tyabblemons Said:

Extinction Emergency RMIT Storey Hall

Published by Brad Lemon on August 29th, 2013

Extinction Emergency RMIT Storey Hall


     On the 29th of August 2013, Rose and I attended the Extinction Emergency presentation at RMITs Storey Hall in Melbourne. The hall was completely full. We were there to listen to Professor Tim Flannery, Dr Bob Brown (Bob Brown Foundation), and Professor David Lindenmayer speak about the plan for the Great Forest National Park, proposed for Victoria. The event was hosted by Adam Bandt (Greens).

     We met some very interesting people, including Sarah Rees, from My Environment, and the crew from Friends of Leadbeater's Possum. We had a delightful conversation with some of the Sea Shepherd crew (very interesting people!), who invited us to inspect the ships soon.

     The video quality is just barely acceptable - we'll be updating the video camera before the next event.

     The two professors gave us the facts.

     Bob Brown had some important messages. He asked us to stop the logging. He urged peaceful methods, but said we must stop the chainsaws. He suggested we group together with 5 or 6 people from our neighbourhoods to try to preserve Leadbeater's Possum from extinction. Sarah Rees urged us to stop the bulldozers.


Extinction Emergency RMIT Storey Hall 29/8/13 part 1

Extinction Emergency RMIT Storey Hall 29/8/13 part 2 (Questions, cont.)


Brad Lemon
30th August 2013.

Unique fire risk in Warrandyte area.

Published by Brad Lemon on August 25th, 2013

Unique fire risk in Warrandyte area.

Warrandyte is a dangerous place to be during a bushfire. Limited access means there is no means of evacuation once a fire event has begun. All residents must prepare their homes to defend, or leave the area early in the day, before a fire begins.

Don't Wait and See


Fire will likely approach from the north-west, but a wind change could also cause impact from the south-west.

Bridges at Kangaroo Ground Road and Fitzsimons Lane will become congested. Little chance for evacuation across either of the two bridges, or the Main Road to Lower Plenty Road route.

Mapping thanks to Google Maps

Fire tornado in Australia

Published by Brad Lemon on August 18th, 2013

Fire tornado in Australia

A case study of a fire tornado that measured half a kilometre across at the base. Canberra, 2003.


Another one, slightly different structure, in Alaska:

Extreme Fire Behavior on the Tetlin Junction Ridge Fire (#414) on 8/16/13

I assume the different structure is because of different fuel type (pine) and the weather. The more dangerous the weather, the more likely tornados are. Pine ignition point is higher than eucalyptus?

A mini one:


No details available.

Gippsland fires 18/8/13 - Live blog

Published by Brad Lemon on August 18th, 2013

18th August 2013 - Fires have broken out in Gippsland, in difficult terrain.

Fire appears to be in ecological sensitive area - Mountain Ash forest of Gippsland - home of several threatened species.

Latest info:

5.15pm The two reported fires are the same fire. The reason for the two entries on CFA's website was that one was a CFA job, and the other was a DSE job. The geotags were a fair distance apart from each other.

So, we only have the one fire - called 'Quarry Control'.

5.00pm - 4ha in size.
5.10pm - Listed as 'Contained' on CFA website.

Ends latest info.

Tyers - Quarry control:
4 hectares in size.

3.15pm DSE have taken control. Two CFA units remain onscene to assist with water.
4.00pm Sitrep by radio: DSE nearly have it under control - expected to shortly. Wordback from CFA was "Grassfire Stop". Smoke in area until tomorrow. Being logged into system as a burn-off. [Note: this sitrep and wordback may have been given for Boola fire, but misheard.]
4:18pm Now 4ha.
5.00pm Still listed on CFA website as 'Going'.

Boola - Tyers-Walhalla Rd:

1.55pm Burning out of control. CFA crews pulled back owing to dangerous conditions.
3.15pm DSE now in control. All but three of CFA units withdrawn. Wind is creating difficult conditions.
4.04pm The Boola fire has been listed as 'Safe' on CFA website.


Mapping thanks to Incident Alert.










Forest Wars

Published by Brad Lemon on August 17th, 2013

Forest Wars
Updated 25th October, 2013.

Leadbeater's Possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) Image: The Age

This is part 2 of my blog documenting the battle to save Leadbeater's Possum, and our forests. For part 1, please see 'How the Victorian Government is making Leadbeater's Possum extinct'.

Leadbeater's Possum is named after this man, John Leadbeater:
Leadbeater began work at the Museum in 1858 and soon became famous as an expert taxidermist, working with mammals and birds.

Frederick McCoy, who was the Director of the National Museum at the time, was so impressed with the work of Leadbeater that he named two species of newly-discovered birds and a possum after him. (Museum of Victoria)
Restore Our Forests presentation at Healesville Memorial Hall (12/8/13) by ANU and Professor David Lindenmayer & Dr Chris Taylor - 3 part series can be found on this page.
"The highlands are the last main home for Leadbeater's, but also a primary logging area. Conservationists and scientists say logging has contributed to the possum's decline. The timber industry says fire is the predominant problem."


Goodbye Possums be blowed! We haven't given up yet.

Professor David Lindenmayer gave us until December 2013 to stop the logging. Yes, I'm sweating a bit.

To Neale Burgess MP:

Hi Neale, would you like to have coffee together? Is there a nice shop over the road from your office we could sit for 20 mins?

Much has happened, and I'm still looking for a solution.

Warm regards,

Brad Lemon.
Update 19th August 2013:


The above letter was received in today's mail, with a form letter from Minister Ryan Smith MP, Minister for Environment and Climate Change with I've published previously on the first page of this series. This is the second time he has sent me the form letter.

I responded:

Dear Neale,

     I am having a large amount of difficulty communicating with you. Your last correspondence to me was a form letter from Ryan Smith (which you've sent to me before) and a new cover letter. This is not acceptable.

     You are the government's representative in my electorate. While you claim we are not opposed on Leadbeater's Possum, I have strong evidence to the contrary. I'm going to make this evidence available to your constituents.

     While you've been stalling me off about the tough answers to the crisis facing Leadbeater's Possum, you have been working behind my back to sell off our National Parks (99 year leases) and open them up to commercial development. You are not working to save Leadbeater's Possum - the opposite - you are planning development and infrastructure in their habitat.

     When a government's values fall so far out of line with community expectations, they are replaced, from the ground up.

     I've had difficulty communicating with you. It is my belief that as a politician, communication is your stock in trade. I've sent many emails that have had no response. I can't engage you on social media because you don't exist there. I can't call you - I'm headed off by junior staff. In fact, my dealings with you are often handled by junior staff. Perhaps you don't think the issue of the destruction of Leadbeater's Possums by your government to feed Japanese interests at Australian Paper ranks very highly on the agenda in Hastings Electorate?

      Another politician who didn't do social media well is Greg Hunt MP. He came under heavy criticism from me, and others, as he used social media as a broadcast-only medium. The demands of his senior position meant that he had to conform to modern society and use social media as a communications tool, and this is a relief. He has been able to do much good work there in recent times. The entire Liberal party has been challenged by the unwanted demands of social media. Like the telephone, it interrupts their lives, and takes resources to man it. The messages received are often not good. The Liberal party has been accused of being left in last century, and you agree that in things like broadband, they are not doing enough. The Libs just don't do communication well. Well, they didn't - but they've been dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century to embrace social media. But the Victorian Government don't use social media well at all. They have no expertise or vision. And while I'm here, just to compare your service to Greg Hunt - I usually receive a reply from Greg's iPad to any email within an hour. You will agree, that is outstanding service from a very senior man. It humbles me. You can bet Greg is interested in Leadbeater's Possums. Greg has a very green heart.

     Politics these days moves in hourly blocks, as you'd know. Situations develop, and take enormous traction in this time. Social media has changed the landscape of politics. What happened this morning might be old news by 4pm. You have no way of gaining information about these shifts in public opinion. You don't have all the information at your fingertips. In fact, without social media, I estimate you're only getting half the information I expect a politician to absorb during his or her day.

     I was a strong supporter of the Liberal Party until they fell behind the times. They failed to embrace technology adequately, and this mistake is fatal for the entire party, from national to local level. People like me are jumping ship.

     I recognised that a situation existed in our community that was beyond the normal day-to-day governing of the State. It wasn't about teachers, or firefighters, or ambulance pay rates. It wasn't about the lack of money going into our hospitals, causing huge delays which I've seen with my own eyes. No, it wasn't about hospital ramping. It was about our forests. I recognised that the practice you are engaged in is unsustainable and destroying our children's asset. Further, I found out that our State Animal Emblem, Leadbeater's Possum was being made extinct by clear-felling in our state forests. Everyone that I have told about this situation has been horrified, except for Neale Burgess and Co, who not only justify it, they wish to expand it!

     You think it only takes 0.08% of the forest each year. You fail to recognise that there is just a tiny pocket left, of habitat untouched by fire - and you're logging it, wiping out the possum forever. I can't even convince my local politician that he's destroying the world. What hope have I got with changing the situation with government, if my local politician won't listen to me? I have requested you to enact a bill and you didn't even mention it in your reply!

     Can you see where this is going? You have declared your position, and you side with the government. This will be published today for all to see. You are not for Leadbeater's Possum. Neale Burgess is wiping it out! I am completely unsatisfied with your reaction to my serious concerns. I'm unsatisfied with the efforts of your junior staff, who can't even take a booking for a request to see you via email - it must be phone. Fair dinkum! I will not ever give up, until the possum is gone, but I'm documenting the struggle. If we don't stop the logging by December, they're gone. Period. Perhaps you are not the man who can save Leadbeater's Possum. In fact, I think you stand with logging. You have handled the situation poorly. While you agreed to do an interview (to deflect political pressure), in reality you have stalled it off and made yourself unavailable to even have coffee and discuss things. You know you have no ethical answers to my hard questions. I know it too.

     I'm making the posters that will be displayed in the electorate. The wording on the posters will depend on your very next communication with me. Make no mistake, Neale. I'm very serious, and Leadbeater's Possum is going to be the biggest issue in the electorate shortly. All arrows will point to your office - the buck stops with you. Actually, it stops with me, and that's why I'm fighting for the forests.

     I've been able to reach approximately 250,000 people in my campaign to date. I haven't done this alone - I have a lot of support. We are a credible threat to your government, and I will prove it this week. Mr Napthine and Mr Smith must understand that you are their representative in my electorate, and that you will take heat meant for them when they go silent.

     The Lemon family are opposed to any infrastructure development like hotels in our National Parks. We would consider tourism infrastructure like Zip-Lines, and other eco-tourism projects that enhance forests. We would like more forest walks and trails developed. But that is it for infrastructure. No 99 year leases at all! You can't sell off our National Parks. We are about to create a brand-new one to overcome the mismanagement of the Victorian Government. Your practices are unsustainable, as told to you by ANU and Professor Lindenmayer, and now the leaked report from the Arthur Rylah Institute - why did you try to cover it up??? All reports agree. You must stop the logging by December, 2013.

     Please respond to me and tell me how you support Leadbeater's Possum and the forests? Not Ryan Smith's form letter. Neale Burgess' opinion. If it is your government prescription, then please just say so. Get off the fence.

Yours sincerely,


Bradley Lemon.
Update 22nd August 2013:

To: Greg Hunt MP

Hi Greg, from media today:

"The Coalition will instate a Commissioner for Threatened Species should it form government, according to shadow environment minister Greg Hunt. The minister says that, while management plans for threatened species exist, they are not being enacted thoroughly enough."

"A$100 million a year could prevent further extinctions of just about all Australian species."


Greg, tax my beard to pay for it, and I will grow one for you.

Still want to know what powers your commissioner would have please? Concept is no good if they're just another advisor.

Regards,
Brad Lemon

But then, I found this ABC report. Greg Hunt admits he wishes to maintain the status-quo in logging - and this is wiping out Leadbeater's Possum. Clear-felling must stop by December, according to the experts.

(This tweet has since been deleted.)

Received from Greg Hunt MP 1.43pm 22nd August 2013:

Brad,

I respect your views but you have misinterpreted and misrepresented.

I have offered to work with the State on the possum strategy.

At this stage I am not aware of any action from the ALp after 5 years.

My own comment is that it would seem strange to walk away from the person who is most likely to bring real progress.

But I respect your views,

Greg

Sent from my iPad

What Greg Hunt MP actually said:

"We will allow the current process between the states to be determined by the states.
My hope is that they will have some form of agreement and accommodation that will help the possum, it's a magnificent animal.
It's one of our iconic national species." - Greg Hunt MP, ABC AM, 20/8/13


      That is the actual statement made by Greg Hunt on AM.

      Of key importance to me is the first line. I think there is a slip-up in his sentence - what agreement between states? I know of agreements between the states and Commonwealth, called Regional Forestry Agreements (RFAs). These RFAs are considered by conservationists to be a failure, since they failed to protect Leadbeater's Possum, or even identify the critical threat to its habitat after the 2009 fires. We seek to terminate RFA's and have the federal government take control of the forests again. The reason for this, is that federal government must manage the forests in accordance with international standards, whereas state governments have been able to evade best-practice while managing the forests.

"The government owned logging company, VicForests, is feeding Mountain Ash forest to Australian Paper (who are Japanese owned), who then make Reflex Paper."

     Greg Hunt said to me that the ALP have not acted in five years. But this is because the ALP do not have control over our forests. Greg Hunt is proposing the same action as ALP is currently doing - maintain the RFAs. The Liberal Party have control of our forests.

     Indeed we have been fighting the Liberal Party all along. The original contracts locking in the clear-felling of our native forests until 2030, was signed in 1996, by Jeff Kennett for a Liberal-National Government, which were returned to power that year. These contracts have been the stumbling-block for conservation of Leadbeater's Possum all along. They were signed before Climate Change was accepted, without consideration given to the devastating fires that are now destroying the forests every year. These forests are wet forests, not designed to withstand fires which weren't even envisioned in 1996. I chase these fires every year. The Liberal Partly locked in the clear-felling of the Victorian Forest. The government owned logging company, VicForests, is feeding Mountain Ash forest to Australian Paper (who are Japanese owned), who then make Reflex Paper. This is the chain that is killing Leadbeater's Possum that we will stop. I'm amazed and alarmed that Japan are not only killing our cetaceans, but our possums as well.

     In Victoria, the Liberal-National parties are in power. I felt it would be unusual for federal Liberal to go against the interests of state Liberal, and I proposed a test. A sheer stroke of luck saw a tweet produced by Greg Hunt about Leadbeater's Possum at a critical moment during negotiations with State Liberal member, Neale Burgess MP. I set about extracting information about Greg Hunt's position on clear-felling. My initial contact produced some great news - Greg Hunt was working on proposal to save Leadbeater's Possum, and had even spoken with Professor Lindenmayer. If Greg has spoken to the professor, then he is aware of this information - Australian National University's list of things that must be done in order to save Leadbeater's Possum:


     This is the science. The Arthur Rylah Institute (suppressed government study) has different details, but agree in parts that have been leaked. They say that the "Possum needs more room to survive."

     The test was to see if Greg Hunt would recognise that RFAs have failed, and demand control of the forests, against state Liberal policy, in order to satisfy conservation groups. Greg's strength is his standing on environment, but his weakness is his inability to do anything other than toe the party line.

     This is going to cause huge upset with industry. I think we need to move timber workers onto the plantation Blue-Gum that was grown for them. But this issue is so complex, that I must leave it to experts to resolve. We have to protect timber workers, even though I think their pay is blood money. That's my personal opinion, though. The problem for politicians, is that they must sit on the fence, wherever possible. To pledge to end clear-felling by 2013 is a sure way to take a hit in the polls as angry timber workers and their families and friends lash out. If a politician tries to maintain the logging industry, they come under fire from conservationists who use the science to discredit their arguments. There is a fine balance, but when politicians begin to take too much flak from the community about their unsustainable environmental practises, real change is achieved. To do this, a committed individual is required to push the issue in the electorate.

     I ran into a brick wall with Neale Burgess MP, who told me that we were not opposed on Leadbeater's Possum in an email. However, when pressed, he clammed up, and refused to do an interview he'd promised earlier. He and the Victorian Government have gone silent on logging and Leadbeater's Possum, a fact that has been noticed by mainstream media. They have manned the trenches. They won't act on the science. They won't change their position on the clear-felling.

     Now, it needs to be pointed out that history will only judge all these men (Kennett, Napthine, Smith, Burgess, Hunt - all Liberal), only if the fight is documented, and so I'm doing that. I'm creating the raw data that will be collated later, when I write a piece about this fight. The Liberal Party ironically taught me how to use mainstream media (and as a by-product, social media) well to achieve your goals provided you have the facts and evidence to back you up. You don't need a lot of people on board, you just need the right people. Everybody must play their role, and work towards the single common goal of ending clear-felling by December 2013, in accordance with the science. We don't have to do this alone - there are many people, even heavy hitters, willing to back us up. I have the luxury of personal contact with many mainstream journalists in both TV and press, because of my fire work in the summer.

     There are other things that can be done right now - the buffer zones. A 1km buffer zone between all known Leadbeater's Possums and any logging would solve a lot of problems. We must plan how to manage timber workers, and we must educate consumers to source post-consumer recycled paper. I have a lot of work to do in the electorate. The election will role on by, but the fight for Leadbeater's appears to be just heating up, after years of stagnation. It probably won't be an issue for the election, so I've backed off from Greg Hunt so he can concentrate on his major task.

     We've reached the point now, where we must wear out some shoe-rubber, and I have to get busy in the electorates of Hastings and Flinders.

"Without power and resources, the commissioner is window-dressing." - The Guardian
Timber workers:

      I have an understanding of the plight of timber workers. Struggling in an industry that barely pays its way. But logging truck drivers often own their rigs, or the bank does, and they are working to pay of the truck they're driving. If they run out of work, they go to the wall.

     They were led to believe there was always going to be work for them. Their industry was supposed to be sustainable. Everyone involved told them so, including the politicians, who backed them. They were able to sleep at night because they didn't know they were killing Leadbeater's Possum.

     Deep silence from the industry since the 2009 fires means they know there are problems. A little bit of noise around election time, but otherwise, still making noises like 'We are moving in a sustainable direction...'

     I assume VicForests own those huge machines that cut down the trees and debark them. But since there is little profit in the industry, I don't see how they could maintain a fleet of trucks themselves. So I'll bet there are lots of individuals with a stake in their truck that are about to go to the wall unless we find other work for them.

     I keep coming back to the Blue-Gum plantations that were grown for them. They are worth nothing now, because since they were planted, the forest was opened up to clear-felling. But if the clear-felling stops, which it must before December, then the Blue-Gum plantations will gain value overnight. There are problems with the Koalas in the Blue-Gum. We'll have to find answers to questions like where to put them.

     Those specifically employed to fell native forest will need to have exit packages in place, and opportunities to retrain to harvest the plantation timber. Not one truck owner or worker can go to the wall - we must find a strategy for all people. This will take time, and I propose the 1km buffer zones are a way to protect Leadbeater's Possum, while we redeploy our forest loggers.
Depressing reality.

Update 31st August, 2013:

Well, we've gotten to the bottom of the coalition's approach to the environment, and it's shocking. Bob Brown told us that Tony Abbott would try to remove the World Heritage listing on part of Tasmania's forests. I didn't believe him at the time - thought it was just political spin. But the next day, I went looking, and found this: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-16/greens-fear-logging-in-tasmanian-world-heritage/4892428

Tony Abbott definitely stands for logging. This means that Greg Hunt MP can say what he likes about the environment, but his boss is working against him. A classic example of this is Greg Hunt's Emissions Trading Scheme thesis - which was published before the coalition decided a different approach was required. Greg Hunt believes what he wrote (and so do I) - but he's hamstrung by the Liberal Party. The Liberal Party seem to have a hand in this nasty business at every turn. It is amazing that one of the main methods Greg Hunt proposes to store carbon is by planting trees. Mountain Ash is the most carbon dense forest in the world. I think it's a great idea. But as Greg wrote, an ETS is also essential.

We're stepping up the pressure on Neale Burgess. I don't think Greg Hunt can do anything. Neale must approve the proposed Great Forest National Park, so we'll need to talk to him about that. Then there is the promised recorded interview, and the invite to have an informal cup of coffee together. Neale has gone silent. We may need to take our protest to the streets.
Possum Patrol
An update from the Lemon family.

Hi everyone, it's been a very busy couple of months for Leadbeater's Possum activists, and we are no exception.

We attended the Restore Our Forests presentation at Healesville Hall on the 12th of August, 2013. You can find our video series of the event here. We heard Professor Lindenmayer give us the facts outlining his 30 years of research. It wasn't all bad news though. We learned that we have until December 2013 to stop the clear-felling, and that if we could institute a 1km buffer zone between logging and all known possums, we could buy some time. We heard about a terrific plan for a National Park to protect Leadbeater's Possum.

It was here that we were able to prove once and for all that our Mountain Ash forest was being clear-felled to make Reflex Paper. We saw the ANU slide showing the all the uses for all of the timber harvested. Reflex Paper makes up about 20%. Hardwood timber for building products is just 4%. 65% of every tree is wasted, either left in the ground or burned as the debris created when the trees are cut down.

We had good communication happening with Neale Burgess MP, who emailed me that we were not opposed on Leadbeater's Possums. This gave me hope that he would acknowledge the science, and work towards stopping the logging. However, as our campaign to save Leadbeater's from clear-felling heated up on Twitter, attracting mainstream media attention, the government manned the trenches. They went silent about the logging, after pointing out that a $1.86 million study was being conducted. For some reason, they don't trust the evidence from Australian National University. They say they're only logging 0.08% of the forest every year, and that it's insignificant. This is so far out of whack with reality that it's quite astonishing. The coupes that they are logging are in the most ecologically sensitive of what is left that is unburned. The government don't want to change anything - there are too many votes in logging. So that means we have to ruin Reflex, however, they are prepared to trade at a loss. We're not letting the government resistance go unnoticed, and indeed, ABC has remarked about their silence on the radio. We're compiling a list of the men who are resisting. They're all (coincidently?) Liberal Party members. Their pictures and notes about their resistance is being kept in a file for later use to document the history of the struggle to save Leadbeater's Possum. These men will be held accountable for their actions, going right back to Jeff Kennett. History will show that the Liberal Party will be absolutely disgraced by their own behaviour.

We attended the Extinction Emergency event at RMIT Storey Hall on 29th August. What an amazing talk this turned out to be. Prof. Tim Flannery, Prof. David Lindenmayer, and Dr Bob Brown all spoke, as did other people we admire, like Sarah Rees from My Environment. There were a lot of Greens politicians there - they proved that they really do care about Leadbeater's Possum, but it must also be remembered that they were speaking to a very 'green' crowd. We recorded this on our little video camera too, and you can find the page here. We were treated like royalty at this event. Bold as brass, I asked for a couple of the reserved seats up the front for Rose and myself so I could get a clear video shot. This meant we were sitting amongst the media, politicians and awesome activists like the crew from Sea Shepherd. It was inspiring to be among such great women and men. Rose had a school girl moment when she sat next to Bob Brown, and I had a schoolgirl-giggly moment when I met Professor Lindenmayer, whom I admire greatly. But we got down to business, and recorded the event for others to see. I'm very glad we did - I've heard there was some technical difficulties with the main feed. During the presentation, they officially unveiled the plans for the 'Great Forest National Park'.

Here's a pic of it from the Healesville talk:
Pic: Knitting Nannas of Toolangi

Bob Brown urged us all to find 5 or 6 like-minded people in our neighbourhoods to help preserve Leadbeater's Possum. We are already doing this - using http://tyabbcrest.org to promote the possum and interest the members in preserving Leadbeater's, and the forests. They are an ideal platform as CREST already deals with conservation related issues managing the Tyabb Cockatoos. The information was warmly received by CREST members. As we control the website and email list, we are able to continue to use CREST as a platform to spread information about Leadbeater's Possum. CREST members welcomed this information.

We decided there was merit in getting back to a good, old fashioned grass-roots campaign like an A4 paper campaign. By printing our message on Reflex paper, we were able to create a powerful presentation to help educate the public. The A4 sheets are printed in very small batches, so the text can be changed as the campaign shifts. At the moment, the text is drawing attention to government inaction. I anticipated a lot of resistance to these sheets of paper, as they trashed the Reflex brand, and put the blame squarely on Neale Burgess MP and Greg Hunt MP. But the public are receiving them better than we'd hoped. One shop owner said "Look, it's important, but I'm good mates with both Neale and Greg, so you can put it up until the election, but that's all." These A4 sheets have been laminated, which gives them bold impact. The version in my picture here is not laminated. Laminated versions are appearing everywhere. They are currently sitting on top of a stack of Reflex paper at Kmart, in Hastings. They are just loose. The public must pic it up to get to a ream of paper. If they read just the first three lines, I'm happy. The staff can/could throw them out at any time.


Rose was able to observe people interacting with our A4 Reflex sign at her work. She reported that at least one person did scan the QR code. Now, a person who can scan a QR code likely has internet purchasing power, and we're trying to convince them to buy a box of post-consumer recycled paper and have it delivered. The QR code links everyone to a page that lists the vendors for recycled paper, and their contact details. They're being put up at railway stations and bus stops, and other places where people are bored, and might be tempted to scan the code. We even asked for one to be put up at the doctor's clinic over the road from Neale's office! This campaign is very grass-roots. I learned how to do it in the 1970's, at school, when coincidently, we were fighting to stop logging. We didn't have the luxury of QR codes back then, or even laminated sheets. The laminating process makes the piece of paper look very 'special'. It is getting the reaction we'd hoped. Are you tempted to scan the code?

From here, we plan to turn the heat up on Neale Burgess MP. He promised us a recorded interview, but when I asked for a time and date, he said someone would get back to me. I'm still waiting to hear about that, and my invitation to have coffee with him at a cafe near his office. I'd like to discuss the situation informally, because I've found in the past Neale works better in an 'informal' capacity. He is more willing to share information. I have no personal grudge against Neale at all - in fact, I admire the man. He's done a good job. But he represents the government, and therefore VicForests. He is the man I have to deal with to interact with the government about Leadbeater's Possums, and he's gone silent. Now, there is an election next year, so I have plenty of time to seed the electorate with information. I like Neale, but I'll unseat him if I can, because of his complicity in killing Leadbeater's, causing it to nearly become extinct through poor management of our forests. State's are renowned for abusing natural resources. But they must be reigned in. It's time we had a real protest in Somerville - and our next phase will involve a physical protest outside his office with banners, bells, whistles and media. As we'd like a large crowd attend this, we will give plenty of warning before the event. Public transport is close by, but limited in service. Neale really should fix that. Such a protest is unheard of in this electorate. It will carry a lot of impact, and reach a lot of people.

Speaking of reaching people, we are now getting our message out to many people via Twitter. These people talk to others, so people outside of Twitter are also reached. Some of our tweets have been very popular, getting numerous retweets. We are being strongly supported by all Leadbeater's Possum activists! I calculated one very popular tweet reached around 250,000 people. These are significant numbers that any business would kill for. Our 'tweet-reach' is now enormous. We are being quoted by the big guys, and talked about in mainstream media - I saw one of my blog pages on a media outlet yesterday. Yes, we're getting that much traffic - off the wall. The campaign has been worked on for years and years. Sarah Rees talks about 15 years of activism. The people fighting for Leadbeater's Possum never gave up, and now they are reaping the rewards of years of work. The public are becoming aware, and the issue is now being debated on national television (Gruen Nation, ABC). We have built up enormous momentum, which we Lemons are simply tapping into and repeating. It's not what you know, it's who you know, and because of my fire work in summer, I'm followed by many, many journos. They are watching my traffic. We've managed to encourage some to action - Tom Arup, Environment Editor for the Age has come onboard. We'll overrun the government's position very soon - the street protest at Somerville will catch a lot of media (I'll use my contacts to get national TV coverage on multiple stations, with luck). I'm confident of dominating the print media. This is a tactic taught to me by the Liberal Party. Isn't the irony beautiful?

That's it for now. We're putting up our A4 sheets every time we go out. I thought people would remove them, but they seem to be doing pretty well. We'll keep at it, and I'm going to try to initiate contact with Neale Burgess MP again.

Yours in Possum friendship,
Brad Lemon
for the Lemon Family.
31st August, 2013.
Update 3rd September 2013:

I was contacted by email by Professor David Lindmayer - an honour. He enclosed a PDF, just released, called 'Fire severity and landscape context effects on aboreal marsupials'. He asked me to distribute this to key people, and I count you as key people. Please click on the link to open the PDF.
Email to Neale Burgess MP 3rd September 2013:

Dear Neale, I hope you're well!

     Things have become difficult for us as communication has broken down. I'd like to have a go at overcoming this and I'm reaching out to you.

     The fight to save Leadbeater's Possum has taken a dangerous turn for you. You've ignored the science, and persist with supporting the Liberal Party's complicity in clear-felling the forests. This was a terrible error, as history will show. You sided with the government, and reneged on your offer of a recorded interview, or a cup of coffee, or any contact at all.

     Considering your position, the decision to man the trenches with the government must have caused anguish. The suppressed Arthur Rylah Institute report was leaked, and the evidence was damning, but you already knew it would be - Australian National University and Professor David Lindenmayer told you what must be done to save Leadbeater's Possum years ago. The fact that you have elected to absorb the science, but reject it, was your undoing.

     The campaign to save Leadbeater's Possum has built up strong momentum. A very strong showing on Twitter has raised considerable mainstream media attention, which became very embarrassing for the government when ABC reported that they couldn't even get a statement from them. I believe by now, you are aware of the strength of the social media campaign, which is reaching significant numbers of people. Your name has been mentioned time and time again, and is now associated with Leadbeater's Possum.

     The appropriate way for me to address government about Leadbeater's Possums is to address you. You are my representative in Hastings electorate. The campaign cannot avoid involving you in the fight to save Leadbeater's Possum. There are only two ways the possum can be saved - either end the logging, or overthrow the government and install a government who will end the logging. This means that the campaign must undermine your position for the coming election, as your policy supports the logging, which is causing Leadbeater's Possum to become extinct. This is not acceptable, and the public will not tolerate negligent policy by a state government.

     Please find attached a paper called 'Fire severity and landscape context effects on aboreal marsupials.' This paper was sent to me personally by Professor David Lindenmayer, but he is not sole author. He asked me to distribute the science contained within to people that matter, and I believe you matter. Now, this data indicates that no Leadbeater's Possums can exist in burned forest - particularly the high-intensity burns that occurred on Ash Wednesday (1983) and Black Saturday (2009). They can't live in logged areas either - those are destroyed for a period of 150 years. There is a tiny fragment of unburned and unlogged forest remaining, and the logging industry have their sights on it. I can show you shocking recent pictures from places like Nolan's Gully in Toolangi. We can't sustain the logging. That's the science Neale - we can't sustain the logging. In fact, if we don't stop it by December 2013, Leadbeater's Possum begins an unstoppable extinction trajectory (Prof D. Lindemayer).

     Now, I'm a man of science. When I look at the problem of saving Leadbeater's Possum, the answers are very complex. But the science says that we cannot sustain ANY clear-felling in Leadbeater's Possum habitat - the habitat needs to grow and expand. We only have 1.3% of old-growth forest remaining in Victoria - you've taken it all. I've been to lectures that I haven't seen you attend. I can promise you that I know more about what is required to save Leadbeater's Possum than you can know, given your busy schedule. You have to trust me, and the experts, when we tell you that you must stop what you are doing immediately.

     The campaign in the electorate is running hot. Social media is playing a large role. People by the dozens are scanning the protest posters. They are becoming aware of what is killing Leadbeater's Possum. I'm sure by now you've seen a poster, but in case you haven't, we're arranging for one to be sent to your office.

     You once wrote to me that we were not opposed on Leadbeater's Possums.

     The current situation is not good for any of us. It can only result in more destruction. The campaign is gaining moment, and will soon overrun the government's position. Your fight now is to keep your seat when that happens. But it can be shut down very quickly, if the government would just listen to ideas. Please have a cup of coffee with me. We'll casually discuss the plans I have to save the logging industry from the destruction it is doomed to face if you don't act. We can save Victoria's logging industry, and help our struggling farmers, but it needs bold leadership from above. I need you to have vision, and be prepared to restructure the way we do things.

     I would now like to ask you to respond to a question, in writing, please. Do you support the proposed Great Forest National Park?

Thank you for your time. I really hope we can get together and talk about saving both Leadbeater's Possum and the logging workers. Inaction is dooming them both.

Brad Lemon
Email received from Neale Burgess MP 4th September 2013:

Hi Brad

I am forwarding this email to Diana so she can arrange a time for you and I to have coffee next week.

Diana, can you please contact Brad to arrange a coffee at a time that suits us both?

Best regards - Neale
Me: "Doesn't look like Neale's gonna support the Great Forest National Park, Rose."
Rose: "Never thought he would, he's a Liberal."


Update 25/10/13:

Letter gratefully received from Minister Greg Hunt:


The Minister reinforces that management of the forest is a state responsibility - achieved through the RFAs. It is my hope that the proposed Threatened Species Commissioner will identify the two major factors causing the extinction of Leadbeater's Possum as fire and habitat loss through logging. While the Threatened Species Commissioner has no powers to force the states to comply with best practice, or cease the clear-felling, the negative position by the federal government will help bring pressure on the states to save Leadbeater's Possum. I thank the Minister very much for communicating with me.

To be continued...

Healesville Hall - Restore Our Forests presentation by ANU and Professor David Lindenmayer & Dr Chris Taylor 12/8/13

Published by Brad Lemon on August 13th, 2013

Healesville Hall - Restore Our Forests presentation by ANU and Professor David Lindenmayer & Dr Chris Taylor 12/8/13

Professor David Lindenmayer and ANU talk at Healesville Memorial Hall 12/8/13 Part 1 http://youtu.be/YLodNiMZQZY


Professor David Lindenmayer and ANU talk at Healesville Memorial Hall 12/8/13 Part 2 http://youtu.be/RikZG_TCN-8


Professor David Lindenmayer and ANU talk at Healesville Memorial Hall 12/8/13 Part 3 http://youtu.be/VQdNouC6RNA


That's me up the front - with the bald spot and the video camera.

CFA Community Engagement Forum 3/8/13 Twitter hashtag traffic

Published by Brad Lemon on August 3rd, 2013

CFA Community Engagement Forum 3/8/13 Twitter hashtag traffic
Warning: Large page will be slow to load on mobile equipment.

This is page 1 of the forum. For page 2, held on the 4/8/13, please click here.

The forum was held in Bendigo, in the function room at All Seasons Hotel, with many important speakers and guests travelling. The room was full, although Daniel Eshuis did manage to find a single abandoned chair to sit in.

The forum was tweeted about on Twitter by many participants. Outside people followed the hashtag #CFAengage and contributed to the public discussion. I would like to see CFA use their own resources to expand their message to those 'outside the room' by using live-streaming. I would recommend some kind of official Twitter presence too.

From each of these tweets, various sub-conversations occurred. I did not attempt to capture these. You can follow conversations by examining the hashtag on Twitter. Conversations on Twitter can be disjointed - a thread may be picked up again several tweets later.




































































































For tweets from the second day of the conference (4/8/13), please click here.


A Dolphin's sovereign right

Published by Brad Lemon on July 29th, 2013

A Dolphin's sovereign right
Brad's life quest - episode 41,218. Brad discovers what he always knew.


I really didn't need any scientific proof, but it's nice to have it. When I was a tiny little kid, my Nan took me to Sea World, which had just opened on the Gold Coast. There I saw performing dolphins, and learned that they could communicate with each other. In fact, I learned that they were possibly more intelligent than man, but displayed their intelligence in other ways. I think this was all just Sea World hype. I believe dolphins to be the 3rd most intelligent species on the planet, next to humans and apes. One could argue about the apes.

If dolphins can call each other by name, then they are easily capable of the complex structure required to form a society. They do not communicate well with humans, and so we don't understand their intricate social lives.

Any species capable of developing a complex society should not be hunted by man. They have earned the right to live in peace, alongside us, recognised for their abilities, and most importantly, their sovereignty.

I would never, ever see another dolphin show, for I have learned they can't stand captivity. Most captive dolphins die within six months of being taken from the wild at Taiji, Japan. I wouldn't even watch trained wild dolphins. I do want to take a boat ride out to where the dolphins play off Westernport Bay here - I used to see them playing when I was at sea, and I miss them.


Why I left my favourite Facebook group

Published by Brad Lemon on July 28th, 2013

Why I left my favourite Facebook group


     I was put in the most terrible position, of having to leave my favourite Facebook group. The Pet Rat Lovers group are a very warm bunch of people, and the page is generally well run - with minimal input from admin. It's the largest rat interest group on Facebook, boasting 1,200 members, but of course, only a handful of dedicated regulars do the bulk of the posting. Most posts are about a loved rat that has passed on, or a new arrival, or questions about health and care.

     The part I loved the most about the page is the photographs of other people's rats, and their cages. There are a couple of very talented photographers in the group who put a lot of time and effort into creating excellent pictures. But even those pics taken with just a smartphone and discussed were invaluable. Lots of pics are posted, and I enjoy them all. I've posted my own work from time to time. I don't post much of my studio work, but anything I take with my iPhone is usually okay to publish.

     I'm not paranoid about my work being stolen. We live in an era of digital images, and such images are no longer worth any real money. Back in the 1980's, you could sell a good picture easily. A couple of years ago, I captured a clear picture of a man reading a newspaper while driving a huge truck. I couldn't sell this image, and I tried hard - but many media outlets encouraged me to 'submit' my work. Newspapers are a dying industry - they didn't want to buy it. TV and internet media can get images like my one for free. It was a good pic, but it was worthless. So I woke up to the fact that digital images are now captured by just about everybody, and they have no currency anymore. However, I still want to try to maintain control over my images, and under no circumstances will I ever release rights to my art, except if that work is sold. Facebook's own ToS are very savage for artists - and we have to be careful about what is uploaded there. But the Pet Rat Lover's group have claimed ownership of every picture I have uploaded to their page. I certainly won't upload so much as an iPhone snap to the page under the new ToS.

     But I'm getting ahead of myself. You see, I was forced to leave the Pet Rat Lovers group because they posted new Terms of Service (ToS), which read like a company contract (impossible, technical wording designed to confuse rather than clarify), and claimed ownership of every picture posted, and just about any bit of text. In attempting to block spammers, they locked up their members so tight that it's nearly impossible to post something which doesn't break the rules in some way. Even if a post didn't breach the rules, the ToS are written so poorly that a user could never be sure if they were breaking them or not - they would rely on 'clarification' from admin. What constitutes as 'veterinary advice' for instance? Is it okay to repeat something your vet said?

     The actual Terms of Service are very long, and I will include them at the end of this post, in case you're masochistic enough to read them. Remember, this is a pet rat fancier's page - not a business (or the CIA!)

     I believe they were written by Cynthia Philip and Holly Gold. These are both very nice people, and I can't imagine what they're thinking to resort to such draconian legal moves on a pet's page. Holly started the group, a few years ago now, and Cynthia is her 'right-hand' admin. They both work well as a team, and to date have run the group very well, with little flak occurring on the page itself. They deal with all issues correctly, in PM. They never publicly berate a member. They are a good team to have running this popular group.

     I can't understand what made them think that these rules were required! As an admin of popular page myself, I know how frustrating spammers can be, and others, who just want to abuse the popularity of the page. We must constantly be alert for people abusing the page. We haven't had to resort to making any rules at all - our members are all older, responsible people who rarely put a foot wrong. They value the page, and so they look after it. They don't need admin chasing them around with a big stick!

     Pet Rat Lovers group is not a closed group! All traffic appears in my news feed. On a busy day, rat traffic can become a bit much, and I've considered it to be a bit spammy at times. The issue of making the group a closed group (which would stop the news feed posts) was discussed, but the senior admin of Pet Rat Lovers did not even comment on the issue that was raging on. The members were divided, with the majority of the group wanting to change the group to a closed group to stop the spammy posts. I did argue for an open group at the time. There was much less traffic back then. Obviously the admins of the group wanted it left open, because they ignored the huge swell of opinion that suggested the group should be closed. They made no official statement regarding the matter, and the issue is still in limbo.

     Well, there are a few things about these ToS that put up a brick wall for me. For a start, there is their complexity and construction, and wording. This is very poorly done, and it would be a HUGE effort by anyone to even read and understand what is written. Those that have taken the time to read them have posted their horror at what they contain. If you can stand reading them, you'll find that Pet Rat Lovers group take possession of every piece of traffic that is posted on their page. They think they have a right to do that, as their page is their brand.

     Indeed, they do have a right to try to protect their page in this manner. It is compulsory for all members to type 'I agree' in the comments to acknowledge the new ToS. Members are blindly typing 'I agree' on the post, despite the objections from some members, and those members stating that they do not wish to sign such an agreement. It is assumed that those who don't type 'I agree' in the comments will be removed from the group.

     If I can't upload my rat pics there, and I have to be careful about what I say in case it breaches some obscure clause of the ToS, then the group has lost my interest. It has become work to do anything other than 'like' other people's posts - the safest interaction of all.

     So, I posted this:


     I have left the group. I'm disappointed. The other rat groups on Facebook are pretty lame, and their communities are not very active. I'm fast losing faith in all things Facebook actually. My pet peeve is having my news feed suddenly jump about ten posts while I'm trying to read it. When it does that now, I close Facebook in the hope that they can see this in the Analytics - I can see this kind of info on Google Analytics for my websites. I want Facebook to know that I am deliberately closing their page when they pull crap like that.

     I still have Cynthia Philip on my friends list, and I have no plans to remove her. She is a very nice person who is very community minded. However, I think the new rules are her idea - they have her hallmarks on them. I would like Cynthia to understand that I (respectfully and candidly) believe power has gone to her head, and she has created 'busy' work for all members, just to satisfy her own ego. The rules are not required to protect the group. Facebook's own ToS cover abusive behaviour - and allow for an admin to remove a member without explanation. There is nothing special about rat content that it needs to be specifically mentioned in a set of rules outside of Facebook's ToS.

(Update: Cynthia has since stated that she did not write the ToS. After Cynthia read this post, she removed me as a friend, and removed me from another group as well.)

     Farewell Pet Rat Lovers. I've been a member for years. I've been active, and 'like' posts every day. I often comment, and I post stuff of my own. It's sad that I think the members will mostly accept the ToS. There is some resistance, but people are agreeing. People give away their freedom, and then complain when they find all their rights have been taken away. People's rights disappear in tiny, hard to detect nips, never in a block.

     Wanna know how useless these ToS are? I'm breaching them by publishing them here. In fact, I'm supposedly breaching international (!) copyright laws! But these do allow me to take a snippet, which is covered by (copyright) law - you may reproduce up to a certain amount of material for your own purposes - even commercial ones. In a book, I think you can copy a page and a third of text, but don't quote me, I'm rusty. However, I know enough to know that if it came to a legal battle, I could get these ToS thrown out before the trial even begins. They would not be recognised as a legal document. They are worthless. Just as well. The Indemnification section (3) says that I will be responsible for their legal costs!

     At the time of writing, more than a day after the new ToS were announced, there have been 47 members out of 1,200 agree. There were two objections and 1 was unsure. I guess they'll be purging around 1,100 members. Maybe I should start a group?

(Update: I've since realised that the ToS were posted about 12 months ago - but the conversation on the pinned thread discussing them and containing member's objections was current. I had just never bothered to read them.)

Update - December, 2013:

     Cynthia Philip left Pet Rat Lovers group. The Terms of Use were changed. The new ToU are much simpler and clearly state that the artist retains ownership of the image. The group went from being an open group to a closed group, and I remained friends with Holly. After discussing the situation with Holly, I asked for and received permission to join Pet Rat Lovers group once again.

     Note that the Terms of Use reproduced below are no longer the ToU of the Pet Rat Lovers Facebook group.


Here are the Pet Rat Lovers group Terms Of Service. Be amazed!

  • Terms Of Use For Pet Rat Lovers Forum

    Please read and then post "Agree" in the comments.


    Pet Rat Lovers Group Agreement


    Pet Rat Lovers is a social group for people to talk about pet rats. Although health issues may be discussed, it does not take the place of a veterinarian.


    The FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers Web Site (the "Site") is an online information service provided by Pet Rat Lovers ("FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers "), subject to your compliance with the terms and conditions set forth below. PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE ACCESSING OR USING THE SITE. BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SITE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU MAY NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SITE. FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers MAY MODIFY THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME, AND SUCH MODIFICATIONS SHALL BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON POSTING OF THE MODIFIED AGREEMENT ON THE SITE. YOU AGREE TO REVIEW THE AGREEMENT PERIODICALLY TO BE AWARE OF SUCH MODIFICATIONS AND YOUR CONTINUED ACCESS OR USE OF THE SITE SHALL BE DEEMED YOUR CONCLUSIVE ACCEPTANCE OF THE MODIFIED AGREEMENT.



    1. Copyright, Licenses and Idea Submissions.


    The entire contents of the Site are protected by international copyright and trademark laws. The owner of the copyrights and trademarks are FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers, its affiliates or other third party licensors.


    YOU MAY NOT MODIFY, COPY, REPRODUCE, REPUBLISH, UPLOAD, POST, TRANSMIT, OR DISTRIBUTE, IN ANY MANNER, THE MATERIAL ON THE SITE, INCLUDING TEXT, GRAPHICS, CODE AND/OR SOFTWARE. You may print and download portions of material from the different areas of the Site solely for your own non-commercial use provided that you agree not to change or delete any copyright or proprietary notices from the materials.


    Should any material be used for purposes other that the Facebook Group Pet Rat Lovers, prior written permission must be aquired by origianal poster and also be given credit to said owner.


    Members of the group Pet Rat Lovers are welcome to submit fictional and nonfictional written pieces as documents, for publication in the group library. Holly Gold, and Cynthia Philip reserve the right to edit and/or delete any and all documents. The option to delete a document that you, the member, create, remains with you - you have the final word on whether it can be published here or not.

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    FaceBook Pet Rat Lovers is a group run by and for pet rat lovers. The "target-audience" of the group is G-Rated (Youth Friendly.) When you use the forum, you agree NOT to post material that would NOT be appropriate for all ages, nor bring up "controversial subjects" in your posts.

    When posting, please, English only. Other languages used in posts may/will be deleted.


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    2b. Solicitation of Money

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    2c. Adding Members to our 'Member Owned Businesses' Listing

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    To be considered active, you must post at least 4 times per month (not including anything related to your business).

    Once any member has become inactive, that business listing will be deleted. To have it reactivated, one must become active for one month prior to having the business relisted.


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    You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers, its owner, and moderator(s), against all losses, expenses, damages and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, resulting from any violation of this Agreement (including negligent or wrongful conduct) by you or any other person accessing the Service.


    4. Third Party Rights.

    The provisions of paragraphs 2 (Use of the Service), and 3 (Indemnification) are for the benefit of FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers and its owner, moderator(s), suppliers, and any third party information providers to the Service. Each of these individuals or entities shall have the right to assert and enforce those provisions directly against you on its own behalf.


    5.Term; Termination.

    This Agreement may be terminated by either party without notice at any time for any reason. The provisions of paragraphs 1 (Copyright, Licenses and Idea Submissions), 2 (Use of the Service), 3 (Indemnification), 4 (Third Party Rights) and 6 (Miscellaneous) shall survive any termination of this Agreement.

    "Legitimate" (or otherwise) ratteries who use the forum simply as advertising space will be deleted. (In order to advertise your "oops" litter, please get written permission from an administrator.)

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    6.Miscellaneous.

    This Agreement shall all be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of The United States of America applicable to agreements made and to be performed in The United States of America. You agree that any legal action or proceeding between FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers and you for any purpose concerning this Agreement or the parties' obligations hereunder shall be brought exclusively in a federal or state court of competent jurisdiction sitting in The United States of America . Any cause of action or claim you may have with respect to the Service must be commenced within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action arises or such claim or cause of action is barred. FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers's failure to insist upon or enforce strict performance of any provision of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of any provision or right. Neither the course of conduct between the parties nor trade practice shall act to modify any provision of this Agreement. FaceBook Group Pet Rat Lovers may assign its rights and duties under this Agreement to any party at any time without notice to you.


    The Moderator's Service

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    Forum Etiquette/Controversial Subject Matter


    Remember that the biggest rule for using the group is: Treat everyone with respect, even and especially when you disagree with them. Flaming of any kind will not be tolerated. Such posts can and will be deleted by administrator(s) with no prior notice and membership will be put on moderation. Repeat offenses will cause membership of offender to be terminated.


    Sometimes, it is less easy to identify "controversial subjects" than it is to identify "inappropriate materials." A good guideline is that the purpose of the group is to better the quality of lives of pet rats, and to share stories about the pet rats we know. An example of a "controversial subject" might be rats used as "feeders" for reptiles or birds.


    Pornography, discrimination on ANY basis and blasphemy will not be tolerated on the forum. You may be banned without further warning.


    Of course, free speech is encouraged here. If you are unsure whether something you would like to post is a "controversial subject" or not, please get in touch with an administrator by PM and discuss it with that person.


    Posts that are deemed "controversial" are subject to removal by the owner and/or moderator(s).


    We politely request that swearing be kept off the forum. If you make a post that contains swearing, and words such as 'hell', 'damn' etc, that post may be deleted by an administrator, or an administrator may be in touch with you via PM to ask you to remove your post. Subsituting characters for letters is still not acceptable.


    We usually work by a "three strikes, you're out" with the above rules and guidelines, but we reserve the right to ban anyone from the group.


    Three Strikes Policy


    If members of the Facebook group Pet Rat Lovers forum post information, pictures, or any content that the moderator considers objectionable for any reason, same may be deleted. Members will be warned in a private message about inappropriate posts. Each member is entitled to three of these warnings. If a member chooses to persist in posting material that is inappropriate/objectionable, they may be banned from the group without further notice.


    Privacy policy

    Please do not give out any personal information such as phone number, postal address, zip code, last name, or anything you do not wish others to know. If you choose to ignore this request, the Facebbok Group Pet Rat Lovers owner and/or moerator(s) cannot be held responsible for the consequences. Please know privacy is very important to us; we will never divulge your email address to anyone without first asking your consent. If you get "spam" emails from a member please report the email address to us so we can investigate.


    Your conduct

    By using this forum or any service provided, you explicitly agree that: (a) you will not provide any content or conduct yourself in any way that may be construed as: unlawful; illegal; threatening; harmful; abusive; harassing; stalking; tortious; defamatory; libelous; vulgar; obscene; offensive; objectionable; pornographic; designed to interfere with or disrupt the operation of this forum or any service provided; infected with a virus or other destructive or deleterious programming routine; giving rise to civil or criminal liability; or in violation of an applicable local, national or international law; (b) you will not impersonate or misrepresent your association with any person or entity; you will not forge or otherwise seek to conceal or misrepresent the origin of any content provided by you; (c) you will not collect or harvest any information about other users; (d) you will not provide, and you will not use this forum to provide, any content or service in any commercial manner, or in any manner that would involve junk mail, spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, or any other form of unauthorized advertising or commerce; you will not use this forum to promote or operate any service or content without the moderator's prior written consent; (e) you will not provide any content that may give rise to the moderator being held civilly or criminally liable, or that may be considered a violation of any local, national or international law, including -- but not limited to -- laws relating to copyrights, trademarks, patents, or trade secrets.


    Age and Responsibility:


    Any minors requesting membership of the Facebbok Group Pet Rat Lovers will be asked to give written permission by a parent or gaurdian. Also, any minor in the Facebook group Pet Rat Lovers agrees to take personal responsibility for their posts. No forum administrator can be held responsible for the actions surrounding a minor's experience on the forum, as there is no way for moderators and administrators to determine the true age of the member.


    Responsible Breeding


    The Facebook Group Pet Rat Lovers supports a policy of responsible breeding - that is to say, that if you breed, you are a registered rattery.

    While it is not a condition of the group that you must be a registered rattery if you are a regular breeder, it is encouraged.

    We always love to see babies who will have a good home, and try to help as much as we can in the event of "oops" litters. We strongly suggest that you contact one of the admins before posting any rats to adopt out. We are not however, a group to be posting rats for sale. Should you need to rehome your rats, they are to be wihtout cost. Should you have any accessories to sell, that may be discussed with the interested adopter off the Facebook Group Pet Rat Lovers only.


    Miscellaneous information

    (i) In the event that any provision of these Terms of use is deemed to conflict with legislation by a court with jurisdiction over the parties, the said provision will be interpreted to reflect the original intentions of the parties in accordance with applicable law, and the remainder of these Terms of use will remain valid and applicable; (ii) The failure of either party to assert any right under these Terms of use will not be considered to be a waiver of that party's right, and the said right will remain in full force and effect; (iii) You agree that any claim or cause in respect of this web site or its services must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause arose, or the said claim or cause will be forever barred, without regard to any contrary legislation; (iv) The moderator may assign the moderator's rights and obligations under these Terms of use; in this event, the moderator will be relieved of any further obligation.


    Any rights not expressly granted herein are reserved.

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