Stick to climate change, Ben

THE SILLY's Ben Cubby, a man who missed his true calling as a minor Simpson's character, seldom lets consistency stand in the way of his reporting, and never when pals of a greenish tinge want a little publicity. Today it is the Animal Liberation Society, which is about to present some sharp-eyed cocky with an opportunity to bring down a $14,000 drone.

"Let's say we find a sheep dying from fly strike, we can record the location on a GPS and notify the authorities," the ALS's Mark Pearson tells Cubby, who takes it all down without breaking the habit of a professional lifetime and applying a little independent curiosity.

A few paragraphs later, and still dutifully transcribing, Cubby reports one of the activities Pearson's drone will be looking to film:

"There are lots of cases where farming activities cause horrible distress to animals - mulesing being a common example."

Mulesing is, of course, a popular method of protecting against fly strike.