A few months ago I wrote about the devastating impact the palm oil industry has on biodiversity in pristine equatorial rainforests, and it disproportionate contribution to climate change. I was inspired by Zoos Victoria’s “Don’t Palm Us Off” campaign to persuade producers of goods containing palm oil to switch to Certified Sustainable Palm Oil, and started to… Continue reading Kosher Palm Oil follow-up
“May you bee inscribed and sealed in the book of life for a good and sweet new year. May all your offspring survive to see adulthood and may you successfully pollinate our crops so that we will have sufficient to eat.” It’s not that I’m actually suggesting this prayer is added to our Rosh HaShanah prayer books – heaven… Continue reading May it bee a sweet new year
There are times when I feel myself teetering on the border of sanity. Fortunately I usually pull myself back before doing anything seriously regrettable. And just now I had one of those experiences. Today is yellow bin day, which, if you live in the City of Glen Eira, you would know means you have to… Continue reading Bagged
I have recently rediscovered the joy of shopping for clothes. In an effort to live a more sustainable lifestyle, I had come to limit my clothes shopping to essentials, well aware of the strain that the fast fashion industry puts on the environment. I had restricted my shopping to ‘essentials[1]’, repeatedly asking myself whether I… Continue reading Can we still love the pre-loved?
There are times when I am very glad not to be an Australian citizen, and right now is one of these times. The more I learn about the candidates for the July 2nd Federal Election, the more relieved I am that I’m not forced to choose between them. It is a constant source of despair for me… Continue reading Are the COALition fossil fools?
Until recently I thought I understood the problem with palm oil. I thought palm oil meant unethical agricultural practices causing the destruction of equatorial rainforests, driving Orangutans to extinction and contributing significantly to climate change. I believed that products where palm oil was listed as an ingredient are worse than those where palm oil is… Continue reading Kosher Palm Oil
At this time of year Rabbis and ordinary folk try to refresh our understanding of Pesach by finding new angles from which to discuss the story. They use contemporary themes to make it relevant for today, for example by comparing modern slavery to the slavery of old. And indeed there is real value in doing so, as people pay… Continue reading Climate Chains
Australia’s humanitarian gesture to Fiji following the unprecedented Cyclone Winston may appear generous, but if the government was really serious about assisting Pacific Islands they would tackle climate change and stop expanding the fossil fuel industry. I wrote this poem nearly a year ago, before I started my blog. Read Fiji instead of Vanuatu, and Winston instead of Pam. The story… Continue reading Fiji needs genuine assistance, now.
People love discussing the weather. It’s the topic we reach for when there is an awkward gap in the conversation or when we are making smalltalk with someone we hardly know. The recent abundance of big weather stories in all parts of the world, from floods in Yorkshire and NSW to blizzards in New York, has kept weather reporters, newsreaders and small-talkers busy this summer.… Continue reading The Innocent Bystander
It is an unfortunate human tendency to recognize what is good only once it is lost. Good health is often taken for granted until it is replaced by bad health, and it is common to hear those in mourning wishing they had spent more time with their departed relative whilst they still had the opportunity. Fortunately,… Continue reading Happy birthday, dear trees
The CommonTree 