. Small scale producers, and manufacturers. The lower cost of mass production has enormous costs in other areas, huge companies are the problem not the answer. To think that getting bigger is better, and that it can be never ending shows a complete disregard or lack of understanding of what life is all about.

Now it's all about money on every hand, and there is a squeeze which cannot be endured for long. People are getting pushed to the wall because they all seek to do the same thing, they follow without thinking. To make something less expensive will require something to be at a reasonable cost, but those that grow and process it to be happy with a Little less financial reward, and maintain a pride in their work and the product they produce, which should be sufficient for even the most greedy?

People are either very stupid or don't have a thought about what is happening under their noses? I repeat myself.

There is nothing gained but something is lost. The trick is trying to discover if the gain is actually that and not a greater loss than what is already in place. This takes time, but there are too many who think that racing ahead is what is required. I wonder to what end racing ahead might be required?

Conservation....

Conservation is a term used often. The meaning of it is something like this:

[quote]

Conservation \Con`ser*va"tion\, n. [L. conservatio: cf. F. conservation.] The act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; the keeping (of a thing) in a safe or entire state; preservation. [1913 Webster]

[end quote]

So conservation doesn't appear to be desirable at all. It seems to suggest keeping things in the state of the status quo, which after all is not only impossible but capricious. All things either evolve or degrade and/or erode, this is how evolution works. Trying to keep something as it is/was is a task both futile and unwelcome to any who would like to retain species and environments for future generations.

Victoria, Australia has more than 4 million hectares, or 14 per cent of the state, which are wilderness, state, regional park and reserve areas. The state government projects itself as protector and manager of these areas and they are evolving land and seascapes. The management appears insufficient because there is just not enough staff for the task, yet some would argue that's a good outcome, allowing these areas to constantly evolve; though many would claim they are degrading, but that depends where the person making the claim stands in opinion, thought and control tendency. Nature is working in these areas, it can't be prevented from doing so and the result is change and if this is degradation by natural means, then who would gainsay this? Only those that would control every aspect of what is happening, and create things as they see them, in their imagination, if only they could. But our ancestors as transporters of plants and animals from other countries have already created opportunity for the natural evolution with these new species.

So forget conservation for a moment and look more at protection. We can only protect anything from our own species and therefore society sets out rules and laws, and each of us have rules and laws, some more stringent and others more lenient than these of society that we also obey. For protection of any environment, and that's how all protection should be viewed, not like it has been n the past, as protection of an animal, which results in the animal in captivity in zoos, because its natural habitat has been desolated. A protection of an environment means all it contains, plants, animals, insects etc., from our species. With rules and laws we inhibit our species from taking what we think is undesirable action in the protected areas, and therefore hinder the application of what we consider undesirable effects from burdening or shaping the evolution of protected areas. Because nature will do as is intended and it cannot and must not be halted.

Protection of environments is important. Because it shows we are willing to allow nature to do what it has ever done, and even though we may see things happening that our ancestors have encouraged by the importation of what are often termed feral or weed species, we should trust natures ability to change and manage this change with what it discovers. Trust that animals will adapt, and trust that those which don't will be marked as obsolete by the same force which create them in the first place. It's a hard decision, which isn't ours to make and will be made if we interfere further, or not.

People mention pristine environments, but this usually tries to show an environment where man has not been the vector for introduction of animals and plants which were not discovered when the people who took away or colonised the environment of the native peoples first arrived. Prior to that, since the world began, other vectors and opportunity were created by nature to distribute plants and animals. These environments have evolved, and they are no more, nor will they ever be again. Time cannot be turned back, and land returned to uneducated, natural and enlightened native peoples is not possible either. It's not even natural that it should be so. Nature is the controlling force. Man is arrogant enough to think that its species has some control, but humans are unable to control anything, especially themselves no matter how hard they try. Humans are and will always be controlled by nature which created them, more evident now that the knowledge of global warming has registered its presence, even to science which created much of what has caused this phenomenon in all areas of human action.

Conservation should be replaced with protection, and evolution allowed to continue without interference, even though it may result in the destruction of the human species in the end. If we as a species were as clever as we thought, we would not be destroying what is already there, tried and tested, to rebuild it as we want, but rather build and live round all which was encountered and share the space and ambiance. Since we aren't that clever, we use force to shape natures tested landscape and formula with machines and flawed science, and get into more and more trouble every minute of day and night. Natures control is supreme, but we can try to curb the excesses of human habitation, not try to conserve what we have already destroyed.