Do we really want a return to the Howard years?!

Early in the noughties, at least I think it was then, the second time Howard got voted in to power... I remember being at my boyfriends house at the time and the only person in the household rooting for that guy was my boyfriends sisters boyfriend (Bueller?!).

He actually came out of their room, where they were watching the telecast also, chanting "four more years".  

I'm pretty sure the rest of us opened beers.  For we knew that for us, low to middle income earners and students, that we were all screwed.

I mostly ignore polls in the media, especially the big media, because it's all owned by the same rich guy and seems rather biased.  And somehow I don't believe that Abbott would win an election if there was a vote today.  So far, not a single person I know has indicated that they support Liberal, the views of the party, and their absolute ignorance about things like climate change and providing their members with conscience votes on issues that may be important to their electorates (a prime example being gay marriage).

So if we think about just that for a moment... a Government that has policies yet doesn't let it's members choose to vote in either the Senate or the Lower House genuinely, and with the voices of their constituency.

Sometimes when I hear Abbott interviewed I get particularly worried. Here is a guy who has obviously never seen a documentary about water; conservation or use thereof.  Countries around the world are pulling right away from putting up dams, and yet this guy wants to put in 150 of them in Australia.  Who is advising this guy?! Obviously not a climatologist, scientist, conservationist, or anyone with any knowledge of the subject.

Growing up in South Australia, we always conserved water. Our State has always been the one that has suffered, being at this end of the Murray River. Cotton farmers are allowed to pull water out of the river systems at alarming rates in a country that is so baron and so dry and with so little agriculturally viable land.  My father piped the water tank into the laundry sink, as well as the bathtub, in the 1980's. Why do I remember this?! Because I almost lost a toe helping him install the pipe from the shed to the tank.  We would bucket water from the bathtub out on to the lawns when there had been little rain, and use the cold water from the water tank to half fill the tub or to do hand washing.  It absolutely boggled the mind when moving up to Queensland in late 2004 only to find people whining about newly introduced water restrictions.

I was thinking "what?! you're only just getting them NOW?" - when us Southerners have had to always think about it. At least for the last 30 years.

Ranting aside, I'm freak;n scared. I hope Australia does not make the wrong choice.

Our most important issue, in case you hadn't noticed over this summer period, is the violent change in our weather patterns.  Thinking about this yesterday; I don't recall these insane weather events happening throughout my childhood, and even into my teen years. And yet if you look at this summer, watching the news whilst they say "well there's 300 fires in NSW at the moment and 95 of them are uncontained..." you have to wonder... what's going to happen next?!

Can we not simply take the lead in a Green Energy Revolution?! Show the rest of the world how it's done. Push clean energy industries and make our exports again competitive ! Help the third world evolve, without the use of fossil fuels??!

I'm certain it can be done. But will Australia take up the challenge.

We shall see.

Stand strong, Australia.

xx

I think the whole world should read this book...

Making so much sense to me at the moment. I'm reading "Hot, Flat & Crowded" by Thomas L. Friedman. He's a Pulitzer Prize winner (3 of them) and works with the NY Times. Though this book is directed at Americans, as we're following their way of life (The American Dream yet with more decent beer) I think the book has great relevance to our society here, and everywhere.

http://amzn.com/0312428928

(Hopefully that link works for y'all).

So I'm not even finished but I'd like to share a quite good point from the book in the chapter about 'petropolitics'.

From the chapter "Fill 'er Up With Dictators":

"To be sure, professional economists have long pointed out that an abundance of natural resources can be bad for a country's economy and politics   This phenomenon has been variously diagnosed as "Dutch disease" or the "resource curse." Dutch disease refers to the process of de-industrialization that can come about as a result of a natural resource windfall.  The term was coined in the Netherlands in the early 1960s, after the Dutch discovered huge deposits of natural gas in the North Sea.  What happens in a country with Dutch disease is this: First the value of the currency rises, thanks to the sudden influx of cash from oil, gold, gas, diamonds or some other natural resource discovery.  The strong currency in effect raises the price of the nation's goods to foreign buyers, making the country's manufactured exports very noncompetitive and imports very cheap for its citizens.  The citizens, flush with cash, start buying cheaper imported goods without restraint; the domestic manufacturing sector gets wiped out; and presto, you have deindustrialization."

Sound familiar, Australia?!

Just sayin'.

Talks a lot about the fact that if we can't lead developing nations in the way in which they produce goods and use fossil fuels, because of course they are influenced by, and entitled to, the way in which we live; then we're up shit creek without a paddle. (good ole saying that one)

Look at the pictures that have been coming out of Beijing lately.

Anyways, I have a copy of this book that I'm very open to sharing once I'm done. So let me know if you'd like to read it.

Food for thought. One love.

xxJ

Planet Challenge!!

Welcome to Planet Challenge; Population = YOU.

If you will care to oblige me - today is February 7 and by my calculations there are 3 more weeks left in this month; or 21 days if you prefer.

So I'd like to set a little challenge for you all:

WARDROBE CHALLENGE!!

*insert little disco dance here*

I'm making up some little rules right now, you can submit your 'tweaks' to these rules if you like and we'll see how the game goes.

Over the next 21 days:

1) You cannot wear anything in your wardrobe more than once;

You know what you wore today?! Guess what you can't wear it again til March 1st!

Obvious exclusions: work wear (uniforms I mean), or if you're like me and currently only have one pair of pants / jeans (I have one pair of jeans, sadly, at the moment after recently parting with an amazing pair), you may wear them more than once.

2) Accessories!! Don't forget them, but you can only wear each of them only once as well.

You know... all those hats you think 'does this look silly?' or the earrings that give you a headache, maybe that tie your boss gave you?! WEAR THEM ALL, at least once; not all at the same time.

3) You can only do a load of laundry once you're down to your last pair of undies and/or socks!!

Think about saving some water, some cash, some time. All good things.

And if you decide, whilst your wearing something during these next three weeks that definitely once and for all you don't want any more, do launder the item if you need to but keep it aside until the end of the month. (I've already started a small box in my room).

THE PURPOSE:

Well, I've been thinking about it, and an old friend in Tassie recently held a CLOTHES SWAP. Thought it was a pretty neat idea; so some time after the course of this experiment, all those questionable clothes and accessories you've been puzzling about for some time can get together with some other clothes and accessories and have a part-ay. The leftovers can go to charity.

Besides, it's coming up to the end of summer, but it's still festival season across this great country of ours.

With Adelaide Fringe about to kick off, well, damn straight it's time to let your freak flags fly. Get kooky, get crazy.

That costume-type wear that you never dig cause you may get embarrassed?! Dig it out and wear it.

That stupid skirt you don't wear because you have to iron it?! Iron the blumin' thing and decide once and for all if it should be left all wrinkled in your wardrobe, continued to be worn with pride, or passed on to someone who might not mind ironing whilst watching tele. (ref: my dad - though he probably wouldn't wear a skirt).

Also, all of this month I am doing FebFast, (our team is called Choose Bacon if you want to sponsor us) so I figured a little gathering to have a glass of champagne at the end  of this month some time might be nice. So if you're in A-Town, wanna join in the little challenge and have a little soiree afterwards; leave a comment and let me know you're IN!

One love.
xJ