There is so much more we can do for ourselves, crucially by stopping removal of vegetation for population, infrastructure and economic expansion. For instance we have in Victoria a record of climate change related fires which can be linked at their worst to the thinned and managed forests here. See Victorian Bush-fires: ABC 7.30 Report ignores facts, creates scapegoats”. We have climate refugees now living in tents in the winter cold as a result of these fires. Yet, in this most cleared of states, Mr Brumby is about to send in the loggers to Brown Mountain, where 600 year old trees testify to the very low risk of out-of-control fires in old growth forests. Most recently scientists have tied forest to inland rainfall (Deforestation drys continents - new theory explains how and a huge environmental and political experiment in Borneo by Willie Smit demonstrated they are right (“Recreating Eden”. Climate activism is a huge source of organised public action in the name of which small groups should be able to act. Instead we see a crowd hypnotised by Al Gore and captured and harnessed by various local political groups in their usual quest for power and dollars. It amazes me that the Al Gore Climate Change activists, for all their repetitive noise are apparently unaware of or incapable of stopping the destruction of forests in Australia.

We also have at least two homegrown major applied science theories and practice in the structural ecology of Peter Andrews’ Natural Sequence Farming (NSF) and the social theory (as well as the farming theory) in Bill Mollison’s Permaculture.

With this in mind, I hope I may now call peoples’ attention to some crucial local political action to save Brown Mountain Forest for tomorrow in Melbourne. News just in is that the Brown Mountain decision will be made in a week or so and loggers will go in immediately afterwards! This is a huge forest and logging it will make a HUGE difference to CO2 emissions and local and regional temperature and rainfall if allowed to proceed in this (it bears repeating) the most cleared of Australian states. Protest tomorrow (12 August) at 10.30am on the steps of Parliament House Victoria. Everyone who can come along - young and old. Contact 0413927044