$50M over three years: NSW taxpayers footing the bill for native forest destruction
ACBF calls to embrace the NSW's 'Improved Native Forest Management (INFM)' carbon method, for a 'transition to full plantation-based industry, sound good, but many forest campaign groups do not welcome this kind of announcement. That is because the government's INFM modelling can be manipulated to suit further logging under other guises, assuming outcomes minus robust science and evidence, and benefit those large industries to simply buy imagined carbon credits to keep polluting.
In 1980, the Swedish pop group ABBA released a hit song, “The winner takes it all”. As of December 8, 2024, the armed coalition headed by Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, might be singing that song. In every conflict, there are winners and losers. On a scale from 1 to 10, the various factions involved in the Syrian civil war from 2011 to 2024 are rated below.
From 26.50 minutes in you can hear a detailed account of how a Syrian mayor and the Christian town of Sadad, Syria - which is between Homs and Damascus, fought off the Isis branch Jabat al-Nusra/Al Nusra Front several years ago, at the cost of nearly 50 locals.
On December 9, Egypt accused Israel of illegally seizing a buffer zone in Syria. The area extends from the Golan Heights almost to the outskirts of Damascus. Israel troops and weaponry are now within hiking distance of the capital of Syria. Syria is now under the administration of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed opposition group from Idlib, which had been supported prior to 2017 by a covert CIA program.
An estimated one to three species of insects and other native invertebrates are becoming extinct in Australia every week, according to a new study revealing the immense scale of the nation’s biodiversity loss. 
Announced examination of Australia Submarine Agency shows cracks in AUKUS; Nearly half of Australian voters support a review of AUKUS and nuclear sub acquisition; USA not building submarines fast enough to meet their own needs, let alone Australia’s; USA preference is to base 'their' nuclear attack submarines in our ports
We express our sorrow at the fall today of Damascus, Syria, - a secular democracy - to takfiri terrorists backed by Western powers. They are led by Ahmed Hussein al-Shar'a, commonly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. The US listed Al-Juliani as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist,' in May 2013, and four years later advertised a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.
Don Owers humorously points out the not-so-funny posturing in the Climate Council's loud criticism of Sky News and News Corp regarding disinformation on climate change, in the face of its own strange silence - dare we say collusion? - about the principal drivers of carbon emission growth in Australia, namely government and lobby-group-engineered population and intensive development growth.
The four former colleagues gathered at a suburban Italian restaurant for one of their regular "catch ups.” But were they really catching up? They had not worked together for about fifteen years but, possibly through habit or email mailing list accident, had still kept in touch. Only one still worked in the same clinical profession that had brought them together. 
Unfortunately the 'Online Safety Amendment (Protecting Australian Children from Online Harm) Bill 2023 passed the Australian Senate last night, with an amendment to be inserted after section 63D. I attach both the bill and the Senate amendment to the bill. 
Nature conservation groups are questioning the motives behind the Victorian Government’s “comprehensive” review of Parks Victoria. The move is raising concerns about the future of Victoria’s popular national parks and reserves, whose integrity is vital for both nature conservation and community wellbeing. Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos 
The new Counting Backwards song, 
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Wednesday 27 November 2024: The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) advised the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association (ANZACATA) on Monday 25 November that arts therapy will not be continued as a Therapy Support after 2 December 2024. On 26 November the NDIA posted different guidelines on its website without consultation or explanation.
Pacific Peace Network Webinar 30 Nov 2024: World War 3 would be fought in the Asia Pacific. Is Aukus worth dying for? Voices from the Pacific talking about real and potential impacts. The webinar will feature speakers from across the Pacific giving their perspective on what's wrong with AUKUS and the increasing militarisation of the region.
Water demand due to population growth is outstripping improvements in Australians’ efficiency of household water use, according to new research commissioned by Sustainable Population Australia (SPA) in a report titled Big thirsty Australia: how population growth threatens our water security and sustainability. 
The use of Western-made long-range missile systems in the Ukraine conflict has drastically changed its nature, the Russian leader has warned
It is surreal to tune into Australian media and realise that there is almost no response or reporting on the world's march towards nuclear war or our responsibility in this catastrophe that is already taking so many lives.
"The Victorian government is preparing Plan for Victoria – a strategic framework for the whole state – while it simultaneously rolls out the most radical program of planning system reforms in thirty years. This report summarises the publicly available information on both, adds analysis and commentary, and offers constructive feedback in the form of positive propositions.
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