Sorry to return to the earlier global warming thread and divert attention
away from Grey Fantails and their influence on the party structure of
post-modern Westminster democracies.
Greg I don't remember picking on twichathons. I suspect, (I am not a
participant in such events), they are as useful if not more so than you say
in terms of raising public consciousness, gather abundance/density data and
allowing like minded souls to discuss, inter alia, global warming responses.
My churlish side issue was with the profusion of monographs and postings
which inadvertently or otherwise encourage the practice of criss-crossing
countries in a range of fuel inefficient transport modes solely to "see'' a
species that someone else has reported or to add to some arcane Freudian
list. My own Achilles heel here is that I thoroughly enjoy reading said
monographs.
The main game is not birdos and their perverse peregrinations but a social
system that sees consumption as the focus of life and destructive labour as
the means to supply the where withal to fuel this.
I have the misadventure to live with a six and eight year old. The
difficulty is that, while they are easily enthused about the resource
difficulties facing the planet they are also easily diverted through peer
pressure ("my second best friend Mahomet or Kylie has a swimming
pool/jetski/boat/aircon ad nauseum...") or the behaviour of their peer's
parents (Landbrusier used to collect from the school 1 km from home, every
conceivable electrical device on at all times etc).
The beguiling world of video and video games not only ensures some handy
obesity and diabetes but also encourages a world view of endless resources
(as well as psychologically valuable murder and mayhem or is that Iraqi
new's task?). Our house has, by virtue of my employment the privilege of
seeing a lot of wildlife up close and personal and the two little terrorists
know this but even a Eudylpta minor clearly cut up by a recreational
propeller struggles to stay on message when compared to the instant delights
of consumerism.
My point being that no matter how hard individual parents and others try
little progress will be made in both carbon emissions and educating our
willing young until we tackle the underlying paradigms. Sorry to be a wind
bag on this one.
Chris Lloyd
Training Officer
WIRES
PO Box 260
Forestville NSW 2087
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