Australian Government, Education, Funding, Schools, Students, Teachers 6 comments

OUR STUDENTS FALL BEHIND IN WORLD RANKINGS

By on December 4th, 2019

CHINESE COUNTERPARTS THREE YEARS AHEAD IN MATHEMATICS

The 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, published on Tuesday 26/11/19, has found Australian students sit just slightly above the OECD average in maths literacy — its lowest level since the survey began. The study of more than half a million fifteen year old students has found that Australian students are more than three years behind their Chinese counterparts in mathematics and their performance in all three of the major subjects are in long-term decline.

The PISA survey of Australian student education standards indicate they were higher in 2012. With the PISA release of 2018 results out, the media is once again bemoaning the falling of our students in the following tables Continue reading OUR STUDENTS FALL BEHIND IN WORLD RANKINGS →

Arson, Australian Government, Bush Fires, Fire Safety Compliance, Weather 18 comments

CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT THE CAUSE OF BUSHFIRES

By on November 12th, 2019

“FIRES WERE LIT BY THE HAND OF MAN”. ..BLACK FRIDAY INQUIRY JUDGE  STRETTON

There is no evidence to suggest a correlation between the incidence or the ferocity of bush fires and climate change. Bush fires are no more prevalent today than what they were in the early 1900’s. While Australia is particularly fire-prone, natural fires account for only six percent of known causes of vegetation fires attended by fire services. At least 90 percent are the result of people’s actions.

Fire Beyond Our Door    Click to enlarge

More often than not the result of deliberate ignitions; incendiary (maliciously lit) and suspicious fires account for one-half of known fire causes in Australia, and are the largest single cause of vegetation fires. However, if we consider in this analysis that accidental fires, which account for 35 percent of all known vegetation fire causes, include those accidentally lit by children and smoking-related fires, the proportion of preventable vegetation fires is much higher. Forty percent of all fires attended across Australia do not have a cause assigned by the responding fire agency. Bush fire arson is an important issue in Australia, but studies analysing its prevalence and distribution are sparse and have focused on isolated areas or specific data collections. This paper summarises key findings of the Australian Institute of Criminology’s extensive analysis of vegetation fires attended by Australian fire agencies, and represents the first attempt to quantify the extent of deliberately lit fires in Australia, focusing Continue reading CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT THE CAUSE OF BUSHFIRES →

Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Coal Power, Economy, Energy, Exports, Greenhouse Gases 6 comments

MORE COAL & LITHIUM MINING FOR ELECTRIC CARS

By on November 8th, 2019

COAL POWERED ELECTRICITY NEEDED TO MANUFACTURE AND CHARGE THEIR BATTERIES

Greenbushes Open Cut Lithium Mine in WA                    Click to Enlarge

The International Mining and Resources Conference in Melbourne resulted in mining executives being harassed, spat on and dragged to the ground by misguided protesters. Yet, as the title would suggest, the conference was Continue reading MORE COAL & LITHIUM MINING FOR ELECTRIC CARS →

Car Ownership, Economy, Employment, Jobs, State Planning, Traffic Gridlock, Transport 4 comments

MELBOURNE GROWTH IN FORCED CAR OWNERSHIP

By on October 20th, 2019

TRANSPORT POVERTY OCCURS WHEN TRAVEL COSTS EXCEED HOUSEHOLD AFFORDABILITY

Forced Car Ownership’ (FCO) describes low income households with high car ownership, resulting in a high proportion of their income going to their cars. The cost of running multiple cars, combined with housing costs, puts considerable stress on low income households. Monash Institute Research has identified that FCO is one of the most prevalent social and the economic problems in Australian cities. 

Click On Above Graph. The aim of this study was to explore whether trends in FCO have continued or even accelerated over time. The 2016 census provided an opportunity to explore whether this concerning trend is continuing. The above graph shows that the increase in FCO households is occurring in all regions of the city but it is most notable in the middle and outer areas of Melbourne’s suburbs. In contrast, no-car households are decreasing in these areas and increasing in inner areas.

The table left shows the number of low income households without cars versus with 2+ cars (FCO) over time. In the 2011 census, the number of no-car and FCO households was almost even. By 2016, the number of FCO households far outnumbered no-car households. The results of this paper suggest a growing problem is getting much worse. Continue reading MELBOURNE GROWTH IN FORCED CAR OWNERSHIP →

Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Climate Change, Global Cooling, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, IPCC 10 comments

WEATHER STATIONS SHOW WORLD NOT WARMING

By on September 26th, 2019

MAJORITY OF US STATES RECORDED HIGHEST TEMPERATURES IN THIRTIES OR EARLIER

The US average hottest daily temperatures (AHDT) graph (right) shows 1905 as similar to the reading of 2015. The NOAA temperature graph shows a similar upward warming trend from 1910 to the late 1930’s but from then on a substantial warming trend in contrast to the AHDT chart showing a sharp decline.

NOAA 1880-2018 Annual Temperatures
Click to enlarge

Average Hottest Daily Temperatures
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US Daily Temperatures               Source Tony Heller        realclimatescience.com

Decline In Intensity And Frequency Of Hot Weather In The US

Click to enlarge

August Max Temps  Click to enlarge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the 1930s, Continue reading WEATHER STATIONS SHOW WORLD NOT WARMING →

Cycling, High Density developments, Manningham Council, Pedestrians, Traffic & Parking 6 comments

COUNCILLOR DIVISION NOT RECORDED IN MINUTES

By on September 13th, 2019

 COUNCILLORS WHO REFUSED TO SUPPORT TRAFFIC STUDY SOUTH OF DONCASTER RD

Councillor Gough, despite the childish interruptions from one particular Councillor, a cheer leader for the administration, and challenges to its relevance while speaking to his motion, was still able to obtain a majority vote determining that the Manningham Infrastructure Services Unit immediately undertake:

1. A new vehicle movement and parking study; and 2. An open space and community amenity study in the area of Doncaster Hill south of Doncaster Road and east of Tram Road. (Precinct 2.)

A division was called by Councillor Gough (pictured left) in relation to the supplementary motion, those Councillors voting for the motion being Councillors Chen, Zafiropoulos, Haynes, Gough and Conlon and those voting against the motion being Councillors  McLeish, Kleinert, Galbally and Piccinini.

The division was Continue reading COUNCILLOR DIVISION NOT RECORDED IN MINUTES →

Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Fossil Fuels, Global Warming, Greenhouse Gases, IPCC, Maurice Strong 12 comments

MAURICE STRONG INVENTOR OF GLOBAL WARMING

By on August 21st, 2019

“A SOCIALIST IN IDEOLOGY A CAPITALIST IN METHODOLOGY”

Five years ago, Quadrant Online published this profile of Maurice Strong, the man who, more than any other, redefined a trace gas as the meal ticket for tens of thousands of climate functionaries — the same people whose light-fingered heirs are today gathered in Paris. To mark his passing, we once again present John Izzard’s profile of the man who did very nicely by costing everyone else dearly.

Maurice Strong UN

January had certainly been a defining month in the quest for truth about climate change, and the custodians of that “truth” weren’t looking that flash at the then. Indeed in the month of January some of the major doomsday prophecies unravelled and the prophets themselves seemed to undergo vows of silence. Kevin Rudd, Penny Wong, Tim Flannery — who are never lost for words — seemed, well… totally lost for words!

THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Like Dorothy, Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, we’ve all been dancing down the Yellow Brick Road of “settled science” in search of answers from the Emerald City, only to find that what we suspected all along — the Wizard has been telling us fibs. But who exactly is the Wizard? And where did this seeming-madness all begin?

Continue reading MAURICE STRONG INVENTOR OF GLOBAL WARMING →

Australian Government, Economy, Employment, GDP, Immigration, Overpopulation 8 comments

AUSSIES WANT INFRASTRUCTURE NOT IMMIGRANTS

By on July 31st, 2019

POPULATION GROWTH IS NOT AN ECONOMIC PLAN

GDP Growth Annually  Click to enlarge

It will not improve the living standards of you or I; nor will it reduce poverty and inequality or foster innovation and creativity. The only beneficiaries of high immigration are the immigrants themselves and while that is great, we can safely say that the government is not pursuing immigration for humanitarian reasons. Instead it is creating an illusion of growth while hoping you don’t realise the reality”.Australia has the highest population growth in the developed world. But what are our immigration policies trying to achieve?  Excerpt from The Big Australian Illusion by Callum Pickering for The Business Spectator.

Without reforming infrastructure investment, our failures of the past will become our failures of the future.  The only way Continue reading AUSSIES WANT INFRASTRUCTURE NOT IMMIGRANTS →

Climate Change, Global Cooling, Global Warming, Goupthink, IPCC 28 comments

NOAA KEEPS INCREASING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES

By on July 17th, 2019

“NOAA have increased global temperatures in every year from 2001 to 2017 by an average 0.06 C. Even the latest temperature anomaly for 2017 was raised from 0.84 C to 0.90 C. Your article on March 11th did not include the amended anomalies in the link below published in June this year”..June Hover. 

NOAA Raised Anomalies
Click to Enlarge

NOAA National Centers for Environmental information, Climate at a Glance: Global Time Series, published June 2019. 1880-2017

In each of NOAA’s Annual Climate Reports, the degree of warming above the long term average of 13.9o C, is listed. From 2007, NOAA Temperature Anomalies 2007, the ten warmest years are shown in order in all of the reports but are increased multiple times in subsequent issues finally arriving at the same temperature anomaly shown in the above Global Time Series. 1880-2017

Take for example the NOAA Climate Report for 2010 NOAA Temperature Anomalies 2010 showing it at the top of the ten warmest years table with an anomaly of 0.62 C.  In the 2011 report it was increased to 0.64 C. By 2012 it was increased to 0.66 C and by 2015 it was listed at 0.70 C, NOAA Temperature Anomalies 2015  finally in the Global Time Series it was again raised to 0.72 C,  equal to a global temperature of 14.62 C when added to the 13.90 C average Global temperature. Without the increased temperatures, excluding the El Nino effect of 2015/16, Continue reading NOAA KEEPS INCREASING GLOBAL TEMPERATURES →

20/30 Authority, Apartments, Manningham Council, Traffic Congestion, Traffic Gridlock, Transport 12 comments

CRUNCH TIME FOR COUNCIL TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT

By on June 2nd, 2019

HIGH RISE  TRAFFIC BEING DIRECTED THROUGH RESIDENTIAL STREETS

Councillors have resolved that the Manningham Infrastructure Services Unit immediately undertake: 1. A new vehicle movement and parking study; and 2. An open space and community amenity study in the area of Doncaster Hill south of Doncaster Road and east of Tram Road. This was after the unit had concluded that the street network would not create any adverse traffic, safety or capacity problems.

Street network precinct 2  Click to enlarge

Distance and direction websites are now recommending Elgar Road via sides streets such as Frank, Hanke, Boyd and  Eildon Streets for city outward bound vehicles accessing Doncaster Hill instead of via the more direct route on Doncaster Road because many of  the high rise apartment buildings have no access/exit facility from Doncaster Road, an arterial road without service lanes. Several independent parking and traffic studies on Doncaster Hill had indicated that with the number high rise developments being completed there would be corresponding capacity constraints in the road network with limited opportunities available to accommodate the projected growth in traffic volumes. Congested traffic conditions similar to inner Melbourne were  expected.

Increased traffic was expected to increase travel times at slower vehicle speeds in and around Doncaster Hill. There will Continue reading CRUNCH TIME FOR COUNCIL TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT →