The situation in our landscape is verging on 'catastrophic' says new NSW Minister Phil Koperberg.
Every four days a farmer is committing suicide.
Every day the prolonged drought is sending some farmers to the wall.
And yet do we all fiddle while the country burns. Yes, it seems so.
But there is a solution. Every day I receive dozens of emails from women all over Australia, describing what they see as a detiorating environment for themselves and their children and grandchildren.
Women are the nurturers in our society. Its Mother Nature that cares for us and its the women in our communities that care for the rest of us.
It's about time we men realised that the true achievers in our society are the women folk. They have and raise the children, clean the houses, do the garden and the shopping, cooking, hold down jobs etc etc etc.,
Women are the real 'men' of ACTION. It's the male who dreams and the female who achieves.
What we need to save this country of ours is a co-ordinated and collabrative effort by the women of this country to see a change and to provide hope and a solution for present and future generations.
The female of the species wants to care for this land, and not to see it 'raped and pillaged", which is the domain of men and their testoterone agendas.
We need to agitate for change...the politicans need to hear from the women of this great nation that it is no longer acceptable to leave your head in the sand or to play the fiddle.
Support needs to be given to Peter Andrews and his ideas...they give at the least a SOLUTION to our most immediate problems.
So to the women of this great country I say unite with one voice and one mind and let's make this happen.
Plan to Action- Mobilise the Women of Australia
Moderator: webmaster
Plan to Action- Mobilise the Women of Australia
Last edited by duane on Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Angela Helleren
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 6:45 am
- Location: Victoria
Hi duane.
I remember hearing a caller on the radio one night say, " if you want politicans to take notice, of any issue, then get it onto the CWA's agenda." As a recent programme on the ABC noted, their network across the country is about much more than tea and scones.
The best means of advertising, is word of mouth.
I suggest putting on a presentation, or personally inviting women from the CWA hierachy, to visit some of the properties Peter has worked on.
The Bush telegraph has no limit, as many city girls have family members in country areas.
I only know of Peter's work through watching Australian Story. In last weeks Catalyst Programme, I couldn't help but note the irony of Peter's story and another that night, the Beverley Uranium Mine. Scientists testing to find out why Peter's system works to restore degregated land.....while the people at Beverley are allowed to extract uranium using sulphuric acid & huge amounts of water, then returning contaminated waste into the ground without having to account to anyone. Our vast underground water supply is put at risk.
For anyone who missed the Catalyst programme, I believe it's replayed during the day on Tuesdays. Check TV guide for time. Transcripts of both programmes are available at the ABC Programme site - Catalyst .
I remember hearing a caller on the radio one night say, " if you want politicans to take notice, of any issue, then get it onto the CWA's agenda." As a recent programme on the ABC noted, their network across the country is about much more than tea and scones.
The best means of advertising, is word of mouth.
I suggest putting on a presentation, or personally inviting women from the CWA hierachy, to visit some of the properties Peter has worked on.
The Bush telegraph has no limit, as many city girls have family members in country areas.
I only know of Peter's work through watching Australian Story. In last weeks Catalyst Programme, I couldn't help but note the irony of Peter's story and another that night, the Beverley Uranium Mine. Scientists testing to find out why Peter's system works to restore degregated land.....while the people at Beverley are allowed to extract uranium using sulphuric acid & huge amounts of water, then returning contaminated waste into the ground without having to account to anyone. Our vast underground water supply is put at risk.
For anyone who missed the Catalyst programme, I believe it's replayed during the day on Tuesdays. Check TV guide for time. Transcripts of both programmes are available at the ABC Programme site - Catalyst .
Many hands make light work.
Unfortunately, too many hands stirring anti clockwise, has spoiled mother natures recipe.
Back to basics.
Unfortunately, too many hands stirring anti clockwise, has spoiled mother natures recipe.
Back to basics.
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Angela Helleren
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 6:45 am
- Location: Victoria
-
Angela Helleren
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 6:45 am
- Location: Victoria
That's fantastic! I am a man outnumbered 5 to 1.
At the first meeting of the Avon chapter (soon to be formed officially) I was fortunate to be in the presence of a great group of people, those curious, those concerned, those active and those supportive.
All those present were initiators and thinkers and they are the people who will drive the direction of any debate and action taken in their land.
They were all women. I was alone.
In fact it was my wife who first drew my attention to NSF. It was she who bought the book, she who read it first, it was she who got me out picking rocks in the paddock and it was she who chose the best site for our first project.
I believe that a little more chaos would be welcome.
At the first meeting of the Avon chapter (soon to be formed officially) I was fortunate to be in the presence of a great group of people, those curious, those concerned, those active and those supportive.
All those present were initiators and thinkers and they are the people who will drive the direction of any debate and action taken in their land.
They were all women. I was alone.
In fact it was my wife who first drew my attention to NSF. It was she who bought the book, she who read it first, it was she who got me out picking rocks in the paddock and it was she who chose the best site for our first project.
I believe that a little more chaos would be welcome.
I truly believe that if we can engage the women of the country we will create the change that is necessary to secure the future of our children and their children.
Families today want to know their water will be secure and that global warming will be fixed because as parents they want to see a future for their offspring.
There will be NO future unless we can guarantee we have some solutions to healing the precious landscape we know that has provided everything we have.
I would love to see more of our women contributing to the debate on this forum.... they can cut to the quick and see thru the BS and they GET THINGS DONE.
Families today want to know their water will be secure and that global warming will be fixed because as parents they want to see a future for their offspring.
There will be NO future unless we can guarantee we have some solutions to healing the precious landscape we know that has provided everything we have.
I would love to see more of our women contributing to the debate on this forum.... they can cut to the quick and see thru the BS and they GET THINGS DONE.
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Jodi James
- Posts: 23
- Joined: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:36 pm
- Location: Avon West Australia
Hi Duane
I have heard and read a lot of information on this site already from the feedback my husband Ian is receiving. I have always been interested in the landscape and in what has been happening around me.
I originally come from N.Z and have grown up with rivers and a lush landscape, coming to WA was a major environment shock to me. The more I read about Peter, the more I think about what it is like in N.Z. and how his theories are so like what I watched as a child.
I bought Peter's book for Ian, he was not interested...at all, but after long conversation and a little bit of hard work, he has inspired me more by his drive and determination to set up a chapter in WA. By the way, the book nearly made it to the bin (Farmers are set in their ways at times).
It's a great read, I'm no reader but this was one book I couldn't put down.
Over the last few years of farming I have watched different things happening on the farm. (I've only been farming for 4 years, Ian’s been farming all his life.)
Our Landscape is suffering badly, It is even seen in our lambs and sheep,
I read something recently about Simazine, a product we use to control grass weeds in lupins, it can cause male frogs to grow ovaries on their backs...what's it doing to our husbands that spray the stuff? ....chemicals....
It's killing all the microbes in the soil and this is causing our soils to be non wetting.
We need to look at things more deeply than just crying over global warming, are we causing our landscapes to really suffer with sterilization of the soil from chemicals?
Drought proofing our farms makes sense, if we all spent a little bit of time catching the rain and making ponds, which is how it used to be, we would all live in a better environment.
Let us all get moving on Peter’s theories and make it work.
Thanks Peter, you’re an inspiration, and I'm convinced what your saying is right. I can see it with our pond, and the growth of our pastures beside it.
Come on everybody lets get this WA chapter happening. Don't sit back and wait be involved, go and put your rocks you picked in the creek and start catching the water you will be amazed at what you will see.....Come and be a part of WA's chapter.....
I have heard and read a lot of information on this site already from the feedback my husband Ian is receiving. I have always been interested in the landscape and in what has been happening around me.
I originally come from N.Z and have grown up with rivers and a lush landscape, coming to WA was a major environment shock to me. The more I read about Peter, the more I think about what it is like in N.Z. and how his theories are so like what I watched as a child.
I bought Peter's book for Ian, he was not interested...at all, but after long conversation and a little bit of hard work, he has inspired me more by his drive and determination to set up a chapter in WA. By the way, the book nearly made it to the bin (Farmers are set in their ways at times).
It's a great read, I'm no reader but this was one book I couldn't put down.
Over the last few years of farming I have watched different things happening on the farm. (I've only been farming for 4 years, Ian’s been farming all his life.)
Our Landscape is suffering badly, It is even seen in our lambs and sheep,
I read something recently about Simazine, a product we use to control grass weeds in lupins, it can cause male frogs to grow ovaries on their backs...what's it doing to our husbands that spray the stuff? ....chemicals....
It's killing all the microbes in the soil and this is causing our soils to be non wetting.
We need to look at things more deeply than just crying over global warming, are we causing our landscapes to really suffer with sterilization of the soil from chemicals?
Drought proofing our farms makes sense, if we all spent a little bit of time catching the rain and making ponds, which is how it used to be, we would all live in a better environment.
Let us all get moving on Peter’s theories and make it work.
Thanks Peter, you’re an inspiration, and I'm convinced what your saying is right. I can see it with our pond, and the growth of our pastures beside it.
Come on everybody lets get this WA chapter happening. Don't sit back and wait be involved, go and put your rocks you picked in the creek and start catching the water you will be amazed at what you will see.....Come and be a part of WA's chapter.....
Open mindedness opens wisdom
Jodi your post typifies what I said in my earlier post that started this thread.
Women are the earth's real carer's I believe. Look what they achieve everyday.
The chemical farming we have all witnessed is slowly but surely bringing our agriculture to its knees with ever increasing input costs and ever decreasing returns.
When you think that farming is about producing a product that comes from the Sun...farmers get their energy from the sun for nothing and the atmospheric CO2 for nothing. In racing terms that means they have already won the quinella. But imagine if all farmers could capture and retain the free water that falls from the sky they would then have the trifecta. But as they capture that water and it moves fertility across their farms farmers can win the quadrella....and as every punter knows that pays the biggest prize of all.
In our arrogance we have sought collectively to prove that fertilizers and chemical sprays were better than any way Mother Nature had devised.
We are now seeing the folly of that type of chemical farming.
Organic agriculture is the fastest growing agricultural sector in Europe and North America...the Slow Food movement has 110 member countries and over 80,000 members.
Now is the time to take a stand for our landscape, our soils, our animals and our collective health and take a punt on winning the quadrella.
Women are the earth's real carer's I believe. Look what they achieve everyday.
The chemical farming we have all witnessed is slowly but surely bringing our agriculture to its knees with ever increasing input costs and ever decreasing returns.
When you think that farming is about producing a product that comes from the Sun...farmers get their energy from the sun for nothing and the atmospheric CO2 for nothing. In racing terms that means they have already won the quinella. But imagine if all farmers could capture and retain the free water that falls from the sky they would then have the trifecta. But as they capture that water and it moves fertility across their farms farmers can win the quadrella....and as every punter knows that pays the biggest prize of all.
In our arrogance we have sought collectively to prove that fertilizers and chemical sprays were better than any way Mother Nature had devised.
We are now seeing the folly of that type of chemical farming.
Organic agriculture is the fastest growing agricultural sector in Europe and North America...the Slow Food movement has 110 member countries and over 80,000 members.
Now is the time to take a stand for our landscape, our soils, our animals and our collective health and take a punt on winning the quadrella.
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Angela Helleren
- Posts: 96
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 6:45 am
- Location: Victoria
You are right to be concerned about various chemicals used Jodi.
Did you see the programme 'Patent the Pig'? It was either on SBS or ABC a few months back.
Here is a 4 minute clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LApVgRZ0zXM
Roughly 10 mins. same but subtitled
Genetic Engineering of food Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnZjs5Gq ... ed&search=
You will find part 2/3 and 3/3 listed.
The whole programme should be viewed. It's a wake up call not just for those on the land but the whole population.
Did you see the programme 'Patent the Pig'? It was either on SBS or ABC a few months back.
Here is a 4 minute clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LApVgRZ0zXM
Roughly 10 mins. same but subtitled
Genetic Engineering of food Part 1/3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnZjs5Gq ... ed&search=
You will find part 2/3 and 3/3 listed.
The whole programme should be viewed. It's a wake up call not just for those on the land but the whole population.
Many hands make light work.
Unfortunately, too many hands stirring anti clockwise, has spoiled mother natures recipe.
Back to basics.
Unfortunately, too many hands stirring anti clockwise, has spoiled mother natures recipe.
Back to basics.
GHOSTS IN THE EVOLUTIONARY MACHINERY
The Strange, Disembodied Life of Digital Organisms
This was emailed to me privately. I include it here because I think it warrants comment.
On the Web: http://www.netfuture.org/
You may redistribute this newsletter for noncommercial purposes
Steve Talbott
(stevet@oreilly.com)
Eighty years ago the philologist and semantic historian, Owen Barfield,
warned us that a science straining toward what it imagines to be strictly
material concepts will end up with abstract and general ones. That is,
our pursuit of materialism will paradoxically estrange us from concrete,
material reality (Barfield 1973, pp. 79, 83). The reason for this is that
the world we know is a world of specific character, of particular,
insistent presences, of expressive qualities -- a world of smiling faces,
fluttering leaves, resting cats, billowing clouds. In turning away from
these presences, from these qualities -- in seeking the denatured, inert,
non-experienceable stuff of the scientist’s abstract imagination -- we
turn away from the one reality we are given. It is only natural, then,
that direct and careful observation of the world’s vivid, many-faceted
character should yield more and more to one-dimensional measurement:
It must be admitted that the matter dealt with by the established
sciences is coming to be composed less and less of actual observations,
more and more of such things as pointer-readings on dials, the same
pointer-readings arranged by electronic computers, inferences from
inferences, higher mathematical formulae and other recondite
abstractions. Yet modern science began with a turning away *from*
abstract cerebration *to* objective observation! (Barfield 1963, pp.
10-11)
It is hardly disputable that science has in fact listed heavily toward the
imperceptible, immaterial, and abstract. The essence of science, many
declare, lies in the mathematization of reality, an opinion vastly more
common than its necessary counterpart, which is the effort to characterize
what sort of reality the mathematics refers to.
However, bloodless abstraction alone is impossible to sustain; we can’t
help wanting our equations to be statements about real things that we
experience and understand. This is where models and machines come in
handy: they enable scientists to re-embody their abstractions in a kind of
alternate, well-understood, mechanistic reality, without being unduly
bothered by the expressive presence of the original phenomena. The world
is comfortably re-cast in the image of our own preferred habits of thought
-- namely, the habits that gave rise to the machine in the first place.
And now computer simulations are raising this modeling power almost to the
level of pure conjuration, giving us programmed appearances that seem
wonderfully real regardless of how thin the threads are connecting them to
physical reality. Some scientists seem to view the computer almost as a
kind of Creation Machine; using it, they can watch the logic of their own
thoughts, however arbitrary, congeal into convincing "material" phenomena.
So it is that, in the field of evolutionary studies, we now find strange
seances in high-tech laboratories where biologists, bent over their
computerized abstractions, struggle to bring them alive as mutating,
replicating, evolving organisms.
The Strange, Disembodied Life of Digital Organisms
This was emailed to me privately. I include it here because I think it warrants comment.
On the Web: http://www.netfuture.org/
You may redistribute this newsletter for noncommercial purposes
Steve Talbott
(stevet@oreilly.com)
Eighty years ago the philologist and semantic historian, Owen Barfield,
warned us that a science straining toward what it imagines to be strictly
material concepts will end up with abstract and general ones. That is,
our pursuit of materialism will paradoxically estrange us from concrete,
material reality (Barfield 1973, pp. 79, 83). The reason for this is that
the world we know is a world of specific character, of particular,
insistent presences, of expressive qualities -- a world of smiling faces,
fluttering leaves, resting cats, billowing clouds. In turning away from
these presences, from these qualities -- in seeking the denatured, inert,
non-experienceable stuff of the scientist’s abstract imagination -- we
turn away from the one reality we are given. It is only natural, then,
that direct and careful observation of the world’s vivid, many-faceted
character should yield more and more to one-dimensional measurement:
It must be admitted that the matter dealt with by the established
sciences is coming to be composed less and less of actual observations,
more and more of such things as pointer-readings on dials, the same
pointer-readings arranged by electronic computers, inferences from
inferences, higher mathematical formulae and other recondite
abstractions. Yet modern science began with a turning away *from*
abstract cerebration *to* objective observation! (Barfield 1963, pp.
10-11)
It is hardly disputable that science has in fact listed heavily toward the
imperceptible, immaterial, and abstract. The essence of science, many
declare, lies in the mathematization of reality, an opinion vastly more
common than its necessary counterpart, which is the effort to characterize
what sort of reality the mathematics refers to.
However, bloodless abstraction alone is impossible to sustain; we can’t
help wanting our equations to be statements about real things that we
experience and understand. This is where models and machines come in
handy: they enable scientists to re-embody their abstractions in a kind of
alternate, well-understood, mechanistic reality, without being unduly
bothered by the expressive presence of the original phenomena. The world
is comfortably re-cast in the image of our own preferred habits of thought
-- namely, the habits that gave rise to the machine in the first place.
And now computer simulations are raising this modeling power almost to the
level of pure conjuration, giving us programmed appearances that seem
wonderfully real regardless of how thin the threads are connecting them to
physical reality. Some scientists seem to view the computer almost as a
kind of Creation Machine; using it, they can watch the logic of their own
thoughts, however arbitrary, congeal into convincing "material" phenomena.
So it is that, in the field of evolutionary studies, we now find strange
seances in high-tech laboratories where biologists, bent over their
computerized abstractions, struggle to bring them alive as mutating,
replicating, evolving organisms.