While visiting the Victoria River region in northern Australia, it felt like stepping back in time. The land seemed as wild and untamed as when Augustus Charles Gregory and his men arrived 170 years ago. I set off toward their historic base camp, eager to be a part of where history unfolded.
Gregory’s boab: a sentinel of history Read More »
Conservation in Australia is largely a matter of pious intentions.
Germaine Greer
When Anthony Albanese’s Labor government came to power in May 2022, environmental groups quickly pressed their wishlist onto the incoming ministers. Near the top was a global conservation commitment to protect 30 per cent of Australia’s land and oceans by 2030, part of a United Nations-endorsed pledge to halt biodiversity decline.
A billion-dollar exercise in looking virtuous, while watching the bush go to ruin Read More »
Carbon offsetting is an honesty system coupled with a financial incentive for dishonesty.
– Ketan Joshi
Carbon credits, once hailed as a cornerstone of Australia’s climate change strategy, have been unmasked as a financial sleight of hand. They are marketed as a tool to curb emissions, yet in practice, they have become a glorified accounting trick, enriching a select few while diverting funds from genuine climate action.
The great carbon credit con: A shonky system exposed Read More »
After the Snowy, she was a nation.
Nelson Lemmon
Thank God we had visionary leaders and the world’s best engineers in Australia 75 years ago. Without their efforts, the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric scheme – one of the seven engineering wonders of the world – might never have come to fruition.
This monumental project blended innovative thinking, engineering brilliance, and the dedication of a diverse workforce.
Australia’s Engineering Marvel Read More »
I have spent decades in our wonderful forests, witnessing their cycles of destruction and regeneration, and in all that time, I’ve seen one constant: public perception remains stubbornly fixed on a false image of forestry. Headlines scream of devastation. Activists show photos of freshly logged areas, convincing the public that this is a permanent state.
The joy of being a tour guide Read More »
“Science requires open debate. It does not advance by consensus or political pressure”.
“The scientific method requires scientists to test all theories. Science progresses not by claiming a theory is true but by proving a theory is false”.
I will start this essay by clarifying what science is not.
Is too much pounding the table the problem with science today? Read More »
During our trip through western New South Wales in March 2022, we saw significant numbers of feral goats. These goats were everywhere, spanning from Broken Hill east through Wilcannia and Cobar onto Nyngan, covering over 600 kilometres in mulga country.
We had an overnight stop on the Barrier Highway at the Meadow Glen Rest Area, about 60 kilometres west of Cobar.
Can rangeland pastoralists survive by riding on the goat’s back? Read More »
Unfortunately, conjecture based on limited facts has produced “research” trumpeting catastrophic fears of extinction. Jim Steele
Our planet now faces a global extinction crisis never witnessed by humankind. Scientists predict that more than 1 million species are on track for extinction in the coming decades.
As the world commemorates another Endangered Species Day, you will undoubtedly read or hear claims like the above.
The 6th Mass Extinction Crisis – speculation without substance? Read More »
I have decided to write this blog to commemorate and remember the men from settlements in and around Surrey Hills who fought in wars.
In Chapter 10 of my book, “Fires, Farms and Forests”, I outlined some of the war service by men from Guildford Junction. This blog goes into more detail and includes stories about men from Parrawe and Bulgobac.
Special ANZAC stories Read More »
It seems that the people who came up with the plan to return all Western Australia’s and Victoria’s public land to a cycle of lockup and incinerate wilderness management know as much about forest management and timber supply timelines as an average kindergarten pupil. – Quote from South East Timber Association
When I started as a young forester in the late 1980s, I yearned for the opportunity to work in our native forests.
