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Credit: Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
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Climate change
At last, the penny has dropped (“Nation faces $430b loss as climate crisis grows”, 24/8). The cost of ignoring the warnings of the scientific community has been politically quantified. Now we need a political and practical solution. The outcry from the opposition’s Angus Taylor was predictable, in the face of the clear evidence that we’re facing an existential crisis.
It’s certain that the final figure will be astronomically more when the social and global disruption is equated. Our next step in the human experiment is going to take us to places we’ve never before considered and as The Greens’ leader Adam Bandt pointed out, political taxation taboos will have to be broken for the greater good of the nation.
If our Lucky Country lifestyle is the first sacrifice to a climate driven regimen, so be it. Stoicism is going to be the new black.
John Mosig, Kew
Some positives
Along with the litany of threats posed to the economy by global warming, the sixth Intergenerational Report offers some positive perspectives. One is the forecast decline in demand for thermal coal, another is the projected revenue stream from Australia’s reserves of critical minerals such as lithium. The report offers a golden opportunity for the government and the banks to take more decisive action on the climate front.
A key target for such action would be their combined investment in the Northern Territory’s so-called Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct and Santos’ co-dependent Barossa gas project (“Santos revenue falls after war boost wears off’, 24/8). The government cannot claim to be serious about reducing the carbon emissions in line with the Paris agreement while it facilitates the creation of such a carbon bomb.
Tom Knowles, Parkville
Time is everything
Eight years ago, Peter Dutton joked that for the islands of the Pacific “time doesn’t mean anything when you’re about to have water lapping at your door”. Clearly that was and still is incorrect. Time means everything.
Unfortunately, though we have a different party in government, the same attitudes prevail. Fiji, for one, is in an urgent hurry for Australia to make meaningful commitments to reducing its carbon emissions.
Sadly, we’re the ones with the slow-motion approach to mitigating sea level rises. Hurry up Australia and do the right thing.
Matt Dunn, Leongatha
Taking responsibility
On one side Jim Chalmers tells us the economy is gloomy, on the other side it is bright. If Labor has the temerity to tell us the 2024/25 tax cuts are affordable then we know he has lost it. The Greens will have a field day as they represent themselves as being the only party that is being fiscally responsible.
John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
An existential problem
Putting a dollar cost, no matter how high on the effects of climate change, is redundant. It’s an existential problem. The economic consequences are secondary.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Not enough being done
In a recent article written by Mike Foley, (“Coral bleaching alert for Great Barrier Reef as hot summer looms”, 9/8), senior research scientist, Mike Emslie states that the bleaching events are becoming more frequent, more widespread, and more severe. This makes it pretty clear to me that not enough is being done to protect the reefs.
Rather than the government spending billions on missiles and nuclear submarines, the money could be better spent on phasing out fossil fuels and developing sustainable energy sources.
Miles, year 6, Ballarat Grammar
THE FORUM
Looking for blame
It would be useful to see the evidence for the claims that NAPLAN grammar results are due to teachers’ own schooling (“Poor NAPLAN results expose teaching gap”, 24/8). The argument has many flaws. Grammar is not rocket science. Countless books and websites provide support for grammar. It’s not a secret. Yet what research does reveal is that decontextualised grammar exercises do not result in better grammar in student writing.
Perhaps drilling in these exercises for NAPLAN has wasted the precious time students could have spent improving grammar through their own writing, in meaningful and proven ways. It is time we considered NAPLAN as the cause of decline, not proof.
As always, teacher bashing is a first resort for those who have never been teachers.
Dr Lucinda McKnight, School of Education, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
Are tests the problem?
It is deplorable that we have allowed testing rather than teaching and learning to become the focus of our education system. (“Parents, don’t panic about these NAPLAN results”, 24/8). Evaluation is now the sole driver of the curriculum, absorbing inordinate amounts of teachers’ time and energy, taking all the joy out of learning, and stifling children’s potential as dynamic and creative learners.
Finland and other Scandinavian countries that are widely acknowledged as world educational leaders have completely shunned performance regimes like NAPLAN.
Politicians may believe that everything in education can be put in boxes, ticked, graphed, and given a ranking, but our record over the past 20 years has become one of mounting failure.
Bryan Long, Balwyn
Home wears
When we were little, dress-ups were jumbled in an old washing basket or suitcase, and usually consisted of worn-out or discarded clothes from older relatives, with a hefty dose of imagination and perhaps the odd tea towel. If you were lucky (as we were), you might also have a special outfit made by your mum or nana.
These days, it seems that Disney, Marvel and the like have commodified costumes, straining parents’ purses and restraining kids’ imaginations. Book Week brings this all together in a stress-inducing haze of dress-up preparation (or purchase), resulting in a merry mass of students walking to school looking very much the same. Want to be Elsa from Frozen? Spider-Man? Heaven help the person who suggests putting together a home-crafted option (“Spider-Man, Elsa have no place at Book Week”, 24/8).
If you have the money, off-the-rack costumes have a place, particularly for the time-poor. But the other side of all this is the textile waste it creates. As co-founders of Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome, the biggest category of waste we have collected from local nature strips over the past year is textiles – more than 1000 kilograms, including plenty of unwanted kids’ dress-ups, invariably made from synthetic fibres, which bring their own problems.
Why don’t you go DIY for next year’s Book Week? Enjoy the creative journey together. It will cost less, probably involve the same amount of stress, but be so much more rewarding.
Jennie Irving and Catherine Krestyn, Boroondara Hard Rubbish Rehome
Doing too much
Shaun Carney (“Albanese puts power before policy”, 24/8) shows that the do-next-to-nothing-but-stay-in-power-at-all-costs Scott Morrison government has been replaced by the do-as-little-as-possible-but-stay-in-power-at-all-costs Anthony Albanese government.
Unfortunately for Australia, given their disastrous shared policies – $370 billion-plus for nuclear submarines and the stage three tax cuts – both governments have been doing way too much.
Peter Martina, Warrnambool
Engaged electorate
The “mostly just adjustments to the existing policy framework” provided so far by the Albanese government is presumably the only way the Labor Party perceived the Australian public would vote for it.
The two signs that the status- quo, softly, softly approach by the Albanese government is unlikely to remain indefinitely are the growing numbers on the parliamentary crossbench and the fact that although union membership – the traditional source of Labor votes – is low, the effects on people’s lives of the pandemic engaged more individuals with politics and what it achieves for both good and ill.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South
Fanning the flames
How disgusting the vile racist abuse on Facebook (“Facebook fails to act against racist posts”, 24/8). It makes me feel ashamed to be Australian. I can only hope those campaigning for a No vote take heed of some of the flames they are fanning.
Vicki Jordan, Lower Plenty
Bringing out the worst
Racists against the Voice aren’t just prolific online – they are also sadly everywhere us Yes supporters campaign. Comments such as “they haven’t been here 60,000 years”, “what did they have before us?”, “they always want more”, and “I’m sick of Welcome to Country”, and the use of derogatory names is common in the bayside suburbs. On occasion, I’ve even felt physically threatened.
The referendum has brought out the worst and reinforced why the Voice is needed.
Samantha Keir, East Brighton
Acting on advice
It seems clear that the main issue holding back closing the gap for disadvantaged Indigenous people is the failure of politicians and agencies such as the National Indigenous Australians Agency to listen to the voices of articulate and forthright Indigenous leaders. I feel sure the prime minister and minister for Indigenous affairs have received a huge amount of advice and I think it is incumbent on them to share that advice with the public. The advice provided over the years needs to be acted on immediately rather than await the setting up of a bureaucratic Voice.
Adrian Hassett, Vermont
Filling a chair
Alan Sunderland (“Who’ll follow Ita? Wrong question”, 24/8) argues eloquently for the next ABC chair to be appointed on merit, not politics. His first argument, however, was bemusing: if the role has so little influence, why bother making the case?
He says (rightly) that Ita Buttrose has been an excellent chair, despite being appointed by the former prime minister. Were her predecessors so bad, and if so, why not use their records to exemplify the dangers?
Any chair is more influential than Sunderland suggests: they personify and guard the culture and values of their organisation. While agreeing with him that the appointment should be apolitical, I believe his case could have been stronger. We need the ABC as its influence is corroded by partisan and social media.
Peter Greig, Colac
Guidance was sought
Recent correspondents (Letters, 24/8), repeat a popular misconception about the Burke and Wills expeditioners – that they did not seek advice or guidance from First Nations peoples. In fact, they took First Nations guides with them. They played a major, and at times heroic, role in Victoria and New South Wales. Further north, the expeditioners were frequently guided by locals, and exchanged food with them.
Towards the end at Coopers Creek, Burke, Wills and King exchanged food and endeavoured to adopt Aboriginal food capture and preparation practices. Readers are directed to the highly regarded CSIRO publication: The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills – Forgotten Narratives. Although there were many failings in the planning and execution of the expedition, the suggestion that they could readily have survived if they had taken advice from the locals takes no account of their debilitation after the remarkable, foolhardy, feat of endurance in their dash to the north and back.
It also does a grave disservice to the extraordinary and subtle capabilities, developed and refined over many millennia by our First Nations people, that allowed them to survive and flourish in
an environment that would have been taxing or even fatal to the fittest European.
Peter Thorne, former chair, Burke and Wills Sesquicentenary Commemoration Committee
Leave it alone
Many people are jumping on the bandwagon and asserting that the AFL ought to fall into line with other codes regarding what constitutes a score. While there is an undeniable simplicity to these suggestions, I submit that we must cherish and defend the glorious uncertainty surrounding our current rules. So what if this causes angst?
This along with other bugbears such as umpiring inconsistencies or the uneven behaviour of the ball at centre bounces are all a part of what sets our wonderful game apart, and I would be disappointed if this were to change.
Dave Rabl, Ocean Grove
Silver linings
Despite North Melbourne having endured a very poor season, internal disruptions, and lack of detailed reports of their matches, the club has a number of shining lights. Surely, the ultra consistent Harry Sheezel, who had 38 disposals against Richmond, will win the Rising Star Award.
The All-Australian team should include the accurately excellent Nick Larkey at full forward. He will not win the Goal Kicker of the Year award. That will rightly go to the exciting Charlie Curnow.
However, in terms of effectiveness, Larkey has kicked only 10 less goals in a team that has kicked far less points, with very little recognition.
Bill Matthewson, Doncaster East
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
Super profits
Coles and Woolworths seem to have neatly drawn attention away from their massive profit results by crying foul over a shoplifting spree.
Ian Hetherington, Moama
While people struggle to pay increasing grocery costs, shoplifting is on the rise. If profit margins were more reasonable there would be less incentive to steal. Who is stealing from who?
Fiona Matthews, North Balwyn
At the supermarket I sometimes go to buy something and the cost is the same but the product appears much smaller and weighs less. Is it just me?
Greg Tuck, Warragul
Russia
What a surprise! Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a plane crash – just one of the life-shortening accidents that frequently happen to dissidents in Russia.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
I’m shocked, shocked that there was gambling at Rick’s Café Americain in Casablanca and that Yevgeny Prigozhin has been killed in a plane accident.
Nina Wellington Iser, Hawthorn
Furthermore
The AFL has “stood down” an umpire for making one mistake. If players were likewise punished for one mistake, there wouldn’t be many left on the ground after the first quarter.
Brian Williams, Vermont
Whatever happened to “If you don’t know, just ask someone”?
Steve Dixon, North Melbourne
Unless the major issue of inadequate teacher training is addressed, we can’t expect NAPLAN results to improve.
Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East
Some people say they are self-funded retirees. They should give a nod to the taxpayer and admit they are really “taxpayer funded”.
Noel Norris, Casterton
I have a pretty strong set of opinions. However, when I read The Age’s letters it does me good as I quite often have an aha moment when something challenges me. It’s a great forum.
Irene Morley, Seaford
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