Friday 20 February 2015

Why I'm standing for election to the New South Wales Upper House in March 2015 Election.


I'm standing for election to the Upper House in the New South Wales Parliament. Election date 28th March 2015. Will try to post here my profile I've written for that purpose - need to find it first.

       Statement re standing for election to the NSW Legislative Council March 28th 2015

My name if Geoff Cox

I intend to stand for election to the NSW Legislative Council in the upcoming election, march 28th 2015.

I have been living abroad for some time and have decided to return to the land of my birth, and my spiritual home. I was born in Jandowae, Queensland, and brought up in Fairdale, near Wondai, in the South Burnett. I attended Gatton High School & College, 1953/4 and Gatton College 1957/8/9, gaining my Dairy Diploma. I have since studied at degree level at the UK Open University, but am yet to complete my studies. I have been studying toward a degree in Social Science (Criminology), as I worked as a Probation Services Officer for seven years, now retired.

My previous work was associated with my Dairy qualifications, having lived and worked in several countries, including UK (3 times), Sweden, Australia (3 times), New Zealand, Sharjah UAE, Saudi Arabia, and have travelled widely, both for business and pleasure.

I have two children, now mature, and three grandchildren, aged 7, 5, and 18 months. My daughter lives in the UK and my son in Australia. I have dual citizenship, Australian and UK. I was offered and took UK citizenship mainly to enable easy re-entry to the UK after my frequent visits back home .

I have kept a keen eye on Australian political developments over the years.

I feel compelled to stand for election as I am completely disillusioned with our 'political class', and the mess they have made of our beautiful and bountiful planet.

My platform will be a single issue, and that is legalisation of Cannabis (Hemp) for any purpose. I am aware that this is currently difficult or impossible, due to International Treaty, but treaties have been broken before and will be again, or modified to accommodate current circumstances.

The current slow moves to 'carry out trials' with the possibility that the use of Cannabis for medical purposes will be 'allowed' under closely controlled conditions/licensing etc. is not the correct approach.

Why should those suffering have to await 'permission' to use a plant that grows naturally all over the world and has been used since antiquity for healing. Why should they live in fear, be harassed, by the Police, arrested, and have their medicine confiscated, which often saves their or their children's lives. This is iniquitous and plain wrong. Even the Prime Minister has said publicly that he does not believe that trials are necessary.

There are so many positive, progressive, compassionate, and economic reasons why the status quo is unacceptable. I'm totally convinced that wide use of Cannabis (hemp) will be good for the citizens, good for Australia, and good for the planet, and am determined to try my utmost to help bring that about.


       Statement re standing for election to the NSW Legislative Council March 28th 2015

My name if Geoff Cox

I intend to stand for election to the NSW Legislative Council in the upcoming election, march 28th 2015.

I have been living abroad for some time and have decided to return to the land of my birth, and my spiritual home. I was born in Jandowae, Queensland, and brought up in Fairdale, near Wondai, in the South Burnett. I attended Gatton High School & College, 1953/4 and Gatton College 1957/8/9, gaining my Dairy Diploma. I have since studied at degree level at the UK Open University, but am yet to complete my studies. I have been studying toward a degree in Social Science (Criminology), as I worked as a Probation Services Officer for seven years, now retired.

My previous work was associated with my Dairy qualifications, having lived and worked in several countries, including UK (3 times), Sweden, Australia (3 times), New Zealand, Sharjah UAE, Saudi Arabia, and have travelled widely, both for business and pleasure.

I have two children, now mature, and three grandchildren, aged 7, 5, and 18 months. My daughter lives in the UK and my son in Australia. I have dual citizenship, Australian and UK. I was offered and took UK citizenship mainly to enable easy re-entry to the UK after my frequent visits back home .

I have kept a keen eye on Australian political developments over the years.

I feel compelled to stand for election as I am completely disillusioned with our 'political class', and the mess they have made of our beautiful and bountiful planet.

My platform will be a single issue, and that is legalisation of Cannabis (Hemp) for any purpose. I am aware that this is currently difficult or impossible, due to International Treaty, but treaties have been broken before and will be again, or modified to accommodate current circumstances.

The current slow moves to 'carry out trials' with the possibility that the use of Cannabis for medical purposes will be 'allowed' under closely controlled conditions/licensing etc. is not the correct approach.

Why should those suffering have to await 'permission' to use a plant that grows naturally all over the world and has been used since antiquity for healing. Why should they live in fear, be harassed, by the Police, arrested, and have their medicine confiscated, which often saves their or their children's lives. This is iniquitous and plain wrong. Even the Prime Minister has said publicly that he does not believe that trials are necessary.

There are so many positive, progressive, compassionate, and economic reasons why the status quo is unacceptable. I'm totally convinced that wide use of Cannabis (hemp) will be good for the citizens, good for Australia, and good for the planet, and am determined to try my utmost to help bring that about.




Tuesday 1 March 2011

Wednesday 16 February 2011

JESUS COMPLEX: Is Jesus God?

JESUS COMPLEX: Is Jesus God? - Page 10

My answer to this question is as follows.

Interesting article however, Bono is not a good source to quote. He has religious belief obviously but at least one of his statements are way off.

It is highly possible for a person to be 'mentally unbalanced', and to be perfectly coherent. Mentally unbalanced is a modern definition, and a very slippery concept, being actually defined by a persons deviance from what is the common perception of  'sane', 'normal' (whatever that is ?) 'consistently rational', etc.

Many say Hitler was 'insane', and Stalin. However they both had their own strict rationality from which they did not deviate. I am not comparing Jesus to either but only in relation to insanity, consistancy, devotion to their one cause etc.

As I believe there is no God, nor is one necessary to explain (most of) 'reality', I cannot believe that Jesus WAS God.
Believing in the necessity to believe in both, to be able to be a 'good christian', is false, both logically and philosophically.

A Good Christain does not need to actually believe in God. He/she can stick to all (as far as is possibe) the tenets of his preaching, without accepting that his claims to actually BE God were true. After all if Jesus was himself convinced that he WAS GOD, (falsely because he was 'mentally unbalanced', i.e. not comforming to the commonly held belief that no MAN could or should make such a claim, but also because he had a false belief that such an entity actually existed even though he was convinced, or had convinced himself that it did, and that he was the personification of 'it', and therefore possibly 'insane', certainly in the then current Jewish belief system). Paradoxes can tie you up in knots !

There is a paradox here as outlined on your article and recognised by many philosophers, including Lewis.

Paradoxes, by their nature, cannot be answered, and I believe that Jesus was well aware of this and their presence in his teachings. After all Christain preachers spend an awful lot of their time attempting to interpret Jesus's teachings, and always fail as there is NO complete, consistant or entirely rational interpretation of them (because they contain paradoxes).

Paradoxes are of course imbedded in all belief systems, purely because no belief system is 'perfect', so therefore must contain paradoxes.
QED.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Taxes

Here are a few of my current thoughts on Taxes.

Firstly lets consider what they actually are and where they may have originated.
My feeling is that they have been with us forever. When you get more than one person together in a 'group' I think you get a form of taxes, as follows. One could even say that one person also may 'tax' him/herself. This goes back to my previous comments about 'profit', 'saving', and 'surpluses'. Anything that is put aside could be thought of as a tax because it is removed from circulation or immediate use and intended for use later for whatever purpose. In the case of an individual operating in isolation, for example on an island without companions, they would sensibly put aside some supplies for more lean times and so probably limiting their current consumption. This is effectively a Tax (on their current consumption). In this case this is an individual decision and only has an effect on that individual, both now and in the future. 
Now imagine that there are two people on this island. The same act of 'saving or taxing' of current consumption would be sensible. The difference is that a decision has to be made as to what when and where etc. must be taken. Of course there are several ways this decision could be made but nevertheless if saving (taxing) is to be done then a method for making these decisions must be arrived at.
Now scale this up to a group of more than two present on the island and you can see emerging  a set up that mimics our present situation. Unless anarchy is to reign, a leadership will emerge. The 'Taxing' will likely become more organised and 'rates' of taxation will be set. e.g. so many fish from each persons catch to be set aside, dried and put into store, perhaps rated on the individuals skill in fishing, his age, how many in his family etc.etc.
Labour would probably be taxed as well so that community projects could be built and tasks undertaken - in other words a system of contribution to the groups 'good' from an individuals earnings according to an agreed set of rules. Beneficeries would also be part of the set up. In times of individual or group need, food from the store (Exchequer) would be given to those in need in accordance both with the amount in store and their need. Perhaps in line with their contributions or other qualifying criteria.
Now there will arise a situation where some may disagree with either the whole concept or parts of it and they must have a remedy, or a path to one. That is where wise government comes in. combined with the involvement of the people. 

Saturday 29 January 2011

The link to the discussion thread on the third Zeitgist Film (onion)

My response to the third Zeitgeist Film


A very thought provoking film. I have now watched all three of the Zeitgist productions and always have my ideas challenged and my thought processes stimulated by the ideas presented - however !
There are of course many things to say about the ideas put forward. The analysis seems sound and the problems are well identified but I fail to see that the solution fits the bill. At least the ending was a sort of happy one with us all burning our money but I thought the final scene showed the root of the problem - one man puts his arm out to prevent another from carrying out an action (undefined). The one prevented from carrying out that action stops, makes a choice not to proceed but bow to the others restraint, changes his mind and proceeds in another direction in concert with the first man.This is what the films message is, encapsulated - forget individual action for self interest but instead co-operate and act in others interests (which turn out to be in our own, albeit necessitating the dismissal of our own interest temporarily). A laudable aim no doubt, but ??
I believe that Darwin showed that even though altruism is an essential part of our make-up, it cannot be considered a primary one, and is moderated by many other drives, desires, motivations, each determined by our need to adapt to an ever-changing environment over which we have limited control (influence).
The film says that we must first set up a controlled environment, closely moderated, and becoming ever more perfect by means of technological change. It admitted to being perhaps guilty of the charge (accusation) of Utopianism, or at least raised the possibility.
The fear I would have is that it does this and even more, mimics the world shown to us in the series of ‘Matrix’ films, a Dystopian view of our future.
My gut feeling is that the ending will be not the Policeman dropping his helmet but the opposite; his opening fire on the throng. After that ??

Sunday 23 January 2011

The Profit Motive

One of my main worries is the fact that we are all basically insecure and fearful of the future and so organise our lives so as to have a surplus always on hand and maybe a god who will 'provide' if our insecurity proves correct. We live paycheck to paycheck but still strive to have a little bit left over so as to ward off the feeling of insecurity. Think of it in terms of a garden in which we grow all our sustainence, and means of shelter for us and our families. The whole family works toward having a surplus so as to see us through the winter or drought. This is the 'profit' or growth and is seen by all as good, it makes us feel good safe and secure. Take away the profit and we feel exposed and will surely go hungry or freeze. Added to this is our religious belief in the next life that is free of want, where a magnanimous but also vengeful and jealous god will sustain us and protect us or punish us if we fail to worship him and bow down to him. All this makes us almost bound to grow a surplus or profit, to expand our realm and 'conquer' nature in pursuit of security from the future which is essentially unknown and unknowible. A bind indeed !

Thursday 23 December 2010

Michael Angelo Batio Double-Guitar Solo



This man is a virtuioso.

Probably the best Guitar player I've ever seen. Showy or what.

Wednesday 22 December 2010

Daniel Nocera’s Gift - The Emergent Fool

YOU MUST WATCH THIS

This discovery will change the world.

I reckon it could be the second coming - know what I mean ?

Sunday 12 December 2010

settings

have adjusted my settings a bit so hope the blog is more accessable

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Comments on Richard Heinberg's Museletter

I'm a 'fan' and have enjoyed and benefited from your writings etc.. Thank you. I look forward to the book. I saw an interesting video the other day of an MIT Professor lecturing on his group's work on 'artificial photosynthesis' & a fuel/power system based on that. His view is that this system, one which could allow each of us to generate our own fuel (presumably propane or butane) plus electric power for our own homes & businesses, may be the answer. As I understood it, it involves a solar collector using this new lithographically printable photo-voltiac sheet (80% efficient, natural photosynthesis being 100%), providing power to a fuel cell which splits water into H2 & O2, the H2 in a semi-solid form, essentially a hydrocarbon, then into a usable gas, & at the same time producing electricity. I think I have the essence of it but not being either a scientist or a chemist, may have it wrong. His delivery was 'typically professorial', so difficult to understand fully. He claims that the system could be mass produced cheaply (fuel cell for example for $100 if done in the 100's of thousands), and if widely used would consequently 'do away' with the need for the billions of dollars required to build a 'smart grid', as well as doing away with transport fuel delivery systems in the (theoretical) future. He agrees that nuclear is a false god, coal will become too expensive, oil will also, & all the other 'alternative' sources will be too small to make the difference we need. I was overall very impressed with his approach & wondered what you might think. You will surely know of him but I don't have a note of his name unfortunately.

Monday 6 December 2010

The Jokes Series

Featuring jokes from 'The Guardian' Saturday 4th Dec 2010

The Australian Joke :


I want to share a selection of good jokes (some better than others but that's the way of the world). First an OZ joke -

Two Ozzies are adrift in a boat. While rummaging through the lifeboats provisions, one of them finds an old lamp. He rubs it and a genie appears. The genie grants only one wish. Without giving it much thought, the lamp finder says, 'turn the ocean into VB (Victoria Bitter Beer)'. The genie claps his hands, and the whole sea turns into beer. The genie disappears and only the gently lapping beer waves breaks the stillness as the two consider their circumstances. The second Ozzie turns to the other and says, 'nice going mate, now we're going to have to piss in the boat'.

Credit to Barbara McMahon, via the Guardian.

Friday 29 October 2010

Tri-Nations Rugby

Hopefully this link should allow you to watch live streaming of the final Bledisloe Cup match in Ho
ng Kong 30th Oct 2010 - AB's v Wallabies.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Hemp

Hemp could be the saviour of our economies :

Hemp

Friday 15 October 2010

TEA



TEA - 'solaces the evening and welcomes the morning' - Charles Dickens 1860.
some interesting facts about Rosie Lea.
a) by 1900 every adult in England drank around 3 Kg. of tea a year on average
b) The 4 o'clock Tea time served as a mini-meal partly because the average working class adult worked such long hours they didn't eat Dinner until 8 or 9 o'clock at night.
c) There is a close connection between the Slave Trade & the Tea Trade because of Sugar added to tea - sugar from the Carribbean - the 'fruit' of mainly slave labour - 2 lumps ?
d) Milk was not added to tea until around the 1840's mainly because it was an expensive and mainly unknown product for the masses. Before that date most milk in big cities/towns, where the masses lived in poverty, & their own form of slave labour, was produced in 'dairies' where cattle were mostly kept in 'stables' or biers, often under human living quarters. With the advent of the railways, which spread across Britain quickly in the decade 1830 - 40, milk became much more available and cheaper as it was then shipped up from the country in largish milk churns ( 10 gallon) in insulated wagons, after being driven to the railhead in horse drawn carts. It was then delivered by horse & cart where it was ladled out of the churn into jugs at the doorstep. Quite un-hygienically as a matter of fact. 
e) When I was at College, one of my favourite work allocations was 'milk round', when I was able to have the pleasure of driving a horse-drawn milk cart. The horse knew the round by heart & stopped at all the house gates on the round.
So next time you drink a cuppa, think of these interesting facts whilst eating your biscuit.


Courtesy BBC - the history of the World in 100 objects.   

Sunday 13 June 2010

YouTube - Colbert doesn't bomb on Meet The Press - (Part 1 of 2)

YouTube - Colbert doesn't bombs on Meet The Press (Part 1 of 2)

YouTube - George Bush Discusses Stephen Colbert

YouTube - George Bush Discusses Stephen Colbert

YouTube - Bush Realtime Reaction to Colbert Speech

YouTube - Bush Realtime Reaction to Colbert Speech

YouTube - Colbert roasts Bush

YouTube - Colbert roasts Bush

YouTube - borat on fox news

YouTube - borat on fox news

YouTube - Ali G interview - Parkinson - BBC

YouTube - Ali G interview - Parkinson - BBC

YouTube - Ali-G Interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham

YouTube - Ali-G Interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham

YouTube - Ali-G Interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham

YouTube - Ali-G Interviews Posh Spice and David Beckham

YouTube - Ali G- Religion

YouTube - Ali G- Religion

YouTube - Ali G interviews Admiral Stansfield Turner

YouTube - Ali G interviews Admiral Stansfield Turner

YouTube - Ali G Show - Feminism

YouTube - Ali G Show - Feminism

YouTube - Feminist Rapper Episode 3: This Is What A Feminist Looks Like

YouTube - Feminist Rapper Episode 3: This Is What A Feminist Looks Like

YouTube - Feminist Rapper Episode 2: Real Ladies Fight Back

YouTube - Feminist Rapper Episode 2: Real Ladies Fight Back

Feminist Rapper Episode 1: A Lady Made That | frogblog

Feminist Rapper Episode 1: A Lady Made That | frogblog

Monday 7 June 2010

Faux News Fiasco

From Alternet June 8th 2010 - Are FAUX NEWS fave pundits days numbered ?

Oh I do hope so, please please let me see it before I go !

Inflation - Hyperinflation - Deflation ???


Extract From Money Weeks - 6th June 2010 edition - let's see if it's proved correct in the next several months - I fear so !


The recovery has been delayed, it seems.

The disappointing US jobs report on Friday hammered markets. US stocks tanked and the trend has continued into Asia and over here this morning.

Commodities slid too as investors fret that global growth won't be as strong as they'd hoped. Even oil has plunged, despite the various tensions in the Middle East.

It's all evidence that investors are losing faith in the big V-shaped recovery story. And they're right to...

US employment data is a warning for us all

The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid sharply on Friday, losing 3.2% to close at 9,931. The S&P 500 meanwhile, slid 3.4% to close at 1,064. Investors were already jittery as concerns over Europe continued. But what really hammered them was May's non-farm payrolls report.

The non-farm payrolls report is one of the most important economic indicators anywhere in the world. It shows the employment situation in US.

In effect, it tells us whether the world's biggest-spending consumers are getting wealthier or poorer. If more Americans have jobs, they're more likely to spend. US consumer spending accounted for roughly a fifth of global GDP back in the good old days before the credit crunch. So that matters for the rest of us. If they're all living in fear of unemployment, they'll pull in the reins. That means less demand for imports from the rest of the world.

The payrolls report also tells us how private companies are feeling about the recovery. If they're hiring lots of staff, then they clearly expect things to get better. If they're sticking with their now-depleted staffing levels, it shows they're still hunkering down.

The bad news is that May's report was very disappointing indeed. The number of jobs rose by 431,000, compared to economists' hopes for 515,000. That doesn't sound too awful. But the really bad news was that just 41,000 of those jobs were in the private sector, many of them temping jobs. The vast majority of the jobs – 411,000 – came from hiring by the US government's Census Bureau. These are all short-term contracts of course – the census only comes around once every ten years.

As Wells Fargo chief economist John Silva told Marketwatch, there might be growth, but it's "too slow to generate the revenues public policymakers are hoping for, too slow to generate all the jobs households are expecting." Meanwhile, the figures for March and April were revised lower.

"It was extremely disappointing", one US fund manager told Reuters. "We know that employment is the lagging indicator but… we've been saying that for a year. There comes a time when we're really going to have to see that number pick up."

But weak US jobs data is hardly the only thing to worry about. Markets had already been rattled by Hungary's warnings that it faces a Greek-style debt crisis. The politicians there have blamed the previous government for covering up the extent of the country's debts. Now, this is just good politics – the new team in Britain has done something similar, for example.

Markets are right to be rattled by Hungary's problems

But they may have shot themselves in the foot this time. The last thing a jittery market wants to hear is the spokesman of a country's prime minister saying that fears of a default are "no exaggeration". The government took it back the following day, but it's hardly a giant vote of confidence.

Hungary of course has its own currency, the forint, which tanked. But it was bad news for the euro too. For one thing, general risk appetite took a hit. These days, when investors get scared, the euro is one of the assets they dump.

A more important problem is that many European banks loaned Hungarian homeowners the money to buy their properties. Those home loans are denominated in euros. So when the forint dives against the euro, payments shoot up. And that means some people simply won't be able to pay their bills.

Defaulting Hungarian homeowners mean more dodgy debts for shaky European banks to absorb. They have plenty of dodgy debt in their own countries to worry about without having to fret about Eastern Europe too.

So it's little wonder that the euro hit a four-year low against the dollar, sliding below $1.20 for the first time since March 2006. The single currency has taken a real hit this year. But it's worth bearing in mind that even now, it's still above its long-run average of $1.18.

The trouble for the US is that when investors are scared, they retreat to the dollar. But just like every other nation in the world, the US wants a weak currency. It has this vague hope that after years of being a consumer-driven economy, it can export its way out of trouble. A plunging euro won't make that any easier.

In short, as Richard Grace at Commonwealth Bank of Australia told Bloomberg this morning: "Markets have to price for lower growth than they had previously." That suggests, as my colleague Dominic Frisby noted last week, that June could be a bad

Stay defensive – hyperinflation lies ahead

And as we've been repeating for a while, that's why it's worth having your portfolio positioned defensively. Among the few assets to gain while everything else was falling, was gold.

This is partly a general 'flight-to-safety' trade. But it's also because of fear of what could be coming further down the track. As hedge fund manager Hugh Hendry told MoneyWeek magazine's editor-in-chief a few weeks ago, the 'end game' for this financial crisis is hyperinflation. First we'll see another major deflationary scare. That's what will give governments the excuse they need to crank up the printing presses to full blast, despite what the G20 said at the weekend about unwinding fiscal stimulus. And that's when we'll see inflation take off.

Sunday 6 June 2010

Steaming at Crofton, Kennet & Avon Canal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxhDmIX3sIQ&feature=player_embedded

Here is my Day Off Job. Look it up ! It's the only working early 19th Century (1814/17) steam driven beam engine pumping water up the K&A Canal, which was it's original purpose when built.

There are two engines, one lifter, & one pusher, both driven by the 'new' condenser, James Watt invented system, which revolutionised steam engines at the turn of the 19th Century, & led to the explosion of steam driven industry (because they were so much more efficient than previously by using essentially vacuum instead of pressure to drive the machinery, by condensing the steam almost instantaniously).

This lead to the use of high pressure steam too as these engines use steam at 20 p.s.i. whereas high pressure ones use steam at a much higher pressure. The development of better boilers was essential too of course.

Watch this Video as a taster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxhDmIX3sIQ&feature=player_embedded

Sunday 18 October 2009

The Bailout in under 10 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfo9sFYULEE&feature=player_embedded

This is a brief but cogent explanation of some of the points about the US Bailout of the big banks & how it might play out over the next 12 months or so. Most of us are bewildered & need to make ourselves more aware in my opinion.
Try this - i'ts quick & easy to understand - I did, so you can too !

Pro Food


http://everytable.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/what-the-heck-is-profood-anyway/

Saturday 3 October 2009

The Brixton Pound - use it, exchange it, copy it.



This helps explain what local currencies are all about.

An example to us all

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/a7b2ee8e45551c138525735900404444/da43f909a556e633852576350055d408!OpenDocument

It's a long read but worth it !

This is an example of the 'Total Environmental Approach' which I have always encouraged. We must always think of the total effect our habits have on our environment & stop just thinking of say ' Climate Change' as an isolated result of some discrete action we may or may not be taking. When we look around us every day we see some effects of our littering ways by the amount of rubbish left on our streets.

What we don't see are the effects of our room thermostats being set too high for example. The effects are still there but we ignore them because they aren't obvious. Similarly we ignore the outflow of our other practices like land development say or packaging waste.

Take a look at your total environmental consequences not just the obvious ones.

Also, as we might pick up rubbish on our own doorstep so as to be 'tidy' & impress the neighbours, we should do the same regarding our other polluting ways & take action !

Just do it !

Will we look back & wonder why we all didn't take heed ?

Now this is sustainability !

Watch as business wakes up from their long sleep (nightmare !)

or perhaps the la lapins cretin Haka

Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits !

watch the 'Gingerbread Haka'

Go get em Wallabies ! Eat em up !

Thursday 1 October 2009

this is a great idea - look !

Buy Carbon Credits & remove them from the market - sandbag - a good way to offset your flights or any other CO2 you personally produce.

Thursday 24 September 2009

Plantations as a means of confronting Climate change

http://www.foei.org/en/publications/annual-report/2008/what-we-achieved-in-2008/member-groups/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/colombia-detrimental-forestry-law-struck-down-in

Friday 18 September 2009

Join me at this Climate Change event on Monday 21st Sept on the Avon Bridge in Chippenham.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Beautiful Streams like this one may hide Danger

Polluted streams often go unreported & continue to carry dirty run-off from 'Industrial' Farming in New Zealand. For example the beautiful Waikato River is too polluted to swim in for a lot of it's length. Lake Taupo receives polluted run-off from dairy farms in it's catchment area - the outflow goes into the river system & endangers swimmers. Pollution from Tanneries in Hawkes Bay is allowed to flow practically unrestricted into nearby rivers & is 'disposed' of in the ocean. These are but a few examples of the hidden results of extensive industrial farming in NZ, contrary to what we are told by the Tourism Industry - a vision of Clean, Green New Zaland !

Learn about the effects of farming on greenhouse gas output in New Zealand.

http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/smartfarming/

Of course this applies in good measure to all stock farming world-wide. Encouraging it's growth is a disaster - it should be curtailed ! Learn about it and ACT !

Friday 11 September 2009

Wednesday 9 September 2009

William Cox of Windsor & Mudgee/Mulgoa

This admirable person was my Great G G GGrandfather. He was a very interesting person who first arrived in Australia in the decade of the 1790's. Was he a convict ? To be honest, as a child, I thought he was. To find out please follow the link & be amazed. What a guy !!

William Cox of Windsor & Mudgee/Mulgoa

Some thoughts on the NZ Dairy Industry Graphic

Monday 7 September 2009

Some thoughts on the New Zealand Dairy Industry

A scheme to tackle the environmental damage caused by dairy farming in New
Zealand
Background
Dairy farming can be very damaging to the environment, and is on the increase in n.z.
Tracts of land are being converted from forest and other forms of primary production to
dairying. Growing cattle for both beef or dairying is a very inefficient method of converting
available natural resources into food and has been identified as a large contributor to GHG
emissions.
Historically there has been a surplus of dairy produce in the world but even so the price of
dairy commodities has recently been rising, and so the problem will get worse, particularly
in n.z. The processing and transport of millions of tonnes of milk each year also adds to
the effect.
The dairy industry is of great economic importance to n.z., as well as being somewhat of a
'sacred cow', if the pun can be excused. It has become an iconic way of life for primary
producers and the general population alike, so any effort to curb it's development and
expansion would be very unpopular. I believe however that if n.z. Is to meet it's
obligations, a major change in the industry is essential.
To meet Kyoto targets n.z. Must come up with novel ways to get on top of the problem.
Research has been, and is being done to attempt to reduce for example, the emission of
methane by cattle, and to control the pollution of ground water by dairy effluent. Little
progress has been made in these efforts, and even though scientists are hopeful that
some gains can be made, these are likely to have little overall effect on the total output of
GHG, nor will they effect the other damage being done.
Another reason we should change is the growth in environmental circles in Europe of the
food miles issue. I believe that the element in this which concentrates on long distance
transport of commodities like dairy produce, is somewhat misguided, but also that it will
grow as an issue and our dairy industry will take some flak from it. The general issue of
food miles will grow in importance and very little is being done to confront it.
The overall approach
I believe that any attempt to tackle the stated problem must contain several elements
which at first glance seem very difficult to achieve. They are as follows:
• It must be a 'market' solution, therefore show a neutral or positive economic effect.
• It must not involve any large scale shift of the farming population from the land
• It must involve a strong stewardship element to help sell it politically.
• It must achieve a large reduction in overall emissions of GHG.
• It must achieve a considerable reduction in dairy herd numbers.
• It must effect not only the primary production but the processing and transport part of
the industry.
• It must enable the leaders of the industry to gain financially and politically from the
considerable long term effort involved, and the primary producers to see a viable and
profitable future in the business of farming.
• It must contain a large benefit to the general community to enable it to be sold
politically.2.
The Scheme
These elements seem to be completely fantastic and unachievable at first reading, but I
believe they can be achieved. What could be done to set this in motion ?
I think the key is Fonterra. They are the largest single dairy company in the world, and
have a very important economic presence here in n.z. As well as being recognised in dairy
circles across the world as innovators and leaders in the field, they have an enormous
influence on what happens in the n.z. dairy industry.
Essentially the idea involves changing Fonterra from a dairy company into an energy
company which also produces dairy products.
If each of their plants were to convert from being mass consumers of polluting electrical
power and fossil fuels ( oil and diesel ), to being net contributors, then a large part of the
problem would be solved. If at the same time primary producers no longer were an
agricultural monoculture ( milk ), but produced other much less polluting products, as well
as or instead of milk, the other part would be tackled too.
The attached flow chart sets out graphically what the ideal would be. Fonterra using
Biomass Power Generating Technology to produce all its power plus contributing surplus
to the grid, and also producing Biofuel to power its fleet of vehicles ( or those of it's
contractors, including the farmers ), and selling biofuel on the market.
Farmers would produce biomass, in the form of wattle and root crops for example, which
would feed the power plants. Many farmers would also produce milk, at least during a
transition period. Some farmers would be mixed producers, some produce only milk and
some only biomass, depending on their land type, location, and inclination. Waste
products would flow back to the farm in the form of fertilizer and also be sold in the market.
This scheme would achieve positive effects in all areas of GHG reduction ( substitution,
mitigation, reduction, evolution ) as well as meeting all the above mentioned aims.
It is a market solution. It would have the effect of stimulating investment and innovation,
reduce costs and increase profits in the medium and long term. It would give Fonterra
opportunities to develop new companies and increase share value. It would maintain or
increase overall payments to farmers. It would convert Fonterra from a single market
company to a more diverse one. Because a larger proportion of the nations energy
needs would be produced internally with a reduced need to import oil, many millions
could be cut from our import bill. A lower volume of dairy exports would offset this
however.
It would not involve a large scale shift of the farming population away from the land.
Each would become a different kind of farmer and would be guided by the market as to
what they should produce.
The stewardship of the land would become a positive element and not a negative one.
Growing biomass would be far more environmentally friendly than dairying.3.
The GHG equation would be substantially changed for the better. An overall reduction
in cattle numbers, and thus methane emissions, would naturally occur as the change
became embedded, and in addition the growing of crops would would bring about a
reduction in GHG emissions in itself.
The demand for biomass would cause farmers to switch from dairying to crop
production and reduce cattle numbers and production of dairy commodities.
• Because the transport and farming machinery fleet would be converted to using biofuel,
a massive reduction in GHG emissions would be achieved in this element alone. A
surplus would be sold on the market thus adding to the effect. Also electricity
generated at the plant would be sold to farmers and surplus to the grid, as well as
powering all processing plant.
Industry leaders would profit financially and politically and farmers would be ensured a
good future on the land.
The wider community would benefit in many ways, not only by being able to consume
green electricity and biofuel. I believe the economy would achieve an overall gain and
be more secure by being less dependent on scarce and expensive oil, and on the
export of dairy produce. We would also gain by reducing our overall GHG emissions
and be therefore less likely to incur costs associated with the Kyoto Agreements. Such
a major change in one of our iconic industries would have a drag effect on the rest of
industry encouraging them to change practices and methods to also help achieve that
aim.
Whilst I acknowledge, to say the least, that this may be seen as an extremely radical
idea, and that powerful groups would be ranged against it, I also believe that it contains
the elements of an achievable and very valuable idea for n.z., and the dairy industry world
wide. I would welcome ideas and suggestions to refine and modify it.
G F Cox
20th
April 2007
(updated June 2008 )
bigblukiwi@gmail.com

Let's Work Together

Thursday 3 September 2009

My Ancestry

My Ancestry

If you're interested, look at My Ancestry -

William Cox, an Officer in the New South Wales Corp, & Captain of Convicts, was in charge of a 'shipment' of Irish Political Prisoners, on board the sailing ship Minerva which arrived at Port Jackson in 1800. This was his second trip to those shores, but this time he was with his wife ( Rebecca Upjohn) and child (born on the ship) who sadly died soon after in Sydney Town. Two children were left in England being educated and came later.

He later became Comptroller of Finance in NSW, a Magistrate, a Farmer, Pastoralist, Sheep Breeder (in co-operation with the Rev. Samuel Marsden) & had many children, from one of whom I am (proudly) descended. (George Cox - youngest son of William & Rebecca Cox, 'Winbourne', Mulgoa NSW).

His biggest achievement was to be put in charge, by Gov. Lachlan Macquarie, ( 1810-1821 ) of the building of the first road across the, up until then impenetrable barrier, of the Blue Mountains - (not called that then). It may have been called 'The Great Divide'.

As children we were taught this name in Primary School in Australia. On modern Maps this very long range of mountains, which runs from Cape York to the Southern Ocean, (3700km) is often called 'The Great Dividing Range'.

He achieved it in the very short time of a few months, with a team of incredible men, who were all either given pardons or 'Tickets of Leave'. One of the first parties to cross to the West were the Governor with Cox and other notables. It was still a very difficult journey, especially in one part over Mount York. Here the road was so steep that a team of Bullocks had to be used to go up and down using a system of ropes and pulleys to control the wagons and coaches.

This was later by-passed by 'Bells Line of Road'.

Cox kept an accurate diary so all this is recorded. Other records exist of the surveying & the discovery of the route by Blaxland, Lawson & Wentworth. The first road went as far as Bathurst, and soon the land was settled and the story of the Australian West (as told by Europeans) began.

What is very sad and a blot on the memory of this, is the 'back-story' of Aboriginal loss and destruction, whose land it really was. That is another story though, one not told until much later.

Cox, I believe, was very sympathetic to the native people, but being a European Man of his day, probably thought of the land as belonging to the King, or occupied by 'no-one'. In later years he certainly was a friend of the Aboriginals, but by that time too they were being destroyed at an alarming rate and being pushed back with no mercy or understanding shown.

He was also known by convicts, freemen and some of the military, as a good man, and a fair and perhaps lenient Magistrate.

Wednesday 2 September 2009

No Impact Man

See the trailer to 'No Impact Man' and make up your own mind - we could all do it if we really wanted to !

slavery

There are more slaves in bondage now than at any other time in history - read this.

http://www.alternet.org/world/142171/there_are_more_slaves_today_than_at_any_time_in_human_history/?page=entire

An interesting article from NASA - Temp of the Planet


Sunrises like this may be a thing of the past if we don't act now to reduce GHG emissions. They'll still happen but many fewer of us will see them - so act now locally and globally- write to your MP - lobby - ask your friends to help - anything - don't just it there - do something !

Here's how to take action through Greenpeace





Actions you can take now