IN Canberra on March 23, independent MP Zali Steggall will table a Climate Change (National Framework for Adaptation and Mitigation) bill. Aimed at bypassing the toxic politics of the past decade, it proposes an expert Climate Change Commission to assess the accelerating threats from global warming and develop guidelines for transition and investment in a safer Australia. It would respect our international obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as rapidly as possible, replacing coal and gas with safer and cheaper renewables. It would be transparent and accountable, examining and advising on all aspects of our economy and infrastructure.
This effective non-partisan legislation, modelled on the successful UK Climate Change Act of 2008 and adopted by 20 nations so far, is desperately needed in Australia. The UK has seen a 67 per cent increase in gross domestic product, a 42 per cent reduction in emissions and 400,000 jobs created in renewables since 2008.
Passing the bill hinges on a conscience vote, but with the blatant adversarial self-interest in Canberra, Ms Steggall's appeal to a higher ethical code may fall on deaf ears. It's yet another tragedy for this once lucky country that our current leadership displays none of the courage, selflessness and integrity shown by many thousands of Australians, some of whom lost their lives defending others during the recent catastrophic climate-fuelled disasters.
Our survival, and that of our unique natural heritage, is at stake.
Michael Schien, New Lambton
DOGGED CHASE OF JUSTICE
THIS is not my story, but I will write as if it were. It starts three weeks ago when my dog broke her leg. X-rays, casts and two nights at the vets cost thousands, but our little mate is family so we paid. Needing to go back have checks done and casts changed meant more dollars. A long story short, the dog had her leg amputated. This is where it gets strange.
Three days after bringing her home, two police and council rangers came to impound the dog we've had for six years as a stolen animal taken from northern NSW five years ago. She was supposedly identified by microchip. A visit to the police yields an hour of intense questioning and no real information, so confusion reigns. The dog, still in recovery from amputation, is thankfully at the vets. Three days after the arrest we are given a message to come and collect the dog. It was not her, we discover. Their information was wrong; it was actually the mother of the stolen dog.
I am confused. Is microchip an actual identifier of an animal? Don't authorities have other things to do at the moment? Could they have not made more inquiries before taking an animal from home when it's ill? I do now understand that everyone involved has been put to a great deal of trouble that could have easily been avoided. Anyway, it is but a little respite from the general political fiasco, fires, floods and plague. Still, the weird world keeps travelling with us on board.
Lyn Rendle, Rankin Park
THROW A LINE TO THE LOCALS
THE fishermen catching rock lobsters and scallops down around Tassie are upset because exports to China have halted, but what about us? We would love to buy them here and at a reasonable price, but we never see them in our supermarkets. Why can't they send them north?
Boy. they'd go so fast supermarkets would be doing a rethink. Fishermen would too, and we would be so delighted to get an Australian product we never get to see.
Why is it that we always get the leftovers from our agricultural endeavours? Shouldn't we be getting the best before the rest of the world? It makes me angry.
Pauline McCarthy, Salamander Bay
AN EXAMPLE IS IMPORTANT
SEAN Farnham (Letters, 7/3) suggests that stopping Australia's greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow would make no perceptible difference to our climate in future years.
I suggest it would make a big difference. Other countries looking for leadership on how to modify the world's changing climate would take notice and follow Australia's example. We have a history of leading the world on many fronts including on economic, social and environmental issues. It would be great if we led the world again on such an important worldwide threat.
Wendy Davidson, Toronto
FINE DETAIL ON THE FIGURES
NEWCASTLE council's Jeremy Bath (Letters 28/2) stated "state legislation requires 100 per cent of the profits of the holiday park to be spent maintaining and improving facilities within the Rawson Park Reserve". He went on to specify those facilities as Stockton Swimming Pool, the beach pavilion, Lexie's Café, Lynn Oval, the Mitchell Street seawall and the Surf Club.
Mr Bath later stated that the tourist park contributed between $8.4 million and $16.8 million to the Newcastle economy annually ('Fate of Stockton cabins up in the air', Herald 6/3). He went on to say that the tourist park returned just over $1 million last financial year and beneficiaries in recent times were Stockton Pool ($350,000), Mitchell Street seawall ($380,000), Lynn Oval ($33,000), Stockton Surf Club ($11,000), and Barrie Crescent Drainage ($35,000). He does not specify what period "recent times" covers. A study of the council's general purpose financial statements between June 30 2007 and June 30 2018, under Income from Ongoing Operations in Note3, reveal that income generated by Stockton Tourist Park totalled just over $25 million. Would Mr Bath make public the full distribution?
Bruce Niblett, Stockton
YOU NEED A BACK-UP PLAN
SUE McConnell (Letters, 10/3) on why renewable energy will not provide the base power required certainly makes sense, but a hard sell to those who have been completely sold that renewable power is the answer to all our power requirements.
I was pleased to read Ms McConnell can see both sides of the debate and by installing her own solar panels, realise they are only a part-time producer needing a reliable back up system that works all the time, mentioning coal-fired and nuclear energy as the only available power capable of doing the job.
What I find confusing is the youth of today, who you would expect to investigate all avenues of power supply, can't or don't want to accept the simple fact that the wind and sun are often absent and that a reliable back-up system is a necessity.
Without a back-up system their future will depend on solar panels and battery storage systems, both needing favourable weather conditions. Who in their right mind would gamble their future on favourable weather conditions? It just doesn't make sense.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
LETTER OF THE WEEK
THE pen goes to Sue McConnell for her letter on power, the grid and reliability.
SHORT TAKES
THE drought, fires, flooding rains, and now the coronavirus and the near certainty of a recession have left many of us world weary. With the Jets still a big finals chance and the Knights about to kick off what will undoubtedly be a very successful year, I say, thank heaven for sport and a chance to escape it all for a few hours.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
Is the buying of toilet paper and selling for a profit a new form of crapto-currency?
Paul Day, Soldiers Point
SCOTT Hillard (Short Takes, 9/3) could never be accused of letting the facts get in the way of one of his stories. I don't know how his offered evidence of just two companies, derails the only claim I make and that is that all the big money from investors that keep the world going are turning away from fossil fuel and putting their hard earned into renewables.
Allan Earl, Beresfield
KERRY Harrison is partly right (Short Takes, 11/3) but the error is not only have we put all our eggs in one basket - we have also taken all the eggs out of our baskets. That is the source of the misdirected panic in mass purchasing.
Milton Caine, Birmingham Gardens
WORK from home to avoid the coronavirus, we are being told. I don't think Miss Universe will be impressed with bodies of beef hanging from the rafters and the mincer and sausage filler set up in front of the TV. Ready for footy season, though. Bring it on.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
JOHN Travolta was hospitalised for coronavirus; he had chills they were multiplying and he was losing control, but the doctors now confirm it was only Saturday Night Fever and they assure everyone he is staying alive.
John Keen, Gateshead
JOHN Matthews (Letters, 9/3) should get his facts straight before saying ScoMo is trying to bribe him with a free travel card, which is issued by the state government and has nothing to do with the federal government anyway. You don't have to take the free $250, Mr Matthews, but I bet you do.
Ian King, Warners Bay
HOW can Scott Morrison urge patriotism when it is his government allowing so many of our assets to be sold to the Chinese? Patriotic indeed.
John Bonnyman, Fern Bay
WHILE I am overjoyed by the progress Lawson Rankin has made ('Rising against the odds', Newcastle Herald 10/3) and I know the wonderful support and care he's gotten from physios, speechies, occupational therapists and especially his family and friends, who do you think is doing his 24-hour rehab? Nurses. No mention of them.
Alison Clinton, New Lambton
WITH all the talk and hysteria these days about the coronavirus ('Keep calm', Herald 11/3) and crowds fighting in the aisles of supermarkets over toilet paper is enough to give one the Stay Home Irritable Tension Syndrome.
