Cinema

Gadfly 264 By Robert Macklin Climate Change Minister, Chris Bowen tells us we have ‘not a second to waste’ to save the planet. If we haven’t decarbonized by 2060, total chaos will be upon us; the human race as we know it will be headed for existential disaster. It reminded me of that the great lexicographer, Samuel Johnson, who remarked, ‘Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.’ No doubt, it works for the individual, but mass humanity, it seems, is quite a different matter. Oh well, we’ve had an interesting time as a species. For example, trees and the human family have shared an intimate bond from time immemorial. The great forests that covered most of the earth in the Tertiary era (66 million to 2 million years ago) provided both home and provender as our species evolved from its progenitors. The fossil record tells us it was not until 4.2 to 3.5 million years ago, that members of our ancestry progressively ventured down from their arboreal havens into Africa’s savannahs, often returning at night to a well-fashioned bed in the protective canopy. Two million years ago we finally abandoned Nature’s mighty B&B permanently for a pedestrian life on the earth’s surface. Even then, it was the gathered kindling and broken limbs of trees which fuelled the fires that protected us from predators. On our various emigrations from Africa, beginning as Homo erectus and finally as Homo sapiens, trees not only supplied the fruits and the protein within their hideaways to support the journey but the armory of spears and clubs necessary to secure the prey – and defend ourselves – as we travelled It was the floating of forest timbers that enabled us to cross between land bridges and riverbanks. And in the time of settlement, they would supply the framework for gunyahs, huts and all manner of increasingly complex homes until the present day. But with the settlements came the open spaces needed for farming and grazing. Land clearing joined with forest harvesting to turn the arboreal asset into an impediment to industry’s ‘progress’. And as the human population soared, the great forests were decimated and their ‘sinks’ for carbon dioxide slowly evaporated. The resulting climate change wrought a deadly transformation. Prospering forests baked into deserts, ironically in the very areas of Sub-Saharan Africa that had provided the home and the provender that enabled the human family to evolve as the planet’s unchallenged apex predator. Homo sapiens arrived in Australia from their African journey at least 65,000 years ago. In time, the people learned to live in harmony with the forest land, but by managing the environment with a sophisticated fire regime, they reduced the range of tree species until it was dominated by the eucalypts which needed fire to propagate. And they used it wisely. Following the British arrival, Australia soon became one of the more enthusiastic clearers of trees to expand its cropping and grazing industries. And without the Aboriginal wisdom, fire turned feral. By Federation in 1901, vast areas had been destroyed with much more to come. Concentrates the mind, doesn’t it. All those millions of years to create the wonders of a great civilization, and only 200 of the Industrial Revolution to destroy it. No wonder Chris Bowen is counting the seconds...while Old King Coal, the merry old soul, calls for his fiddlers three. robert@robertmacklin.com

Reading—A beer with Baz Mick almost spilled the two schooners as he came to a stands ll metres from the bar table. His jaw dropped. “Well, well……Bazza. You’ve got yourself an iPad! So you have finally decided to join the 21st Century!” Bazza sighed and put the iPad to one side. “Well Mick…….the newspaper seems to be ge ng thinner and thinner. Once upon a me, the Weekend Sydney Morning Herald took two days to read. Now it’s a tabloid and I’ve read it by the end of breakfast on a Saturday morning. There is more going on in the world but less news it seems. And your mate, Rupert Murdoch’s papers gave up informing the reader long ago. They just scream at you and reduce news to a screeching headline.” They both took decent sips of their schooners. “Anyhow, Mick……. All the quality news is now online so I have surrendered to technology.” Mick leaned in. “Bazza, the next step for you is to sign up to social media. You need to put up your details and a photograph and before you know it, you will receive all sorts of news feeds. It’s all pre y sophis cated. Algorithms are used to sort the news that will interest you.” Bazza blinked repeatedly. “Are you saying I don’t get to choose the news I read, Mick?” “Bazza, it just makes it easier to read the news that suits you. Now, I know you don’t like Donald Trump but I receive news feeds that portray him in a very posi ve light.” Bazza half laughed and rubbed his forehead. “I’ve got no doubt about that, Mick, but I also want to be informed about ma ers that do not always suit me. Otherwise, I am just going to read news that confirms my view of the world. How’s that going to challenge me? There is a lot going on in the world I do not like, but I certainly want to know about.” Mick sighed. “On those issues, Bazza, you write your own ‘news’. Everyone is now a journalist and social media is the pla orm. You put up a ‘post’, and before you know it, your ‘friends’ provide further evidence to support your ‘news’. It keeps people informed. Anyone that disagrees with your ‘news’……… well……. you just ‘unfriend’ them. You really do need to move with the mes.” Bazza took a long sip of his schooner, creased his eyes and ghtened his mouth. “Ahhhh….. I think I will s ck with the ABC online news for now, Mick.” “Ok, Bazza…..in that case, we be er seriously chat about fake news…… but in the mean me…..” Mick gave his empty schooner a shake as the blood drained from Bazza’s face. A long pause. “I think I might have to ‘unbeer’ you, Mick.”

AUCTIONEERS’ district licenses for Police District of Moruya have been authorized to issue for 1923 to R. H. Harvison, H. J. Thomson, G. J. Gordon, R. B. Heffernan, H. McIntosh, M. E. Ryan. THE Intermediate Cer ficate examina on commenced at the local school on last Monday. Jim Colle of the Dwyer’s Creek public school is the only candidate from the Moruya district. MR. J. E. Sampey, manager of Wallaga Lake Aborigines Sta on, has purchased a Ford car through the agent, Mr. H. J. Bate. WE regret to report the serious illness of Mr. John Smith, of Gundary. Those of his family, who can possibly get there, have been called to his bedside. THE sympathy of the whole district goes out to Mr. and Mrs. J. Corrigan, in the death of their elder son Victor, which sad event took place at his parents’ residence, Gundary, on Thursday. His demise followed the result of an accident a few years ago, when he was thrown from his horse, sustaining severe injuries. The unfortunate young fellow, who was a na ve of the district and but 19 years of age, was of a quiet disposi on, being a great comfort and help to his parents. His con nued illness, which neither the skill of Doctors Quilter and Cutler, nor medical a en on in a Sydney hospital could combat, at length compelled him to take to his bed, and for the past two months he was tenderly and devotedly nursed by his sister Valerie, Mrs. Corrigan (his mother) being also confined to her bed suffering from an affec on of the leg. … The funeral took place on Friday. NERRIGUNDAH. (From our Correspondent). A er being held up for a long me the stampers of the local ba ery were heard bumping again last week, when Messrs. Wilson and Ha ely had 5tons 15cwt of stone from their claim at Belimbla crushed. This is the first parcel of stone treated from that locality and the result 21oz 5dwts should give encouragement for more prospec ng among the hills about both Li le and Big Belimbla Creeks. … NAROOMA. (From our Correspondent). Mr. H. H. Kelly, Surveyor of the Hydrographic Dept. of Public Works, is here with his staff surveying the bar and the port. The dredge Antheon, which has been working in this port for some weeks past widening and deepening the inner channels (which had become very narrow and shoaled considerably) has performed good service which is almost completed. So once again the difficul es of naviga on inside this port are relieved and, we hope, for some considerable me to come. Extracted from the Moruya Examiner by the Moruya and District Historical Society Inc. h ps:// www.mdhs.org.au