Chris Smith talks to Andrew Bolt about our Liar of a Prime Minister and the “Gaza Aid / Peace Flotilla”
Peace Flotilla members Practice Killing and Maiming
A member of the Gaza Aid / Peace Flotilla rehearsing with his Peace Dagger
Alan Jones “A choice between Civilization & Barbarism
Alan Jones talks with Rio Tinto Mining boss Tom Albanese about the Rudd Governments “Super Tax”
Pacific islands growing, not sinking
Philippa McDonald in Auckland,
ABC June 3, 2010,
Climate scientists have expressed surprise at findings that many low-lying Pacific islands are growing, not sinking.
Islands in Tuvalu, Kiribati and the Federated States of Micronesia are among those which have grown, largely due to coral debris, land reclamation and sediment.
The findings, published in the magazine New Scientist, were gathered by comparing changes to 27 Pacific islands over the last 20 to 60 years using historical aerial photos and satellite images.
Auckland University's Associate Professor Paul Kench, a member of the team of scientists, says the results challenge the view that Pacific islands are sinking due to rising sea levels associated with climate change.
"Eighty per cent of the islands we've looked at have either remained about the same or, in fact, gotten larger," he said.
"Some of those islands have gotten dramatically larger, by 20 or 30 per cent.
"We've now got evidence the physical foundations of these islands will still be there in 100 years."
Dr Kench says the growth of the islands can keep pace with rising sea levels.
"The reason for this is these islands are so low lying that in extreme events waves crash straight over the top of them," he said.
"In doing that they transport sediment from the beach or adjacent reef platform and they throw it onto the top of the island."
But Dr Kench says this does not mean climate change does not pose dangers.
"The land may still be there but will they still be able to support human habitation?" he asked.
Adelaide University climate scientist Professor Barry Brook says he is surprised by the findings.
"Sea levels are obviously rising - I think in the short term [the study] suggests that there's maybe more time to do something about the problem than we'd first anticipated," he said.
"But the key problem is that sea level rise is likely to accelerate much beyond what we've seen in the 20th century."
Naomi Thirobaux, from Kiribati, has studied the shape of Pacific islands for her PhD and says no-one should be lulled into thinking erosion and inundation is not taking its toll and displacing people from their land.
"In a populated area what would happen was that if it's eroding, a few metres would actually displace people," she said.
"In a populated place people can't move back or inland because there's hardly any place to move into, so that's quite dramatic."
Both Dr Kench and Dr Brook and scientists agree further rises in sea levels pose a significant danger to the livelihoods of people living in Tuvalu, Kirabati and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Police save Sydney girl from forced marriage
ABC June 3, 2010, 7:44 am
A 17-year-old Sydney girl has saved herself from being forced to go to Lebanon for an arranged marriage by calling the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Federal police say the girl sounded frightened when she called them about a month ago. She said mother was out, but that she may have to hang up at any time.
She then explained her plight - her mother had booked her on a flight from Australia to Lebanon in mid-May, where she was to be married.
She said her father and step-father supported the decision.
The girl, who can not be named, said she had heard about the airport watch list and wanted to be placed on it so that there was no way she would be able to leave the country.
The AFP took the matter to the Federal Magistrate's Court which handed down its judgement last week.
It banned her family from taking her from Australia and ordered them not to threaten her.
The Usual Suspects.
Xstrata blames $586m suspension on mining tax
ABC
Updated 1 hour 13 minutes ago
The company says the two projects would have created 3,250 new jobs.
Lu Kewen, Comrade Garrett, Comrade Swan, Madame Gillard
Mining company Xstrata says it is suspending almost $600 million to develop two Queensland mining projects because of the Federal Government's proposed tax on mining profits.
Xstrata has suspended $586 million for the development of the Wandoan thermal coal project in central Queensland and the extension of the Ernest Henry copper mine in the state's north-west.
The company says the two projects would have created 3,250 new jobs which have now been put at risk.
The Federal Member for Kennedy, Independent Bob Katter, says it is a shattering blow to his electorate.
He says it should be clear to the Government that its mining tax is diabolical for the industry.
"Three thousand two hundred jobs will vanish," Mr Katter said.
"A further 1,000 permanent jobs will also vanish and unfortunately for me a significant proportion of those 1,000 permanent jobs is my own home town of Cloncurry.
"I knew this was coming, I've been desperately afraid and now the evil day has come."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he expected announcements like this.
"I said at the very beginning of this debate ... that there would be ... threats of project closures, there would be projects threatened to be frozen, or frozen," he said.
"This is part and parcel of what will be the normal argy-bargy of a very tense debate.
"No mining company I've met so far has whacked up their hand and said they'd like to pay more tax."
Beijing’s highest ranking official in Australia, Australian Prime Minister Lu Kewen aka. “Kevin 07 Rudd” is no doubt pleased with the results so early in his governments campaign to destroy the Australian mining industry and prepare it, for his and his Labor Party’s Beijing based Masters to pick up the pieces for a song.
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