Comments on: Drop Bears http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/ Two lawyers and a larrikin on life, law and liberty. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:04:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: jc http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48816 jc Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:21:42 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48816 Conrad: The trees these critters eat have been sent to California as the freaking things don't need much water and the song popular in the 70's (?) is true. " it never rains in california"... :-) These critters are gone because of other reasons, but it ain't climate change. Conrad:

The trees these critters eat have been sent to California as the freaking things don’t need much water and the song popular in the 70’s (?) is true. ” it never rains in california”… :-)

These critters are gone because of other reasons, but it ain’t climate change.

]]> By: conrad http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48792 conrad Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:21:30 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48792 JC, I was just talking about the centre as the place where info is. I wouldn't have the foggiest about koalas living there. They just have some nice info there which shows that once upon a time, koalas were all over the place, but now they're not due to climate change over the millenia. This of course isn't surprising, since most of the places they have disappeared most big tree have too. I imagine the density of trees is also important, so if there arn't enough trees, they simply die out. That is of course a likely consequence of climate change. JC,

I was just talking about the centre as the place where info is. I wouldn’t have the foggiest about koalas living there. They just have some nice info there which shows that once upon a time, koalas were all over the place, but now they’re not due to climate change over the millenia. This of course isn’t surprising, since most of the places they have disappeared most big tree have too. I imagine the density of trees is also important, so if there arn’t enough trees, they simply die out. That is of course a likely consequence of climate change.

]]> By: Dave Bath http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48780 Dave Bath Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:11:52 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48780 I don't know about those islands, but the Otways of my youth, where I'd see koalas, are much diminished for mere woodchips, and whether from water stress or saltier ground, outside that forest, I see dieback, tress living but with gnarled brown fingers at the top, previously covered in leaves. Also, failure to manage koala populations in has lead in some isolated green pockets to starvation. Chlam is a sneaky infection, especially in females, "silent" until infertility and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease result. It's even more silent in chronically infected males - with the men silent about occasional symptoms. I'm actually hoping that the problem in koalas raises awareness - I suspect that incidence in koalas is known more accurately than that in humans (the estimate is that at least a third of infections remain undiagnosed - but there are huge known unknowns, and reinfection from untreated partners seems sadly common). I don’t know about those islands, but the Otways of my youth, where I’d see koalas, are much diminished for mere woodchips, and whether from water stress or saltier ground, outside that forest, I see dieback, tress living but with gnarled brown fingers at the top, previously covered in leaves.

Also, failure to manage koala populations in has lead in some isolated green pockets to starvation.

Chlam is a sneaky infection, especially in females, “silent” until infertility and chronic pelvic inflammatory disease result. It’s even more silent in chronically infected males – with the men silent about occasional symptoms. I’m actually hoping that the problem in koalas raises awareness – I suspect that incidence in koalas is known more accurately than that in humans (the estimate is that at least a third of infections remain undiagnosed – but there are huge known unknowns, and reinfection from untreated partners seems sadly common).

]]> By: jc http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48771 jc Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:04:20 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48771 Phillip Island forms part of Gippsland and although the region also suffered drought at times it was nowhere near the severity elsewhere. In fact it was an oasis in comparison to North west Victoria. How has "climate change' caused the collapse of the Bears in Phillip Island when their food supply was essentially unaffected? Phillip Island forms part of Gippsland and although the region also suffered drought at times it was nowhere near the severity elsewhere. In fact it was an oasis in comparison to North west Victoria.

How has “climate change’ caused the collapse of the Bears in Phillip Island when their food supply was essentially unaffected?

]]> By: Theodora Brown http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48768 Theodora Brown Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:49:26 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48768 There's a Koala Conservation Centre on Philip Island. http://www.penguins.org.au There was, at one stage, a very large colony of koalas on French Island so it probably wasn't very far to move them for the greater convenience of the tourists coming down to see the penguins ... There’s a Koala Conservation Centre on Philip Island. http://www.penguins.org.au
There was, at one stage, a very large colony of koalas on French Island so it probably wasn’t very far to move them for the greater convenience of the tourists coming down to see the penguins …

]]> By: jc http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48762 jc Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:29:08 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48762 <i>Well, there you go, just because I generally dislike Hamilton doesn’t mean that he’s all bad, or totally without a sense of humour</i> I honestly couldn't imagine Hives breaking into a laugh or making other people laugh as he has far too much to worry about in terms of saving the world. (some would say saving the world from hives, but of course I wouldn't) :-) Well, there you go, just because I generally dislike Hamilton doesn’t mean that he’s all bad, or totally without a sense of humour

I honestly couldn’t imagine Hives breaking into a laugh or making other people laugh as he has far too much to worry about in terms of saving the world.

(some would say saving the world from hives, but of course I wouldn’t) :-)

]]> By: jc http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48761 jc Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:27:06 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48761 Conrad: Phillip Island didn't suffer a big drought? I know this factually. You dudes are simply making this shit up as you go along, aren't you. How do you know Phillip Island was so dry it couldn't sustain trees that take in little water? Conrad:

Phillip Island didn’t suffer a big drought? I know this factually.

You dudes are simply making this shit up as you go along, aren’t you.

How do you know Phillip Island was so dry it couldn’t sustain trees that take in little water?

]]> By: conrad http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48758 conrad Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:54:15 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48758 "From what I understand Eucalyptus trees are also reasonably drought resistant too. So what gives?" . Actually, if you look at the history of koalas (they have it at the Phillip Island centre where they breed (?) them), they were once much more dispersed. However, as the climate changed, and Australia got drier, they died out in many areas. Thus it isn't surprising that if Australia is getting drier, they are dieing out in more areas. “From what I understand Eucalyptus trees are also reasonably drought resistant too. So what gives?”
.
Actually, if you look at the history of koalas (they have it at the Phillip Island centre where they breed (?) them), they were once much more dispersed. However, as the climate changed, and Australia got drier, they died out in many areas. Thus it isn’t surprising that if Australia is getting drier, they are dieing out in more areas.

]]> By: melaleuca http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48753 melaleuca Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:34:00 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48753 I was bucketing water to this winter/early spring's'plantings from 6pm to 4am this morning. My arms and legs are aching, my eyes are bloodshot and I've got at least 20 self-induced scratches from fending off hungry mossies. It simply isn't supposed to be this hot at this time of year!!!!!!! I was bucketing water to this winter/early spring’s’plantings from 6pm to 4am this morning. My arms and legs are aching, my eyes are bloodshot and I’ve got at least 20 self-induced scratches from fending off hungry mossies. It simply isn’t supposed to be this hot at this time of year!!!!!!!

]]> By: Legal Eagle http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2009/11/12/drop-bears/comment-page-1/#comment-48751 Legal Eagle Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:17:47 +0000 http://skepticlawyer.com.au/?p=3016#comment-48751 Well, there you go, just because I generally dislike Hamilton doesn't mean that he's all bad, or totally without a sense of humour... :-P Well, there you go, just because I generally dislike Hamilton doesn’t mean that he’s all bad, or totally without a sense of humour… :-P

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