boys light up

The following is written to the tune of "Boys Light Up" by Australian Crawl

David Reyne's original lyrics were unintelligible anyway.....

I cycled past my neighbour’s homes
In Ashgrove, the seat of Kate Jones
Where Campbell campaigns day & night.
His hopes are up for Premier
but Ms Jones is putting up a fight.

Torak tractors sit in every drive
The grass is green, the streets are wide
The candidates pork barrelling
The electorate is carolling
They’ve got one point eight billion reasons
To oppose LegacyWay

CanDo thinks he's Joh incarnate
But that Kate Jones
She will not wait
She’s out on the campaign trail
will she oppose LegacyWay?

(Refrão:)
It’s all de ja vu
This is nothing new
Campbell is channelling Joh
Oh no, no, no, no, no,... then...
Queensland votes

Begrudgingly they go to the polls
Brisbane & its budget
Are now tunnelled full of holes
Campbell’s nominating
to reap what he didn't sow
With a legacy of debt
but no regret
Now he’ll give George Street a go

Out west & north they drill for gas,
Prime ag land salinated,
Just to bring in short term cash.
Kate’s going through the motions
Adaptive management to sell,
That great artesian basin,
will be full of holes as well.

Quirk of Nature

I have a tendency to re-write the lyrics of popular songs....

The following was written when Campbell Newman stepped down as Lord Mayor of Brisbane City Council.

[to the tune of "Freak" by SilverChair]

No more Campbell
Captain Quirk’s got City Hall
Sitting in a star ship
In the middle of a tunnel

Yeah, I'm a Quirk of nature
Yeah, I'm a Quirk

If only I could be cool as Can-Do
Cool as Can-Do

Can-Do you are soul
I'm a Quirk, I'm a Quirk
Can-Do you are soul
I'm a Quirk, I'm a Quirk

The same but different
Without a different outcome
I cut parks & libraries
To get a tunnel done.

Yeah, I'm a Quirk of nature
Yeah, I'm a Quirk

I don't really choose
How to be like a Can-Do

Standing against Ray Smith
Only Brisbane can lose.

If only I could be cool as Can-Do
Cool as Can-Do
Cool as Can-Do

Cool as Can-Do

Can-Do you are soul
I'm a Quirk, I'm a Quirk
Can-Do you are soul
I'm a Quirk, I'm a Quirk (x2)

the sustainable business weekly QLD Edition [Environment Protection Penalties, Enviro Politics]

It has been a huge week in Queensland Environmental politics.

The Queensland Parliament has passed a bill overhauling the penalties in the Environment Protection Laws.

One of the drivers of this change was to ensure that the cost of the fines exceeded the costs of proper disposal.

The Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Act allows courts to issue a range of new sanctions, including "monetary benefit orders" that require polluters to pay fines equivalent to any financial gain they obtained as a result of their illegal activity.

NortonRose will help ASBG unpack & examine the implications of these changes for businesses in the Environmental Management Workshop in May. We shall also examine the best ways to “stay out of trouble” with the environmental regulator.




The Campaign


As New South Wales goes to the polls this weekend, Queensland has suddenly found itself in an election campaign.

The Queensland State Elections are not actually due until mid/late 2012. The Queensland Government has been assuring us that the reconstruction of Queensland is a priority and there will not be an early election.

Brisbane’s current Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, stood on a soap box outside Suncorp Stadium and announced that he was standing for pre-selection for the State seat of Ashgrove.

If Campbell Newman wins pre-selection for Ashgrove (in a one horse race), he will resign as Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor and the Brisbane City Council will be forced to appoint a new Lord Mayor from among the current batch of Councillors. Councillor Graham Quirk is the nominee for replacement Lord Mayor.

Mr Newman is not moving from Ann Street to George Street for the wood chop. He wants the top job. However, while there are still a few hurdles in his way, the Liberal National Party has already started an election campaign based on the premise that Campbell Newman will be Premier.

The likelihood of Campbell Newman NOT winning the Seat of Ashgrove is not only possible, it is probable.

The incumbent member for Ashgrove is the Honourable Kate Jones, a Government Minister for Environment and Resource Management. The margin of the seat of Ashgrove is 7.1%.

So until the next election Environment and Resource Management policy are going to be front & centre in the election campaign we have (even without a election announcement).




Landfill Levy

The first shot fired by the Campbell Newman at Kate Jones has been about the State Government’s proposed Landfill Levy.

The irony is that Council of Mayors in South East Queensland (led by Campbell Newman) have been intrinsically involved in the design of the Levy and fought tooth and nail to have Municipal Authorities exempt from the levy.

The levy will be cumbersome to manage, trying to determine the difference between Municipal & Commercial Waste.

Campbell Newman has attacked Ashgrove MP Kate Jones over her proposed landfill levy and said he had aspirations to “go down and sort out George Street”.


Water Wars

There is no doubt that Campbell Newman will escalate the blame game for the price of water.



Coal Seam Gas

Some believe the next point of differentiation between Campbell Newman & Kate Jones will be over the Coal Seam Gas Industry.

There is a lot of political mileage to be made if Campbell is seen to be advocating on behalf of landholders.

To date the Queensland Government has been opening doors for the Coals Seam Gas Industry, adopting an adaptive management regime. This means that approvals can be modified to ensure the environment is protected if strict monitoring requirements detect any unexpected or unacceptable impacts.

There is speculation that Campbell Newman will take a more prescriptive approach with managing the industry. Up until now, there has been very little opposition from the Queensland State Opposition to Coal Seam Gas.
The breakaway conservative QLD party and the Queensland Greens are pushing for a moratorium on any more Coal Sean Gas Development.

Stradbroke Island

For better or for worse, the Queensland State Government has brought forward the timetable for the cessation of sand mining on Stradbroke Island.





The Carbon Price Debate



In Canberra this week, there has been very little progress towards gaining any details of the proposed Carbon Price.

Question time in Parliament & the Senate was more like a “Rock & Roll” wrestling match, with mixed messages about the Government & the Opposition’s actual positions on pricing carbon.

Bryan Dawe and John Clarke have provided an elegant summary of the current state of play.

tunnel vision

Oooooooooooo

Deep, deeper than you’d think
You’re building Northern Link
One point eight billion dollars dear
A sneech with belly stars
A tunnel built for cars
Campbell, you are soul

I'm missing Kevin Rudd
Been lying in the mud
Trying to stop the excavation
Sow and you shall reap
You make me feel like I could weep
So deep, tunnel vision

A road, Toowong to Kelvin Grove
Ratepayer debt now owed
Leaving us a Legacy of debt
Explain all these road tolls
I can't drive but you dig holes
Your goal is tunnel vision

Pay a toll on another hole
Campbell you are soul
Lying down, excavation
Sow and you shall reap
You make me feel like I could weep
So deep, tunnel vision

Blind, tunnel vision is all you see
Debt is the Legacy
Nothing in life is free

Pay a toll on another hole
Campbell you are soul
Lying down, excavation
Sow and you shall reap
You make me feel like I could weep
So deep, tunnel vision

Tunnel Vision….
Tunnel Vision….
Tunnel Vision….
Tunnel Vision….
Tunnel Vision….
Tunnel Vision….

Sustainable Business Weekly QLD Edition [Risk management capability in a changing climate]

ASBG QLD met with staff from NortonRose’s Brisbane Office this week and are closer to announcing a series of half day workshops throughout May, June & July 2011.

Topics will interest Environment Practitioners, Safety Managers and those whose responsibilities cut across Environment, Health & Safety.

ASBG is still planning a number of FREE public evening forums on Sustainability, with moderated panel discussions.

The first QnA forum will start with a presentation on Electric Vehicles (EV’s), followed by a Panel discussion on roads, rail, rates, rides etc…

A subsequent QnA forum will consider the vulnerability and sustainability of our industrial food system.





Risk

This edition of ASBG’s Sustainable Business weekly considers the question posed by Prof Andrew “Wilf” Wilford from Bond University:
Is our risk management capability maturity adequate to deal with such issues as accelerating climate instability, energy security and resource depletion? If not, why not. and what needs to change?




Risk Management Capability

In light of recent natural disasters, it appears that it is the low frequency high impact incidents - fire, flood, earthquake, tsunami, melt-down - that capture our collective attention and response, at almost any cost.

Meanwhile the high frequency low impact events (in terms of death and injury at least) cumulatively have a far greater impact on society and our environment, but to these many people are largely oblivious.

High frequency low impact events
One of the most dangerous activities that we face is getting to and from our workplace and business related travel.

The Australian Financial Review reports that occupational health and safety covers more than just office or factory premises and includes transport too.

A draft of the national heavy vehicle laws and the questions of maximum & minimum driving hours are part of the changing regulatory environment.

The question of fatigue also has implications for those of us who commute.

It is time to reconsider the risks and occupational health, safety & environmental impacts of commuting and business travel.

In the hierarchy of control, eliminating a hazard is the first step. Advances in Information technology are providing more opportunities to allow staff to tele-commute instead of commuting or travelling. One has to seriously consider the possible consequences of tele-commuting in terms of exposure to risks and emissions reductions.



Building Risk Management Capability

One of the half day workshops being proposed by ASBG QLD is a crash course in AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009.

After 5 years of development, the Risk Management Standard, AS/NZS 4360:2004 has been superseded by AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009, Risk management - Principles and guidelines.

ASBG intends to unpack AS/NZS ISO 31000:2009 and explain the relevance for Environment, Health &/or Safety Practitioners.




Accelerating Climate Instability

The Federal Government's key climate adviser Professor Ross Garnaut says the scientific case for climate change has been strengthened.

He has released the fifth update to his 2008 report on climate change - specifically tackling climate science.

The sixth paper considers the price of carbon & emissions reductions.





The Carbon Price Debate & Coal Seam Gas


The majority of Australia's greenhouse gas emission cuts this decade are meant to come by switching from coal-fired power to gas.

In Queensland, a switch to gas means coal seam gas. There are concerns about groundwater contamination and depletion, fugitive emissions and other environmental impacts including on food production.

The Australian Financial Review reported that JP Morgan had serious concerns about Queensland's significant water risks and a potential risk to public safety.

There is also a risk that if the price of pollution is set to low by the Gillard Government, that it will simply become an incentive scheme for investment in transitional technologies (like gas) rather than renewable energy (such as baseload solar thermal with storage or wind turbines).




Reframing the climate change debate

One of the take home messages from EcoForum last week is that the doom & gloom messages are not helping the climate debate. There is an emerging school of thought that focuses on the benefits to society of cleaner technologies and reduced consumption.

let's talk about poo

Apologies to Salt 'n' Pepa for theft of their melody:

(Punch it, Jack
Yo, I don't think we should talk about this
Come on, why not?
People might misunderstand what we're tryin' to say, you know?
No, but that's a part of life)

Come on

[CHORUS]

Let's talk about toilets, baby
Let's talk about poo and wee
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about toilets
Let's talk about toilets
Let's talk about toilets
Let's talk about toilets

Let's talk about toilets for now to the people at home or in the crowd
It keeps coming up anyhow
Don't decoy, avoid, or make void the topic
Cuz that ain't gonna stop it
Now we talk about toilets on the radio and video shows
Many will know anything goes
Let's tell it how it is, and how it could be
How it was, and of course, how it should be
Those who think it's dirty have a choice
Pick up the needle, press pause, or turn the radio off
Will that stop us, Nora? I doubt it
All right then, come on, Spin

[CHORUS]

Its hard to believe but I know its true
Girls stops going to school ‘cause there’s nowhere to poo
Fellas poo like fools, but then again they're only human
Pooing on the street or in the creek, the smell is fumin’
Poo, wee, pads, sanitary napkins
Lying on the street or out in the open
Flies and vermin spread the disease
People can’t work when their on their knees
Don’t even mess with central sewers, when pit latrines will do
2.6 billion people with no designated place to poo
We are blessed with loos to do our poos,
We have it all on tap so we should be wrapped,
But we take the flush and toilet paper for granted,
Think about wasted water and the trees not planted!
No sense, just waste, followed next by pollution,
Ecosanitation is a better solution.

Let's talk about toilets, baby (sing it)
Let's talk about you and me (sing it, sing it)
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about toilets (come on)
Let's talk about toilets (do it)
Let's talk about toilets (uh-huh)
Let's talk about toilets

Ladies, all the ladies, louder now, help me out
Come on, all the ladies - let's talk about toilets, all right
[repeat]

(Yo, Nora, I don't think they're gonna play this on the radio
And why not? Everybody does poo
I mean, everybody should be pooing in a toilet
Come on, there’s 2.6 billion people without a toilet?)

[CHORUS]

Surfin Poo & Wee

"Well everybody did a motion,
Across the U.S.E*....
And it all ends up in the ocean,
We're surfing poo & wee,
You’d see em flushing the toliet
mixing their ones & twos
flushin with potable water,
Surfin wee & poo

Sewage has primary treatment,
To remove the chunks that stink,
By the time its tertiary treated,
It could be fit to drink....
All that embodied energy,
Embodied water too...
Would it not be better to separate our ones & twos?


You see the deep outfalls at Bondi
& discharged at Potter Point
Sepia Depression & Bolivar
Sandgate and Luggage Point
All over Port Phillip Bay
And Gunnamatta Beach

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin wee & poo

We all mix our wee & poo,
We’re gonna flush real soon
We’re flushing down our faeces
We just waste our poo
We could be growing our veges
We could be growing a tree
Tell Jack Sim were surfin
Surfin poo & wee

Gibson Island desal plant
is keeping Incitec cool
they waste the Nitrogen & phosphorus
then burn the fossil fuel
All over Australia
We mix our ones & twos
Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin wee & poo

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin wee & poo.

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin wee & poo


*United States of emergency