Vandals of the Commons

Roads soaked in fossil fuel leaks, toxic surface runoff and throwaway junk will now become safe from young criminals that vandalise the hot cooking bitumen and footpaths with their chalk.

Since the 17th century children who 'go and play outside' have been engaging together with equals in the game of 'scotch-hop'.

Proposed new anti-graffiti laws in New South Wales will make it an offence to intentionally mark any premises...That means it will technically outlaw things like chalk hopscotch squares or handball courts drawn on footpaths or bitumen...Unless the kids get the consent of the local council they're committing an offence" abc.

Obese and attention deficient young people have to navigate a visual cacophony of solid state spam (advertising) on walls or all the other surfaces in their ever shrinking public spaces.

Are they really the 'criminal vandals' that deprive all living beings of a habitable planet?
Their guardians would do well to provide Intergenerational Justice and Intergenerational Equity for their offspring or the writing will be on the wall...


Related:
Investing in public art and young people in Manly 2007
Power and Attention Hogs in Social Spaces, 2008

Manly Cemetery Doubles Up as a Dog Loo

There are few cultures in the world where a public space such as a cemetery doubles up as a dog loo.

There appears to be no land-use conflict between the "sleeping place" of dead people and pet owners liberating their canines off leash into the Manly Cemetery Heritage.

Mourners probably do not want to linger amongst the tree-less and unkept burial grounds full of dog poop.

Maybe it is a new cultural convention of pet society where dog deities as protectors of the deceased fertilise the public green space with their feces and urine. Once locals have emptied their pets they get chauffeured back into the manicured back gardens with the help of a lot of fossil fuel.

On the connection of the living and the dead

Egyptian dog-headed god Anubis attending the deceased.

The Ocean - Manly Beach Blog Tweets

Tweets from @MnlyBeach 01.2013
OCEAN, BEACH & SHORES
"Everyone gets this preconception that the ocean and beaches are backyard swimming pools"
via @BeachwatchNSW marine wildlife habitat ocean @MnlyBeach, source

Of tidy pools, chlorine, algicide and dead marine life Sydney toxins pesticide ocean  @MnlyBeach, source

Immersing in foam of sewage and toxins on Australia's eastern beaches? ocean eutrophication @MnlyBeach, source

Turf wars for the seashore: Sprawling people, their fossil fuel vessels and dogs OR marine wildlife  RT @WHALES_org #habitat,@MnlyBeach,  source


INDUSTRIALISING THE OCEAN
New maps detail excessive shipping noise in Puget Sound, BC #whales @MnlyBeach ,source

Particles emitted by ships on the Pacific #Ocean CO2 fossil fuel exhaust marine habitat clouds @MnlyBeach, source

Warship ran aground on the world heritage Tubbataha Reef, Philippines. UNESCO World Heritage ocean @MnlyBeach, source

Giant sperm whale checking out its newly industrialised landscape. habitat ocean clutter ROV tethered underwater vehicle @MnlyBeach, source

Offshore oil and gas structures in marine habitat  #ocean clutter wildlife @MnlyBeach, source

When will Australia's coast look like this? ocean habitat wildlife oil/gas infrastructure Pacific industrialisation @MnlyBeach, source

Record high radiation level found in fish  Fukushima radioactive contamination #ocean atmosphere @MnlyBeach, source

Bob Pressey @jcu explains why Australia's new marine parks network won't work   @MnlyBeach, source


OCEAN AS A TIP - THE PLASTIC LIFE STYLE
The #ocean as tip for #plastic garbage toxins legacy toys consuming beach wildlife food   @MnlyBeach, source

Fish have a gutful of plastic food marine debris throw-away culture synthetic polymers microplastics @MnlyBeach, source

Plastics Suck Up Other Toxins: Double Whammy for Marine Life, Gross for Seafood RT ‏@MotherJones, source

 Unilever bans plastic microbeads from facial scrubs RT @Earth_News, source