Our Oceans are being Plundered!

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/NATURE/11/13/missing.fish/index.html

Overfishing is a major threat to sustainability Worldwide.

For many years the fishing industry has acted irresponsibly with nets up to over 40 miles long being deployed, finer net, non-rotting net which when lost will fish almost forever with devastating effects on ocean life, etc.

Major fisheries and breeding grounds have collapsed and huge ships are now devastating areas like the Polar regions and the last remnants.

Smaller countries using modest equipment are having to witness huge fishing boats taking literally everything with no consideration for the future.

We have to give conservation some effective teeth before the World’s fish stocks collapse totally!

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,583463,00.html

It is a time to reassess our value system – as the World faces a financial crisis it is worth remembering  the value of our delicate ecosystems. Sadly, unlike the financial crisis, it will tend to escape the public gaze and it certainly won’t figure in the news headlines!

Not all recycling is genuine & the problems created can be huge.

http://www.trade2save.com/blog/

EWaste is a major problem now and we have to be conscious of the fact that many people are using our desire to recycle but in the process are scamming, abusing human rights and polluting in a major way.

This applies, however, to all forms of recycling. Major ships, for example, are torn apart on badly damaged beaches by an army of low-paid workers working with minimal equipment under highly dangerous conditions. The employers abuse comprehensively and make rich pickings from their tacky trade. Most purely serve selfish interest and disregard every tenet of moral responsibility.

The developed nations are exporting their waste problems in an ever-increasing constant stream under the pretence that the trade is enlightened and environmentally friendly.

Much of the trade is a scam.

Recycling doesn’t mean just shifting a huge problem!

We are simply shifting a disaster rather than solving one!

http://www.greenleft.org.au/2007/715/37118

The World is being deceived as recycling intentions are not met by reality.

Big business, yet again, is getting its grubby hands into the “cookie jar” – BIG time!

Honest efforts on the part of the public are being prostituted by those who are simply not fulfilling the expectations and intentions of those trying to address the critical environmental woes besetting us all.

We are shifting the pollution of the developed countries into the environment of the under-developed countries thus causing the same environmental woes and in the process, because of primitive working conditions, aggravating the health problems for lowly paid, and child, workers!

This cannot continue we have to expose the charade and address waste and recycling in a more enlightened way!

The sub-standard Chinese products & scams threaten consumers!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10534620

The poisoned food scare grows deeper and deeper – many of the World’s major companies who rushed to China to gain bigger profits are now reeling. These companies tended to put profit before people and it has, deservedly, come back to bite them in the backside – BIG time!

Sadly, as is often the case, it is the poor innocents that pay the biggest price!

Here in New Zealand one of our largest companies which normally offers superb products has been implicated by virtue of its major shareholding in a major Chinese company. Now, Fonterra the New Zealand company, is in full-blown damage control after huge financial and market implications.

It is clear they prejudiced their ability to keep standards high in the Chinese product because they were too busy reeling-in the huge financial advantages of involvement in China.

Also now clear is that, lacking the direct control by Fonterra in the day-to-day quality checks, the profligate elements in China implemented a regime that that country has perfected – FAKE!

Now address that to the aggrieved and grievously affected parties after “the horse has bolted”!

Bottom trawling must be banned!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6147896.stm

Bottom trawling destroys the sea floor and literally creates a desert beneath the waves.

At a time when fish stocks are being depleted at record rates we persist with this destruction at our own peril. Throughout the World many of the prime fishing areas have been decimated.

What of the future – mankind seems to have a death wish for his own kind!

Algae provides energy solutions – big time!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html

This is exciting, positively a technology which has the potential to overcome our energy problems and it can be applied in much of the World.

The real plus is that we can use degraded water, improve its quality, reap the algae which forms in a speedy fashion, and glean a never-ending supply of energy stock. Brilliant!

Our diminishing bird populations are signalling looming crisis

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10533577

The loss of bird populations round the World is significant and worrisome – this  signifies widespread damage to habitat. Considering the bird populations identify with a wide range of ocean or land-based habitat and ecology this demonstrates the depth of the problems facing Planet Earth.

We may look at the odd bird species and dismiss it as a narrow isolated instance but we can’t use the same thinking when the loss of bird numbers extends into wider arena.

Mankind has little time to simply slow the momentum of destruction; any thoughts of a “quick-fix” are absurd. The question is now: do we have time before a widespread collapse of our vitally important ecosystems simply offers little hope for our very survival?

Certainly, at best, mankind is doomed to a very sobering existence once our ecosystems collapse.

Like the canaries in the coal mines of old, our loss of bird populations signifies big trouble!

If one dead canary down one mine shaft signalled real danger what does the Worldwide loss of bird populations tell us? It is not “rocket science”!

New Zealand – spectacular and worth a visit.

The Heaphy Track, a beautiful walk in New Zealand

New Zealand has some of the finest scenery in the World and is well worth a visit.

The Heaphy Track in the North of the South Island is regarded as one of the best natural walks in the country.

Stretching over 42 miles this Track offers a spectacular palm-lined coast,  virgin forests, an alpine plateau and a wonderful natural peaceful setting full of diversity.

Thoroughly recommended.

China through its attitude, poisons the kids!

http://www.stuff.co.nz/AAMB0/aamsz=760×120/4693592a13.html

Here again we find China at the forefront of a poisoning incidence and the World community has to ask some pretty serious questions at a time when much of the product we use in food, medicines, etc is being sourced from China.

What is very clear is that the propensity of the Chinese to pursue fake, scams and misrepresentation is deeply entrenched and their value systems must be questioned.

China will, no doubt, create an example of the culprits in the poisoned milk saga and probably execute them but that doesn’t solve the underlying problem. As was proved as recently as the Olympic Games China has mastered the act of deception – in that case dissenters were removed from the cities hosting the Games or simply imprisoned. Their sad story was lost in the hype of the Olympics!

China is not alone in producing fake and scams but it is certainly the most dominant and blatant offender.

At a time when many of our reputable companies are using China as a cheap producer of goods we have to be aware that the implications can be far-reaching and significant. In the case of the poisoned milk much of this product has been sent to desperately poor countries already suffering huge problems. The last thing these poor people deserved was feeding their starving children with poisoned milk!

Here in New Zealand one of our biggest companies must now regret allowing the Chinese attitude to taint not only the milk product but also the fine reputation of New Zealand.

New Zealand might well become “the sacrificial lamb”!