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The Shire Green Web Connecting people & places . .
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Media Releases . . . |
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3rd January 2006 - Running away from debate . . . Back to the top Mum and part time nurse Kim Bax is flabbergasted by Federal MP Peter Lindsay's attitude. "It's incredible," she said, "the man has the gall to publicly barrack for nuclear power, yet when one of the World's leading experts on radiation and kids offers to talk to him, he refuses without a second thought for the community. Well I'm sorry Peter, but that's not good enough for me - and it's certainly not good enough for all the other mums and dads out there." Australian doctor (and paediatrician), and World renowned expert on health and radiation, Dr Helen Caldicott, is keen to speak to Peter Lindsay MP - but her enthusiasm isn't shared by the touchy pollie, who wrote:- "I'm not interested in invitations that include 'smart' comments." Like this (from mum Kim Bax):- "Hi there Peter, Just to let you know I had a phone call from Dr. Helen Caldicott this morning, she's in Australia at the moment - and very keen to publicly debate the issues with you, as I've asked you (if you feel you're up to it, are you?) "
As for the less touchy Dr Caldicott (shown here), she's written extensively about the health effects of nuclear power. Here's the introduction to an in-depth article she penned:- "Nuclear
reactors were initially designed to make atomic and hydrogen bombs.
Apart from nuclear war, nuclear power poses the greatest public hazard
the world has ever encountered because of radioactive wastes. Helen has also shown her irrepressible wit, warmth and passion (not to mention searing intellect), on Andrew Denton's Enough Rope - as well as with Kerry O'Brien on The 7.30 Report And that's just the very tip of her extensive media appearances, and sweeping career. So what's the problem Peter? Nuclear waste is OK, but Dr. Caldicott is just too hot to handle?
8th December 2006 - Fiddling while Rome burns back to the top Beaudesert Shire resident Kim Bax is at her wits end trying to wake apparently snoozing local councillors to the oil crisis of the millenium. "If they don't believe me, maybe they should pay attention to the latest press release from the International Energy Agency (IEA)," she said, "it's shocking":- "The world is on a course that will lead it 'from crisis to crisis' unless governments act immediately to save energy and invest in nuclear and biofuels, the International Energy Agency warned on Tuesday. In an apocalyptic forecast, Claude Mandil, the agency’s executive director, said that our current path 'may mean skyrocketing prices or more frequent blackouts; can mean more supply disruptions, more meteorological catastrophes – or all these at the same time'. The IEA said that the oilfields on which Europe and the US had come to depend to reduce their reliance on the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would peak in the next five to seven years. These include those in Russia, the US, Mexico and Norway. According to this year’s World Energy Outlook, the IEA’s flagship publication, that would mean: 'Growing oil exports from the Middle East will focus attention on the world’s vulnerability to oil-supply disruptions, not least because the bulk of the additional exports will involve transport along maritime routes susceptible to piracy, terrorist attacks or accidents.' The three countries on which the world will depend most for its future oil supply, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, are also among its most unstable. A similar problem is emerging in natural gas, with half of the world’s reserves found in Iran and Russia – countries that have used their energy resources as a diplomatic weapon." Financial Times article here (7th Nov 2006) And incensed by her council's apathy, she rang international oil expert Dr. Colin Campbell at his home in Ireland for backing. Dr. Campbell advises governments, bankers and businesses round the World, and was recently featured by the ABC's "4 Corners." Here's what he wrote, significantly and ominously referring to the startling IEA back flip:-
"Dear Kim
Thank you for your message and sorry not to have been able to take your call the other day as I was a bit under the weather that day.
I fully understand
your position. Peak Oil is really so obvious : there was only so
much of it formed in Nature and therefore production has to start,
end and pass a peak in between. But it has been very difficult for
those in authority to get their heads round it. One can understand
their position : the whole structure of the modern world is premised
on perpetual growth, making it very difficult for them to start to
plan for something that offends their "religion". Yet growth depends
on cheap and easy oil-based energy.
Bu there is all the
same an awakening : none more remarkable than the new position of
the IEA who after
years of denial now admits to an imminent Peak. Also I have
recently been consulted by both the US and Australian Governments,
so there is a certain movement. I think you are right to concentrate
on the local level that is where the process starts : already about
a dozen cities in the United States have adopted Peak Oil as central
to their planning."
And despite being "Just a mum" and part time nurse, Kim's passionate dedication to rousing policy makers has earned her a place within the world-wide "Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas," normally the preserve of scientists and technocrats. She's the official contact for Queensland. And it's not just Kim that's on the tail of Queensland's local politicians, Pine Rivers Shire has also been targeted by concerned citizens - and round the State, local awareness groups are sprouting like mushrooms. One, "Relocalisation works in the Burnett Inland" was recently featured by "The Weekend Australian." And within Kim's own local council area, there's huge support from the Beechmont community. Kim also says there's a growing, if still quite small, passionate awareness of this crucial problem by some local pollies - and names Debra Henry from Redlands, Bruce McCallum from Esk, Peter Young from the Gold Coast, Rod Davis from Douglas Shire and Helen Abrahams from Brisbane City Council. And for the sake of her kids, and everyone else's, Kim fervently hopes plain common sense takes over, and her questions are addressed, before Andrew McNamara's dire warnings on "60 Minutes" come true:- "ANDREW MCNAMARA: No-one that I have spoken to privately in the industries suggests that there's some magic bullet here and that we're suddenly going to find Saudi Arabia again. It's not going to happen. The issue here is that if we don't deal with this, then we start living a 20th century, then a 19th century, then an 18th century lifestyle. It doesn't have to be that way but that's where we're headed if we do nothing. TARA BROWN: And we're doing nothing right now? ANDREW MCNAMARA: At the moment, zip." back to the top
26th November 2006 - Cedar Vale mum backed by World oil expert, advisor to both the Australian & USA Governments - back to the top Cedar Vale mum Kim Bax has enlisted the help of a World renowned oil expert in her fight to raise local awareness of a looming fuel crisis. "Our councillors are asleep at the wheel," she says, "their current plans are useless because they don't include spiralling prices. It's madness to ignore this key question." Dr. Colin Campbell, a senior scientist, and founder of a global organisation for the study of oil and gas depletion, agrees. In a recent email to Mrs. Bax he says:- "I fully understand your position. Peak Oil is really so obvious: there was only so much of it formed in Nature and therefore production has to start, end and pass a peak in between. But it has been very difficult for those in authority to get their heads round it. One can understand their position: the whole structure of the modern world is premised on perpetual growth, making it very difficult for them to start to plan for something that offends their "religion". Yet growth depends on cheap and easy oil-based energy. But there is all the same an awakening: none more remarkable than the new position of the IEA (International Energy Agency), who after years of denial now admits to an imminent Peak. Also I have recently been consulted by both the US and Australian Governments, so there is a certain movement. I think you are right to concentrate on the local level that is where the process starts: already about a dozen cities in the United States have adopted Peak Oil as central to their planning." Mrs. Bax gave a talk to our council in September, but says her effort to spark action flopped. "They only gave me 10 minutes. Joy Drescher seemed to feel the problem is too big and distant, while CEO Alastair Dawson thinks I'm alarmist - at least that's my impression. Dave Cockburn, my councillor, reckons they've got things covered - but without expert input on this budding disaster that's impossible." Dr Colin Campbell was on the ABC 4 Corners programme "Peak Oil," where he talks about the peak of World oil discovery, 40 years ago, "The discovery of oil has been falling ever since, relentlessly. And it's been falling despite a worldwide search always aimed at the biggest and best prospects - no-one's looking for the smallest and the worst - the biggest and the best. It's been falling despite amazing technological and geological advances. We understand this business so much more than we did. And I think there is no good reason to expect that this downward trend will change direction." Mrs. Bax is also upset our council hasn't taken expert advice. "State MP Andrew McNamara was Chair of Queensland's recent Oil Vulnerability Task Force, and he's talked about oil depletion on both 4 Corners, and 60 Minutes. He's giving a 2-hour talk to Redlands Shire council soon. But despite his keenness to speak here, Dave Cockburn said they'd only give him 10 minutes at normal committee meeting, and that's after coming all the way from Hervey Bay. I felt that was an insult, and completely inadequate to the problem." And she says if our council thinks she's making too much fuss, they clearly didn't hear what Andrew McNamara said on 60 Minutes:- "ANDREW MCNAMARA: No-one that I have spoken to privately in the industries suggests that there's some magic bullet here and that we're suddenly going to find Saudi Arabia again. It's not going to happen. The issue here is that if we don't deal with this, then we start living a 20th century, then a 19th century, then an 18th century lifestyle. It doesn't have to be that way but that's where we're headed if we do nothing. TARA BROWN: And we're doing nothing right now? ANDREW MCNAMARA: At the moment, zip." 9th November 2006 back to the top (466 words) - Local Cedar Vale mum Kim Bax has created "The Shire Green Web" on-line, the place for all things community and all things green in Beaudesert Shire. It includes a public forum to post your views & news, and anyone can submit articles and photos. Kim says this service is needed because we have to re-connect our community in new ways. Why? Because the World's pumping as much oil as it ever will. She says we've reached the top of the curve, and face falling output – and that the results will be profound. Plus there's unprecedented Global Warming. She says we're at crisis point, staring into the horror of runaway temperatures, fuelled by self-reinforcing feedback loops. Not 50 or a100 years from now, more like 10. Within our life time, and the life time of our kids. So she's included public questions to each individual Beaudesert Shire politician (and candidate), on climate change. But from experience, she know that when you're struggling to pay the next bill, it's hard to digest this stuff. However, she says the solutions to our personal struggles are the same as the answers to our growing eco crisis. She wonders why farmers going out of business, in a Shire where around 60,000 people spend at least $600,000 a day on food? And why are people on the land selling produce at rock bottom prices, while we doubt if we can afford a box of fruit? And then, how come people are unemployed when there's work to be done? What's going on? Where's the money in our local economy going? In the same vein, she also questions "Debt.” How do banks create money? Can our assumptions about "Interest" go on forever? She says these are the key issues that have to be answered within the life time of our children because the Planet's finally calling in the tab. Also included is news about a money-saving car pooling service that was recently featured by “Brisbane Extra,” plus news about Beaudesert “Free Cycle,” where you can get and give away free stuff – and Brisbane’s “Reverse Garbage” where high quality industrial discards are retailed at low cost. She also explains how you can buy “Green electricity” for just over 60 cents a day (or less), plus offset the carbon emissions from your car by helping “Green Fleet” plant trees for only $40 a year. And among varied local organizations, Kim gives “The Ethos Foundation” at Binna Burra a big mention. “They’re doing crucial work on re-vitalising their local Beechmont community, and their programmes are of huge use to everyone. I think it’s very important for people to know about them.” Lastly, there are key links to local, national and global eco organisations and info. You can check out this new community resource at www.theshiregreenweb.org
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3rd January 2006 - Running Away from Debate 8th December 2006 - Fiddling while Rome Burns 9th November 2006 - Local Cedar Vale mum Kim Bax creates "The Shire Green Web"
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