On Hard Times
If one wants a superb argument to highlight the absurdity of the coal lobby, turn to Charles Dickens’ “Hard Times”. A story written in the 1850s about Coketown (coaltown) and the argument by the lords of the community about ruination if they moved the coal furnaces away from town and also installed safety guards in the weaving mills to protect the children weavers from being eaten by the weaving machines.
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For years this denial of pollution and safety issues is maintained until finally the lords fold to public pressure and surprise surprise they find the weaving business more profitable.
Often in the climate change global warming debate the pollution issue is sidelined. Australian communities in general are free of the worst aspects of pollution. Not so if you live in Morewell for instance. An oxymoronic name for a place with high levels of respiratory illness.
Many other global centres suffer terribly from carbon pollution. If you want a reference look no further than aqicn.org/city/vietnam/hanoi/unis/. This site is used by some local schools to determine if it is safe for the children to go outside to play. Nearly 40 days last year were deemed unsafe.
The green energy lobby has shown positive economic outcomes from adoption of green technologies for at least 20 years but the old vested interest establishment maintains ruination outcomes same as 150 years ago. Imagine what a world we would have now if changes to the child labour laws had not occurred.
And currently it is the children left to protest for their own future and again be criticised by the denialist establishment.
Michael Wood, Tathra
Award-winning shot
Congratulations Fleur Constable for the amazing photograph (BDN, 4/12) of the Tathra SLSC veteran women surfboat crew’s incident at Narooma. While feeling immediate concern for the battering Scott and the crew sustained, the photo has to become an award winner. And, how tough and courageous were the crew to finish in the way they did – quintessentially what surf lifesaving and its associated competition is all about.
Dave Richard-Preston, Bermagui
Global warming scam
Olwen Morris's letter highlights the unfortunate media hype regarding global warming and the end of the world as we know it. Climate has always changed over time. Just ask your grandparents.
However the insistence that unless we (responsible humans) in Australia reduce our emissions of CO2 then humanity is doomed is completely dishonest. Like David Attenborough in his recent speech in Poland the climate argument is big on emotion, hyperbole and very thin on real facts.
The facts are that global CO2 is only 0.1% of the earth's atmosphere and that Australia's contribution is only 1.3% of that small percentage! Australia's chief scientist, Dr Alan Finckel said that even if Australia ceased all land and air transport, stopped all coal burning power stations and killed all farting cattle and sheep it would make negligible difference to the world temperature.
The lies that are promulgated to produce fear in our children that their world will become a barren desert with no future is astounding. If governments continue to listen to these political mantras then our children's world will be one of fewer jobs, expensive power and brown outs when the sun doesn't shine. To go from a country that had one of the cheapest sources of energy to one of the most expensive in only a couple of generations is testament to the lack of vision and will of governments to concentrate on energy facts and do what is right for the well being of the nation.
The global warming scare is based on modelling and is a scam foisted on Australia to reduce a once prosperous nation to penury and subjection to the faceless bureaucrats in the United Nations.