Pericles"
<It is extremely rare for a project involving unoccupied land, whether for mining, holiday resort or simple home-building, to lack an objection based upon the potential to damage "the environment">

It's true that those pesky Greenies are now part of the process of development, reduced to an equation, the expense factored into the cost of the development, inclusive of the processes of "negotiation" and procurement. Developers, of whatever stamp, do not go in as wide-eyed entrepreneurs, only to be put down by goggle-eyed Greenies. The shrewd businessperson identifies "all" the hurdles that lie between him/her and the identified capital (I do not credit the entrepreneur with vision enough to see the forest for the cash, let alone to recognise ethical or sustainability issues as legitimate. Unthinkable! In any case, making money is the supreme virtue in our culture; it's a sign of weakness to prevaricate). Similarly, casinos do not set-up without establishing their credentials as "philanthropists" and sponsoring "safe" drinking and gambling programmes etc. (It would be hilarious if it wasn't all part of the same malignancy). Indeed they don't go in without already established PR infrastructure to deal with the knockers. Dealing with Greenies is no different to having to find a way to drill on the ocean floor; the problem's either negotiable or it's not, and they don't invest, for the long term, if it's not.
Despite those pesky Greenies, nothing is sacred; there will be the occasional high-profile win: the Franklin or Mary damns and the odd pulp-mill (token gestures to the Greens and kudos for incumbent governments), but the fracking and digging and clearing and mayhem go on almost without pause. It's a war of averages and attrition the Greenies are never going to win, because green can't compete with GOLD, and the promise of JOBS--to keep the pathetic imaginations of industry's minions whetted.
The Greenie is the new Aussie Battler, but does s/he get a fair go?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"Just who do you greenies think you are? What gives you some special right to tell others how they should live their lives. Just when did you buy my property?"

Hasbeen
May I suggest you read what this post is about. I was not aware you owned the Tarkine - "your property"!

The only people dictating what to do with publicly owned forests seem to be mining companies and the logging industry. Why don't we have a referendum when these heritage listings come up and put it to the people?

This topic is not about control of understory growth. There is little chance of the Tarkine going up in a bushfire given the high rainfall in the area.

If you want a discussion on fire control then start a new thread and stop making uninformed comments in a knee jerk reaction toward anything Green.

Dear Pelly,

Talking about the Greens and property. There was an interesting article in, The Age, Saturday, 19th March, 2011. p. 5. by Michael Gordon. It seems that Bob Brown's property Oura Oura,(meaning black cockatoo) his property at Liffey, near Launceston the Australian Greens leader is handing over to Bush Heritage Australia. Brown feels that its time for others to enjoy the magic of Liffey. "I've often thought, sitting here, that if only I could press a button and magically have people who have suffered come here for a few days," Brown says. It's too early to pre-empt a management plan for the property but it may include an education centre, enabling visitors of stay in the cottage that will be preserved as Brown leaves it. "Let's drink to the wedge-tails, the platypuses, the owls, and the ringtail possums. May they give visitors for the next 100 years the joy they have given me." It seems that not everyone wants to hang onto their own properties - some are willing to give theirs away for the benefit of others. There are those that care and work, and those that can only criticize them.

Lexi
Thank you for the referral to the article. I do remember when Senator Brown was mulling over the idea of handing Liffey over to the Bush Heritage Fund. What a generous gift. It is a beautiful area of Tasmania.

http://www.bushheritage.org.au/

The BHF is a worthy cause and it is good to see citizens making a difference while our governments continue to neglect forest protection policies as a general rule.

Proof it is, Lexi, of Dr Bob Browns personal commitment to the environment. A case of practising what you preach.
If I may inappropriately use evangelistic language.

You would have to say that it's represents leadership by example.

Something sadly lacking in Australian (major party) mainstream politics.

How dare he, the radical so and so. (lol)

Dear Pericles,

You raise an important point and one that vexed me for a long while. I got involved in an anti-logging campaign over a decade now primarily because it was impacting on my own business.

My resolve grew for a number of reasons. One I was lied to by a government official and I can't tell you how much that got up my nose. Next was an awareness of the impact clear felled logging had on my community's water supply.

Then came the growing recognition that the main economic reason for native forest logging in the area was to ship wood-chips to Japan, a country with twice the percentage total forest cover of my state (including our plantations) and three times the amount of native forest. In fact they have nearly 70% of their country forested, a hell of a lot of that is plantation and virtually untouched. Why? Because some 'stupid Aussies' were prepared to ship it to them cheaper than they can process their own timber. They can afford to reap the other benefits forests bring including amenity.

So I suppose I followed the path that many people do gaining awareness of what matters to them. When we are young (in age, information, or opinion) we are concerned about what affects ourselves or our immediate family. As we mature that concern engages the broader community, then the country, and possibly other nations. But that still didn't get me over the line when it came to accepting areas might be sealed away from all but the most minimal impact of humans.

I am there now but hadn't really thought why until your posts. Perhaps it is just a matter of me extending my awareness to the rights of other species to exist in viable populations.

Cont,