Fifty two years ago, on this day, September 8th, 1972,
On September 8, 1972, [Brenda] Hean, 55, hopped aboard a two-seater World War II Tiger Moth, being flown by experienced pilot Max Price. Leaving from Hobart, they were bound for Canberra to try to win support from federal politicians to stop the flooding of Lake Pedder by Tasmania’s Hydro Electricity Commission.
One of their intentions was to skywrite Save Lake Pedder over the national capital.
The plane never made it, and the bodies and wreckage were never located.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/14/1092340534703.html?from=storylhs
The amount of carbon dioxide in the air was roughly 327ppm. As of 2024 it is 420ishppm, but check here for daily measures.
The context was that there was a federal election coming. The main hope for Tasmanian activists trying to save Lake Pedder from being drowned for a dam was a change of government.
What we learn is that it may well not have been murder, and if it was murder, that doesn’t necessarily mean it was anti-greenies or pro-Lake Pedder people, because apparently the pilot had pissed people off with his, ah “extracurricular activities”. So he may have been the target of sabotage of the plane. In any case wreckage was never found, nobody ever confessed. And as Christine Milne says, Tasmania is a bit different in other places, the truth would come out – not so much in Tasmania.
What do you think? Does this pass the ‘so what?’ threshold? Have I got facts wrong? Interpretation wrong? Please do comment on this post, unless you are a denialist, obvs.
Also on this day:
September 8, 1990 – Australian #climate denialist spouting his nonsense…
September 8, 2014 – Lobster boat blockaders have charges dropped.