Adventure Ausrama Blog

The Australian government is interfering in the democratic process of California. Currently, the state has laws that allow the import and sale of kangaroo products. Conservation lobbyists say international law protects all endangered species. There is one major problem with this stance : kangaroos are not endangered. Indeed, they are pests like rabbits and camels. The law in California expires in January. Assemblyman Mike Gipson intends to extend it and add a clause allowing the sale of parts for shoes and soccer balls. Funds nave been allocated by the Australian government to the Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia which pays for a California lobbyists company to keep trade open. Ethically, being a private body, the Industries Association of Australia should not accept government funding while lobbying to gain economic benefit. However, their claim that a cull is needed on Kangaroos is correct. If you want to know the real situation about kangaroos ask an Aus...

Raising the ire of scientists, mysteries continue to happen. A year ago people in Arkansas experienced an omen for the new year. Thousands of redwing blackbirds fell from the sky, dead. Investigators came to the odd conclusion that fireworks scared them to death. Apparently they flew around blindly in the night, crashing into the walls of buildings. In Altona, Germany, a large number of toads were found dead in a strange way. They had holes in their backs and their livers had been removed. It was concluded that crows had developed a way of getting at the nutritious livers without consuming poison from the toads. Taking the "myth" a little further "experts" said with livers removed the toads' lungs had inflated causing them to explode. Darn clever these scientists. They always have an answer. They do seem to get some things right, however. In Alaska 55 musk oxen were frozen to death despite having two layers of fur. A tidal surge followed a storm a...

California may be a great place to live with its good weather, but it is the source of a dangerous tree-killing fungus. Seiridium cardinal e actually began its spread across the world from the San Joaquin Valley. Cypress trees are dying by the thousands from cypress canker disease. Ninety five per cent of pine plantations primarily of cedars and junipers are affected. The fungus jumped the Atlantic to France about 80 years ago when seedlings were imported from California. Italian cypress planted there were devastated. This pretty tree occurs all over southern Europe. Landscapes have been changed irreversibly. Cracks in the bark are entry points for the disease that produces toxins obstructing the flow of sap, water and nutrients. The fungus clones itself asexually as well as reproducing sexually. There are two variants of the fungus. Only one of these variants is found in Europe. The second variant has found its way to the southern hemisphere. Work to develop resistan...