Gerry Georgatos
The Warrup forest blockade by Forest Rescue Australia (FRA) has broken a long standing record in Western Australia - the blockade is eleven weeks long. It is the longest anti-logging action in 14 years, said Simon Peterffy, FRA convenor.
"For us, we have to save the largest numbat colony in WA and which is under threat of extinction, we have to save the trees, we have to protect the environment - if someone doesn't stand up then they're gone and the damage is done," said Mr Peterffy.
"We've had many of our good people arrested, and this is sad, however we have stopped the logging on a daily basis and because of this raising the hope to save part of our forests for these same people who arrest us for them, and their children, to enjoy and appreciate."
The FRA actions are now daily, with activists locking on to loaders and bulldozers for up to 24 hours and in the process halting the logging, till police cut the locks and then arrest and charge them.
Bunbury-based South West District police Inspector Geoff Stewart said the statements of a 'blockade' and 'daily actions' are inaccurate. He said for there to be a blockade the activists would have to be there daily and Inspector Stewart said this is not the case. Inspector Stewart said that in general logging activity has not been halted by the various protest actions.
On Tuesday March 27 the FRA activists halted logging by Forest Products Commission (FPC) contractors by embedding stakes and star pickets on Warrup forest's Edwards Road - the section of it that is not a public thoroughfare however necessary for access by the logging contractors. Inspector Geoff Stewart said this was stupid and dangerous.
State and national news media is now following the events in Warrup and some have been onsite. Support for Warrup has been expressed by state Greens parliamentarians and state Independent parliamentarians, Adele Carles and Dr Janet Woollard.
FPC forestry scientist Peter Beatty said only 25% of the Warrup block in question was set aside for logging and old growth areas had been excluded from harvesting.
Shadow minister for forestry, Collie based Mick Murray has become more vocal on forest issues. He said that a state Labor government would legislate to ban the clear felling of native forests to provide fuel for the generation of electricity.
He said that while state Labor supported the use of woody biomass as an energy source, it was vital to ensure native forests were not regarded as a fuel source for any new bio-energy plants planned for WA. "All the evidence shows that our native forests are under enough threat from our drying climate as well as diseases like dieback and marri canker," Mr Murray said.
"WA Labor's position makes it clear that the logging of native forests just to get fuel to burn in power stations is unacceptable. By making it clear that native forest logging for fuel is completely off-limits we will provide much needed protection for our forests as well as certainty for the emerging bio-energy industry about the fuels operators are permitted to use."
Shadow climate changer minister Sally Talbot said WA Labor's announcement came after moves by the Liberals and Nationals in federal parliament to provide a financial incentive to burn native timber to generate electricity was defeated. "I'm shocked that members of the Barnett government appear to have supported the move, which would have seen native forest timber classed as a renewable energy resource," she said.
"We are already seeing evidence that 400 year old karri trees are being logged and sold as firewood in WA for as little as $10 a tonne."
"I would have expected environment minister Bill Marmion and forestry minister Terry Redman to speak up against the crazy move by their federal counterparts to pay the loggers to move in and take timber for burning," said Mrs Talbot.
"Quite simply, the prospect of trees in native forests being chopped down just to be burned in a power station is abhorrent to most people in our community and WA Labor will ensure it does not happen," she said.
Manjimup shire president Wade de Campo was disappointed with the federal outcome to exclude native timber from the Renewable Energy Scheme (RES). He said that nevertheless a biomass power plant will still be built at Diamond Hill. He said the plant could start work this year as a 40 megawatt plant as approved in 2009. "They are definitely going to build the plant," said Cr de Campo.
He said it was frustrating the Manjimup plant could not burn native timber waste while the neighbouring chip mill burnt 200,000 tonnes each year. "That was the travesty of that disallowance motion not going through, albeit it was so close that the speaker had to use his casting vote," he said to the federal parliament vote that by a whisker stopped the amending of regulations which deny companies Renewable Energy Certificates for burning native timber to generate power under the RES. The decision came in the face of only days to go before the deadline for expressions of interests in up to 800,000 tonnes of year of low grade native forest timber from WA's FPC.
On Wednesday March 28 the Bridgetown-Greenbushes Friends of the Forest (BGFF) organised another peaceful family rally in Warrup to highlight the need to adequately save Warrup forest tramway and the animals and birds of Warrup said Richard Wittenoom, BGFF president.
"Our thanks to the shire for writing to FPC about preserving public access to the old growth in Warrup," said Mr Wittenoom. However the FPC is not prepared to concede an adequate strip either side the length of the embankment and hence this is not acceptable to the BGFF, said Mr Wittenoom. The BGFF will continue to highlight to the FPC and government the community support for more adequate protections in Warrup.
At the family protest event the BGFF unveiled its proposal for a major tourist heritage trail focusing on the forestry practices of the mid-twentieth century as a part of an initiative within the shire. During the action Mr Wittenoom and BGFF members measured and marked out forest lines to show how close to the tramway embankment logging they are. "I believe it will become clear how destructive of the present forest context this will be," said Mr Wittenoom.
Complementing the peaceful event, a little further away prior to being arrested and charged FRA activists locked on to logging machines and halted logging. "For us it's business as usual, what we have to do to change the course of unsatisfactory events," said Mr Peterffy.
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/03/21/forest-rescue-heighten-protest-action...
Comments
Be careful what you wish for
The numbat was found across most of the area from the New South Wales and Victorian borders west to the Indian Ocean, and as far north as the southwest corner of the Northern Territory. It was at home in a wide range of woodland and semi-arid habitats. The deliberate release of the European red fox in the 19th century, however, wiped out the entire numbat population in Victoria, NSW, South Australia and the Northern Territory, and almost all numbats in Western Australia as well. By the late 1970s, the population was well under 1,000 individuals, concentrated in two small areas not far from Perth, Dryandra and Perup.It appears that the reason the two small Western Australia populations were able to survive is that both areas have many hollow logs that may serve as refuge from predators, these logs were left behind by loggers.So we owe a special thanks to all the loggers in W.A for saving the Numbat
Logging is part of nature, we humans are part of nature and thats what we do, we are all part of the chain so let nature take it's course.
Re: Be careful what you wish for
What kind of Government would allow Forest Products to log in one of the two areas where numbats have naturally persisted? Just because they didn't see numbats in their pre-logging fauna survey and gave the go-ahead to FPC to log, why can't they alter their decision once new information or Endangered animal sightings occur to protect the numbats? The other six populations have been released into their current locations but Kingston and Warrup are places they have survived and this is greatly due to these forests not being subject to large scale logging as is occurring there now. It's a pity the logs left on the ground for numbats these days will be getting thinner and thinner as the older trees are logged and taken out of the forest and those from less greedy logging practices many decades ago will degrade. I don't think the numbats will be able to squeeze into the logs for much longer.
No real surveys are ever done
Apparently there haven't been any actual on-the-ground surveys done in Warrup by DEC. It's all done from a desktop survey that is based on outdated information (by 10-20 years) and previous surveys - DEC's FDIS information database. DEC simply don't have the time to do on-the-ground surveys prior to logging and still approve logging based on FDIS and past records indicating the presence of threatened species. That's because the current Forest Management Plan is exempt from the Federal EPBC Act and current WA state legislation that was written in the 1950's only protects the animals themselves and NOT their habitat.
Nevertheless, DEC will admit from their electronic records that at least 8 different species of threatened animals are known to inhabit the Warrup Forest - Numbat, Chuditch, Western Ringtail Possum, Brush-tailed Phascogale, Woylie and ALL three species of WA's Black Cockatoos.
There have been three sightings of Numbats in or near the Warrup 6 coupe and five sightings in the Warrup Forest by people visiting the forest since logging began. The more that the public are shut out of the forest, the less sightings there have been and it seems that the logging itself has driven Numbats away which increases the risk of predation on the animals as they must leave their home territory and known safety for parts of the forest that are relatively unknown to them.
The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated protective legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
Bush Regenerator you have not got a clue have you?
How big do you think a numbat is? And how big do you think the logs are that are harvested?they don't harvest sticks you wombat
Stop the loggers and save our endangered wildlife
* Stop the loggers and save our endangered wildlife - http://ccwa.org.au/content/save-our-cockatoos
* 12 good reasons to stop logging our native forests - http://www.waforestalliance.org/12-good-reasons-stop-logging-our-native-...
reflection for activism in warrup
a successful blockade as suggested would not have let a few thousand tonnes of high quality sawing logs through to a business community that will turn it into a million dollars worth of social and business activity in the community. Even the 'peaceful' use of metal spikes on a public access road (contrary to what the correspondent said) hadn't helped. Oh well, in the earth spirit world, trees are people so maybe they are reincarnating in many a home and public space elsewhere. Lets hope the red fox is not granted the same status - but then he is a wild creature with rights..numbats and foxes -not a happy pairing.
More value and money in saving our native forests from logging
If our Federal and State governments were genuinely concerned about the impacts of Human-Induced Climate Change on our country and society, our native forests would be acknowledged as the best land-based carbon stores known to man and they would be protected from logging and burning and allowed to regenerate as naturally as possible, with legislated protection and rehabilitation efforts.
Studies by the Australian National University on eastern states forests have shown that unburnt and unlogged native forest has far greater carbon storage capacity than any rotationally logged forest or plantation forest. It would be interesting to see our Federal government pay for this research to be carried out on all native forests, particularly in WA.
If the Federal government acknowledged this research and the value of the carbon sequestration potential of native forest and included them in a national carbon credit scheme, local communities in forested areas around the country could borrow funds from the government to purchase all the logging contracts in their shires to save the forest from logging and not only offset their own emissions but build a new industry based on protecting and rehabilitating the forest for carbon sequestration (storage).
Communities who currently log the forest could simply switch over to new economies based on being paid for carbon storage. This is a win-win-win situation for local communities, native forests/the environment, and also for the economy.
In general, ending land clearing and native forest logging in Australia would lead to an almost immediate 15-20% cut in our greenhouse gas emissions overall.
There's more money in saving our native forests - apart from the ecosystem services worth billions of dollars that they provide for free - than the money gained from the wood cut from them or the jobs provided by logging.
Re: More value and money in saving our native forests from ...
This sounds good in principle. Do you know if anyone has done any serious number crunching based on this concept?
Re: More value and money in saving our native forests from ...
Only the ANU has done the number crunching as far as carbon sequestration potential.
I don't know of anyone has done the number crunching as far as economic value or the possibility of inclusion of native forests in to a carbon credit scheme.
This should be the next logical step for the Federal government but they're too scared of the logging/forestry industry to even suggest this course of action.
The West Australian newspaper writes...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/13280480/protesters-lured-to-for...
Shameless violence
Think what it is like to go to work and while you are driving your work machine or truck and someone repeatedly runs in front of to?
If you doing a dangerous task and someone runs in and out of the danger area?
That's what is facing forest workers.
Violence means causing damage or injury to others - including the stress and anxiety due to the safety risks .
What if some one, including a forest worker or a protester,was injured as a result of the inattention due to the diversionary tactics of the delinquents?
Think...that is shameless irresponsible violence.
People like Gerry who repeatedly promote this type of behaviour are encouraging violence.
The protest is a sham - it will have no effect on the survival of numbats - even if timber harvesting stopped tomorrow.
Re: Shameless violence
On the contrary, there appears to be film footage of activists being threatened and assaulted by loggers, which is quite common by loggers who lose their cool against forest activists.
Logging machines are being held up and locked on to, that much is obvious. Neither the contractors or Forest Products Commission are being stopped from cutting down plantation pine and plantation bluegum and earning an honest living.
Forest Rescue are doing real NVDA and they're good at it, that's what scares the crap out of the power holders who are abusing their power - the WA State government, Forest Products Commission and the WA Police.
Forest Rescue activists have been the target of threats to kill, threats of violence, actual assaults, sexual harrassment of women and racial taunts by the workers working for Warren Forest Services.
These activists are heroes of the new forest wars and are using Non-Violent Direct Action and putting their bodies and lives on the line almost daily. They should get medals for what they do.
They wouldn't have to do what they do if there wasn't a serious and urgent need in the face of the Human-Induced Climate Change emergency and the 6th greatest extinction event in the history of the Earth which has been brought about by human activity. Australia has the 3rd worst record for animal extinctions in the world, where the US is at the top and Mexico is 2nd.
Your description of what constitutes violence is beyond the realm of reality and is an absolute exaggeration designed to demonise and criminalise legitimate Non-Violent Direct Action.
"Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy, but is absolutely essential to it." - Howard Zinn
Numbat
Numbat habitat stretches across hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest, including 75,000 hectares of national park next to Warrup.
Numbats survived only in these areas because they were protected from farmers because they were harvested for timber. And they have survived previous harvests and they will certainly survive this harvest of 250 hectares.
Numbat habitat logging = Ecocide
The last 'harvest' (you can only harvest that which you have planted yourself) was around 60 to 70 years ago and would have been with hand saws and some fossil fueled machinery. These days it's fossil fuel based chainsaws and heavy diesel equipment rumbling around the forest and running over anything that gets in the way. Modern logging is a highly industrialised activity and a fossil fuel intensive and more destructive process.
With the slow growth rates of native forest trees, current logging is probably at least 30 to 40 years ahead of schedule and especially so with the slower growth rates that result from a 25% reduction in rainfall since the 1970's in WA, due to Human-Induced Climate Change.
Lets not forget that Warrup 6 is currently being logged but at least two other Warrup Forest coupes are planned to be logged in the near future = a few years. This logging will easily double the 250 hectares that you speak of and is making swiss cheese out of a fairly narrow corridor of forest that is surrounded by cleared land and allows the Numbats to travel from Kingston Forest to other forest to the West.
What about the other seven threatened animal species that inhabit Warrup Forest?
Are Black Cockatoos really protected?
Murdoch University Dean of Environmental Science and former WA Conservation Commission chairman John Bailey says the state’s Wildlife Protection Act, which has not been updated in more than 60 years, is “woefully inadequate” for dealing with current threats to endangered species.
http://www.sciencewa.net.au/topics/environment-a-conservation/item/151
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
The Black Cockatoo, she is calling,
She fears that her numbers are falling.
They tear down her nest,
Her realm dispossessed.
This senseless destruction's appalling!
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
When they tear down OUR Forests, I'm fearful,
But pollies stand by, almost sneerful.
If I had half a chance,
I would do a war dance,
And give 'em a bollocking earful!
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Hi, I'm Nifty Numbat, and I want to say to The Forest Rescue guys, "Stop wasting your time, and stop trying to stop the logging operation. You don't understand what's important and what's not. We like some disturbance in the forest and woodlands because it brings wood to the ground. That creates hollow logs for us to live in, and food for termites which we live on. We don't like permanent clearing of forest or woodlands for farms or houses, and we hate cats and foxes. I don't know why you are all upset about some logging in Warrup block. It's not particularly different to a lot of other patches of forest. You guys trying to throw your weight around and upsetting other humans is quite fascinating to me and my mates. Once the logging is finished here, we wonder where you will go after that. My friends over at Dryandra wish some more logging could happen there. The number of hollow logs is a bit light on it places, and the termites are hungry. Cheers."
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Hello, it's me again, Nifty Numbat. I read in today's West (I can read you know!) that you Forest Rescue dudes are offering a free carton if you can lock on to a machine for a day or so, and if you're really lucky you might get a trip to Broome. At least I know where you might be heading when the logging operation here at Warrup is finished. Have you guys heard the song "There's Good Light in Broome"? Great song, about a bloke who's wife leaves him, so he goes back to Broome. Hope your personal relationships aren't as bad as his. Anyway, it'll be dull here once you guys are gone. But all the best, hope you find your true purpose in life one day. Must be stressful acting as saviours of the planet, but don't worry about we numbats, we'll be right. Just try running over a few foxes and cats on your way to Broome. Cheers, Nifty.
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Gavin you are right but shut stirrers like Gerry are too stupid to see that
So, anyone who questions the status quo is 'just a shit stirrer?
Anyone who disagrees with the abuse of power and authority by the WA state government and disagrees with you is 'just a shit stirrer?' Is that correct?
"Protest beyond the law is not a departure from democracy, it is absolutely essential to it." - Howard Zinn
Gerry has right to speak his mind as long in a real democracy. If you don't like seeing democracy in action, move to China or North Korea.
Anyone who stirs shit is a shit stirrer
Frosty "Anyone who disagrees with the abuse of power and authority by the WA state government and disagrees with you is 'just a shit stirrer?' Is that correct"? No I just see Gerry as a shit stirrer
"Gerry has right to speak his mind as long in a real democracy". I agree, and in a real democracy I have the right to point out he is a shit stirrer.Democracy works both ways do you have a problem with that?
If you don't like seeing democracy in action, move to Israel,Zimbabwe, Republic of Congo,Equatorial Guinea,Burkina Faso,or Uganda, China would be too good for you
That's bullying, not true democracy in action
I am happy for you to express your opinion but not to personally attack Gerry for his differing opinion by labelling him a 'shit stirrer'.
Offer and alternative opinion by all means but when you personally attack people that disagree with your opinion, that's not democracy in action that's bullying and a limitation to true democracy.
I'm not guilt free. I have made personal attacks but I've found that I'm learning and changing and that it is more effective to offer facts and reasoning to other people's opinions that I disagree with.
Bullying and personal attacks weaken your own credibility.
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Maybey niffy numbat you should spend more time PRO-CREATING before you start on us humans...and while your at it why don't you go to Broome to find out whats happening to your cousins up there? Maybe you'd wisen up a little... and not feel so vulnerable :P
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Hey "fwap" (funny name that?) you're not helping much at all.
We numbats can "PRO-CREATE" (sorry about the capital letters, I don't mean to shout) quite well actually. It's just that you humans can't seem to control feral cats and foxes which tend to catch and eat us quite efficiently. The DEC guys are doing a good job with fox baiting in a lot of areas, but you need to get the farmers on side. No good baiting the forest without baiting all the cleared private land at the same time.
And you need to get a bit smarter with those cats. They are cunning devils and they're everywhere. They cleaned up my young'uns last year. Hopefully this year we'll get a few through to adulthood. Natural predators get their share as well. Mate Neville had his family cleaned up by a pesky carpet snake.
The loggers don't bother us too much. They're here for a short while, then they're gone and we don't see them for another 50 years or so. They do a good job in creating a bit of disturbance...bring some good old branches to the ground, and they uncover a lot of termites for us to get at.
I've never been to Broome, but I do have a few cousins up that way. My old pen pal, Ronnie the Rufous Hare Wallaby, says his family is in strife. Cats and foxes did the damage again, as well as you annoying pastoralists and your crazy cattle and goats which stuffed up his habitat.
Don't worry about the gas hub you're building near Broome. That covers such a tiny bit of country it makes no difference.
So "fwap" or whatever your name is, you need to sit down with your cronies, Peederfee and Frosty Fruitbat (I worry about Frosty, I think he's been hanging upside down too long, eating too much fruitcake with 'stuff' in it) and rethink your strategies. Carrying on like porkchops in this part of the woods is taking your minds off some useful things you could be doing, like catching a few cats and foxes. You'll need to sharpen up your game a bit though, they tend to be a lot smarter than you guys.
Seeya, Nifty.
PS and will someone tell that old codger Abbott to lift his game with the poetry...it's cringe value at best.
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
SEEYA NIFTY!
Good work! You pretty much discredited your whole argument by pretending to be a Numbat and speaking for the Numbats (what drugs are you on?), as well as personally attacking anyone who's disagreeing with you.
Thanks for that!
By the way, shoot as many feral cats and foxes as you like, we're all for it. Maybe you should apply for a Federal government grant to do it?
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Highly entertaining repartee but I'm going to resist the temptation to put me two bob's worth in re the subject of your ongoing debate. Instead I just want to pass on a snippet of information/opinion as to one source of increased feral cats in some areas.I was told it was because when lots of farmers sold up to bluegum plantation companies many neglected to shoot their shed cats who deprived of their customary diet of mice took to the bush and became feral. This wouldn't have occurred had the farm forestry project gained better support for not only would the farmers remained but we would have a viable millable hardwood resource well on the way to maturity at 25 years by now. Not entirely relevant to the debate perhaps but interesting to rethink the potential that is still inherent in this way of doing it.
News of Warrup in The West Australian
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/13284621/pr...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/13050769/pr...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/13015647/man-injured-during-pr...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/13015365/activists-snap-numbat/
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/news/12976320/serial-activist-hurt-...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/12934312/pr...
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/regional/southwest/a/-/news/12778218/pr...
http://www.donnybrookmail.com.au/news/local/news/general/protestors-brin...
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
less than 10% of the forests are left in WA since the settlers came from around 1830
old man Col Riley
Stop the loggers and save our endangered wildlife
* Stop the loggers and save our endangered wildlife - http://ccwa.org.au/content/save-our-cockatoos
* 12 good reasons to stop logging our native forests - http://www.waforestalliance.org/12-good-reasons-stop-logging-our-native-...
Lets correct the errors
Col there are about 75% of the original karri forests left, and about 65% of the jarrah forest.
Suggestions that wildlife are endangered by timber harvesting are not true Frosty, these species have continued to live in the forests used for timber production even though they have die out elsewhere.
Re: Lets correct the errors
Col is correct when he says "less than 10% of the forests are left in WA since the settlers came from around 1830". That is not an error.
You speak of individual forest types and quote optimistic figures to make your point.
Current logging is NOT sustainable as:
* The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated (1950's) state protective legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
* Continued logging of the habitat of 8 different species of threatened animals is Ecocide - http://www.thisisecocide.com/
* With the slow growth rates of native forest trees, current logging is probably at least 30 to 40 years ahead of schedule and especially so with the slower growth rates that result from a 25% reduction in rainfall since the 1970's in WA, due to Human-Induced Climate Change.
I recall listening to Dr. Ron Johnstone, curator of Ornithology at the WA Museum, at a recent presentation. He definitely said the logging was impacting on available breeding and feeding trees for all three species of Black Cockatoo and that the two that are currently listed as Vulnerable - Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and Baudin's Black Cockatoo - should be upgraded to Endangered in the overall category of 'Threatened' where there are three different levels.
Three other species of threatened animals who inhabit the forest have been officially moved up a level within the category of Threatened since the current Forest Management Plan began in 2001, which is a no-no, even under the current FMP. The WA state govt. and FPC have ignored this completely.
Even the Black Cockatoo Recovery plan (required under federal legislation for threatened species) lists logging as a principal threat to the cockatoos, however the logging industry is exempt from Commonwealth laws to protect threatened species! If the logging industry was really not having an impact then the FPC and loggers would not need the exemption.
The fact that the logging industry and WA Government refuse to make this destructive industry subject to the same laws that apply to everyone else is a disgrace.
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Hey Frosty, it's Nifty. You're angry, I can tell, so let me give you a few tips on life.
1. Stop living out of a tent - it's not good for your health or self esteem.
2. Clean yourself up, go down the local op shop and find a clean shirt.
3. Get an autumn job picking fruit.
4. Stay at the backpackers for a while- meet some new friends.
4. Join the local library.
5. Volunteer for the local bush fire brigade and as an ambulance driver.
6. Learn to play a musical instrument.
7. Take up woodwork and build cockatoo nesting boxes.
8. When fruit picking is finished, get a job planting trees.
9. With money saved, rent a house.
10. Find a girl friend.
By that time, you will feel more at one with society, you will start to realise that your visions for planet Earth are not that different from those good people who live their lives working in the forests and timber industry. You'll realise that it is a sustainable industry, producing a renewable resource. You'll realise that the biodiversity in our native forests is not compromised by sustainable harvesting. You'll realise that the foresters who work for DEC and FPC are actually on your side, with similar concerns about our planet and its future. You can join forces with them in common goals such as encouraging farmers in our wheat and sheep belts to grow more trees, or more importantly, to encourage Governments to give them more incentives to grow trees commercially.
By then, I reckon you will be enjoying your life much much more. You'll feel less angry with the world. You won't need to depend on donations and handouts. Your confidence will grow. You might even want to enter politics and give something back to society - really make a difference.
All the best,
Nifty Numbat
PS: my advice is free for anyone else reading these pages with similar concerns to those of Frosty Fruitbat, like Simon P, Jess B, Gerry G, Colin A, et al...
Sorry Nifty, don't have time...
In the face of the Climate Change emergency, the 6th greatest extinction event in the history of the earth (brought about by human activity) coupled with an unsustainability crisis, I'm sorry Nifty, I just don't have time to live a normal life.
BTW, I live in a house and have a TV and computer and fridge!
I've been an army reservist, an underground miner, an emergency services officer and have been a volunteer ambulance officer and volunteer firefighter.
Now it's time to fight the real emergencies that are threatening human civilisation and a good deal of the planet's life support systems.
I hope some day that you'll wake up and join us on the front line to save human civilisation, there's nothing more important now.
Current logging is NOT sustainable as:
* The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated (1950's) state protective legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
* Continued logging of the habitat of 8 different species of threatened animals is Ecocide - http://www.thisisecocide.com/
* With the slow growth rates of native forest trees, current logging is probably at least 30 to 40 years ahead of schedule and especially so with the slower growth rates that result from a 25% reduction in rainfall since the 1970's in WA, due to Human-Induced Climate Change.
* In general, ending land clearing and native forest logging in Australia would lead to an almost immediate 15-20% cut in our greenhouse gas emissions overall.
There's more money in saving our native forests - apart from the ecosystem services worth billions of dollars that they provide for free - than the money gained from the wood cut from them or the jobs provided by logging.
Nifty they will need to work their way up slowly
Nifty Numbat your advice is good advice, but to make such a big move up in life they might find a bit daunting, so my advice would be to work your way up to Nifty's tips you could do this with small steps fist.
1.Move from the tent to a squat this will give you a idea of the concept of having a toilet and shower.
2.Go down to the brotherhood bin at your local shopping centre cloths are free their (the more up market the area the better the cloths)
3.Find a busy intersection and wash peoples windscreens for a dollar each,and make sure their is a pedestrian crossing so you can keep pressing the button for a red light, this will be tax free and will not affect your dole payment.
4.Get meals at a soup kitchen and meet new friends
5.Volunteer for medical experiments
6.Learn to play the spoons
7.knit blankets for homeless dogs
8.When it's Raining and the windscreen washing is slow collect cans from bins
9.With money saved buy condoms
10.Find a homosexual partner
When you have mastered this move to Nifty's tips it wont be such a culture shock
You're doing a great job to discredit yourself!
Hahaha!
Keep it up dude, you're doing a great job to discredit yourself by resorting to insults and bullying to back up your point of view!
We need more like you on our side.
You have already discredited yourself!
What's a Dude? you sound like that half wit "In the Know"Your kiddy talk just shows us you are trying to be something your not, whats the matter not happy with your self?I will give you a tip trying to be a greenie hippy is a backward step you will get on drugs turn Gay and end up selling your arse on the street then you will die of Aids. You are better of being that strange person that no one likes,Do you have red hair?
Good advice from Frosty
Everyone should look at the website that Frosty sent regarding ecocide...
And thanks to all concerned realise that WA's forests are not managed like that.
No species extinct after 150 years of sustainable logging.
Foresters saved the last refuges of the numbats and other species.
It's good to know what ecocide looks like, so we can appreciate good management ,
thanks to frosty I am more comforted than ever that we enjoy some of the best managed forests in the world
No excuse for continued Ecocide
What part of "continuing to log threatened species habitat is Ecocide" did you not understand?
Three species of threatened animals who inhabit the forest have been officially moved up a level within the category of Threatened since the current Forest Management Plan which is a no-no, even under the current FMP. The WA state govt. and Forest Products Commission have ignored this completely.
Even the Black Cockatoo Recovery plan (required under federal legislation for threatened species) lists logging as a principal threat to the cockatoos, however the logging industry is exempt from Commonwealth laws to protect threatened species! If the logging industry was really not having an impact then the FPC and loggers would not need the exemption.
The fact that the logging industry and WA Government refuse to make this destructive industry subject to the same laws that apply to everyone else is a disgrace.
The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated (1950's) state threatened species legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Less than 10% of forests left in WA after the settlers come so in the last 150 years more forest, 90%, has gone than ever before, what's the FPC got to say about that?
More species extinct in WA than anywhere else in the world in the last two hundred years, what's the FPC got to say about that?
It was lucky someone saved the forests, it wasn't f**** rescue
Adam you are right much has been lost, but you need to check the locations
Forests were cleared yes but more than 65% of the jarrah forest remains and more than 75% of the karri forest is still in place. Foresters tried to protect as much forest as possible from clearing from agriculture. The areas of forest and woodland that have been lost are the wandoo and wheat belt species.
Animals have become extinct yes - mostly because of clearing and feral animals. No species has become extinct in the forest. In fact the forest was the last refuge of many species and even though these forests were harvested for timber these species continued to survive until today.
Frosty I suggest you read the article by Takver in relation to Carnaby's cockatoo - the forest isn't a major part of its habitat so to say that logging is the major threat is untrue.(unless you mean the plantations at Gnangara). It is important that threats to our species are understood, but to just focus on timber harvesting is naive and dangerous. IF there are not enough habitat trees for nesting then is it likely that timber harvesting is such a threat? Remember there are 2.24 million hectares of forest on public lands and then there are the private forests too. There are 27000 Baudins and Forest Red tailed black cockatoos, that makes at least 200 hectares per breeding pair. If there is only one suitable nesting tree every 200 hectares then that would be easy in a timber harvest to protect surely - no need for all these other measures (in every 200 hectares at least 1000 habitat trees are protected) - and all the Baudin's and Forest Red-tailed Black cockatoos cockatoos would be safe. This can at best only be a minor issue.
Perhaps we should look at the drying out of streams. Cockatoos need to be able to drink water every day. With the drying out of the catchments there are no longer as many pools from which to drink.
Alternatively the drought of 2008 -2011 left no seed on the trees this summer.
We all want the security for our cockatoo species but if we expect that simplistic solutions as you suggest will have any benefit, alas I believe you are wrong.
Claiming that 'stopping logging' will have any beneficial effect is sadly deluding people,, and doing a disservice to the cockatoos - that you claim to protect.
Take of your rose coloured glasses and see the present reality
Three species of threatened animals who inhabit the forest have been officially moved up a level within the category of Threatened since the current Forest Management Plan which is a no-no, even under the current FMP. The WA state govt. and Forest Products Commission have ignored this completely.
Even the Black Cockatoo Recovery plan (required under federal legislation for threatened species) lists logging as a principal threat to the cockatoos, however the logging industry is exempt from Commonwealth laws to protect threatened species! If the logging industry was really not having an impact then the FPC and loggers would not need the exemption.
The fact that the logging industry and WA Government refuse to make this destructive industry subject to the same laws that apply to everyone else is a disgrace.
The current Forest Management Plan counts on the fact that there are special Federal exemptions, outdated (1950's) state threatened species legislation and no enforcement or punishment as a result of proven breaches of the FMP. Native forest logging in WA is a law unto itself. If the same laws that apply to everyone else were applied to native forest logging, it would be illegal to log the forest.
Logging may have been sustainable in the past but since the 1970's with the effects of greatly reduced rainfall due to Climate Change and several different fungal pathogens killing off trees in the forest, this is no longer so. Native forest logging should have been phased out in this current FMP and should have ended by now.
The xxxxx (deleted) Hippies WERE RIGHT!
A quick overview in the form of an entertaining music video of the prescience of the people who were called "The Hippies".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8964iLV2M6w&feature=youtu.be
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
who reckons there have been no extinctions by logging? are they mad? their whole argument falls apart with this claim and they become part of self interest groups
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
who reckons there have been no extinctions by logging? are they mad? their whole argument falls apart with this claim and they become part of self interest groups
Extinctions - what species?
It would be interesting to know which species, Fiona, have been driven to extinction by timber harvesting?
TWS Synopsis of ANU Green Carbon Report
* Old news but still good news that shows the importance of native forests and the need to end native forest logging.
"Research from leading scientists at the Australian National University has found that Australia has some of the most carbon-dense forests in the world – with the potential to sequester carbon equivalent to 25% of our current annual emissions over a 100 year time frame."
http://www.wilderness.org.au/files/GreenCarbonReport-synopsis.pdf
* Protecting native forests: an essential climate measure
The government has abandoned their Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, but there’s a cheap, practical way of cutting greenhouse gas emissions that’s ready right now - protecting Australia’s unique native forests.
http://www.wilderness.org.au/articles/protecting-native-forests-an-essen...
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Good work Frosty
People like Simon Peterffy and Gerry Georgatos are heroes
all the FRA are heroes
Re: Protests from all quarters as Warrup grabs national ...
Greetings all, Nifty Numbat here.
I see the Forest Rescue camp and campers at Warrup are no more; presumably - so I figured - en route to Broome. But no, I see some at least have been "locking on" to a sheep ship at Fremantle.
I can't figure you guys out. I thought you were on my side, spruking on my behalf, putting on some interesting entertainment, "locking on" to things, running about the bush in funny suits ... now you've disappeared and it hasn't even started raining yet. But, I guess the weather will be nicer for you in Broome in weeks to come.
Anyway, I must say your funny habit of locking on to stuff intrigues me no end. Are you trying to make this an Olympic sport? I've been thinking about it and have come up with a list of other things you could consider to "lock on" to, all for the good of planet Earth of course. Here you go:
1. Lock on to a rising water table in the wheatbelt (to save us from salinity)
2. Lock on to a white pointer shark (to save the surfers and divers)
3. Lock on to a fox or feral cat (to save me and my family!)
4. Lock on to that pesky carpet snake (again, to save me and my buddies)
5. Lock on to a whaler's harpoon (to save that whale)
6. Lock on to an Aussie taxpayer (so you get that next handout)
7. Lock on to a fruitbat, hang upside down and get a different perspective of the world (one for you Frosty!)
I'm sure there are more, but have to go now.
Cheers, Nifty Numbat.
Green fairy tales
Sad that FPA's endeavour couldn't be more useful. All that wasted energy and effort could have contributed to something useful but no.
All those dumb sheep who now have charges against them and possible criminal records because they believed FRA hype and locked on.
The good news is that the numbats still exist and the sky didn't fall in.
Did you ever read the story about Henny Penny? A nut fell on her head and she thought the sky was falling in. I think an econut fell on the heads of these protesters.