The year that was 2021 and the year that is coming 2022

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2021 is a year that most people would prefer to simply disappear. To describe the last twelve months as 'challenging' is a misnomer and under-estimation of the level of difficulty with which Australia and the world has had to contend. A listing of some of the key events of 2021 provides a brief insight -

• COVID-19: just as the vaccines (from pharma companies, Astra-Zeneca, Pfizer and Moderna) rolled out in large quantities, the virus mutated not at all surprisingly.  New variants most notably Delta and the almost sci-fi name of  'Omicron' became the new dominant mutations raising the concern that the virus may be able to break-through the vaccines. As global management consultancy, McKinsey & Co commented "COVID-19 continues to pose risks, and managing it as endemic will require a momentous societal shift. Perhaps the hardest part will be coming to terms with the idea that this is no temporary phenomenon; we all must make permanent behavioural changes after the crisis". COVID-19 is here to stay and the pandemic remains an ongoing crisis into 2022. 
• AUKUS: The announcement of a new strategic alliance titled AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom and The United States) took many countries by surprise not the least, France, that had a contract to build new diesel submarines for Australia. The new alliance included providing Australia with the capability to build nuclear submarines thus rendering the contract with France null and void. The diplomatic fallout was predictable and public.
• World economy and supply chains: the fact that the world economy did not shrink further is a surprise. The fact that global supply chains have been severely disrupted is not. With the supply of goods and services now segmented, out-sourced and distributed globally, delays and  shutdowns in several countries affected the rest of the world. A single container ship, Ever Given, stuck in the Suez Canal caused losses estimated at USD $9.6 billion per day. The experience of COVID-19 has led to calls in many countries for better self sufficiency in the future, yet the impact of this situation will continue for the next few years.
• Taliban return to power in Afghanistan: the 20 year war in Afghanistan ended with the Taliban once again in power. The Western nations appeared shocked and surprised however closer examination has shown the inevitability of the Government in Kabul falling from power. Non existent relationships with local provincial communities, massive corruption and an army that was not paid for months all led to the demise. The lessons of previous civil wars clearly had not been heeded. 
• New US President: Joe Biden was elected president of the United States defeating Donald Trump leading to hopes that the US would again play a role in international relations that Trump had largely abandoned. Biden certainly reopened dialogue which his predecessor had closed off. 
• COP26 Climate Change - Glasgow: COP26 ended without the major agreement that many people and nations had hoped. Against the backdrop of the latest IPCC report, many important decisions were reached such as for methane emissions and there was understanding that CO2 emissions must be reduced well before 2050. The US and China joint statement made it clear that reductions are needed this decade by 2030 if global warming is to be averted. Yet concrete tangible agreement across the world which leads to meaningful target reductions remained elusive.
• Australia's vaccine rollout: despite having tackled the COVID-19 virus effectively in the first year, Australia's vaccine program faltered and ran too slowly in the second pandemic year allowing the virus to reach a foothold again through the Delta variant. By the end of 2021 Australia had caught up with the rest of the world and had administered over 42 million vaccine doses with many States now reaching over 90% of the eligible adult population (over 16 years of age).

2021 has been a difficult year - may 2022 provide some relief and hope.

Christmas 2021

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Christmas 2021: the world still grapples with COVID-19 and its variants, Delta and Omicron. Despite this global situation, the holiday season is upon us whether Summer in the Southern Hemisphere or Winter in the Northern Hemisphere. An opportunity for a pause from the endless, exhausting effect that the pandemic has created.

Christmas in the Christian calendar has many symbols and representations, some of which originate from pagan festivals, others that are distinctly religious while some are simply practices which have evolved over time.

The Christmas tree is one such symbol. Much of what has been conveyed is only myth such as the role of pine trees to Martin Luther who is reported to have believed the trees represented the goodness of God. Or Saint Boniface cutting down a fir tree to prevent a human sacrifice and then converting all the persons present to Christianity. When a new fir tree grew in its place Saint Boniface reputedly hung it upside down to represent the Holy Trinity. None of this is actually historically recorded or reliably reported.

What is known is the Christmas tree was adopted in Germany notably during the 15th Century and well entrenched by the 17th Century. A guild in Freiburg, Germany decorated a tree with apples, flour-paste wafers, tinsel and gingerbread. The demand for trees in the province of Alsace (now part of France) was so great that ordinances were passed restricting each household to one tree. Strasbourg passed laws preventing people from cutting off pine branches.  Unadorned Christmas trees were a common item for sale during Winter and were called 'Weihnachtsbaum'' (or Christmas tree).

In 1848 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert introduced Christmas trees to their family and the palace thereafter the trend became established in Victorian England, before spreading further afield. The practice was then taken up in the United States although not immediately with some resistance from communities that preferred a more pious and religious commemoration of the birth of Jesus. 

The Christmas tree nonetheless has become a ubiquitous part of the Christmas custom.

Merry Christmas !

Ethics Index 2021: Australians faith in ethical conduct declines

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This week the latest Governance Institute/IPSOS Ethic Index 2021 was released and shows a decline in the confidence of adult Australians in ethical behaviour in various industries, professions and institutions. Although a clear fall from the previous year, the rating of ethical conduct remains higher than 2019. So what are the specific findings ?

In summary -

• Overall Australians do consider Australian society to be 'somewhat ethical' with Millenials and Generation X rating with slightly higher scores than Baby Boomers.
• Respondents to the survey were asked to rate the importance of ethics and then compare the importance to the actual perceptions of ethical behaviour.
• Health continues to rate as having high ethical behaviour with a net score of 72% similar to last year which has 73.
• Charity and and Not-for-profit sector were rated as very ethical with an ethics score of 66 from 2020.
• Public Sector as perceived as being 'somewhat ethical' with an Index score of 46 but within public sector services there were wide variations with  fire services rating 85 and ambulance services scoring 79%. In contrast Judges, state,local and federal public servants and politicians were all seen to be less ethical in 2021 than 2020. 
• Federal Parliament rated a very dismal ethical score of -11 and is seen as the least ethical organisation.
• Media sector had a significant fall in ethics rating falling from 22 to 2%.
• Top ethical issues are consistent with previous years. 'Corruption' is in the top position as with previous years followed by 'misleading and deceptive advertising' then 'çompany tax avoidance'.
• While corporate ethical conduct was fairly neutral, high levels of CEO pay was considered unethical.
• Climate change features strongly with the clear majority of Australians (87%) feel there is a moral obligations to take action on climate change, even if it reduces profits, results in job losses or lower jobs in the future (88%).
• Australians feel that the Federal Government has an urgent ethical obligation to take action on climate change (71%) and this has increased from 2020.

The full findings can be located at this link: Governance Institute Ethics Index 2021

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - Blue Bayou

Justin Chon - Blue Bayou

A child adopted by a American couple and seemingly a citizen of the country of adoption, the United States, discovers on reaching adulthood that is not the case and deportation back to the country of origin is possible. This extraordinary situation is the subject of Director and screenwriter, Justin Chon's film 'Blue Bayou'. 

Antonio LeBlanc (Chon) adopted as a 3 year old from Korea has spent his entire life in the Louisana bayou country, speaks with the Southern accent and to all intents and purposes is American. He is married to Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and is step-father to her daughter with another child on the way with his wife. The legal system is however unsympathetic and his adopted parents never completed the correct paperwork to confirm his status as a citizen. Antonio hires a lawyer but is unable to effectively mount a legal defence and surrenders to US Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) for deportation back to Korea, a country with which he has no ties.

Incredibly around 35,000 adoptees could be subject to this legal situation in the US. Adopted in the 1980s and 1990 as small children, on reaching 18 years of age they can be deported if their adopted parents have not applied for US citizenship for them. The end credits of this film show the photographs and identities of people already deported.

The film conveys a strong social message and one which highlights the powerlessness of the individual against a system with rigid application.

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - Parallel Mothers

Milena Smit and Penelope Cruz - Parallel Mothers

 
Acclaimed director, Pedro Almodovar wrote and directed this film which has an odd juxtaposition of a historical backstory and muddled collection of current inter-relationships. Janis (Penelope Cruz) a high end photographer becomes pregnant to her lover, a married war crimes archaeologist with whom she has arranged the excavation of a mass grave from the era of the Spanish Civil War. The mass grave is located in her grandmother's village. 

In the maternity wing of the hospital Janis then meets Ana (Milena Smit) a young woman also having a baby and the two women form a friendship. As fate would have it, the hospital has mistakenly switched babies with the two women unknowingly taking each other's infant home. Janis discovers the mistake but keeps it from Ana while the two become momentarily involved in a lesbian relationship. The archaeologist is still on the scene and comes to visit from time to time but Janis keeps her distance. Ana confides in Janis that her baby has died from Sudden Infant Syndrome until the sense of guilt overwhelms Janis and she admits that her baby daughter is, in fact, Ana's child.

Confusing storyline ? It is.  The underlying theme concludes with the excavation of the mass grave containing the remains of prisoners killed during the Spanish Civil War. A dramatic scene of villagers walking along the road carrying large photos of the dead forms part of the final imagery with Janis and Ana and everyone else seemingly reconciled with each other. A happy ending perhaps.

It's a quintessential Almodovar film but Cruz' talent is somewhat wasted on this script with the convoluted relationships. Principal photography provides an attractive image of Madrid and Spain itself but there is a sense of the audience being lectured in the screen writing.

 

COP26 - The United States and China Joint Declaration on Climate Change

As the final hours of negotiation for the COP26 final statement tick down, one of the surprising announcemenst of the past week was the Joint Declaration of the two major emitters and powers, the United States and China on the need for action. Through a 16 paragraph statement, both countries have committed to not only work jointly with each other but to commit to concrete action. The timelines for action oultined including much earlier reduction targets in the 2020s decade, well before 2035 or near the end point of 2050 for near total elimination of carbon emissions.

Amongst the key statements contained in the Declaration is a clear unambiguous recognition of the situation and the need for urgent action -

"The United States and China, alarmed by reports including the Working Group 1 Contribution to the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report released on August 9th, 2021, further recognise the seriousness and urgency of the climate crisis. They are committed to tackling it through their respective accelerated actions in the critical decade of the 2020s, as well as through cooperation in multilateral processes, including the UNFCCC process, to avoid catastrophic impacts"

"The United States and China recall their firm commitment to work together and with other Parties to strengthen implementation of the Paris Agreement. The two sides also recall the Agreement's aim in accordance with Article 2 to hold global average temperature increase to well below 2 degrees C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees C. In that regard, they are committed to pursuing such efforts, including by taking enhanced climate actions that raise ambition in the 2020s in the context of the Paris Agreement, with the aim of keeping the above temperature limit within reach and cooperating to identify and address related challenges and opportunities'"

The Joint Declaration can be accessed at this link:

US State Department: Joint Glasgow Declaration on enhancing climate action in the 2020s

COP26 Glasgow - draft conference decision released - strong on empathy, light on agreed action

The major political leaders have left COP26 and the nitty-gritty negotiations between officials has been progressing. But will there be enough action taken to prevent catastrophic temperature change with all that it entails ? 

The draft CMA statement ('CMA' being the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement) has been released. The current draft over 84 clauses covers topics such as the science for effective climate action, adaptation finance, mitigation, technology transfer and capacity-building for adaptation, loss and damage caused by climate change, implementation, and finally collaboration.

Much of the draft statement has the language of diplomacy, with terms such as 'recognises', 'welcomes', 'reaffirms', 'úrges'  Of note, the draft agreement -

• recognizes that limiting global warming to 1.5 °C by 2100 requires rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions, including reducing global carbon dioxide emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero around mid-century;

• decides to establish a work programme to urgently scale-up mitigation ambition and implementation during the critical decade of the 2020s;
• resolves to move swiftly with the full implementation and delivery of the Paris Agreement.

There are many placeholders in the draft decision demonstrating there are still multiple points to negotiate.

The draft decision can be found at this link: Overarching decision 1-CMA                    

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - Undine

Paula Beer Undine

 
Director and Screenwriter Christian Petzold has used the myth of the water sprite as the basis of the story for this film. Undine (Paula Beer) is a Berlin historian and guide who endures a breakup with her lover Johannes. Oddly she informs him that any betrayal will mean his death and her return to her place in the water. Alas the relationship does breaks down, however Udine meets a professional diver, Christoph and falls into a relationship with him that changes the rules that she follows. Its a meaningful relationship and creates the possibility that Undine will stay on land.  When Christoph is injured in a diving accident and left seemingly brain dead in hospital, Undine restores his life leaving Johannes lifeless in his swimming pool. Undine returns to the water leaving a recovering Christoph frantically searching for her.

In mythology, Undines are a form of elemental beings associated with water and derived from the writing of Paracelsus. The title of this film is drawn from the work of Friedrich del la Motte Fouque titled 'Úndine'. The attraction of love and yearning to live on land underpins the myth of the water sprite. 

The film has dramatic moments but its generally a light romance film with a love story that suggests a possibility, but which ultimately cannot be realised. 

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson

Leah Purcell The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson

Well known indigenous actor, Leah Purcell wrote, directed and acted in this period Australian Western genre film set in 1893 in the alpine country of the Snowy Mountains. 

Purcell has melded a number of themes together - isolation and hardship in the Australian rural backcountry, domestic violence towards women, treatment of the Aboriginal community and the commitment of a mother to her children (which is central to the overall story).  The film is visually atmospheric and plays to the topography of the Australian landscape and its relationship to the lives of the characters. This is recognised in Aboriginal storytelling and Purcell's reimaging of the Henry Lawson classic tale 'The Drover's Wife'. Purcell includes elements of Lawson with the rough hewn house, the bevy of children, the general living conditions and a menacing bullock that arrives one day.

The plot line is centred on Molly Johnson (Leah Purcell) who lives on an isolated farm with her young children while her drover husband is away for months at a time herding sheep flocks. Molly struggles to care for her young family and on a chance encounter with the newly arrived Sergeant of the constabulary, Nate Clintoff (Sam Reid) and his wife, she sends most of her children to town to the care of a charitable woman.

All is not what it seems and when the Sergeant learns from a droving team that Molly 's husband has not been seen for some time, he begins to suspect that something else has happened. The situation is further complicated by an escaped Aboriginal man, Yadaka (Rob Collins) wanted for murder who arrives at Molly's farm as he journeys to a hideout.  

There are a few jarring elements in this film. The dialogue is a mix of modern expressions and the formal verbal language of the 19th Century; the local frontier town has characteristics more akin the American West than the Australian version of the same; Molly has a loaded rifle at the ready be it needed for beast or human and is perhaps too gun totting; and there are more than a few cliched scenes in the film. The Drover's Wife was a personal project for Leah Purcell and took some years to bring to completion. 

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - Quo Vadis Aida

Jasna Duricic and Johan Heldenbergh Quo Vadis Aida

 
It's 26 years since the Bosnian war, yet for many people living in the former Yugoslavia, the impact of this conflict remains ever present. Film maker, Jasmila Zbanic has tackled the horror of the war crimes committed at the supposedly UN safe haven zone of Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces in this high production value film.   

The story is set in  July 1995 and centres around UN translator Aida (Jasna Duricic) as she seeks to provide shelter for her family at the UN peacekeeper base as the Serbian army overuns Srebrenica. 30,000 terrified people crowd around the perimeter of the UN base as they are encircled by the hostile, menacing Serbs. As the UN translator she becomes aware that the Serbian army has no intention of respecting the UN ultimatums which are little more than hollow rhetoric. Her increasingly desperate efforts to save her husband and two sons form the core of this film and the now documented duplicity of the Serbian army particularly General Radko Mladic are a central theme. The helplessness of the Dutch peacekeepers and their abandonment by the UN is as poignant as Aida's despair.

This film deservedly was nominated for an Academy Award and has high production values with a large capable cast, significant military assets (tanks, armoured cars, military vehicles) for effect and effective photography. Not surprisingly there is no happy ending for Aida as indeed there was none at Srebrenica.

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - Film Review - The Power of the Dog

Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the Dog

 
Producer/Director/Screenwriter Jane Campion has returned to film making after a long absence with this dark Western period piece thriller set in Montana (but filmed in New Zealand) in the year 1925. With a key cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee with superb cinematography, Campion demonstrates again her skill in this genre. She won Best Director at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 for this film.

The plot contains elements of hyper male masculinity, dark brooding menace and harsh conditions on a ranch run the Burbank brothers Phil (Cumberbatch) and George (Pelmons). George is quiet and calm while his brother Phil is charismatic, muscular and bullying of those he deems inferior. Enter into this mix is the widowed restaurant-owner Rose (Dunst) and her sensitive son, Peter (Smit-McPhee). When George marries Rose and she joins the household her quiet manner enrages Phil who reacts with his  brooding and often aggressive manner.  His behaviour increasingly depresses the gentle Rose leading to her growing dependence on alcohol. The tension builds between the characters as George tries establish a more peaceful environment for his wife and step son while Phil seeks to sabotage his efforts.

Campion has positioned the protagonists expertly in this story and when the conflict reaches its climax and then end point, it is through the most unexpected method of intervention from the least obvious character.  Much of the production and technical staff of this film are Australian and this proficiency contributes to a quality production.

Sydney Film Festival 2021 - screening in a COVID world

 
After several false starts for 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sydney Film Festival has managed to return to live screenings at multiple venues with strict COVID safe planning.  This is good news for both cinema enthusiasts and the wider film industry which has had to operate under severe disruptions as the pandemic has moved across the world. The impact and efficacy of vaccines has been the game changer for all large gatherings of people particularly for indoor settings.

The festival has been scrupulous in managing the risk of COVID: seating has been reduced in venues by 25%, all attendees must have been double vaccinated and show their certificates on entry to the venues, QR code check-in is required and face masks must be worn in the venues and throughout the screenings. Breaks between films have been increased to 1 hour and 15 minutes to enable on-site cleaning and attendees must leave the cinemas and re-enter when permitted.  

This is the reality of daily life under COVID-19. The number of films has been reduced in order to enable the necessary controls to be in place but nonetheless on each of the days of the festival between 10 and 14 venues are screening one or more films. In itself, enabling the festival to occur is a major achievement.                                                    

IPCC 6th Assessment Report - the magnitude of the crisis defined

 

The 6th Assessment Report from the IPCC makes for sobering reading and was issued prior to COP26 in Glasgow.  In summary, the report has found that:

• Human induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones has strengthened since the 5th Assessment Report.
• Global surface temperatures will continue to increase until at least mid-century under all emission scenarios considered. Global warming of 1.5C and 2C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2)  and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
• Under scenarios with increasing CO2 emissions, the ocean and land carbon sinks are projected to be less effective at slowing the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere.
• Continued global warming is projected to further intensify the global water cycle including its variability, global monsoon precipitation and the severity of wet and dry events.
• With further global warming, every region is projected to increasingly experience concurrent and multiple changes in climatic impact-drivers.
• Low-likelihood outcomes such as ice sheet collapse, abrupt ocean circulation changes, some compound extreme events and warming substantially larger than the assessed 'very likely' range cannot be ruled out.
• Strong rapid and sustained reduction in CH4 (methane) would also limit the warming effect resulting from declining aerosol pollution and would improve air quality.

The report now finds that serious climate impacts that previously were thought to be less likely, are now considered to be possible due to the accelerated increase in global warming. 

The report can be accessed at this link: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report

COP26 Glasgow - reigning in climate change - can it be done ?

COP26 commences on 31 October 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland and concludes on Friday 12 November. But will it achieve the necessary agreement from all the members of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to reduce carbon emissions? This is the 26th meeting and while some progress has been achieved over the years, the target date of zero emissions by 2050 will be too little, too late. Significant reduction is needed much earlier than 29 years into the future and more likely by as early as 2030.

Link to:  COP 26 Glasgow website 

Climate change - Australian business continues action where the Australian Government fears to tread

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The launch this week of the  Australian chapter of the Climate Governance Initiative Network by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) continues the now established trend of business action to address climate change. Major corporations, industry peak bodies, central banks, government regulators to name a few, have all accepted the science behind climate change, albeit almost too late. This definitive recognition contrasts with the Australian Government which continues to operate with the ponderously slow objective of reducing carbon emissions by 2050.
 

The Climate Governance Initiative Network has been developed "due to the urgent need to address the climate emergency and requires government and business to accelerate the transition to a new economic model which seeks to limit global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, consistent with the 2018 recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)" 

The network operates by supporting groups of directors around the world to form networks, known as Chapters. The core mission of these chapters is to promote the implementation of the 'Principles for Effective Climate Governance' published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). 

Information about the network can be found at this link: Climate Governance Initiative Network

The World Economic Forum's (WEF) position is well described in the opening comments in the Forum's guidance to company boards -

"The links between climate change and business are becoming increasingly evident and inextricable. Business decisions and actions will slow or accelerate climate change, and climate change will drive risks and opportunities for business. Increasingly, board directors are expected to ensure that climate-related risks and opportunities are appropriately addressed. However, limited practical guidance is available to help board directors understand their role in addressing these risks and opportunities...  good governance should intrinsically include effective climate governance'

A resource for boards on the Climate Governance Principles by the WEF can be found at this link:

World Economic Forum - Creating effective climate governance on corporate boards

The question immediately arises is to whether this objective is already too little, too late. The newly released report by the IPCC has found climate change is already underway and limiting a temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees Celsius is now impossible. The challenge is now to prevent the situation getting any worse and adapting to the inevitable difficult environmental conditions already evident.

Chocolate - the names that helped forge the tastes

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We all have seen the brands but what do we know of the people behind the names ? Did you know for example that Rowntrees and Cadburys were founded by Quakers ? Some of the unusual backgrounds to several of the chocolatiers are shown in the following list -

Baker 

Now owned by conglomerate Kraft Heinz, the company was founded in 1765 by John Hannon, an Irish Chocolatier. It was taken over by his partner Dr James Baker after Hannon never returned from sailing in the Carribean Sea where he had been destined for the West Indies searching for new supplies of cocoa beans.

 

Billy Blue

An English chocolatier, Billy Blue had a colourful and eventful life being variously soldier, chocolatier, convict, boatmaster to name a few occupations. Sentenced to 7 years transportation in Australia for stealing sugar for his chocolate factory, Billy Blue made his fortune in Sydney, NSW Australia but never returned to chocolate making.

John Cadbury

John Cadbury from Birmingham, United Kingdom, started with a tea and coffee shop selling cocoa as a side line. The taste for cocoa however overtook selling tea and coffee thus with his brother, Benjamin, Cadbury Brothers was established in 1824. A Quaker, Cadbury had a strong social conscience, a characteristic shared with other chocolatiers such as Hershey in the United States, Meiner in France and Suchard in Switzerland. 

Hershey

Milton Hershey another Quaker mixed being a chocolatier with being a social reformer. His rich dark Hershey bars dominated American tastes for decades and remain a favourite today. Hershey built a model town for his employees called Hersheyville and notably none of his employees lost their jobs during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Notably he commented ' caramels are a fad, chocolate is permanent'.

 

Lindt

Lindt was an eccentric aristocrat who developed the conching process for chocolate however the Lindt process was purchased by David Sprungli-Schwarz who opened his own chocolate factory in 1899. The Sprungli family have run the business ever since retaining the Lindt name.

  

Mars

Mars is very much a family affair with Forrest Mars following his father's footsteps and travelling to Slough, England to start his chocolate business. His father, Frank C Mars was a Chicago based confectioner who created the Milky Way so Forrest Mars using this recipe created the almost ubiquitous 'Mars Bar' in 1932.

 

Nestle

Milk chocolate originates from completely different purpose. In 1867, Henri Nestle, a chemist, was originally engaged in research for a milk substitute for babies allergic to their mother's milk. The result was sweet condensed milk which garnered the attention of Swiss chocolatier, Daniel Peter. Together with Nestle they developed the first milk chocolate with their respective companies merging in 1879. Nestle is now a global chocolate with a recipe that is adjusted from country to country to suit different tastes.

  

Terry's of York

In 1767 Joseph Terry started producing sugar confectionery during the reign of George III but at this time chocolate tended to be a beverage for drinking rather than eating. When the change came, Terry's pioneered the boxed chocolate assortment. 

Bon appetite ! 

Chocolate - food of the Gods - the basic facts

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Chocolate - what is it and where does it come from ?  In summary -

• chocolate is derived from the cocoa bean grown on the cocoa tree.
• the cocoa tree requires intense heat and moisture found in climates located around 20 degrees North and South of the Equator. Too much direct sunlight and wind however is detrimental hence a level of shade is also needed for the tree to thrive. This is usually achieved through the use of an umbrella tree or mother tree that is used to provide such cover (Note climate change with increased temperatures may well effect this essential human food luxury).
• there are two basic beans that are cultivated and from which various hybrids are derived: Criollos and Forasteros.
• Criollos are recognised for their concentrated flavour, are thinner skinned and grow predominantly in Java,Samoa, Venezuela, Sri Lanka and Madagascar.
• Forasteros are often used as a base bean mix, have less flavour, grow in thick walled pods and are mainly found in West Africa and Brazil. 
• Cocoa trees produce a waxy pinkish-white blossom which in turn produces pods. During harvesting the pods are cracked open to extract twenty to thirty seeds in a bed of white pulp. 
• A period of fermentation around slightly more than a week, is used to remove the bitter acid taste and the white pulp, followed by drying either through the natural sun or through large scale hot air blowers.
• the beans are then transported for commencement of the manufacturing process -in short order: careful roasting of beans, thence the nibbing machine (breaking the husk off to reveal the 'nib' or raw chocolate), grinding the nib to produce cocoa butter and the a brown powder which is pure cocoa. It is the pure cocoa powder which is the base of chocolate.
• the cocoa butter is then reintroduced in varying levels depending on the product being developed.  Cocoa butter is only used in small amounts for baking chocolate and larger amounts for chocolate for direct human consumption.

From this point onwards the chocolatiers have experimented to provide the many taste sensations which have made this one of the world's arguably most recognised cross cultural, cross border culinary experiences.

A rise of 3 Degrees Celsius - the impact on Australia

In March this year, the Australian Academy of Science issued a stark warning on the future of this country if global warming is not actively slowed and ultimately stopped. The Academy's report charts both proven existing impacts and the effects of modelled temperature increases. The situation could not be more starkly or clearly demonstrated by the findings of the Academy which included -

Temperature rising

• the total emission reduction current pledged by the Australian and international government through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement, even if implemented on time will translate as an average global surface temperatures of 3 degrees Celsius (C) or more.
• the planet is well on its way to devastating climate change with average surface temperatures being at 1.1 degrees C above the pre-industrial period. Australia has had a worse outcome with warming on average by 1.4 degrees C.
• limiting climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius in now virtually impossible.

Ecosystems

• land-based environments have been affected by drought, fire, extreme heatwaves, invasive species and disease, large scale mortality of trees, birds and tree-dwelling mammals
• rising sea levels are amplifying storm impacts damaging coastal ecosystems such as coral reefs and mangrove forests.

Australian agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food security

• reduced water availability and heat stress have contributed to reductions in profitability for broadacre crops such as wheat and barley in the magnitude of up to 22% since 2000.
• heat stress is a significant issue for livestock systems due to impacts on animal welfare, reproduction and production. Projected temperature and humidity changes suggest an increased number of heat stress days per year. 
• forestry is facing growing pressure from a warming and drying climate with increased fire risks, changes in rainfall patterns and species-specific pest impacts.

Australian cities and towns

• with close to 90% of Australians living in cities and towns, climate change experience will be manifested in various ways. 
• extreme heat wave conditions, bushfires and storms already place pressure on power stations and infrastructure while simultaneously increasing demand for energy supply for air conditioning.
• global sea level rises are already occuring and pose a severe risk to properties infrastructure and ecosystems with coastal flooding becoming a more regular feature. 160,000 to 250,000 coastal properties will be at risk with a rise of 1 metre in sea levels. 
• climate sensitive infectious diseases such as Ross River fever and other vector borne diseases shift their geographical distribution and intensity of transmission. This will only increase as climate change increases to above 2 degrees C.

The Academy's report provides sober reading and a reality check for those who believe that its only a question of avoiding a 1.5C temperature impact to avoid climate change. The climate crisis has already commenced - the only viable objective is to prevent it becoming worse.

The full report can be accessed at: Risks to Australia: three degrees Celsius

COP26 Glasgow - ongoing optimism but what's the reality ?

The 26th Meeting of the UN Climate Change Council of the Parties (COP) Conference will be held in Glasgow, Scotland between the 31st October to the 12 November 2021. Co-hosted with Italy, this COP was delayed due to COVID-19. The Conference brings together world leaders and negotiators to monitor progress against the existing Paris Agreement and seek a common way forward with reducing the threat caused by climate change. But how effective will COP26 be, compared to the previous conferences ?

COP26 has 4 stated primary objectives -

1. Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
3. Mobilise finance
4. Work together to deliver

Participating countries have been asked to bring forward ambitious 2030 emission targets that align with reaching net zero by around 2050. To reach this outcome, countries are being asked to accelerate the phase out of coal, curtail deforestation, speed up the switch to electric vehicles and encourage investment in renewables. While these are all essential steps to take, several countries will still need time to manage the transition particularly ending reliance on coal and  switching to electric vehicles.

Australia regretably lags well behind on almost all of these actions with the exception of investment in renewable energy generation that has increased over the past few years. Electric vehicle promotion has been largely managed by private organisations rather than government and remains woefully inadequate.

The Conference is also seeking to take steps to enable the protection and restoration of ecosystems affected by climate change; build defences, warning systems; and resilient infrastructure and agriculture. These are tall orders for mitigating the effects of the very drastic weather events now taking place across many parts of the planet. Agriculture, for example, may need to adapt with new food crops such as ancient grains in order to be sustainable.

Developed countries are expected to make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020. It will be interesting to see if this has occured with the impact of COVID-19 still affecting many parts of the world including the developed countries. COP26 is also seeking to finalise the Paris Rulebook that provides the detailed requirements to make the Paris Agreement operational.

Lofty ideals and good intentions. COP26 has the right messages but with the evidence building that a 1.5C increase in temperature is now inevitable, the actions will need to be faster than the rhetoric.

Link to the website: COP26 Glasgow

The Archibald Prize for portrait painting - 100 years and still going strong

2021 Winner: Guy Warren at 100 painted by Peter Wegner

The perennial public favourite in the visual arts, the Archibald Prize for portrait painting has opened at the Art Gallery Of NSW with the prize itself reaching its 100 year milestone. This year some 52 paintings were selected as finalists from the 938 entries. The 'Árchies' as they are affectionately known, are always perceived as a bit of entertainment as much from seeing which artists are selected to be exhibited as to whom they chose to be the sitters and subjects of their work.

The somewhat sentimental winner is a portrait by Peter Wegner of Guy Warren who turned 100 this year in a coincidental symmetry with the anniversary of the prize. Warren won the 1985 Archibald prize for his portrait of artist/sculptor Bert Flugelman and has been featured seven times in the Archibald exhibition.

This year there are a number of first time finalists as well as many established names such as Kate Beynon, Natasha Bieniek, Jun Chen, Lucy Culliton, Tsering Hannaford, Richard Lewer, Fiona Lowry, Mathew Lynn, Euan Macleod, Thom Roberts, William Mackinnon and Nick Stathopoulos.

The subjects chosen are varied with portraits of artists such as Gareth Sansom, Joe Furlonger and Del Kathryn Barton; art dealers and collectors such as Stuart Purves and Liz Laverty and a smattering of public figures such as COVID public health professional, Professor Raina Macintyre, NSW Governor Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC QC, journalist Kerrie O'Brien, Australian of the Year Grace Tame, actor Rachel Griffiths to name a few. Portraits of politicians are largely absent.

Along with the Archibald Prize there is also the Wynne Prize for landscape painting or figurative sculpture. This year the finalists include a strong presence of indigenous artists reflecting their increasing engagement for this prize in particular, which resonates with their connection to the Australian landscape.  This year's entries maintain their use of large canvasses with vivid colours capturing either a mix of myths from country or direct representation of fauna or features of the land.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman prize exhibitions run from 5 June to 26 September 2021 at the Art Gallery of NSW

Chocolate - a short history

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Chocolate, a vice for some, a special treat for others. Described by Swedish botanist, Carolus Linnaeus as the "food of the Gods" (Linneaus gave the cacao tree its  formal botanical name 'Theobroma Cacao'), chocolate has travelled across the world in many forms since the 16th Century. A short history is summarised -

• In 1502 Columbus returned to Spain from the Americas with the cocoa bean. Unfortunately Ferdinand of Spain was unimpressed (and Columbus had been something of a nuisance to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain in any case so there was even less interest)

• Years later in 1517 Conquistador Hernan Cortes and his expedition come into contact with the cocoa bean with the Aztecs and their Emperor, Montezuma. Cortes establishes cocoa bean crops in Spanish territories in Africa and the West Indies with the bean arriving in Austria and Italy.

• Anne of Austria and Louis XIII of France are married in 1615 and Anne brings her love of chocolate to France.

• Chocolate drinking is promoted  in London through public advertisements in 1657 with special Chocolate Houses becoming preferred places instead of the then popular Tea Houses. Chocolate continues to gain popularity throughout Europe.

• In England, Dr Joseph Fry establishes the first large-scale manufacturing enterprise using steam engines that grind beans in 1795. The Industrial Revolution enables larger production volumes to be achieved.   

• C J Van Houten in Amsterdam in 1828 discovers how to extract cocoa butter from the cocoa bean producing a smooth dry powder. He also invents a machine which chemically adjusts the natural acid of the bean through alkalines.

• The 1870s see Daniel Peter of Nestle creating milk chocolate bu adding condensed milk into the production process. Randolph Lindt develops a process of heating chocolate dough and then using rolling through the chocolate creating a liquid form still in use today.

Chocolate has been with us for over 500 years with a world-wide following crossing borders and cultures.

Sydney's temperatures and increased heat from climate change

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Extreme weather events have focussed attention on the effect of temperature in large urban centres. None more so than for cities that have large built-up precincts and are subject to urban overheating.

Urban overheating can be caused by multiple factors including building materials (which absorb rather than diffuse solar radiation), human activity and air pollution, dense closed-in areas with little vegetation and few open areas to name a few.  

Research from the University of NSW has found that the mean daily maximum temperature was between 8 and 10.5 degrees Celsius hotter in Western Sydney than the Central Business District (CBD) of the city. Western Sydney was measured as being 20 to 50 kilometres inland.

For the inner suburbs of Sydney, located 8 to 12 kilometres inland from the CBD, the temperature variation was 5 to 6.5 degrees Celsius.  

One reason that has been proposed for this significant heat variation is the proximity of the Sydney CBD to the ocean with coastal breezes cooling the  inner city but unable to penetrate further inland.

Global warming - the other Greenhouse gases

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Most of the public discussion and policy focus is rightly concentrated on carbon dioxide emissions however sight should not be lost on the other Greenhouse Gases (GHG) that are also being emitted in smaller quantities and which do pack a sizeable environmental punch.

ANZAC Day - 25 April 2021

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ANZAC Day and the sacrifice of the servicemen and women in time of war and conflict becomes momentarily, centre-stage. According to the Australian War Memorial, a total of 102,911 Australians have lost their lives as a result of service with Australian units since 1885. The range of wars, police actions, regional conflicts and disaster recovery is diverse in scale and duration as demonstrated below. The dates of the conflicts and actions are adjusted as many service personal died later as a result of their injuries or as a result of post war reconstruction activities such as occupation forces or mine and ordinance clearance.

Conflict	Dates	Mortalities
Sudan	1885	9
South Africa	1899-1902	589
China	1900-1901	6
First World War	1914-1921	61,605
Second World War	1939-1947	39,654
Australia: bomb removal Japan – Occupation force	1947-1950 1947-1952	4 3
Papua and New Guinea	1947-1975	13
Middle East (UNSTO)	1948	1
Berlin Airlift	1948-1949	1
Malayan Emergency	1948-1960	39
Kashmir – UN observer	1948-1985	1
Korean War	1950-1953	340
Malta	1952-1955	3
Korean War – Armistice	1953-1957	16
Southeast Asia (SEATO)	1955-1975	10
Indonesian Confrontation	1962-1966	22
Malayan Peninsula	1964-1966	2
Vietnam War	1962-1975	521
Thailand	1965-1968	2
Irian Jaya	1976-1981	1
Western Sahara (MINURSO)	1991-1994	1
Somalia	1992-1994	1
Bougainville	1997-2003	1
East Timor	1997-2003	4
Afghanistan	2001 - present	43
Iraq	2003-2013	4
Solomon Island (RAMSI)	2003-2013	1
Indonesia (Sumatra Assist)	2005	9
Fiji	2006	2

Lest we forget