Marshall must speak up
In Adam Marshal's weekly update he said he was thrilled to announce the $80 million state government investment to establish the state's largest renewable energy region with New England set to become the renewable energy powerhouse of NSW. This is clearly a win for our region.
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What Minister Marshall did not mention, is that other parts of NSW are not so lucky. At the same time, the state government revealed there are about 13 areas designated as potential sites for coal exploration. As some of these sites are in valuable agricultural areas, they ought to be excised by our agricultural minister.
If renewable energy is so valuable, why do we need further coal exploration? Surely our current mines provide enough coal to support a transition to renewable energy. As Minister for Agriculture, Adam Marshall must speak out against future exploration for coal in favour of food security and tourism .
Patsy Asch, Armidale
Green is the way to go
In reply to Viv Forbes NDL July 7. While it was cool in Washville, Queensland, Chinchilla just west was scorched in sunshine. Easy fix by wire, green is the way to go.
We had no electricity when I helped lambing, up to -8 degrees. Slow combustion was the answer, lots of hot water piped to radiators in other rooms keeping poddy lambs warm.
Slow combustion is about twice as efficient as coal-fired electric heat so one tonne of coal in a slow combustion stove will deliver as much heat as two tonnes of coal burned in an inefficient coal-fired electric power station.
Therefore it is much more economical to use slow combustion in conjunction with a stove top steam turbine, as only about 1 or 2 horsepower would provide all the light needed. Memory suggests that they went up to 5 horsepower and rotated about seven to eight thousand revs per minute.
Coal fired electric power is expensive, inefficient, and out of date. Most countries in the EU are phasing it out in favour of green power.
Shepherds and sheep may not like frosty darkness, but they learned over thousands of years how to live with it. I hope Mr Forbes will reason with me through the NDL.
Lindsay Bridge, Quirindi
We need some real magic
Florida is currently the fourth highest ranked country, for the most new COVID cases a day, except that it's not a country, it's just one of the 50 US States. It should be time to shut its borders and go into isolation at home but what does it do, it opens Walt Disney World.
The Disney ads proclaim it as "The most magical place on Earth" and it must truly be magical if there is no further cases of virus spread. They are encouraging appropriate responses although they do warn that it is your responsibility if you go there.
Although the Disney site is only one of many that are open it is probably one of the most famous and it should take the opportunity to set an example by staying closed and telling people to find the magic in their own lives.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
Is the US the best example?
Looking at the recent chaos in the US, we really should be asking ourselves, is America the model of freedom and democracy we wish to emulate? The US was founded on such high ideals, such lofty principles, yet has such appalling social realities.
It wouldn't surprise me if civil war hit America in 2020, and the United States goes the way of the Roman Empire. Much of the rest of the rest of the world would be cheering if it did, with good reason, as they have carved a path of slaughter for decades in the Middle East.
We really should ask ourselves what we would do in that situation, what would our geopolitical situation look like without the US? How would we relate to the rest of the world without the United States to direct us?
How can we look to the US as a source of moral guidance and world order, when we all see their country falling apart, their police murdering people, their endless wars, and their insane politics?
Daniel Peckham, Tamworth
CSG and fracking
Dr David Shearman warns that CSG mining and fracking are dangerous to human and animal health both directly and also indirectly via deadly climate change ("Safety concerns enough and turn off CSG", July 17).
Farmers and everyone should learn this fast and end such mining and fracking now and forever.
Author Richard Heinberg also warned of most of these dangers seven years ago in his aptly titled book Snake Oi l- How fracking's false promise of plenty imperils our future.
Barbara Fraser, Burwood, Victoria
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