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CRUEL SEXING OF CHICKS

industry, eggs, netherlands, new, technology, cost, revolutionize,
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Genetic Improvement of Honey Bee Output

The worldwide threat to the survival of honey bees is still here, but work on improving honey production continues. Selection of the best queen bees ironically has not been done in the past. If breeding queens only of the highest yielding hives is done, output per hive could increase by a kilogram a year.

Genetic improvement to honey bee output by selection of only the best queen bees

Genetic improvement in cattle has not been a one-off. The gain is cumulative each year. For this gain to be achieved small producers will have to come on board so old poor stock will not be "kept alive". Tests show that the queen bee is the main depository of better genes. Input from males is relatively stable with little change.

External factors such as hive location and length of season do affect the quantity of honey, but gene selection would raise output overall. The Genetic Evaluation of Australian Honeybee report recommends the method of data collection and evaluation. Breeders must get into the habit of keeping data. The industry needs to be reformed away from small ad hoc production toward uniform management.

◆ Genetics by Ty Buchanan ◆

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QUEEN BEE SELECTION
#bees #hives #queen #selection #genetics #agriculture #output #production

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Insurance Companies to Force Genetic Testing

Life insurance is a con. We all know that. They take your money. Then when you make a claim they force you into court to make you back down or run you up a huge legal bill. I cashed my life insurance in when they stopped paying the share investment bonus that doubled what you paid in. Now if you close the policy you get back "less" than you paid in premiums.

Insurance companies want compulsory genetic testing

No one is perfect out there, so when they say they will make people have genetic tests before they can take out a policy you should be afraid. The big three insurers say they have not had one complaint from consumers so far. Unfortunately, the ones who had genetic tests have not made any claims yet. There will thousands of complaints when the insurance companies fail to pay out.

Thankfully, you cannot be forced to have a genetic test currently. However, you must hand one over if you have already had one - by law. Just why the government made giving up private information compulsory under force of law is a mystery.

Of those who have had a test or have had one when instructed by insurers (400), a very high 20 percent were refused cover. This is much higher than the half a million who gained cover without a test.

◆ Genetics by Ty Buchanan ◆

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Objections are Strong Against Carmichael Coalmine in Queensland

Conservation has always been ideologically polarized in Australia. There are those who seem to want to stop all development to prevent any deleterious change and those who want to rape the environment in search of the holy dollar - and ne'er the twain shall meet! With the Greens now gaining a handful of seats in the Senate they have voting power beyond their number. All shades of national government will have to compromise. Even state governments are not free of the Green "scourge", as they see it.

There is an issue with a planned coalmine in Queensland, the Carmichael mine near Bowen. Former premier Campbell Newman was fully supportive of the development and showed an intention to introduce new legislation to achieve it. This has changed. Labor is not so enamored with new projects at any cost. This is the case even though the Greens do not have the balance of power in the Queensland parliament.

Like medication you get from your doctor - there are always side effects. The natural environment will certainly be damaged in some way by a new mine. Objectors say the black-throated finch which is already threatened will be wiped out. Even the Waxy Cabbage Palm could be decimated. The evergreen problem of changes in water flow means that Doongmabulla Springs will probably dry up.

Claims by the investor Adani that a 30,999ha site will be set aside for the bird are not based on solid theory. The birds have access to that area already. And land used in the development will be taken away. Black-throated finch prefer their home ground and have never been known to travel to new areas. Raving about economic benefits will not change the views of ardent greens.

✴ Economics by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Another Use for Fish Sperm

Pollution is a big problem, particularly from industry which pumps unwanted metals into the soil just about everywhere in the world. Getting rid of this had been an issue looking for a solution for decades. The answer could be at hand from a very weird source.

Fish sperm has a property making it ideal for the purpose. It literally hoovers up the metal particles. The sperm contains high amounts of DNA. This contains phosphate which strongly attracts metals. The metal/phosphate compound can be taken out with neodymium magnets consisting of trivalent iron, dysprosium and neodymium.

In Italy herring sperm was first identified as being useful in cleaning up the environment. With salmon being bred commercially, it is seen as a better source of fish sperm. The substance has been thrown away as waste until now.

✴ Science by Ty Buchanan ✴

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Chasm Between Universitis and Industry is Still Wide

Scientists at universities (but not in industry) are jumping up and down welcoming the Commonwealth Science Council (CSC) saying it will breed market culture in science. The odd thing is this isn't the market in operation. It is managed interference in free scientific operations. Why should scientific research be managed at all?

Another thing is, it will be chaired by the Prime Minister Tony Abbott. What does the PM know about science? The truth is he knows no more than the average person. He is not trained in science. The body will give advice. And you know what they say about advice - it is best ignored.

The CSC will not improve the chasm between universities and industry. Academia has a good bond with industry in the US. Just why we cannot do the same in Australia is a mystery. A new referee in the ring like the CSC will not improve the boxing match. Industry and academia remain at odds. The blame really lies on the university side. They still live in their ivory towers being paid huge sums in separation from reality.

CSIRO does the industry-university joint operation well. It points the way to how things should be done. Universities should just copy what CSIRO does. It is as simple as that. There is nothing difficult to it. First though, universities need to get down from their high horses and be in partnership with business - they always want to run the show.

Funny Animal Pictures by Ty Buchanan

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Toll Roads Do Not Pay!

Toll roads just do not pay. At least in Australia they don't. Councils and states have praised projects before they begin construction, boasting of the benefits of new toll roads. At best such schemes can only expect to break even.

Drivers use it for a while with low introductory tolls. When the tolls are raised people change back to the old route. A toll is a dinner for a truck driver. Ordinary people just do not calculate the extra cost of petrol to avoid a toll road.

AECOM Technology did a feasibility study for a toll road. It grossly overestimated traffic flow. In short, it knew the numbers were inflated and knew the report was full of lies. The company said if the court challenge to them is upheld it will bankrupt the business. The claimants are seeking three times the whole yearly earnings of the company which is based in the U.S. This is gross earnings, before depreciation, tax and amortization.

This amount is based on the bankruptcy of the RiverCity Motorway groups that built a toll road based on the AECOM report. AECOM is in trouble because several large banks financed the project and when it comes to legal cases they have bottomless pockets.

The initial report was superficial and done quickly at a low price of A$2.5 million. Banks say they have lost more than A$1.68 billion. When RiverCity failed the toll road was bought at the bargain basement cost of only A$618 million from the receiver, KordaMentha .

Other toll roads are now preparing their own court challenges to inaccurate reports that go back many years. Feasibility studies are notoriously incorrect. It is about time things were put right and governments took on the full responsibility of building new road. They take a large slice of tax from road users and spend it on other things.

Construction by Ty Buchanan

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The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) Should Not Interfer in the Market

Was the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) set up to improve business or just be a nuisance to operations. Its job should be to police the industry and make things run smoothly. However, putting one's nose in when it is not needed is not the best thing to do.

The mining boom is coming to an end as the Chinese economy pulls back from high growth due to wages rising thus demand falling. Companies are looking to move to other Asian countries where labor is cheaper. Australian mining companies are looking to become producers of other things such as technology.

With this move comes threats from ASIC for the miners to keep their noses clean. Apparently they must inform shareholders before they buy tech companies. We have not reached a point yet where shareholders manage companies. Surely, it is up to the CEO and the board to set future company developments and intentions.

ASIC is making accusations that mining companies are "cooking the books" while buying up tech companies. It has said that miners must not use backdoor listing to hide purchases. ASIC is watching Minerals Corporation Limited, InterMet, Nemex, MacroEnergy and Latin Gold.

Surely, with ASIC already making its claims open, shareholders already know what is going on - normal business behavior. Changing business models is not an area ASIC should be watching. This is nothing to do with ASIC. It should stick to asset valuation and financial reporting. It is ridiculous to monitor how capital will be raised. Interfering in the market just distorts it.

Economics by Ty Buchanan

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