A thought about the forests.
Jun. 29th, 2011 09:54 pmThe other night I posted a link to a YouTube video of Let the Franklin Flow by Shane Howard/Goanna. The video has views of the wild river interspersed with footage of the protest. It's worth watching just for that. I don't really want to talk about that campaign now, but along with a news story that night, it made me realise something. So a bit of background for those who don't know the story.
In the late 1970s, the Hydro as they were then, wanted to dam the Gordon River to increase their power generating capacity. This would have flooded part of the Gordon River and the lower reaches of the Franklin River, and destroyed a significant part of the southwest wilderness.
A few people objected. OK it's often referred to as the biggest/more important environmental campaign in Australian history. By 1982/1983 got a bit heated things were rather heated. But I won't go into details about the 1981 state referendum to determine the referred dam location (with its 44% informal vote), the nomination of the region as part of a World Heritage listing, the state government's belief that this wasn't an obstacle to sending in bulldozers to start construction works, the ongoing political ramifications and everything else. If you're interested, head over to the Parks and Wildlife page or the Wilderness Society page. The latter has the better images.
This is the background I grew up against.
Before that, the drowning of Lake Pedder, which I was too young to aware of at the time, but it's always there in the background. And afterwards, the Wesley Vale pulp mill campaign of the late 1980s, which saw five Green Independents elected to state parliament, the most ever. The Styx Valley (also called the Valley of the Giants because "it's more evocative"), the Tarkine, the Tamar Valley pulp mill, the Blue Tier and so on.
You get the idea.
The battle for the forest has always been there, before I even remember. It's not all the trees, there are other issues there: air quality, quolls, tourism, fishing, economy, but that's the overarching theme. The default issue at every state election I've voted in. The big divide in the state. Forestry & old growth forests.
Yet, with the forestry peace talks, there is a chance--despite all the stops and starts and discouraging news stories--there is a chance that it might end. One day. Maybe. If all the players cooperate, and the various governments support it and hand over money and... and...
It's difficult to comprehend a world without battles over our forests, but apparently it hasn't always been like this.
(My photo is the lower reaches of the Gordon River, on an overcast, windy February day. It's one of places that everyone should possible, if at all possible.)
*Obscure joke, sorry.
In the late 1970s, the Hydro as they were then, wanted to dam the Gordon River to increase their power generating capacity. This would have flooded part of the Gordon River and the lower reaches of the Franklin River, and destroyed a significant part of the southwest wilderness.
A few people objected. OK it's often referred to as the biggest/more important environmental campaign in Australian history. By 1982/1983 got a bit heated things were rather heated. But I won't go into details about the 1981 state referendum to determine the referred dam location (with its 44% informal vote), the nomination of the region as part of a World Heritage listing, the state government's belief that this wasn't an obstacle to sending in bulldozers to start construction works, the ongoing political ramifications and everything else. If you're interested, head over to the Parks and Wildlife page or the Wilderness Society page. The latter has the better images.
This is the background I grew up against.
Before that, the drowning of Lake Pedder, which I was too young to aware of at the time, but it's always there in the background. And afterwards, the Wesley Vale pulp mill campaign of the late 1980s, which saw five Green Independents elected to state parliament, the most ever. The Styx Valley (also called the Valley of the Giants because "it's more evocative"), the Tarkine, the Tamar Valley pulp mill, the Blue Tier and so on.
You get the idea.
The battle for the forest has always been there, before I even remember. It's not all the trees, there are other issues there: air quality, quolls, tourism, fishing, economy, but that's the overarching theme. The default issue at every state election I've voted in. The big divide in the state. Forestry & old growth forests.
Yet, with the forestry peace talks, there is a chance--despite all the stops and starts and discouraging news stories--there is a chance that it might end. One day. Maybe. If all the players cooperate, and the various governments support it and hand over money and... and...
It's difficult to comprehend a world without battles over our forests, but apparently it hasn't always been like this.
(My photo is the lower reaches of the Gordon River, on an overcast, windy February day. It's one of places that everyone should possible, if at all possible.)
*Obscure joke, sorry.
