I am not into conspiracy theories. However, when you think about the millenium bug,the salinity exaggeration of a few years ago, the continual threats to the Great Barrier Reef (whatever happened to the Crown-of-thorns-star-fish?) and now the global warming beat-up, you wonder.
The term 'climate change' is much better than 'global warming', as you can win allround. You can even blame the current record cold in the Northern Hemisphere on human activity.
The "climategate" hacked emails scandal has revealed that the central scientists advising the IPCC have understated historic temperatures,have threatened to boycott publications that run contradictory articles, have omitted from the Russian temperature data all the centres that showed no warming, and have had a captive scientist re-write all the global warming definitions on Wikipedia, so as to highlight warming.
In the light of these facts how can all those alarmists at Copenhagen speak with such confidence about containing warming to 2 degrees C? Further, the evidence suggests that increases in CO2 levels follow warming periods-they don't precede them.
The Rudd Government's Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme should be permanently consigned to the garbage bin. In any event CO2 is not a pollutant, but an essential part of life.
Tony Abbott must be urged to stop trying to have a bit each way and stick to his Beaufort Declaration-"global warming science is crap"!
22 December, 2009
14 December, 2009
Christmas Greetings
9th December,2009
Another year has rolled by and we are still here. For that and all our other blessings we should be thankful. We wish you a very Happy Christmas and a safe, healthy and prosperous (post GFC) New Year.
There is just so much of interest around us and, of course, it all keeps changing. I have sometimes philosophised (is there such a word?) that one of modern mans’ great challenges is the sheer weight of data (for want of a better word) which surrounds us and the ever changing nature of all that stuff. We can only deal with this mass by making generalisations (and categorisations) and sticking with them. That then carries the seeds of its own destruction as fixed generalisations don’t allow for the fact of constant change.
So, does that mean that it is all too much. Not so, say I, as I find it very stimulating and its great that I now have the time to pursue the things that I am really interested in, without having to attend to the things that my employment required of me. If you wish to be bored witless and see at first hand what my major issues are, have a read of other items on this blog. You will soon realise that global warming/climate change and water management loom large.
The highlight of the year was our retirement trip to Hong Kong and the UK in July. My wonderful erstwhile employers (Swires) really turned it on for us-you can read all about it on this Blog.
The trip coinciding with the Lord’s Test Match was very fortunate and not entirely coincidental. Unfortunately, the wrong team won. But, after their 5-0 drubbing in Australia in 07/08 (which I never heard mentioned in London), the Poms needed to regain some self-esteem. I will always remember with great pleasure, the scene at the end of the Test. Me standing on the balcony of the Bowler’s Bar of the Lords Pavillion, with pint in hand, surrounded by up market Poms (members) who as they glowed with sheer ecstacy as Flintoff cleaned up the Australian batsmen, discovered that there was an Australian in their midst! The banter was really great. My companion was a delightful liberal Anglican cleric, (one of my mob), who is one of the Canons at Westminster Abbey and who very kindly gave Gail and me a personally conducted tour of the Abbey the following day before we lunched at the House of Lords with our friend and Swire colleague Lord (Mark)Marlesford.
Gail continues to dote upon her first two grandchildren, Charlie and Heidi, and sticks with her never to be missed Thursday child minding.
We are both excited by the scheduled arrival of Susie’s and Hagen’s son at the end of January. We have gained great pleasure from S and H’s enthusiasm for their new home-Gail’s late brother Brian’s old unit at Mosman. It responded wonderfully to a facelift.
Kate has spent all of 2009 living on her own (when she is not here or on the ‘phone). We don’t like her being on her own and continue to seek a “flatmate”. However, being alone has demonstrated to Kate and us, just what she is capable of. Her ongoing employment at Woolworths, St Ives continues to be very important to her.
My formal association with Swire/Clyde has concluded. I came off both Boards in the latter part of the year. I strongly disagree with the strategy for Clyde and with the new management style, but as the kids say I need to “get over it” and “move-on”!
Mike had a job change mid-year. He is fortunate being in the digital communications business and his skills are in great demand. He is now working four days a week for a digital advertising agency and freelancing on the other day.
Given my concern with information overload, this is already longer than I intended. But, it carries our very best wishes to you for the festive season and beyond.
Another year has rolled by and we are still here. For that and all our other blessings we should be thankful. We wish you a very Happy Christmas and a safe, healthy and prosperous (post GFC) New Year.
There is just so much of interest around us and, of course, it all keeps changing. I have sometimes philosophised (is there such a word?) that one of modern mans’ great challenges is the sheer weight of data (for want of a better word) which surrounds us and the ever changing nature of all that stuff. We can only deal with this mass by making generalisations (and categorisations) and sticking with them. That then carries the seeds of its own destruction as fixed generalisations don’t allow for the fact of constant change.
So, does that mean that it is all too much. Not so, say I, as I find it very stimulating and its great that I now have the time to pursue the things that I am really interested in, without having to attend to the things that my employment required of me. If you wish to be bored witless and see at first hand what my major issues are, have a read of other items on this blog. You will soon realise that global warming/climate change and water management loom large.
The highlight of the year was our retirement trip to Hong Kong and the UK in July. My wonderful erstwhile employers (Swires) really turned it on for us-you can read all about it on this Blog.
The trip coinciding with the Lord’s Test Match was very fortunate and not entirely coincidental. Unfortunately, the wrong team won. But, after their 5-0 drubbing in Australia in 07/08 (which I never heard mentioned in London), the Poms needed to regain some self-esteem. I will always remember with great pleasure, the scene at the end of the Test. Me standing on the balcony of the Bowler’s Bar of the Lords Pavillion, with pint in hand, surrounded by up market Poms (members) who as they glowed with sheer ecstacy as Flintoff cleaned up the Australian batsmen, discovered that there was an Australian in their midst! The banter was really great. My companion was a delightful liberal Anglican cleric, (one of my mob), who is one of the Canons at Westminster Abbey and who very kindly gave Gail and me a personally conducted tour of the Abbey the following day before we lunched at the House of Lords with our friend and Swire colleague Lord (Mark)Marlesford.
Gail continues to dote upon her first two grandchildren, Charlie and Heidi, and sticks with her never to be missed Thursday child minding.
We are both excited by the scheduled arrival of Susie’s and Hagen’s son at the end of January. We have gained great pleasure from S and H’s enthusiasm for their new home-Gail’s late brother Brian’s old unit at Mosman. It responded wonderfully to a facelift.
Kate has spent all of 2009 living on her own (when she is not here or on the ‘phone). We don’t like her being on her own and continue to seek a “flatmate”. However, being alone has demonstrated to Kate and us, just what she is capable of. Her ongoing employment at Woolworths, St Ives continues to be very important to her.
My formal association with Swire/Clyde has concluded. I came off both Boards in the latter part of the year. I strongly disagree with the strategy for Clyde and with the new management style, but as the kids say I need to “get over it” and “move-on”!
Mike had a job change mid-year. He is fortunate being in the digital communications business and his skills are in great demand. He is now working four days a week for a digital advertising agency and freelancing on the other day.
Given my concern with information overload, this is already longer than I intended. But, it carries our very best wishes to you for the festive season and beyond.
12 December, 2009
Submission to Productivity Commission
Submission to Productivity Commission on Water Recovery
Overview
This submission is brief, long on assertion and short on evidence. This is not because the assertions are not defensible, but rather because of limited resources. I would be happy to enlarge verbally should the Commission be interested.
Assertions
1.The key characteristic of Australia’s inland rivers (where most irrigation takes place), is massive variability. For example, the Darling River at Bourke has an annual average flow of approximately 2,500,000 megalitres. The spread around the average is zero (no flow whatever for 12 months) at the bottom end to a flow of 12,000,000 megalitres at the top end. Whilst this may be an extreme example, it is indicative of Australia’s highly variable rainfall and run-off.
In such circumstances it is really nonsense to ask CSIRO to calculate “Sustainable Water Yield” which I take to mean the annual amount that can always be extracted. Likewise the setting of Sustainable Diversion Limits makes no sense unless these are set at zero. Such an approach appears to take no account of variability. A fixed extraction amount in a year of high flow could be miniscule in terms of its impact on the environment. The same amount in a low flow year would be excessive.
2.This variability is dealt with by the use of allocations. Water licenses give irrigators the right to extract water when allocations are made and this only happens when flows are sufficient to allow this.
Thus, the purchase of water licenses by the Government will do nothing to increase water supplies when river flows are low and when there are no (or very limited) allocations and will only restrict production when flows are significant.
Much is made of providing irrigators with greater certainty. However, the facts are that Australian irrigators, like graziers, know and accept the risks involved in farming in Australia’s highly variable rainfall environment. The only achievable certainty would be a policy of zero extractions.
3.If Australia is to responsibly and environmentally sensitively maximise agricultural production, we need to take two key approaches. We need to conserve (read efficient storages) at time of high flows and build infrastructure that is flexible. This flexibility mainly manifests itself by way of storages that can allow smaller flows to pass unimpeded. These two key words (conservation and flexibility) need to drive our thinking.
An approach which uses fixed amounts, as with “Caps”, “Sustainable Yields” and “Sustainable Diversion Limits” seems to reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of Australia’s inherent rainfall and run-off variability.
David Boyd
12.12.09
Overview
This submission is brief, long on assertion and short on evidence. This is not because the assertions are not defensible, but rather because of limited resources. I would be happy to enlarge verbally should the Commission be interested.
Assertions
1.The key characteristic of Australia’s inland rivers (where most irrigation takes place), is massive variability. For example, the Darling River at Bourke has an annual average flow of approximately 2,500,000 megalitres. The spread around the average is zero (no flow whatever for 12 months) at the bottom end to a flow of 12,000,000 megalitres at the top end. Whilst this may be an extreme example, it is indicative of Australia’s highly variable rainfall and run-off.
In such circumstances it is really nonsense to ask CSIRO to calculate “Sustainable Water Yield” which I take to mean the annual amount that can always be extracted. Likewise the setting of Sustainable Diversion Limits makes no sense unless these are set at zero. Such an approach appears to take no account of variability. A fixed extraction amount in a year of high flow could be miniscule in terms of its impact on the environment. The same amount in a low flow year would be excessive.
2.This variability is dealt with by the use of allocations. Water licenses give irrigators the right to extract water when allocations are made and this only happens when flows are sufficient to allow this.
Thus, the purchase of water licenses by the Government will do nothing to increase water supplies when river flows are low and when there are no (or very limited) allocations and will only restrict production when flows are significant.
Much is made of providing irrigators with greater certainty. However, the facts are that Australian irrigators, like graziers, know and accept the risks involved in farming in Australia’s highly variable rainfall environment. The only achievable certainty would be a policy of zero extractions.
3.If Australia is to responsibly and environmentally sensitively maximise agricultural production, we need to take two key approaches. We need to conserve (read efficient storages) at time of high flows and build infrastructure that is flexible. This flexibility mainly manifests itself by way of storages that can allow smaller flows to pass unimpeded. These two key words (conservation and flexibility) need to drive our thinking.
An approach which uses fixed amounts, as with “Caps”, “Sustainable Yields” and “Sustainable Diversion Limits” seems to reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of Australia’s inherent rainfall and run-off variability.
David Boyd
12.12.09
05 December, 2009
Climate Change Debate
In Toronto, Canada this week there was an excellent debate on the issue of climate change-(Google Monk Debates). I watched it all live and much of it a second time. I remain convinced that like with the Millennium Bug, much of the world has been the subject of a huge "con". Allbeit that most of the "conners" genuinely believe what they are saying.
In saying this I am not referring to the scourge of what I would call general pollution, where much needs to be done, particularly in the developing world. It is the narrower issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the minute level of less than 400 parts per million and the claimed link of this to an increase in global temperatures, that I find hard to swallow. The UK "climategate" scandal does not surprise me at all and only adds to my scepticism.
If I am wrong, I still don't think creating a big "money churn" by putting a price on carbon is the way to go. I don't trust politicians with another revenue source (tax). In Australia we have just voted down (in our Upper House) an emissions trading scheme. It took a change in Opposition leader to do it, but I am very glad we did. There could be an election on the issue and I have a feeling the 'conventional wisdom' might at last be changing.
In saying this I am not referring to the scourge of what I would call general pollution, where much needs to be done, particularly in the developing world. It is the narrower issue of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the minute level of less than 400 parts per million and the claimed link of this to an increase in global temperatures, that I find hard to swallow. The UK "climategate" scandal does not surprise me at all and only adds to my scepticism.
If I am wrong, I still don't think creating a big "money churn" by putting a price on carbon is the way to go. I don't trust politicians with another revenue source (tax). In Australia we have just voted down (in our Upper House) an emissions trading scheme. It took a change in Opposition leader to do it, but I am very glad we did. There could be an election on the issue and I have a feeling the 'conventional wisdom' might at last be changing.
01 December, 2009
Email Sent to Ian Macfarlane MP at 8:30AM on 01.12.09
Dear Ian,
I have watched the development of your political career from QGGA to Minister for Industry, with admiration. However, to hear you as a genuine "bushie" refer to the CPRS as a "cimate change solution" truly shocks me. I am afraid that you and my friend Malcolm Turnbull have been playing populist politics on this issue because you believe that's where the votes are.
Consider this:
Electricity bills forecast to increase by 60%-half due to the ETS.
"Climategate" getting big coverage particularly in the UK-the key scientific global warming alarmists have been "fiddling the numbers".
and this:
Under the proposed CPRS in Australia we will reduce our emissions from 550 million tonnes per year to 520 million tons per year by 2020
China will take their emissions from 7 billion tons this year to 10 billion tons by 2020
China will increase by 3 billion tons a year and we will reduce by 30 million tons per year at a cost of some $200 billion.
How crazy is that??
It's never too late-Messrs Minchin and Abbott are on a vote winner and are prepared to show leadership in challenging conventional wisdom. Please get with them.
I have watched the development of your political career from QGGA to Minister for Industry, with admiration. However, to hear you as a genuine "bushie" refer to the CPRS as a "cimate change solution" truly shocks me. I am afraid that you and my friend Malcolm Turnbull have been playing populist politics on this issue because you believe that's where the votes are.
Consider this:
Electricity bills forecast to increase by 60%-half due to the ETS.
"Climategate" getting big coverage particularly in the UK-the key scientific global warming alarmists have been "fiddling the numbers".
and this:
Under the proposed CPRS in Australia we will reduce our emissions from 550 million tonnes per year to 520 million tons per year by 2020
China will take their emissions from 7 billion tons this year to 10 billion tons by 2020
China will increase by 3 billion tons a year and we will reduce by 30 million tons per year at a cost of some $200 billion.
How crazy is that??
It's never too late-Messrs Minchin and Abbott are on a vote winner and are prepared to show leadership in challenging conventional wisdom. Please get with them.
Email Sent to Certain Senators on 30.11.09
Senators,
Just look at the Breaking News:
Electricity bills forecast to increase by 60%-half due to the ETS.
"Climategate" getting big coverage particularly in the UK-the key scientific global warming alarmists have been "fiddling the numbers".
Messrs Minchin and Abbott are on a vote winner and are prepared to show leadership in challenging conventional wisdom. Please get with them.
Just look at the Breaking News:
Electricity bills forecast to increase by 60%-half due to the ETS.
"Climategate" getting big coverage particularly in the UK-the key scientific global warming alarmists have been "fiddling the numbers".
Messrs Minchin and Abbott are on a vote winner and are prepared to show leadership in challenging conventional wisdom. Please get with them.
29 November, 2009
Climate Change
Letter to "The Australian" on 26th November,2009.
Australia is witnessing something that is as close as we (thankfully) get to a revolution. People power is on display! Whatever people believe about the underlying science of 'Climate Change', the vast majority of Australians now realise that they are to be hit with a tax ahead of countries like the US, India and China when we only contribute 1.5% of global emissions. The only reason we are proposing to inflict economic pain on ourselves before knowing what others may do (if anything), is so that PM Rudd can look good at Copenhagen. In resisting this nonsense, the good sense of the Australian public is once again on display.
Australia is witnessing something that is as close as we (thankfully) get to a revolution. People power is on display! Whatever people believe about the underlying science of 'Climate Change', the vast majority of Australians now realise that they are to be hit with a tax ahead of countries like the US, India and China when we only contribute 1.5% of global emissions. The only reason we are proposing to inflict economic pain on ourselves before knowing what others may do (if anything), is so that PM Rudd can look good at Copenhagen. In resisting this nonsense, the good sense of the Australian public is once again on display.
28 November, 2009
Politics
On the 4th July, 2008 I sent the following email to my friend Malcolm Turnbull. I am tempted to say "I told you so"!
Dear Malcolm,
Listening to this morning's ABC Radio prompts me to 'write'. I have always had a predilection to telling other people, particularly politicians, how to do their jobs! Now that I don't have one myself (retired) I can further indulge myself in this annoying habit!
Murray-Darling
As a one time resident of S.A. I am acutely aware of the water hang-ups of the locals. If you live in the driest state in the driest continent and only have one decent river and you live on the rear (arse) end of that, you are sure to have a hang-up. Primary school children in Adelaide are taught that SA is discriminated against by those awful bastards upstream in Queensland, NSW (including the ACT) and Victoria who take all the water. The South Australians have, over the years, exploited this "I'm badly done by" attitude to the point that they have the best deal of all in the basin (have a look at their irrigation allocations in the last few years), pipe water all over the place and are quite profligate in its use.
The 'elephant in the room', which they never mention, are the barrages at the mouth of the river. Under natural conditions the water in the lower lakes varied from being salt to fresh depending on river flows. Once the barrages were built it became continually fresh and the expectation developed that there should always be sufficient fresh water from upstream to keep them high. The option of doing what would have happened under natural conditions and allow the salt water in, is never contemplated. Without this natural flushing it is no wonder the mouth of the Murray closes over more than it did under natural conditions.Most of the statements about the ecological collapse of the river refer to the lower lakes.
Against that backdrop, what a worry it is to have the key players in the debate now all S.A. based- Penny Wong, Mike Young and now Nick Xenothon!! I think Mike Young is quite right in saying that an absolute 'cap' figure is no way to manage a highly variable situation. We need to deal in shares of an ever moving total. However, he is quite wrong in never acknowledging the barrages issue and even suggesting that the massive evaporation of fresh water from the lower lakes should be a first call on the river.
Carbon Trading
It seems to me to be increasingly clear that the conventional wisdom is under very strong challenge. There has been no warming over the last ten years and the link between atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and warming is very weak. If there is a problem, if India and China and the rest of the developing world do nothing, what is the purpose of Australians being 'holier than thou' and inflicting economic pain for no measurable impact on the global position. I hope you have a chance to read Colin Robinson's paper that I emailed you yesterday.
My, ever humble, view is that Australia should do nothing in a regulatory sense and allow all those "virtuous greens" who apparently make up a significant part of our population, to act independently and freely! With all of the concerns about costs, particularly fuel costs, now might be the right time for the Opposition to really differentiate itself and take such a position. You might have a problem with Greg Hunt!
Dear Malcolm,
Listening to this morning's ABC Radio prompts me to 'write'. I have always had a predilection to telling other people, particularly politicians, how to do their jobs! Now that I don't have one myself (retired) I can further indulge myself in this annoying habit!
Murray-Darling
As a one time resident of S.A. I am acutely aware of the water hang-ups of the locals. If you live in the driest state in the driest continent and only have one decent river and you live on the rear (arse) end of that, you are sure to have a hang-up. Primary school children in Adelaide are taught that SA is discriminated against by those awful bastards upstream in Queensland, NSW (including the ACT) and Victoria who take all the water. The South Australians have, over the years, exploited this "I'm badly done by" attitude to the point that they have the best deal of all in the basin (have a look at their irrigation allocations in the last few years), pipe water all over the place and are quite profligate in its use.
The 'elephant in the room', which they never mention, are the barrages at the mouth of the river. Under natural conditions the water in the lower lakes varied from being salt to fresh depending on river flows. Once the barrages were built it became continually fresh and the expectation developed that there should always be sufficient fresh water from upstream to keep them high. The option of doing what would have happened under natural conditions and allow the salt water in, is never contemplated. Without this natural flushing it is no wonder the mouth of the Murray closes over more than it did under natural conditions.Most of the statements about the ecological collapse of the river refer to the lower lakes.
Against that backdrop, what a worry it is to have the key players in the debate now all S.A. based- Penny Wong, Mike Young and now Nick Xenothon!! I think Mike Young is quite right in saying that an absolute 'cap' figure is no way to manage a highly variable situation. We need to deal in shares of an ever moving total. However, he is quite wrong in never acknowledging the barrages issue and even suggesting that the massive evaporation of fresh water from the lower lakes should be a first call on the river.
Carbon Trading
It seems to me to be increasingly clear that the conventional wisdom is under very strong challenge. There has been no warming over the last ten years and the link between atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and warming is very weak. If there is a problem, if India and China and the rest of the developing world do nothing, what is the purpose of Australians being 'holier than thou' and inflicting economic pain for no measurable impact on the global position. I hope you have a chance to read Colin Robinson's paper that I emailed you yesterday.
My, ever humble, view is that Australia should do nothing in a regulatory sense and allow all those "virtuous greens" who apparently make up a significant part of our population, to act independently and freely! With all of the concerns about costs, particularly fuel costs, now might be the right time for the Opposition to really differentiate itself and take such a position. You might have a problem with Greg Hunt!
13 November, 2009
Al Gore and Global Warming
The truth is, evidence of man's impact on climate remains maddeningly elusive, in part because man's impact on climate is so small as to be hard to disentangle from natural variability. This is not Mr. Gore's position, of course. If anything, however, the case for action has become less closed since he pronounced it closed in 1989, if only because of the huge sums and manpower poured into the subject to little avail.
In retrospect, a significant moment was the falling apart or debunking of two key attempts seemingly well-suited to clinch matters for a scientifically literate public. One, the famous hockey stick graph, which suggested the temperature rise of the past 100 years was unprecedentedly steep, was convincingly challenged. The other, a mining of the geological record to show past episodes of warming were sharply coupled with rising CO2 levels, fell victim to a closer look that revealed that past warmings had preceded rather than followed higher CO2 levels.
These episodes from a decade ago testified to one important thing: Even climate activists recognized a need for evidence from the real world. The endless invocation of computer models wasn't cutting it. Yet today the same circles are more dependent than ever on predictions made by models, whose forecasts lie far enough in the future that those who rely on them to make policy prescriptions are in no danger of being held accountable for their reliability.
For a while the media could patch over the scientific shortfall by reporting evidence of warming as if it were evidence of what causes warming. Inconveniently, however, just as temperature-measuring has become more standardized and disciplined and less reliant on flaky records from the past (massaged to the Nth degree), the warming trend seems to have faded from the recent record.
We could go on. But from our first column on this subject, we have been convinced that the scientific questions are interesting and irrelevant, since it was never in the cards that Western societies (or Brazil or India or China) would sacrifice economic growth for the uncertain benefits of fighting climate change. Unable to do anything meaningful about climate change, policy would therefore default to satisfying the demand of organized interests for climate pork.
Isn't that, however much he may be distracted by feelings of sincerity, exactly the economic function of Mr. Gore today?
The Wall Street Journal November 12,2009
In retrospect, a significant moment was the falling apart or debunking of two key attempts seemingly well-suited to clinch matters for a scientifically literate public. One, the famous hockey stick graph, which suggested the temperature rise of the past 100 years was unprecedentedly steep, was convincingly challenged. The other, a mining of the geological record to show past episodes of warming were sharply coupled with rising CO2 levels, fell victim to a closer look that revealed that past warmings had preceded rather than followed higher CO2 levels.
These episodes from a decade ago testified to one important thing: Even climate activists recognized a need for evidence from the real world. The endless invocation of computer models wasn't cutting it. Yet today the same circles are more dependent than ever on predictions made by models, whose forecasts lie far enough in the future that those who rely on them to make policy prescriptions are in no danger of being held accountable for their reliability.
For a while the media could patch over the scientific shortfall by reporting evidence of warming as if it were evidence of what causes warming. Inconveniently, however, just as temperature-measuring has become more standardized and disciplined and less reliant on flaky records from the past (massaged to the Nth degree), the warming trend seems to have faded from the recent record.
We could go on. But from our first column on this subject, we have been convinced that the scientific questions are interesting and irrelevant, since it was never in the cards that Western societies (or Brazil or India or China) would sacrifice economic growth for the uncertain benefits of fighting climate change. Unable to do anything meaningful about climate change, policy would therefore default to satisfying the demand of organized interests for climate pork.
Isn't that, however much he may be distracted by feelings of sincerity, exactly the economic function of Mr. Gore today?
The Wall Street Journal November 12,2009
27 October, 2009
Irrigation Fundamentals
27.10.09
Irrigation Fundamentals
§ Buying irrigation licenses by the Federal Government will do nothing for our rivers, it will only limit agricultural production when water is plentiful.
§ Irrigation licenses grant the right to extract water only when allocations are made.
§ When water is short there are no, or very limited allocations.
§ Our rainfall (and run-off) is highly variable.
§ The answer to water shortages is to store more in times of plenty.
§ Storages need to be deep to minimise evaporation losses.
§ Valleys, in hilly country, make the most efficient storages.
§ Diversion of surplus flows from coastal flowing rivers through damming and tunnelling, would not only mitigate floods, but also provide additional water for food production.
§ Dams need to be engineered so as to allow smaller flows to pass.
§ They need to be “adaptively” managed in a flexible way, in line with our highly variable rainfall
David Boyd
Irrigation Fundamentals
§ Buying irrigation licenses by the Federal Government will do nothing for our rivers, it will only limit agricultural production when water is plentiful.
§ Irrigation licenses grant the right to extract water only when allocations are made.
§ When water is short there are no, or very limited allocations.
§ Our rainfall (and run-off) is highly variable.
§ The answer to water shortages is to store more in times of plenty.
§ Storages need to be deep to minimise evaporation losses.
§ Valleys, in hilly country, make the most efficient storages.
§ Diversion of surplus flows from coastal flowing rivers through damming and tunnelling, would not only mitigate floods, but also provide additional water for food production.
§ Dams need to be engineered so as to allow smaller flows to pass.
§ They need to be “adaptively” managed in a flexible way, in line with our highly variable rainfall
David Boyd
25 October, 2009
Speech At Opening Back o' Bourke Exhibition Centre-24.10.09
Salutations
I have been greatly looking forward to this day and congratulate all involved in getting this great Centre to where it now is.
I came to Bourke with Dalgety, as a fresh-faced eighteen year old, 50 years ago next August. I soon met a strong-willed, spirited young school leaver called Gail Dugan. There was great strength of spirit and character, and a certain Irish cussedness, not atypical in Bourke residents.
The old timers around here will tell you that not only was Gail very pretty, but she could run like the wind, having distinguished herself on the athletic field both at Bourke and at the All School Sports at Bathurst.
I chased her, on and off, for six years until she became my wife 43 years ago.
In the meantime she completed her nursing training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney with great distinction. She was top nurse at the Hospital and came third in the State in the final examinations. She is a better diagnostician than any doctors I know and has been a wonderful mother to our three surviving children. This allowed me to pursue my commercial career in which she gave me great support.
If you track back every branch of your family tree you will find that you have no less than eight great grand parents. In Gail’s case all of those great grand parents came from Bourke or Brewarrina. So, it is no exaggeration to say that I have lived with Bourke for the last 43 years!
When after 28 years with Dalgety, I joined the Swire Group as Managing Director of Clyde Agriculture, I found myself working with a company that had been founded in Bourke. We kept our operational headquarters here as the company grew to be one of the major agricultural companies in Australia with holdings spread from central Queensland to Coonamble and east to the New England.
Whenever Gail is asked where she was born and replies “Bourke” you can hear the retort coming “Oh….. Back o’ Bourke”.
The term must be as well known as “she’ll be right” and “’ow you goin’ ”.
With this expression welded into the Australian vernacular and with Bourke’s colourful history, the locals have demonstrated great initiative and judgement in capitalising on them and developing the concept and now the reality of the Back 0’ Bourke Exhibition Centre.
The term “back o’ Bourke” was coined by the Scottish poet Will Ogilvie in his poem “At the Back o’ Bourke”. Ogilvie spent twelve years in Australia from 1889 to 1901, much of it at Belalie Station and around Bourke generally. So he saw and wrote about the Great Flood in the Darling of 1890 (see the plaque on the Post Office which records the height in the main street) and he also saw and wrote of the Federation Drought. (Plenty of Climate Change in those days too-Minister).
Like Henry Lawson he was very aware of the massive seasonal contrasts of the Australian bush and the effect that these have on the character of its inhabitants. Lawson wrote much of mateship, perseverance, steadfastness, consistency, generosity of hearts, and straightness.
These characteristics have been to the fore in the development of this project, not least in the contribution of the volunteers.
They were characteristics greatly admired by the Late Edward Scott, Chairman of John Swire and Sons and Clyde Agriculture, Companies represented here today by the current Chairman of both-Bill Rothery.
Edward Scott with the backing of his shareholders-the Swire family- and with strong support from Doug Anthony, approved $400,000 as seed capital for the Back o’ Bourke Centre. Edward loved Bourke and it is fitting that his memorial rock and plaque are located here.
After the initial enthusiasm the project fell on hard times and for a while people wondered whether it would ever be completed. Then thanks to the establishment of the Darling Matilda Way Sustainable Region, by the Howard/Anderson Government and with significant assistance from then Mayor Wayne O’Mally, we were, able to garner an additional $3m., to complete the project.
John Anderson, as the then local member and Deputy Prime Minister, was central to the establishment of the Sustainable Region.
The Sustainable Regions programme was about using taxpayer’s funds to stimulate economic activity in areas assessed as being disadvantaged. I think it is now called “nation building”.
My Advisory Committee, of which your Shire General Manager and our M.C. here today, Geoff Wise, was a key member, quickly recognised that the name of the game was acting as a catalyst to establish businesses that offered ongoing employment-in other words it was all about long term jobs. In the remote areas of far western Queensland and far western NSW that we were responsible for, tourism was seen as a primary opportunity.
One of the real benefits of tourism projects is that they have a flow-on effect. For example, the Back o’ Bourke Centre has a positive impact on Charleville’s Cosmos Centre and Longreach’s Stockmen’s Hall of Fame and vice versa. Many tourists travel to see the outback package. Furthermore, the economic impact flows beyond the specific tourism project itself, to all of the town’s service industries-accommodation, meals, fuel, etc. etc.
Bourke is quintessential inland Australia. It experiences the character building extremes of the Australian outback climate. It rolls with the punches, recognising that humans have no choice, but to adapt and respond to what nature deals out. Its people are resilient and its land has great recuperative power. It rewards those who are consistent and persistent.
Let me conclude by reading the last verse of Will Ogilvie’s “At The Back of Bourke”
“That’s where the wildest floods have birth
Out of the nakedest ends of Earth—
At the Back o’ Bourke
Where poor men lend and the rich ones borrow
It’s the bitterest land of sweat and sorrow—
But if I were free I’d be off tomorrow
Out to the Back o’ Bourke”!
David Boyd
24.10.09
I have been greatly looking forward to this day and congratulate all involved in getting this great Centre to where it now is.
I came to Bourke with Dalgety, as a fresh-faced eighteen year old, 50 years ago next August. I soon met a strong-willed, spirited young school leaver called Gail Dugan. There was great strength of spirit and character, and a certain Irish cussedness, not atypical in Bourke residents.
The old timers around here will tell you that not only was Gail very pretty, but she could run like the wind, having distinguished herself on the athletic field both at Bourke and at the All School Sports at Bathurst.
I chased her, on and off, for six years until she became my wife 43 years ago.
In the meantime she completed her nursing training at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney with great distinction. She was top nurse at the Hospital and came third in the State in the final examinations. She is a better diagnostician than any doctors I know and has been a wonderful mother to our three surviving children. This allowed me to pursue my commercial career in which she gave me great support.
If you track back every branch of your family tree you will find that you have no less than eight great grand parents. In Gail’s case all of those great grand parents came from Bourke or Brewarrina. So, it is no exaggeration to say that I have lived with Bourke for the last 43 years!
When after 28 years with Dalgety, I joined the Swire Group as Managing Director of Clyde Agriculture, I found myself working with a company that had been founded in Bourke. We kept our operational headquarters here as the company grew to be one of the major agricultural companies in Australia with holdings spread from central Queensland to Coonamble and east to the New England.
Whenever Gail is asked where she was born and replies “Bourke” you can hear the retort coming “Oh….. Back o’ Bourke”.
The term must be as well known as “she’ll be right” and “’ow you goin’ ”.
With this expression welded into the Australian vernacular and with Bourke’s colourful history, the locals have demonstrated great initiative and judgement in capitalising on them and developing the concept and now the reality of the Back 0’ Bourke Exhibition Centre.
The term “back o’ Bourke” was coined by the Scottish poet Will Ogilvie in his poem “At the Back o’ Bourke”. Ogilvie spent twelve years in Australia from 1889 to 1901, much of it at Belalie Station and around Bourke generally. So he saw and wrote about the Great Flood in the Darling of 1890 (see the plaque on the Post Office which records the height in the main street) and he also saw and wrote of the Federation Drought. (Plenty of Climate Change in those days too-Minister).
Like Henry Lawson he was very aware of the massive seasonal contrasts of the Australian bush and the effect that these have on the character of its inhabitants. Lawson wrote much of mateship, perseverance, steadfastness, consistency, generosity of hearts, and straightness.
These characteristics have been to the fore in the development of this project, not least in the contribution of the volunteers.
They were characteristics greatly admired by the Late Edward Scott, Chairman of John Swire and Sons and Clyde Agriculture, Companies represented here today by the current Chairman of both-Bill Rothery.
Edward Scott with the backing of his shareholders-the Swire family- and with strong support from Doug Anthony, approved $400,000 as seed capital for the Back o’ Bourke Centre. Edward loved Bourke and it is fitting that his memorial rock and plaque are located here.
After the initial enthusiasm the project fell on hard times and for a while people wondered whether it would ever be completed. Then thanks to the establishment of the Darling Matilda Way Sustainable Region, by the Howard/Anderson Government and with significant assistance from then Mayor Wayne O’Mally, we were, able to garner an additional $3m., to complete the project.
John Anderson, as the then local member and Deputy Prime Minister, was central to the establishment of the Sustainable Region.
The Sustainable Regions programme was about using taxpayer’s funds to stimulate economic activity in areas assessed as being disadvantaged. I think it is now called “nation building”.
My Advisory Committee, of which your Shire General Manager and our M.C. here today, Geoff Wise, was a key member, quickly recognised that the name of the game was acting as a catalyst to establish businesses that offered ongoing employment-in other words it was all about long term jobs. In the remote areas of far western Queensland and far western NSW that we were responsible for, tourism was seen as a primary opportunity.
One of the real benefits of tourism projects is that they have a flow-on effect. For example, the Back o’ Bourke Centre has a positive impact on Charleville’s Cosmos Centre and Longreach’s Stockmen’s Hall of Fame and vice versa. Many tourists travel to see the outback package. Furthermore, the economic impact flows beyond the specific tourism project itself, to all of the town’s service industries-accommodation, meals, fuel, etc. etc.
Bourke is quintessential inland Australia. It experiences the character building extremes of the Australian outback climate. It rolls with the punches, recognising that humans have no choice, but to adapt and respond to what nature deals out. Its people are resilient and its land has great recuperative power. It rewards those who are consistent and persistent.
Let me conclude by reading the last verse of Will Ogilvie’s “At The Back of Bourke”
“That’s where the wildest floods have birth
Out of the nakedest ends of Earth—
At the Back o’ Bourke
Where poor men lend and the rich ones borrow
It’s the bitterest land of sweat and sorrow—
But if I were free I’d be off tomorrow
Out to the Back o’ Bourke”!
David Boyd
24.10.09
12 October, 2009
Wool Production-Conflicting Trends
27th October,2009
Australian Wool Production
or Wool ‘Aint’ Wool- A Commentary by David Boyd
The huge drop in total wool production has masked a massive increase in the production of finer wools.
Over the years knowledgeable commentators have warned about the dangers of addressing wool issues in aggregated terms. The huge spectrum of wool types from coarse carpet making types to silk-like, soft, up-market superfine wools and everything in between, highlights the extent of the range.
This truism is again highlighted by an analysis of movements in production since the most recent peak in total production in 1989/90.
In aggregate terms, in the nineteen years from 1989/90 to 2008/9, total production of merino fleece has dropped by no less than 63%! Or in other words production in 1989/90 was 167% greater than it was in 2008/9.
Yet, within this aggregate, over the same period, production of fleece wools of 19.5 micron and finer have actually increased by 243%. You might well ask how can this be?
First, wools in the 23/24/25 micron band have almost disappeared, with production dropping by 95%. Second, for wools in the middle microns (20/21/22) production has dropped by 54%.
It can be asserted that this movement towards finer wools represents a highly economically rational response by Australia’s woolgrowers as they move production in response to price signals and the premiums attracted by finer wools. This assumes that these premiums can be achieved without a loss of weight (cut per head) that negates the finer wool price premium. This becomes even more relevant given the importance of sheep meat returns and the correlation between carcass weight and wool cuts.
I think the weight of evidence would suggest that notwithstanding all the “bad-mouthing” of the industry, Australia’s woolgrowers are not stupid and this movement reflects well on the flexibility and responsiveness of the industry.
Whilst I have seen no objective evidence, observation would suggest to me that our stud breeders have done a great job in scaling up the size of finer wool sheep on the one hand and lowering the micron of our stronger wool sheep without a commensurate loss of frame or wool cut.
There is, of course another factor at play. These years have seen some very severe drought in much of the production area, albeit at differing times in different areas. There is no doubt that there is a strong correlation between fineness of fibre and nutrition. We really do not know how much of this ‘fining-up’ is due to genetics and how much to nutrition (“hungry-fine”). In addition, a lot of country in the far west of NSW that once produced stronger merino wools, has now been converted to Dorpers, Damaras and goat production.
Whilst growers have lamented the level of wool prices, the fact remains that there continues to be a price premium for finer wools notwithstanding the massive increase in production and there has been no positive price response to the dramatic drop in production at the stronger end. There seems little doubt what the market is telling us at that end of the micron range.
However, at the finer end it could well be argued that the market has held up remarkably well in the face of the massive increase in production.
(I am indebted to AWEX for the provision of the relevant statistics)
Link: Statistics,table and graph.
Australian Wool Production
or Wool ‘Aint’ Wool- A Commentary by David Boyd
The huge drop in total wool production has masked a massive increase in the production of finer wools.
Over the years knowledgeable commentators have warned about the dangers of addressing wool issues in aggregated terms. The huge spectrum of wool types from coarse carpet making types to silk-like, soft, up-market superfine wools and everything in between, highlights the extent of the range.
This truism is again highlighted by an analysis of movements in production since the most recent peak in total production in 1989/90.
In aggregate terms, in the nineteen years from 1989/90 to 2008/9, total production of merino fleece has dropped by no less than 63%! Or in other words production in 1989/90 was 167% greater than it was in 2008/9.
Yet, within this aggregate, over the same period, production of fleece wools of 19.5 micron and finer have actually increased by 243%. You might well ask how can this be?
First, wools in the 23/24/25 micron band have almost disappeared, with production dropping by 95%. Second, for wools in the middle microns (20/21/22) production has dropped by 54%.
It can be asserted that this movement towards finer wools represents a highly economically rational response by Australia’s woolgrowers as they move production in response to price signals and the premiums attracted by finer wools. This assumes that these premiums can be achieved without a loss of weight (cut per head) that negates the finer wool price premium. This becomes even more relevant given the importance of sheep meat returns and the correlation between carcass weight and wool cuts.
I think the weight of evidence would suggest that notwithstanding all the “bad-mouthing” of the industry, Australia’s woolgrowers are not stupid and this movement reflects well on the flexibility and responsiveness of the industry.
Whilst I have seen no objective evidence, observation would suggest to me that our stud breeders have done a great job in scaling up the size of finer wool sheep on the one hand and lowering the micron of our stronger wool sheep without a commensurate loss of frame or wool cut.
There is, of course another factor at play. These years have seen some very severe drought in much of the production area, albeit at differing times in different areas. There is no doubt that there is a strong correlation between fineness of fibre and nutrition. We really do not know how much of this ‘fining-up’ is due to genetics and how much to nutrition (“hungry-fine”). In addition, a lot of country in the far west of NSW that once produced stronger merino wools, has now been converted to Dorpers, Damaras and goat production.
Whilst growers have lamented the level of wool prices, the fact remains that there continues to be a price premium for finer wools notwithstanding the massive increase in production and there has been no positive price response to the dramatic drop in production at the stronger end. There seems little doubt what the market is telling us at that end of the micron range.
However, at the finer end it could well be argued that the market has held up remarkably well in the face of the massive increase in production.
(I am indebted to AWEX for the provision of the relevant statistics)
Link: Statistics,table and graph.
01 October, 2009
Climate Change
Letter sent to Sydney Morning Herald 01.10.09
Malcolm Turnbull faces the classic politician's dilemma. Do I respond to public opinion, however misinformed, or do I act proactively, demonstrate real leadership and risk my party going down in the process?
Once again Senator Ron Boswell, with support from Senator Barnaby Joyce, has chosen the leadership route.
Consider this-
The link between anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (in particular) and atmospheric warming is far from proven, in fact it appears disproven. The science is NOT settled.
The very name CARBON POLLUTION REDUCTION SCHEME (CPRS) is at best misleading. Carbon is not a pollutant, but an essential part of life.
Even if both these assertions are wrong, if Australia stopped all of its emissions immediately the effect would be negligible. So why should we impose the admitted damage to our economy and our global competitiveness, for negligible global benefit, when it appears the major emitters are likely to do very little. We should certainly wait and see what the majors do before acting.
Malcolm Turnbull faces the classic politician's dilemma. Do I respond to public opinion, however misinformed, or do I act proactively, demonstrate real leadership and risk my party going down in the process?
Once again Senator Ron Boswell, with support from Senator Barnaby Joyce, has chosen the leadership route.
Consider this-
The link between anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (in particular) and atmospheric warming is far from proven, in fact it appears disproven. The science is NOT settled.
The very name CARBON POLLUTION REDUCTION SCHEME (CPRS) is at best misleading. Carbon is not a pollutant, but an essential part of life.
Even if both these assertions are wrong, if Australia stopped all of its emissions immediately the effect would be negligible. So why should we impose the admitted damage to our economy and our global competitiveness, for negligible global benefit, when it appears the major emitters are likely to do very little. We should certainly wait and see what the majors do before acting.
18 August, 2009
BlogLog
Blog Log of David and Gail Boyd’s Retirement Trip to Hong Kong and the U.K. 6th to 28th July 2009.
We set out on this long planned overseas trip with considerable anticipation of the pleasures ahead of us on Monday 6th July. The previous day we had a farewell brunch with son Mike, his wife Georgia, Charlie and Heidi (grandchildren), daughters Kate and Susie and Susie’s husband Hagen.
We left behind painters working on a complete “makeover” of our home at St Ives and under Susie and Hagen’s direction, builders doing extensive renovations to Gail’s late brother’s unit at Cremorne, prior to Susie and Hagen moving in.
Monday 6th. July
A cold 5:30 a.m. departure from St Ives saw us take off from Sydney on CX 110, an Airbus A320 just before 8:00. My first exposure to the Cathay Business Class configuration cubicle like bed/seats, at 45 degrees to the window. Not good for my self-appointed role of “assistant navigator”, but not impossible. Great for stretching out at a full horizontal posture and sleeping. A bit claustrophobic for an excessively large Anglo-Saxon male.
Couldn’t visually navigate for first hour or so as we flew over cloud. Cleared momentarily as we crossed the Barwon River then opened up again somewhere south of Boulia. Disappointed to miss identifying Thylungra. Then a fascinating flight with me in my element. The GPS info and map on the screen-800/850 km/hour at a very consistent 38,000 feet-and my detailed map of Australia spread out on my lap. Followed the Diamentina River-country now dried off after the great rain of last summer. Flew north between Mt Isa and Cloncurry then inland of the western side of the Gulf. Great views of the rivers and various islands, all of which could be positively identified by their unique shapes. Then over the corner of Arnhem Land (Kakadu?), east of Darwin.
The total flight time to Hong Kong is 9 hours and it always intrigues me that some 4 hours of this is over Australia, such is the size of the country. I am looking forward to visiting much of this country on the ground when Gail and I finally get around to doing our “grey nomad” thing, in Gail’s much despised 4Wheel-drive dream vehicle.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and cloudy until a brilliant descent over a sunlit Hong Kong. Not the old excitement of landing at Kai Tak and flying between the buildings. I wonder if our kids remember landing in Hong Kong in 1990. On that occassion the kids travelled “cattle class” whereas Gail and I were up the front as is appropriate for Swire executives! A very thoughtful Cathay hostie invited the kids up the front also to enjoy the thrill of landing at Kai Tak. Now its the ultra modern and much more spacious, for people and aircraft, new airport.
We knew we were to be met “on arrival”, but didn’t take that literally. But, at the door of the aircraft we were greeted by Cathay uniformed young lady (and a burst of Hong Kong heat and humidity), who ushered us through customs in no time at all into a waiting Swire Merc for the spectacular drive over bigger and longer replicas of the Sydney Anzac bridge, to Pacific Place and the very comfortable Taikoo Suite in “The Apartments” on the 35th Floor of the Conrad branded building. (Much of the building is the Conrad Hotel with the main entrance on the other side). The suite is very tastefully appointed and has spectacular views in most directions, but particularly across the harbour to Kowloon. It is tendered by Karna, a personable Nepalese, who was anxious to attend our every need. It was fascinating to flick through the visitors book and see so many names that were so familiar, of all those interesting people who invariably toured the Clyde properties when they came on to Australia.
Tuesday 7th July
I refused to let Gail draw the curtains and block that view, so I woke early to heavy morning rain and set off to see how far I could get under cover on all the walkways which are a feature of ‘Central’. Didn’t make it to the Star Ferry, but managed some good exercise.
A very leisurely day, which included a Star Ferry ride to buy a pair of binoculars in the back streets of Kowloon.
We had arranged to meet two of my ex Sydney Swire colleagues for dinner al The Hutong Restaurant on the top of 1 Peking Road also at Kowloon. Once again spectacular views, this time back to the Island. Great food and company-Rupert Hogg, Angus and Sophie Barclay. We actually ran in to Sophie at the ferry wharf on the Island side, when I was getting anxious that we were running late!
Gail was last here about nineteen years ago and I was surprised to realise that it was fifteen years since I was last here-for the Hong Kong Sevens with Mike, staying across the road at the J.W. Marriot Hotel. There is so much Swire traffic between Sydney and Hong Kong I thought I knew the place. However, the growth in the meantime has been phenomenal and reminds me of Shanghai, which I visited with Australian Wool Innovation six or seven years ago. Notwithstanding the global financial crisis the place still bristles with energy. However, the trade downturn is serious, particularly for transport-ships and aircraft.
Wednesday 8th July
Once again we were determined not to try to do too much and simply enjoy our surroundings. Made a visit to the rather sumptuous and very tasteful Swire Offices next door then a bus ride (the tram service was “suspended”) to The Peak , where we had lunch, reversed our steps and returned to the Suite, rather “zonked” from heat and humidity.
Chris Pratt, the current Swire Hong Kong Taipan and former Swire Board (Australia) colleague, rang late afternoon and to my delight suggested we have a drink “after work” across the road at an Italian Restaurant! I have always enjoyed the old stock and station agency days practise of a few beers after work-something that random breath testing (and perhaps family pressures on “sensitive new age fathers”) has largely killed.
We perched up on bar stools in true Port of Bourke Hotel fashion and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves talking about old days and current pressures. I was most appreciative of this gesture and found Chris to be most personable and interesting. As I told him, I continue to be overwhelmed by the scale and breadth of the business he is responsible for. I returned to the Suite in time to watch the much anticipated first cricket Test between England and Australia at Cardiff. We gave dinner a miss.
Thursday 9th July
A 7:45 departure for the airport per another Swire Merc saw us in good time to board our Cathay flight for London. Same seat configuration, no First Class, perhaps on the way back. Gail kindly traded me her window seat for my allocated aisle seat.
Once we boarded we were told that flight time was an hour shorter than scheduled, 12 rather than 13 hours (must be good tailwinds), but as there would be no bay available at Heathrow at that time, departure was being delayed “for commercial and environmental” reasons. I love “going green” when there is also economic logic, which, if you take a long-term view there so often is.
As I write we have now been flying for five hours plus, all of it over China including Mongolia and now over southern Russia, so Australia is not the only big country.
Later
Weather intermittently clear and some fascinating green flat country as we flew over the Siberian Lowlands. No sign of cultivation. Novosibirsk, Omsk places I have never heard of, how ignorant we are of so much of this amazing world. Noticed we went higher from 32,000 to 36,000 feet after encountering some light turbulence. Cruising at over 900km/hour with no headwind. Wound our clocks back seven hours for U.K. summer time-making it a long day. Didn’t see them, but according to the GPS screen (individual) flew north of Moscow, over St. Petersberg then some good clear views of the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, Estonia, Latvia and a very clear view of Copenhagen’s airport. Then over northern Germany, Holland over the English Channel, Norfolk, across London (good views of the Thames and the Houses of Parliament) and in to Heathrow. To look out of the window I developed a technique of putting the seat in to the bed (flat) position and lying face down propped up on my elbows. These business class seat configurations are good for sleeping, which most people seem to want to do, but no good for looking at the country, which is why I booked daytime flights.
As we flew over all of this very cold country today I couldn’t help thinking how all these people must be praying that global warming is real! They would benefit so much from higher temperatures and what I still believe would be accompanying higher rainfall.
Angela’s Scott’s driver (David) turned up at Heathrow a few minutes after we did and drove us through lovely green English countryside with lots of ripening wheat crops to Ampney Park, just out of Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Angela has done a great deal to smarten up this lovely stately home since we were here in 2002. We went to a local Pub for a delicious light dinner and returned feeling nicely drowsy, fell in to bed and slept beautifully.
Friday 10th July
A leisurely morning, that included an Angela conducted tour of this delightful garden. More like a park with lots of new additions including some great sculptures.
Angela lent us daughter Genevieve’s pensioned off little red Rover car amidst warnings of unreliability etc. We headed north through the Cotswolds to Boughton-on-the-Water and ever onward to Stratford-on-Avon. Had some difficulties with the navigator (Gail) on the way home, but made it without too much drama in good time for a BBQ dinner for 14, mostly local friends. Genevieve (Angela’s daughter) and boyfriend Adam Gyngell arrived mid-evening.
Saturday 11th July
As arranged we headed off at 8:30 to visit Michael and Anita Osborn at Shaftesbury. A somewhat trying trip, which looked very straight forward on the map, but proved quite difficult. By accident we were forced (wrong lane with high speed traffic all around us) on to the M4 heading for London, and had to go for some 15/20 minutes before we got an exit to get off and reverse our tracks. Weather showery, but some lovely country especially the rolling Wiltshire Downs. Was pleased to find Blimport Court with little difficulty and arrived on the tick of 11:00AM to a very warm welcome from a vibrant octogenarian in Anita and a very gentlemanly 93 year old Michael. It was so nice to see them and we think they were genuinely pleased that we made the effort. Only stayed for a little over an hour and then had lunch at a very English “pie shop” at the top of the famous Gold Hill.
Sunday 12th July
Today's focus was Day 5 of the First Test at Cardiff. It's only 1.5 hours away, so considered going over. However, couldn't see many spare seats and decided to watch from the comfort of Edward's study with great TV reception. Australia should have won, but cricket was the winner with a most thrilling finish. Now to Lord's.
Angela had some most interesting lady friend guests for dinner and we ate the most sumptuous salmon I have ever had. Whole fish cooked in foil.
Monday 13th July
Another walk around this magnificent garden during which I received a 'phone call from Bill Rothery regarding arrangements to transfer his Lords tickets to me now that he is unable to come. All seems to be in order for me to collect and distribute to his friends with plenty for me!
This was followed soon after by Angela receiving an email from a Sydney friend advising that Inge Grant (fellow Swire Director John Grant's wife) had died tragically overnight. Very, very sad for all concerned. We checked the information with Bill who did not know at that point, but rang back to sadly confirm. Simultaneously,Susie Dunn another close friend advised the same sad news by email. The Grants were to be present at tomorrow's Swire lunch, but had to cancel for John to have a hip operation.
Went in to Cirencester to successfully organise local mobiles for both me and Gail then returned for Gail's appointment-the hairdresser comes to us-at Ampney Park.
I had a most pleasant telephone conversation with Michael and Anita's son Simon who I have never met. He is interested in my web-based family tree idea so I fired off an email to Diane (Osborn) and Geza in Canada who put the tree that myself initially and then Bill Osborn put together on to a computer programme-Family Tree.
After a lovely two hour sleep I went walking in the Ampney Park garden as the sun was setting. Great light and had to return and get my camera I then proceeded to have a photo snapping walk reminiscent of a beautiful similar event in the Lake District last time we were in the UK. To add to the mood, the bell ringers struck up at the old Norman Church which adjoins Ampney Park as though it belongs to the Manor House.We then consumed the last of last nights salmon before Gail and Angela went shopping at the local supermarket (they stay open 24 hours and have unmanned checkouts).
Tuesday 14th July
We awoke early for Angela to deliver us in to Cirencester to catch the 7:45AM bus to London Victoria, just up the road from Swire House in Buckingham Gate, itself just up the road from the other Buckingham (Palace). We arrived at the office about 10:30AM and were ushered in to the best of the three flats on the 5th (top)Floor by a very welcoming senior receptioniste. This office has a lovely atmosphere reflecting the calibre of its occupants. Gail made rude remarks about the quality of the "best" shirts I had brought with me so I went out and found a T.M.Lewin and bought two new ones and tie and cuff links to boot.
So dressed up like the proverbial "pox Doctor's clerk" I presented with Gail at the Dining Room just up the hall at the appointed hour. Actually, I think we were 15 minutes early, but that didn't matter.
I must say I think this lunch for us is the greatest honour we have ever been paid.The host was Sir Adrian Swire and also present were Lady Judith (Sir Adrian's wife), his brother Sir John Swire, Adrian and Judy's son Merlin (now the Group Finance Director and Finlays Chairman), Glen Swire (a cousin who amongst other things was the Australian pen pal for many years),Glen's wife Caroline, Angela Scott and us.A very personal occassion helped by only nine people being present.
Adrian made a very nice speech saying how much they had enjoyed their Clyde visits and I responded. My main tack was what a privelege it had been to pursue what was largely Edward Scott's dream in working with such delightful people in building an agricultural business. I also said how important, enjoyable and motivational their regular visits to our properties had been. I mentioned that I was not enamoured with Clyde's current direction, but quickly went on, acknowledging that 'the old order changeth".
After lunch broke up around 3:00pm we changed in to more casual attire and headed for Lords (walk and taxi) to see if we actually could get hold of Bill Rothery's four tickets to each day of the Test. As we passed the Palace there were hordes of people lining up for one of the Queen's annual summer Garden Parties. Dressed to the'nines', I was reminded of a cartoon which always amused me, of a lady putting on her refinery to see the Queen drive by and commenting "I don't think she even saw me"!Our taxi driver told us that she doubted if many of the guests would actually see the Queen!
Armed with Letter of Introduction, Passport and SCG membership card and following communication from the SCG Trust, instigated by Bill Rothery in Australia we were successful, albeit with much muttering about how "we never transfer tickets". Bill had done a great job in dramatising the circumstances which prevented him coming, not without a sound basis for doing so. We returned by foot and bus and now have a good feel for getting from here to there. We also made contact with Cam Emerson (former MD of Swire Australian subsidiary Transwest). Gail and I are now to attend the Lord Taverners Dinner at the London Hilton tomorrow night with Cam and his wife Carol.
Found an Italian Restaurant down the road from here for dinner and retired early after a very complete and satisfying day.
Wednesday 15th July
An early morning walk donw Birdcage Walk to the Houses of Parliament and the Thames across the front of the Palace of Westminister to find the statue of Richard the Lionheart and the Peers Entrance so we would know where to go next week, then back past the Abbey and along Victoria Road.
After breakfast at the flat we headed off and found agreat crowd at Buck Palace waiting for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. We joined in and then had lunch across the road at the flower festooned (external) "The Albert" Hotel before heading off on a tourist bus ride around London. We must have crossed the Thames about six times and saw all the old familiar sights. Had time for a brief rest before getting a taxi to the London Hilton for the Lord Taverner's Dinner with Cam Emerson and his cricket touring party.
The dinner was great. Speeches includes Ronnie Corbett and former Prime Minister John Major. One expected Corbett to be funny and he was. Major delivered one of the best and surprisingly (to me) and most amusing speeches I have ever heard. I loved every minute of it.Wonderful use of the English language on one of my favourite subjects-cricket. I met Mike Gatting the former English captain whose only achievement I can recall was being bowled by "the ball of the century"-Warne's first Test match ball on English soil. Next day I met the man himself (Warne) when I found him having a smoke at the foot of the spaceship like Media Centre at Lords. I think he had a big hangover. He did give me a signature for Kate.
Thursday 16th-Monday 20thJuly 2009-Second Cricket Test at Lords
On Day I I walked down to Westminster and got the Tube to St John's Wood and walked to the North Gate. Like Sydney huge queue for the Member's Stand, but good access for those of us plebs with allocated seats elsewhere. Ours were in the Compton Stand. As arranged met Martin Whitaker and Bill's friend Julian Hill at the gate and handed over their tickets. At lunchtime after several glassesof white wine per favour of Julian we met Richard Reynolds, another friend of Bill's to give him his tickets. This meeting took place in the champagne bar at the Real Tennis Courts where we further imbibed. A very drowsy afternoon ensued as England piled on the runs and Mitchell Johnson sprayed the ball all over the place. Met my friend Ross Flannery in the Stand during the day. At close of play after walking with Martin Whitaker to Baker Street Station decided to walk the rest of the way back to Buckingham Gate.
Our seats for the first four days were in the Compton Stand to the right of the ultra modern rather incongrous Media Centre. The facilities for the general public at Lord's are really appalling and I was pretty underwhelmed. Not helped by Australia's poor performance. There are not enough stairways to the stand so it takes forever to get out and then even longer to get out of the ground (not enough gates). You queue forever for drinks, food and even to have a pee. Most of the stands are not under cover and there is no room for people to get past already seated spectators.
Gail came with me on Days 3 and 4. By then we developed a travel pattern of getting the Tube from Green Park (Jubilee Line) to St John's Wood and coming back on the No.16 Bus down Edgeware Road. One evening (rain and light stopped play each night) we got chatting to two delightful men on the bus and were speculating as to their occupations. One appeared to work for the Foreign Office and we put the other down as a medico. We both got our faces badly sunburnt on Day 3.
At Tea time on Day 4 we met up with Merlin Swire and fellow Swire Director William Weymss and several of William's mates. A short enjoyable interlude.
On Day 5 there was just a glimmer of hope that Australia might score a world record 500+ in the last innings after a wonderful stand by Michael Clarke and Haddin. We shifted camp very early from the Swire Flat just around the corner, so to speak, to the Caledonian Club, so that I could get out to Lord's early as I had a Reciprocal Pass to the Member's Stand, so needed to queue. Had the luxury of a taxi from the Club (same one as did the move)and joined a somewhat shorter Members queque compared with previous days.
Members I chatted with in the queue assured me I would have no trouble getting a seat in the Pavillion which I was keen to do on what might be my only opportunity. Whilst waiting my Medico designated friend from the bus came along and I invited him to take the place "I was saving for him" in the queue. He readily accepted. He was great company and mentioned that he worked at Westminster Abbey. On questioning he turned out to be not a Medico, but a Canon of the Abbey-the Rev. Ralph Godsall. He took me in hand, showed me the way to the middle deck of the Pavillion where there was no trouble getting a seat, took me on a tour of the Long Room, and introduced me to the Bowlers Bar and balcony.
In talking matters theological I ascertained his liberal approach then "admitted" my attraction to Spong. He likewise expressed enthusiasm for "Jack Spong" and told me that whilst at Cambridge he had been Chaplain to John Robinson of "Honest to God" fame. So now we really had common ground.
After making my own way to the Museum and viewing the Ashes Urn I had a coffee and bacon sandwich before joining Ralph, and Ross Flannery on the balcony for the ringing of the 5 minute bell. There I ran in to one of the very few MCC Members I knew (SCG and Adelaide Club acquaintance) Robert.....
As we mounted the stairs to our seats we passed the Australian batsmen coming down. Clarke looked pale and both he and Haddin very focussed.
If I was underwhelmed by Lord's on Days 1 to 4 I was now overwhelmed. What a fabulous historic, traditional spot.But, you do need to be in the Member's Stand. A pity Australia didn't win-the game finished just before Lunch with Flintoff taking five wickets. After the first drinks break (mid-day)my friend Ralph suggested we should also have a drink and we watched the end of the game from the Bowlers Bar balcony with pint in hand surrounded by very biased members.
Ross Flannery and two grain industry mates had lunch with me in the Long Room Bar, before I decided I had enough to drink and got a cab back to the Caledonia Club and crashed. Five days intense watching a cricket Test is exhausting!
Tuesday 21st July
Did a long walk early, going south back to Victoria etc. A scrumptous Scottish breakfast (for the uninformed "Caledonia" is the ancient name for Scotland and also happens to be the name of the second (and happiest) station in central Queensland where I did my second year jackarooing);we headed off for two arranged meetings. First with Ralph Godsall at Westminster Abbey for a guided tour-Ralph resplendent in his bright red cassock etc. (Queens colours, as the Abbey is not administered by the Church, but by the Queen (as advised by Downing Street). A most interesting insight including a visit to the shrine of Edward the Confessor, behind the high altar where the public are not admitted. Then at 12:45 Ralph escorted us over the road and thru' security (the cassock opens all doors!)to the Peer's Entrance to the Palace of Westminster where we were to meet Lord (Mark) Marlesford.
We had a delicious lunch and stimulating conversation with Mark before he took us on a tour of this magnificent palace. Most of it is relatively modern having been re-built, in the Gothic style, after the fire in 1836. Lord Marlesford had spoken in the House of Lords the previous day on the economy and gave us an autographed copy of Hansard including his speech. He is particularly concerned about credit card debt, much of which he believes is toxic.
He also is retiring from his Swire retainer arrangements at the end of this year, so I am in good company. We only have two more epistles. He is justifiably proud of his September 2007 paper which predicted the financial problems ahead.
After leaving the Palace we hung around the Abbey and attended Evensong at 5:00PM. It was sung by a visiting choir (Peterborough Cathedral) and was great. Very sincere simple, but formal service and no sermon.
Wednesday 22nd.July
No appointments today. I headed off for my morning constitutional this time heading north thru' Knightsbridge and via the Albert Gate in to Hyde Park. Walked right around the Serpentine (lake) and back to Halkin Street.
After a too full breakfast we headed for Oxford St via Picadilly and did some limited gift shopping. Couldn't get over how expensive Selfidges was, but found Marks and Spencers much more competitive. Had a big Scottish Dinner at the Club and retired reasonably early.
Thursday 23rd July
For this morning's constitutional I headed around the Palace wall and down to Westminster and the Thames. Outside the Palace Mews I came face to face with former Australian P.M. John Howard also out for his morning walk! We chatted briefly about the cricket and he assured me that he had been at Lord's every day.
We packed (an increasing challenge) and got a taxi aound to the Bus Station and caught the bus back to Cirencester where Martin Whitaker met us and brought us to his and Sue's delightful cottage (1600's)on the edge of Driffield village.
Friday 24th July
Today we headed for the C.L.A.Game Fair at Belvoir (pronounced Beaver) Castle in Leicestershire. A little over two hours drive mostly on motorways with lots of confusing, fast moving round-a-bouts. I was glad Martin was driving.
The Fair is a big deal and the Castle backdrop spectacular, set high on a wooded hill. Row upon row of stalls with business promotion/entertaining, food and clothing, dog (hounds)and falcon displays,etc. etc. Wonderfully well organised. Sat in on a most interesting debate on food security in the Strutt and Parker tent. A long interesting day with lots of lovely scenery in the travelling.
Saturday 25th July
A nice unsheduled day. Leisurely brunch followed by a beautiful drive and walk. Then a fabulous dinner at a classical local village pub-I could get used to English pub life-and no doubt larger than ever!
Sunday 26th July-Monday 27th July
Breakfast followed by a long walk with dogs in toe around the Driffield fields. Old Norman Church and interesting crops. It's great to be with an agriculturalist. After lunch Martin and Sue kindly drove us to Heathrow via "drive past" look at Adrian Swire's crops-and they look great.
Took off in a very well presented Boeing 747-400 around 7:00pm. A very welcome upgrade to First Class-only nine participants with two stewardesses!
Eleven hours flying time,6,000 miles (9,600km)with,in parts, the help of a 100km/hour tailwind, a ground speed of 1029km/hour. Mostly at 31,000 feet.
Some interesting views of the Baltic Coast including a spectacular view, as light was disappearing, of the Polish port of Gdansk. Brought back memories of Lech Walesa and Solidarity,Cardinal Wojtyla who became Pope John Paul 2 and the role this all played in the fall of communism and the Iron Curtain. Darkness took over and sleep was welcome, but disturbed.
Lost the seven hours we gained on the way over and arrived H.K.on schedule at 1:00pm.on 27th.
The now familiar, wonderful routine of being met at the aircraft door, ushered thru' customs into the Swire car and met by Karna at the Pacfic Place Apartments for escorting to the Taikoo Suite on 35th Floor, all worked like clockwork. I could get used to this!
Did some stressful (jetlagged)family shopping in the very expensive Pacfic Place shops before a scratch cafeteria style early dinner and going to bed too early and waking every two hours thru' the night.
Tuesday 28th July
Early car to the Airport along the now familiar, but spectacular drive. Raining heavily. Airport train again to Gate 23 and away on schedule around 9:00AM on another Airbus.
A daylight flight again, but largely over ocean until you reach Australia. The flight is a distance of 4,600 Miles(7,400km) and takes just under nine hours. Only a two hour time difference (Hong Kong and Perth are in the same time zone). Started at 31,000 feet, but most of the time at 39,000. Pretty turbulent around the Philippines. The flight over Australia was again very interesting. East of our northbound track, but good views of the west Gulf of Carpentaria coast, lots of fires, and a good clear view of Mt.Isa which looked small for a city of 18,000 people from 39,000 feet. Surprised how hilly the country was south from the Gulf. Once darkness descended it was easy to identify town lights with the help of the GPS fed individual screens-particulary Dubbo and surrounding towns.
I was mindful of my first awareness of Swire when Gail and I flew Cathay between Hong Kong and Taipei(?)forty years ago and how I was impressed by what I read in the airline magazine of this,low key English family company which ran the airline.
This first impression in many ways instilled an attraction which made me interested in the approach of Edward Scott some twenty years later.I would never have dreamt that I would have the wonderful opportunities the Group provided me to develop the Australian agricultural arm and that I would one day be a Director of the Australian subsidiary and that Gail and I would one day be the beneficiary of a retirement trip such as what we have just enjoyed.
The disappointments have been the death of Edward Scott, the seven year long-turn of the century-drought, and the strategic direction and management style adopted for Clyde since my retirement as an executive.
Swires have been wonderful employers and I feel truly privileged to have worked for a Group of such quality and with such great values. One of these values is to support local management-a principle of which I was a beneficiary for so many years.
David Boyd
30.07.09
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We set out on this long planned overseas trip with considerable anticipation of the pleasures ahead of us on Monday 6th July. The previous day we had a farewell brunch with son Mike, his wife Georgia, Charlie and Heidi (grandchildren), daughters Kate and Susie and Susie’s husband Hagen.
We left behind painters working on a complete “makeover” of our home at St Ives and under Susie and Hagen’s direction, builders doing extensive renovations to Gail’s late brother’s unit at Cremorne, prior to Susie and Hagen moving in.
Monday 6th. July
A cold 5:30 a.m. departure from St Ives saw us take off from Sydney on CX 110, an Airbus A320 just before 8:00. My first exposure to the Cathay Business Class configuration cubicle like bed/seats, at 45 degrees to the window. Not good for my self-appointed role of “assistant navigator”, but not impossible. Great for stretching out at a full horizontal posture and sleeping. A bit claustrophobic for an excessively large Anglo-Saxon male.
Couldn’t visually navigate for first hour or so as we flew over cloud. Cleared momentarily as we crossed the Barwon River then opened up again somewhere south of Boulia. Disappointed to miss identifying Thylungra. Then a fascinating flight with me in my element. The GPS info and map on the screen-800/850 km/hour at a very consistent 38,000 feet-and my detailed map of Australia spread out on my lap. Followed the Diamentina River-country now dried off after the great rain of last summer. Flew north between Mt Isa and Cloncurry then inland of the western side of the Gulf. Great views of the rivers and various islands, all of which could be positively identified by their unique shapes. Then over the corner of Arnhem Land (Kakadu?), east of Darwin.
The total flight time to Hong Kong is 9 hours and it always intrigues me that some 4 hours of this is over Australia, such is the size of the country. I am looking forward to visiting much of this country on the ground when Gail and I finally get around to doing our “grey nomad” thing, in Gail’s much despised 4Wheel-drive dream vehicle.
The rest of the flight was uneventful and cloudy until a brilliant descent over a sunlit Hong Kong. Not the old excitement of landing at Kai Tak and flying between the buildings. I wonder if our kids remember landing in Hong Kong in 1990. On that occassion the kids travelled “cattle class” whereas Gail and I were up the front as is appropriate for Swire executives! A very thoughtful Cathay hostie invited the kids up the front also to enjoy the thrill of landing at Kai Tak. Now its the ultra modern and much more spacious, for people and aircraft, new airport.
We knew we were to be met “on arrival”, but didn’t take that literally. But, at the door of the aircraft we were greeted by Cathay uniformed young lady (and a burst of Hong Kong heat and humidity), who ushered us through customs in no time at all into a waiting Swire Merc for the spectacular drive over bigger and longer replicas of the Sydney Anzac bridge, to Pacific Place and the very comfortable Taikoo Suite in “The Apartments” on the 35th Floor of the Conrad branded building. (Much of the building is the Conrad Hotel with the main entrance on the other side). The suite is very tastefully appointed and has spectacular views in most directions, but particularly across the harbour to Kowloon. It is tendered by Karna, a personable Nepalese, who was anxious to attend our every need. It was fascinating to flick through the visitors book and see so many names that were so familiar, of all those interesting people who invariably toured the Clyde properties when they came on to Australia.
Tuesday 7th July
I refused to let Gail draw the curtains and block that view, so I woke early to heavy morning rain and set off to see how far I could get under cover on all the walkways which are a feature of ‘Central’. Didn’t make it to the Star Ferry, but managed some good exercise.
A very leisurely day, which included a Star Ferry ride to buy a pair of binoculars in the back streets of Kowloon.
We had arranged to meet two of my ex Sydney Swire colleagues for dinner al The Hutong Restaurant on the top of 1 Peking Road also at Kowloon. Once again spectacular views, this time back to the Island. Great food and company-Rupert Hogg, Angus and Sophie Barclay. We actually ran in to Sophie at the ferry wharf on the Island side, when I was getting anxious that we were running late!
Gail was last here about nineteen years ago and I was surprised to realise that it was fifteen years since I was last here-for the Hong Kong Sevens with Mike, staying across the road at the J.W. Marriot Hotel. There is so much Swire traffic between Sydney and Hong Kong I thought I knew the place. However, the growth in the meantime has been phenomenal and reminds me of Shanghai, which I visited with Australian Wool Innovation six or seven years ago. Notwithstanding the global financial crisis the place still bristles with energy. However, the trade downturn is serious, particularly for transport-ships and aircraft.
Wednesday 8th July
Once again we were determined not to try to do too much and simply enjoy our surroundings. Made a visit to the rather sumptuous and very tasteful Swire Offices next door then a bus ride (the tram service was “suspended”) to The Peak , where we had lunch, reversed our steps and returned to the Suite, rather “zonked” from heat and humidity.
Chris Pratt, the current Swire Hong Kong Taipan and former Swire Board (Australia) colleague, rang late afternoon and to my delight suggested we have a drink “after work” across the road at an Italian Restaurant! I have always enjoyed the old stock and station agency days practise of a few beers after work-something that random breath testing (and perhaps family pressures on “sensitive new age fathers”) has largely killed.
We perched up on bar stools in true Port of Bourke Hotel fashion and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves talking about old days and current pressures. I was most appreciative of this gesture and found Chris to be most personable and interesting. As I told him, I continue to be overwhelmed by the scale and breadth of the business he is responsible for. I returned to the Suite in time to watch the much anticipated first cricket Test between England and Australia at Cardiff. We gave dinner a miss.
Thursday 9th July
A 7:45 departure for the airport per another Swire Merc saw us in good time to board our Cathay flight for London. Same seat configuration, no First Class, perhaps on the way back. Gail kindly traded me her window seat for my allocated aisle seat.
Once we boarded we were told that flight time was an hour shorter than scheduled, 12 rather than 13 hours (must be good tailwinds), but as there would be no bay available at Heathrow at that time, departure was being delayed “for commercial and environmental” reasons. I love “going green” when there is also economic logic, which, if you take a long-term view there so often is.
As I write we have now been flying for five hours plus, all of it over China including Mongolia and now over southern Russia, so Australia is not the only big country.
Later
Weather intermittently clear and some fascinating green flat country as we flew over the Siberian Lowlands. No sign of cultivation. Novosibirsk, Omsk places I have never heard of, how ignorant we are of so much of this amazing world. Noticed we went higher from 32,000 to 36,000 feet after encountering some light turbulence. Cruising at over 900km/hour with no headwind. Wound our clocks back seven hours for U.K. summer time-making it a long day. Didn’t see them, but according to the GPS screen (individual) flew north of Moscow, over St. Petersberg then some good clear views of the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Sea, Estonia, Latvia and a very clear view of Copenhagen’s airport. Then over northern Germany, Holland over the English Channel, Norfolk, across London (good views of the Thames and the Houses of Parliament) and in to Heathrow. To look out of the window I developed a technique of putting the seat in to the bed (flat) position and lying face down propped up on my elbows. These business class seat configurations are good for sleeping, which most people seem to want to do, but no good for looking at the country, which is why I booked daytime flights.
As we flew over all of this very cold country today I couldn’t help thinking how all these people must be praying that global warming is real! They would benefit so much from higher temperatures and what I still believe would be accompanying higher rainfall.
Angela’s Scott’s driver (David) turned up at Heathrow a few minutes after we did and drove us through lovely green English countryside with lots of ripening wheat crops to Ampney Park, just out of Cirencester in Gloucestershire. Angela has done a great deal to smarten up this lovely stately home since we were here in 2002. We went to a local Pub for a delicious light dinner and returned feeling nicely drowsy, fell in to bed and slept beautifully.
Friday 10th July
A leisurely morning, that included an Angela conducted tour of this delightful garden. More like a park with lots of new additions including some great sculptures.
Angela lent us daughter Genevieve’s pensioned off little red Rover car amidst warnings of unreliability etc. We headed north through the Cotswolds to Boughton-on-the-Water and ever onward to Stratford-on-Avon. Had some difficulties with the navigator (Gail) on the way home, but made it without too much drama in good time for a BBQ dinner for 14, mostly local friends. Genevieve (Angela’s daughter) and boyfriend Adam Gyngell arrived mid-evening.
Saturday 11th July
As arranged we headed off at 8:30 to visit Michael and Anita Osborn at Shaftesbury. A somewhat trying trip, which looked very straight forward on the map, but proved quite difficult. By accident we were forced (wrong lane with high speed traffic all around us) on to the M4 heading for London, and had to go for some 15/20 minutes before we got an exit to get off and reverse our tracks. Weather showery, but some lovely country especially the rolling Wiltshire Downs. Was pleased to find Blimport Court with little difficulty and arrived on the tick of 11:00AM to a very warm welcome from a vibrant octogenarian in Anita and a very gentlemanly 93 year old Michael. It was so nice to see them and we think they were genuinely pleased that we made the effort. Only stayed for a little over an hour and then had lunch at a very English “pie shop” at the top of the famous Gold Hill.
Sunday 12th July
Today's focus was Day 5 of the First Test at Cardiff. It's only 1.5 hours away, so considered going over. However, couldn't see many spare seats and decided to watch from the comfort of Edward's study with great TV reception. Australia should have won, but cricket was the winner with a most thrilling finish. Now to Lord's.
Angela had some most interesting lady friend guests for dinner and we ate the most sumptuous salmon I have ever had. Whole fish cooked in foil.
Monday 13th July
Another walk around this magnificent garden during which I received a 'phone call from Bill Rothery regarding arrangements to transfer his Lords tickets to me now that he is unable to come. All seems to be in order for me to collect and distribute to his friends with plenty for me!
This was followed soon after by Angela receiving an email from a Sydney friend advising that Inge Grant (fellow Swire Director John Grant's wife) had died tragically overnight. Very, very sad for all concerned. We checked the information with Bill who did not know at that point, but rang back to sadly confirm. Simultaneously,Susie Dunn another close friend advised the same sad news by email. The Grants were to be present at tomorrow's Swire lunch, but had to cancel for John to have a hip operation.
Went in to Cirencester to successfully organise local mobiles for both me and Gail then returned for Gail's appointment-the hairdresser comes to us-at Ampney Park.
I had a most pleasant telephone conversation with Michael and Anita's son Simon who I have never met. He is interested in my web-based family tree idea so I fired off an email to Diane (Osborn) and Geza in Canada who put the tree that myself initially and then Bill Osborn put together on to a computer programme-Family Tree.
After a lovely two hour sleep I went walking in the Ampney Park garden as the sun was setting. Great light and had to return and get my camera I then proceeded to have a photo snapping walk reminiscent of a beautiful similar event in the Lake District last time we were in the UK. To add to the mood, the bell ringers struck up at the old Norman Church which adjoins Ampney Park as though it belongs to the Manor House.We then consumed the last of last nights salmon before Gail and Angela went shopping at the local supermarket (they stay open 24 hours and have unmanned checkouts).
Tuesday 14th July
We awoke early for Angela to deliver us in to Cirencester to catch the 7:45AM bus to London Victoria, just up the road from Swire House in Buckingham Gate, itself just up the road from the other Buckingham (Palace). We arrived at the office about 10:30AM and were ushered in to the best of the three flats on the 5th (top)Floor by a very welcoming senior receptioniste. This office has a lovely atmosphere reflecting the calibre of its occupants. Gail made rude remarks about the quality of the "best" shirts I had brought with me so I went out and found a T.M.Lewin and bought two new ones and tie and cuff links to boot.
So dressed up like the proverbial "pox Doctor's clerk" I presented with Gail at the Dining Room just up the hall at the appointed hour. Actually, I think we were 15 minutes early, but that didn't matter.
I must say I think this lunch for us is the greatest honour we have ever been paid.The host was Sir Adrian Swire and also present were Lady Judith (Sir Adrian's wife), his brother Sir John Swire, Adrian and Judy's son Merlin (now the Group Finance Director and Finlays Chairman), Glen Swire (a cousin who amongst other things was the Australian pen pal for many years),Glen's wife Caroline, Angela Scott and us.A very personal occassion helped by only nine people being present.
Adrian made a very nice speech saying how much they had enjoyed their Clyde visits and I responded. My main tack was what a privelege it had been to pursue what was largely Edward Scott's dream in working with such delightful people in building an agricultural business. I also said how important, enjoyable and motivational their regular visits to our properties had been. I mentioned that I was not enamoured with Clyde's current direction, but quickly went on, acknowledging that 'the old order changeth".
After lunch broke up around 3:00pm we changed in to more casual attire and headed for Lords (walk and taxi) to see if we actually could get hold of Bill Rothery's four tickets to each day of the Test. As we passed the Palace there were hordes of people lining up for one of the Queen's annual summer Garden Parties. Dressed to the'nines', I was reminded of a cartoon which always amused me, of a lady putting on her refinery to see the Queen drive by and commenting "I don't think she even saw me"!Our taxi driver told us that she doubted if many of the guests would actually see the Queen!
Armed with Letter of Introduction, Passport and SCG membership card and following communication from the SCG Trust, instigated by Bill Rothery in Australia we were successful, albeit with much muttering about how "we never transfer tickets". Bill had done a great job in dramatising the circumstances which prevented him coming, not without a sound basis for doing so. We returned by foot and bus and now have a good feel for getting from here to there. We also made contact with Cam Emerson (former MD of Swire Australian subsidiary Transwest). Gail and I are now to attend the Lord Taverners Dinner at the London Hilton tomorrow night with Cam and his wife Carol.
Found an Italian Restaurant down the road from here for dinner and retired early after a very complete and satisfying day.
Wednesday 15th July
An early morning walk donw Birdcage Walk to the Houses of Parliament and the Thames across the front of the Palace of Westminister to find the statue of Richard the Lionheart and the Peers Entrance so we would know where to go next week, then back past the Abbey and along Victoria Road.
After breakfast at the flat we headed off and found agreat crowd at Buck Palace waiting for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. We joined in and then had lunch across the road at the flower festooned (external) "The Albert" Hotel before heading off on a tourist bus ride around London. We must have crossed the Thames about six times and saw all the old familiar sights. Had time for a brief rest before getting a taxi to the London Hilton for the Lord Taverner's Dinner with Cam Emerson and his cricket touring party.
The dinner was great. Speeches includes Ronnie Corbett and former Prime Minister John Major. One expected Corbett to be funny and he was. Major delivered one of the best and surprisingly (to me) and most amusing speeches I have ever heard. I loved every minute of it.Wonderful use of the English language on one of my favourite subjects-cricket. I met Mike Gatting the former English captain whose only achievement I can recall was being bowled by "the ball of the century"-Warne's first Test match ball on English soil. Next day I met the man himself (Warne) when I found him having a smoke at the foot of the spaceship like Media Centre at Lords. I think he had a big hangover. He did give me a signature for Kate.
Thursday 16th-Monday 20thJuly 2009-Second Cricket Test at Lords
On Day I I walked down to Westminster and got the Tube to St John's Wood and walked to the North Gate. Like Sydney huge queue for the Member's Stand, but good access for those of us plebs with allocated seats elsewhere. Ours were in the Compton Stand. As arranged met Martin Whitaker and Bill's friend Julian Hill at the gate and handed over their tickets. At lunchtime after several glassesof white wine per favour of Julian we met Richard Reynolds, another friend of Bill's to give him his tickets. This meeting took place in the champagne bar at the Real Tennis Courts where we further imbibed. A very drowsy afternoon ensued as England piled on the runs and Mitchell Johnson sprayed the ball all over the place. Met my friend Ross Flannery in the Stand during the day. At close of play after walking with Martin Whitaker to Baker Street Station decided to walk the rest of the way back to Buckingham Gate.
Our seats for the first four days were in the Compton Stand to the right of the ultra modern rather incongrous Media Centre. The facilities for the general public at Lord's are really appalling and I was pretty underwhelmed. Not helped by Australia's poor performance. There are not enough stairways to the stand so it takes forever to get out and then even longer to get out of the ground (not enough gates). You queue forever for drinks, food and even to have a pee. Most of the stands are not under cover and there is no room for people to get past already seated spectators.
Gail came with me on Days 3 and 4. By then we developed a travel pattern of getting the Tube from Green Park (Jubilee Line) to St John's Wood and coming back on the No.16 Bus down Edgeware Road. One evening (rain and light stopped play each night) we got chatting to two delightful men on the bus and were speculating as to their occupations. One appeared to work for the Foreign Office and we put the other down as a medico. We both got our faces badly sunburnt on Day 3.
At Tea time on Day 4 we met up with Merlin Swire and fellow Swire Director William Weymss and several of William's mates. A short enjoyable interlude.
On Day 5 there was just a glimmer of hope that Australia might score a world record 500+ in the last innings after a wonderful stand by Michael Clarke and Haddin. We shifted camp very early from the Swire Flat just around the corner, so to speak, to the Caledonian Club, so that I could get out to Lord's early as I had a Reciprocal Pass to the Member's Stand, so needed to queue. Had the luxury of a taxi from the Club (same one as did the move)and joined a somewhat shorter Members queque compared with previous days.
Members I chatted with in the queue assured me I would have no trouble getting a seat in the Pavillion which I was keen to do on what might be my only opportunity. Whilst waiting my Medico designated friend from the bus came along and I invited him to take the place "I was saving for him" in the queue. He readily accepted. He was great company and mentioned that he worked at Westminster Abbey. On questioning he turned out to be not a Medico, but a Canon of the Abbey-the Rev. Ralph Godsall. He took me in hand, showed me the way to the middle deck of the Pavillion where there was no trouble getting a seat, took me on a tour of the Long Room, and introduced me to the Bowlers Bar and balcony.
In talking matters theological I ascertained his liberal approach then "admitted" my attraction to Spong. He likewise expressed enthusiasm for "Jack Spong" and told me that whilst at Cambridge he had been Chaplain to John Robinson of "Honest to God" fame. So now we really had common ground.
After making my own way to the Museum and viewing the Ashes Urn I had a coffee and bacon sandwich before joining Ralph, and Ross Flannery on the balcony for the ringing of the 5 minute bell. There I ran in to one of the very few MCC Members I knew (SCG and Adelaide Club acquaintance) Robert.....
As we mounted the stairs to our seats we passed the Australian batsmen coming down. Clarke looked pale and both he and Haddin very focussed.
If I was underwhelmed by Lord's on Days 1 to 4 I was now overwhelmed. What a fabulous historic, traditional spot.But, you do need to be in the Member's Stand. A pity Australia didn't win-the game finished just before Lunch with Flintoff taking five wickets. After the first drinks break (mid-day)my friend Ralph suggested we should also have a drink and we watched the end of the game from the Bowlers Bar balcony with pint in hand surrounded by very biased members.
Ross Flannery and two grain industry mates had lunch with me in the Long Room Bar, before I decided I had enough to drink and got a cab back to the Caledonia Club and crashed. Five days intense watching a cricket Test is exhausting!
Tuesday 21st July
Did a long walk early, going south back to Victoria etc. A scrumptous Scottish breakfast (for the uninformed "Caledonia" is the ancient name for Scotland and also happens to be the name of the second (and happiest) station in central Queensland where I did my second year jackarooing);we headed off for two arranged meetings. First with Ralph Godsall at Westminster Abbey for a guided tour-Ralph resplendent in his bright red cassock etc. (Queens colours, as the Abbey is not administered by the Church, but by the Queen (as advised by Downing Street). A most interesting insight including a visit to the shrine of Edward the Confessor, behind the high altar where the public are not admitted. Then at 12:45 Ralph escorted us over the road and thru' security (the cassock opens all doors!)to the Peer's Entrance to the Palace of Westminster where we were to meet Lord (Mark) Marlesford.
We had a delicious lunch and stimulating conversation with Mark before he took us on a tour of this magnificent palace. Most of it is relatively modern having been re-built, in the Gothic style, after the fire in 1836. Lord Marlesford had spoken in the House of Lords the previous day on the economy and gave us an autographed copy of Hansard including his speech. He is particularly concerned about credit card debt, much of which he believes is toxic.
He also is retiring from his Swire retainer arrangements at the end of this year, so I am in good company. We only have two more epistles. He is justifiably proud of his September 2007 paper which predicted the financial problems ahead.
After leaving the Palace we hung around the Abbey and attended Evensong at 5:00PM. It was sung by a visiting choir (Peterborough Cathedral) and was great. Very sincere simple, but formal service and no sermon.
Wednesday 22nd.July
No appointments today. I headed off for my morning constitutional this time heading north thru' Knightsbridge and via the Albert Gate in to Hyde Park. Walked right around the Serpentine (lake) and back to Halkin Street.
After a too full breakfast we headed for Oxford St via Picadilly and did some limited gift shopping. Couldn't get over how expensive Selfidges was, but found Marks and Spencers much more competitive. Had a big Scottish Dinner at the Club and retired reasonably early.
Thursday 23rd July
For this morning's constitutional I headed around the Palace wall and down to Westminster and the Thames. Outside the Palace Mews I came face to face with former Australian P.M. John Howard also out for his morning walk! We chatted briefly about the cricket and he assured me that he had been at Lord's every day.
We packed (an increasing challenge) and got a taxi aound to the Bus Station and caught the bus back to Cirencester where Martin Whitaker met us and brought us to his and Sue's delightful cottage (1600's)on the edge of Driffield village.
Friday 24th July
Today we headed for the C.L.A.Game Fair at Belvoir (pronounced Beaver) Castle in Leicestershire. A little over two hours drive mostly on motorways with lots of confusing, fast moving round-a-bouts. I was glad Martin was driving.
The Fair is a big deal and the Castle backdrop spectacular, set high on a wooded hill. Row upon row of stalls with business promotion/entertaining, food and clothing, dog (hounds)and falcon displays,etc. etc. Wonderfully well organised. Sat in on a most interesting debate on food security in the Strutt and Parker tent. A long interesting day with lots of lovely scenery in the travelling.
Saturday 25th July
A nice unsheduled day. Leisurely brunch followed by a beautiful drive and walk. Then a fabulous dinner at a classical local village pub-I could get used to English pub life-and no doubt larger than ever!
Sunday 26th July-Monday 27th July
Breakfast followed by a long walk with dogs in toe around the Driffield fields. Old Norman Church and interesting crops. It's great to be with an agriculturalist. After lunch Martin and Sue kindly drove us to Heathrow via "drive past" look at Adrian Swire's crops-and they look great.
Took off in a very well presented Boeing 747-400 around 7:00pm. A very welcome upgrade to First Class-only nine participants with two stewardesses!
Eleven hours flying time,6,000 miles (9,600km)with,in parts, the help of a 100km/hour tailwind, a ground speed of 1029km/hour. Mostly at 31,000 feet.
Some interesting views of the Baltic Coast including a spectacular view, as light was disappearing, of the Polish port of Gdansk. Brought back memories of Lech Walesa and Solidarity,Cardinal Wojtyla who became Pope John Paul 2 and the role this all played in the fall of communism and the Iron Curtain. Darkness took over and sleep was welcome, but disturbed.
Lost the seven hours we gained on the way over and arrived H.K.on schedule at 1:00pm.on 27th.
The now familiar, wonderful routine of being met at the aircraft door, ushered thru' customs into the Swire car and met by Karna at the Pacfic Place Apartments for escorting to the Taikoo Suite on 35th Floor, all worked like clockwork. I could get used to this!
Did some stressful (jetlagged)family shopping in the very expensive Pacfic Place shops before a scratch cafeteria style early dinner and going to bed too early and waking every two hours thru' the night.
Tuesday 28th July
Early car to the Airport along the now familiar, but spectacular drive. Raining heavily. Airport train again to Gate 23 and away on schedule around 9:00AM on another Airbus.
A daylight flight again, but largely over ocean until you reach Australia. The flight is a distance of 4,600 Miles(7,400km) and takes just under nine hours. Only a two hour time difference (Hong Kong and Perth are in the same time zone). Started at 31,000 feet, but most of the time at 39,000. Pretty turbulent around the Philippines. The flight over Australia was again very interesting. East of our northbound track, but good views of the west Gulf of Carpentaria coast, lots of fires, and a good clear view of Mt.Isa which looked small for a city of 18,000 people from 39,000 feet. Surprised how hilly the country was south from the Gulf. Once darkness descended it was easy to identify town lights with the help of the GPS fed individual screens-particulary Dubbo and surrounding towns.
I was mindful of my first awareness of Swire when Gail and I flew Cathay between Hong Kong and Taipei(?)forty years ago and how I was impressed by what I read in the airline magazine of this,low key English family company which ran the airline.
This first impression in many ways instilled an attraction which made me interested in the approach of Edward Scott some twenty years later.I would never have dreamt that I would have the wonderful opportunities the Group provided me to develop the Australian agricultural arm and that I would one day be a Director of the Australian subsidiary and that Gail and I would one day be the beneficiary of a retirement trip such as what we have just enjoyed.
The disappointments have been the death of Edward Scott, the seven year long-turn of the century-drought, and the strategic direction and management style adopted for Clyde since my retirement as an executive.
Swires have been wonderful employers and I feel truly privileged to have worked for a Group of such quality and with such great values. One of these values is to support local management-a principle of which I was a beneficiary for so many years.
David Boyd
30.07.09
View Complete Album
15 August, 2009
Free Markets
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson
The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.
Cicero, 55 BC
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw
A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.-
G Gordon Liddy
"The russian Bolsheviks have discovered that truth does not matter so long as there is reiteration . They have no difficulty whatever in countering a fact by a lie which, if repeated often enough and loudly enough, becomes accepted by the people". - Brighton, October 4, 1947
Winston Churchill
* "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president" /
Teddie Roosevelt
"Just because you do not take an interest in politics
doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."
Pericles
"You may try to destroy wealth, and find that all you have done is to increase poverty" ... Commons, March 12, 1947
Winston Churchill
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-P. J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866 )
Under this system the best incentive for work disappears, production necessarily drops and indolence and misery prevail in all of society
Plinio Correa de Oliveira
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill
Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.
Winston Churchill on private enterprise
-Thomas Jefferson
The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.
Cicero, 55 BC
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw
A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.-
G Gordon Liddy
"The russian Bolsheviks have discovered that truth does not matter so long as there is reiteration . They have no difficulty whatever in countering a fact by a lie which, if repeated often enough and loudly enough, becomes accepted by the people". - Brighton, October 4, 1947
Winston Churchill
* "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president" /
Teddie Roosevelt
"Just because you do not take an interest in politics
doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you."
Pericles
"You may try to destroy wealth, and find that all you have done is to increase poverty" ... Commons, March 12, 1947
Winston Churchill
Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries.
-Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.
-P. J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.
-Voltaire (1764)
Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you!
-Pericles (430 B.C.)
No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session.
-Mark Twain (1866 )
Under this system the best incentive for work disappears, production necessarily drops and indolence and misery prevail in all of society
Plinio Correa de Oliveira
I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill
Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon.
Winston Churchill on private enterprise
14 August, 2009
Ian Plimer Interview
An Interview with Ian Plimer by Robert Tracinski and Tom Minchin Aug 05, 2009
In our recent article on the "intellectual climate change" in the global warming debate in Australia, Tom Minchin and I mentioned the key role played by geologist Ian Plimer of the University of Adelaide.
Plimer's book Heaven and Earth, which is now available in America, is an authoritative scientific refutation of the claims of human-caused global warming, and it has helped turn the tide of public opinion down under against the environmentalist hysteria.
This is crucially important in Australia, a nation that derives 80% of its electricity from coal and would suffer an economic catastrophe under any version of "cap and trade" energy rationing.
It's also important for us here in America, because it shows that it is possible to counter the all-pervasive global warming propaganda campaign.The influence of Plimer's book is particularly interesting because it is not a light introduction to the topic. It is a thick book, chock full of science.
Plimer's prose is quite readable, but there's so much detail it can be a lot take in. Yet that is part of the point of the book. It is not so much a primer as a comprehensive reference, with chapters organized around answering all the questions an intelligent layman might have about the factors that influence climate, under the headings of "History" (of warmings and coolings), "The Sun," "Earth," "Ice," "Water," and "Air."
If the book is comprehensive in its scope, that is because everything science has discovered about "history, archaeology, geology, astronomy, ocean sciences, atmospheric sciences, and the life sciences"—Plimer's list—refutes the global warming dogma.
Tom and I recently corresponded with Professor Plimer and asked him a few questions about his book, about what the evidence really tells us about the climate, and about the political and cultural aspects of the global warming debate. His reply, like his book, is notable for a kind of cantankerous independence, a part of the Australian character that particularly resonates with the American sense of life. Our exchange is below.—
RWTTIA: The most striking thing about your book—and the reason it has caused such a stir—is that you are not a climate "skeptic." You don't have a few doubts or quibbles about human-caused global warming—you think it's all bunk. What makes you so certain that the global warming theories are wrong?
Plimer: The past is the key to the present. Previous rapid and large climate changes were not related to carbon dioxide.This has occurred on all scales of time. This century temperature has been decreasing, yet CO2 has been increasing. Over the last 150 years, temperature has increased (1860–1880, 1910–1940, 1976–1998) and decreased (1880–1910, 1940–1976, and 2002 to the present), yet CO2 has been increasing. If CO2 has been increasing, how can CO2-driven warming have driven cooling? Over historical times, there were the Minoan, Roman, and Medieval warmings, when temperature was a few degrees higher than at present. Sea level did not change. Over archaeological time, ice cores show that temperature peaks some 800 years before CO2 peaks, hence CO2 could not have driven temperature rise.In geological time, there have been six major ice ages. During five of these six, the CO2 content was higher than now, and for two of these six, the CO2 content has been up to 1,000 times higher than now. If high atmospheric CO2 drives warming, then how could there be an ice age during times of high CO2? Furthermore, two of these six ice ages were at sea level at the equator.Over the history of time, climate changes have been driven by galactic, solar, orbital, tidal, and tectonic processes, and there has been no climate change in the past driven by CO2. The [current] rate of sea level change, CO2 release, and temperature rise and fall are well within variability, hence modern times are little different from past times.
TIA: What do you think of the scientific literacy of those who refer to carbon as a pollutant? Can you summarize why it is not a pollutant?
Plimer: Carbon dioxide is plant food and the basis of life. If CO2 is less than 200 parts per million, then plant life struggles and dies. By contrast, pollution shortens your life and kills life.
TIA: We've noticed a few other geologists among the public opponents of global warming. Is there something about your field that makes you particularly disposed to reject the global warming claims?
Plimer: Geologists use integrated interdisciplinary science and look at planetary cycles over the history of time. Anything catastrophic that can happen has happened over the last 4,567 million years, and such events are preserved in the geological record. It is only if time is ignored that we can conclude that humans change climate by CO2 emissions.
TIA: The idea that global warming is caused by human emissions of carbon dioxide is always taken for granted as the default assumption, and if you don't agree with it, you have to explain yourself. Let's reverse that presumption and put the burden of proof where it belongs: is there, or has there ever been, any evidence that CO2 drives the climate? Is this a theory that should ever have gotten off the ground?
Plimer: The hypothesis that human emissions of CO2 [drive the climate] is invalid because on all past time scales, CO2 has never driven climate. There is a minor greenhouse contribution of CO2 (and a major contribution by water vapor), and the history of time shows us that CO2 changes follow climate change and do not drive it. Furthermore, over the history of time, CO2 has been sequestered from the atmosphere into sediments, sedimentary rocks, altered rocks, oceans, soil, and life to its current level of 385 parts per million; [the atmosphere] once contained about 30% CO2
TIA: Do we know what drives the climate?
Plimer: A combination of cycles—galactic, solar, orbital, and tidal—and random event, volcanoes, changing ocean floor shapes, changing planetary shape, opening/closing of seaways, etc.
TIA: Is climatology a mature science, one that is actually capable of identifying fundamental causes and making reliable predictions about the future?
Plimer: Climatology suffers from the same fads, fashions, dictators, and fraud that other fields of endeavor enjoy. In order to be funded well, climatology needs to be fashionable, and it is. The fundamental causes have been known for a long time, but predictions are only based on computer models that have very incomplete input. The IPCC models of 1990 and 1995 did not predict the 1998 El Nino nor the 21st century cooling. So how can we use these to predict climate a century in advance? Prediction in science is rather courageous, because there are always factors about which we have no knowledge.We can not use models when we do not understand the inputs. The models have been spectacularly wrong, yet they are still used with no humility.
TIA: Is there really a scientific "consensus" about global warming—and should we care?
Plimer: I doubt if there is a consensus, and consensus does not mean that global warming derives from human activity. Consensus is a word of politics. Science is married to evidence, which constantly changes, hence science is always at the boundary of what we know and what we don't know.
TIA: You write that all of the normal rules of science have been suspended when it comes to global warming. In what way?
Plimer: Because contrary evidence is blissfully ignored.
TIA: Global warming alarmists co-opted science to their cause very early. Why has it taken so long for authoritative refutation—such as Heaven and Earth—to surface? Why haven't more scientists spoken out with the same kind of certainty, and do you expect more of them to do so?
Plimer: Most scientists are dependent upon governments for research funding, most universities have a large proportion of funding for climate research, and to challenge the popular paradigm is to guarantee suicide. It is really only retired scientists or those few like me who are fearlessly independent who dare to question the popular paradigm, put up with the incessant ad hominem attacks, and who are prepared to represent those that fund them, i.e., taxpayers, not governments.Heaven and Earth was started in 2002. I have a huge full-time teaching-administrative-research load and I had some 10 meters of scientific papers. The book was released when I finished it, and it is quite coincidental that this was at an important time politically. I would love to take credit for perfect timing but I cannot.
TIA: You have argued that the proper approach of a scientist is to seek and respect the facts. What should be the proper approach of a politician to passing laws that depend on a scientific theory?
Plimer: To understand that all science is contentious, where there is one theory there is a competing theory, and that as a legislator one must look to keeping maximum gainful employment of the electorate.
TIA: Australia has a lot at stake if cap-and-trade legislation gets passed. What would the consequences be for the Australian economy? What is at stake for the rest of the world?
Plimer: Cap-and-trade legislation in the US will seriously add costs to the wealth-generating enterprises of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and energy generation. By contrast, the more draconian legislation in Australia will send many productive enterprises broke. The end result is that efficient, low-polluting, low-cost enterprises will be shifted to either the Third World or to subsidized economies (i.e., Europe). In effect, the proposed legislation is a massive transfer of hard-earned wealth and employment from countries with a responsible ethical, corporate, and regulatory regime to unregulated jurisdictions.
TIA: Would you welcome an opportunity to address the partyrooms [i.e., meetings of lawmakers of one party for agenda discussions] of both political parties in Australia and the US? If so, what would you say?
Plimer: I would welcome the opportunity and would give exactly the same address to both sides of politics in whatever country I address those politicians, because science is unrelated to politics. The difficulty for politicians is that science is now politicized in the bureaucracy, universities, and research institutes and in many ways is forced to arrive at a predestined conclusion. We now live in a research environment where Einstein, Watson, Crick, etc., would never be funded, as curiosity no longer drives research.
TIA: You say that global warming has become a new religion for "urban atheists." What are the characteristics of religion that you see in the modern environmentalist movement?
Plimer: Environmentalism has many of the hallmarks of failed European socialism and Western (failed) Christianity. It has a holy book which few have read (IPCC reports), has prophets (Gore) who cannot be challenged, relies on dogma, ignores contrary evidence, has armies of wide-eyed missionaries who have no knowledge of the holy book or the structure of religion; imposes guilt, has a catastrophist view of the planet, and seeks indulgences.In modern urban environments where people have no connection with nature, they often search for a spiritual meaning to life and environmentalism gives this to them with little trouble—i.e., they do not have to study for decades, they need no knowledge, they can indulge in symbolism, can worship nature yet have no contact with nature.
TIA: What advice do you have for laymen who support your conclusion that there is no established connection between temperature and man-made carbon-dioxide? What can they do to help this fact penetrate the political debate?
Plimer: Continually pester your politicians, make radio/TV/newspaper comment, write letters to the editor and start a groundswell of opinion. This needs to start like a guerilla war in rural, smokestack, and mining areas and to be brought into the cities, where there are queues lining up to make a fortune on cap-and-trade activities. A tax on thin air is what we are begin asked to approve.
Robert Tracinski writes daily commentary at TIADaily.com. He is the editor of The Intellectual Activist and TIADaily.com. Tom Minchin is a writer, researcher, and businessman in Melbourne, Australia.
In our recent article on the "intellectual climate change" in the global warming debate in Australia, Tom Minchin and I mentioned the key role played by geologist Ian Plimer of the University of Adelaide.
Plimer's book Heaven and Earth, which is now available in America, is an authoritative scientific refutation of the claims of human-caused global warming, and it has helped turn the tide of public opinion down under against the environmentalist hysteria.
This is crucially important in Australia, a nation that derives 80% of its electricity from coal and would suffer an economic catastrophe under any version of "cap and trade" energy rationing.
It's also important for us here in America, because it shows that it is possible to counter the all-pervasive global warming propaganda campaign.The influence of Plimer's book is particularly interesting because it is not a light introduction to the topic. It is a thick book, chock full of science.
Plimer's prose is quite readable, but there's so much detail it can be a lot take in. Yet that is part of the point of the book. It is not so much a primer as a comprehensive reference, with chapters organized around answering all the questions an intelligent layman might have about the factors that influence climate, under the headings of "History" (of warmings and coolings), "The Sun," "Earth," "Ice," "Water," and "Air."
If the book is comprehensive in its scope, that is because everything science has discovered about "history, archaeology, geology, astronomy, ocean sciences, atmospheric sciences, and the life sciences"—Plimer's list—refutes the global warming dogma.
Tom and I recently corresponded with Professor Plimer and asked him a few questions about his book, about what the evidence really tells us about the climate, and about the political and cultural aspects of the global warming debate. His reply, like his book, is notable for a kind of cantankerous independence, a part of the Australian character that particularly resonates with the American sense of life. Our exchange is below.—
RWTTIA: The most striking thing about your book—and the reason it has caused such a stir—is that you are not a climate "skeptic." You don't have a few doubts or quibbles about human-caused global warming—you think it's all bunk. What makes you so certain that the global warming theories are wrong?
Plimer: The past is the key to the present. Previous rapid and large climate changes were not related to carbon dioxide.This has occurred on all scales of time. This century temperature has been decreasing, yet CO2 has been increasing. Over the last 150 years, temperature has increased (1860–1880, 1910–1940, 1976–1998) and decreased (1880–1910, 1940–1976, and 2002 to the present), yet CO2 has been increasing. If CO2 has been increasing, how can CO2-driven warming have driven cooling? Over historical times, there were the Minoan, Roman, and Medieval warmings, when temperature was a few degrees higher than at present. Sea level did not change. Over archaeological time, ice cores show that temperature peaks some 800 years before CO2 peaks, hence CO2 could not have driven temperature rise.In geological time, there have been six major ice ages. During five of these six, the CO2 content was higher than now, and for two of these six, the CO2 content has been up to 1,000 times higher than now. If high atmospheric CO2 drives warming, then how could there be an ice age during times of high CO2? Furthermore, two of these six ice ages were at sea level at the equator.Over the history of time, climate changes have been driven by galactic, solar, orbital, tidal, and tectonic processes, and there has been no climate change in the past driven by CO2. The [current] rate of sea level change, CO2 release, and temperature rise and fall are well within variability, hence modern times are little different from past times.
TIA: What do you think of the scientific literacy of those who refer to carbon as a pollutant? Can you summarize why it is not a pollutant?
Plimer: Carbon dioxide is plant food and the basis of life. If CO2 is less than 200 parts per million, then plant life struggles and dies. By contrast, pollution shortens your life and kills life.
TIA: We've noticed a few other geologists among the public opponents of global warming. Is there something about your field that makes you particularly disposed to reject the global warming claims?
Plimer: Geologists use integrated interdisciplinary science and look at planetary cycles over the history of time. Anything catastrophic that can happen has happened over the last 4,567 million years, and such events are preserved in the geological record. It is only if time is ignored that we can conclude that humans change climate by CO2 emissions.
TIA: The idea that global warming is caused by human emissions of carbon dioxide is always taken for granted as the default assumption, and if you don't agree with it, you have to explain yourself. Let's reverse that presumption and put the burden of proof where it belongs: is there, or has there ever been, any evidence that CO2 drives the climate? Is this a theory that should ever have gotten off the ground?
Plimer: The hypothesis that human emissions of CO2 [drive the climate] is invalid because on all past time scales, CO2 has never driven climate. There is a minor greenhouse contribution of CO2 (and a major contribution by water vapor), and the history of time shows us that CO2 changes follow climate change and do not drive it. Furthermore, over the history of time, CO2 has been sequestered from the atmosphere into sediments, sedimentary rocks, altered rocks, oceans, soil, and life to its current level of 385 parts per million; [the atmosphere] once contained about 30% CO2
TIA: Do we know what drives the climate?
Plimer: A combination of cycles—galactic, solar, orbital, and tidal—and random event, volcanoes, changing ocean floor shapes, changing planetary shape, opening/closing of seaways, etc.
TIA: Is climatology a mature science, one that is actually capable of identifying fundamental causes and making reliable predictions about the future?
Plimer: Climatology suffers from the same fads, fashions, dictators, and fraud that other fields of endeavor enjoy. In order to be funded well, climatology needs to be fashionable, and it is. The fundamental causes have been known for a long time, but predictions are only based on computer models that have very incomplete input. The IPCC models of 1990 and 1995 did not predict the 1998 El Nino nor the 21st century cooling. So how can we use these to predict climate a century in advance? Prediction in science is rather courageous, because there are always factors about which we have no knowledge.We can not use models when we do not understand the inputs. The models have been spectacularly wrong, yet they are still used with no humility.
TIA: Is there really a scientific "consensus" about global warming—and should we care?
Plimer: I doubt if there is a consensus, and consensus does not mean that global warming derives from human activity. Consensus is a word of politics. Science is married to evidence, which constantly changes, hence science is always at the boundary of what we know and what we don't know.
TIA: You write that all of the normal rules of science have been suspended when it comes to global warming. In what way?
Plimer: Because contrary evidence is blissfully ignored.
TIA: Global warming alarmists co-opted science to their cause very early. Why has it taken so long for authoritative refutation—such as Heaven and Earth—to surface? Why haven't more scientists spoken out with the same kind of certainty, and do you expect more of them to do so?
Plimer: Most scientists are dependent upon governments for research funding, most universities have a large proportion of funding for climate research, and to challenge the popular paradigm is to guarantee suicide. It is really only retired scientists or those few like me who are fearlessly independent who dare to question the popular paradigm, put up with the incessant ad hominem attacks, and who are prepared to represent those that fund them, i.e., taxpayers, not governments.Heaven and Earth was started in 2002. I have a huge full-time teaching-administrative-research load and I had some 10 meters of scientific papers. The book was released when I finished it, and it is quite coincidental that this was at an important time politically. I would love to take credit for perfect timing but I cannot.
TIA: You have argued that the proper approach of a scientist is to seek and respect the facts. What should be the proper approach of a politician to passing laws that depend on a scientific theory?
Plimer: To understand that all science is contentious, where there is one theory there is a competing theory, and that as a legislator one must look to keeping maximum gainful employment of the electorate.
TIA: Australia has a lot at stake if cap-and-trade legislation gets passed. What would the consequences be for the Australian economy? What is at stake for the rest of the world?
Plimer: Cap-and-trade legislation in the US will seriously add costs to the wealth-generating enterprises of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and energy generation. By contrast, the more draconian legislation in Australia will send many productive enterprises broke. The end result is that efficient, low-polluting, low-cost enterprises will be shifted to either the Third World or to subsidized economies (i.e., Europe). In effect, the proposed legislation is a massive transfer of hard-earned wealth and employment from countries with a responsible ethical, corporate, and regulatory regime to unregulated jurisdictions.
TIA: Would you welcome an opportunity to address the partyrooms [i.e., meetings of lawmakers of one party for agenda discussions] of both political parties in Australia and the US? If so, what would you say?
Plimer: I would welcome the opportunity and would give exactly the same address to both sides of politics in whatever country I address those politicians, because science is unrelated to politics. The difficulty for politicians is that science is now politicized in the bureaucracy, universities, and research institutes and in many ways is forced to arrive at a predestined conclusion. We now live in a research environment where Einstein, Watson, Crick, etc., would never be funded, as curiosity no longer drives research.
TIA: You say that global warming has become a new religion for "urban atheists." What are the characteristics of religion that you see in the modern environmentalist movement?
Plimer: Environmentalism has many of the hallmarks of failed European socialism and Western (failed) Christianity. It has a holy book which few have read (IPCC reports), has prophets (Gore) who cannot be challenged, relies on dogma, ignores contrary evidence, has armies of wide-eyed missionaries who have no knowledge of the holy book or the structure of religion; imposes guilt, has a catastrophist view of the planet, and seeks indulgences.In modern urban environments where people have no connection with nature, they often search for a spiritual meaning to life and environmentalism gives this to them with little trouble—i.e., they do not have to study for decades, they need no knowledge, they can indulge in symbolism, can worship nature yet have no contact with nature.
TIA: What advice do you have for laymen who support your conclusion that there is no established connection between temperature and man-made carbon-dioxide? What can they do to help this fact penetrate the political debate?
Plimer: Continually pester your politicians, make radio/TV/newspaper comment, write letters to the editor and start a groundswell of opinion. This needs to start like a guerilla war in rural, smokestack, and mining areas and to be brought into the cities, where there are queues lining up to make a fortune on cap-and-trade activities. A tax on thin air is what we are begin asked to approve.
Robert Tracinski writes daily commentary at TIADaily.com. He is the editor of The Intellectual Activist and TIADaily.com. Tom Minchin is a writer, researcher, and businessman in Melbourne, Australia.
25 June, 2009
Snowy Hydro
In 2006 the NSW, Victorian and Australian Governments attempted to privatise the cash strapped Snowy Hydro organisation. An extraordinary campaign of resistance was mounted with leading Sydney radio commentator Alan Jones very prominent. That well known poet "Anon" penned the following piece of dogrel.
The Man From Snowy Hydro (With apologies to A.B. Paterson)
There was movement at the media for the word had passed around that the Snowy Hydro privatisation was astray,
It had joined the masses radar and could easily be beat-up, and all the media power would be on display,
All the tried and noted players from the (radio) stations near and far had mustered to the action over right,
For the Parrot loves hard riding where the national icons are and the populist “pollies” sniff the battle with delight.
There was Heffernan who lost his style when Kirby beat the slight,
the bush warrior with his redemption all aglow,
Few could go against him when his blood was fairly up,
Ask Barnaby and Fiona, they ought to know.
Bill sees water as his saviour and claims to know it all, with Cubbie Station firmly in his sights,
It really is much safer than homophobia and all, and anyway power recovery is his by right.
And Little Johnnie back from Ireland, three elections in his (saddle) bag, knows in truth the three Governments should get out,
I’ll be firm says he, they trust me, I’ll turn this around, a token gesture here and there, just watch me clout.
But the Parrot rode to wheel him, he was racing on the wing, it well might make the boldest hold their breath,
He drove his spiel right through them and he made the ranges ring, with his rhetoric in full audacious flight,
Howard and Iemma copped a lashing how inadequate they felt, and Nairn says Eden-Monaro will be death,
The air waves were electric, how the populace was swayed, it really was a movement to asight,
.
How could they even think of it, this dastardly plan, to sell an Aussie icon such as Snowy,
After all, the people own it and retention is a must, never mind the Railways and the PMG.
Governments can run things, just look at Cuba and all, don’t trust those nasty markets of the free.
We know Russia’s ‘gone to market’ and China’s freeing up, but clearly they must have got it wrong.
The pollies went to water, Johnnie pulled the plug, and all the rest is history.
Sometimes we must be reactive, give the populists a win.
“I have listened to the people just as democrats should do, it really never hurts to change your mind”;
Just like breaking non-core promises, ‘tis only a minor sin,
And it has the compensation of putting Iemma in a bind.
We must win the next election, me or Pete, it is just so important to get our priorities tall,
To do whatever’s needed to keep the masses on our side, a compromise here or there wont really hurt,
You give a bit and take a bit that’s the game we play; we know we cannot win them all,
We’ll take a bit of flack from the brightest in the land, but they’ll get over it and forgive us for the dirt.
So who are the real culprits, the ones who let Australia down and forced us down the road to the fall?
Where was the voice of reason, of the ones who really understand, the true bastions of the free?
Their silence was so deafening, they never said a word, why were they never heard at all?
If only Alan had not done arts at Oxford, and had not adopted the economics of the L.S.E.,
And down by Snowy Hydro, Terry Charlton holds his head, how to turn my vision really on?
It really is perplexing, are sovereign Governments so weak, they would ultimately control us after all,
Governments are all powerful, it is they that make and the rules, and without their Snowy shares their conflict would be gone,
There ain’t no funds to grow us, to take those foreign generators head-on; I was so looking forward to the brawl.
Snowy was built by immigrants, a truly global exercise, with lots of Yankee contractors their machinery and tools,
It could be something so much stronger, creating more wealth for us all, paying taxes, employing more people and playing by the rules,
Australia will always “own” it, whoever holds the shares, and with new capital it could really make a bigger mark,
But no, we are so jingoistic and myopic, afraid to let market forces have free reign. Sometimes we can behave like bloody fools,
We should live to regret it, but then perhaps we’ll never know, but let’s hope we don’t all end up in the dark.
The Guitar
The Man From Snowy Hydro (With apologies to A.B. Paterson)
There was movement at the media for the word had passed around that the Snowy Hydro privatisation was astray,
It had joined the masses radar and could easily be beat-up, and all the media power would be on display,
All the tried and noted players from the (radio) stations near and far had mustered to the action over right,
For the Parrot loves hard riding where the national icons are and the populist “pollies” sniff the battle with delight.
There was Heffernan who lost his style when Kirby beat the slight,
the bush warrior with his redemption all aglow,
Few could go against him when his blood was fairly up,
Ask Barnaby and Fiona, they ought to know.
Bill sees water as his saviour and claims to know it all, with Cubbie Station firmly in his sights,
It really is much safer than homophobia and all, and anyway power recovery is his by right.
And Little Johnnie back from Ireland, three elections in his (saddle) bag, knows in truth the three Governments should get out,
I’ll be firm says he, they trust me, I’ll turn this around, a token gesture here and there, just watch me clout.
But the Parrot rode to wheel him, he was racing on the wing, it well might make the boldest hold their breath,
He drove his spiel right through them and he made the ranges ring, with his rhetoric in full audacious flight,
Howard and Iemma copped a lashing how inadequate they felt, and Nairn says Eden-Monaro will be death,
The air waves were electric, how the populace was swayed, it really was a movement to asight,
.
How could they even think of it, this dastardly plan, to sell an Aussie icon such as Snowy,
After all, the people own it and retention is a must, never mind the Railways and the PMG.
Governments can run things, just look at Cuba and all, don’t trust those nasty markets of the free.
We know Russia’s ‘gone to market’ and China’s freeing up, but clearly they must have got it wrong.
The pollies went to water, Johnnie pulled the plug, and all the rest is history.
Sometimes we must be reactive, give the populists a win.
“I have listened to the people just as democrats should do, it really never hurts to change your mind”;
Just like breaking non-core promises, ‘tis only a minor sin,
And it has the compensation of putting Iemma in a bind.
We must win the next election, me or Pete, it is just so important to get our priorities tall,
To do whatever’s needed to keep the masses on our side, a compromise here or there wont really hurt,
You give a bit and take a bit that’s the game we play; we know we cannot win them all,
We’ll take a bit of flack from the brightest in the land, but they’ll get over it and forgive us for the dirt.
So who are the real culprits, the ones who let Australia down and forced us down the road to the fall?
Where was the voice of reason, of the ones who really understand, the true bastions of the free?
Their silence was so deafening, they never said a word, why were they never heard at all?
If only Alan had not done arts at Oxford, and had not adopted the economics of the L.S.E.,
And down by Snowy Hydro, Terry Charlton holds his head, how to turn my vision really on?
It really is perplexing, are sovereign Governments so weak, they would ultimately control us after all,
Governments are all powerful, it is they that make and the rules, and without their Snowy shares their conflict would be gone,
There ain’t no funds to grow us, to take those foreign generators head-on; I was so looking forward to the brawl.
Snowy was built by immigrants, a truly global exercise, with lots of Yankee contractors their machinery and tools,
It could be something so much stronger, creating more wealth for us all, paying taxes, employing more people and playing by the rules,
Australia will always “own” it, whoever holds the shares, and with new capital it could really make a bigger mark,
But no, we are so jingoistic and myopic, afraid to let market forces have free reign. Sometimes we can behave like bloody fools,
We should live to regret it, but then perhaps we’ll never know, but let’s hope we don’t all end up in the dark.
The Guitar
10 June, 2009
Global Warming Theology-Open Email to Senator Fielding
Dear Senator,
I would like to congratulate you and encourage you on the stance you are taking on this subject. The arrogant dismissal of legitimate questioning of the science behind the conventional position has been appalling. It is my view that we humans are inclined to overstate our impacts and our level of control. I think we delude ourselves to believe we can change the climate of the earth (for better or worse) which has always been beyond man's puny impacts and efforts.
Whether I am right or wrong, all science should be open to question. Throughout history it has been the so called 'sceptics' who have questioned accepted science and led the way to man's progress.
In politics, 'players' need to decide whether they are going to be reactive to perceived public opinion and simply play political games or be pro-active in taking a leadership role when they are firmly of the belief that the majority public opinion may be misinformed.
I would like to congratulate you and encourage you on the stance you are taking on this subject. The arrogant dismissal of legitimate questioning of the science behind the conventional position has been appalling. It is my view that we humans are inclined to overstate our impacts and our level of control. I think we delude ourselves to believe we can change the climate of the earth (for better or worse) which has always been beyond man's puny impacts and efforts.
Whether I am right or wrong, all science should be open to question. Throughout history it has been the so called 'sceptics' who have questioned accepted science and led the way to man's progress.
In politics, 'players' need to decide whether they are going to be reactive to perceived public opinion and simply play political games or be pro-active in taking a leadership role when they are firmly of the belief that the majority public opinion may be misinformed.
This takes courage, but is the mark of true leadership and when proven correct carries great reward.
I believe there are many in the Federal Parliament who are personally not convinced by what seems to be the majority opinion, but believe it would be harmful to say so. Your stance of calling for open-minded questionning should encourage these people to be more forthright.
Best wishes and good luck.
Best wishes and good luck.
David Boyd
09 June, 2009
A Favourite Quote
"This is my long-run forecast in brief:
The material conditions of life will continue to get better for most people, in most countries, most of the time, indefinitely. Within a century or two, all nations and most of humanity will be at or above today's Western living standards.
I also speculate, however, that many people will continue to think and say that the conditions of life are getting worse." (Julian Simon 1932-98).
The material conditions of life will continue to get better for most people, in most countries, most of the time, indefinitely. Within a century or two, all nations and most of humanity will be at or above today's Western living standards.
I also speculate, however, that many people will continue to think and say that the conditions of life are getting worse." (Julian Simon 1932-98).
Toorale Water is Different
At Senate Estimates on Thursday night, Penny Wong's officials said that the water saved at Toorale from the February flow comprised 5,900 megs from the Darling and 1,300 megs from the Warrego-a total of 7,200 megs.
Bill Heffernan asked them where they gauged it and for the Warrego River was told at Ford's Bridge. With the Warrego not much more than a shallow gutter, there are always huge stream losses between Ford's Bridge and the Darling junction.
Data shows that, due to water losses in the river system and the Menindee Lakes storages, for every megalitre of water that flows past Bourke only 0.3ML can be expected to appear as regulated flow in the Lower Darling or to contribute to flow in the Murray.
Apparently Toorale water is different as the whole 7,200 megs has been allocated to the various Murray environmental iconic sites!
Bill Heffernan asked them where they gauged it and for the Warrego River was told at Ford's Bridge. With the Warrego not much more than a shallow gutter, there are always huge stream losses between Ford's Bridge and the Darling junction.
Data shows that, due to water losses in the river system and the Menindee Lakes storages, for every megalitre of water that flows past Bourke only 0.3ML can be expected to appear as regulated flow in the Lower Darling or to contribute to flow in the Murray.
Apparently Toorale water is different as the whole 7,200 megs has been allocated to the various Murray environmental iconic sites!
Infrastructure
"What a funny world!
1) The central unique physical characteristic of Australia is massive rainfall variability.
2) Consequently, 'available water' is largely a consequence of efficient storage.
3) Huge rainfall is occurring in Northern NSW and South-east Queensland.
4) We are in the midst of the biggest infrastructure spend in Australia's history.
5) The planning does not include a single new dam!"
1) The central unique physical characteristic of Australia is massive rainfall variability.
2) Consequently, 'available water' is largely a consequence of efficient storage.
3) Huge rainfall is occurring in Northern NSW and South-east Queensland.
4) We are in the midst of the biggest infrastructure spend in Australia's history.
5) The planning does not include a single new dam!"
Irrigation Facts
Thursday 28 May, 2009 - 21:27 by David Boyd
- Irrigated agriculture contributes approximately 25 per cent of the gross value of Australian agricultural production, 3% of GDP, 22% of exports, but only uses 0.4 per cent of Australia’s farming area (Source: CSIRO, 2006)
- Australia utilises about 8% of its available water for industry, agriculture and support of the population, with agriculture using about 65% of this, or less than 6% of Australia’s water (Source: National Land and Water Audit 1997 – 2002)
- In their ‘natural’ state, the rivers located in the southern half of Australia experience more variable flows than virtually any other rivers in the world (Murray-Darling Basin Commission 2005)
- Between 1885 and 1960, the Darling River stopped flowing at Menindee on 48 occasions – well before irrigation existed on the river or its tributaries (Australian Farm Institute).
- Data shows that, due to water losses in the river system and the Menindee Lakes storages, for every megalitre of water that flows past Bourke only 0.3ML can be expected to appear as regulated flow in the Lower Darling or to contribute to flow in the Murray.
Fun Facts of Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide
Wednesday 07 May, 2008 - 10:49 by David Boyd
FUN FACTS about CARBON DIOXIDE
Of the 186 billion tons of CO2 that enter earth's atmosphere each year from all sources, only 6 billion tons are from human activity. Approximately 90 billion tons come from biologic activity in earth's oceans and another 90 billion tons from such sources as volcanoes and decaying land plants.
At 368 parts per million CO2 is a minor constituent of earth's atmosphere-- less than 4/100ths of 1% of all gases present. Compared to former geologic times, earth's current atmosphere is CO2- impoverished.
CO2 is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Plants absorb CO2 and emit oxygen as a waste product. Humans and animals breathe oxygen and emit CO2 as a waste product. Carbon dioxide is a nutrient, not a pollutant, and all life-- plants and animals alike-- benefit from more of it. All life on earth is carbon-based and CO2 is an essential ingredient. When plant-growers want to stimulate plant growth, they introduce more carbon dioxide.
CO2 that goes into the atmosphere does not stay there but is continually recycled by terrestrial plant life and earth's oceans-- the great retirement home for most terrestrial carbon dioxide.
If we are in a global warming crisis today, even the most aggressive and costly proposals for limiting industrial carbon dioxide emissions would have a negligible effect on global climate!
Wednesday 07 May, 2008 - 10:49 by David Boyd
FUN FACTS about CARBON DIOXIDE
Of the 186 billion tons of CO2 that enter earth's atmosphere each year from all sources, only 6 billion tons are from human activity. Approximately 90 billion tons come from biologic activity in earth's oceans and another 90 billion tons from such sources as volcanoes and decaying land plants.
At 368 parts per million CO2 is a minor constituent of earth's atmosphere-- less than 4/100ths of 1% of all gases present. Compared to former geologic times, earth's current atmosphere is CO2- impoverished.
CO2 is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Plants absorb CO2 and emit oxygen as a waste product. Humans and animals breathe oxygen and emit CO2 as a waste product. Carbon dioxide is a nutrient, not a pollutant, and all life-- plants and animals alike-- benefit from more of it. All life on earth is carbon-based and CO2 is an essential ingredient. When plant-growers want to stimulate plant growth, they introduce more carbon dioxide.
CO2 that goes into the atmosphere does not stay there but is continually recycled by terrestrial plant life and earth's oceans-- the great retirement home for most terrestrial carbon dioxide.
If we are in a global warming crisis today, even the most aggressive and costly proposals for limiting industrial carbon dioxide emissions would have a negligible effect on global climate!
Climate Change-Ian Plimer
In his new book, Heaven and Earth: Climate change – the real science, Prof Plimer, from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Adelaide, notes that climatic change is ‘the norm’, sea levels rise and fall all the time, and that climate cycles are driven by massive forces completely unrelated to carbon emissions.
He says: “Climate changes in the past have been far greater and far more rapid than anything measured in the present. Not one previous climate change has ever been driven by carbon dioxide.
To talk of carbon pollution shows an appalling ignorance of basic school science. Carbon dioxide is plant food, without it humans could not exist.”
He says: “Climate changes in the past have been far greater and far more rapid than anything measured in the present. Not one previous climate change has ever been driven by carbon dioxide.
To talk of carbon pollution shows an appalling ignorance of basic school science. Carbon dioxide is plant food, without it humans could not exist.”
Irrigation-Letter In SMH
Letter in SMH 30.05.09
Saturday 30 May, 2009 - 07:25 by David Boyd in Irrigation
Solution flows from fewer licences and more dams
May 30, 2009
There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the cause of our record low river flows, particularly in the Murray-Darling, and buying back water licences won't fix it ("River rescue deal leaves NSW spluttering", May 29).
Take a look at the graph on the Murray Darling Basin Authority website that shows record low run-off into the Murray in recent years. The problem is clearly not extractions, which in any event are limited by low, or no, allocations. The problem is lack of run-off and too few efficient water storages.
There has been no discernible benefit from the water licence purchases and lower allocations that have taken place. Why? Because there has been no widespread heavy rain in the catchment. Thus, throwing another $300 million at buying back water licences is fiddling with the problem and will only restrict production when the rain does come.
The central feature of Australia's inland rivers is their massive variability. Storages can even this out and make production not only possible, but economically and environmentally sustainable.
Under natural conditions the Murray would have stopped flowing about two years ago and salt water would have entered Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (the Lower Lakes), as it always did when river flows were low before the building of barrages. Yet in this drought, with some water available from Eildon, Hume and Dartmouth dams, and from the Snowy system, a flow in the Murray has been maintained.
Conclusion: what we need are more dams and more efficient dams, not fewer licences. The Federal Government needs to recognise this and apply its collective mind to the profligate waste of fresh water in the form of evaporation from the man-engineered Lower Lakes and Menindee Lakes, and to identifying new sites for efficient storages. When it does so I will believe that it has
moved on from shallow, South Australia-centric political games and is addressing the problem.
With increasing world food shortages, Australia has a moral duty to maximise production, providing this can be done, as it can, without damage to our long-term productive capacity.
David Boyd St Ives
Saturday 30 May, 2009 - 07:25 by David Boyd in Irrigation
Solution flows from fewer licences and more dams
May 30, 2009
There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the cause of our record low river flows, particularly in the Murray-Darling, and buying back water licences won't fix it ("River rescue deal leaves NSW spluttering", May 29).
Take a look at the graph on the Murray Darling Basin Authority website that shows record low run-off into the Murray in recent years. The problem is clearly not extractions, which in any event are limited by low, or no, allocations. The problem is lack of run-off and too few efficient water storages.
There has been no discernible benefit from the water licence purchases and lower allocations that have taken place. Why? Because there has been no widespread heavy rain in the catchment. Thus, throwing another $300 million at buying back water licences is fiddling with the problem and will only restrict production when the rain does come.
The central feature of Australia's inland rivers is their massive variability. Storages can even this out and make production not only possible, but economically and environmentally sustainable.
Under natural conditions the Murray would have stopped flowing about two years ago and salt water would have entered Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (the Lower Lakes), as it always did when river flows were low before the building of barrages. Yet in this drought, with some water available from Eildon, Hume and Dartmouth dams, and from the Snowy system, a flow in the Murray has been maintained.
Conclusion: what we need are more dams and more efficient dams, not fewer licences. The Federal Government needs to recognise this and apply its collective mind to the profligate waste of fresh water in the form of evaporation from the man-engineered Lower Lakes and Menindee Lakes, and to identifying new sites for efficient storages. When it does so I will believe that it has
moved on from shallow, South Australia-centric political games and is addressing the problem.
With increasing world food shortages, Australia has a moral duty to maximise production, providing this can be done, as it can, without damage to our long-term productive capacity.
David Boyd St Ives
Irrigation Misunderstandings
Irrigation
Wednesday 18 March, 2009 - 09:50 by David Boyd
There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the cause of our record low river flows, particularly in the Murray/Darling; and buying back water licenses simply won't fix it!
Wednesday 18 March, 2009 - 09:50 by David Boyd
There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding of the cause of our record low river flows, particularly in the Murray/Darling; and buying back water licenses simply won't fix it!
Take a look at the Murray Darling Basin Authority website and the graph showing record low run-off into the Murray in recent years. The problem is clearly not extractions, which in any event are limited by low or no allocations. The problem is lack of run-off and too few efficient water storages.
Likewise consider the considerable “cut backs” that have already taken place, from which there has been no discernible benefit. Why? Because there simply hasn’t been any widespread heavy rain in the catchment.
Thus, throwing another $300m at buying back water licenses is really fiddling with the problem and will only restrict much needed production after we have the inevitable big rain event.
The central feature of Australia's inland rivers is their massive variability. Storages can even this out and make production possible and economically and environmentally sustainable.
The central feature of Australia's inland rivers is their massive variability. Storages can even this out and make production possible and economically and environmentally sustainable.
Under natural conditions the Murray would have stopped flowing 2/3 years ago and salt water would have entered Lakes Alexandrina and Albert (the Lower Lakes), as it always did before The Barrages were built when river flows were low. Yet with some water available from Eildon, Hume and Dartmouth Dams and from the Snowy system, a flow in the Murray has been maintained.
Conclusion - what we need is more dams and more efficient dams, not less licenses. When the Australian Government recognises this and applies its collective mind to doing something about the profligate waste of fresh water in the form of evaporation from the man-engineered Lower Lakes and Menindee Lakes and to identifying new sites for additional efficient storages, I will believe that they have moved on from shallow, South Australian centric, political games and are actually addressing the real problem.
With increasing world food shortages Australia has a moral duty to maximise production, providing this can be done, as it can, without damage to Australia's longterm productive capacity.
With increasing world food shortages Australia has a moral duty to maximise production, providing this can be done, as it can, without damage to Australia's longterm productive capacity.
ARTICLE by PAUL MYERS TOORALE and the DARLING
Toorale and the Darling
Thursday 30 October, 2008
ARTICLE by PAUL MYERS
TOORALE and the DARLING
………………………………………………………………………………………….
The joint purchase in September by the federal and NSW governments of Toorale Station in outback NSW has been shown to be the sham and public relations stunt it always was.
Not only did the Minister for Water and Climate Change Penny Wong admit in Monday’s Four Corners program that she didn’t know the identity of Toorale’s owners in the pre-purchase negotiations, it also emerged that the Commonwealth provided most of the funds for the $24 million acquisition “sight unseen”.
And after suggesting in immediate post-sale comments that 20 gigalitres a year would be returned to the Darling River as a result of the purchase, neither Senator Wong nor anyone else can now quantify the benefit.
Buyer, beware. Nobody ever buys a rural property of any size, let alone one for $24 million, without at least several inspections and a lot of questions – except, it seems, taxpayers. And when it comes to water, that was apparently intrinsically valued in the Toorale sale at about half the property’s price, you want to be doubly sure that what you expect is what you get.
The shambolic and hasty manner in which the federal and NSW governments acquired Toorale is bad enough. But worse, it has effectively killed any chance of achieving broad public understanding of the real problems affecting Australia’s inland rivers, and how they should be tackled.
The sale may well have convinced the public that similar acquisitions of farmland and/or irrigation water can restore health to inland rivers. But in most cases, buybacks will deliver only a trickle of additional water to the environment, because irrigators can access water only when there are significant and prescribed flows in a river after heavy rain.
This is certainly the case with Toorale, which has several thousand hectares developed for cotton, but not a boll of which has been harvested for several years because there hasn’t been enough water available from the Darling and Warrego rivers to support a crop.
So while the drought continues, the payback to taxpayers from the Toorale purchase will be nil. It will still be nil even if there is moderated rainfall, and only minor benefits during floods because a lot of water stays out on flood plains and only some returns to the river from whence it came.
Mother Nature – not governments, environmentalists, irrigators or anyone else – determine whether rivers flow or dry up. It may be too simplistic for some, but 99 percent of the problems on the Darling and other rivers are caused by lack of precipitation, the variability of rainfall, and evaporation. It has been that way for millennia, and always will be.
The Murray, Darling and most, if not all, of Australia’s inland rivers have been dry several times during white settlement, and often beforehand.
The Murray, for example, stopped flowing in 1850 and for six months during the “Federation drought” of 1902 before there was any real human intervention. But Australia’s greatest river has continued to flow during this drought – the worst since white settlement – because water has been stored and subsequently released from Hume and Dartmouth dams.
The Darling is a microcosm of the Murray, with only 12 percent of its bigger brother’s average flow. The Darling flows strongly after a big rain, or otherwise not much at all. Irrigators – mostly cotton farms – on its route are strictly controlled, can take water only when the river reaches prescribed flows at various points, and in a normal year access about six percent of the river’s entire volume of water.
Most of the Darling’s much-maligned cotton growers have produced only one or two crops this decade. The lion’s share of these properties – 97pc in Toorale’s case – is devoted to grazing. This is far from a profligate, raping and pillaging of the river mentality.
It also makes a mockery of the apparent intention of the new owners to pull down the main dam – and perhaps other small dams – on the Warrego (which meets the Darling on the station) that were built in the late 1880s by the architect of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme, Sir Samuel McCaughey, to prevent water being wasted during peak flows.
Like many smaller inland rivers, the Warrego flows only occasionally, usually about once a year. McCaughey designed a system that allowed excess water from the river to spill across Toorale’s floodplains. There are four-foot diameter pipes in Toorale’s dams on the Warrego to allow smaller flows to pass straight through to the Darling.
If the Toorale purchase was a blueprint for fixing the problems of Australia’s inland rivers, we can be sure that a lasting solution will never be found.
Paul Myers
22.10.08
Thursday 30 October, 2008
ARTICLE by PAUL MYERS
TOORALE and the DARLING
………………………………………………………………………………………….
The joint purchase in September by the federal and NSW governments of Toorale Station in outback NSW has been shown to be the sham and public relations stunt it always was.
Not only did the Minister for Water and Climate Change Penny Wong admit in Monday’s Four Corners program that she didn’t know the identity of Toorale’s owners in the pre-purchase negotiations, it also emerged that the Commonwealth provided most of the funds for the $24 million acquisition “sight unseen”.
And after suggesting in immediate post-sale comments that 20 gigalitres a year would be returned to the Darling River as a result of the purchase, neither Senator Wong nor anyone else can now quantify the benefit.
Buyer, beware. Nobody ever buys a rural property of any size, let alone one for $24 million, without at least several inspections and a lot of questions – except, it seems, taxpayers. And when it comes to water, that was apparently intrinsically valued in the Toorale sale at about half the property’s price, you want to be doubly sure that what you expect is what you get.
The shambolic and hasty manner in which the federal and NSW governments acquired Toorale is bad enough. But worse, it has effectively killed any chance of achieving broad public understanding of the real problems affecting Australia’s inland rivers, and how they should be tackled.
The sale may well have convinced the public that similar acquisitions of farmland and/or irrigation water can restore health to inland rivers. But in most cases, buybacks will deliver only a trickle of additional water to the environment, because irrigators can access water only when there are significant and prescribed flows in a river after heavy rain.
This is certainly the case with Toorale, which has several thousand hectares developed for cotton, but not a boll of which has been harvested for several years because there hasn’t been enough water available from the Darling and Warrego rivers to support a crop.
So while the drought continues, the payback to taxpayers from the Toorale purchase will be nil. It will still be nil even if there is moderated rainfall, and only minor benefits during floods because a lot of water stays out on flood plains and only some returns to the river from whence it came.
Mother Nature – not governments, environmentalists, irrigators or anyone else – determine whether rivers flow or dry up. It may be too simplistic for some, but 99 percent of the problems on the Darling and other rivers are caused by lack of precipitation, the variability of rainfall, and evaporation. It has been that way for millennia, and always will be.
The Murray, Darling and most, if not all, of Australia’s inland rivers have been dry several times during white settlement, and often beforehand.
The Murray, for example, stopped flowing in 1850 and for six months during the “Federation drought” of 1902 before there was any real human intervention. But Australia’s greatest river has continued to flow during this drought – the worst since white settlement – because water has been stored and subsequently released from Hume and Dartmouth dams.
The Darling is a microcosm of the Murray, with only 12 percent of its bigger brother’s average flow. The Darling flows strongly after a big rain, or otherwise not much at all. Irrigators – mostly cotton farms – on its route are strictly controlled, can take water only when the river reaches prescribed flows at various points, and in a normal year access about six percent of the river’s entire volume of water.
Most of the Darling’s much-maligned cotton growers have produced only one or two crops this decade. The lion’s share of these properties – 97pc in Toorale’s case – is devoted to grazing. This is far from a profligate, raping and pillaging of the river mentality.
It also makes a mockery of the apparent intention of the new owners to pull down the main dam – and perhaps other small dams – on the Warrego (which meets the Darling on the station) that were built in the late 1880s by the architect of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Scheme, Sir Samuel McCaughey, to prevent water being wasted during peak flows.
Like many smaller inland rivers, the Warrego flows only occasionally, usually about once a year. McCaughey designed a system that allowed excess water from the river to spill across Toorale’s floodplains. There are four-foot diameter pipes in Toorale’s dams on the Warrego to allow smaller flows to pass straight through to the Darling.
If the Toorale purchase was a blueprint for fixing the problems of Australia’s inland rivers, we can be sure that a lasting solution will never be found.
Paul Myers
22.10.08
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