IN Saturdays's edition of the Newcastle Herald there was an an article outling problems with puppy farms causing animal cruelty ('Puppy farms targeted over animal cruelty', Newcastle Herald 27/8) .But puppy farms are not the only type of breeding causing animal cruelty.
As per the Bateson report, a University of Cambridge inquiry into dog breeding, a very big issue is the practice of breeding to standard and not for welfare, and this is a very big issue because I believe it involves some of the most powerful people and organisations in dog breeding. Puppies should be bred with their own welfare at top of mind.
Breeding dogs to the standard that is required means that specific breeds have pushed-in faces, low hips and short legs. Some of these traits can cause breathing difficulties, hip and back problems and other woes, which in my opinion can be a form of animal cruelty.
Breeding to standard does not compel breeders to breed from dogs without hereditary issues, as some registered UK breeders have done with horrifically painful "syringomelia" (swelling of the spiznal cord where it meets the skull) in Cavalier King Charles spaniels that in itself lead to the Bateson report.
Furthermore, breeding within limited gene pools also causes a whole heap of hereditary problems. Sir Patrick Bateson points out some breeds have an increased incidence of cancer because of inbreeding.. In some cases breeding outside the pedigree dog circles will be required to overcome the problems associated with inbreeding.
Breeding organisations have been asked to change their standards so that they are of benefit to the dogs, but with success that is all too limited. Whilst there are number of good breeders and breeding organisations such as the Master Dog Breeders Association that focus producing dogs with their health and welfare at the core of their breeding, I believe there are still too many that give insufficient priority to breeding for welfare without increased pressure to do so.
In reality there are some breeding organisations that see themselves as the authority in dog breeding and rules and regulations surrounding dog breeding. This mindset needs to be curtailed.
We really need to have our government to take more control over these organisations to make sure they are not breeding to standards that create cruel outcomes. In the past they have done this by banning docking of tails unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps we need more laws to ensure the breeding standards are to the benefit of the animal by breeding out pushed-in faces, low rear ends, banning breeding animals with hereditary diseases, and removing the need for a show dog to be "intact".
Glen Wilson, Cardiff
Is Kurri Kurri the best use of cash?
WELL I never thought I'd support Paul Broad on any matter after his role in cutting our rail line into Newcastle, however I'm pleased to say I support his stand on the matter of the proposed Kurri Kurri gas plant that appears to have led to him resigning his position as chief of Snowy Hydro ('Broad brush', Herald 27/8).
The proposed Kurri Kurri gas peaking plant was dreamt up by the previous conservative government of Scott Morrison and is now supported by the new Labor government as a way of keeping the fossil fuel dream alive to ensure electricity flowed at all times.
I believe that the main problem is that it is taxpayer dollars that will pay for this unnecessary fossil fuel blight on our environment. Industry reportedly deemed the venture too risky and not profitable enough to put in its own money for the project.
We know the main five reasons against this short sighted venture.
It fails to deliver long-term jobs our community was promised; there are better alternatives that will drive down electricity bills; the billion dollars of public money could be better invested in the Hunter; gas is a fossil fuel that contributes to worsening floods and fires caused by climate change, and energy experts say that it won't be able to fulfil Labor's promises of running on clean hydrogen.
Jan Davis, East Maitland
Lizard versus mine is no debate
JUST as MACH Energy were about to get the go ahead to exploit the economic benefits of wasted bushland through an extension to their Mount Pleasant open cut coal mine, science nerds from the Australian Museum happened to discover a new species of legless lizard at the last minute and throw an environmental spanner in the works ('Legless lizard hold up mine', Herald 25/8). It seems that the selfish little blighters have been slithering around that area for millennia without making any economic improvements that benefit anyone.
Hopefully the moral guardians of the land, MACH Energy Australia (which is owned by Droxford International, which in turn is owned by the Indonesia's biggest conglomerate the Salim Group) get permission to bulldoze this valueless bushland, pulverise the woke, progress-spoiling, virtue-signalling little reptiles and make huge profits for its international owners, which according to the Minerals Council of Australia, is obviously in our own best interests.
I believe that when it comes to a choice between saving unique Aussie fauna, or increasing wealth of Indonesian billionaires, the choice is surely a no-brainer.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Waste is out of fashion
THE idea of a circular economy, one where where goods are recycled rather than dumped, has merit ('Trio of directors in Dantia refresh', Herald 26/8)
The circular economy is gradually becoming a part of Australians' way of life as mining and manufacturing costs rise, resources run out and we pollute and destroy our environment. Until, like the UK and Europe, there are numerous charity shops on most shopping strips and householders scrupulously sort and recycle their garbage, then I believe that Australians will lag behind the rest of the advanced world regarding the circular economy.
Textiles and clothes are good examples. At present, most Australians rely on cheap imports rather than recycled clothes. The clothes are produced in factories in China, India and Bangladesh using what we would in this country consider virtually slave labour. The synthetic textile materials of which the clothes are made are all based on cheap plastics. Plastics break down and get into our environment, and even our bloodstreams.
Until we pay what it costs for decently designed and recyclable goods, then I believe Australians will be destined to remain the world's preeminent waste makers.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
SHORT TAKES
I HAD occasion to go to West Wallsend on Thursday, and found a big difference in the price of E10 petrol. At the independent service station at Boolaroo they were charging 159.9 cents a litre. Over at the 7Eleven at Argenton it was 161.9 cents, Woolies at Glendale was 161.9 cents, Coles at Glendale was 161.9 cents and the independent at West Wallsend was 157.9 cents. That's a difference of 36 cents per litre. Certainly pays to shop around, doesn't it?
Ian King, Warners Bay
DANIEL Bonatti & Chris Taylor wrote an interesting article about energy transition using hydrogen. However they did not mention the hard part. The storage of and transportation of hydrogen, due to embrittlement, which I feel is the most difficult and expensive. Also the serious dangers of hydrogen because it is colourless, odourless and tasteless. You can have a hydrogen fire and not see a thing as there is no flame. You could walk straight into a hydrogen fire without even knowing. Much more expensive research is required.
Graeme Bennett, Warners Bay
I BELIEVE that you can bet your bottom dollar that when people are called to give evidence at the Robodebt inquiry their answers will be along the following lines: I have no clear recollection of that your Honour; that seems something that I would not do; the documents were accidently destroyed. Take your pick.
Roland Inman, Booral
THE abysmal, at times non-existent, mobile telephone reception (Optus specifically in this instance) in the Mount Hutton region continues. This situation, despite a parliamentary speech from the Opposition by Federal Member for Shortland Pat Conroy, on 26 August 2020, has not changed. Several infrastructure projects to remedy this have been proposed in the intervening period but not actioned. With Labor now in Government there are no excuses to have this sorted - pronto.
Allan Searant, Charlestown
THE closure of Liddell power station next year, followed by Bayswater and Eraring, will require some other means of power to take their place. So, should those contracted to supply power by other means, be responsible for power shortages by way of financial compensation? Most items retailed come with a guarantee of operation. Surely the retail of power supply, regardless of how it's produced, should come with a similar guarantee of supply. Surely responsibility comes before political ambition.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
STEVE Barnett recently cited Professor Ian Plimmer, who claims high rainfall is a result of volcanic activity. Whilst we have had high rainfall here, other areas of the world are in massive drought. I might add that Plimmer (a geologist) claims that there is more carbon dioxide from volcanoes than from human activities but more qualified people have estimated that carbon dioxide emissions from human activity are 135 times greater. People that do not want to accept that there is human induced climate change can always find some "expert" to latch on to.
