As pointed out in a letter to the editor of the NDL, Wed (16/10) a new dam at Dungowan is only a proposal.

We all know how long it took to get upgrade of Chaffey Dam approved and constructed.

Has the option of raising the level of Keepit Dam or Split Rock Dam and constructing a pipeline to Tamworth been considered?

A lot of money has already been spent and is being spent on these dams to improve their safety.

The NDL may wish to investigate the option of increasing the capacity of either Keepit or Split Rock (or both) and building a pipeline to Tamworth.

Chris Boman, Rushes Creek

The federal government has announced that it is relaxing Kava importation rules doubling the quantity that a person may bring into the country.

More importantly the government also stated that, a new pilot program for the commercial importation of kava will also begin next year."

Kava is a substance in the depressant class, which includes alcohol (booze), benzodiazepines (Valium etc) and GHB.

It is not a nice drug and has severe side effects even in moderate doses.

So you can legally import limited quantities of KAVA that has no medical benefit and has some dangerous side effects but we can't prescribe marijuana which has fewer side effects, and has been proven medically to have therapeutic benefits.

It's a mad, mad world that we live in.

Peter Hayes, Tamworth

The first episode of The Science Show with Robyn Williams on ABC Radio National was 44 years ago.

It included a segment with Lord Ritchie-Calder, an energy expert and science writer.

He warned then about the problem with releasing huge amounts of gases from fossil fuels into the atmosphere "where it is beginning to affect the climate itself".

He classed it as a very serious matter which will eventually make life virtually intolerable.

At the Rome UN Conference on 'new' energy in 1963 they had been talking about solar, wind, water and geothermal energy.

The people who came up with the ideas about energy and climate effects in the 60's and 70's couldn't persuade the politicians who were highly skeptical.

Politicians are now in agreement in the UK and some other countries about significantly decreasing their emissions.

However, we are stuck with federal politicians with non-factual belief systems about what has now become a climate emergency.

Nothing has changed here in 44 years.

Scomo, Barnaby et al have no excuse.

They have been exposed to the science since childhood and have mostly ignored it, to the future detriment of their and our children and grandchildren.

Tim Robilliard, Tamworth