Paddling furiously trying to stop dam stupidity

Apr 12, 2008

Paddling furiously trying to stop dam stupidity

I went to a boat ramp in inner-city West End this morning to help support kayaker (and water engineer) Steve Posselt as he started a month long journey aimed at drawing attention to the stupidity of the Queensland Labor government’s Traveston Dam. His journey is called “Don’t Murray the Mary” – a call not to knowingly stuff up the Mary River as we have the River Murray. Me addressing the crowd just before Steve rolls his kayak into the Brisbane River

Stevehas previoulsy taken his kayak down the length of the Murray River to raise awareness to help repair the mess made of that, and is similarly appaled at the propsect of major harm being unnecessarily done to an important catchment and waterway like the Mary. He will paddle up the Brisbane River, walk across to the headwaters of the Mary River, and paddle down that river to the Great Sandy Straits and back to Brisbane alone coast. You can read daily update of his trip at this site. More details here.

8 Comments, Comment or Ping

philip travers

Yes at the end of Rudd meets Chinese Helmsman and Pakistan Carers of Borders.Inc.one can see the good Senator Andrew,supporting something that is Australian,and not full of the perfected windbaggery of Diplomacy.May the great kayaker helmsman succeed for Queenslanders and Australians.Perhaps a song should be dreamt up to words by the Posselt..music by the Bartlett!?

Apr 12th, 2008
Michael Blundell

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Apr 14th, 2008
Lorikeet

Surely the mistakes made with the Murray River, once recognised, could be avoided???

Apr 15th, 2008
Nancy Jakeman

Thanks Michael Blundell. I would like info. on your product as I am aware that if each of us was able to harvest the rainwater from our own roofs? we would be well ahead nationally as water conservationists. We would have pure rainwater, filtered if we felt, and not the same inclination to stand under a ten minute shower. Also I regularly watch beautiful water flooding down the gutters in front of my house. Surely we can harvest some of this without endangering estuarine systems! I absolutely absolutely cannot fathom why the Q. Govt. wants to perpetrate this dam on our beautiful Mary Valley! IT WON’T EVEN WORK! I with my friend Marlene, visited her sister last month who lives at Tuchekoi and as we sat looking down over the beautiful valley with 360 degree views there was such a timelessness present that I said to myself… I have to do SOMETHING for the Mary real soon. I did go to the first rally at Gympie and noticed that Prem. Peter Beattie, for whom I feel quite an affection, had totally closed ears. Prem. Anna Bligh has the same closed mind. THEY JUST AREN’T LISTENING! Not good government eh! What to do?
I read in the Sunshine Coast Daily of Steve Posselt’s epic adventures and decided I would be at the Kandanga Hall on April 27th at midday for a rally and BBQ and also at the West End Boat Ramp on Sun. May 11th at 11am… for a march along the riverside boardwalk. Please join us! To check Steve’s progress go to http://www.kayak4earth.com We may not have many more chances to demonstrate how strongly we feel about this tragic, bloody silly decision. Yes!

Apr 17th, 2008
muzzmonster

You’re assuming, Lorikeet, that people (particularly politicians) actually look to the lessons of history in order to make decisions. I get the distinct feeling that most of us (and them) do not. (self included)

Apr 17th, 2008
Lorikeet

Yes, Muzz. And we still keep blindly following the mistakes of the USA.

Nancy:

There may come a time when no water is available to “harvest” directly from the sky. Home water tanks will quickly empty.

With our rapidly growing population, we need more water storage facilities so that people can continue to drink!

Apr 18th, 2008
Michael Blundell

Nancy Jakeman Sorry it`s taken so long to get back .
Please
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Apr 22nd, 2008
Michael Blundell

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24 Bangaly

Queanbeyan

NSW

With thanks

Apr 22nd, 2008

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It was 20 years ago today.

On 20 November 1989, the international Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) was formally adopted. According http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/18/us-ratify-children-s-treaty?tr=y&auid=5614841 to Human Rights Watch, the Convention became “the most widely and rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history. Twenty years on, only two countries have failed to ratify the Convention – Somalia and the USA.

In the USA, Presidential action to ratify an international treaty requires the approval of the Senate. I think this is a good mechanism and one Australia should adopt, even though it would undoubtedly be frustrating from time to time. But regardless of the distractions of health care reform and climate change legislation, this is one action the USA’s President and Senate should get moving on.

On 20 November 1989, the international Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) was formally adopted. According to Human Rights Watch, the Convention became “the most widely and rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history. Twenty years on, only two countries have failed to ratify the Convention – Somalia and the USA. Somalia currently has no recognised government, which makes it impossible for it to ratify the CROC. In the USA, Presidential action to ratify an international treaty requires the approval of the Senate. I think this is a good mechanism and one Australia should adopt, even though it would undoubtedly be frustrating from time to time. But regardless of the distractions of health care reform and climate change legislation, this is one action the USA’s President and Senate should get moving on.

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