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"What an embarrassing effort”: Locals furious over "pathetic" Christmas tree

Locals in the coastal NSW town of Forster are furious over a "pathetic" Christmas tree that was decorated by the council. In an attempt to spread Christmas cheer, the local council haphazardly threw lights over a huge Christmas tree in the middle of town, prompting outrage from the community. One local posted a photo of the tree to Facebook, insinuating the tree looks like it was decorated by "Mr Squiggle", while tagging the council in the post to ensure they saw the complaint. “This is absolutely pathetic, what an embarrassing effort,” they wrote. “Not that I expect anything less from our council, but this needs to stop. Keep in mind before reading — the Mr. Squiggle effort took three days to complete." “There is nothing that screams neglect and lack of interest more than an unthoughtful, rushed, ugly, non-Christmassy, rope light installation on arguably one of the most noticeable trees in the entire Forster-Tuncurry." The poster then compared a Christmas tree from another year with the recent one, and asked whether this is the best that the council could create. “Is that really the best the creative minds at the council can come up with? A bit of rope light dangling out of a tree?” they asked. Other locals flocked to the post and agreed with the sentiment, sharing their disappointment in the Christmas tree. “It honestly would have been better off not being done at all … it’s a hideous mess,” wrote one. “Our beautiful paradise deserves a lot more so ugly such a disaster effort,” a local wrote. “How embarrassing for the town.” The local council caught wind of the disappointment from locals and posted a response to the matter on its website a day later. It said its staff were not “professional tree decorators” and pointed out that this “comes at a cost”. “MidCoast Council is aware of the community comment on social media on the Christmas decorations installed on an iconic tree in Forster,” the statement read. “Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell, said that while the lighting might not be appreciated by some in the community, even the small amount of decorating comes at a cost." The council then said that in years to come, locals will be able to have their say for the town's Christmas decorations, with the website stating, "Some sections of the community appear to be very passionate about the lighting and this will give them the opportunity to be involved in the decisions around it." “Providing Christmas lighting is not a core service of Council, or something we have expert skills in, hence the decision to allow the community the opportunity to take ownership of the lighting going forward.” Image credits: Facebook

Travel Trouble

‘We are only passing through’: stories about memory, mortality and the effort of being alive

Chris Flynn’s <a href="https://www.uqp.com.au/books/here-be-leviathans">Here Be Leviathans</a> is a collection of short stories that seems quirky and light-hearted, propelled by its creative use of perspective. Each story is established from a surprising vantage point and so the world as Flynn imagines it becomes topsy-turvy – anything at all might be alive and sentient. Animals, chairs, boats, you name it. <hr /> Review: Here Be Leviathans – Chris Flynn (UQP) and The Tower – Carol Lefevre (Spinifex) <hr /> A bear eats a teenager, and thus inherits the boy’s memories. An airplane seat describes its last day at work. A hotel room observes its favourite couple, who return over the years. A monkey details a trip into outer space. But these stories are driven by more than quirky inspiration. The point-of-view might offer an interesting hook, and Flynn’s tone may be jaunty at times, but the stories are propelled by deeper themes of mortality, death and existential pointlessness. Flynn uses perspective to reflect and question the way we think about things. <h2>Memory and mortality</h2> Many of the characters in this collection die, have died or are about to die – but there’s also a counter-theme of connection. The bear may eat the teenager, and so the ranger is hunting him down; we enter a hide-and-seek game for survival. But it’s the connection the bear and ranger have, the mutual respect they share, that becomes the message of the first story, Inheritance. <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=896&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497560/original/file-20221128-26-5t8y8o.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1126&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> Flynn also explores ideas of memory transference, and this imbues the story with lingering, thoughtful hope: something that pervades the whole collection. In Flynn’s world, death can be a means to existence – as long as our memories keep living, our experiences and perspectives continue to exist. Flynn’s use of unexpected points of view allows him to avoid the sentimental. In 22F, he tells the story of an airplane seat abandoned in the jungle and we’re left with the superb image of moss growing up and over the upholstery, claiming the seat for the natural domain. We learn about the seat’s history, the work-politics of neighbouring seats, and observations of the passengers who have sat in them. We see glimpses of these human cargoes that simultaneously show the banality and profundity of life. The collection took Flynn ten years to write, and he includes notes at the end about his process and the stories’ origins. For instance, he describes how 22F was inspired by the Werner Herzog documentary <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/wings-of-hope/">Wings of Hope</a>, which interviewed Juliane Koepcke, the sole survivor of a 1971 airplane crash. Together, Herzog and Koepcke journey to the site of the crash and find parts of the airplane in the jungle. Flynn says the story is about: <blockquote> Memory and place. A reminder that we are only passing through and that everything is part of something larger. </blockquote> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497575/original/file-20221128-21-v71muf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>One of Chris Flynn’s stories is told from the perspective of an airplane seat abandoned in the jungle. Leslie Cross/Unsplash, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> The importance of memory and place is further explored in the story A Beautiful and Unexpected Turn, where we follow the perspective of a hotel room that takes a special interest in its guests, Diane and Hector. We see the waxing and waning and waxing of their relationship. At the end, the room says: <blockquote> We are places of passage, of transience […] Eventually, I would be demolished, perhaps to make way for another hotel or an apartment block, or nothing […] I would become rubble, and then dust. </blockquote> This could be the larger message of the book – our lives are transient and then we become dust. The connections we experience and inspire are what give us meaning in the moment. <h2>Complications of care</h2> Carol Lefevre’s <a href="https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925950625">The Tower</a> also emphasises place. This thoughtful collection of short stories is very different from Flynn’s in tone and focus, but it too grounds storytelling in the themes of place and mortality. <figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=928&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497573/original/file-20221128-14-p18sux.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1166&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> The Tower is structured around a series of interlocking narratives about Dorelia MacCraith – in the very first story, after losing her husband Geordie, she sells her house and buys a new one, with a tower. Her children, who she does not consult, are suspicious of this defiant act. Straight away, the reader is thrust into the negotiations and complications of care. People who Dorelia once cared for are now asserting (or trying to assert) forms of reverse care. And many stories in the collection reverberate with related themes – women caring for children and partners and parents, or making decisions about their positions as carers, especially in the context of trying (or deciding not) to have children. The interconnected stories about Dorelia and her tower are the centrepiece of the collection. Yet Dorelia finds this house of her own by accident, when driving her dear friend and fellow artist Elizabeth Bunting to an appointment: <blockquote> they took a wrong turn, and then another, until at the end of the a quiet cul-de-sac, set among sheltering trees, stood the most adorable house […] and above the porch rose a small tower. </blockquote> I appreciate that it is the women’s friendship – their spark of connection and humour are immediate and inviting – that enables Dorelia to find her tower oasis. I also appreciate that this critical act occurs during a moment of generosity and care: Dorelia is driving Elizabeth to an appointment. While Dorelia may find her tower by accident, we never feel Lefevre is accidental in rendering the lives of these women on the page. The prose is carefully controlled, as is the detail and world-building – and the deeper reflections of the stories kaleidoscope through one another, building in nuanced ways. <h2>Reimagining the crone</h2> Of course, symbolic permutations resonate throughout this text – a tower of one’s own harks to <a href="https://theconversation.com/skin-and-sinew-and-breath-and-longing-reimagining-the-lives-of-queer-artists-and-activists-from-sappho-to-virginia-woolf-184459">Virginia Woolf</a> and Rapunzel. Dorelia reimagines the crone from the Rapunzel <a href="https://theconversation.com/reader-beware-the-nasty-new-edition-of-the-brothers-grimm-34537">fairy tale</a> as central and heroic. This rewriting and revision of the crone – and her motives and backstory – seems key to recognising women’s narratives more generally, and prioritising a multiplicity of stories and experiences within the Australian literary canon. In this sense, it feels like Lefevre is in conversation with authors such as Drusilla Modjeska, <a href="https://theconversation.com/intellectual-fearlessness-politics-and-the-spiritual-impulse-the-remarkable-career-of-amanda-lohrey-187354">Amanda Lohrey</a> and Charlotte Wood. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=319&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/496662/original/file-20221122-23-obj24f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>The main, recurring narrator of The Tower reimagines the crone from the Rapunzel fairytale as central and heroic.</figcaption></figure> In <a href="https://theconversation.com/tarot-resurgence-is-less-about-occult-than-fun-and-self-help-just-like-throughout-history-139448">tarot</a> mythology, the card of The Tower considers the collapse of old structures. We get a sense of this in the reflexivity of the text, as well as in its story-world – as Dorelia faces life without her husband Geordie. Indeed, old age itself collapses life as she’s known it. The interplay between the textual and the intertextual resonates in this collection, making this book as enjoyable to later ponder as it was to actually read. Here Be Leviathans and The Tower are two very different short-story collections to consider in tandem. They vary in voice, tone and style. Yet both engage with the precariousness and effort that is at the foundation of being alive, and making meaning from our short time on the planet.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193628/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shady-cosgrove-153726">Shady Cosgrove</a>, Associate Professor, Creative Writing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-wollongong-711">University of Wollongong</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-are-only-passing-through-stories-about-memory-mortality-and-the-effort-of-being-alive-193628">original article</a>. Image: Getty

Retirement Life

Kiwi firefighters receive rare Aussie honour for heroic efforts

A New Zealand firefighter has been awarded one of Australia’s special service awards for his efforts in fighting bushfires during the summer of 2019 and 2020. Phil Muldoon, Lake Ōkāreka’s chief rural fire officer, was one of 53 firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal during a recent awards ceremony. Muldoon, who worked 16-hour days fighting fires, said the honour was very humbling. “It’s not what we do it for but it is nice to be recognised, especially from the Australian Government,” Muldoon told <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/australia-bush-fires-nz-firefighter-given-rare-and-special-honour/4K7KKB2WRVEHXJKJ7IC5WBFY4I/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. He was among a 208-strong contingent of New Zealanders sent to help their Aussie neighbours, including personnel from Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the Department of Conservation, forestry company partners, and the New Zealand Defence Force. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We were proud to see 27 Department of Conservation firefighters awarded the Australia National Emergency Medal last week for their efforts fighting the devastating Australian wildfires during the 2019/2020 black summer. 🎖️<a href="https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g">https://t.co/Wh7xVdZQ8g</a> <a href="https://t.co/vl8iEC9acs">pic.twitter.com/vl8iEC9acs</a> — Department of Conservation (@docgovtnz) <a href="https://twitter.com/docgovtnz/status/1591974150008377344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2022</a></blockquote> The majority of those who took part received the award during recent official ceremonies hosted in New Zealand by Australian High Commissioner HE Harinder Sidhu. Muldoon received his award along with 38 firefighters from FENZ, two members of the NZ Army, eight NZ Air Force members, two from the Department of Conservation, and three from forestry company partners. Having been a firefighter for 25 years, Muldoon said fighting the bushfires was his 16th deployment and that firefighters were chosen to deploy based on their skillset. “We went to help their firefighters in Australia who had a tough season. We’re fresh feet on the ground and give them a break,” Muldoon said, adding that the contingent brought New Zealand’s “can-do” attitude with them. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A great honour to present the Australian National Emergency Medal at Ohakea <a href="https://twitter.com/NZAirForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZAirForce</a> base, and to personally thank members of the <a href="https://twitter.com/NZDefenceForce?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NZDefenceForce</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/FireEmergencyNZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FireEmergencyNZ</a> for their service to Australia in support of the 2019-20 Australian Bushfires response. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NZAirForce?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NZAirForce</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Force4NZ?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Force4NZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/GtTUay8VY6">pic.twitter.com/GtTUay8VY6</a> — Harinder Sidhu (@AusHCNZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/AusHCNZ/status/1580682019985854464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2022</a></blockquote> Earlier this month, nine firefighters from Northland received the award, including wildfire specialist Rory Renwick. After spending 14 days fighting blazes in remote Australian bush, Renwick said the gratitude expressed through the medal was just “icing on the cake”. "People stopped you on the street to shake your hand and say thank you. It's humbling and pretty amazing," he told <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-firefighters-awarded-medal-for-efforts-during-australian-bushfires/FIMYEOSD5QQGEYTVSFHIRP34WI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>. Renwick explained that New Zealand crews were often working in remote areas and tackling large fires. "We were trying to put out the edge of the fire to stop it spreading," he said. "We did anything from patrolling edges [and] dealing with small hotspots to working with aircraft and heavy machinery to slow the fire down and stop it." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I was presented with a national emergency <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/medal?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#medal</a> Monday night for the 19/20 bushfires here in Australia. <a href="https://t.co/L8il9Eob7P">pic.twitter.com/L8il9Eob7P</a> — Craig Chiffers (@cchiffers) <a href="https://twitter.com/cchiffers/status/1569818214888263681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2022</a></blockquote> The award, which was approved by Queen Elizabeth II in 2011, is given to those who performed significant or sustained service during “nationally-significant emergencies”, according to the Governor-General’s <a href="https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awardsnational-emergency-medal/bushfires-2019-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. Muldoon, Renwick, and the many others recognised for their efforts during the bushfires will receive a medal with a clasp that reads, “BUSHFIRES 19-20”. Russell Wood, the national commander of FENZ, said the award had never been given to any member of the organisation before. “This is a rare and special honour that the Australian Government has extended to us,” he said. “The bushfires in Australia in 2019/20 were catastrophic and we were glad we could be there to help them. “I am immensely proud of our people, who responded to the call so selflessly and put their time and energy into fighting one of the biggest wildfire disasters of our time. “It was a dangerous environment for everyone to be in, and they showed true Kiwi spirit in their sustained efforts under challenging conditions. “As a nation, we are very proud of our fine firefighters.” Image: Fire and Emergency NZ (Facebook)

Domestic Travel

Fisherman declared a hero after Tanzanian crash efforts

After a plane crashed in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria on November 6, one fisherman who nearly lost his life trying to save the trapped pilots has spoken about his efforts. The passenger plane was carrying 43 people when the pilots attempted to land at Bukoba airport after encountering problems and enduring bad weather. Majaliwa Jackson, who was officially declared a hero and awarded 1 million Tanzanian shillings ($AU 665), told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63540823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> from hospital of the panic he felt when he saw the passenger plane approaching from the wrong direction before crashing into the lake. Mr Jackson told the outlet that he rushed to the scene with three other fishermen, helping to open the rear door by smashing it with a rowing oar and allowing passengers seated towards the back of the plane to be rescued. After moving to the front of the plane and diving into the water, Mr Jackson said he and one of the other pilots communicated by making signs through the cockpit window. "He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived, if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen,” he said. "They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down and smashing the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit.” But, when he dived back in and waved goodbye to the pilot after he was stopped from smashing the screen, the pilot then indicated he wanted to be rescued. Mr Jackson then attempted to pull the cockpit emergency door off by tying a rope from it to other boats, but he was knocked unconscious when the rope broke and struck him in the face. “The next thing I knew I was here at the hospital,” he said. In addition to his monetary reward, Mr Jackson was offered a job with the firefighting and rescue brigade, as well as training in rescue operations to sharpen his skills. The pilots were among 19 confirmed fatalities from the crash. Emergency crews used ropes to pull the plane, which had been completely submerged, closer to shore. Airline Precision Air previously said that 26 passengers had been rescued and taken to hospital, but has since said there were only 24 survivors. Kagera police commander William Mwampaghale said that the crash occurred at around 8.50am local time on Sunday. “When the aircraft was about 100m mid-air, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,” he said. Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said an extensive investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the crash, and that the government would cover the costs of funerals for the 19 victims. Image: Getty Images

International Travel

Shocking twist to 12-year-old’s heroic fundraising effort

A 12-year-old boy who raised over $400,000 (NZ 480,000) for those suffering in Ukraine has experienced a sudden shock - his social media accounts have been targeted by Russian hackers. Gabriel Clark’s story started when his dad, TV and film director Richard Clark, posted to Twitter asking his followers to follow his son’s woodworking account on Instagram. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Lovely twitter people - I don't know how many of you are also <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/instagram?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#instagram</a> users but I'm looking for a wee favour. I've a 12yr old who loves woodwork. He spends hours on his lathe making bowls and creating chopping boards which he's sells to save up for a mountain bike. 1/3 <a href="https://t.co/Ny60rFf1TE">pic.twitter.com/Ny60rFf1TE</a> — Richard R Clark 🇺🇦 (@rclarkie) <a href="https://twitter.com/rclarkie/status/1507415791116857349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2022</a></blockquote> By the following day, Gabriel’s followers grew from just six to over 33,000 and he had received a whopping 20,000 orders for the bowls and chopping boards he makes using his lathe. “It was a lot to take in for a wee lad of 12yrs (sic),” his dad wrote in a Twitter thread recounting the situation. After calculating that it would take him 32 years to fulfil every order, Gabriel decided to make just one bowl, called ‘Gabriel’s Bowl for Ukraine’. “We set up a Just Giving page 10 days ago for Save the Children’s Ukraine Appeal, with Gabriel setting a target of £5,000,” Richard explained. “The fundraiser would stay live until Easter when one donor would be chosen at random to win his bowl.” Within 24 hours, donations exceeded £50,000 and by April 21, nearly 14,000 people had given a total of £251,661, with an entrant named Renuka Chapman winning the special prize. But, Gabriel’s successes have been soured within just one week, with Mr Clark revealing that Russian hackers had taken down Gabriel’s Instagram account and they had lost all of his content. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Ok everyone. GABRIEL REALLY NEEDS YOUR HELP. Russian hackers have taken down his <a href="https://twitter.com/instagram?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@instagram</a> account clarkie_woodwood. All posts and everything gone. We desperately need Instagram to contact us. Please help & RT! <a href="https://t.co/pWubH87cKQ">pic.twitter.com/pWubH87cKQ</a> — Richard R Clark 🇺🇦 (@rclarkie) <a href="https://twitter.com/rclarkie/status/1519957679287975940?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2022</a></blockquote> Appealing for online help once again, even Ben Wallace, the UK’s Defence Secretary, called on the country’s National Cyber Security Centre to lend a hand. “@NCSC (The National Cyber Security Centre’s Twitter account) let’s see what we can do to help. What a thing to do to Gabriel!” Mr Wallace wrote. As of publication, Mr Clark confirmed that his son’s account was “half back at least”, describing it as “one less stressful day. Image: @rclarkie (Twitter)

Caring

How do conservation efforts stack up?

<div class="copy"> Conservation initiatives are cropping up all over the planet to address escalating environmental threats and crumbling biodiversity – but what makes them reach a scale that has tangible impacts? Helping them go viral is one answer found by an international study led by Imperial College London, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0384-1" target="_blank">published </a>in the journal Nature Sustainability. <h2>Conservation initiatives needed to head off extinction crisis</h2> The team saw that while an enormous amount of research on our “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/what-is-a-mass-extinction-and-are-we-in-one-now/" target="_blank">sixth extinction crisis</a>” has identified threats to biodiversity and the consequences thereof, relatively little research has evaluated the adoption of conservation efforts including policies, programs and projects. “Conservation initiatives like managing fishing resources and offsetting land for nature are critical for protecting biodiversity and the valuable ecosystems that help provide us with clean water and air,” says lead author Morena Mills. To evaluate their success, Mills and colleagues investigated 22 diverse schemes from around the world, ranging from locally managed marine areas and community resource management initiatives to government programs, NGOs and international World Heritage sites. The resulting database spanned terrestrial and marine ecosystems of flora and fauna managed by low- and high-income regions on local, national and international levels, from which the researchers modelled the factors that drove the spread of each initiative. <h3>What helps conservation initiatives gain traction?</h3> Of those tested, they found that 83% of successful schemes followed a ‘slow-fast-slow’ model – they were taken up slowly at first, then grew quickly as early adopters connect with other potential adopters. “We found that most of these initiatives spread like a disease, where they depend on a potential adopter catching the conservation ‘bug’ from an existing one,” explains Mills. The authors write that this insight is important because it suggests “a slow initial uptake rate is therefore not sufficient grounds for abandoning an initiative”. Once they reached a saturation point where all potential adopters had taken it up or refused it, the rate slowed down again. Successful schemes that followed this model include resource management systems within the local waters of communities across the Solomon Islands and Fiji. However, the time between initial and later adoption of protected areas from one country to the next in such scenarios was as long as 54 years, and there seemed to be “a trade-off between the speed of uptake and the final proportion of adopters”. The other effective models had a ‘fast-slow’ pattern, like one in Samoa where quicker adoption upfront was likely to have been made possible by the government, which supplied boats and aquaculture resources to help get communities on board. Others include international environmental treaties like natural World Heritage areas and the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/ecological-sciences/" target="_blank">Man and the Biosphere Reserves</a>, or wildlife management areas powered by NGOs and/or governments. These initiatives are more strongly driven and regulated and don’t rely on interactions among adopters to scale up. <h3>Making conservation initiatives of the future more effective</h3> Overall, however, more than half of the schemes were taken up by less than a third of potential adopters. Ideally, they would have both fast uptake and large-scale adoption, the authors write. “In our study we did not find any initiatives that were taken up relatively quickly and by a large proportion of the potential pool of adopters,” says Mills. “We are seeking to understand more about how local context facilitates or hinders spread, to help initiatives that benefit both nature and people reach scale.” They also found many initiatives that were never implemented effectively or were abandoned. “Given the long time scales required for ecological recovery,” they write, “it is important to consider the dynamics of ongoing action, as well as adoption.” “The persistence of biodiversity and ecosystem services depends on the adoption of effective conservation initiatives at a pace and scale that match or exceed environmental threats.” Although further research is needed, their findings could help inform these efforts. “We hope our insights into biodiversity conservation initiatives spread will allow practitioners to design them so that they reach scale,” Mills says, “which is critical for enabling them to make a tangible, lasting impact.”  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=26860&title=How+do+conservation+efforts+stack+up%3F" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/sustainability/does-conservation-work/">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/natalie-parletta">Natalie Parletta</a>. Natalie Parletta is a freelance science writer based in Adelaide and an adjunct senior research fellow with the University of South Australia. Image: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images </div>

Travel Tips

Wedding guests made to wash dishes in couple’s cost-saving efforts

A wedding guest has shared the story of the nightmare wedding she attended, including the moment she was asked to wash dishes at the bride and groom’s reception in the couple’s effort to cut costs. The American woman took to Reddit and said the bride - who she was related to - and groom had massively overspent on the wedding’s location and the bride’s dress and needed to make cutbacks on the rest of the wedding. “The bride, a relative of mine, and groom, have gone all out, renting a gorgeous and expensive venue for their wedding,” the guest wrote in the post. “Beautiful ceremony, lovely pictures, etc. The buffet line and tables have been set up on the screened porch of the building. “Food looks great, I serve up my plate and go sit down. My boyfriend at the time, now my husband, has gone to the restroom.” Since the venue only had a few restrooms for guests to use, the guest’s partner took a while to return and be able to serve himself a plate. “He then comes back with an empty plate. When I asked why, he says there’s no more food,” she explained. “I find the bride’s mum and whisper that she should probably ask the caterers to put out more food,” she continued. “She gets a peculiar expression on her face and says there is no more food. What was on the buffet line is all that they have. Period.” To save money on food, the couple decided to “self cater” the event, with a family friend who was a chef volunteering to make the food. Since the couple wanted the food to be opulent and include “good cuts of meat, artisan breads and cheeses”, they could only afford enough food for three quarters of their guests. But the wedding was to become even more bizarre after the meal. “Dinner is over, we are starting the reception thing, when the maid of honour starts coming around and asking some of us to come with her into the kitchen. We go,” the guest said. “There is no air conditioning so this kitchen is about a zillion degrees. She shows us stacks of plates and cups and then tells us we need to wash them. “Apparently part of self-catering is you rent the dishes and glassware, and if they aren’t returned clean at the end of the evening you lose your deposit.” Since part of their cost-saving measures included foregoing the hiring of staff to clean up, the guest and nine others spent most of the night “elbow deep in soap and water”. “We miss the first dance and the cutting of the cake, which turns out to be for the best because (wait for it) they hadn’t purchased enough cake for everyone either.” Other users shared their disbelief, commenting on the “outrageous” behaviour of the newlywed couple. “That is INSANE. Imagine inviting a bunch of folks then having the gall to tell them 1/4 of them will DELIBERATELY be left hungry. Including cake!” one said. Another wrote: “If anyone was to wash dishes, it should have been the bridal party, not the guests. Or the couple could have figured out how to hire someone, geez.”

Relationships

“Extremely heartless”: Daughter’s desperate effort to see dying dad

Anna Coffey, who hopes to see her father in palliative care in Victoria, is required to prove he is sick enough to allow her to be exempt to travel. After receiving a call last week saying her father had suffered a serious stroke, the fully-vaccinated Melbournian was on the first plane to Sydney that cost her upwards of $10,000. Now quarantining in a Sydney hotel during the state’s current lockdown, she must provide documents proving her father is “at end of life” to New South Wales Health in order to be allowed to see him. If she is granted an exemption, she has been told by Victorian and NSW Health authorities that she can only travel to Melbourne via a chartered flight which she says will cost her between $8000 and $10,000. “In the past week [my father’s] heart has stopped and they have no idea why, he’s had a stroke … he’s obviously high risk for another incident happening,” Ms Coffey told The Age. “Being in the palliative care unit, they don’t resuscitate or they don’t do anything. It could be in an hour, it could be tomorrow, it could be next week, I just can’t stay.” Ms Coffey fears her father’s condition could change at any moment. “He’s doing OK but it’s very much a day-by-day type situation,” she told Today. “I really just have to get there as fast as I possibly can. “There’s a lot to do, so many documents to collect, so much red tape, it’s a full-time job right now.” Ms Coffey says she wants authorities to allow her to drive to Melbourne, but they have ruled this out as the trip would take between nine and 10 hours. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is said to have written to Ms Coffey saying he is deeply sorry and that he hopes a solution can be found so she can see her father. But, Ms Coffey anticipates she may not get to Melbourne until the weekend, where she will then need to finish 14 days of quarantine and only see her father under supervision and while wearing personal protective equipment. “The fact that it’s taking days and days and days and there’s no end in sight is fairly shocking to me, especially when I feel like I’ve already provided enough information to be able to be transferred,” she said. Ms Coffey also said she wants authorities to review the process for overseas arrivals entering the country for compassionate reasons. “[I want] some sort of other alternative to forcing people to have to pay $8000 to $10,000 to be transferred, especially when they’re vaccinated. [It] just seems extremely heartless.” Image: Today

Caring

Businesses can refuse service to sick customers as containment efforts continue

People with flu-like symptoms can be turned away from any shop or workplace as part of measures to prevent a second wave of coronavirus. Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy said he would “protect” and “defend” the rights of business owners and employers to turn away customers and staff members who are unwell. “All of us over our lives have been on occasions wanting to soldier on with a cold and a flu, flu-like illness – we cannot do that anymore,” he told reporters on Sunday. “If one of your colleagues, or an employee, or a client turns up you have every right to say, ‘go away, I am not going to let you in, I am not going to treat you’ ... unless you’re a doctor, of course.” Professor Murphy also warned Australians against hanging out in shopping centres as states and territories begin easing their coronavirus restrictions. “We have also seen pictures of people crowded in shopping malls, in other circumstances where they have not been observing the social distancing norms that are part of our new way of behaving,” he said. “So if you’re going to a shopping centre to buy something, go and buy something but don’t hang around the shopping centre for half-an-hour mingling for no purpose – go home.” Professor Murphy said Australia could risk seeing another widespread community transmission, also known as “second wave” of coronavirus, if people fail to uphold social distancing norms and hand hygiene practices. “It is as much about the rules and regulations as it is about personal responsibility and I really want to emphasise that point,” he said. Preventing widespread community transmission is vital to protect the elderly and those with chronic conditions, he said. “People have said to me, why don’t you just protect really carefully all those with chronic conditions and the elderly; make sure they are well cocooned away from everyone else in society?” he said. “As we have seen already, that’s just not possible, if you’ve got widespread community transmission. This virus is incredibly infectious.”

Legal

Federer and Nadal step up with life-saving pandemic efforts

Roger Federer and his wife, Mirka are donating more than $1 million to Swiss families in need amid the coronavirus pandemic. The tennis champion took to Instagram to announce the generous gesture on Wednesday, revealing that the couple will donate 1 million Swiss Francs to help “the most vulnerable families in Switzerland.” “Our contribution is just a start,” wrote Federer. “We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy!” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-J7SYHlIjl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-J7SYHlIjl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind. Mirka and I have personally decided to donate one million Swiss Francs for the most vulnerable families in Switzerland. Our contribution is just a start. We hope that others might join in supporting more families in need. Together we can overcome this crisis! Stay healthy! Dies sind herausfordernde Zeiten für uns alle und niemand sollte zurückgelassen werden. Mirka und ich haben beschlossen, persönlich eine Million Schweizer Franken für die am stärksten gefährdeten Familien in der Schweiz zu spenden. Unser Beitrag ist nur ein Anfang. Wir hoffen, dass sich andere anschließen, um noch mehr bedürftige Familien zu unterstützen. Gemeinsam können wir diese Krise überwinden! Bleibt gesund! Nous vivons une période difficile pour nous tous et personne ne doit être laissé pour compte. Mirka et moi avons décidé de personnellement faire don d'un million de francs suisses aux familles les plus défavorisées en Suisse. Notre contribution n'est qu'un début. Nous espérons que d'autres se joindront à nous pour aider encore plus de familles dans le besoin. Ensemble, nous pouvons surmonter cette crise! Restez en bonne santé!</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/rogerfederer/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Roger Federer</a> (@rogerfederer) on Mar 25, 2020 at 4:33am PDT </div> </blockquote> As of Friday morning, Switzerland has 11,811 reported coronavirus cases and 191 deaths. And the 38-year-old isn’t the only athlete to lend a helping hand, as Spanish sports stars Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol have launched a fund raising drive in order to give back to their nation which has been badly affected by the pandemic. Together, they are aiming to raise 11 million euros ($20 million). “The Spanish people have never let us athletes down. We are what we are because of them,” said Nadal. “We cannot let them down now.” Nadal said he came up with the idea and called his fellow Spaniard and friend Gasol to help promote his drive. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-A3UVNoXcq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-A3UVNoXcq/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Mensaje a todos de ánimo y fuerza. #yomequedoencasa #iostoacasa #tuttoandràbene #jerestechezmoi #istayhome</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/rafaelnadal/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Rafa Nadal</a> (@rafaelnadal) on Mar 21, 2020 at 4:08pm PDT </div> </blockquote> “Spanish athletes have always tried to make our nation proud, today we want to go beyond that,” said double NBA champion Gasol. “We want to raise 11 million euros and help 1.34 million people, those hardest hit by coronavirus. “My contribution and Rafa’s too have already been made and I hope the whole of Spanish sport will rally behind us.” The pair have been praised for the enormous gesture, with World Cup winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas tweeting: “It’s the time for Spanish sport and it’s up to us to do our part. “I have already contributed." Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui, a former Spain manager, posted his support on Nadal’s Instagram account. “I hope all athletes will join this initiative and we can return, even if in a small amount, all that support that we have all enjoyed in our careers.”

Caring

New “umbrella” species would massively improve conservation efforts

According to new research done by the University of Queensland, the introduction of “umbrella” species would massively improve conservation efforts. Umbrella species are species which when preserved indirectly protect many other animals and plant species. UQ PhD candidate Michelle Ward said different choices in Australia could provide more assistance for threatened species. “The Australian Federal Government’s umbrella prioritisation list identifies 73 species as conservation priorities,” she said. “But this only ends up benefiting six per cent of all Australia’s threatened terrestrial species. “This figure could be increased to benefit nearly half of all threatened terrestrial species for the same budget. “One of the main reasons is that many umbrella species are chosen based on their public appeal, rather than their efficiency for protecting other species – we want to change that.” Researchers investigated what umbrella species could maximise the flora and fauna benefitting from management while considering costs, actions and threats. “The koala, red goshawk, matted flax-lily and purple clover are more efficient umbrella species, yet none of these appear on the existing federal government priority species list,” she explained. “Australia has committed to prevent further extinction of known threatened species and improve their conservation status by 2020. “Yet, with limited funding committed to conservation, we need better methods to efficiently prioritise investment of resources.” Professor Hugh Possingham said that in a time of crisis, smart decision making was vital. “Now is precisely the time where governments need to get their investment in nature to be as efficient as possible,” he said. “Nations around the world can significantly improve the selection of umbrella species for conservation action by taking advantage of our transparent, quantitative and objective prioritisation approach. “With a species extinction crisis, looming international deadlines and limited conservation funding globally, we need better methods to efficiently prioritise investment of resources in species recovery.” The study, published in Conservation Biology (<a href="https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/50178/3ct4h/2808599/Ds2b._AP0gyT630EB6_aQlNZXn05sHJG_MdYR0Ar.html">DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13430</a>), was conducted by UQ, <a href="https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/50178/3ct4h/2808600/Ds2b._AP0gyT630EB6_a6jGpUsKkQsMprfjcLi0h.html">The Nature Conservancy</a>, the <a href="https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/50178/3ct4h/2291364/Ds2b._AP0gyT630EB6_aeAh0IAz4MZ87vQ.Ij7du.html">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> and the <a href="https://www.vision6.com.au/ch/50178/3ct4h/2808601/Ds2b._AP0gyT630EB6_aXgEzA0c2ovhFWY3HjXCB.html">United Nations Development Program</a>.

Domestic Travel

Ellen DeGeneres announces her bushfire donation effort

Ellen DeGeneres has launched a GoFundMe page to help raise $5 million for the Australian bushfire crisis. The celebrity talk show host made the announcement on her show yesterday morning. “I love Australia,” she said. “I love Australia so much; I even married an Australian. “A few years ago, I got to see how incredible Australia is in person. We took our show there. “And I fell in love with the country and the people.” DeGeneres said right now, Australia needed help. “Wildfires have been burning for four months and with record-breaking heat, the winds are so strong, and it’s getting worse,” she said. “Thousands of people have been displaced. Homes have been burned. Lives have been lost. Nearly half a billion animals have been killed. It’s unbelievable. Nearly a third of their habitat has been destroyed. “Our goal is to raise $5 million.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Australia is in an emergency like nothing anyone on earth has seen before. Please help. Donate if you can. The loss of homes, and the lives of people and animals is catastrophic. <a href="https://t.co/vn6Qky3BbX">https://t.co/vn6Qky3BbX</a> <a href="https://t.co/MeOZJDIsRX">pic.twitter.com/MeOZJDIsRX</a> — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheEllenShow/status/1214662633720143872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 January 2020</a></blockquote> She then started off the campaign with a $100,000 donation from Shutterfly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show’s philanthropic partner. “It’s going to take years for Australia to rebuild and they need our help, so please donate,” she concluded. Her page joins dozens of fundraisers on GoFundMe that have raised millions of dollars already. OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw" target="_blank">Vinnie's website</a> to donate.

The $85 million plan to desalinate water for drought relief

The deal to crank up Adelaide’s desalination plant to make more water available to farmers in the drought-stricken Murray-Darling Basin makes no sense. It involves the federal government paying the South Australian government up to A$100 million to produce more water for Adelaide using the little-used desalination plant. The plant was commissioned in 2007 at the height of the millennium drought. It can produce up to 100 gigalitres of water a year – enough to fill 40,000 olympic sized swimming pools. But has been used sparingly, operating at its minimum mode of 8 gigalitres a year, because of the expense of turning seawater into freshwater.<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license"></a> Adelaide has continued to mostly draw water from local reservoirs and the River Murray, which on average has supplied about half the city’s water (sometimes much more). But with federal funding, the desal plant will be turned on full bore. This will free up 100 gigalitres of water from the Murray River allocated to Adelaide for use by farmers upstream in the Murray Darling’s southern basin. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301212/original/file-20191112-178525-auvb3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301212/original/file-20191112-178525-auvb3v.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> The southern Murray–Darling Basin. <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/water/aust-water-markets-reports/awmr-2015-16/southern-murray-darling-basin#region-overview" class="source">ABARES</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-NC</a> The federal government expects the water to be used to grow an extra <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-07/how-will-the-sa-desal-plant-revival-help-australian-farmers/11682044">120,000 tonnes of fodder</a> for livestock. The water will be sold to farmers at a discount rate of A$100 a megalitre. That’s 10 cents per 1,000 litres. By comparison, the residential price for that <a href="https://www.sawater.com.au/accounts-and-billing/current-water-and-sewerage-rates/residential-water-supply">water in Adelaide</a> would be A$2.39 to A$3.70 per 1,000 litres. The production cost of desalinated water is about <a href="https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/water/resources/desalination">95 cents per 1,000 litres</a> when there’s rainwater already stored, according to a cost-benefit study published by the SA Department of Environment and Water in 2016. That means the total cost for the 100 gigalitres will be about A$95 million. So the federal government is effectively paying A$95 million to sell water for A$10 million: a loss to taxpayers of A$85 million. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/301431/original/file-20191113-77363-3vm9vd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /> The Conversation, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-ND</a> What do we get for the money? The discounted water provided to individual farmers will be capped at <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-07/drought-stimulus-sa-desalination-plant-murray-river-water-farms/11679136">no more than 25 megalitres</a>. The farmers must agree to not sell the water to others and to use it to grow fodder for livestock. There are many different forms of fodder but livestock producers most favour lucerne hay because it is highly nutritious. But it is also more expensive than cereal, pasture or straw hay. The amount of hay that can be grown with a megalitre of irrigation water depends on many things, but 120,000 tonnes with 100 gigalitres is possible in the right conditions. In the Murray-Darling southern basin lucerne hay currently sells for <a href="https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/industry/farm-inputs-and-costs/hay-report">A$450 to A$600 a tonne</a>. That would make the market value of 120,000 tonnes of lucerne A$54 million to A$72 million. It means, on a best-case scenario, the federal government will be spending A$85 million to subsidise the production of hay worth A$72 million to its producers. The reality of farming In practice farms and farmers are incredible diverse, so not all irrigators will necessarily grow lucerne. Alternative fodders such as pasture or cereal hay generally have much lower market values. Which meaning the value of the fodder produced may be much less than the best-case scenario. It’s worrying that this policy shows such little regard for farming realities. It appears to have been crafted on the premise that every farmer has the same land, the same equipment and the same needs. Dictating the water must be used for a single purpose runs counter to the needs of the agriculture sector. If farmers could put it to a more effective use, why not allow it? In addition, it’s not clear how all the monitoring will be done to maintain compliance over such a restrictive regime. What measures will prevent farmers buying the discounted water and then simply selling an equivalent amount of any carry-over allocation at the going rate of up to <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/water/dashboards/#/water-markets/national/state/at">$1,000 a megalitre</a>? How will the government distinguish between the fodder grown with the 25 megalitres provided at low cost and any other fodder harvested on the same farm? How much will it cost to monitor and enforce such arrangements? The difficulty of answering these types of questions is precisely the reason why countries in the former eastern bloc failed to adequately provide for their populations. Telling people what crop to grow, when to grow, how to water the crop and how it should be consumed has not worked in the past. Farm businesses that respond to prices and use inputs, including water, in a way that suits their long- term commercial needs are generally better off. It seems a long way from the type of national drought policy Australia needs. It’s hard to see how a policy of this kind does anything other than waste a large amount of public money and disrupt important market mechanisms in agriculture in the process.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/126681/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lin-crase-9904">Lin Crase</a>, Professor of Economics and Head of School, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/up-the-creek-the-85-million-plan-to-desalinate-water-for-drought-relief-126681">original article</a>.

Technology

Big W’s last-ditch effort for survival

In a market dominated by Kmart and Target, discount department store Big W has struggled to stay competitive. However, a leaked memo from the chain’s CEO Brad Banducci reveals a new, last-ditch effort for survival. Obtained by retail industry news site, <a href="http://www.channelnews.com.au/exclusive-major-management-makeover-at-woolworths-owned-big-w/" target="_blank">ChannelNews</a>, the memo details a plan to divide its departments into “universes” called “About Kids”, “About Leisure”, “About Homewares” and “About Everyday and Seasonal”. To manage each “universe”, general manager Teresa Rendo announced new head of commercial roles would be created to focus on each category and drive sales. And if retail experts are to be believed, this could be the struggling chain’s last chance for reinvention. “The market is a bit sick of hearing about their turnaround,” Pippa Kulmar from Retail Oasis told <a href="http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/retail-experts-say-big-ws-new-plan-will-be-its-last-chance-for-survival/news-story/12f47738c061ff44d81c6a54f00a0f57" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “They’ve been through so many CEOs and they have to do something demonstratively different. The idea of universes is interesting and customer centric, but there needs to be something fundamentally different. As a shopper it’s not a big enough change.” Unfortunately, with the looming introduction of retail giant Amazon to Australia, many believe it’s simply too little too late for Big W. “They need to show the public they’re changing,” Kulmar said. “The public is waiting for them to change. They’d have to work out a game plan. Maybe that means selling up or becoming a smaller player.” Do you shop at Big W? Would you be sad to see it go? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Money & Banking

Boy tragically dies despite best efforts of Prince William and his team

A 17-year-old boy, Robbie Lea, has tragically drowned in a lake despite the best efforts by Prince William and his air ambulance emergency team to save him. The Duke of Cambridge, who flies helicopters for East Anglian Air Ambulance, was part of the crew who tried to rescue the young man, who struggled in the water at Lee Valley Park in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Videos from the rescue operation show Prince William landing the helicopter. An eyewitness said: "We could see it was landing so ran over to see what was going on. Little did we expect to see Prince William himself flying the helicopter. "It was a very surreal moment when he left the helicopter to help with the search and rescue, he had no visible guards or protection. "He arrived in an East Anglia Air Ambulance with one other co-pilot." Police pronounced Robbie’s body dead at the scene. Our thoughts are with his family.

News

Why we shouldn’t praise clever kids and start celebrating effort

There are plenty of words that we’ve discovered aren’t especially great to use when addressing a child. Naughty, bad and even pretty are all on the no-go list. Now, it looks as if “clever” might be joining them. Clever? You may think. But surely that’s a positive choice? And you’d be right, clever itself isn’t a “bad” word to use but what it implies can be counter-productive. According to Dr. Sam Wass, a developmental psychologist in the UK, we should be praising children for trying hard rather than for being clever. He has found that continuously praising a child for being clever can mean they start shying away from challenges that may end up “showing them up” so to speak. The difference between praising effort and praising cleverness comes down to mindset, specifically what is referred to as a “growth mindset” and a “fixed mindset”. Praising a child for finishing a book and calling them clever is an example of a fixed mindset. Praising a child for working hard and learning how to finish the book is considered a growth mindset. This second type of praise emphasises the importance of the process; learning and trying hard as opposed to the end result. To encourage a growth mindset, embrace learning as a continuous process that can involve hard work and may at times seem difficult. Demonstrate the fact that just because something is difficult, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t worthwhile learning or that you aren’t intelligent. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/04/how-to-discipline-kids-without-yelling/">Why you shouldn’t yell at kids</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/things-not-to-say-when-disciplining-kids/">5 things you should not say when disciplining kids</a> <a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/03/kids-getting-meaner/">Are our kids getting meaner?</a>

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