Letter writer LORRAINE GLANDER is grateful to the staff at Canberra Hospital for their “expert care”.

I RECENTLY spent six and a half weeks at Canberra Hospital following a fall requiring multiple surgeries. 

While the eventual outcome was massively disappointing, I wanted to thank the hard-working staff at the hospital – from the nurses; cleaning staff; wardspeople (if that’s the correct title?); clerical staff; pathology staff and all the others behind the scenes.

I particularly wanted to thank the staff at the Hospital in the Home (HITH) unit (I never knew you existed ’til my stay at respite care necessitated daily visits from you wonderful people). They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to patients discharged from hospital but still requiring additional care. 

All the staff were amazing, caring, professional and patient. Thank you so much for all you do for those of us lucky enough to be under your expert care.

Lorraine Glander, via email

Icing on the salary cake to come

THANKS to the ever-so-sacrosanct Stage 3 tax cuts, the pay rises (“Seven Days”, CN September 15) enjoyed by our ACT ministers and a growing number of hapless ACTPS senior executives will grow by $9000 a year each. 

The big bounce in their fortnightly salaries from July 1, 2024, may turn some MLAs into quite desperate campaigners as the ACT’s October, 2024, election approaches. 

Sue Dyer, Downer

Why Clive’s ‘off the mark’

I HAVE much respect for “Whimsy” columnist Clive Williams, but to suggest pejoratively that “a noisy vocal minority wants to rewrite the past” (CN September 15), is off the mark. 

Clive assumes the writing of the past was accurate, where in many instances, it has been far from it; witness the extended denial of the shocking treatment of our First Australians and the often over-emphasis on the “grand spirituality” of our participation in overseas conflicts. 

In fact, the “vocal minority” or perhaps more accurately, a growing majority, are seeking a rewrite of the rewrite, that is we want the truth – at last. If that is “woke”, I’m all for a reawakening.

Eric Hunter, Cook 

Keep up the pressure on this arrogance

A GREAT issue of “CityNews” this week (September 15). Keep up the good work and pressure on this arrogant and ideologically-driven government that has lost its way and, for a long time now, has not given a fig for what communities and taxpayers think or need, in the knowledge that they will never lose office.

Max Flint, via email 

Wrong about reliability and cost of renewables

GAVIN O’Brien (Letters, CN September 15), it’s not about “belief in man-made climate change”, it’s about the evidence. 

Yes, there are natural climate cycles but these are being overwhelmed by the massive amounts of greenhouse gases arising from industrialisation over recent centuries. 

For example, as Solar Cycle 24 declined from 2014 to 2020, average global temperature continued to rise, 2016 and 2020 being the hottest years on record. 

Anyone who takes a look at the carbon emissions graph at climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ will be shocked. While Gavin’s “own studies in meteorology, astronomy and science” are interesting, they are not as significant as the nearly 200 international scientific organisations that “hold the position that climate change has been caused by human action. “Given Gavin’s interest in meteorology, he will be interested to know that one of the organisations is the World Meteorological Organisation, which recently reported that “Four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification – set new records in 2021. This is yet another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes on land, in the ocean.”

Gavin is also wrong about the reliability and cost of renewables compared to fossil fuels, but that’s another story. 

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria 

Global heating caused by fossil fuels

ROBERT Kerry (Letters, CN September 15) is right about 40 years being an “incredibly short” time in which to distinguish and measure meaningful trends in Earth’s climate. 

However, he makes a number of questionable claims about climate change and the influences of burning fossil fuels.

To begin, “volcanic emissions” generally have short-term effects on the climate of parts, but rarely all, of Earth because by far the most voluminous emissions are of fine particulate matter, such as ash.

Changes in Earth’s orbit are periodic and always revert to an earlier state: there is no trend that matches the change of climate as we observe it. 

It has been recorded several times that there is no correlation between solar irradiance and the global heating component of climate change. Earth’s magnetic field and poles do change, but there is no measurable effect on climate.

The accusation that “past meteorological readings” have been “adjusted” to suit a particular theory (“adopted narrative”) is no more than a red herring reeled in by people who are losing the argument. There is no reason why any meteorologist who values his or her job would “fiddle the data”.

Finally, the record of proxy and direct average global temperatures over the last 880,000 years shows that Earth was in a gradual cooling trend, broken only by the slight “flattening” of the Medieval Warm Period and the slight “dip” of the Little Ice Age, until about 1750, when we humans began burning coal and oil, and average global temperature began climbing at an ever-increasing rate.

I could go on, but any intelligent reader should now be convinced that global heating and climate change are being caused by our use of fossil fuels.

Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

New gas and coal exploration projects?

HOW can the Albanese government be taken seriously about climate change and achieving net zero emissions by 2050 when it has recently approved new gas and coal exploration projects, also substantially increased immigration levels. 

As both will result in further degradation of the environment, an explanation is required.

Mario Stivala, Belconnen

Hepatitis risk from spitting is near-zero

I REFER to the article “Human rights offenders are ‘put above’ police” (CN September 15). This article incorrectly suggests a link between spitting and viral hepatitis.

No one should be spat on; and I am not aiming to devalue the stress experienced by the person on the receiving end. 

However, the media and other bodies have a responsibility to not spread misinformation. Misinformation about viral hepatitis transmission increases stigma and discrimination and causes undue stress for police officers, bus drivers and other workers if they incorrectly believe they could be at risk.

You cannot get hepatitis B or C through casual contact such as touching, kissing, hugging or sharing food. You also cannot get hepatitis B or C from blood or body fluids having contact with intact skin.

The likelihood of saliva containing a substantial amount of blood and it passing into the recipient’s bloodstream, such as through an open wound, or the eyes or mouth, is so small, that the risk of hepatitis from spitting is near-zero.

Blood tests typically detect hepatitis B virus in one to three months and hepatitis C in three months.

Anyone can access confidential information and support via the national hepatitis infoline on 1800 437222.

Sarah Ahmed, executive officer, Hepatitis ACT

Take time to check pool fences

ROYAL Life Saving Society – Australia is asking owners of backyard pools to check their pool fences and pool gates as a matter of urgency.

Children under five are curious and fearless, and their love of water puts them at risk of drowning.

Tragically, every year in Australia we lose on average 22 young children to drowning, more than half of those drowning in backyard swimming pools. The majority are aged just one year.

We know that seven times the number of children who die go to hospital after a non-fatal drowning incident. That is more than 150 children aged under five each year, some of whom will be left with life-limiting disabilities.

Ensure you have a functioning and compliant pool fence and working gate as an additional barrier between young children and water for all those moments when life intervenes – the phone rings, the doorbell rings, another child needs your attention – can literally be life saving.

This year, we’ve all experienced a lot more wet weather than usual. The La Niña conditions can wash away topsoil and weaken fences.

Check no fence posts have come loose. Make sure the gate is still self-closing and self-latching. It is also a good time to brush up on CPR ahead of summer.

By spending a bit of time checking the pool fence, pool gate and the area around the pool is secure, including no furniture or structures that little people can climb to access the pool, you could prevent a tragedy this summer.

Justin Scarr, CEO, Royal Life Saving Society – Australia

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