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Uncle Duster's Little Puckers
Old Duster has had his fair share of runins with authority over the years, that's for sure: I stand up for what I believe in, often fighting the good fight. Like back in '89 when I ran afoul of my council after setting up a breeding pen for Pug-Cocker Spaniel crosses, 'Puckers', in my back garden. Adorable little Puckers they were too, just quietly, the apple of Duster's (glass) eye.
However, much to Duster's dismay not everyone felt this way and the ire of the local administration was raised after the crafty Puckers staged a jail-break, turning up hither and thither in all corners of the neighbourhood. So it was, the heavy hand of the council came down upon me, decreeing my innocent little side-earner an illegal activity as it was being conducted from a residential property.
Not on my watch! I told the council in no uncertain terms that there was no way known it would get its bureaucratic hands on my blessed Puckers. Sure they, incorrigible Puckers that they were, made a racket every now and then, tearing up the garden beds, happily chasing their wagging tails and each other, but it was Duster's property and, besides, blasting a couple of rounds of my single-stroke pneumatic air gun into the sky got the attention of any dissident little Puckers pretty quickly.
Yep, the Puckers fell into line quick smart when Duster laid down the law. Further, I informed the council, I'd received no complaints from my neighbours, who were all far enough away not to be affected by any noise, and told them straight up that the innocent Puckers were causing no harm to their surroundings.
Duster sees something of a parallel with the current CSG debate. CSG has been a boom industry for Queensland, providing jobs, investment and other opportunities for local communities, not to mention unlocking vast and valuable reserves of previously inaccessible energy. It's less carbon intensive than coal-fired generation - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh recently noted the CSIRO's 1995 findings that emissions from CSG are 50–70% less than coalfired generation - however, there are still some who persist in questioning the hard science. This rankles Duster as it is a case of the actions of a few frustrating the majority.
Indeed, Duster notes APPEA has warned about 'career campaigners' who have been 'lured to the anti-CSG bandwagon and its fundraising potential'. The government is, quite rightly, warning communities to scrutinise the motives of these operators and to consider all the available information. Indeed, with all the disinformation floating around, I'd imagine the authorities must find themselves wondering what to do with these anti-fracking Puckers.
APPEA has said: "We would encourage all people in this debate to fully disclose who and what they actually represent, because it is becoming quite clear that a range of career campaigners have been lured to the anti-CSG bandwagon and its fundraising potential.
People in local communities would do well to scrutinise the motives of those who seek to speak on their behalf."
In turn, APPEA's kicked off, launching its 'We Want CSG' campaign and website to match: www.wewantcsg.com. Bloody right! We've got a real barney on our hands here folks, and it's an important issue to resolve. Broadly speaking, in the red corner we've got the CSG industry, fronted by APPEA, and in the blue, we've got the anti-CSG crowd, consisting of the Greens and a number of activist groups. The debate is being played out in the media, with an intensifying storm of contradictory information, lightning strikes of detonative polemic, packaged in sound-bites on our nightly news and brought to us over breakfast via our morning newspapers.
Now, Duster's opinions on this debate are a matter for the record. The science is in as far as I'm concerned and industry should be allowed to get on with its business unhindered. That said, this is an issue that won't die quickly and Duster expects a few twists and turns in the debate yet to come.
As for my own excitable Puckers, much to the council's relief I eventually got rid of them. They'd eaten old Duster out of house and home, and in the end were far more trouble than they were worth. I got a good price for them, too, selling the plump little Puckers to a Korean restauranteur who cheerfully assured me they were going to a good home.
