Captain Cook metaphorically releasing a Pigeon in Sydney’s hide park:
The ABC program, Weeds: Enemy or ally was good, and predictable at the same time.
This blog heard all of those arguments before, the one criminalising botanical species, and the one acknowledging the botanical reality.
Still a fantastic introduction to the thorny issue of environmental sustainability against botanical puritanism, modern agricultural demands against acknowledgment of sustainable yelds.
The program can be listened to here,
or downloaded here.
or here is the transcript, with links and pics
or here is a PDF of the trascript: Weeds: Enemy or Ally?
Below are a few points jotted down while listening to the program.
–Tim Low‘s Weeds of National Significance, Hymenachne?
–3 tiers of government operating to control weeds
-the politics of agricultural ownership
–gamba grass
-Rachel McFadyen, cattle industry NT WA QLD
-well managed gamba grass feed 40 times more cattle then normal grass.
-weeds management falls over all the times: Rachel McFadyen
-national research program focusing into the impact of weeds will be wind down.
-utilization or commercialisation of research.
-people chasing the bush dream creating gateway to the Australia environment to sleepers weed.
-mandatory label on all the tags on plants bought in nursery.
-joint program between government, gardeners, nursery industry, farmers.
-4billion dollars a year cost weed
-double if u combine loss of environment.
-Indian neem, Radiata pine, Olive tree.
-local farmers fault/responsibility.
-new thinking:
-world largest area under organic culture
-bio-dynamic production, blue thistle, saffron, scotch.
–Peter Andrews says in a managed ecosystem are an ally not enemy.
