Donning the mask of environmentalist

By Roger Hanney
Prime time gardener and environmental opportunist Don Burke has signed on as a pulp mill spokesperson for Gunns Ltd. His status is as ‘consultant’ and he insists he will be able to look at all their operation and ask anything he wants.

This is utter bullshit.

Burke is chairman of the Australian Environment Foundation (AEF) which regularly proclaims its independence and devotion to practical environmentalism.

But it is not so much a policy think-tank as a policy whoopee-cushion, producing noises in the key of corporate profit whenever opportunity arises.

Amusingly, AEF’s website was initially registered to the same phone number and postal address as Timber Communities Australia (TCA).

Formerly the Forest Protection Society, TCA essentially masquerades as blue collar timber workers wanting to make high quality furniture. But the only thing they seem to stand for is more woodchipping and harsher policing of forest blockades.

Even funnier, AEF’s registered place of business happened to be the Melbourne office of the very right-wing Institute of Public Affairs whose former executive director Mike Nahan was named as a director on AEF’s board.

All this information is available on the internet but the fact that Friends of the Earth put it in a media release probably means that it’s a filthy green conspiracy.

Regardless, some people still think that Don Burke ‘ chairman of a deceptive chamber that promotes nuclear power, denies climate change, loves mining, woodchipping and nuclear waste ‘ is a bit of alright.

The magic of celebrity being what it is, they may now see that ‘credibility’ transferred to Gunns and its insane pulp mill proposal.