Climatologist GAVIN O’BRIEN, of Gilmore, writes it’s a myth that fossil-fuel energy brings benefits to the millions of the earth’s population that have none. “Most of the world’s poor could not even afford such a luxury, as it comes at a great environmental and economic cost,” he says.

I WRITE to refute several of the myths written by Ken Murtagh (“Break the renewable powerhouse fantasy”, Letters, CN August 18). 

Before I start, I am a climatologist, who firmly believes from his own observations, research and reading of the literature over the last 40 years, that human-induced climate change is not only real, but is actively happening now.

Fossil fuels are not “clean” sources of energy any more than nuclear energy is. All will leave a mess for us, or following generations, to clean up whether it be the huge holes in the ground, the health-destroying pollution they create or the impact on the atmosphere, climate and the environment.

The other myth is that fossil fuel energy brings benefits to the millions of the earth’s population that have none. Most of the world’s poor could not even afford such a luxury, as it comes at a great environmental and economic cost.

The manufacture of the components of wind generators or solar panels, like the materials used in the construction and maintenance of fossil fuel power stations and nuclear plants, generate their own toxic ingredients. Because of cost, all components tend to be manufactured in China and other low-wage economies. Poor environmental law in these countries, aided and abetted by our Western-owned manufacturers, contribute to this environmental catastrophe – all in the name of profit. 

I am not an engineer but I believe that most materials used in wind farms or solar farms can be recycled. It is rather hard, if not impossible to recycle the waste products of fossil fuels or nuclear waste – indeed radioactive waste has a life of thousands of years until it is safe.

I very much doubt that the AUKUS plans for nuclear-powered submarines in Australia will ever get off the ground. The cost alone should see it torpedoed! 

No matter how compact a modular nuclear power station might be, it requires water as a coolant. Most of Australia’s water supplies are already over-exploited. 

While the current La NIna/IOD pattern is contributing to flooding rains, an El Nino-triggered drought is always around the corner. 

I for one, don’t want my children and grandchildren saddled with the environmental cost of nuclear power, any more than I wish on them an uninhabitable planet, due to unbridled fossil fuel use linked to unrestrained consumerism leading to a “hothouse earth”.

Gavin O’Brien, Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society, Gilmore 

Don’t forget, horses also emit methane

VI Evans’ (Letters, CN August 25) defence of fossil fuels includes some outlandish suggestions and claims, such as refusing to have anything to do with steel if you’re serious about reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. 

Thanks to people like Australia’s Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest and Mike Cannon-Brookes, there is a move to make steel with green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, rather than traditional metallurgical coal.

As for “getting rid of “all your plastics, your mobile phone, your computer”, after a moment’s thought Ms Evans would realise that the CO2 emitted in the manufacture of these items is a drop in the ocean compared to emissions from the fossil-fuelled transport sector, the construction sector (making cement and using concrete emit huge volumes of CO2), the mining sector (coal mines emit significant volumes of methane, a global warming gas 30 times more potent than CO2), forestry (which destroys natural carbon capture and storage systems), and stock farming (grazing animals, especially cattle, emit methane).

Solar panels do not “contain fossil fuels”, nor “nasty chemicals” and lithium has medicinal properties. Wind turbines do not “use litres of oil”, nor does it take simply “many tonnes of coal to make them”: renewable energy is also used.

And don’t forget, horses also emit methane.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Integrity interest batted away too quickly

WHILE the CIT CEO is still on paid leave, the public is given no clue as to the timeframes set down for the finalisation of the investigations into CIT’s years of costly dependence on a purveyor of questionable systems “thinking” mantras and “complexity” interventions (“Steel hides behind integrity probe on CIT”, citynews.com.au, August 22). 

Why shouldn’t the public be informed about progress being made against the timelines and whether the ACT government has beefed up agency resourcing to enable swifter than normal delivery of the reports for which the public has been waiting many weeks now?

The minister surely can’t claim that he is “prevented” from communicating and providing updates about such practical context issues, either inside or outside Estimates hearings, especially since the ongoing high costs of getting to the bottom of this saga will be met by ratepayers and not CIT’s student fees and other sources of income. ACT voters recently showed quite clearly that they have little tolerance for secretive leadership and governance practices that could be construed as self-serving.

Sue Dyer, Downer 

Investigate nature reserves management

IN reply to the letter “The roos are well fed and out bush” by Michael Collins (CN August 18) I can only say I wish that were true.

Unfortunately because of extensive investigations by many concerned citizens, the counting estimates and methods by the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, reported in its analysis of each cull, are deeply flawed. 

Farrer Ridge Reserve is an example. In 2021, a cull took place; the directorate’s count was 409 kangaroos over 202 hectares. The aim was that 317 were to be killed (not to mention the pouch joeys bashed to death), leaving 101 (0.5 kangaroos per hectare). Sadly, only 30 kangaroos remained and the swamp wallaby was nowhere to be seen.

Numerous people were involved in counting and no one could get past 30. In July this year another count took place over the whole area and 40 were found, of which eight were joeys. There are now only two small mobs of around 12 roos and three groups of four and a couple of single females. 

This is not healthy, the gene pool having possibly been destroyed. In nature predators will go for the weak but shooters have no way of determining the weak from the strong. 

In the 2022 analysis of the culling, the directorate estimated there are now 144 kangaroos on Farrer Ridge. I have written to the Environment Minister several times, but she will not address how this could possibly happen. Does she honestly think I am lying and making it up? I am definitely not, it is a sad fact of reality. 

I think an independent investigation should be undertaken into this terrible mismanagement of our nature reserves. Now with two and a half years of well-above-average rainfall the vegetation will definitely be a fire hazard during hot weather.

Julie Lindner, Farrer

E-buses are absolutely in our best interests

SHOULD Andrew Barr, Chris Steel, Andrew Leigh, Katy Gallagher, Alicia Payne and David Pocock act in the best interests of the people who elected them?

It is in our best interests to have “T2” or “T3” transit lane signs painted on strategic sections of traffic lanes on the approaches to intersections. That will cut travel times, for those of us who reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions by travelling as car or bus passengers. It can lock in sub-20-minute Woden-to-Civic bus travel times, even in peak hour. That’s 10 minutes faster than light rail.

For about $50 million we can replace all of the polluting diesel and CNG buses on the Woden-Civic route with zero-emissions buses. 

That will reduce the record-breaking 37,000 tonnes of CO2-e emissions that Transport Canberra produced in 2020-21.

For a third of the cost of stage 2 of light rail, Transport Canberra can replace its entire bus fleet with zero emissions buses.

Meanwhile, the federal and ACT governments are spending $181 million of our money to replace one mile of bus routes with a light rail route.

Are our local politicians acting in our best interests, or are they acting in the best interests of foreign companies?

Leon Arundell, Downer

Beware of the chariot whisperers

IT is widely reported that some triumphant Roman emperors and generals often had a person (not always a slave) standing behind them in their chariot occasionally whispering in their ear, according to Tertullian: “Look behind you. Remember you are a man”.

Musing, one could postulate that the same whisperers could usefully be behind Putin and Xi.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

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