Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Blog Posts and Comments Policy

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Blog Posts are for discussion – we don’t necessarily agree with the content. Comments of a personal nature, particularly by unverifiable or anonymous posters, may be deleted.

Regards,

Paul Biggs

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Paul Biggs says

    By way of a clarification – I have been very open about my job, qualifications, affiliations etc. I simply won’t accept constant sniping or insults from those who are not prepared to do the same. In any event, blog posts should be the main subject of discussion or tangents arising form such dicussions. I can remove unsuitable comments quickly and easily when I spot them. Should it become necessary, I can also ensure posts from a specific email address are always junked as SPAM.

    I realise a certain amount of name calling goes on amongst posters – I only intervene to delete a particular word if I feel it may be particularly unsuitable or offensive, given that we can’t stop children viewing the blog.

    All blogs have their own perspective, and this one is no exception, aside form the fact that guest blog posts are allowed from those who have a different perspective.

  5. Jim says

    A little concerning Paul – whilst I certainly don’t condone the ad hom attacks which occasionally occur here, I’d hate to see the discussion become less robust and fulsome!

    Your blog of course but it’d be a tragedy if this site followed so many other formerly interesting places and became monotonal.

  6. Pinxi says

    Re: your initial post & your follow up comment:

    de ju vu & lack of internet mentality all over again.
    – posts don’t come from an email address so if you try to block by email address, it takes someone 2 seconds to write in a new email address (derrr)
    – if you block by URL it’s dead easy to get around (how do you know people let you see their real URL to begin with?) Welcome to the democratic power of the internet!!!
    – your only other option is to have a permission based (closed blog) comment policy but that would die in the arse pretty quickly – OOPPPS I swore! HOpe I just didn’t ruin some brat’s life. Why would kids bother wtih this site anyway?

    Your best bet is to attempt a fair-handed non-bigoted moderator policy. Jennifer was unable to accomplish this due to her inherent bias tht led her to delete innocent remarks just because they exposed her lack of thought and defend Motty’s child sex jokes etc. Good luck with this abortion of a blog comment policy. I hope you put more thought into your climate change stance.

  7. Al Gore. says

    Your blog your rules Paul.

    No biggie. Your policy is no more or less than most serious bloggers apply.

    Anyway it wouldn’t a good blog unless it had a pus covered troll here or there and the odd sock puppet or two.

  8. Paul Biggs says

    The blog policy is no big deal – very few posts are or will ever be deleted. I have removed the odd naughty word in the past. Anyway, this is mainly aimed at one particular person who is running some sort of vendetta against me.

  12. rog says

    It is my understanding that the great and greatly mis-understood Mr Al Gore reads this blog on a regular basis, it is supposed to help him in his fight against cancer and the insidious efffects of Google.

    To which we must also somewhat direct our merciful gratitude and thanks to the greatly misunderstood and misrepresented Luke Skywalker who, with his alter ego Phil Done, has done much to advance the inherent benefits of a bodily constitution that is regular.

    Was there anything else?

  16. Al Gore. says

    And be thankful I invented the Internet or as I like to call it, Intergore.

    Gaia’s peace be up upon.

    That will be $150,000 USD for my attendance with thee. I am very green, I love greenbacks.

  18. Lamna nasus says

    Thank you Woody for bringing up Prof. Holly Fretwell’s book “The sky is not falling’ as ‘recomended’ by World Ahead Publishing ‘the West Coast Leading Conservative Publisher’ –

    Professor Fretwell works for the Property and Environment Research Center, formerly the Political Economy Research Center.

    PERC funding –

    1998
    $20,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
    Source: ExxonMobil 1998 grants list

    2000
    $15,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    project support
    Source: ExxonMobil Foundation 2000 IRS 990

    2001
    $15,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    Source: ExxonMobil 2001 Annual Report

    2002
    $15,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    Source: ExxonMobil 2002 Annual Report

    2003
    $15,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    Source: ExxonMobil 2003 Corporate Giving Report

    2004
    $15,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    Property and Environment Research Center
    Source: Exxon Giving Report 2004

    2005
    $20,000 ExxonMobil Foundation
    Source: ExxonMobil 2005 DIMENSIONS Report (Corporate Giving)

    2006
    $20,000 ExxonMobil Corporate Giving
    Source: ExxonMobil Corporate Giving Report 2006

    PERC Executive Director Terry Anderson was a member of George W. Bush’s presidential campaign environmental advisory staff, as was current Secretary of the Interior and former PERC fellow Gale Norton.

    ‘Kathryn Ratte of PERC addressed the Petroleum Association of America on “a more grassroots approach to telling the industry’s story in the nation’s public schools.” She stated that the problem is that “politically correct environmentalism invaded U.S. public classrooms years ago, and is helping to hold the door shut on your message.” Another problem is that “children resonate with environmental topics.” Ratte recommended tailoring industry materials to all subjects, including language arts to get at students from all possible angles. Ratte also recommended that industry hold teacher workshops “in resorts or campuses in pleasant surroundings” to get educators to use their materials. At one point, the meeting turned into a fund raising event. The presenters recommended industry also form partnerships with organizations such as the Foundation for Teaching Economics and PERC because “If it has a corporate logo on it, it is propaganda… You need a foot in the door where somebody else is pushing he door open for you…The people best able to push open the door are non-profit education organizations that teachers already think of as being credible,” reasoned Ratte’ –
    American Oil and Gas Reporter December, 1998).

    Not forgetting Katherine DeBrecht’s ‘Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed’..

    George W. Bush is presiding over the largest ever US administration, which is collecting more taxes from more (non-rich) people than ever before.. Which may be why Alan Colmes (Fox News host) described Debrecht’s book as ‘brainwashing’…

  19. Al Gore. says

    My problem has always been this bad company good company funding.

    If a green company funds some research should it be subject to less scrutiny than a work funded by a so called bad company.

    My comment would be no. Because both cases are political ie funded by money for a social outcome. The environment issue is social at it’s heart.

    I worked in finance for a number of years and saw things change. Farmers actually becoming conservation based, good management practices that are environmentally sustainable.

    Rotations, insecticide minimisations because of the tolerance issues. Herd sizings managed on land use, replantings. The differing tills etc.

    Once upon a time Farmers were BAD according to the Green movement.

    Most companies now recognise that there is a grey area in their balance sheet now. This being the social compact aspect, some Companies successfully exploit it for postive win win outcomes.

    That will be $150,000 USD because I am green I love greenbacks.

  20. Lamna nasus says

    ‘I worked in finance for a number of years and saw things change’ – ‘Al Gore’

    The reason why things are changing is precisely because environmentalists have been holding commerce and industry to account.

    Back in the 70’s, it was all too easy for commercial interests to send out press releases denigrating and dismissing the ‘Eco Freaks’ and ignoring very serious issues whenever they interfered with profit margins.. So it came as a hell of a shock to the corporate drones when the ‘bunny huggers’ got organised, founded corporate organisations, hired scientists and turned up at international conferences in suites, carrying briefcases full of evidence..
    Now the free market globalisation pundits criticise us for using the same tools they do.. the irony is priceless…

  21. IceClass says

    “Now the free market globalisation pundits criticise us for using the same tools they do.. the irony is priceless…”

    That’s a bit of a stretch Lamna. The greatest criticism is that Environmental NGOs have become global brand name multi-nationals but without the oversight or shareholder participation inherent in for profit businesses.
    The Environmenal NGOs have just as much of a profit motive as Shell or Exxon but the brass at Exxon have to deal with their shareholders.
    As a funder of Eco_freaks Inc your role is limited to handing over your credit card number and email address.