Be curious; see how I link Paul Keating, Roger Scruton, Rob Stokes MP and Gary Sturgess

In my Bathurst Burr column today I discuss curiousity and how it affects our culture and lives . . . and the lives of some folks we may know . . . former PM Paul Keating, Roger Scruton the UK philosopher, NSW MP Rob STokes and former Greiner Government brains trust Gary Sturgess . . . enjoy it here.     M  Read More

Join food conversation with Costa and I, 26 March

Costa and I would love to talk food with you when we have an open conversation at Berkelouw Books, Paddington, Sydney, Tuesday 26 March. We’ll be discussing my new book, Sustainable Food, and ours and your gardening experiences. What can we do to sustain ourselves with local food, local connections, local farmers, our soils, our water and air . . . . let’s talk, and do! Bookings essential at Berkelouw. See you there, Michael  Read More

What to do when your native stingless bees swarm

  Native stingless bees swarming in Enmore, Sydney, 3 March, 2013 On 3 March I got a call from Greg, a friend who said, “We have a situation . . . “.  He described a big cloud – more than a metre in diameter – of bees from the hive in the garden, and he sent me some photos one of which is here. It shows bees all over the hive and, if you look closely, they fill the air around it. I emailed Tim Heard in Brisbane, from... Read More

Coal a dying business say Deutsche Bank and Standard & Poor’s

Two recent reports say coal, and the mining infrastructure for it, have only a few years to go before world-wide investment in them will not be available. Referring to the reports today the online magazine, Reneweconomy, reports that: “CLP Holdings, the Hong Kong based company that is one of the largest power companies in Asia, said it wouldn’t invest any more money in coal-fired generation in India following the disastrous results of its... Read More

Climate change a cause of Arab spring and more to come . . .

In his New York Times column today, Thomas L Friedman attributes climate change and the collapse of the world’s food crops, particularly wheat, as a major cause of civil unrest, particularly in the Middle East and specifically as a cause of the “Arab spring”: “Consider this: The world’s top nine wheat-importers are in the Middle East: “Seven had political protests resulting in civilian deaths in 2011,” said Sternberg.... Read More