Michael Leunig, Political Cartoonist for over 40 years and Australian Living Ttreasure, lambasted the Rudd Government over its "failure of leadership" in speaking out on the Gaza massacre.

Several thousand people protested Israel's Gaza massacre in Sydney, while organisers estimated  12,000 listened to speakers and marched in Melbourne. 22 days after the launch of the savage and brutal military offensive more than 1200 Palestinians have been killed, including more
than 400 children, with at least a further 5220 people injured.

Photos: Melbourne Protests Gaza Videos: Michael Leunig on the massacre in Gaza and the Morality of the Heart | "We are all Palestinians" - Jewish speaker | Related Story: Make a Desert and Call It Peace

Arising from a protest in December 2008 where Seven Forest and Climate Activists were arrested at Triabunna Woodchip Mill which held up work for several hours, Gunns lodged writs against 13 protestors in the Launceston Supreme Court on December 23. The Tasmanian police gave the names and addresses of ALL protestors involved, whether or not charged, to Gunns for civil writs of damages to be issued.

The Gunns writ includes a core claim for aggravated and exemplary damages "because their actions were calculated and/or likely to publicise the political beliefs of Defendants and to thereby gain media publicity for each of them and/or for the beliefs which they hold". This follows the Gunns 20 SLAPP case filed in December 2004 and still proceeding.

Still Wild Still Threatened website, Blog | Huon Valley Environment Centre | Trees Not Gunns

Walking to a nuclear-free sovereign beat, 17-day walk demands an end to NT Intervention

Friday 9 January 2009, 6am, Sydney: A delegation of community members and activists will begin a 17 day peace walk from Sydney to the steps of Parliament House in Canberra calling for recognition of Indigenous Sovereignty, an end to the NT Intervention and an end to Australia’s involvement in the dangerous nuclear-fuel cycle. An Aboriginal Tent Embassy has been set up in Victoria Park, Sydney to launch the walk. Itinerary attached.

Related: NT Aboriginal communities set to Converge on Canberra

Melbourne writer Katherine Wilson, a former editor of literary magazine Overland, has successfully pulled off the hoax publication of an article of scientific sounding drivel on biotechnology in right wing journal, Quadrant, edited by right wing culture wars stalwart Keith Windshuttle.

Blogs: Greenpeace | Larvatus Prodeo

The Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia) has joined the many voices from around the world in calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Association says that any notion that the
ongoing bloodshed and suffering will help bring peace is absurd. It will simply further entrench extremism.

Related Articles: Australian Jewish Group condemns ongong Israeli military attacks on Gaza | Greens call on Gillard for Israel Action |
'Eight civilians killed' in surgical strike on truck | 100 Children Killed  (UNICEF media release)  

Recent Protests: Sydney videos 1, 2, 3 | Thousands march in Melbourne for Gaza, Photos, Videos 1, 2, 3, 4 | Brisbane protest videos 1, 2 | Perth protest, Photos 1, 2

Australian marine scientists have issued a warning on the increasing acidity of the world's oceans and its impact on coral reefs, and through the food web, the productivity and biodiversity of oceans. Scientists at the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Townsville claim that coral on Australia's Great Barrier Reef reached a tipping point in 1990 with coral growth having slowed by more than 14 percent since then. The unprecedented decline has been caused by a combination of rising sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification. At the current rate of decline, coral will be unable to grow by 2050.

Background : Changes in Global Sea Surface Acidity | Ocean Acidity Increasing at faster rate | Marine Scientists Demand Action on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

NSW Minister for Mineral Resources, Ian Macdonald is currently under scrutiny for travel expenses but the important history of his management is a grizzly record in allowing wholesale destruction of watersources and habitats from longwall mining in NSW. More than 22 rivers, streams or rivulets have either been destroyed or permanently damaged including many in the Sydney water catchment. Meanwhile the Government forges ahead with new mine approvals despite the knowledge that the damage is going to continue.

Related: Rivers SOS website | Mineral Policy Institute | Total Environment Centre |

"War in Gaza: while Israel and Hamas fight over who has bigger and longer, killing and hurting hundreds in Gaza and dozens in Israel, a recent public poll showed 46% of Israelis oppose the strike on Gaza. Now they go to the streets." While tens of thousands of people mobilize around the world against the Israeli state attacking the citizens of Gaza in a Chauvinism Made from Cast Lead, a peace movement mobilises in Israel against the Israeli Government.
Related Story: Israeli citizens against the Gaza assault

Photos against the seige of Gaza | International Solidarity Movement | Global IMC

Protest photos from Israel IMC: Tel_Aviv 1, 2 | Haifa | Jaffa | Nazareth | Note: the Israeli IMC uses secure browsing which means you need to initially get a security certificate before viewing pages.

***** As of January 5 2009 at 1pm,  the death toll stands at 500 *****

Today the Israeli army launched its long awaited strikes against the Gazan
people, an unarmed, captive civilian population.

The West, including the British government, has supported
the last two years’ of blockade of the Palestinians in Gaza
for the crime of exercising their democratic rights in a manner not to Israel’s
liking.

Protests & Responses: Thousands rally in Sydney against the Gaza massacre (video) |  Gaza attack protest in Melbourne (Takver's Photos, video) | Communist Party Statement | NZ Greens | Australian Democrats | Brisbane protest video, photos | Perth protest photos 1, 2 |

The Sea Shepherd ship MV Steve Irwin has collided with the Japanese whaling ship Kaiko Maru causing minor damage to both ships, and no crew injuries in Antarctic waters within the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone and Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, north of the Mawson Peninsula.

Previous Story: Sea Shepherd in pursuit of Whalers in Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary | Press Releases: Sea Shepherd, ICA

Two activists from New South Wales were honoured in the Eureka Australia awards: 93 year old Phyllis Johnson from Padstow, and Wollongong activist Hans Post. The 154th anniversary commemmoration of Eureka on December 3 continues to explore the relevance of social activism and history. Various activities through out the day explored the meaning of the Eureka Rebellion to participants, the propaganda war on the Eureka story, and a recognition of those activists who have made social contributions in the spirit of Eureka through the Eureka Australia Medal awards at Bakery Hill.

Related: Sack Keelty | Flickr: Eureka 2008 photos | YouTube Videos: 1, 2, 3, 4 | Story: End the War on Terror - Sack Keelty

NSW Health continues to function as a slavish tool of Labor government, directly as the agent for the Health Minister John Della Bosca, while happy to con its employees out of their rights to exercise the freedom of expression we are all entitled. The “scribbler” has taken it upon herself in a memo to mislead people and tell them what they may do in their own time. The union is oversighting all of this. NSW Health is actively supporting the politicised aborting of what many believe to have been the barely identifiable foetus of the full blown medical amenities which over 9000 people over sixty five expected to be here on the Woy Woy Peninsula. Perhaps NSW Health should pull back from its improper support of the Minister for Health John Della Bosca and that minority of Labor Party members in NSW busy running the state into the ground.. We the people pay and we the people will say what goes with our amenities here on the Woy Woy Peninsula. And that so called free bus Minister that offensive joke your agents keep trotting out. Taxpayers that’s US pay for that you lying bastards, its anything but free ! And the hype about consultation what garbage that is. I am visiting people who can hardly be heard when I sit two feet in front of them. They have not been consulted they are willing but unable to stand up and demand their rights. Sly underhanded deceitful are some words to identify what is passed off as good open Labor government generally and in this issue in particular !

I have taken photos inside and also underneath the
Leask Creek pipes, concrete bulkhead and apron structure which show the
extent of the rust and neglect was equal to that of those three pipes
in the culvert at Piles Creek. Taxpayers have been kept essentially
ignorant of the real extent of Gosford City Councils failure to take
reasonable care that its local roads were kept fit for the use which
they were built. Politicians and the bought and paid for media had my
Photos within days of the family dying and they did nothing with them.

Government involvement in mediated dialogue the key to resolving the issue

Environment Tasmania (Tasmania's Conservation Council), the Australian Conservation Foundation and The Wilderness Society today supported calls for an independently mediated dialogue to resolve the long-running conflict over the management of Tasmania's forests.

The organisations backed calls for a moratorium on logging and road-building in contentious forest areas as a way to halt forest protests and congratulated the local environment groups that initiated the call for talks. The organisations strongly urged the state and federal governments to come to the table to discuss a positive solution to the state's forest debate.

Related: Tassie Forest Activists Propose Southern Forests Solution | Vigilantes Firebomb Cars in Tas Forest Protest | Forest activists attacked in the Upper Florentine Valley | Take Action

Keri
James and daughter Clover (6) have embarked on an epic 'Walk Against
woodchips' from Canberra to Tasmania. They will draw community
attention to the continuing destructive practice of woodchipping native
forests as they pass the Eden woodchip mill on their way to the Gunns
proposed pulp mill site in the Tamar valley (Tasmania).

They passed through Bairnsdale on the 26^th of October and reach Traralgon on the 6^th of November.