Weapons of fiction, now a reality

Active Denial mounted on its main heavy carrier

Smaller mobile unit of Active Denial

The idea of using invisible rays to inflict pain and/or disable an opponent has long been a favourite theme for thriller and science fiction writers and audiences alike. However such a device or system has been moving through the concept phase to active development for three decades. A prototype was in fact developed for the United States Air Force as far back as the year 2000. Using millimetre waves (which are described as very short wavelength microwaves) with a frequency of 95 gigahertz, the effects penetrate only the outer 0.4 millimetres of skin. The effect however is dramatic and is described as impossible to resist. The United States has spent around $120 million on these devices which are named Active Denial and have progressively been reduced in size from the enormous 7.5 tonnes to military versions which can be mounted on smaller vehicles. Active Denial resembles a large flat antenna dish mounted on the back of a small truck and has a beam diameter of 2 metres with a range of several hundreds of metres in distance. It fires in bursts of 3 to 5 seconds duration. With civilian versions now being developed for deployment with police forces, the obvious question is one of public safety and potential misuse. The deployment of military technology in connection with civilian matters and public order  is usually controversial with the risk of unintended consequences such as injury and/or political repression. Active Denial is a  new device and its potential effects are still relatively unknown. It should remain in limited use until the proven safety and appropriateness of deployment in civilian settings has been effectively demonstrated.

 

UNESCO's concern over the future of Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Bleached coral - Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The latest report from the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) tabled at the thirty-seventh session in June 2013, raises the uncomfortable proposal to list the Great Barrier Reef on the list of World Heritage sites in danger. UNESCO routinely monitors World Heritage sites and comments on efforts by states parties to maintain these listed valuable sites within their geographical borders. The UN body has raised concerns about coastal development, particularly the Port of Gladstone, and water quality with the Australian and Queensland Governments in previous years but found that key issues were not being fully addressed. In addition there was a lack of transparency in information being provided by the Queensland Government.

In relation to the Great Barrier Reef and Australia, the UN report specifically states:

The World Heritage Centre and IUCN recommend that the World Heritage Committee reiterate its request to the State Party (Australia) to undertake the following actions:

a) make a clear financial commitment to maintain the Reef Rescue programme and ensure water quality continues to improve,
 
b) halt the approval of coastal development projects that could individually or cumulatively impact on the property’s Oustanding Universal Value (OUV) and compromise the ongoing Strategic Assessment, and
 
c) ensure that the legislation protecting the property remains strong and adequate to maintain and enhance its OUV.
 
They further recommend that the Committee consider the Great Barrier Reef for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 38th session in 2014 in the absence of a firm and demonstrable commitment on these priority issues by the State Party.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the wonders of the world and the largest coral reef on the planet. The international recognition of serious threats to its' survival should galvanise further action domestically as warnings from local marine scientists appear to have been largely unsuccessful.

Theatre Review - Mrs Warren's Profession - Sydney Theatre Company 2013 Season

Helen Thomson as Mrs Warren

The Sydney Theatre Company have returned with an additional series of performances of George Bernard Shaw's 'Mrs Warren's Profession'  following the season sell-out earlier this year. The play received rapturous reviews and accolades but what was all the fuss about ?

Bernard Shaw's play is centred on the relationship between Vivie Warren (Lizzie Schebesta) a young, fiercely independent minded 19th Century bluestocking woman working her way to a successful career and her mother, Kitty Warren (Helen Thomson) who has bankrolled her daughter's expensive education via her unorthodox profession. Vivie's world and perceptions are turned upside down when she discovers her mother is a brothel owner and operator across Europe. Their relationship breaks down as the strong-minded daughter is quite unforgiving of her mother's commercial activities. Add to the mix a collection of various male bon vivants with class and privilege perspectives and the scene is set for the collapse of Vivie and Kitty's relationship. The play has an expert cast most notably with Lizze Schebesta and Helen Thomson however even with Bernard Shaw's sharp wit, the play has dated in its social observations (it was written in 1893), customs and practice. It could well be that a competently written play staged by STC has become such a novelty following flat seasons and financial loss-making years that its a stand-out.

Global corruption report - corruption remains a critical problem world-wide



The 2013 Global Corruption Barometer recently released by Transparency International charts increasing public disquiet over the level of corruption in many segments and institutions of society. Over 114,000 people in 107 countries were surveyed for their views on corruption and the results by country demonstrate a strong public perception that corruption has a strong influence.

Transparency International is an global Non-Government Organisation with its Secretariat in Berlin, Germany and membership and organisational chapters throughout the world. Transparency International has been active in strengthening anti-corruption initiatives, such as the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, UN Convention against Corruption and UN Global Compact.

For Australia the results were generally positive with some obvious exceptions:

Percentage of respondents who felt these institutions were affected by corruption in this country –

58 % political parties

58 % media

47 % business

44 % religious bodies

 

Question: How effective do you think your government's actions are in the fight against corruption ?

16 % stated effective

32 % stated neither effective nor ineffective

36 % stated they were ineffective

16 % stated they were very ineffective

 

The Report can be accessed at this link:
Global Corruption Index Report

 

The Earth's Threatened Species - the list grows

Orange-bellied parrot, Eastern Australia: critically endangered

The latest 'Red List of Threatened Species' assessment released in June 2013 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) continues to paint a bleak picture for the future of most of the planet's animal life. The Red List is not about climate change impact as the methodology and process was established long before the current global warming issue came to mainstream public debate. The assessment remains grim with 24 to 50 per cent of species being hihghly vulnerable, 22 to 44 per cent of amphibians and 15 to 32 per cent of corals - the lower estimate being the most optimistic and higher figure being the most pessimistic.    

In a separate study which specifically addresses the impact of climate change, species which are at the greatest risk from climate change are not currently conservation priorities. The IUCN paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE, is one of the largest studies of its kind, assessing all of the world’s birds, amphibians and corals. It draws on the work of more than 100 scientists over a period of five years. Up to 83% of birds, 66% of amphibians and 70% of corals that were identified as highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction. They are therefore unlikely to be receiving focused conservation attention, according to the study.