Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Season’s Greetings

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This brilliant red, waxy toadstool is the fruiting body of an inconspicuous fungus that thrives on leaf litter, rotting wood and soil in the rainforests of North Queensland when the weather starts to warm up…  which is usually towards Christmas time in Australia. The image was sent to me by Neil Hewett from Cooper Creek Wilderness with best wishes for Christmas.  www.ccwild.com

 

 

 

 

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Neville says

    Merry Christmas to everyone here and let’s all hope for a happy and prosperous New Year. When we look at this date of Dec 25th to celebrate the birth of Joshua son of Joseph or Jesus as he is called in Greek I wonder if many people could care less what the last 2000 years has been about?

    That this religion “caught on” and today has around 2 billion followers is a minor miracle in itself, but I think that the resurection and perhaps virgin birth ( but VB was a much more common belief in ancient times) and then the PR coup of the Roman emporer’s battle won supposedly supported by the divine Christ was probably the clincher.

    Once Constantine encouraged the Empire and it’s citizens to follow this new religion the path was certainly a much easier one for this once minor Jewish following.

    Of course the 25th of Dec was a Roman pagan holiday and eventually was taken over by this new religion as well.

  5. Pikey says

    May Everyone involved at this blog have a wonderful relaxing and happy Christmas.
    I wish you all great times with family and friends, some contemplation of the events of this year and a resolute determination to positively affect policy outcomes in 2012.

    There is no doubt in my mind that the growth and use of blogs like this and others has allowed more people to express opinions, learn from others and as a result be involved in the democratic decision making process.

    Jennifer, Jo Anne Nova, Bolta and others have gone some way to correcting the problem summed up in the quote:

    “Our democratic decision making process is less at risk from what people do not know; than it is from what people do know that is false.”

    May we in 20 12 successfully throw out the Carbon tax and the inept Green led Government that delivered it.

    May we see the shelving or repeal of the Federal Water Act and the immediate cessation of water buy-backs.
    This nonsense should be replaced with an Australia wide policy of water conservation in times of excess flow achieved by a policy of dam building spread over the next 30 years.
    Most of our river valleys can be enhanced to the benefit of “all Critters” including man with a controlled run-off policy that prevents flooding and conserves much more water for use by all parties during the inevitable recurring drought.

    All the best to Everyone.
    Pikey.

  6. debbie says

    What a stunning photo!
    I hope all of you enjoy Christmas.
    A huge thank you to you Jen for all your support and also for supplying this forum for open minded discussion.
    You’re a star!

  7. John Sayers says

    yes – thank you Jen for this outlet for all our concerns.

    I hope it will be here next year.

  11. Robert says

    Merry Christmas to all, and special thanks to Jen. I like to come here to be reminded that, in spite of our Green Betters and their destructive, demented schemes, conservation is alive.

  14. el gordo says

    The warminista are the slaves of basic emotions and have no idea that the science has been corrupted, or that the models are flawed. They turn everything on its head and are deluded into thinking the sceptics are deficient.

    ‘In the climate realm, fabrication is also rife. Enthralled by their emotional biases, sceptics mouth desperate appeals to the corruptibility of scientists, or to the fallibility of climate prediction models.’

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/climate-sceptics-might-just-be-captive-to-basic-emotions-20111219-1p2hl.html#ixzz1h37aWCzR

  15. Robert says

    EG, I note that the article is written by an “Australian Research Council postdoctoral fellow in bioethics at Monash University”. Safe to assume that means “pompous, finger-wagging New Wowser”. So, skeptics are the slobs who gobbled the marshmallows. Now in adulthood they are mouthy and desperate in their opinions.

    There’s quite an agenda under all that tormented and florid verbiage. Those who contradict AGW are “enthralled by their emotional biases.” Sounds like the explanation you’d get before being sent to a Khmer re-education farm.

    Worst is the way the utterly commonplace is expressed at such length and in grotesque mock-analytical language. That language! “Skeptics mouth desperate appeals to the corruptibility of scientists”. Well, this skeptic would like to mouth a desperate appeal to those who monitor and edit the English language at the SMH.

  16. spangled drongo says

    Neil,

    Thanks for those details of your beautiful part of the world.

    That snub nosed katydid was fascinating.

  17. gavin says

    Thanks Neil but think I’ll stick with the glut of hail damaged cherries this year.

    Thanks Jen and I reckon nothing much has changed despite our good intentions. It seems we are lucky enough to live in a great place.

    And best wishes to all you diehards.

  18. bazza says

    In the spirit of goodwill, of which some of the above positively reeks (not), I offer the sadly and recently late Chris Hitchins comment on religion. It can be extrapolated.
    “That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
    ― Christopher Hitchens
    Thanks also to Pikey for his neat line:
    ““Our democratic decision making process is less at risk from what people do not know; than it is from what people do know that is false.”

  20. Luke says

    Baa Humbug – truck Xmas. What’s good about it?

    But anyway over-consume with glee – stay safe and stay legal, and try some real science in 2012.

  21. spangled drongo says

    Christmas, like all our cultural traditions, adds to the gum and fabric that binds us all together and keeps us civilised. Sadly luke, your confusion explains your science very well.

  22. spangled drongo says

    Peace and Goodwill to all is a marvelous message!

    “(even if the date is wrong!!)”

    You’re right KK but in Australia, the land of the long holiday, we wring it out as much as we can.

  23. debbie says

    Smile Luke,
    Be happy,
    Amazingly, despite all the dire predictions of doom and gloom, we manage to muddle through anyhow.
    You are allowed to be thankful for that this time of the year.

    Thanks again Jen and excellent link Neil.
    Daintree is now definitely on my ‘must do’ list.

  24. Dave Shorter says

    Merry Christmas Luke,enjoy that Pakistani Basmati.
    Merry Christmas Gavin,try not to choke on anything produced by a “suck and suck” irrigation “cocky”.
    Merry Christmas Jennifer,Debbie,Pikey and all the other champion denizens of this habitat.