I'VE been writing about each decade of my life for my family. In the 1940s my family lived in a way very different to today. There were housing and fuel shortages and of food staples such as sugar, tea, butter, meat and eggs, all of which could only be purchased with government-issued coupons allowing so many ounces of this and that per person per week. My parents were resourceful, so we grew vegetables and kept chooks for eggs (and sometimes a lovely Sunday roast). Clothing required coupons too. Of course, we grumbled, but we knew we had to work together to survive. We were, after all, at war.
Now, in the 2020s, the eighth decade of my life, the world faces a new fight for survival. In the face of worldwide unprecedented weather events - earthquakes, fire storms, extended droughts, polluted water sources, environmental disasters affecting people all over the world, we can see that our planet's climate has changed. We may again face housing, food and fuel shortages. We may need to learn to live in a more careful way than we're used to here in the developed nations. In our own homes we may have to grow some food and let the flowers die, to ration the use of our technology and limit the use of cars to save precious resources.
Since our own Earth is the only planet discovered thus far which can support life as we know it, we must surely wish to do everything we can to preserve it. Listen to our scientists, read and discover as much as we can about how to take care of our environment through our own actions, and do not be in any doubt about what is happening. We are, once again, at war.
Gwen Collis, Mayfield
Pay your way - it's only fare
AFTER being in Sydney for two weeks catching public transport, mainly ferries and the tram which were very convenient for us from Milsons Point, we were happy to have our Opal cards checked on numerous occasions by the transport police.
On Wednesday last week, we were checked on the tram to Randwick racecourse and again on the way back. We got off at Surry Hills for a pub crawl, got checked again going back to Chinatown, then checked again going back to Circular Quay.
Now back home, I once again witnessed numerous people (drop kicks) walking on the bus, not even attempting to pay, no acknowledgement of the driver, full of attitude and entitlement. What a joke.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
We're not the biggest player
IN my opinion John Arnold's argument ("Offshore wind farms and wildlife", Letters, 29/3) is fundamentally wrong and short sighted. We should think outside the square and not just say it can't be achieved. Australia still could have until 2040 to see nuclear environmental benefits if we don't close down coal-fired power stations and approve gas projects right now.
Australia could have it all by progressing along the path to nuclear energy by 2040 and with no change to world climate, staying well ahead of the game. How? We could simply negotiate an auditable offset decrease of 0.002 per cent of China's annual carbon dioxide emissions when we enter into contracts for the sale of Australian coal and iron ore to them. Australia would be the driver in this as China absolutely wants our coal and iron ore and will do so for way beyond 2040.
While Australia wallows around in the quagmire over trying to reduce emissions to offset climate change, a negotiated slight downward change, or even getting China to maintain the status quo, of their emissions, would way, way, way offset anything Australia can possibly do to achieve the effect we're seeking.
Neil Allen, Newcastle East
Sheep trade pain was avoidable
THE horrific conditions suffered by live export sheep transported on the Awassi Express during 2018 has resulted in the Albanese government moving to replace live sheep exports with chilled sheep carcasses. Labor's proposal has raised the ire of the National Farmers Association (NFA). They claim banning the live sheep export trade will destroy the sheep meat industry. They also claim exporting chilled sheep carcasses rather than live sheep is impractical, with not enough abattoirs or skilled workers to make it viable. Possibly, had the NFA not refused to meet with the government to discuss measures to assist sheep meat producers during the transition from live sheep to chilled sheep carcasses, this could have been dealt with. The NFA has I think thrown its toys out of the cot by refusing to meet with the government to discuss interim measures, a decision which may well be to the detriment of Australia's producers.
Barry Swan OAM, Balgownie
Chernobyl's shadow is too large
MARVYN Smith, (Letters, 28/3), iodine tablets aren't a necessary defence against radiation from a modern nuclear power plant, but their use in parts of Europe is probably the historical legacy of Chernobyl. Radioactive isotopes caesium and strontium are used widely, and safely, in modern medicine and industry, despite Paul Duggan (Letters, 28/3) failing to mention the benefits of reprocessing nuclear waste to extract useful radioisotopes. Concerning Chernobyl, the UN (UNSCEAR) reports "no evidence of a major public health impact attributable to radiation exposure", and, by 2020, the 2800-square-kilometre Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), had recovered to become the third-largest nature reserve in mainland Europe. At Fukushima, radioactive water is currently collected, stored and treated, and later this year, with the IAEA's approval, will be released safely into the ocean. The World Nuclear Association says known uranium reserves should last 90 years, and further exploration should add more.
Peter Dolan, Lambton
Money versus science, no winner
THE United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently released a major new climate report.
It is almost 33 years since the first IPCC report was released. It was interesting, but extremely worrying, to read a recent communication stating that since the first IPCC report was released global greenhouse gas emissions, the main cause of human induced climate change, have increased by 54 per cent. The IPCC report highlights the shocking human toll and economic costs associated with the climate crises and makes it clear that current emissions reduction pledges and ongoing actions being taken by countries so far to counter climate change, are totally inadequate.
If countries around the globe are not taking sufficient notice of the scientific advice being provided by the IPCC the lives of millions of people are being put at risk.
Perhaps the most disturbing message perceived by me concerning the latest IPCC report is that constant opposition to taking action on climate change, being displayed by fossil fuel corporations, is seen as a main obstacle in relation to taking necessary actions to counter climate change. It all boils down to big money versus scientific opinion.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank
SHORT TAKES
WHAT a farce this Supercars survey has become to me. We now know that Supercars fans living outside Newcastle can have a say in how our rates are being spent. Why wouldn't a fan living outside the area vote to continue the race? They can come for the race, don't have any of the disruption residents face, and vote to let Newcastle residents pay for it. It's a win-win for them and a loss for those of us most impacted. I believe it's stacking the deck to get a certain outcome.
John Hudson, Newcastle East
RICHARD Ryan, (Short Takes, 22/2), suggested that the International Criminal Court is a joke and a paper tiger. I understand that when investigating war crimes in the former Yugoslavia some years ago, the tribunal changed the landscape of humanitarian law and called those responsible to account. Yugoslavian powerbrokers Radovan Karadzic and Slobodan Milosevic found out the hard way that the court was no joke and no paper tiger. Neither Russia nor China recognise the court, but if they did there would most likely be a couple of cells specially reserved for certain identities.
David Stuart, New Lambton
FEEDBACK from Cr Mitchell Griffin, ("Election far from Labor landslide", Letters, 29/3), is a clear reminder of why Australia (Tasmania excepted) has turned away from the bluster and inaction of his state and federal colleagues. Morrison's attempt to reinvent democracy, and other Liberals' continued neglect of those in need of support show why a more compassionate, more aware government is needed. Perrottet, despite his right wing credentials, was someone the Liberals could have followed down the road to a better future, but it should be very clear that whoever puts their hand up in the Liberal party room should listen carefully to the voters, accept advice from discerning commentators, and ignore the 'not our fault' comments, and the 'not a landslide' retorts they hear from hopefuls like Cr Griffin. Time for Liberals to do better!
Warren Dean, Newcastle East
CONGRATULATIONS to the Federal Parliament who have demonstrated much needed leadership on climate via the reformed safeguard mechanism. Wonderful to see constructive collaboration between Labor and the Greens resulting in regulation that will hopefully drive emissions down. By refusing to negotiate, the Coalition (with the exception of Bridget Archer) have unfortunately further cemented their irrelevance. In this critical time for climate action, all hands are needed on deck.
Amy Hiller, Kew
THE third school mass shooting this year in America. You would have thought by now that their government would have abolished their second amendment giving every American the enshrined right to bear arms. Texas rules their congress, and I believe that while ever the government bows down to the gun-toting hillbillies, these mass shootings will continue and increase as mental pressures build within the extremists in our world. It seems governments ignore the results of their ignorance and the facts blatantly obvious to everyone else.
