Earth day... yesterday

 Poster for the first Earth Day in 1970 by Walt Kelly.

Yesterday was Earth Day and we in Australia didn't hear about it until it was mentioned on social media today, the day after. We know that this right wing government is pulling the strings of mass media and find it more important to keep the people occupied with uninteresting 'news' to hide the real important things happening.

And one of those real things is that they want to hide everything what has to do with keeping this earth a better place, as for them it only counts to get the dollars rolling by digging everything up and out as soon as possible . No matter the damage done is irreversible.

Hence to keep the people quiet and accepting, overpower them with crap media and quieten by keeping them in the dark.They even go as far to announce that there is an over supply of renewable energy and that it is hurting the economy! So please, no talk about solar panels and wind energy...

We have a government who wants us to trash the place, as waste is money!

There’s reason to be optimistic this Earth Day

One of the environmental movement's main strategies has always been to directly protect and restore important places. That might mean rebuilding an oyster reef, replanting a forest or restoring a grassland. This work is critical.

Timber Thieves Threaten California’s Redwood Giants

Poachers are Destroying California’s Giant Redwood TreesYou’ve probably heard of poachers targeting tortoises and rhinos, but the latest poaching threat in North America doesn’t involve an animal. Poachers have been sneaking into California’s ancient redwood forests and cutting away burls and bunions (types of knotty growths) from live and fallen trees. 

This type of wood fetches a nice price on the market because it is becoming increasingly rare, but removing burls can be incredibly damaging to the ancient trees and the local environment.

Read article and in NYT

That even arts and crafts people are falling for this hideous illegal practices is sickening. Where is this world going to? Is it really all about the $?  

Design For Success – How Design Can Accelerate Your Business

RSVP here

Shark cull

The idea of killing sharks because of irrational fear is bad enough. But killing a species of shark that hasn't contributed to a human death in WA for half a century is ridiculous. 

The WA Government has applied to continue its shark cull for a further three years, despite the massive community opposition to this brutal and illogical program. 
Tell the EPA to stop this cull  

Sustainability Surprise Party, May 2014

Many understand we need to do things much more sustainably as a global collective, so here’s an opportunity to get to get wider free promotion for the process and we all benefit from the results, a much broader realisation of what people can do towards sustainability! 

Post events in May 2014 for the online calendar that have a real sustainability goal. We can rise to this new global challenge, an initiative of an independent group of people interested to grow and encourage greater awareness of sustainability methods and options around the world.
Read more

Student 'Design Industry Mixer'

All Students and Professionals please click here to register your attendance

Mining tax: it's time for all Australians to realise they are being ripped off

Australians are routinely being told that hefty mining taxes would hinder the country’s largest exports of coal and iron ore. This concern about the competitiveness of the industry has been the basis of the Abbott government’s drive to abolish the mining tax. However, it is hard to reconcile this view (key player Gina Rinehart, for example, claimed that Australia was “too expensive to do export orientated business”) with news this week that mining giant BHP Billiton recently increased its profits by 83% to US$8.1bn.

Within the last year alone, there has been a 20% increase in BHP Billiton’s Western Australian iron ore exports. In spite of this enormous growth, the company only paid US$29m in minerals resource rent tax (MRRT). As it stands, the tax is in no way making BHP uncompetitive – its bumper profits are a testament to that.

While mining companies such as BHP Billiton are making a motza, we need to be reminded that 83% of Australian mining operations are foreign owned. The net income balance – the difference between the profits of Australian investing overseas, and profits made by foreign companies in Australia – has suffered as a result of mining companies extracting greater amounts of Australian mineral wealth for foreign owners.

From 2003 to 2011, the net income balance reduced from minus 2% to - 6% of Australian GDP. In other words, Australia is being held at gun point by day light robbers.

Unlike Australia, Norway has kept their resource extraction wealth in their control without it fattening up a capitalist exploiting of finite mineral resources. Norway has a 78% tax on oil and gas revenues – unlike Australia, where the effective tax rate is a mere 13%.
Read article

Staron Design Awards 2014

The Staron Design Awards 2014 are now accepting entries! Talented industry judges are back to judge each edition. To view past winners and for information on the editions and prizes visit website Austaron.com.au

Green with Envy

Great Balls of Fire

My cousin, Angela van Boxtel, is working on a new project - details to be unveiled soon! But in short she is looking for some people  - all ages - either female or male, a couple or a family or just single. (Living in Sydney)

She wants to explore your CONNECTION with Textiles CQ Fashion and we will also create some of these wonderful balls together - which will be yours to keep and you can use as a stool - for your own stories!

Check it out on her blog Green with Envy and pass it on to your friends and family in Sydney.