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More to the environment than cute furry animals

Letter writer JONATHAN MILLER says significant societal change will be needed to address the drivers of environmental decline.

MICHAEL Moore was right to condemn the federal coalition’s environmental record (“It’ll take more than God to fix the environment”, CN July 28), but government action has never been adequate to the task. 

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Australia’s environment has been steadily degrading since 1788.

To address this, we must move on from seeing the environment as merely an aesthetic issue of protecting beautiful landscapes and cute furry animals. 

The most important message from the “2021 State of the Environment” report was that the wellbeing of Australians depends on a healthy environment. Recent devastating floods, bushfires and covid sharply illustrate this.

Labor’s suggested policies are welcome, but significant societal change will be needed to address the drivers of the decline. In particular, we must move away from a goal of never-ending economic growth to live in harmony with our environment.

Jonathan Miller, Curtin

On earth, God’s work must truly be our own

I READ with interest Michael Moore’s column (“It’ll take more than God to fix the environment”, CN July 28) quoting former PM Scott Morrison’s recent remarks on placing faith in God to solve environmental issues.

Mr Morrison’s belief that “whether it is on these existential matters like the world’s stability or climate… don’t be anxious about it… God’s kingdom will come. It is in His hands. We trust in Him,” are touching but I recall the final line of John F Kennedy’s Inaugural Address on the respective role of God and humanity in tackling the issues of the world: “… asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own”.

Brian Weir, Weston

Home to a suspended licence!

FOLLOWING on from Douglas Mackenzie’s response (Letters, CN July 28) to Michael Moore’s article (“How Access Canberra gilds its own lily”, CN July 21).

Like Douglas, I also emailed my completed medical certificate to Access Canberra as required and the next day departed on a two month road trip.

On arriving home, I opened the mail to find my licence had been suspended for not supplying said certificate on time. After many attempts and negotiating several departments finally got through.

After supplying the date and time the email was despatched to them, the lady was able to confirm they had, in fact, received the email but it had not been processed!

At no time did they email or phone me, only sent a letter. Thank goodness, being a law abiding citizen and after travelling about 6000 kilometres on a suspended licence, I had no encounters with law enforcement.

Alan Boyd, Gungahlin

Forcing inclusion creates exclusion

IN the August edition of “Our CBR”, there was an item titled “Women lead Strathnairn school construction”. It is claimed that it is “part of the ACT government effort to improve gender equity”. 

The article stated that “the successful contractor will be required to have 100 per cent female site management team, as well as female participation in every trade involved”. 

How is this equity? Does this not go against what Labor are crying about all the time about inclusion? This could be classed as discriminatory.

We hear in the press about inclusion or lack thereof in the workplace. Politicians keep going on about there should be more women in parliament and other industries. Maybe the women do not want the positions or maybe they are not suitable.

Do people not realise, or are they choosing to ignore, the fact that in forcing inclusion they are also creating exclusion? If people are chosen by gender, race or culture, they may be excluding more qualified people.

Further, looking at the Left’s other agenda – we are told that people can be any gender they want and that we should not be concerned about their gender – so given that claim then why is there any concern about certain industries being predominantly white/male/whatever? Clearly one part of the Left is in total opposition to the other part of the Left.

The world has gone completely bonkers.

Vi Evans, Macgregor

Fed up with the destruction of Canberra

A “GREEN blitz” has been carried out at my public-housing property complex for over a month, in which plants, trees and shrubs have been removed. 

Some people protested to the workers, but I saw the removal as a good thing because most of the plants were noxious. 

But the reason for the removal of plants is: “They could be harbouring people who are hiding in the bushes”! I have lived at this complex for 27 years and have never seen anyone “hiding” in the bushes. What is the evidence for this?

My concerns are now that we don’t have shade for our uninsulated units and some people don’t have air-conditioning. Some people could experience dehydration and heat exhaustion in searingly hot summers, especially the ones on the first floor. 

The aesthetics of the complex have been compromised. It looks dreadful. I have been told the plants will not be replaced. Even if there were any trees to be planted, they would not be mature enough to provide shade at 15 metres. 

Now, sadly, there are no places for birds and less oxygen is being generated by absent trees and shrubs. 

Surely, the decision not to replace plants is foolhardy and a bad reflection on the Greens component of the government.

I am fed up with this government and its destruction of Canberra.

Jenny Holmes, Weston

The three-car prang in Narrabundah.

Upgrade our dangerous intersections

I SPOTTED a car crash on the corner of Carnegie Crescent and La Perouse Street. 

That intersection is dangerous and the government should invest more in upgrading dangerous intersections to minimise harm on our roads rather than spending on unnecessary things such as stage 2 of light rail.

Anton Rusanov, via email

The surge of euthanasia deaths

DURING research, I found that Dutch professor Theo Boer, a former euthanasia supporter, warned publicly a number of years ago of a surge in euthanasia deaths in the UK, if they followed the Netherlands. 

He reported that euthanasia deaths/assisted suicides in the Netherlands in 2014 would double over six years to a record 6000. A virtual doubling has now occurred in the UK in the past eight years. 

An academic in the field of ethics, he argued for years for euthanasia, but now believes that the very existence of euthanasia law turns assisted suicide from a last resort into a normal procedure.

On July 11, 2012, “The Lancet” published a study concerning euthanasia in the Netherlands. It found that in 2010, 23 per cent of all euthanasia deaths were not reported. 

On March 1, the euthanasia lobby in the Netherlands reportedly launched six mobile euthanasia teams announcing they anticipated the teams would carry out 1000 euthanasia deaths a year. 

Belgium has passed a law permitting euthanasia of terminally ill children of any age. The Netherlands has a 12 year age limit. Reportedly, the use of terminal sedation for people who are not otherwise dying (slow euthanasia) has also grown.

Colliss Parrett, Barton 

Ric must have a crystal ball

RIC Hingee (Letters, CN July 28 ) must have a crystal ball or possess psychic powers to enable him to determine what my character is without him knowing a thing about me. 

He also appears to be very thin-skinned to say that telling someone that they are “living in the dreamtime” is an insult. It is both nonsensical and risible for him to conclude that just because the PM, his treasurer and finance minister believe a Royal Commission into Robodebt is worthwhile, it must inevitably be a correct decision. The proposed Royal Commission has all the hallmarks of a witch hunt that, in all probability, will prove to be both costly and inconclusive.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen 

Climate change, please explain

I READ again (Letters, CN July 7) how our self-proclaimed “Earth” scientist, Dr Douglas Mackenzie is always right about climate change and others, like me, are wrong, but without offering proof.

I may listen to this person when he can explain how Australia’s heroic plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (currently around 1 per cent of global emissions), at great expense and economic damage, will make the slightest difference to global warming, let alone climate change. Given that global temperatures are increasing slowly, as I have agreed is happening, and that Australia cannot stop it, our aim should be to proof ourselves against the effects of global warming with anti-drought and anti-flooding programs, and not waste money on useless emissions reduction. 

And, whether Dr Mckenzie likes it or not, nuclear energy is the true future of emissions-free electricity.

Max Flint, via email

Views have been ‘thoroughly discredited’

VI Evans (Letters, CN July 7) thinks “it’s time the climate-change proponents read the article by emeritus professor of Earth sciences Ian Plimer, Australia’s best-known geologist, in “The Spectator”, June 18″. 

I am also an Earth scientist (or geologist, if you prefer) and I know Ian Plimer personally, although not well. He is certainly well known in geological circles, but his views on climate change have been thoroughly discredited in numerous ways and scenarios.

Primer is also well known in the mining industry, having held numerous, mostly non-executive director positions. At least one of those is in the fossil-fuel industry, as a director of Queensland Coal Investments since 2012. Those positions speak for themselves.

I encourage Vi Evans to read my letter in CN of July 7 to see the “evidence” of man-made climate change.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

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One Response to More to the environment than cute furry animals

S. Draw, K. Cab. says: 9 August 2022 at 3:18 pm

@Max Flint.

You talk of proof. How about you provide some for “Given that global temperatures are increasing slowly”? I’d really love to see the source for that one.

It’s nice that “as I have agreed is happening”,

and?

My response provided to you; from a uni-trained and uni-proclaimed earth scientist of no-renown nor fame (now lapsed).

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