Straya!

[Scot Dutchy]

A 17th century map of this country as an example of how much land has been added not destroyed.

[NineBerry]

From a non-human perspective, ocean floor is just as valuable as if not even more valuable then human settlements

[Brian Peacock]

Cats will be cats. And as my old grandma used to say, "You can't skin a dead cat twice."

[JimC]

I see the impact of humans (mainly European immigrants in the case of Oz) as a whole, Hermit. The introduction of feral animals and exotic weedy plants and land clearance go hand in hand. It would be hard to parcel up the effect on biodiversity, particularly on endangered species, between the various elements of our destructive interference with the natural ecosystem.

[Hermit]

I see the impact of humans (mainly European immigrants in the case of Oz) as a whole, Hermit. The introduction of feral animals and exotic weedy plants and land clearance go hand in hand. It would be hard to parcel up the effect on biodiversity, particularly on endangered species, between the various elements of our destructive interference with the natural ecosystem.

Yes of course. Cats are among various species we humans have introduced to Australia. In that respect one can reasonably say that the damage to biodiversity inflicted by cats is ultimately a subset of the damage to biodiversity inflicted by humans.

That said, we can still validly discuss the damage done by cats and other introduced species in isolation to human activities. We do that with a lot in relation to rabbits, cane toads camels, pigs, brumbies et cetera. And then we can validly attempt to gauge the damage each of those species cause with ours. Also, keep in mind that my initial comment was not specifically related to Australia. It was a response to a complaint by someone living in Netherland that "they disseminate the song bird population".

As for ferals in Australia, I am in favour of their extermination. That includes cats. There are somewhere between 2.1 and 6.3 million of them in Australia. TNR (trap neuter return) programs are not going to work. I'd have no more problem drawing a bead on any of them with a .22 rifle than I had killing dozens of rabbits in the Snowies.

[Scot Dutchy]

You know what your problem in Ozland? Too much space. Kill one area just move on. Find coal dig it up and move on. Sorry. We dont have an opencast mine visible from space. Exploitation of space is a Ozzy skill. We have no space so drop the big brush.

[JimC]

I think I'm detecting a case of little country syndrome...

[pErvinalia]

Someone has to supply the world (and that includes the Netherlands) with minerals and energy. And again, how's the Netherlands environment? You have no environment left as it's all been replaced with high density human habitation. Australia has more remaining forest cover than the Netherlands, so drop the big brush.

[pErvinalia]

I think I'm detecting a case of little country syndrome...

[Scot Dutchy]

I think I'm detecting a case of little country syndrome...

Well we do look after it a bit better. I suppose after the floods any prevention is not up for discussion.

[pErvinalia]

I think I'm detecting a case of little country syndrome...

Well we do look after it a bit better.

Bullshit. You've got no environment left.

[Hermit]

You know what your problem in Ozland? Too much space. Kill one area just move on. Find coal dig it up and move on. Sorry. We dont have an opencast mine visible from space. Exploitation of space is a Ozzy skill. We have no space so drop the big brush.

Historically, Australia has never been much more than a source of raw materials. It began with wool. We shear sheep and export the proceeds to countries in all corners of the world. Some of it comes back in the shape of socks, pullovers, suits and such. Same with timber. We clearfell entire forests, turn the lumber into little chips and send them off by the shipload. Some of that lot comes back as photocopy paper. (Most of the timber we use in the construction of houses is imported too.) And yes, we extract ores and coal, both of which we have in abundance, and some of that comes back in the shape of cars, whitegoods and many other consumer items.

For about three decades after WWII we had some sort of manufacturing industry, but that was mainly due to monstrously huge tariff protection walls. That time has become known as the Menzies period. When the tariff wall were dismantled, manufacturing atrophied steadily and inexorably. Our sorry state becomes more obvious in comparison with Japan, which has become a powerhouse of manufacturing at the same time even though it has no raw materials to speak of and its markets are also considerable distances from its factories. Initially Japan's manufacturing growth was helped by considerably lower wage levels and a considerably larger home market, but these differences ceased to be factors before too long. We lack ambition and initiative. We are lazy.

(Due to the brevity of this post some hyperbole is inevitable. If anyone has objections to them, write them down and send them to the WPB. )

Well, that is one aspect of Australia, but there are others, on the grounds of which I prefer living here rather than anywhere else. Perhaps I'll post about them later.

[pErvinalia]

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[Scot Dutchy]

We are lazy.

That sums up your biggest problem. Also having too much space.

We also dont have any natural resources but we are a top manufacturing country. We just extremely efficient which you are not. We are the worlds second producer of fruit and veg. Why has horticulture failed in Ozland? With all that space?

[pErvinalia]

Most of our soil is old, weathered, thin and nutrient deficient. There's really only a small fraction of primary farmland.