At first glance, trees seem the epitome of urban charm, offering shade on sweltering summer days, filtering pollutants from the air, and softening the cityscape with their leafy grace. However, in growing numbers, urban trees are becoming unexpected hazards, turning from benevolent beings into botanical menaces.
As urban areas expand, trees often grow in less-than-ideal conditions - shallow soil, cramped spaces, and weakened root systems. A sudden storm or even a mild gust of wind can send massive branches crashing down, smashing cars, damaging property, and endangering pedestrians. In some tragic cases, entire trees uproot and collapse, causing fatalities.
Enjoy this article from renowned scientist and pastoralist, Viv Forbes. Monty
Read more: The Growing Menace of Trees: When Green Turns Grim
When our leaders and politicians sign us up to these global accords, declarations and agreements, do they realise what the consequences will be?
Decades on, their moment in the sun and on the front page can have far reaching consequences.
One little known, but very impactive decision is now showing us just how damaging these signatures can be.
50 years ago, Australia signed up to the Lima Declaration.
In the 1950s, thalidomide was hailed as a medical breakthrough - a safe sedative that could ease morning sickness for pregnant women. Yet, within a few short years, it became a symbol of pharmaceutical negligence, leaving thousands of children with devastating birth defects.
The tragedy was meant to serve as a permanent warning about the dangers of inadequate testing and rushed approvals. However, as the world witnessed the rapid rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, many questioned whether governments and pharmaceutical companies had forgotten the hard-earned lessons of thalidomide. Have we once again placed speed above safety, risking consequences that may take years to fully reveal?
Thalidomide has a chequered past that began with a Nazi War Criminal. Sometimes, history is our best teacher. Perhaps that is why the left want to stop it being taught? So let's dive into the story of one of the worst disasters in pharmaceutical history.
Read more: History Repeats Itself: Thalidomide’s Legacy and the Danger of Rushed Medicine
For as long as humans have walked the earth, the issue of abortion has existed in the shadows and in the spotlight.
Following the overturning of Roe v Wade on 24th of June 2022, it is interesting to reflect on the history of abortion law through history.
There are basically two systems of law in the world, the common law and civil law.
The common law arose in England following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It was so known because it was “common" to the King's courts and was based upon the precedence of previous judicial decisions, known as the Latin doctrine of“stare decisis"(to stand by that which is decided).
Throughout history, political leaders have risen to power with grand promises of reform, stability, and prosperity, only to see their legacies stained, or entirely destroyed, by scandal. Whether it be the president of a global superpower or the premier of a regional state, corruption, deceit, or ethical lapses can swiftly dismantle their public trust and overshadow any achievements.
Two glaring examples are U.S. President Warren G. Harding, whose administration was marred by the Teapot Dome scandal, and Queensland’s long-serving Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, whose grip on power was eventually eroded by accusations of corruption and political skullduggery. Both cases demonstrate how scandal doesn’t just impact the individual...it can taint entire administrations and corrode public faith in government.
High above the rolling hills, with the sunset painting the sky in strokes of gold and lavender, a wing-weary Tooth Fairy reclines atop the bright orange biplane of Ratty Airways, her tattered but shimmering wings folded neatly behind her.
With a sigh of relief, she stretches out on the canvas wing, letting the gentle breeze soothe her tired limbs. Below, the dashing rat pilot, dressed in a leather helmet and scarf, grips the controls with practiced paws, his whiskers twitching with determination. Tonight’s mission is clear: get the exhausted fairy back to base before dawn, where a mug of stardust tea and a well-earned rest await.
But for now, she closes her eyes and lets the cool night air carry away the fatigue of a thousand pillow infiltrations.
In today’s world, where chaos and uncertainty often feel like an endless storm, we find ourselves searching for something that can guide us through the tempest.
A lighthouse, standing firm against crashing waves and fierce winds, offers more than just a beacon of light; it symbolises our yearning for direction and hope.
An umbrella might shield us from the rain, but without a lighthouse, it is a fragile tool in a vast, uncharted sea. Just as we need the solid a lighthouse to guide us safely to shore, we also need the sense of purpose and clarity to navigate the crazy madness of our modern lives. In this stormy world, a lighthouse is more than a structure; it is a reminder that even in the darkest of times, a guiding light can lead us home.
To safety.
History remembers certain individuals not just for their deeds but for the courage that defined them in the face of adversity. Grace Darling and Grace Bussell, separated by oceans and decades, became legends in their own right for acts of extraordinary bravery at sea.
In 1838, off the stormy coast of England, young Grace Darling risked her life to save stranded survivors of a shipwreck, defying the raging waves in a tiny rowing boat. Half a world away, in 1876, Australian teenager Grace Bussell rode her horse through crashing surf to help rescue dozens from a sinking ship off the Western Australian coast. Both women defied danger, social expectations, and the limitations of their time to become symbols of heroism.
Read more: The Two Graces: Heroic Rescuers from Opposite Sides of the World
We have, throughout the world, rejoiced at the safe return home of the two American astronauts whose 8 day sojourn in space turned into 9 months. We witnessed with enormous delight and joy, their return to Earth and I join many in the relief it has given to know that they are back safely and ready to embrace the feel of the wind on their cheeks, the sound of rain on the roof and the pleasure of the smell of a freshly mown lawn of grass or a the warmth of an embrace from a loved one.
Some may wonder how it is ONLY 245 miles.... not so far in the scheme of things, is it? In everyday life, distance is easily understood - measured in miles or kilometres, minutes or hours. A 245-mile journey might take a few hours by car, or a 2-mile walk may take mere minutes. But in extreme environments, distance is deceptive. A few hundred feet beneath the sea, a mile underground, or a few hundred miles above the Earth can feel like an eternity away when life hangs in the balance.
Read more: When Distance Becomes Deadly: The Hidden Perils of Near Yet Inaccessible Places
History remembers certain individuals not just for their deeds but for the courage that defined them in the face of adversity. Grace Darling and Grace Bussell, separated by oceans and decades, became legends in their own right for acts of extraordinary bravery at sea.
In 1838, off the stormy coast of England, young Grace Darling risked her life to save stranded survivors of a shipwreck, defying the raging waves in a tiny rowing boat.
Half a world away, in 1876, Australian teenager Grace Bussell rode her horse through crashing surf to help rescue dozens from a sinking ship off the Western Australian coast. Both women defied danger, social expectations, and the limitations of their time to become symbols of heroism.
Read more: The Two Graces: Heroic Rescuers from Opposite Sides of the World
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