1080 and natural ecology collapse

COULD THE use of 1080 in Tasmania be responsible for instability and collapse in the natural ecologies of Tasmania?

Has anyone wondered what happens to the tens of thousands of animals that are killed each year by 1080 poisoned carrot baits? Firstly not all these poisoned animals are found and picked up after bait drops. And secondly these baiting campaigns create an artificial glut of carrion that instantly becomes poisoned food for another group of animals.

And who gets to eat all these poisoned carcasses? It could be any of our native carnivores — that is, what’s left of them — like Tasmanian devils, tiger quolls or wedge-tailed eagles. Toxicological studies show that although these native species aren’t killed outright by ingesting 1080-killed animals, they may be poisoned to the extent where intoxicated animals become prone to natural predation or succumb to environmental exposure. And studies show sub-lethal 1080 levels in nursing marsupial mothers can kill their pouch young. After nearly 50 years of continuous use of 1080 is it time to reflect on these and other hidden consequences? And what affect has 1080 had on the long-term viability of Tasmanian devil populations.

1080-poisoned carrion could also be consumed by rural dogs or even by an unwanted fox! Eating 1080-poisoned carcases is far more likely to kill these non-native canines. Yes, both dogs and foxes can be killed by 1080 through secondary poisoning. But in Tasmania, dog deaths from 1080 are rarely investigated because the charges quoted of confirmatory laboratory tests are so high.

Maybe a plausible reason foxes haven’t established here is the constant supply of 1080-poisoned carrion in the bush. And what about Tasmania’s extinct trademark, the Thylacine? We have no idea whether they would be killed by eating 1080-poisoned carcasses.

Ignorance is bliss, but at what price?

— DAVID OBENDORF

…………………………………………………………

Suffer the little children … to suffer, a bit
http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/bumps-and-bruises-part-of-the-game-of-growing-up/2005/06/23/1119321847384.html

Here’s the question, but where’s the answer?
http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/why-science-is-falling-out-of-fashion/2005/06/23/1119321850799.html

— LEONARD COLQUHOUN

………………………………………………………….

The Editor,

WE TAKE democracy for granted. Democracy is not something that you have, or you are allowed to participate in by your benevolent rulers once every two or three years. It is something that has been passed to you by your forebears who fought hard to build it, for you and your children. It’s up to you to maintain it. Democracy is a noun but is also a verb; it is something that you do. You don’t get the right to act as a citizen in a democracy — you must fight for that each day.

We tell ourselves that as Australians that we are open, outgoing, supporters of the underdog and resolute in adversity, that we don’t take well to arrogance and bullying or being treated with contempt.

But what is it that we actually do?

We accept that our prime minister can take us to war, to invade another country without any input from the nation. We give him power he does not have under our constitution because we are subservient to executive power. We turn our faces away from the plight of asylum seekers or low paid workers, we allow our political masters to ignore conventions such as the UN convention relating to the status of refugees or the International Labour Organisation relating to our industrial laws at work.

These are conventions, which we are as a nation, obliged to honour. We allow a petty tyrant like John Howard to rip them up with virtually no protest from us the supposed forthright Aussies. We don’t stand up. We cower in the shadows and let another piece of our “Democracy” be taken away.

That’s who we are, that’s what we do.

We go along with the idea that we should lock people in solitary confinement because they cannot prove they are who they say they are. When they go mad, we disbelieve them. In convict times at Port Arthur, we practiced the “silent system” so well we had to build an asylum alongside the jail to house minds we destroyed.

We still do this to innocent men women and children behind 9,000 volts electric fences and we still ponder how the German people allowed a Hitler to bit by bit take their country away? And now we will watch while John Howard breaks the UNHCR obligation regarding refoulment as he hands Chinese diplomatic staff over to certain severe punishment.

Face it. We are the bullies. We are careless, apathetic and certainly not vigilant; we just don’t give a toss about human rights or dignity as long as we don’t have to be involved or it doesn’t directly effects us.

That’s who we are, that’s what we do.

During the so called “Dirty War” in Argentina, thousands were detained and “transferred” onto planes where they were then dumped out in the Atlantic, drugged but conscious and made to ‘disappear’. Our government has created the Baxter Detention Centre where we already know one person was ‘lost’ for months the system. So if a psychopathic politician should ever want to, the means are now available to mimic the Argentine example.
Do we stand up for the underdog? Of course we don’t! We are insular, ignorant and easily intimidated. That’s who we are, that’s what we do.

Now, if you do not believe me, just get a mirror, look into your soul, and see what you have become.

— JOHN WARD
Gordon

……………………………………………………………….

Sauce for the goose?

MANY Australians who donate part of their hard-earned wages to the environment benefit by claiming their donation as tax deductible. Now the Federal Environment Minister has written to the Wilderness Society and more than 300 other groups stating that their tax-deductible status is at risk if they engage in ‘political activity’.

Furthermore, he has reduced funding for state-based environmental groups involved in environmental advocacy or awareness-raising.

http://www.wilderness.org.au/about/emerging_threats/unprecedented_threats_2/

In addition, with the changes to the Senate due in July, there are growing concerns that our charity status, and therefore our tax deductibility, could be removed. Two years ago, the Government prepared draft legislation to significantly change the definition of a charity, which could impact on the Wilderness Society’s charity status.

Supporters of this change are currently revisiting this proposal once the Government controls both Houses of Parliament. Without tax-deductibility, our members and supporters — people like you — will lose tax rebate when you donate to protect the environment. This could drastically reduce funding for our vital work. — T he Wilderness Society

Now contrast this with what the government is doing for itself.

Currently in front of Parliament is a bill to raise the tax free donations from $1500 to $5000 before the identity of the donor has to be registered. This will, in effect, allow political donors to hide their identity, and those that have multiple outlets, such as one of our own large companies, will be able to disguise all it’s influence by making sizeable donations under this upper limit from all it’s subsidiary companies. No-one will ever know. This further means, that as this is tax free, the people themselves are paying for this commercial influence through their reduced taxes. In Tasmania in particular, these two pieces of legislation will possibly nullify the effect of those who wish to save our environment.

How does that fit in with the current $2.2 Million grant from the Federal Government to tell people ‘what a good boy am I’ and that the ‘Forestry debate is over.’ Possibly it is!

I wonder if all the dead messengers will be given a State Funeral?

— BARNABY DRAKE