text:
Archived Media Releases
Facts demand change to Tasmanian World Heritage Nomination - 12, March 2014
Tasmania World Heritage Listing counter-productive - 10, December 2013
NEW REPORT CONFIRMS LEAKED IPCC FINDINGS - 18, September 2013
Govt. fails communities on wind farms - 25, June 2013
Renewable Energy Target scheme must be changed - 18, June 2013
Rally to support wind farm noise bill - 13, November 2012
Council rejects wind farm application - 28, October 2012
Climate Commission not fair dinkum - 21, August 2012
Climate Commission Report relies on faulty data - 24, July 2012
Carbon Tax Hoax begins - 02, July 2012
Lazy Health Department must act on wind farm noise - 14, June 2012
New Marine Parks bad for the environment - 12, June 2012
The Great Barrier Reef - pristine one day, perishing the next? - 05, June 2012
Latest MDBA plan a waste of time and money - 29, May 2012
PM's vision for feeding Asia sounds fishy - 23, May 2012
Minister must regulate wind farm health impacts - 21, May 2012
Huge Coral Sea 'no-take' zones irresponsible - 24, April 2012
Research health effects of wind turbine noise say medical experts - 13, March 2012
MD Basin plan based on junk science says new report - 29, February 2012
CSIRO report on wind farms 'not credible' - 19, January 2012
GetUp! campaigns against the environment - 20, November 2011
IPCC EXPOSED - 03, November 2011
WIND FARM PLANNING CHANGES WELCOMED - 30, August 2011
New Study Backs Wind Turbine Noise Complaints - 22, June 2011
Snowy Hydro Wants Changes to Licence Provisions to Avoid Exacerbating Flooding - 14, December 2010
Wind Farm Opposition Growing - 01, November 2010
Climate Minister briefed with unsubstantiated assumptions - 31, October 2010
FOOD IMPORTS TOP EXPORTS AS BASIN WATER CUTS ARE PROPOSED - 28, October 2010
SAVE THE MURRAY: REMOVE THE BARRAGES - 14, October 2010
NEW BASIN PLAN WASTES WATER - 10, October 2010
WIND FARM PROTESTORS NOT HAPPY JOHN - 06, October 2010
AEF SUPPORTS VEGETATION LAW OVERHAUL - 10, May 2010
Dump Emissions Trading Scheme Now - 09, February 2010
LORD MONCKTON SYDNEY PRESENTATIONS TODAY - 27, January 2010
Less than Half Support an ETS - 19, January 2010
Senate has Voted in the National Interest - 02, December 2009
W.A Liberal to Address Conference on Climate - 19, October 2009
Fielding Declares He is a Climate Realist - 05, June 2009
Fossil Fuels Fail to Explain Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Levels - 13, April 2009
MUZZLED AUSTRALIANS GAIN A VOICE ON ETS - 25, February 2009
Australia Lacks Capacity to Meet Carbon Reduction Targets - 18, January 2009
Getaway GetUp on the ETS - 29, December 2008
Government Finally Acts on Environmental Water - 06, March 2008
Change Marsh Management for Better Use of Water - 26, September 2007
Pulp Mill Should Go Ahead Says Conference - 12, September 2007
Taskforce Investigates VEAC Red Gum Proposals on Water - 11, September 2007
Contaminated Fish Scare Highlights Mismanagement - 06, August 2007
Plant GM Crops in Burkes Backyard - 07, March 2007
Green Group Welcomes Support on Woody Weeds Debacle - 21, February 2007
Support Recycling to Secure Water Future - 11, December 2006
Butterflies and Biodiversity Efforts Awarded - 17, November 2006
New Voice Considers All Energy Options - 30, October 2006
Award Winning Wildlife Conservation - 06, October 2006
Worry about What You Can Change: Get the Bans on GM Lifted - 05, October 2006
Saddle Change and Join Us for a New Environmental Ride - 27, September 2006
Shifting the Environmental Impact of Fishing Somewhere Else - 29, August 2006
AEF To Recognise Environmental Champions - 14, August 2006
Water Vote Critical for Australia Says Don Burke - 20, July 2006
First AEF Conference & AGM: Now in Brisbane in September - 02, April 2006
First AGM & Conference for New Environment Group: Rydges Southbank, Brisbane, 13-14 May 2006 - 20, November 2005
Don Burke Joins New Environment Movement - 24, July 2005
AEF Secretary is also Vet involved in Animal Rescue - 08, June 2005
Battle of the Bushes - 08, June 2005
AEF to ACF – there's room for more than one environmental group - 06, June 2005
Tim Petrie Dedicates Tall Tree at AEF Launch - 05, June 2005
World Environment Day Launches New Environment Group in Tenterfield - 02, June 2005
Archived Media Stories
Letter to the editor: Sydney Morning Herald February 16, 2009
Prevent bushfires, don't just suppress them
Michael Duffy highlights well the key points of the current national tragedy still unfolding ("Heed wisdom or perish", February 14-15).
Peter Spencer's cool burning of his property in the southern highlands replicates the firestick burning of the Aboriginal people so well documented. Before 1939 mountain cattlemen in Victoria used the same technique until stopped by the then forests commission.
The cattlemen and other bush workers became fearful of the "dirty" bush that developed and watched it all incinerate in the fires of 1939.
Judge Stretton, who presided over the royal commission into the fires, stated: "Fire management must be the paramount concern of the forest manager." Clearly, this wisdom has not been heeded and many have perished since.
Fire science concepts are not hard to grasp, even for politicians, as there are only three fundamental aspects: temperature, fuel and ignition.
Temperature and ignition will not be controlled by man. Fuel loads can and must be controlled if we are to adapt successfully to fire in the landscape. The continuing focus on fire suppression rather than fire prevention will result in an increasingly frequent and more intense series of disasters, detrimental to both people and the environment.
Max Rheese
executive director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Australian January 05, 2009
Bad environmental policy
NEW national parks along the Murray River will not save the red gum forests as reported in The Australian ("National parks to protect red gums", 31/12). The Victorian Government has decided these parks will operate under an unchanged, failed land management regime that has seen thousands of hectares of red gums protected by national park status, die in the last 12 months.
In the Murray Sunset National Park this year, 840 hectares of red gum protected for 20 years were declared dead, thousands more are dead and dying in the Hattah-Kulkyne National Park just upstream. They are suffering a chronic lack of water; national park status will not change that.
The Victorian public has been dudded by Premier John Brumby and green groups who did a deal at the 2006 election to create red gum national parks. The announcement by Brumby has nothing to do with the environment and all to do with green politics.
Fifty-five per cent of Victorian public land is already protected by national or state park or nature reserve, yet we are continually told biodiversity is in decline. If that is so, then it is the land management model that has failed—the number of hectares classed as parks is irrelevant.
Victorians already suffering a policy-induced water shortage imposed by this government will now suffer further decline of the red gum forests because of bad environmental policy that has already proved a failure.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Australian December 8, 2008
Emissions Trading
THE onerous implications of just one segment of the policy detail with regard to the introduction of an emissions trading scheme became apparent on the floor of the Senate last week, highlighted in the article "Communities sacrificed to carbon sinks" (6-7/12).
Contemplation by the parliament of taxpayer-funded concessions to schemes that will lock agricultural land into permanent carbon sinks and seriously undermine Australia's food production beggars belief.
Bad legislation that betrayed constituents was reportedly on the mind of Fiona Nash when she crossed the Senate floor. Sadly, a greater number of her colleagues did not share her clarity of thought.
Permanent carbon sinks will not aid the forestry or agriculture sectors, will not enhance GDP and will cost the taxpayer a fortune, as will the introduction of this poorly conceived emissions trading scheme.
Adapting to ever-present climate change will mean changes to agriculture production to maximise yield and minimise impact on the environment. It does not mean shutting down viable food production and sacrificing rural Australia on the altar of citycentric climate change policy that has no proven outcome.
Max Rheese
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Age November 13, 2008
Surely, the aims of "environmentalists" in their outcry over timber harvesting at Brown Mountain would fall within the "wise use principles" of conservation? Full protection for a portion of the forest for all time, sustainable use of a portion of the forest for human endeavour and the regeneration of harvested forest.
This is what happens now. Australian forestry is among the best and most regulated in the world and we should all support the good environmental outcomes that flow from that. We do not have to look far to see the alternative.
The emotional claptrap put forward by various writers (Letters, 12/11), — failing to recognise that more than 90% of Victoria's forests are permanently reserved — does little to foster the integrity of the environment movement.
The fact is fire is the ultimate determinant of forest structure in Victoria; therefore the environment movement should be bringing pressure to bear on land managers to better manage our forests for fire, rather than campaigns based on ideology that aim to have the remaining 9% of forest locked up.
Sustainable use with adequate protection, not preservation, is the key to conservation.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Land October 9, 2008
SIR: Neither Australia's chief scientist, Dr Jim Peacock, nor Victoria's chief scientist, Sir Gustav Nossal, share the view expressed by Louise Sales, anti-GM campaigner for Greenpeace ("UN thumps GM", The Land, September 25, p27), that genetically modified crops have no role to play in solving the world's food crisis when they advised their respective governments to adopt GM crops.
Nor it seems do the ever-increasing number of farmers across the world, including Australia, who are embracing GM crops in the expectation of increased yields and better crop performance.
The last thing farmers need is the UN or ideologues from Greenpeace telling them what they should, or should not, be planting on their own farms.
Executive Director,
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Age June 23, 2008
The rationale for ending the moratorium on GM crops as spelt out by Sir Gustav Nossal GM food can help ease hungershould reassure those in the community who have concerns on new technologies that relate to food production.
Sir Gustav's panel voted unanimously for lifting the moratorium, this decision was supported by the Victorian government and opposition, the then Federal government and opposition, as well as Australia's Chief Scientist, Jim Peacock. This decision, no doubt, was based on science and evidence that has been freely available for some time.
GM crops have a part to play in helping to increase yields from finite arable land at a time of food shortages in some parts of the world.
The environmental benefits of GM crops through the reduction in use of pesticides and the ability to use biodegradable herbicides have been demonstrated through the growing of GM cotton in Australia for the last 11 years. These benefits will now be available in food production.
Farmers and the environment deserve to have available the full suite of tools to produce the maximum yield, with the smallest ecological footprint, GM crops are a step forward in that direction.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Australian, June 6, 2008
Ross Garnaut Too hot an issue to ignore 6/6 should join the rest of us in the real world to hear our concerns about the proposed radical restructuring of the Australian economy that will result from the introduction of an emissions trading scheme.
Garnaut talks of "climate change mitigation decisions" and "the passage of time is rapidly reducing the scope for choice among policies affecting climate outcomes" as if he believes recommended policy will have some effect on climate!
The foundation argument of climate alarmists: that increased levels of CO2 leads to a global temperature increase of some significance have been disproved. Not to mention that temperatures have not increased for ten years, whilst atmospheric levels of CO2 have continued to rise.
To contemplate committing to a scheme that will alter the lives of everyone in the country, which is based on a "balance of probabilities" indicates how this process has a life of its own that is not based on science, logic or the real world.
If Garnaut and the government want to talk about adapting the country as best we can to climate change – we are listening. If the discussion is going to be about how we lessen our impact on climate, or heaven forbid – mitigate climate change – then spare us.
The country has some serious environmental issues that require serious resources to bring about change, wasting our time and money on trying to change climate is something only bureaucrats and politicians would contemplate.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: Weekly Times, May 30, 2008
Lorraine Leach Trees real value in forests WT 21/5 highlights the value of forests in mitigating some influences of climate change as well as the role of forests in water yield.
The Bureau of Rural Sciences last week released the State of Forests Report for 2008 which also highlights these issues. This independent government report supports the Victorian Association of Forest Industries statements where it states "The harvesting and regeneration of native forest in the Thomson catchment is limited to 0.3% of the catchment in any one year". The requirement to adhere to this is audited by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The report also highlights the significant role the forest industry plays in mitigating climate change.
However, the critical determinant of water yield in any catchment is fire and this is evidenced by the efforts undertaken by DSE to prevent fire entering the Thomson catchment during the Alpine fires of 2006. One fire in the catchment will have more effect on water yield than 100 years of sustainable timber harvesting.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the editor: The Age, November 30, 2007
(Similar letters also published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian.)
Decision a win for science over ideology
COMMENTS by Premier Brumby on the lifting of the moratorium on genetically modified crops in Victoria that his Government is a supporter of science should be reassuring to all Victorians. The Government needs to be applauded for making the decision based on science and not ideology or emotion. The facts are these: overwhelming scientific evidence supports the social, environmental and economic benefits of GM crops.
The Government has consulted all stakeholder groups over a considerable period of time, despite the assertions of those opposed, and has made a decision that it sees in the best interests of the community based on the advice of its chief scientist.
All major players, including the Government, support adequate labelling requirements so that consumers have a choice on what they buy. Farmers now have a choice that will make them competitive on world markets and they can choose not to grow GM crops.
The environment will be the big winner in the adoption of GM cropping by Victorian farmers as the smaller ecological footprint of GM food production has been clearly demonstrated around the world during the past 10 years. GM food production will enhance our clean, green image with the proven reduction in the use of chemicals.
Max Rheese, executive director,
Australian Environment Foundation, Benalla, Vic.
LETTER OF THE WEEK - The Land, November 1, 2007
Hijacked by hyperbole in environment debate
SIR: Two articles in The Land of October 25 highlight an issue that should be of continuing concernto your readers: the hijacking of the environmental agenda by minority groups using their ideologyas a platform for change.
Ian Causley, the retiring Member for the seat of Page ("Fresh page for man who spoke his mind", p6), tells us: "Our democracy had been hijacked by minority groups prone to hyperbole, which wereinfluencing the views of city people and politicians to the detriment of rural industries andcommunities."
He cites two examples of where we have lost the plot in the management of public resources: forestry and the Murray-Darling.
The continuing saga of invasive native species (woody weeds) in the Central West could be addedto those examples.
In the same edition, Ian Lobban from the Victorian Farmers Federation, commenting in the article,
"Conservation a threat" (Southern regional edition, p1), tells us the Victorian EnvironmentalAssessment Council (VEAC) recommendations for the red gum forests along the Murray River "havethe potential to shut down farming and recreational industries".
The Australian Environment Foundation endorses the sentiments expressed and believes anyenvironmental issue that is tackled using science and empirical evidence will deliver the rightoutcomes.
Sadly, the woody weeds issue is a prime example of ideology triumphing over science and evidence; the VEAC proposals for the red gum forests are another.
Duncan Malcolm, the chair of VEAC, is quoted in the article as saying: "The health of the river redgum forests along the Murray River is far worse than expected" - as one would expect after 10 yearsof drought.
However, reducing the area of State forest available for timber harvesting, banning campfires, reducing access for camping and launching of boats, reclassifying State game reserves into natureconservation reserves, and increasing the size of national parks by 300 per cent will not changethat one bit.
These changes will reduce or exclude the use of public land by change of land tenure.
By themselves they will not lead to better land management.
We all support more water for the red gum forests - we do not support changes that will furthermarginalise small rural communities for no net environmental gain.
Similar proposals will be suggested for red gum forests in NSW by the National Parks Association.
Rural people should reflect on the statements of Mr Causley and Mr Lobban and decide how muchthey have to lose before they act to save their environment.
Executive director,
Australian Environment Foundation, Benalla, Vic.
Letter to the editor: The Weekly Times, October 31, 2007
River Plan will Sink
Draft proposals for the changed management of public land along the Murray River by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council have ignited community passion and galvanised the mood of local communities in the face of further regulation of their activities on public land.
The draft proposals, released for public discussion in July, recommended a number of major changes in the Murray River region.
These included the establishment of five new national parks, large reductions in timber harvesting, an end to cattle grazing in many areas of public land, the re-classification of 23 state game reserves to exclude hunting, bans on camp fires, reduced camping opportunity and less access to the river.
The major proposal from the investigation is an overbank flood of 4000GL every five years to relieve stress on the red gum forests, due to a lack of natural flooding.
But what is the true picture of red gum forests? Can they be saved only by a massive 4000GL flood — roughly equal to the capacity of Dartmouth dam — or have the massive changes to the floodplain in the past century made that sort of event impossible to achieve?
Even if the water was available, it would be worth in excess of $5 billion.
Can we afford $1 billion a year in environmental flows? Is this the best use of our water or our financial resources?
Some environmentalists say relieving the stress on the forest is worth any amount of water at any cost, but it is clear that not all of the forest is under stress. It is equally clear that the regulation of water, primarily to suit agriculture, has had an effect on the forest that reducing timber harvesting, hunting or camp fires will not alleviate.
The allocation of water to the red gum forests is of such paramount importance and potentially impacts on so many stakeholders in the wider Murray Darling Basin that it should be considered separately from the other recommendations contained within the draft proposals.
Protection and successful management of the natural environment will succeed when it takes into account the needs of the people, in balance with the needs of the environment.
Max Rheese, Executive Director, Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the Editor: The Age, 6th October 2007
More National Parks not the Answer
MATT Ruchel from the Victorian National Parks Association (VNPA) does not articulate the main issue of concern to local communities in his article "Red gums are not just a green issue" (BusinessDay, 5/10), which is the VNPA campaign to create more national parks from accessible state forest.
Most people are not opposed to sensible proposals for increased environmental flows along the Murray River — if there was some prospect of the water being available — but are very concerned at the proposed 300 per cent increase in national parks.
Mr Brumby recognises that the draft proposals are not sensible and has informed the community of his Government's intentions, to dispel concerns.
All people who use the red gum forests and the Murray River agree that many areas are stressed by 10 years of drought.
The fix for that is rain, not changing the land status to national parks.
The Government has a long way to go to regain people's confidence in public land management. Everyone agrees that public land could be better managed, but creating national parks is not the default action to achieve that.
Max Rheese, executive director, Australian Environment Foundation
'A sniff of what you spread on the garden'
Andrew Bolt's favourable opinion piece on the AEF in the Melbourne Herald Sun (7th September 2007).
Letter to the Editor: The Land, 5th July 2007
A Three Dud Trick
Sir: Bevan O'Regan hits the nail on the head in Coal for Clearing, (The Land, June 21, p30) when he points out the apparent collusion between state and federal governments over land clearing to serve their own agendas.
State governments in Queensland and New South Wales enacted native vegetation laws at the urging of environment groups on the premise that current land clearing regimes were bad for the environment.
The debacle in both these states where 20 million hectares has now succumbed to invasive native species is testament to the folly of environmental management based on ideology rather than science. Farmers dudded once.
There was no argument from the federal government over forced reductions in 'land clearing' as this was the mechanism to achieve targets at Kyoto. Farmers dudded a second time.
The Australian Farm Institute has correctly been telling farmers for years that land use changes that enhance the environment are not being credited to agriculture – financially or politically. Farmers dudded a third time.
In the same The Land (p6), Senator Barnaby Joyce exhorts farmers to battle against government at all levels - "from impinging on the fundamental right of people on the land to their free ownership and free title". Senator Joyce says his fear is that farmers will be pawns in the race to address climate change.
Well, farmers are being treated like pawns now and have been for more than a decade.
The current system of representation on the issues of land clearing, property rights, carbon sequestration and credits for the farming community could stand much improvement.
Farmers should be encouraged and rewarded for improving the environment not penalised for trying to make a living from the land.
Senator Joyce's call for a senate inquiry into property rights deserves the support of all farmers and farming organisations.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Letter to the Editor: Weekly Times, 3 April 2007
Having read the articles about GM choices W/T 28/3 Seed of doubt or hope and numerous independent studies released this year on the clear benefits of GM crops to the environment and the farming community, it seems this debate has little to do with facts and much to do with values.
Gene Ethics wishes to impose its values on GM crops on the community. They do not want the government to allow consumers or farmers the right to choose.
Nowhere in the world, including Australia, have farmers been forced to grow GM crops – it is their choice.
If those opposed to GM crops are so confident of the claims they make against GM technology – let them choose.
Australian farmers and consumers have shown themselves to be pretty savvy when it comes to making choices that affect their livelihoods and their quality of life. Farmers will not invest their time, effort and money in technology they do not have faith in or a market for.
Australians value the freedom to make choices that affect their quality of life.
Anti GM proponents oppose those values by denying us our freedom to choose.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Push grows for GM cotton
(From an article printed in The Age March 9th 2007)
Senator Bill Heffernan who has been appointed by the Prime Minister to head a federal inquiry into developing agriculture in northern Australia has called for a rethink on attitudes to genetically modified crops and their application in Australia.
His statements were welcomed by the chairman of the Australian Environment Foundation, Don Burke who said "Claims that GM crops are not safe or good for the environment were nonsense"
Australian Conservation Foundation executive director, Don Henry said the ACF opposed all GM crops.
Cotton Australia chief executive director, Adam Kay said that the introduction of GM crops had seen a reduction of in the use of pesticides by 80 per cent. Cotton growers had improved their water use by 11 per cent since 1999. GM cotton had been successfully trialled at Kununurra in Western Australia and Katherine in the Northern Territory.
Mr Kay said that cotton growers wanted the option of growing GM crops.
Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator had been established to conduct scientific assessment of GM crops and the Australian Government supported that process.
Letter to the Editor: Stock and Land, 8th March 2007
Stop playing the man instead of the ball
The Australian Environment Foundation agrees with a number of points that Katherine Wilson [Industry interests must be revealed 8/2] makes in her letter.
AEF is indeed worlds apart from most other environment groups, as the AEF values science and evidence over rhetoric and ideology in the debate on environmental issues.
AEF does agree with the rosy claims made about biotech crops in two independent studies released last month which the Gene Ethics Network attempted to rebut.
Katherine's letter attacks the messenger not the message. She was silent on the rosy claims contained in the research.
AEF also agree with the principle of transparency in the public debate and call upon the Gene Ethics Network to reveal the extent of funding it has received from the Australian Conservation Foundation or for the ACF to list its donors and sponsors on its website in the manner that the AEF does. Katherine could also be transparent about her associations as well.
AEF does not and has not received any financial backing from the Institute of Public Affairs. The AEF and the IPA do share some common values and one director of the AEF is a Senior Fellow of the IPA. This has been publicly disclosed many times and the AEF Values and Objectives are published on our website at www.aefweb.info
Katherine could have done the environment debate a service by debating the issue but has taken the well worn path used by many green groups when their argument falters for lack of evidence – playing the man instead of the ball.
Max Rheese
Executive Director
Australian Environment Foundation
Don Burke backs farmers' war on woody weeds
Dubbo Daily Liberal, 26 February 2007
High-profile environmentalist and celebrity gardener Don Burke will head a forum in Dubbo this week which aims to pressure the State Government into reversing "draconian vegetation laws" that are threatening to bankrupt some farmers. (more ...)
Letter to the Editor: The Age, 23rd November 2006
At last some facts on water
Hoorah to Mark Poynter [The Age 23/11/06] for outlining the facts on our water resources and how to obtain more water per hectare from our catchments by selective logging.
With water storages across the state at very low levels, any sustainable practice, that for "every 1000 hectares thinned is expected to deliver an additional 1 billion litres" should be adopted without delay.
The facts show that active management of catchments by selective logging will be beneficial to water yield over the long term. This practice would also ensure sustainable management of our timber resource.
Both issues are critical to future growth in Victoria; therefore they should be decided on evidence and fact rather than misinformation and rhetoric that has characterised the debate on forestry in this state.
Max Rheese, Executive director
Australian Environment Foundation, Benalla
Letter to the Editor: The Age, 16th Novmber 2006
It aint necessarily so
Leslie Cannold (Opinion, 14/11) states that the Australian Environment Foundation "campaigns for weaker environmental laws"; there is not a thread of evidence to support such a claim.
She further states that the Institute of Public Affairs contributed to the establishment of "front groups" such as the AEF.
If this infers that the AEF and its members are a mouthpiece for the IPA, then this is not supported by fact. If it implies the AEF and IPA members share common values that require debate supported by evidence and fact then this is true.
Max Rheese, executive director, AEF
ABC Online, 18th November, 2006
Gunns wins environmental award
The Gunns timber company has won a national environmental award for its management of natural grasslands on its Surrey Hillls estate near Burnie in Tasmania.
The award has been presented by Australian Environment Foundation chairman and television personality Don Burke.
Mr Burke says grassy ecosystems are among the world's most endangered plant communities.
"A significant proportion of these sorts of grasslands in Australia actually occur here in Tasmania, and they have some of the greatest diversity of species in those grasslands that you would find," he said.
"They are quite a precious thing and they are only in small areas, so they're just one of those areas where if you blink they could be gone forever."
GM Crops the Smart Choice
Weekly Times (Australia), October 25, 2006
Peter Hill may not want GM food, but the world needs GM food (WT, October 11).
We have to learn to farm smarter if we are to feed a growing world population from the same amount of arable land and with no more water. GM crops have the potential to yield as much -- with less water in some cases -- using up to 80 per cent less chemicals and offering protection from frost.
This is something that Goulburn Valley fruit growers would be keen to explore. Indeed, GM food crops have the potential to reduce the ecological footprint of food production while increasing yields.
For these reasons, the Australian Environment Foundation supports the controlled introduction of GM crops to all states.
- Max Rheese, executive director, Australian Environment Foundation, Benalla
ABC Online:
Environment Group AEF Honours Gunns
29th September
Timber company, Gunns Limited, has won a national environmental award for the management of grasslands and an endangered butterfly species in Tasmania's north-west.
The award was given out by the Australian Environment Foundation, which was launched last year.
The foundation promotes itself as a science and evidence-based environmental movement. It has links to the Institute of Public Affairs and the timber industry.
Gunns north-west manager, Brian Hayes, says the company actively manages sub-alpine grasslands in the north-west, which is an essential habitat for the rare Ptunnarra Brown Butterfly.
He says the recognition is an honour, particularly as many people do not associate Gunns Ltd with environmental protection.
"It is very easy for people to overlook the very good work that is done by professional people within the industry, there are many things that are done that don't achieve the public and media recognition," he said.
"I might point out, of our total estate of about 205 thousand hectares in Tasmania, about 37 thousand hectares is set aside for conservation and reservation purposes."
ABC Radio National: Counterpoint
6th August 2006
Over-fished or over-regulated?
According to marine biologist Dr Walter Starck, Australia has the most over-managed, heavily restricted and least productive fishery industry in the world. He'll be speaking at the upcoming Australian Environment Foundation inaugural conference. We're also joined by chair of the foundation, Don Burke, to hear why Australia needs another environment group.
Listen and/or read the transcript: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2006/1732277.htm
4GR TOOWOOMBA Radio News
7:31AM AEST Thursday, 20 July 2006
There is a lot of pressure on Toowoomba residents heading into the July 29th Water Futures Poll with TV identity Don Burke entering the debate calling for a yes vote. He says the decision will impact on the rest of the country.
Landline, ABC TV, 14th August 2005
Burke ready to bloom in new role
Don Burke is interviewed by Joanne Shoebridge from ABC Television's Landline about the need for a new approach to environmental issues. To view the interview click here,http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2005/s1436505.htm .
Farm Online, 27th July 2005
Don Burke to head fight for balanced environmentalism
Don Burke, Aussie icon and a pioneer Australian environmentalist, has become Chair of new environment group the Australian Environment Foundation.
The AEF was born out of frustration with the tunnel-vision approach of the green movement and its lack of inclusiveness for communities and human participation in and management of the environment.
As such Mr Burke wasted no time in calling for a new approach to environmental issues.
"The established environment groups are too preoccupied with headlines and publicity stunts rather than the hard work of finding enduring solutions," Mr Burke said.
"They are poor at following through, and often seem unreasonably prejudiced against people and industry.
"The AEF wants to promote honest debate and discussion and a more evidence-based approach."
Mr Burke nominated national park management as a good example.
"Once a National Park has been declared, the old conservation movement too often decamped without asking whether the resources or the will were there to properly maintain these areas.
"The result is National Parks full of feral weeds and prone to destructive wild fires.
"Then there are global issues. What is the role for Australia in feeding, clothing and providing energy to the rapidly growing Asian economies? How do we cope with legitimate human aspirations in a world of limited resources?"
Mr Burke says the AEF is about innovative solutions for real world problems.
"We are a fresh group taking a fresh approach recognizing that the old conservation paradigms don't always suit," he said.
"We are really talking about the beginnings a whole new environment movement."
Don Burke is a founding member of: Year of the Tree, Greening Australia, and Decade of the Tree & Sustainable Development Australia. He was President of the Australian Institute of Horticulture (NSW) during which time he initiated the first ever environmental weed legislation in NSW.
Mr Burke has served as a board member of Landcare Australia and with Simon Crean, initiated the National Registration Authority for Agricultural & Veterinary Chemicals (now called the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority).
Crikey, 26th July 2005
Greens' blue pushing red, By Christian Kerr
Expect the row between the new Australian Environment Foundation and the Australian Conservation Foundation to step up a notch. The AEF has just appointed Don Burke – yes, that Don Burke – as its chair. He's marked his appointment with these comments:
The established environment groups are too preoccupied with headlines and publicity stunts rather than the hard work of finding enduring solutions. They are poor at following through, and often seem unreasonably prejudiced against people and industry.
The AEF wants to promote honest debate and discussion and a more evidence-based approach…
Once a National Park has been declared, the old conservation movement too often decamped without asking whether the resources or the will were there to properly maintain these areas. The result is National Parks are full of feral weeds and prone to destructive wild fires.
Then there are global issues. What is the role for Australia in feeding, clothing and providing energy to the rapidly growing Asian economies? How do we cope with legitimate human aspirations in a world of limited resources?
The AEF is about innovative solutions for real world problems. We are a fresh group taking a fresh approach recognising that the old conservation paradigms don't always suit."
Burke is an immediately recognisable figure. He has strong credentials as a founding member of the Year of the Tree, Greening Australia, the Decade of the Tree and Sustainable Development Australia. He has been a board member of Landcare Australia and helped get the first ever environmental weed legislation in NSW during his time as president of the state branch of the Australian Institute of Horticulture.
He isn't as scary-looking as Peter Garrett – but his appointment will give the big boys of the green lobby a fright. The ACF has already sicked m'learned friends on to the AEF alleging a Trademark Infringement on the basis of its name.
Stay tuned for a brawl over what being an environmental organisation is all about.
The Age, 26th July 2005
Garden guru tips a bucket on greenies
By Liz Minchin
Former TV gardening guru Don Burke has taken a dig at Australia's mainstream green movement after becoming head of a new environment group linked to a conservative Melbourne think tank.
Now chairman of the Australian Environment Foundation, the horticulturist and former Landcare Australia board member declared, "The greatest threat to the world's environment is the conservation movement.
"I'm very annoyed with the conservation movement and feeling a bit desperate, in that I think conservationists did a brilliant job 30 years ago at making us all aware of the massive problems facing the planet, but they've failed miserably since then.
"The reason is that the moment (they) succeeded in changing the attitudes of the world, they became obsolete . . . You can't stop the world changing . . . The challenge is to work out how we can adapt to change."
Burke has taken over from Jennifer Marohasy, director of the environment unit at the Collins Street-based Institute of Public Affairs, also the registered place of business for the Australian Environment Foundation.
The Land & The Queensland Country Life, 16th June 2005
Spot the difference?
By MICHAEL THOMSON
A COUPLE of events last week caused me to wonder how many shades of green there are in the environment.
Northern Daily Leader (Tamworth), 8 June 2005
People unite to deliver 'real' environment message
AUSTRALIA has a new environment movement and, after its official launch at Tenterfield on Sunday, it promises to be a vigorous organisation with a difference.
ABC Online, 8th June 2005
Name game upsets Aust Conservation Foundation
The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has written to a newly-launched organisation asking it to drop its name because it is too similar to their 40-year-old trademark.
The new Melbourne-based group has links to the timber industry.
Crikey, 8th June 2005
13. Bitter internal stoush among "grass roots" greens
Christian Kerr writes:
The latest green shoot, the Australian Environmental Foundation, launched on Sunday, has received an interesting "christening present" from what it calls "the establishment Australian Conservation Foundation" – a solicitor's letter trying to prevent the launch.
Is the ACF trying to impose a monoculture? Strangling a young seedling? Keeping the offshoots trimmed back? Make sure that life is just a bed of roses – or at least a comfy duopoly – for themselves and the WWF?
Is there some shrubhugger subtlety we're missing here or what? A spectacular spit seems to be on. Have a look at the new boys' and girls' media release here.
AEF spokesperson Kersten Gentle said that the AEF is a grassroots environmental organisation which stresses an evidence-based approach to the environment and wants to ensure that scarce resources are directed to areas of most need.
"There is precious little money available for the environment as it is. We shouldn't be wasting what is available lining the pockets of intellectual property lawyers."
Ms Gentle said that the ACF was alleging a Trademark Infringement on the basis of the name of the new organisation and its emblem.
"Apparently the ACF believe that they are the only ones entitled to use the words Australian and Foundation and anyone else using them is trying to "pass themselves off" as the ACF."
Ouch! Some green shoots have prickles. Others are poisonous.
The Age, 8th June 2005
Cool reception for new green group
By Melissa Fyfe
Tenterfield Star, 7th June 2005
Environment Launch


text:
I have been thinking today about where emotions go. I think we all have seen or experienced that couple They are hot and heavy and passionate. They are "in love" and "soulmates." (I have never had first hand experience of this but have witnessed it many times).
But then, a few weeks or months later; they split up. What happened? Maybe they weren't really in love. But whatever intensity and passion they had was real. Where did that go?
Where does love go when it's over? Or anger? Or sadness? Nothing lasts forever. And though I have known those last two emotions; I can feel them starting to leave.
It's kind of like asking what happens when we die. Except we may never know where our emotions go. But we will all have a definite answer to what happens when we die. Someday.
I personally don't believe anything happens when we die. We are just dead and gone. That thought doesn't disturb me. I'm not afraid of it. I've thought about it enough to be comfortable with it.
But, for some reason, I like to think our emotions go somewhere when they leave us. I'm sure this is just me being uncharacteristically sentimental. Or maybe I am just being too literal. (Or maybe I just don't get how emotions work).
I like to imagine all of our collective emotions are still out there somewhere. Like little pieces of our souls. Our emotions persist even when we have forgotten or outgrown them.
I like to imagine them hanging out with each other in a sort of cloud storage. (Which I do imagine as an actual, literal cloud).
I like to think my emotions have distinct personalities. Which leads me to believe that all emotions have them.
All of my emotions recognize that they once belonged to me. I am their creator. They don't all like each other. Or me. But they can be cordial at parties if they have to be. They have genders. But the genders of my emotions are specific to me.
My anger is quiet and serious. He rarely smiles or goes out. He has some acquaintances. But they are mostly other people's anger. He doesn't really like being around them.
My shyness is very sweet and friendly, and surprisingly, not shy. She's kind of the mother figure as she has been in the cloud longer than my other emotions. She has tried dating a little, but keeps going for the sadness types. And the relationships never last.
My sadness is very shy and funny. He's tried to make friends with my anger, but my anger never laughs and he makes my sadness too insecure. So he hangs out with other people's senses of humor. And they are all so bitter!
My emotional pain is severely morbidly obese and depressing to be around. She and my shyness are kind of friends. My pain doesn't know why my shyness even bothers. Frankly, my shyness is just about over my pain's attitude. But she is too nice to say so.
My fear is foreign. Nobody understands him and he is constantly frustrated by that. He's kind of boring, honestly. So nobody bothers to try to understand him.
Possibly it is just me that feels this way and thinks these things. But I don't really know. Does anyone else imagine their emotions this way? Are your emotions friends with each other too?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
had enough of me blabbing yet? if not, I did another short Q&A with Shooting Gallery earlier this week. you can find it here: http://www.shootinggallerysf.com/blog/2011/06/a-converstaion-with-aaron-nagel/ Aside from the blabbings, i've been running around all week prepping for the show -- lots of varnish, lots of fumes. I took 7 paintings to Shooting Gallery today and will take the rest over tomorrow when we'll actually start hanging. I like this part, and am very much looking forward to having all the work there and ready to go. I'll post some pictures of the install. so far, I'm a lot more relaxed than I was leading up to the show last year. that will probably change, but i'm feeling good so far.
As I mentioned in previous posts, the show will consist of a series of portraits in addition to my usual larger work. here's the second of the series:


text: Parachute Days is a community project. It is a temporary multi-purpose venue built on Love Field in Point Reyes Station in West Marin County, California. The intention of this space is to encourage intergenerational collaboration through the sharing and creating of music, art, food, and culture in a uniquely designed outdoor community event venue. Parachute Days was started in 2016 by a group of West Marin friends, artists and musicians.


text:
Two years ago, after a wonderful experience with a private pre-K program, we started the process of trying to find a place for Collin in the public school system.
From the beginning, we determined that the most important thing for ensuring an effective educational experience was an instructional assistant who knew Collin well enough to read his cues and respond appropriately. We made this clear from the start and again at every step in the long, long road. We met with resistance at first, but chose to wait it out with as much patience and kindness as we could muster while still sticking to our guns.
So when, 18 months into the process, an instructional assistant was approved to work with Collin at school, we were thrilled. The job opening was posted and someone who knows Collin very well, who has worked with him in both home and educational settings for years, applied for the job and got called in for an interview.
Did this person get hired? No, she did not. Someone "better qualified" was chosen.
Could anyone in any position of authority explain to me how the chosen candidate was better qualified for the position? No, they could not. The only information I got was that the other candidate has more experience in the school system.
And at any point in the process did someone contact us to say, "We know that you feel very strongly about this, but we think another option might be better"? No, they did not. The school chose someone with no knowledge of Collin and didn't even tell us about it. I found out through another avenue.
We were being asked to trust a panel of people whom we didn't know and who didn't know Collin in their decision to choose a person with no experience with Collin to be his primary caregiver and facilitator at school. And our first opportunity to meet the assistant would be two days before school starts. No one we spoke with could/would answer any of our questions about the process, the decision, or the candidate and dismissed every concern with an "I understand your frustration."
So, after two years of meetings and phone calls and paperwork and hoping and hoping and hoping, we withdrew Collin from school.
Parents in our situation, who have children with a wide range of disabilities and no verbal communication, approach school in all different ways and I deeply respect those decisions. This was just the approach we chose and I still believe it was and is the best for us.
So, today I am returning Collin's school uniforms to the store. My heart wrenches thinking of his cousins and friends starting school without him and I'm avoiding back-to-school advertisements. After a few more days of being sad, I will regroup and start to think about what's next -- how to continue to give Collin what he needs in a way that's best for him.


text:
They know that even little girls turn into women, but I'm not sure parents can ever fully accept the otherness they become when romance sweeps them away.
They know that even little girls turn into women, but I'm not sure parents can ever fully accept the otherness they become when romance sweeps them away.
it's that tension that holds me together and has been used to make me who I am
I'm climbing through any open window into their minds and hearts.
I want to take my growing children out on more slow, mind-awakening journeys so that I may suck all their youth, beauty and knowledge in return for passing down the skill of taking a good hard look.
I say it with no shame, no embarrassment, no sense that I'm a faker for the first time since I walked out of a professional dance studio for the last time...
I went up to my bedroom and laid on the floor to feel terrible about myself, to feel desperate, to wonder how I will ever survive motherhood, and, the worst part, to seriously question God's wisdom in giving ME these children to raise...
If being a mother doesn't give you stress fractures in your freakin' heart, I don't know what does.
Unauthorized use of urine as "chemical," "paint," or "fragrance" will be dealt with swiftly and according to the standard set of consequences.
Did I just write a sad confession of the roots of my emotional eating? I don't know.
Here's what I know so far: I hate to be needy but long for intimacy.
Aside from praying and thinking a lot about politics, I've been excited about other things too.
I worry my son will grow up and look back from his second half and think, "Shame on her. She was the adult."
Being a person is hard. We have so many parts to our selves, but all I really want is to be one.
People need medical care, food, and safety. But what happens next?
If every year I begin advent with an ache in my heart over dreams never realized, bodily pain, and loss, then I am appropriately humbled.
I will try not to be jealous and trust that you still like me too.


text:
[…] standards for another year.and requires legislative approval." See this entire article at Education Liberty Watch It may be frustrating that your child struggles with learning math through the latest fad in […]
Comments on US History Standards from an Attorney and Teacher of the Constitution
As promised in our last alert, here are the comments on the high school US History Standards by Education Liberty Watch Board member Marjorie Holsten, an attorney and teacher of the US Constitution for home schooled students. The third draft of the social studies standards is now available for a final public comment period. Comments may be submitted here UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON MAY 8TH.
As an Attorney who has taught Constitutional Law to homeschooled high students at local homeschool co-operatives for a number of years, I was anxious to review the content of Minnesota's new proposed Social Studies Standards for senior high students. I hoped to see studies of the founding documents of our nation, including discussions of how the checks and balances our founding fathers drafted were intended to limit the power of government to allow people to fully enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness without governmental interference. I knew I would be disappointed by the content, but was unprepared to have my breath taken away by the amount of historical revisionism, liberal bias, and politically correct indoctrination. I cannot help but think of the statement of Hans Schemm from the Nazi Teacher's League who said, "Those who have the youth on their side control the future.'"
The Social Studies Standards have four sections: U.S. History, World History, Geography, and Economics. The U.S. History Section is by far the worst and is the only topic covered in this article.
The word "analyze" appears 26 times in the U.S. History Standards, and the word "evaluate" appears four times. The acts of "analyzing" and "evaluating" require students not only to learn and understand material, but also to make judgments. When students are given only a limited amount of information, and what they are given is one-sided, any judgment they make will be skewed. It is inappropriate to require students to do so much analyzing and evaluating under these circumstances. In contrast, the World History section uses the word "analyze" only 7 times, and uses the word "describe" 36 times. (Obviously there were two different authors, with the author of the U.S. History being far to the left of the author of the World History Section.)
The first section on U.S. History is appropriately titled, "U.S. History – Beginning to 1620." 1620 was a landmark year in our nation's history, as that was when Pilgrims in search of religious freedom landed at Plymouth Rock. Stunningly, the standards make no mention of the Pilgrims. Instead, attention is focused on people "forced to relocate to the colonies." (§126.96.36.199.3) Students are asked to describe the indigenous peoples before European colonization (§18.104.22.168.1), and then "analyze the consequences of early interactions between Europeans and indigenous nations." (§18.104.22.168.1) This is followed by a requirement that students analyze the impacts of colonial government on "enslaved populations." (§126.96.36.199.1) Students then study "the exploitation of enslaved people" (§ 126.96.36.199.1), "the development of non-free labor systems," and "the experiences of enslaved peoples." (§184.108.40.206.2). It gets worse.
The next historical section is called "Revolution and the New Nation, 1754 – 1800." One would expect students to learn about America's early leaders and why they gave their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to win independence from the tyranny of Great Britain. Not so (likely because they are old, dead white men.) Instead, students "evaluate the impact of the Revolutionary War on individuals, communities, and institutions in North America." (§184.108.40.206.2). No mention is made of Britain's Declaratory Act of 1766, which is considered "the line in the sand" that caused the colonial leaders to consider independence, the concept of taxation without representation, the Boston Tea Party, or other actual and important historical events.
The next section titled "the foundation of the United States government and nation" finally introduces students to our founding documents and specifically names the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (§188.8.131.52.1). No mention is made of "self-evident truths," or "inalienable rights," let alone the same being endowed by our creator. No mention is made of the Articles of Confederation and why they didn't work, of the founding fathers, or any of the first ten amendments collectively known as the Bill of Rights. No mention is made of the Constitutional Convention, the ratification conventions, the Federalist Papers, and how we have in existence more than 15,000 original documents and writings from these conventions to facilitate the determination of original intent. (Surprise – not – there is also no mention of original intent.) Absent complete and accurate information, students will not be able to accurately "analyze the impact of early documents…on the development of the government of the United States." (§18.104.22.168.1)
Students then move forward to "Expansion and Reform, 1792 – 1861," where they study westward movement and resulting conflicts "focusing on the dispossession of indigenous land and the impact on indigenous nations." (§220.127.116.11.2) This might be expected in a liberal college class entitled "Indigenous Studies about Evil White Supressionism," but not in a class to be taught to all public high school students in Minnesota.
Students then skip several major wars, including the Barbery Wars (which is why Thomas Jefferson had a Koran in his library – he wanted to understand the Muslim pirates, contrary to Congressman Keith Ellison's attempted revisionism that Jefferson had an affinity for Islam), the War of 1812 (during which Francis Scott Keys wrote our national anthem), the War of Texas' Independence (students will never "Remember the Alamo" if they never learn of it), or the Mexican-American War (where Mexico and the United States agreed on the boundary between the countries). Students study the Civil War (discussed below), but then skip World War I. The course should more accurately be called "Select portions of U.S. History."
The next time period is "Civil War and Reconstruction 1850 – 1877." I applaud the commission for having students "analyze the debates over state's rights, popular sovereignty, and political compromise," (§184.108.40.206.1). This is followed by an assignment to "describe significant individuals, communities, and institutions instrumental in the Civil War Era" (§220.127.116.11.2), which is the first time students learn about important individuals in our nation's history.
Students then move to "The Development of an Industrial, Urban, and Global United States, 1870 – 1920." This seems appropriate until one sees that students are to "analyze the impact of westward movement on individuals, communities, and institutions," (§184.108.40.206.1), and then examine America's imperialism (§184.108.40.206.2). Students then analyze American Indian Policy, and the "impact on indigenous nations" (§188.8.131.52.3), followed by "the establishment of labor unions." (§188.8.131.52.2). The liberal bias is very evident, especially in light of the noticeable absence of the concepts of rugged individualism and American exceptionalism.
Students then learn about racial segregation (§126.96.36.199.1), disenfranchisement, growth of racial violence, and the debates about how to achieve freedom and equality." (§126.96.36.199.2) This liberal vein continues to flow as students next "evaluate the effectiveness of the political responses to the problems of industrialization, capitalism, urbanization, and political corruption." (§18.104.22.168.2). Capitalism is the cornerstone of the freest nation in the world, and the reason immigrants come to America by the millions, both legally and illegally.
Students learn nothing about World War I, and move directly to the Great Depression. Significant discussion could take place here regarding economic policies that caused and contributed to the great depression and its duration. Instead, straight out of left field, students "examine the contributions of individuals and communities in relation to the art, literature, and music of the period." (§22.214.171.124.1)
Students also "analyze how the New Deal addressed the struggles of the Great Depression and how it transformed the role of government." (§220.127.116.11.2) There are two opposing schools of thought relating to the New Deal, one of which holds that the unconstitutional government-expanding legislation comprising the "New Deal" prolonged and worsened the depression. Ample opportunity exists to show that policies that are being implemented today were tried in the past, and failed miserably. Students need to be able to learn from mistakes of the past.
Students then study World War II. One would hope that they would learn about the aggression of the Axis forces, culminating in the Pearl Harbor attack that launched America into World War II. Instead, students discuss "the factors that led to choosing a side for war." Choosing a side? Like our leaders considered joining Hitler in his goal to exterminate the Jewish people? I don't think so. This politically correct but historically questionable discussion of World War II would not be complete without a discussion of "its impact on the role of women and disenfranchised communities in America." (§188.8.131.52.1)
Students then learn about "Post World War II United States," which includes a study of "political ideologies," where students are asked to "explain how these differences contributed to the development of the Cold War." (§22.214.171.124.1) Fortunately, students are taught about actions taken by the United States "to resist the spread of Communism." (§18.104.22.168.2) (Notably, Hitler also spoke out against Communists – students will not likely learn about the evils and millions of deaths caused by Marxism and totalitarianism.)
VIETNAM AND THE 1960s:
Students then move into the Vietnam War era, a highly turbulent time in American history. Room exists for much mischief in the teaching as students "analyze the cause and effect of the domestic response to the Vietnam War." (§184.108.40.206.1)
Students them move into the Civil Rights era, complete with a requirement that they "analyze" different movements including African American, Native American, Women, Latino American, and Counter Culture. (§22.214.171.124.1) Students must also "understand the changes in American Indian policy" and "analyze its impact on indigenous nations." (§22.214.171.124.2). My guess would be that there would be inadequate coverage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed discrimination based upon sex and race. I would also surmise that no mention would be made that it was the Republican party that fought for civil rights for all, the Democratic party that fought against such rights, and that civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Republican.
As a homeschooling parent who evaluates curriculum before I purchase it for my children, I would reject this course in its entirety on the basis of it being inaccurate, incomplete, and biased far to the left. I encourage everyone reading this to make your voices heard and submit comments here to the Minnesota Department of Education as well as to your legislators (House and Senate) to support the legislation currently in the House Education Finance Omnibus bill (HF 934) that delays the review and implementation of the social studies standards for another year.and requires legislative approval.
3 Comments
[…] of US HistoryComments on US History Standards from an Attorney and Teacher of the Constitution http://edlibertywatch.org/2011/05/403/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. […]
[…] Comments on US History Standards from an Attorney and Teacher of the Constitution http://edlibertywatch.org/2011/05/403/ […]
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
- Assessments + Testing (25)
- Bullying/Sex Education (6)
- Child Protection League (2)
- Common Core Standards (78)
- Curriculum + Standards (65)
- Data Collection and Data Privacy (64)
- Early Education/Nanny State (75)
- Federal Education (128)
- International Education (6)
- LGBT Issues in Education (9)
- Media Appearances (4)
- Planned Economy (11)
- Politics of Education (26)
- School Violence (9)
- Social Emotional Learning/Mental Health (52)
- State Education (89)
- Testimony/Presentations (17)
- Uncategorized (13)
- Unions (10)
Education Liberty Watch Projects
ELW Allies
- American Principles Project
- Cato Institute
- Conservative Teachers of America
- Constitutional Coalition
- Eagle Forum
- Minnesota Advocates and Champions for Children
- Missouri Education Watchdog
- Restore Oklahoma Parent Empowerment
- Stop Common Core
- The Pioneer Institute
- Truth in American Education
- What is Common Core – Education Without Representation


text:
Travel Photography on a Smartphone, Fancy Camera Optional/
Smartphone cameras have come a long way in quality! While obviously not as professional as a DSLR camera, anyone with a bit of a creative streak can have fun experimenting with different photography techniques when traveling. It's the perfect opportunity to play around and come back with a bunch of great photos with stories to tell!
But there are some tips and tricks you can use to up your photography game:
1. Don't even think about using flash or zoom.
It's tempting when something is far away or it is dark; however, your phone's flash and zoom features are bad news for high-quality photos. Your phone zooms digitally, not optically, so it will quickly become pixelated and grainy. Instead, move as close to the subject as possible, and if that's still not enough, crop the photo when you go to edit. Forget using the flash feature, as well. The flash is difficult to control, creating shocking lighting, harsh shadows, and blurriness. Which leads us to the next point...
2. Go toward the light.
Lighting is perhaps the most tricky part of mastering smartphone photography, especially at night. The best light of the day is usually an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset - you'll get rich hues of light without harsh angles and dark shadows. For nighttime photography, lighting is even more important. If you shoot in the dark, you'll get a grainy, blurry mess. Look for light sources; in a pinch, you may even try using the flashlight app and bouncing the light off of something else to soften the harshness of the light.
3. Hold your phone still and like a typical camera.
Don't just snap a bunch of photos and hope you get a good shot. Take a moment to view the surroundings and look for that epic shot. Then, hold the phone with two hands, like you would a regular camera, and use the auxiliary buttons (the volume button on an iphone); tapping the screen to shoot will create shakiness.
4. Create layers and depth.
Your phone lacks the right lensing to accurately portray the immensity of a mountain or an otherwise epic backdrop. As an alternative, create dimension in your photos by finding different layers. For example, if a road leads off into the distance toward a mountain, focus on the road as your subject, leading your eyes toward the mountain in the background. Similarly, rocks, boulders, and trees, and even slow-moving/stationary animals can create interesting layers and frames!
5. Black and white goes a long way.
Okay, this is a bit of a cheat, but it's a good trick to have up your sleeve. Our phones have difficulty reproducing rich and vivid cameras like a DSLR does, and dark lighting can create blurry or grainy photos. As an alternative, play around with black and white, which is more forgiving. You can get some dreamy Ansel Adams-like images with just a bit of experimenting!
6. Shoot horizontally.
As a general rule, you want to shoot horizontally. Not only will this give you more room for framing, but it will also render better if you're taking video.
7. Adjust the focus.
Try holding your finger on the screen to lock focus on your subject; experiment by focusing on something close up and then backing away to create a blurry bokeh effect. If you want a simpler, more accurate, way to achieve that professional bokeh-look, you can invest in a simple lens attachment (but don't use the "blur" filter on an editing app; it blurs the background evenly and doesn't achieve the same effect).
8. Get into the grid.
The Rule of Thirds is one of the fundamentals of photography (of course, rules are meant to be broken now and then). The idea is that there is a grid of two horizontal and two vertical lines, creating a grid of nine rectangular boxes. Have vertical subjects line up with either vertical line, or place the focus at the intersection of two lines. Turn this feature on in Settings and try snapping photos in different compositions to see what looks best (you can also crop when you go to edit, but it's best to try to get it shot right in the first place).
9. Use an editing app.
Using an editing app is not cheating - even professional photographers edit their photos (of course, they're artists using professional software like Photoshop). Most photos can benefit from a few touchups, whether increasing lighting, saturating colors a bit, or contrast. But use a light hand; over-editing can make photos look cheap or fake. Try out a few different apps to see which one you like best. You might start by trying out Camera+, VSCO Cam, and Afterlight. When you go to post your photos on Instagram, be judicious by sharing only your favorite photos (quality vs. quantity!). A tightly curated collection of photos will showcase your trip to best effect and not clog your friends' feeds with the 17th photo of a jaw-dropping sunset.
10. Bring some extra juice.
Your smartphone, or any electronic device, is pretty useless without energy. Be sure to fully charge your devices before bed and bring along a portable energy source, especially if you'll be away from an outlet for along period of time.
I want to see your best travel shots! Head over to Instagram and tag me with your all-time favorite travel photo. I'm curious to see where you've been (and where you're going…).


text:
TORONTO - The man considered Canada's ambassador of amateur sports, who brought football, figure skating and the Olympic Games into the nation's living rooms, has died.
Johnny Esaw died Saturday in Toronto after suffering from respiratory problems, his former employer CTV said Sunday.
Rick Brace, president of CTV's specialty channels and CTV Productions, said Esaw's innovation in covering sports "is legendary around the world."
"He had the rare combination of being a brilliant business man and incredibly creative. To me he was a mentor and an icon. Canada and the sports world today mourn the loss of a great man," Brace, who is also the former president of TSN, said in a statement.
The award-winning sportscaster was a longtime member of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, which describes him as "a pioneer, an innovator, and a fervent supporter of our nation's sporting achievements."
Esaw "was at the forefront of sports broadcasting in Canada and around the world for more than 40 years," the organization says.
He was inducted into the Order of Canada in 2004.
Born in North Battleford, Sask., Esaw started his radio career in his home province before moving east.
He made the switch to TV in the 1960s, becoming sports director for CTV's Toronto station.
The first colour telecast of a hockey game — from Vienna — was produced by Esaw in 1967.
The beloved broadcaster also convinced the network to carry figure skating at a time when hockey was king, saying the sport would appeal to viewers.
The move earned him the recognition of the Canadian Figure Skating Association, which continues to dole out a bursary in his name.
Esaw rose through the ranks until landing the role of vice-president of CTV Sports in 1974, a job he held for 16 years before he retired.
He was also well known as a CFL broadcaster and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
"The name Johnny Esaw was synonymous with the best of Canadian sport, and particularly with the biggest event in our country, the Grey Cup," said CFL commissioner Mark Cohon in a statement.
"His ascendancy to the top of the ladder in broadcasting paralleled the growth of the Canadian Football League. Those who built our league, and all of us in it today, mourn his passing today, and pay tribute to his legacy."


text:
Vapour Organic Beauty
Visionary Advanced Solution Serum
Why Shen Loves It: Pep up skin with Visionary, a revolutionary formula blending art and science. Skin-perfecting peptide complex Dermaxyl is clinically proven to reduce wrinkle depth and volume by up to 39% with regular use. Skin-loving plant oils and botanicals complete the luxury serum, including prickly pear, olive squalane, evening primrose and raspberry seed.
What's In It: Organic Camellia Oleifera (Camellia) Seed Oil, Silica, Squalane (Olive) Oil, Organic Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Organic Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate -. Tribehenin - Ceramide 2 -. PEG 10 Rapeseed Sterol -. Palmitoyl Oligopeptide (peptide complex), Opuntia Ficus Indica (Prickly Pear) Extract, Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Organic Cera Alba (Beeswax), Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate*, Organic Rubus Idaeus (Raspberry Seed) Oil, Wildcrafted Commiphora Myrrha (Myrrh) Essential Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Organic Centaurea Cyanus (Cornflower) Flowers, Organic Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail), Organic Achillea Millefolium (Yarrow) Flower
*Eco Cert


text:
Dongdaemun Market Tour
Back by popular demand. Join us for a tour of Dongdaemun. We will start with the underground handbag market, and then stroll down (10 minute walk) to the infamous 'Baker's Alley,' where you can pick up your baking supplies in time for Christmas. There you can find mixed peel with glace cherries, chocolate chips, ground almonds and even little Christmas decorations to finish off your Christmas cake. Time allowing we will then drop into the fabric market, after which we can enjoy lunch (optional) in the Doota food court. Wear comfy shoes!
Please sign up to confirm your attendance.


text:
With the explosion of mobile users and projected growth showing staggering numbers, it's a great time for Google to clear the air on mobile sites.
A new post published on Google's Webmaster Central Blog clarifies several common mobile site issues and focuses on Google-bot mobile interacting with a users site.
Mobile sites are frequently set up as a supplemental site on a different domain. A mobile user is redirected to the separate mobile site once they type in the domain. Another option, a separate style sheet assigned when a mobile user accesses the site. Both methods rely on the user agent to proceed accordingly.
Websites with content dedicated for mobile:
1. Does it matter if the different versions of content is served from the same URL?
No. As long as the bot's see the same content as users and the user-agent's are properly detected, it is alright.
2. If I use the same URL for different versions of content does that count as cloaking?
No, "this is not considered to be cloaking," says Google.
3. Do I have to set the user-agent, or will Google do that for me?
If you have a mobile-friendly version of your site, then you will have to not only implement proper user-agent detection, but tell Google which version of the site is served to the respective http user agent and a version for anything not properly detected.
"For now, we expect smart phones to handle desktop experience content so there is no real need for mobile-specific effort from webmasters. However, for many websites it may still make sense for the content to be formatted differently for smart phones, and the decision to do so should be based on how you can best serve your users."
Not surprising, as a 3-inch screen can make navigation a bear! Dedicated mobile content is something many website owners are thinking about, or, they have already developed a site specifically for it.
The next logical question is, "Do I need to dedicate a subdomain or separate domain for the mobile version?" There are many options, different smartphone capabilities and limitations, site-specific features, and user experience options to consider before jumping in full force.
Looking for more info? Google has a Mobile Sites section in the resource center with much more information on mobile site development, best practices, sitemaps, and compatibility.
Related reading
Top trends to increase value for paid search spend
Kenneth Andrew of BingAds gives us tips for how to get more value from our paid search spend. Are you keeping up with these industry trends?
What can we learn from voice search in 2018?
A study by HigherVisibility on voice search over the past few years has revealed some interesting trends in the industry.
Google Ads 2019: What to look out for
2018 was an eventful year for Google Ads, and 2019 looks to bring even more changes. Here are the key things to expect this year.
Mobile search and video in 2019: How visible are you?
Most of our search activity is mobile now and most of our video viewing is too. How should this affect the way we approach SEO for our video content?


text:
PRO+ Premium Content/Storage
Access your Pro+ Content below.
Can we survive consolidation?
This article is part of the Storage issue of Vol. 8 Num. 8 November/December 2009
Consolidation tools have helped some storage shops keep a lid on storage growth, but a consolidation solution could very well become the problem. Back in the '90s and throughout most of this decade, a lot of IT shops must have had revolving doors leading into their data centers. Expansion, upgrades and technical refreshes kept the doors spinning as a constant flow of bigger-better-faster gear made its way in and the older, suddenly obsolete equipment was shoved aside. It's a legacy of sprawl that most IT managers are grappling with now, and storage systems are squarely in the sights of consolidation efforts. Unfortunately, most consolidation has the opposite effect. Figuring out just how we got to this point may be instructive for future planning, if not particularly useful information for dealing with the issues now at hand. It's true that a good part of the problem may seem unstoppable -- we live in a data-driven world where protecting intellectual property is approached with a kind of religious zeal, causing every jot and ...
Access this PRO+ Content for Free!
Features in this issue
Hot storage technologies for 2010
In our annual assessment, we pick five technologies we think will impact your storage operations in 2010. Read how VMware backup, solid-state storage, thin provisioning, 8 Gbps Fibre Channel and data dedupe for primary storage can change how you manage storage.
Energy conservation efforts still anemic
Our Snapshot Survey reveals that "green storage" is still not top of mind for most storage managers. Some might be willing to spend more on systems that promise energy savings, but most are still dubious.
Virtual tape libraries in depth
Virtual tape libraries (VTLs) have been a relatively easy way to replace traditional tape libraries, but as other disk backup targets emerged, many thought VTLs would disappear. Now, with added features such as dedupe, they can be an attractive alternative to other disk target systems.
Salaries rise as storage grows
In our exclusive annual survey charting the salaries and benefits of storage pros, many of them managed to see pay increases even as closings and layoffs sent some looking for new jobs. As data capacities grow, so does the need for dedicated storage pros.
Object storage gains steam as unstructured data grows
Object storage isn't a new concept in the NAS world, but some new products are bypassing traditional file system interfaces as an industry debate emerges about the best way to cope with unstructured data.
Columns in this issue
Desktop virtualization: Better data protection?
Backing up desktop/laptop PCs has been a thorn in the side of storage managers. Virtual desktop infrastructure technology can ease the burden of data protection for PCs, but it may not be a fit for all users.
Can we survive consolidation?
Dedupe, server virtualization and data archivers are great tools to control storage capacity growth, but they treat the symptoms and don't provide true consolidation. Don't throw them out; use them better.


text:
Mini Cranberry Tarts
With the popularity of pumpkin and peppermint, cranberries aren't usually celebrated too much beyond that jelly-cyndrical stuff that comes out of a can on Thanksgiving. But why is that? I say, let's celebrate these tangy little jewels! Their color and bright taste are perfect for the upcoming holidays.
Now, hopefully you don't still have any leftover cranberry sauce since November, but I do have a special dessert that features that sweet and vibrant dish...If you recall, it's tradition that I make my signature Vanilla- Citrus Cranberry for family holidays. It is so tasty, that it's been requested for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. And why not? It is definitely a festive dish and that gorgeous color belongs on every Christmas dinner table...
... So where were we? Oh right, dessert. Yes, I've taken that delicious cranberry sauce and turned it into a luscious tart filling. With baby pie crusts and meringue topping, the cranberry makes for a perfect filling. Knowing that Lemon Meringue Pie is a tried and trusted dish, I decided to swap out the tart lemon for cranberry with hopes of it being equally amazing. Success!! These Mini Cranberry Tarts are a two-bit wonder. I don't know how all that flavor is packed into such a bitty dessert. I promise they will be the hit of any dessert bar!
You can find the Cranberry Filling recipe here.
For the full recipe and tart assembly, head over to Best Friends for Frosting


text:
MONETT, Mo., Oct. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ:JKHY) is a leading provider of technology solutions and payment processing services primarily for the financial services industry. Its Symitar® division today announced that DHCU Community Credit Union has implemented Microsoft Office® 365, acquiring the technology directly from its core provider.
The $450 million Illinois-based credit union has been on Symitar's Episys® platform for almost 15 years and recently migrated to EASE™, the Episys outsourced solution. Having also outsourced other systems, DHCU Community Credit Union sought to do the same with its communications server, which was overdue for an upgrade. The credit union recognized the immediate cost savings to run a hosted solution, including the elimination of licensing, ongoing hardware updates, and required internal IT resources. Acquiring Office 365 from Symitar also means DHCU Community Credit Union will receive ongoing support directly from its core provider.
Nadine Coon, IT manager for DHCU Community Credit Union, explained, "Exchange licensing, routine upgrades, and general IT maintenance are costly, but Office 365 eliminates those expenses and enables our tech staff to focus on other projects. We can also be assured that we have a reliable service network by entrusting all support to Symitar."
Since moving to Office 365, DHCU Community Credit Union has entirely transformed its operating environment. Simple administrative tasks are no longer cumbersome and the credit union has gained efficiencies throughout the institution. It now has access to instant messaging, video conferencing, remote documents, and other features that streamline employee communication and productivity.
According to Ted Bilke, president of Symitar, "Our strong relationship with Microsoft allows us to extend the same functionality enjoyed for years by larger entities to any size credit union. Providing Office 365 directly to clients enables us to package the premier business and communications technology they need with the exceptional service and support they have come to expect from Symitar. Microsoft Office 365 delivered and supported by Symitar represents a unique offering that generates immediate operational and efficiency improvements."
Jack Henry & Associates announced the availability of Office 365 through a Microsoft syndication partnership in June 2011. The platform combines Microsoft Office Professional Plus, Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint® Online, Microsoft Office Web Apps, and the Lync™ Online instant messaging and collaboration tool.
About Symitar
Symitar, a division of Jack Henry & Associates, Inc. (NASDAQ:JKHY), is the leading provider of integrated computer systems for credit unions of all sizes. Symitar currently serves more than 750 credit unions as a single source for integrated, enterprise-wide automation and as a single point of contact and support. Additional information is available at www.symitar.com.
About Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.
Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.® (NASDAQ: JKHY) is a leading provider of computer systems and electronic payment solutions primarily for financial services organizations. Its technology solutions serve more than 11,900 customers nationwide, and are marketed and supported through three primary brands. Jack Henry Banking® supports banks ranging from community to mid-tier institutions with information processing solutions. Symitar® is the leading provider of information processing solutions for credit unions of all sizes. ProfitStars® provides best-of-breed solutions that enhance the performance of domestic and international financial institutions of all asset sizes and charters using any core processing system, as well as diverse corporate entities. Additional information is available at www.jackhenry.com.
Statements made in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking information. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking information. Specifically, there are a number of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by any forward-looking information. Additional information on these and other factors, which could affect the Company's financial results, are included in its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings on Form 10-K, and potential investors should review these statements. Finally, there may be other factors not mentioned above or included in the Company's SEC filings that may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking information.
SOURCE Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.


text:
The body of a 55-year-old man was recovered by Dallas Fire-Rescue Sunday morning.
The man and his 21-year-old son were thrown from their surfboards at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday as high winds blew across White Rock Lake.
The younger man was able to swim to shore while the father was reported to have gone under.
DFR divers and rescue boats searched for the man until nightfall when the search was suspended.
The man's body was found at about 7:40 a.m. Sunday.
The father and son, whose names have not yet been released, were visiting DFW from the Tyler area.


text:
Who Am IPosted on October 10, 2014
I'm Enid, but I guess you guessed that. haha.
I fashion myself as a pretty artsy, cultural person? I mean, maybe not, I at least try to appreciate art and culture and Kanye West, I just may not get it. haha. Some of my friends think it's crazy, I'm such a couch potato, like days on days on days on the couch watching whatever strikes my fancy. They're telling me how can you possibly be that healthy? with all that couch potatoing. I"m like, good genes I guess. haha. It's cool you're here and stuff check me out.


text:
Hurricane Irene has been wreaking havoc on the East Coast this weekend. I'm glad that me and my zoo crew are safe inside our house with the winds and rain outside and hope everyone else is too!
Q: For a 3 year period, hurricanes were named using the Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet so the 4th hurricane of the season would be known as Hurricane Dog. What were the 3 years this system for naming hurricanes was used?
This is the last week to answer and get another entry into the contest for the month of August! Leave your guess in the comments below before 6am Eastern time Tuesday, August 30th and if you guess right, you'll get an entry into the Pet Pop Quiz Contest.
Please read the Rules before entering for prizes, entry requirements and eligibility.


text:
Hymavathi School in Hyderabad is situated in a poor/slum locality and focuses on providing quality education and character building values to children from economically poor backgrounds. The VIE team connected with the school principle and administration to provide our unique library and service. Every participant of the institution expressed their happiness after looking at the VIE Library and its contents, and were so enthusiastic about incorporating it into their regular classes!
A huge thank you to our VIE greater family and supporters, with this new delivery, 520 MORE children will benefit!