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POPS"No-losers" policy for private schools In 2001 the Federal Government changed its system of funding that took into account the socioeconomic status of families at the school.As school fees continue to skyrocket, many private schools to reap windfall increases in subsidies. A political mistake has alienated middle-class voters and rewarded wealthy schools "without any concern for ... public education or the divisive impacts on society".
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POPSClimate change: a common human interest Climate has fluctuated through the eons with glacial and interglacial periods. The strong link between CO2 rises and the rate at which temperature rise and changes in sea levels are occurring is undeniable and exceeds 'natural' fluctuations. Can society cope with the rate of change? We don't have unlimited resources and time while producing excess CO2 or any other kind of pollution through fossil fuel subsidised technology. Western lifestyles overemphasize consumption at the expense of reusing and recycling. People's habits will not change through mere will power but rather government enforced programs to develop sustainable markets that can salvage our economical structures as much as humanly possible,. Cocentrate on preserving what is still good on Earth!! If we do nor unite as a planet the fall of capitalism is not far away, much like the Roman Empire rose and fell....
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POPSWeapons expert assasinated? A "conspiracy theory" to boost book sales (as per the road accident which killed Princess Diana 10 years ago Princess Diana)? For his family's sake it would be comforting to think that an inquest will reveal the truth.
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POPSBroadband paves way to greener Australia Currently, Labor and the Coalition continue to push the roll out of a national high-speed broadband in the lead-up to the federal election. Such a scheme is the ideal opportunity to implement such technology. Note, Telstra put the money up front to commission the report and it was not a government initiative. No doubt the proposal is one from which Telstra can profit, so expect all the communication companies to jump on the bandwagon.
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POPSKilowatts for cash , push for alternate energy The hip pocket as always is the most effective in changing people's habits and implementing change. With the recent privatisation of the energy supply, there is now the potential to profit from alternative sources such as wind or solar. That is if the price of a wind power system is better than the cost of running your own turbines, but the technology is improving all the time. A wind power system test site using "GridAgents software is currently being built at the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle north of Sydney.
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POPSEarth-like planet forming elsewhere The captured images have assisted the scientific community in understanding how planet Earth evolved, and for the surface to become suitable for human habitation. What took millions and millions of years can be destroyed in a few short centuries if man's inaction over greenhouse emissions and the effect on the water cycle continues unabated on a global scale.
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POPSBiofuels the solution or an ecological disaster? The biggest problem with bio-fuels is that even if 20% of crops were to be used for biofuel, they would meet less than 5% of current energy needs. As the price of crops increases, grazing landwill not be used .....instead poor farmers in third word countries will burn/chop down more forests to increase available land. Land that would largely be unsuitable for farming and using it will result in destruction of the top soil.
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POPSClean energy targets a farce This is a mirror image of what is occurring in the States. Mr Bush endorses the UN for tackling global warming but in contradiction the United States, hugely dependent on oil, refuses to place an immediate legally-binding cap on its own massive carbon emissions. Both government leaders are directing attention to the developing nations by attacking deforestation and "securing, cost-effective and proliferation-resistant nuclear power" through contributions. Smokescreens to hide their own inaction?
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POPSDrought funding: addressing climate change? The latest funding gives farmers more access to drought funding by easing the income/ assets test, and boosting support for rural-dependent small businesses. The relief package shows the extent to which rural families are hurting; some will be forced to leave the land but they can now do so with some dignity. Taxpayers should be saying to the Government, "we want this money allocated in the context of a framework about how we are going to address the long-term future of agriculture" and climate change.
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POPSGovernment wasting money with "clean coal" power Australia continues to keep its local and export economy based on coal instead of investing in a new energy future. Instead of a mass loss of jobs, the miners could be retrained to take up jobs in renewable energy industries, such as solar thermal power, wind, biomass and geothermal. It's time to get on with creating more jobs and wealth from building these industries. At least a national scheme should encourage more investment from the private sector.
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POPSiphone gives Apple clout over mobile operators. The manufacturer of a handset receiving cash from a mobile operator is unheard of. Apple is the first to strike such a bargain. Will people in the UK will give up their free handsets in favour of an iphone? If reports are correct a million of the US model have already been sold in its home market Meanwhile the iphone is still yet to be released in Australia.
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POPSClimate change discussed at APEC meeting APEC is is the most important international meeting to date for achieving a commitment from the developed and developing countries to take steps toward reducing CO2 emissions. Meanwhile Greenpeace claims the aspirational targets for reducing emissions as "code for a political stunt". Australia lacks the credentials to deal with the issue because it still refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The Government has no real concern for the environment, and has been advised that energy efficiency and clean coal are crucial to fighting climate change. The main agenda -- to sell more coal.
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POPSWorld leaders meet at APEC After months of campaigning on domestic issues with the upcoming federal election, the focus is now on Australia's place on the world stage. Prime Minister John Howard believes the involvement of the United States is critical to the stability of the Asia-Pacific region and supports the deployment of Australian troops to Iraq. In contrast Opposition leader Kevin Rudd, while a supporter of the of the US alliance, is at odds with Mr Bush over keeping troops in Iraq. Could this stance be a vote wiinner?
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POPSAussies losing backyard lifestyle It has taken an overseas professor to state the obvious. Even if the average Australian opted for a return to the traditional backyard it would not be achievable due to planning regulations, the cost factor and simply because there is no longer any room along the Eastern sea board. 30% of the population living in the capital cities are not born in Australia.
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POPSFreshwater dolpins - ‘watchdogs’ of the water,” Catching a glimpse of these mammals with their trademark long narrow beaks, arching their way through the mud-coloured waters would be a memorable experience. Eco-friendly tours would provide the opportunity to observe such a unique creature, but I imagine there would not be too many hotels in this part of the world.
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POPSChildren risk an early death from diabetes Quote "42% of sufferers were born overseas". It appears that the Asian (Korean) influx into the capital cities are enjoying their new found Australian lifestyle to excess while taking the national health crises to a new level.
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POPSIs stealing wireless wrong? Using someone else's connection may be considered theft unless it is made it clear they are willing to share it. Leaving a wireless network unsecured is effectively inviting people to use it. The individual is at fault as ignorance or stupidity is no excuse to blame others. If you don't want people to use your connection: don't broadcast your SSID and secure the connection. Surely the police have got more important crimes to resolve and what a waste of tax payers money! A collective WiFi approach would be cheaper for everyone and a lot less socially divisive. In Europe public WiFi access is the norm with free hotspots available for public use.
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POPSDestruction of old growth forests a global shame While in Tasmania, Australia there is mooted further expansion of the wood chip industry . A proposed pulp mill using chlorine bleaching in the Tamar Valley to the NE of the state will see the destruction of world-renowned pristine forest and 1000 year old ecosystems. The forestry industry in Tasmania currently relies on plantation logging. Why not maintain the existing jobs and generate new jobs through eco-tourism?
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POPSHousing affordability and rental shortages 
So the number of available rental properties in the city declines and the the cost of rent goes up accordingly - simple economics. Housing affordability is at a 25 year low, mainly due to the careful staging of land releases and so called government controls on urban sprawl and sustainable development. With basic home prices now in excess of $420 000 AUD, the proposal by Labor government is hardly an incentive to "Mum and Dad" investors. Perhaps these struggling young families could opt for a better lifestyle if prepared to relocate from the city to the larger regional centres, where housing is still affordable and there are jobs ie. if prepared to do any kind of work within reason. Who needs a huge mansion, a white-collar job and a fancy lifestyle with a mortgage for years to come. That is If they ever do finish paying for it? The reality is that people want to live close to the CBD - not out in the boondocks - and with all the marketing hype aspire for grandeur.
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POPSOne year count down to Beijing Olympics When China was awarded the Games it was seen as an opportunity to promote human rights and address environmental issues. With one year to go food and air worries remain and clearly reporters are not being given the freedom as promised. Unless the organisers view these as major obstacles to overcome, is it possible to host a successful Games from August 8-24 next year???
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POPSTraditional Islamic values on the decline? Western values remain attractive even to those from even the strictest religious backgrounds. My daughter attends a high school In Australia with a mixed racial and religious contingent . The Islamic girls in attendance are still "forced " by parents to wear a variation of the school uniform to cover their heads and with a skirt to the ankles. Even at a recent interschool sports carnival one poor girl was forced to dress accordingly while participating in a 100 metre foot race. This new generation must experience a conflict in feelings in trying to be accepted both by their parent/ grandparents and receive some standing amongst their peers. What will another generation bring........
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POPSLogging, politics and climate change Clearly, conservation groups have criticised Labour's policy and in the upcoming election Greens preferences are likely to move to the Liberals. The policy may be a vote winner for many Tasmanians whose jobs are dependent on the timber interest but Labour may be accused of "selling out" on the Greens. Rudd has not stood up to the unions which effectively dictate policy. Will John Howard continue to attract the Green vote with his strong stand against unions and new policy addressing global warming? And what can be done to stop these illegal imports? Surely existing forestry practices within Australia can fill the void!
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POPSPR exercise The debate on global warming and "green economics" has thankfully come under the spotlight with the upcoming Federal Election. The Labour opposition, specifically leader Kevin Rudd, continues to "bag" the current Prime Minister (John Howard) for his lack of action in this area. But for all the grandstanding Rudd fails to deliver any firm policy in support of this debate. If the voting public took global warming and it's effects on future generations as a serious issue - and so they should be - the policies presented by the major parties should determine the result of this election. Meanwhile, the only action at the State level (in Queensland) is increased competition in the private sector for reducing the cost of coal generated electricity. Is this really the answer? Time for action.....
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POPSSilent loss of honeybees continues Many of these commercial beekeepers are on the verge of loosing their livelihood..........and profiteering chemical companies refute the claims or are slow to react. Similarly, scientists leading the research into colony-collapse disorder remain non-committal, claiming a yet-to-be identified microorganism capable of causing disease may be responsible. All too late for the beekeepers, and remember honeybees pollinate many of our food items such as apples, nuts, citrus fruit etc.
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POPSGlobal warming.....bye-bye birdie Many animals may shift their range or immediate locality in pursuit of favoured food plants, but are unlikely to migrate large distances in response to an altered ecosystem.
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POPSLife after Chernobyl - fungi fed on radiation This also raises the possibility that animals and plants could evolve a melanin molecule efficient at protecting against a range of environmental stresses that involve cell damage, including that of solar UV radiation, the precursor to skin cancer.
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POPSExercise reverses aging in muscles Scientific proof for something practical that people already know. Nonetheless, future research directed at the production of drugs to modulate aspects of the aging process remains questionable.
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POPSLand Down Under - quarantine risks and exotic disease More and more exotic diseases continue to enter Australia despite stringent quarantine measures. This new threat remains very real as it is conceivable that an infected animal could swim between the islands of the Torres Strait and reach the northern tip of Australia,
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POPSIntake of fish and Vitamin D improves aging eyes Once again the importance of a balanced diet for personal health. Unfortunately the price of local, fresh fish continues to soar and there remains a big question mark on imported fish, the presence of heavy metals and the long term health effects.
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POPSPlant diversity in our urban parks It is most unlikely that planting native plant species capable of withstanding human disturbance will , in the long term, result in communities reflective of pre-European settlement. Nonetheless, it is a step in the right direction and may the restoration projects continue. Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070224093800.htm
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