I WILL be turning 71 next month and have a few underlying conditions that they always mention when someone passes away due to COVID. I am fully vaccinated for COVID, in fact I've had five vaccines this year. The two COVID-19s, the influenza, the shingles and pneumococcal vaccines. Welcome to the new world. In this world we will still have COVID and influenza forever. This means we will have to have COVID boosters and influenza vaccines every year. If we have forgotten, influenza kills between 100 to just over a thousand people of all ages here in Australia and between 250,000 and 500,000 worldwide each year. Once we open up state and overseas borders we will be letting in sick people. I personally, because of my age and underlying conditions, will be wearing a mask for many years to come, will hand sanitise and clean surfaces. These I will carry in my bag and I will keep 1.5m from everyone. I will not go to events where there is a crowd close together. This will be the new norm for me and I'd say worldwide.I want to see my grandchildren reach their teenage years and I'd like to see my children and wife for maybe 10 more years. I can live a full and productive life with these limitations that I will implement for the rest of my life. I'm not saying we should follow my rules but I will.
Peter Selmeci, Murrays Beach
We've been let down by leaders
I HAVE twice now cancelled planned trips to Perth to visit family. I could have gone but could not have afforded to go into quarantine for two weeks, both time-wise and economically. I have no issue with the Western Australian authorities restricting entry to their state by people from a state where there are in excess of a 1000 new cases of COVID each day. My issues are directed at the NSW authorities for allowing the COVID to get out of control in NSW by not locking down soon enough or hard enough. Going back to the early part of the pandemic when they let the Ruby Princess dock and unload passengers to travel to not only the whole of Australia, but to many countries throughout the world. NSW were lucky to get out of that so lightly, but they have ridden their luck too long. Please Premier of NSW and Prime Minister of Australia, stop playing politics, get your own state under control and leave the controlling of the issue in other states to the authorities in those states. Only after that happens will I be able to travel to Perth to visit family.
Fred McInerney, Karuah
Leap of faith could prove costly
RE: "Minister's peaker passion", Herald, 2/9. One might suspect the gas-hydrogen plant at Kembla, the Kurri Kurri gas peaking generator and the seed funding by NERA for a Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster (NEWH2) might indicate a high probability of PEP-11 approval. In their own words, "NERA is an independent not-for-profit company funded through federal government grants. Project success has potential to kick start Australia's journey to accessing/unlocking current and yet to be discovered deep gas opportunities to capture the rare and essential gas helium". The government's intent is to be world leader in helium and hydrogen supply; both needing a large-scale gas industry. In itself, this is not an issue; the world's demand for these is not going away. The issue, at the moment, is there are no technologies available to make these processes economically clean. The government has invested heavily in research, which at this early stage is not able to provide evidence how this all will be achieved within the envelope of net-zero emissions. These are emission-intense industries and attempts to use carbon capture have fallen well short. We have seen in the Hunter Valley the legacies of poor mine rehabilitation despite fanciful words in impact statements; I wonder at the environmental costs these new ventures pose. We know if it becomes a choice between environment or royalties, the usual weasel words "in the best interest" or the "greater good" or "employment" will be played. Proceeding without a proven wide range carbon capture method? A possible lethal leap of faith.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
Change of government needed
THE Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is a public company that has 60 per cent of its board members appointed by governments, and 40 per cent by industry. Its role is "to manage the electricity and gas systems and markets across Australia, helping to ensure Australians have access to affordable, secure and reliable energy". An important part of that role is to plan for the future of those systems and markets. They have, with the involvement and agreement of the energy industry, been planning and implementing Integrated System Plans (ISPs) for our energy transition to renewables, since 2017. ISPs that the AEMO believe provide the path to a more reliable, renewable dominated, electricity grid capable of reaching net zero carbon well before 2050. ISPs that AEMO maintains need only existing technology, a view supported by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. While state governments work in conjunction with the AEMO, the federal government continues to completely ignore it. Just as they ignore urgent advice from the International Energy Agency that the world cannot afford any new fossil fuel projects, or extension to existing ones. A recent Australian Conservation Foundation of 15,000 people found 70 per cent supported government investment in wind and solar generation, while less than 20 per cent supported investment in new coal and gas projects. A separate Foundations For Tomorrow survey of people aged under 30 received over 10,000 responses, with 93 per cent saying the government was not doing enough to address climate change and 75 per cent said they would vote for or support political leaders taking bold action on climate change. This is something I believe the current federal government displays no interest in, or capability of doing. Moving forward, our only hope seems to be a change of government.
Richard Mallaby, Wangi Wangi
Red light to Greene behaviour
WHETHER or not Toby Greene would use a full season out of AFL to find his 'stop button' for the aggression in his game is a moot point. The decision to appeal the three-match suspension for Greene's intentional collision with the umpire following the three-quarter-time siren of last week's elimination final, before Greene's Greater Western Sydney Giants went on to become one-point victors against the Sydney Swans, might be ascribed to his historical abysmal record before the judiciary. More significantly - the manifestly inadequate suspension is a demeaning slap in the face to all match officials (umpires, lines-people, referees) in all codes of contact and non-contact sport. The appeal hearing is an opportunity to send a salutary message that these officials are a highly valued core component of the team sports that engage/inspire/entertain and develop us. The appeal body has the opportunity to support these officials - to slow the exodus of young umpires at the grass-roots level of the various codes, who suffer assaults, abuse and disrespect, and walk away.
Phillip Lloyd, Kilaben Bay
SHORT TAKES
OUR Premier's management of the current outbreak can only be described as farcical. From the outset she failed to properly lockdown LGAs in Sydney, enabling it to spread. Then her lockdown of 12 Sydney LGAs to stop it spreading to the regions has, and continues to, leak the virus. We are not given any information on who the government has approved and who is flouting health regulations. Who is the government approving to leave Sydney and work in the regions? Our Deputy Premier is always going to look into the case, and that's the last the public hears of it. And not satisfied with presiding over this debacle, she is lecturing other state premiers to follow her lead!
Wilton Ainsworth, Newcastle
GRAEME Kime, the answer lies in "corona" virus, (Short Takes, 1/9). They can mutate in deadly form, and in this case, in several places, at once. This is why they are so dangerous. Shared air conditioned hotel quarantining meant deadly exposure of the nation. Australia long ago could have kissed lockdowns goodbye. That the bug is so prevalent overseas means it's on the cards current vaccines become useless. Effective policy requires caging it, so its power is limited. Its global removal is not possible. It's been Russian roulette, particularly by the Commonwealth government.
Graeme Tychsen, Toronto
GRAEME Kime's comment about COVID-19 and the new and more potent variants, asks "is it man-made?" and "is someone, or a country, trying to reduce the world population", could have gone further, (Short Take, 2/9). With a 400 per cent rise in the global population over the past century, and in spite of two world wars, Spanish flu, ebola etc, there hasn't been a dent in the population's growth. Question this, if there's a virus, you will need a vaccine and who is making money out of this pandemic? I think a turnaround in climate change might be just an afterthought. We will only find out over time, maybe.
Neil Meyers, Warners Bay
WHAT'S going to be the new spin when double jabbers are allowed into the community and the transmissions don't ease or increase?
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
IN 1987, we hosted a 14-year-old exchange student from Newcastle. Her name was Anna Farrell. Her mother's name was Cassandra Farrell. It was at the time of a major earthquake in Edgecumbe, NZ. The exchange was for six weeks, at Hillcrest High School, Hamilton and our daughter Fiona was hosted by the Farrells in return. As the years have gone by, we have lost contact, but would like to re-establish our link to either Cassie or her daughter Anna. Perhaps your readers will know of the Farrell family, and could help us make contact. Our email address is alanbettany@xtra.co.nz. Thank you for your help with this.
