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Magda Szubanski attacks cyclists on beach Road for being on the road, wearing lycra to cafe’s and suggests to open car doors in front of cyclists, ignorance only fuels anger towards cyclists.

What a shame that a person of such high media prominance goes off about cyclists getting off Beach Road when we should be encouraging people to cycle to stay fit and healthy. With our radio shock jocks spreading anti bike sediment, providing additional material for the public to consume against cyclists goes against the work from Bicycle Victoria and The Amy Gillett Foundation to promote bicycle awareness and safety.

This is very surprising behavior from Magda given she was on the receiving end of inappropriate comments about comparing her ability to lose weight to a concentration camp from a Melbourne Radio announcer called Kyle Sandilands.

I good friend of mine was intentionally run over by a motorist and barely escaped death with rehabilitation to walk again taking more than 4 months. With Melboune’s traffic congestion reaching an all time high, people should be encouraged to use the bike whether for recreational or transportation purposes.

When need to look at cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen that have fantastic bicycle infrastructure and road user awareness that respects cyclists.

Fortunately Magda Szubanski has apologised for her attacks on cyclists using beach Road.

A WWF report suggests that the UK reduce their meat consumption to meet emissions targets . The report titled Livestock Consumption and Climate change commissioned by the WWF and produced by the Food Ethics Council (FEC) acknowledges the efforts currently being undertaken by the livestock industry but goes further in making suggestions.

The World Wild Life fund have found that reducing certain types of livestock will not only be more sustainable but will help meet emission targets. Part of the report is making foods that produce higher emissions to be more expensive.

Some of the measures include:
1.Encouraging people eat quality meat over quantity.
2.Restricting the advertising of livestock products that leave a large environmental footprint or emit higher levcels of CO2.
3.Working with the hospitality industry to educate and change the menu
4.Introduce a tax based emissions

The report ‘Livestock Consumption and Climate Change: A Framework for Dialogue’, was commissioned from the FEC as part of WWF’s One Planet Food programme.

While there are many groups that benefit directly and indirectly from the meat industry, this latest report is a positive step forward for the UK to reduce meat consumption to meet emissions targets.

A leaked document purports that beverage companies are using scare tactics to reduce the consumption of tap water and increase the sales of bottled water.

Apparently some people from a PR company working with the Natural Hydration Council contacted a Scottish newspaper with information E Coli contamination in the water supply.
The Natural Hydration Council (NHC) whose founding members are , yes you guess it companies who would benefit from increased bottled water consumption, Danone Waters (UK & Ireland) Ltd, Nestlé Waters UK Ltd and Highland Spring Ltd.
They also have a sister website about You ought to drink more water, well that’s great but what is the home page cover shot promoting, general water consumption?

There premise is to effectively finds ways to help promote the consumption of bottled water siting environmental, health and other sustainable benefits so consumers can make informed decisions.
It would be intersting to see how extensive and objective there research is regarding the benefits of drinking tap.

I find this very strange stating an environmental benefit when the oil consumption for producing bottled water (excluding the transportation) is 17 million barrels or 3.5 days of the US’s daily oil consumption (4,950 ,000 barrels/day)

Selling bottled water is one the 20th centuries great strokes of marketing genuis, apart from created a multi billion dollar market that was non existent 25 years ago, we are encouraged to drink water constantly like we are walking in the Sahara desert without shade. “Quick Bob, don’t forget to take some water with you if you’re walking around for 30 minutes, you may get dehydrated” Although this sounds silly drinking water on the go is thoroughly encouraged.

Check out a great slide presentation of Why we shouldn’t drink bottled water.

So next time you reach for the wallet, have a think about what these beverage companies are doing to reduce the consumption of tap water.

Yarra Council has introduces a new Personal Trainer Local Law for commercial fitness operators operating in parks across Abbotsford, Clifton Hill, Fairfield, Fitzroy North, Fitzroy, Richmond, Carlton North and Richmond.
Further details can be viewed in our Yarra Council personal trainer permit update.

It’s great to see that after getting an exceptional response from the public, the media and commercial fitness operators we now have a much need local law for any personal Trainer or commercial fitness operators in the City of Yarra.

The alcopops tax passed through the senate with a resulting 70% increase in the tax, distillers will introduce alcohol labeling laws by the end of the year.

With the government reviewing a multitude of the Food & beverage industries it is interesting to see the voluntary initiatives being introduced by the Confectionery, Fast Food and now the liquor industry.

While the alcoholic beverages sees the writing on the wall with tougher regulations on the horizon. Like the fast food industry, the distillers are taxing a pro active approach before the government introduces there own legislation.

The Distilled Spirits Industry Council of Australia Inc (DSICA) are introducing labeling to feature the message “Is your drinking harming yourself and others?”
The question is whether the impact of this type of label is as effective as the current cigarette labeling. Will a 16 year old say “Hey Dude, better stop drinking as this is not only causing irreputable damage to my brain cells & kidneys but also affecting my friends”?

With a Government Senate enquiry into the Ready to drink alcohol beverages from June 2008 showed some disturbing figured regarding the consumption of pre mixed drinks for both male and females in the 12-19 year old age group.

To put the RTD or ready to drink market into perspective according to this Senate enquiry, RTDs increased from three per cent of total alcohol sales of $942 million in 1997 to 15 per cent of total sales of $5134 million in 2006 or a massive increase of 450%.

The interesting point is that a standard drink is only 1.5 RTD cans/bottles or no more than 4 standard drinks on an average day – and never more than 6 per day.
No more than two standard drinks in the first hour and one per hour after that.
For women No more than 2 standard drinks on an average day – and never more than 4 per day. No more than one standard drink per hour

So with so much at stake, it is well worth protecting this market before the government introduces there own tougher regulations.

Unfortunately, consumers generally modify behaviour for 2 reasons, availability & price. This has been anecdotally witness in New Zealand with tougher smoking laws making it difficult to smoke in public places or with car usage, remember paying $1.55 per litre for petrol? Did people reevaluate car usage, did public transport patronage increase?

So will wait and see the effects of the new Alcopops tax and alcohol warning labels on consumption.