Re: spirits 4 sale

For those of you who haven’t read the post Spirits For Sale, I suggest you go there and read it alongside the comments that were added…

Since I posted it there have been a flurry of commentaries from both sides of the argument. Initially, I let them go up in the interests of preserving freedom of speech and ideas. The original article was sent to me, and I thought it interesting enough to warrant posting. I am familiar with the struggles the First Nations People of Americas have, and I have a few friends over there quite involved in all of this.

However, as of this morning I will no longer post any comments that are negative, derogatory, or slanderous in their nature and intent.

I have just returned from a Gathering of the Yorta Yorta people up in Northern Victoria (Australia - right on the Murray River), where there were Elders and other folk from many different nations, cultures, and tribes. This was a Gathering that fostered understanding, peace, tolerance, and most importantly respect for the ideas, traditions, and practices of ALL peoples!

Having read over some of the comments that were waiting for moderation this morning, I decided enough is enough!

This kind of bickering does nothing to serve us as a race, and it does nothing to serve the way of good health and happiness amongst all creatures of the Earth. I for one am sorry I have allowed this infantile, schoolyard ‘he-said, she-said’ behaviour.

The Lakota have a phrase: mitakuye oyasin - it translates to mean something along the lines of “we are all related” or “everything is in relation to everything else”.

Does it matter what colour your skin is?

Does it matter what tribe you are part of, or who your mother’s/father’s clan was?

On one level, it is important - it is important for the individual to know their ancestry and to follow and continue the sacred traditions handed down to them. These points are however irrelevant to the wider community. I don’t care whether you are white, red, black, or yellow - if you are a good person with a good heart, with love, respect and honour I am happy to be your friend. If your intentions however are short of these things, and you seek to harm me or the ones I love, then I will ignore you and keep you away from my circle.

If this Al Carroll guy wants to pretend he’s a Native American, let him! Ultimately, he knows the truth behind his lies, and so does Creator. He will have to live with it, he will have to sleep at night knowing he is lying to other people. Ignore him and his behaviour, and he will no longer have an influence over your world. And what if he is telling the truth? Then all this reaction will have been for nought, and quite damaging and slanderous.

Where do we want to put our energies? To bickering about the legitimacy of someone’s blood-lines? Isn’t that rather racist, somewhat akin to what Hitler did in Nazi Germany? Why does it matter what colour someone’s skin is (and this question goes out to both sides of the argument)?

To Al Carroll (and friends), I ask you: why does it matter (to us) what your ancestry is? To his disbelievers, I ask you: why does it matter whether Al Carroll is white or Indian?

I would prefer if people made comments that added to a debate, rather than just point fingers of blame and nasty comments about other people. If you have nothing intelligent to say, then don’t say anything at all.

Mitakuye oyasin - we are all related!!!!

Sustainable Italian town

This follows on quite nicely from my last post about the Lakota declaring independence. I got to wondering how an independent nation situated geographically in the middle of a much larger, aggressive, and antithetical State could survive, re: imports, accessibility to goods, services, access into and out from for tourists, relatives, friends, etc….

And then I got sent this. Perhaps this is what our Lakota relatives need to enact…?
http://www.renewabl eenergyaccess. com/rea/news/ story?id= 50863

17 December 2007
Renewable Energy Powers Italian Town and Its Economy
Europeans believe that renewable energy will bring economic benefits. But in Varese, Italy that prosperity has already arrived.
by Jane Burgermeister, European Correspondent

Varese, Italy has added 140 jobs in the past ten years. That’s pretty good for a town with a population of only 2,400. The town, which is located in Liguria in the northern part of Italy, is experiencing an economic boom fueled by renewable energy.

The town has seen a six-fold increase in tourists in the last ten years, many coming just to see its renewable energy network.

Varese became the first municipality in Europe to get 100 percent of its power from  renewable energy sources six years ago. It now generates three times more electricity than the people living in Varese need and there are plans in the pipeline for even more
renewables.

For this pioneering role, the town won a prize from the European Union (EU) in 2004.

What has happened in Varese is unusual. On a national level, Italy is set to fall short of its EU objective of generating 25 percent of its gross electrical consumption from renewable energy sources by 2010. Italy’s share of renewables was just 13.93 in 2005.

But the mayor of Varese, Michaela Marone, and her predecessor, Maurizio Caranza, turned their vision of a town driven by renewable energy into reality by leveraging funds from the EU and using their authority to cut through red tape.

The town uses wind, solar and small-scale hydropower, a mix best adapted to its hilly terrain covering a total of 140 square km — and it has plans for more hydropower.

Today, renewables bring not only environmental benefits but also improved living standards to a town that had suffered from years of steady decline. An additional 350,000 euros [US $514,000] in tax revenues is handed over to the council each year by the private company that owns the renewable energy network.

“We fulfill all the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol and are non-profit. We use all of our profits towards paying the electricity bills of the people in the town,” Michaele Marone, the town mayor, told RenewableEnergyAccess.com.

Four wind turbines located on a ridge 1100 meters above sea level — where the average annual wind speed is 7.2 meters per second — generate 8 million kWh of electricity a year that is fed into the local grid managed by Acam, a power company in La Spezia.

The electricity from the wind turbines alone reduce carbon emissions by 8,000 tons, representing 0.05 percent of the region’s total annual carbon emissions.

Photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed on the town hall and the local school. The town hall has 102 PV panels covering 95 square meters and generating 12,700 kWh a year, which supplies 98 percent of the total energy consumption of the building.

Varese’s secondary school has 39 PV panels covering 36 square meters and producing 4,600 kWh a year, which supplies 62 percent of the energy used.

In addition to that, the town’s swimming pool is heated by solar power and a program to promote the use of wood pellet stoves is in the works.

In conjunction with the development of a renewable energy infrastructure, the town has also launched initiatives to make Varese 100 percent sustainable. A total of 108 organic farms now supply 98 percent of the town’s food; water is purified using environmentally
friendly technology and waste has been significantly reduced.

The town has seen a six-fold increase in tourists in the last ten years, many coming just to see its renewable energy network.

Varese Not Alone

Although certainly a pioneer in Renewable Energy, Varese is not the only town in Europe to adopt such measures. The same thing is happening in many towns across Europe.

Güssing in Austria with 27,000 inhabitants has also switched to renewable energy sources — and has also moved from poverty to prosperity, underlining the potential of renewable energy for creating new jobs and new investment.

And it’s not only rural towns that are forging ahead with renewable energy projects. There has been a marked increase in the numbers of cities across Europe adopting initiatives to cut carbon emissions and develop green energy.

Following Rome and London, Paris launched a new “Plan Climat” or climate plan on October 1st 2007 to reduce carbon emissions.

Munich, Germany has also developed a strategy for cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030.

Beatrice Alcaraz from Energie-Cités, an association of European local authorities for the promotion of local sustainable energy policies that represents more than 500 towns and cities, told RenewableEnergyAccess.com that the driving force behind all of this
expansion was EU policy.

“Municipalities have to adapt their national policies to the European directives, that is the European directive of public building. They also have to develop the renewables to achieve the EU energy and climate objectives,” she said.

The EU is targeting urban areas because more than 80 percent of the European population lives there, and the energy consumption of cities is growing.

The latest figures from French Environment and Energy Management Agency (Agence de l’Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l’Energie (Ademe)) show that the energy consumption of French cities grew by 14.5 percent between 1990 and 2005 from 27 billion KWh in 1990 to 31 billion kWh in 2005.

“The rapid development of renewable energy in so many towns and cities across Europe augurs well,” said Beatrice Alcatraz, speaking about how cities are combating this increase in energy consumption while keeping down carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

Though cities cover only 0.4 percent of the world’s total area, they consume 75 percent of the energy and generate about 80 percent of the carbon emissions according to a study by the Münchener Rück.

Descendants of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse break away from US

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iVC1KMTOgwiSoMQyT2LwZc9HyAgA

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The Lakota Indians, who gave the world legendary warriors Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, have withdrawn from treaties with the United States, leaders said Wednesday.

“We are no longer citizens of the United States of America and all those who live in the five-state area that encompasses our country are free to join us,” long-time Indian rights activist Russell Means told a handful of reporters and a delegation from the Bolivian embassy, gathered in a church in a run-down neighborhood of Washington for a news conference.

A delegation of Lakota leaders delivered a message to the State Department on Monday, announcing they were unilaterally withdrawing from treaties they signed with the federal government of the United States, some of them more than 150 years old.

They also visited the Bolivian, Chilean, South African and Venezuelan embassies, and will continue on their diplomatic mission and take it overseas in the coming weeks and months, they told the news conference.

Lakota country includes parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Wyoming.

The new country would issue its own passports and driving licences, and living there would be tax-free — provided residents renounce their US citizenship, Means said.

The treaties signed with the United States are merely “worthless words on worthless paper,” the Lakota freedom activists say on their website.

The treaties have been “repeatedly violated in order to steal our culture, our land and our ability to maintain our way of life,” the reborn freedom movement says.

Withdrawing from the treaties was entirely legal, Means said.

“This is according to the laws of the United States, specifically article six of the constitution,” which states that treaties are the supreme law of the land, he said.

“It is also within the laws on treaties passed at the Vienna Convention and put into effect by the US and the rest of the international community in 1980. We are legally within our rights to be free and independent,” said Means.

The Lakota relaunched their journey to freedom in 1974, when they drafted a declaration of continuing independence — an overt play on the title of the United States’ Declaration of Independence from England.

Thirty-three years have elapsed since then because “it takes critical mass to combat colonialism and we wanted to make sure that all our ducks were in a row,” Means said.

One duck moved into place in September, when the United Nations adopted a non-binding declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples — despite opposition from the United States, which said it clashed with its own laws.

“We have 33 treaties with the United States that they have not lived by. They continue to take our land, our water, our children,” Phyllis Young, who helped organize the first international conference on indigenous rights in Geneva in 1977, told the news conference.

The US “annexation” of native American land has resulted in once proud tribes such as the Lakota becoming mere “facsimiles of white people,” said Means.

Oppression at the hands of the US government has taken its toll on the Lakota, whose men have one of the shortest life expectancies — less than 44 years — in the world.

Lakota teen suicides are 150 percent above the norm for the United States; infant mortality is five times higher than the US average; and unemployment is rife, according to the Lakota freedom movement’s website.

“Our people want to live, not just survive or crawl and be mascots,” said Young.

“We are not trying to embarrass the United States. We are here to continue the struggle for our children and grandchildren,” she said, predicting that the battle would not be won in her lifetime.

Zeitgeist: On Religion

Here is the first part of the movie, which looks at the nature of Religion (in 3 parts).

Zeitgeist: the Movie

Here is the first part - the introduction - into a very good movie on youtube.

Tarot reading: the election

I know I have been neglecting the more spiritual and Tarotological side of things recently, what with college, exams, elections, and so on.

But now I am slowly drifting back out of the heady world of ideas and the mundane, back into sitting in that humble space of the Heart.

So I thought I would do what I don’t normally do and cast a reading to see if there is any inkling of glimpse into Saturday’s election results.

Actually, I think Astrology is better placed for this kind of thing, and I know that Stella Woods has written up something brief over on her new website, Stella Starwoman. I remember that last election, there was an important transit signifying radical change in Mark Latham’s chart - well, he didn’t become PM, but he did quit politics entirely after losing quite severely, becoming almost a figment in the Australia’s political imagination….

The real challenge here is ‘how do I do a predictive reading?’ seeing as it something I never really do. So I do what any good Tarot Reader does: I design a new spread. It’s easy really: what are the various factors that contribute to the whole that is your ultimate question?

• Card 1: What is the mood of the electorate?
• Card 2: How will this affect the result on election day?
• Card 3: How will the result (shown in Card 2) direct the direction of the country?

So you see that I am asking fairly general question, but also wanting to see something a little deeper than which Party will hold Government. Utimately, there can only be one ‘party’ that stands to win or lose in an election - and that is the People. Whomever will hold office from Saturday onwards, will it be a positive thing for Australia as a whole? There are so many things that is of real concern to all of us, the most important (in my humble opinion anyway) being whether we will have an environment to survive in. Regardless of which Major Party wins on Saturday, are they going to show some real leadership and make the tough decisions that need to be made in terms of climate change/global warming?

The reading then….

Card 1: Knight of Swords. My feelings on this card is that there is a general mood for rushing ahead and making a decision - albeit a decision that is not so clear-cut (pun deliberately intended). The mood is pragmatic, but there is also an overwhelming concern over a change towards more social/community ideas (which may show a desire for a government to really take climate change, or health, etc seriously). This to me could point to either Howard or Rudd victory, as both are making promises of policies directed to these more Aquarian areas. If there is one thing that can be definite about the electorate’s mood is this - the mood is tempestuous, and perhaps the decision on Saturday will be swift. It may be very apparent very early who is the clear winner!

Card 2: Queen of Wands. This card threw me a little, as I was asking how the card in position 1 would affect the result on election day. Well, some keywords for this queen archetype are attractive, whole-hearted, energetic, cheerful, and self-assured. Is this pointing to the character of our next PM, or the general character of the next Government? She is outwardly energetic, passionate and creative; but inwardly focussed. Personally I believe these would be good traits for a leader of our nation at this time. But who is it….?

Card 3: Knight of Cups.  OK, so its not often one gets three Court cards in a 3-card reading. This knight always introduces us to the world of romance and beauty, and is a sensitive soul, who rides his elegant steed in search for something greater than himself - a knight on that endless quest for the Holy Grail. Could this show that come Saturday, we will find that our country is on a greater, more sensitive path than in the last 11 years? Could it be that, at least for the next four years, Australia will seek a balance between establishing relationships (with our neighbours and the international community) and forging ahead with our ideas? Interesting that the knight in card 1 (representing the mood of the electorate) has manifested as this knight - similar in some ways, as a knights represent change (for they are dynamic, always riding around on their horse, never staying in one place, as the king or queen always does, seated as they are on their thrones).

Could all the talk of change lead to a general change in direction later, a change to where we become a little more compassionate, tender, sensitive to the needs of others? For this reading doesn’t necessarily show a change in Government - perhaps the electorate will choose to keep Howard in power, but send a very clear message to him: we want change, and we’re giving you one more chance to direct us to a gentler, more positive future (one where there is plenty of water….). However, the Queen of Wands does represent a time of growth and development, and one could argue that this is closer to what the Rudd’s message has been (as opposed to Howard’s more negative message of “don’t vote for them because the world will end!”).

I guess at the end of the day, it is all about perspective. I await eagerly the result of Saturday’s poll, to see if my reading has spoken of some truth….

Voting preferences in the Senate

I have always chosen to fill out the Senate election ballots below the line - meaning I have to number every single damn box!

Basically, if you believe in the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Upper House of Parliament, then you wanna make sure you get it right. There are so many minor parties that really have no chance of getting in, but direct their preferences to the big players in such a way as to sometimes stack a result

I found this helpful summary over at GetUp! The full details of the flow of preferences can be found at the Electoral Commission’s website.

So here are a few notes on the preference flows that we think you might be particularly interested in (note: we’ve limited most of our comments to the flows among just the parties that currently have Parliamentary representation - so when we say that Party A has preferenced Party B and then Party C, more than likely there are a stack of “microparties” in between):

The Democrats have preferenced the Greens above the two major parties in every state, but in most states they have “split their ticket” between the major parties - meaning that if you vote above the line for the Democrats and the race for the last seat in your state comes down to Labor vs the Coalition, there’s a 50% chance your vote will go to the Coalition above Labor and a 50% chance your vote will go to Labor above the Coalition. (In NSW and Queensland, however, they registered a single ticket with Labor above the Coalition.)

A new party called the Climate Change Coalition has preferenced Pauline Hanson above Labor in Queensland, and One Nation then Family First above the Greens and Labor in WA.

This election, Labor’s preferences flow directly to the Greens in every state. Looking only at parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, Labor’s preferences then go to the Democrats, then Family First, then the Coalition.

In every state, looking only at parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, the Greens‘ preferences go to the Democrats and then Labor before either Family First or the Coalition.

In South Australia, independent candidate Nick Xenophon has split his ticket (meaning that if you vote for him above the line, your vote has a 50-50 chance of ending up in either pile) in the following way among parties that currently have Parliamentary representation:

50% of preferences will go to Family First, then the Greens, then the Nationals, then the Liberals, then Labor

50% of preferences will go to the Greens, then Family First, then the Nationals, then Labor, then the Liberals

Among parties that currently have Parliamentary representation, the Liberals’ preferences generally flow first to Family First, then to the Democrats, then to the Greens, then to Labor.

In many (but not all) states, Family First sends its preferences to the CDP (Fred Nile), One Nation, and/or Pauline before any of the ‘major’ parties. Among major parties, they always flow to the Coalition before Labor, the Democrats or the Greens.

Exams, elections, and the truth behind economics…

Pheww!

I have just completed my last exam for the year, and I have to say that I am feeling quite drained. Its been a tough couple of weeks, what with exams and the thrills and excitement of politics in this country. So much has been in the news, stuff that has excited me and pushed my proverbial buttons. I have found myself so involved in head-space that I have often had to force myself to stop, smell the roses, and remind myself that there is a more peaceful world south of the ol’ grey matter that is warm and fuzzy and doesn’t get caught up in clever arguments, rote-learned facts and intellectual trickery.

Now I’m not one to slink away from the argy-bargy that is a federal election, but boy will I be glad when it’s all over. If I have to see another political advertisement, I may just scream. But a reminder of a few things that have come up.

• Most importantly, a report out today says that Australia is the worst greenhouse gas polluter per capita, far exceeding both the USA and China. I wonder which party will be taking note of that?!
• The corrupt funding of projects only in Coalition-held electorates, while funding was rejected in electorates held by the ALP…. now that can’t be kosher.
• A number of top cops sent packing after corruption scandals.
• Some much-needed rain in Victoria that actually caused flooding in some highland parts.

I haven’t just been idly studying for my exams either. I too have been getting into a little bit of election fever myself. Given the hooha about interest rates, and which government is better at managing an economy, I decided to put down my pathophysiology textbook and contact the Reserve Bank of Australia directly. Basically, I asked for the truth. And unless they have sent me a bunch of hokum, then they prove to be quite interesting. I will post up all the links to info on their websites they sent, but for the sake of the normal folk I will summary what is most pertinent to us all: the interest rates for standard house mortgages from a bank. In summary:

• The peak rates doing the Fraser Liberal Government, when John Howard was Treasurer, was ~14%.
• The peak of rates under the following Labor Government was 17%, reached in 1990 (the ALP under Hawke and Keating took office in 1983, and the rates were still about 14%)
• By the time the Liberals took office under John Howard and Peter Costello, the interest rates had fallen to ~9%.
• These rates bottomed out in 1998 to a little over 6%. They began to steadily climb (with the odd drop) right up to the present day, where they a little over 8%.

It would seem then that this current government haven’t really been that instrumental in making interest rates fall - if anything they have overseen a time when they bottomed out, but also saw them rise. Remembering too, that the rise in interest rates from Howard’s 14% and Keating’s 17% is only a rise of 3%. Keating’s management and policies saw the rates fall by 8%.

A few other tidbits of info to keep in mind: during this same period, median wages have roughly doubled, but house prices have increased 5 times. While average inflation has been low and steady, it is somewhat of an illusion as everyday items that we all buy on a daily basis (like, bread, milk, groceries, petrol, etc) have seen their prices massively inflated, balanced only by the massive drop in the prices of ‘big ticket’ items like TV’s, stereos, mobile phones, DVD players, etc etc. National productivity between 1983 and 1996 went from low to high, whilst productivity between 1996 and now have actually fallen to what they were in the early ’80’s. And whilst interest rates may be low, the deregulated credit market for consumers basically means that everyone now is further in debt - as an example, the house we sold in 1992/3 for $160,000 (when interest rates were about 15-16%) now sells for $600,000 (interest rates at 8%). Work out the maths…

Anyway, here are the links from the RBA - its best you see for yourself and make up your own minds….

1. CASH RATE TARGET & CASH RATE - 

Monetary policy decisions are expressed in terms of a target for the
cash rate, which is the overnight money market interest rate.

For the definition of the Cash Rate see -
http://www.rba.gov.au/Glossary/detail.asp?form_term=cash+rate&term=cash%
20rate and for the Cash Rate Target see -
http://www.rba.gov.au/Glossary/detail.asp?offset=50&term=cash%20rate%20t
arget  

Data on the Cash Rate Target from 1990 to the present can be viewed at
the following link -
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/cashrate_target.html  

Prior to 1990 the Reserve Bank did not publish a cash rate target, so
the cash rate did not indicate the stance of monetary policy at the
time. 

The measures used as the “cash rate” prior to 1990 are detailed below:

Jan 1979 to Dec 1989 - the unofficial 11 am call rate, averaging daily
observations. (Source: RBA Occasional Paper No. 10 - column F.) - ref
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/occasional_paper_10.XLS  

Jan 1976 to Dec 1978 - the official (authorised dealers’) rate, being a
weighted average on loans outstanding using daily observations. (Source:
RBA Occasional Paper No. 10 - Column D.) - ref
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/occasional_paper_10.XLS  

Note: Some further explanation is available by opening the “Notes to
Series” link in the top left corner of the spreadsheet.

Jun 1964 to Dec 1975 - the official (authorised dealers’) rate, being a
weighted average on loans outstanding using averages of Wednesday data.
(Source: RBA Statistical Bulletin Financial Supplement.) - not available
on-line

Jun 1959 to May 1964 - the official (authorised dealers’) rate, being a
weighted average on loans outstanding using last Wednesday observations.
(Source: RBA Statistical Bulletin Financial Supplement.) 

For your convenience I have attached an excel file containing the “cash
rate” data from all these sources from 1959 to the present.

2. MORTGAGE RATES - 

You will find historical data on a range of indicator lending rates at
the following link - ref
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/Bulletin/F05hist.xls  This includes
interest rates on mortgages from banks, building societies and mortgage
managers.  Please note the link to the ‘Notes to Tables’ in cell A9
which will provide some definitions/explanation of the table.

3. BANK ACCEPTED BILLS - 

Historical interest rates for bank bills from 1993 can be found at the
following link - ref
http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/HistoricalInterestRatesYields/1993_to_2
007.xls  Earlier data (from 1976) is available at the following link -
ref http://www.rba.gov.au/Statistics/occasional_paper_10.XLS

God and Lawns

This was sent to me by email…. hilarious!!

GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the
world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds.
I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

St. FRANCIS: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started
calling your flowers “weeds” and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD: Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It’s sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites
really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it - sometimes twice a week.

GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow, and, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.

GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS: You aren’t going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and
shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural cycle of life.

St. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD: And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD: Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. St.Catherine, you’re in charge of
the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE: “Dumb and Dumber”, Lord. It’s a story about….

GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St.Francis.

By Martha Hills

Petition for watering food gardens in Victoria

Please follow the link and sign the petition if you choose:

Allow Water for Produce Gardens in Victoria

There is a fair argument why folks who take the time and effort to grow their own food in their backyards (or front yards…LOL) should be able to water wisely outside of current restrictions.

Yes, I realise anyone can make a case for being an exception to the rule. But here’s the thing: firstly, watering small-scale micro-farms (ie backyards) to feed small groups means less water is being used (in the big picture), as well as less chemicals, less strain on the land, etc. It also means that families are essentially feeding themselves, thus negating the amount of energy (carbon) needed to grow, pick, pack, distribute, refrigerate, sell, buy, etc…. think about the journey fresh produce makes to get into your home - and think also how much fresher and how much more nutrient is in the food….

OK, that doesn’t guarantee that someone growing food in their home won’t just blanket spray water over their entire block, or that they won’t use megalitres of water to feed their plants in the middle of a hot, windy day…. but generally speaking, folks who go to such measures (and indeed are at the moment) you will probably find are at the forefront of sustainable living anyhow, using tanks, mulch, solar power, etc…. Take us for example… our garden in growing quite well. We can save anywhere up to 50Lt of water a day just collecting ‘grey’ water from normal indoor use (like waiting for the hot water to kick in when turning on the shower, kitchen tap etc); we use this water for the fruit trees and vegies. Last water bill that came in, we were somewhere close to 100Lt/day (average) under the recommended restriction limit for 3 person household - and how many people could claim that?! We have only used the outside weeping-hose once - all watering thus far has been using grey water - and we don’t even have any rainwater collection systems yet - so it goes to show how much water can be saved…! We also heavily mulch, and have 3 compost bins and 2 worm farms operating, which takes care of somewhere close to 95% of waste (recyclable or not) - the rubbish bin is lucky to be half -full every week (the only reason we put it out weekly is because of the smell of nappies… ppeeuuuuwww…. , and the recycle bin is not even full on the fortnight, as any newspaper or cardboard is soaked/shredded and composted. Essentially the only thing put in that is plastic, glossy paper and bottles (even then, when you brew yourself, you tend to re-use good glass beer bottles…. . The point being is that the soil is now healthy, incredibly hydro-philic, and protected from evaporation.

So even if we were exempted from the current restrictions, all it would mean is that we could give water to the food crops on a daily basis, to spread out the ‘feeding’ over the 7 days, to ensure that nutrient goes into the plants. It also means that ‘clean’ water can be used, with no chance that grey water will have any bacteria or harmful chemical substances that would detract from the nutritional purity of the vegies - grey water is fine, but should still be administered as a ’shandy’ (about 1:3 ratio I believe)

There is a fundamental difference for gardens used for food or medicines as opposed to ornamentals. That should be stating the bleedin’ obvious! Given that water restrictions should be used in order to sustain our supplies, it makes more sense to exempt families from growing their own foods, rather than exempt Car Washes…. and whilst I don’t have the exact figures to provide here and now, water restrictions have actually seen a relative increase in water usage in this State - perhaps we should consider that it is HOW we use our water, not HOW MUCH…..!