Fresh green links

Killing the ETS was a team effort – there was a lot written about Rudd’s retreat from his ETS plan this week, but this post at Crikey from Bernard Keane sums it up pretty well. I guess now Rudd doesn’t have to come up with a new platform for the election later this year, he can just re-use the last one since he hasn’t accomplished very much from it.

Green shopping won’t save the planet – an Earth Day post from Newsweek. Every example of major environmental progress (reducing acid rain, improving air quality, restoring the ozone layer) has been the result of national legislation or a global treaty, not because of individual action. Perhaps we should tell our politicians…

Putting the future back in the room – I really enjoyed this post by Alex Steffen over at Worldchanging. It’s about how optimism is a radical political act right now, and one which might actually help us get through to people. We need to do more than just complain about the status quo – we need to show people the positive alternatives.

Carbon sequestration not practical – it would take a reservoir the size of a small US state to hold the carbon dioxide produced by one power station.

In Tasmania for some fishing or beach time? Check out Redmap, a project to track which species are showing up at different times of the year. It’s a citizen science project that looks quite cool. It’s got teacher resources and info on how climate changes are affecting the region.

Uni-taskers

My theme for this year is “reduce” – I want to reduce waste, save water, and get more energy efficient in my home. I’m also working on reducing clutter. I’m happier with a clean, tidy house, and that’s a lot easier if it isn’t full of stuff I’ve bought on a whim.

As part of my reducing project, I’ve been reading the Unclutterer blog. They’ve got a lot of good ideas for sorting out the cruft in your life, not just material goods but general lifestyle tips as well. I really recommend giving it a look if you’re interested in living a simpler life.

One of my favourite features is their “Unitasker Wednesday”. Each week they post a photo and link to the most useless junk products I’ve ever seen, so their readers can make fun of them. I get a good laugh out of it, although every now and then I see something there that I actually own!

Some of my favourites are:

• the heated lotion dispenser – avoid the trauma of putting cold moisturiser on your hands!
• the martini shaker – no, not your average cocktail shaker, this one does the shaking for you. I’m not sure if it shakes daiquiris as well, you may have to buy a separate gadget for that.
• the EZ egg cracker – because knocking it on your kitchen counter is too difficult for some people.
• the USB-powered pet rock – ok, this one is a joke product… but really, how many were actually sold?

I laugh about it, but honestly it’s a real shame. Just think – there’s factories in south-east Asia with people working for slave-wages just to bring us this crap. How much of the metals we mine and ship overseas get turned into little gadgets like these, which will probably break within months and get thrown out? How much oil is wasted on the cheap plastic?

I’m trying very hard to avoid this kind of shopping. I want the products I own not just to be made in an eco-friendly way, I want them to be useful and long-lasting, to be quality products I actually need.

Which is your favourite unitasker? Do you own any of them? I’ll confess to loving my ice-cream maker – but that one generated huge controversy in the comments on the Unclutterer blog, so I’m  not alone! I like being able to make ice-cream from local organic ingredients in whatever flavour I like. But maybe I should pass on my sandwich press to someone who enjoys panini more than I do…

Fresh green links

Even with tighter regulations, coal plant still polluting rivers – the Cox river is 80 times saltier than normal, and 1000 times more acidic, because of the Wallerang power plant. It seems like as long as they’re monitoring pollutants, they don’t actually have to reduce them.

86 paleontologists oppose Broome gas hub – because of the dinosaur footprints there. That is so cool. I hope I get to see them someday.

All new homes in South Australia to be 6-star energy rated – part of a COAG decision from 2009. When are the other states going to join in? Energy and water efficient homes can really reduce the burden we put on the environment, I’d love to see a program for retrofitting as well.

The Heart Foundation opposes palm oil – it’s great to have such a good ally in the fight against palm oil. They want it out to reduce our risk of heart disease from saturated fats.

University of Queensland launches Australia’s biggest solar panel – about the size of one and a half rugby fields.

The 3/50 project – not the 350ppm climate goal, this is about supporting local businesses by pledging to spend $50 a month divided between 3 independently owned businesses (via Tiny Choices).

Review: Making Animals Happy

I picked up “Making Animals Happy” by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson based on a review by Tim Flannery. It’s about the mental health of the animals we have in our lives, and what we can do to make sure they’re being treated well.

You might have heard of Temple Grandin before: she’s an autistic woman who has pioneered research in animal behavior and farming. This book is written from her perspective and gives her opinions based on the many years of experience that she has with all sorts of animals. She tells us why chickens hide their eggs, why dogs understand humans so well, and why pigs are so curious about everything.

She starts by introducing the concept of ‘core emotions’, like seeking, fear, and rage. These aren’t the only emotions that people and animals feel, but they are common to all mammals and some birds, and form a common basis for understanding mental health. It’s easy to figure out physical comfort for our pets, but since animals can’t tell us what’s wrong when they’re mentally distressed, we have to rely on observation and research.

Grandin explains that research in easy-to-understand ways, then illustrates with real-life examples. There are chapters about dogs, cats, farm animals, zoos and wildlife, with lots of interesting trivia tucked in among the stories.  She gives practical recommendations for keeping our pets happy, for improving the welfare of farm animals, and for making zoos better places for wildlife.

Although the book focuses on mental health for animals, Grandin has to discuss the physical health of animals in factory farms. The relentless pursuit of profit has lead to poor physical care of farm animals, which in turn affects their state of mind. She is scathing in her opinions of people who abuse animals, but even then she finds and explains solutions for this problem.

I really enjoyed this book. The emphasis on real world situations that most people will encounter makes it useful; Grandin’s no-nonsense country-gal style makes it entertaining. Dave and I are getting a pet sometime soon, and it’s good to know that I can make sure my pet is having a happy life.

Recommended?
Anyone with pets will get a lot out of this book – it will help you understand some of the funny things they do, and help you figure out ways to make their lives even happier. And those of us who eat meat should be paying attention to the sections on farm animals: I warn you, it isn’t pretty, but it’s essential to know what can be done about current bad practices. If you’re in charge of animals for your job, then this book is a must-read – fascinating and informative and with real-world suggestions for figuring out the best methods for your situation.

Barnett’s quarry vision

Photo credit: Barnett's press release about oil on Margaret River coast

Have you ever been to Margaret River in WA, for the surfing or the wine? Or visited the great karri forests in our south-west? If not, you might want to do it soon, because Premier Colin Barnett is doing his best to wreck them.

Putting an oil and gas operation on a Class-A nature reserve, or allowing a gas plant on top of ancient Aboriginal sites isn’t enough for this guy. Now he’s trying to give a permit for oil drilling just off the south-west coast, in an area that has been marked out to be a marine sanctuary. And he’s giving away bauxite mining permits on an area that covers state and national forests as well as farmland, and is home to several endangered (nearly extinct) animals.

As far as Colin Barnett’s concerned, WA is only good enough to be a quarry. Our biodiversity hotspots, our natural heritage, our places to holiday – not worth keeping. Dig it up and sell it off is his motto.

I’m sure the surfers at Margs won’t mind when an oil slick covers their waves and white sandy beaches. The people tasting some of Australia’s premium wines will just have to put their hands over their glasses to keep the mine-site dust out. Or maybe we’ll develop a little fame for having bauxite flavours in our best vintages.

And it’s not as if we’re even going to get any of the profits. There’ll be lots of money made, for sure – but most of it will go to the CEOs of fossil fuel companies, not to WA citizens. Apparently we haven’t got enough money to fund libraries or science centres anymore. Sorry kids: if you don’t want to work on the mines, we can’t afford to educate you.

I’m so mad about this. Guy Pearse wrote about Australia’s quarry vision and he’s right – some people can only see value in mining, and have forgotten that there’s more to an economy than selling fossil fuels. Premier Barnett can’t see the forest for the mine-site. Or the dollar-signs, maybe.

If we’re not careful, we’ll end up with Dutch disease. That’s when a country’s economy busts when all the mining is done, because they didn’t take the time to invest in other industries, or education, health, infrastructure and all the things that make a well-rounded society. It’s happened in Wales and in the USA’s Appalachian region. What makes us think we’re so different?

There are people trying to prevent WA from being dug up and sold overseas. Please give them your support:

• Save Our Marine Life
• Save the Kimberley
• Conservation Council of WA – you can hear an interview they did on RTRfm about the Margaret River oil proposal.