Catch 22: The case for biodiversity in climate change policy

Nearly 10% of domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with 1000 more breeds still threatened which means the pool of genetic variation which underpins food security has declined. Astoundingly, the Report is  the first intergovernmental report on biodiversity and ecosystems that takes into account indigenous knowledge.

Ships of Darwin Harbour – Part 2 – Cruise ships, military and miscellaneous shipping

Sailing Vessel Kaiwo Maru This is part 2 of what may become a multipart series … Darwin harbour is without doubt still a beautiful place. Sure, while humans and nature have both tried their best to trash the place over the past couple of hundred years – the settler society with inappropriate residential [...]

Ships of Darwin Harbour – Part 1 – Industrial shipping

There is the promised threat of long-overdue but never-coming rain through the long months of the Gurrulwa Guligi (big wind) and Dalirrgang (build up) seasons, when pretty much every-thing and -one is stagnant with humidity, sweat and dread and when anything, nothing and everything does, can – or doesn’t and can’t – happen.

The Role of a Speaker in Determining the Opposition: Kezia Purick

In the Northern Territory there was not always an opposition that could be recognised even when the Assembly had two non-government members who were elected as independents. While occasionally styled as ‘in opposition’ they were not recognised and resourced in such a manner (1974-77): Kezia Purick, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory.

Blow-flies, “honey” and secret recipes: the great NAIDOC Blachung cook-off of 2019

"The prawn paste is the base of any proper Blachung of course but a lot of people use really different things. Some use chicken giblets, turtle guts, goose giblets. All sorts of stuff. Some of it is very, very hot, some is mild and some has more flavour than heat. I like a lot of heat and a lot of flavour!": Nigel Browne, Larrakia Development Corporation.

Which way? That way! The High Court issues a mud map for native title compensation

Lawyers will be excited and busy this week. Government lawyers will be reading the decision closely and working out how to proceed.  Often where States or Territories have granted tenure for specific projects (such as a mine) there is a contractual agreement between the State or Territory and the project proponent that passes compensation liabilities through to the proponent, so there will also be some company lawyers busy assessing potential liabilities.  Lawyers who represent indigenous groups will be carefully considering where to go next.

The long overdue and well-deserved death of “political correctness.” An explainer by Michael Vaughan.

I prefer the definition attributed by some to former US president Harry S Truman in 1945: "Political correctness is a doctrine, recently fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and promoted by a sick mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end." Amen to that.

Photo Essay: When the rubber hits the road.

Every Australian small town has a place - or several - outside of town where the local hoons take stolen cars to lay their marks on the road in rubber. Sometimes - if the drivers have skill, a good motor and a nice new set of someone else's tyres - the marks left are almost abstract artworks. Other times, less so.

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