Facebook exceeds 500 members!

Well, its been only a couple of weeks since its conception and the 'GECO Facebook fan page' has grown to over 500 members. It has become a successful forum for like-minded individuals from all over Australia and the globe to connect and/or become informed on issues concerning Victoria's forests.

Members are actively involved in contributing to the page and proliferating discussion on topics, which are often 'swept under the rug'. The open two-way communication on the site empowers individuals to share their insights and become a part of a broader forest protection community.

To become a fan click on the link (attached to the blog*)

FYI *Non-facebook members can also visit and view all it has to offer however, will be unable to make contributions without setting up a profile.

What a joke- forgotten forests

Australia's association with the Copenhagen accord negotiations for emissions targets bottom line is currently at 5% provided a global agreement is made to stabilise levels of green house gases. "Quantified economy-wide emissions targets for 2020 5% up to 15% or 25%" provided greenhouse gases are at "450ppm CO2 or lower" See http://unfccc.int/files/meetings/application/pdf/australiacphaccord_app1.pdf for more details.

Australia is included in the many countries with no clear accounting rules for Land use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) with no stipulation, these agreements are piecemeal setting easily achievable targets will make little difference, leaving the future of our forests totally uncertain.

Action you can take:

Write to Penny Wong and place pressure on the government to stipulate their Land use, Land use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) agreements in the Copenhagen accord.

Simple feedback form link to Penny Wong

http://www.aph.gov.au/SEnate/senators/homepages/contact.asp?id=00AOU

River alert fails to halt logging in burnt bush, The Age reports.

Melbourne's water supply is being jeopardised by logging around the water catchment worsened by the char of the Black Saturday fires. A warning was issued on  July 24 last year. Kerr reports "... this practice has been common in Victoria since the 1939 fires but has been questioned recently by scientists because of the environmental damage it causes" (Kerr, 2009 The Age). They fear other impacts from the logging include habitat reduction, impairment of forest regeneration, erosion, sediment input and loss of some fish species. 

The article states "Removal of standing and fallen logs from burnt areas represents a particularly large treath because if left (in place) these logs would trap sediment and limit the amount of material entering tributary streams and ultimately the Yarra" (Kerr, 2009 The Age).

Circulate amongst your networks, for a link to the article http://www.theage.com.au/national/river-alert-fails-to-halt-logging-in-burnt-bush-20100205-niq3.html

The Lorax

By Dr. Seuss

"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for

the trees have no tongues."

"Look Lorax," I said "there's no cause for alarm. I chopped just one

tree, I am doing no harm....."

Go to page http://www.doctors.for.forests.org.au/ and click on link The Lorax to read full version.

OR

Go to GECO on Facebook to watch the video

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GECO/294487068419?ref=ts

DOIN TIME

This is a comment posted earlier on that rightfully deserves it's place in the primetime.

Emma Jayne said...

An East Gippy activist is currently in remand in Orbost police cells pending an appearance before the magistrates court in Bairnsdale tomorrow morning. The forest defender has refused to sign his bail conditions in view of the fact that they prohibit him from entering a vast legion of locations throughout East Gippsland.
Imposing these broad bail conditions on activists has been common practice throughout the East Gippsland forest management area and these unreasonable conditions are invariably deemed superfluous and are generally amended prior to a hearing.
After spending 40 hours tree-sitting in the survey road coup [shown above] this activist is taking todays demonstration to its limits by prolonging his efforts in a bid to draw attention to yet another legal oversight on behalf of the Victorian logging industry.
Good on him!

GECO on Facebook

Started on Monday the 25th of Jan GECO's fan page on Facebook. Today reaches 100 and counting...

With lots of great comments and plenty of people watching footage uploaded from youtube and directly from actions, it seems to be a successful way to communicate with people based all over the world, drumming up support and bringing together networks of likeminded individuals.

While I have been in Sydney visiting family and friends I have been able to log on and view what is happening on the ground receiving updates virtually as fast as they happen.

A couple of people have been assigned to be able to make updates and fans can comment or post at liberty, this ensures freshly updated information and the ability to update from multiple computers in many different locations.

Hopefully this tool can also be used to enlist the professional support of specialists based in Melbourne or Canberra to offer their skills to stop the logging of these magnificent trees.

Invasion Day 26th Jan.

Before there was white man there was old growth forests.

Today 26th Jan marks an annual event often recognised as Australia Day. For Indigenous peoples this day marks the destruction of country and dispossession of land.

Share the Spirit Festival

Start: 26 Jan 2010- 11:00am

End: 26 Jan 2010- 8:00pm

Treasury Gardens, Spring St Melbourne.

"A range of individual Aboriginal artists and bands commemorating and presenting elements of the complex Aboriginal agenda from a socio-political perspective through performing arts. Songlines Aboriginal music is pleased to announce that Dan Sultan will be Headlining the 2010 Share the Spirit Festival."