The Largest Minority

June 27th, 2008 by evmonk

Global Voices, a unique blogging project started by Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, is holding their yearly conference in Budapest for the next two days. Today the conference panels are focused on the censorship and freedom of expression online. Tomorrow there will be a number of panels on citizen media and the use of web2.0 to improve the political process, build community, and bridge the language barrier. The entire even is being streamed and liveblogged, and archived video of every panel is available here. If you’re interested in this stuff, there are some great speakers and discussions. But remember that these are bloggers and technophiles, so their presentations aren’t always the most entertaining.

If you haven’t heard of Global Voices, check them out. They aggregate and review blogs from around the world and then organize the best posts by region and topic, in addition to having a general feed.

December 6th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Livestock flatulence contributes a significant portion of greenhouse gas to the global annually total. “Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep,” says Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland Government. He continued, “And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they’re actually up around 50 per cent.”

In contrast, kangaroo flatulence contains no methane, rendering it useless for fart-lighting enthusiasts but ideal for environmentalists. The reason for this is a special bacteria contained in the stomach of the marsupial. The bacteria also makes the digestive process more efficient, meaning that millions could be saved in feed costs for animals with it. “Not only would they not produce the methane, they would actually get something like 10 to 15 per cent more energy out of the feed they are eating,” said Klieve.

Before researchers can develop a way to transfer the bacteria to cattle and sheep, it will take them at least three years to isolate it. In the meantime, scientists suggest that Australians should simply farm less cattle and sheep and just eat kangaroo, an idea supported by Greenpeace. “It’s low in fat, it’s got high protein levels it’s very clean in the sense that basically it’s the ultimate free range animal,” said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales’s institute of environmental studies.

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July 6th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Australia has admitted for the first time that securing oil resources is a key motivator behind the presence of Australian troops in Iraq. In comments to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Defense Minister Brendan Nelson admitted that “resource security” in the Middle East was a priority, and that Iraq’s supply of oil had influenced Australia’s strategic planning in the region.

“Obviously the Middle East itself, not only Iraq but the entire region, is an important supplier of energy, oil in particular, to the rest of the world,” Nelson said. “Australians and all of us need to think what would happen if there were a premature withdrawal from Iraq. It’s in our interests, our security interests, to make sure that we leave the Middle East, and leave Iraq in particular, in a position of sustainable security.”

Until now, the US-led coalition has avoided linking the 2003 invasion with oil. For this reason, Prime Minister John Howard has played down the comments by dismissing the idea that Australia’s involvement was motivated by oil. “We didn’t go there because of oil and we don’t remain there because of oil,” Howard told a local radio station.

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February 12th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Barack Obama has remained virtually unchallenged by politicians and untarnished by scandal. Even now, Obama’s biggest hurdle hasn�t come from American Republicans, but from Australia�s conservative Prime Minister. PM John Howard, who happens to be close friends with George W. Bush, criticized a bill Obama introduced which would prevent President Bush from increasing American troop levels in Iraq, and would remove US combat forces from the country by March 31, 2008. The PM said Obama�s plan to end the war with a deadline would be a victory for terrorists.

Howard�s criticism came one day after Obama announced his intention to run for the White House in 2008. “I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory,” Howard said on television. “If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.”

Howard is seeking a fifth term later this year. Polls show an increasing number of Australians upset at Howard’s own refusal to set a deadline for Australian troops. He has defied the will of his people by keeping 1,400 Australian troops in and around Iraq, mostly in non-combat roles.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to the warmongering Prime Minister. “The United States has sacrificed more than 3,000 brave young men and women and $400 billion, only to find ourselves mired in the middle of a sectarian civil war,” he said. “Even Republicans … know that more of the same is only going to attract more terrorists to Iraq and make our country less safe.” Gibbs then called Howard out on his overly critical position. “If Prime Minister Howard truly believes what he says, perhaps his country should find its way to contribute more than just 1,400 troops so some American troops can come home,” he said. “It’s easy to talk tough when it’s not your country or your troops making the sacrifices.”

Obama himself dismissed Howard�s insult as “empty rhetoric”. The Democratic Senator said, “I think it’s flattering that one of George Bush’s allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced (my candidacy).� He continued by reissuing the challenge for Howard to put up or shut up. “So, if he’s ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them up to Iraq.”

Australian Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd expressed concern that the Prime Minister’s comments might have serious implications for the nation’s future relations with the US, particularly if a Democrat became president in the next election. “I cannot understand how any responsible leader of this country can say … that the Democratic Party of the United States, is the terrorist party of choice,” he told Parliament. Howard refused to retract his criticism, but stated his insult was directed at Obama specifically and not all Democrats. However, his original statement claims terrorists in Iraq are praying for victory “not only for Obama but also for the Democrats”.

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November 12th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

Here�s a story that kind of got lost in the excitement of last week. With that unfamiliar feeling of hope running through my veins, I almost forgot that we�re still fucked. What now you ask? A major scientific study has concluded that if current trends continue, there will be no fish left in the ocean by 2050.

“The way we use the oceans is that we hope and assume there will always be another species to exploit after we’ve completely gone through the last one,” said research leader Boris Worm, from Dalhousie University in Canada. “What we’re highlighting is there is a finite number of stocks; we have gone through one-third, and we are going to get through the rest.” Steve Palumbi, from Stanford University in California, added; “This century is the last century of wild seafood.”

In 2003, 29% of open sea fisheries were in a state of collapse, with less than 10% of their original yield. Bigger vessels, better nets, and new technology did not bring larger returns. In fact, the global catch fell by 13 percent between 1994 and 2003. Historical records from coastal zones in North America, Europe, and Australia also showed declining yields, and declining species diversity. The yields are not just of fish, but of other kinds of seafood too.

There is a direct correlation between a loss of biodiversity and reductions in fish stocks. In areas where fishing has been banned or heavily restricted, biodiversity comes back within the zone, and restores populations of fish just outside the area.

However, protecting stocks demands political action. Boris Worm is frustrated with the unwillingness of politicians to act on the advice of scientists.

For example, European politicians have repeatedly ignored recommendations to halt the North Sea cod fishery. Without a ban, scientists fear the North Sea stocks could follow the Grand Banks cod of eastern Canada into a terminal decline. “I’m just amazed, it’s very irrational,” he said. “You have scientific consensus and nothing moves. It’s a sad example; and what happened in Canada should be such a warning, because now it’s collapsed it’s not coming back.”

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Debt Consolidation free quote

October 18th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

This is not a very praiseworthy week for Israeli politicians. Naftali Tamir, Israel�s ambassador to the capital of Australia, Canberra, has come under fire after he told an Israeli newspaper that Australians and Israelis stood out in Asia because “we don’t have yellow skin and slanted eyes”. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has said an investigation was underway to confirm that the statement was indeed made by Tamir. An Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mark Regev, said that there would be no comment until the findings were out.

The Israeli newspaper, Ha’aretz, published the interview on Friday with Ambassador Tamir, who said Australia and Israel were �like sisters in Asia�. Tamir continued, “We are in Asia without the characteristics of Asians. We don’t have the yellow skin and slanted eyes. Asia is basically the yellow race. Australia and Israel are � basically the white race.”

His further comments were praiseful of Australia and stressed the importance of working in partnership so as to fully exploit Asian economic opportunities. Tamir was also quoted as saying that his nation had “a past and present in Europe, but no future. Israel is a part of Asia”. The acting Israeli ambassador, Irit Lillian said, “We at the Foreign Affairs Ministry see it in a very severe way, and we denounce [the comments] seriously and completely.”

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Perhaps it’s just me, but I imagine that Tamir put his feet on his desk during the interview while wearing these sneakers.

October 15th, 2006 by Manila Ryce

If you�ve ever lived in LA, the loneliest city in the world, you know just how important a simple hug can be. This video (with music by Sick Puppies) is a documentation of Juan Mann and his Free Hugs campaign in Australia.

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September 3rd, 2006 by Manila Ryce

The world’s most lovable nutjob and environmentalist, who tempted fate on a daily basis, has died after being stung by a stingray while filming off north Queensland. The 44 year-old Crocodile Hunter was stung on the left side of his chest. It is believed that he died from a cardiac arrest at the scene. A Queensland Rescue Helicopter was called at 11 am, but it was too late. Steve is survived by his wife Terri and his two children, 8 year-old Bindi Sue and 3 year-old Robert Clarence. Ross Coleman, acting director at at University of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, said he couldn’t recall any other case of death caused by stingray. “As a recreational diving instructor you hear of people getting injured by standing on them … but they rarely die,” he said.

Now I know alot of you meanspirited people might say he got what he deserved, but really… who saw this coming? There are at least a dozen other ways I could’ve seen Steve dying, and none of them would’ve been a surprise. Snake bite to the arm? Sure. Croc bite to the head? Of course. Spider bite to the neck? Makes sense. Stingray puncture to the chest? What?

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