I often wonder why we are so far behind the rest of the world.
I worked on the construction of Liddell power station in 1970. When I heard that it is to be demolished I wondered why it couldn't be converted into an incinerator power station like those in use in major overseas countries? After all, the station is in the middle of nowhere, so to speak.
Sweden for example, only has about 1 per cent landfill, everything else is recycled or incinerated to produce power with near zero pollution. Less pollution than it takes to produce wind turbines, solar panels and batteries.
They even have ski-fields built over them.
There is no reason why we can't build one on old landfill sites, or even Summerhill, and use the methane gas that landfill produces.
Technology is so advanced now from when we had an incinerator on the Newcastle site now occupied by Marketown, on the corner of Parry and Steel streets.
Back then, one truck collected garbage for a suburb. Now it covers a few streets and the truck is full.
This would solve a lot of landfill problems, produce some of our power, and stop so many rubbish trucks coming up from other council areas to the Summerhill dump.
Ian Bartrop, Birmingham Gardens
Existing among stars
Neville Aubrey ("Commerce, myth wreck Christmas", Letters, 23/12), "stars" move all the time.
We know them now as "planets". And, at certain points in our relative elliptical orbits, sometimes they appear to loop and travel backwards.
So, in the days of Jesus, this motion was worth studying and hard to interpret.
Perhaps the implicit point though was not about "stars" but a disbelief that the "son of God" would be constituted in atoms? And that it was stated in text that he was made of atoms, that this was clearly wrong as "atoms" meant "indivisible".
Us superior modern citizens know of electrons - so essential for bringing us the digital edition of the Newcastle Herald.
I think it is a nice thought though that, like us, Jesus would be made of the stuff of stars.
My point? I was "made by God's design"; not "just a happy accident". By all means choose which one turns you on. Choose your reason for the season. But I wish you all the best - for your neighbours, as for yourself.
Andrew Spannenberg, Mayfield
Full sentence served
In response to John Morgan ("Terrorist's release wrong", Letters, 22/12), I advise that Abdul Benbrika was found not guilty of committing a terrorist act, but of planning a terrorist act.
He has served his full sentence imposed by the judicial system.
He basically then became a free man like any other ex-criminal.
It was LNP legislation that allowed a public servant to extend his sentence to possibly life imprisonment, which was ruled illegal by our highest court.
Only the judicial system can impose prison sentences.
If we don't want to live by the rule of law we're destined for chaos.
Darryl Stevenson, Coal Point
Save our precious parkland
So, Ray Dineen would like to see more of Birdwood Park sacrificed for the benefit of motor vehicles ("Original road plan a winner", Letters, 26/12) by constructing a dedicated left-hand turn lane in Stewart Avenue into King Street for south bound traffic.
He claims this would lessen traffic delays.
If built, this would result in not only the loss of considerable precious parkland for the road widening, but the loss of a row of mature Moreton Bay fig trees.
He must be joking.
There is absolutely no need for a left-hand turn at this intersection, as there are three earlier opportunities for motorists to turn east when travelling from Hannell Street into Stewart Avenue.
The first being Honeysuckle Drive, the second Hunter Street and the third Little King Street.
Banning the left-hand turn into King Street altogether, and encouraging motorists to use these options, will result in quicker traffic flow. There is absolutely no need to build a dedicated left-turn lane.
Denis Hainsworth, Merewether
SHORT TAKES
White-hot beach tip
Beachgoers beware: if you've seen the movie Cocaine Bear, watch out for 'cocaine sharks' this summer.
Peter Sullivan, Barnsley
Rushing the beaches
Regarding the cocaine mystery bale washing up on the city coastline. Why do we need to advertise this to the community? ("Stash splash", Herald, 28/12). Picture this: loads of vehicles arriving at city beaches full of people all focused on getting their 10,000 steps in, with the ultimate goal of cashing in on the barnacle-covered Holy Grail at the end of a moonlit beach.
Tony Morley, Waratah
Powerful desire behind war
Geoff Bryan, I disagree with your premise that religion is the cause of the unthinkable brutality in Gaza ("Religion's dangerous lies", Letters 20/12). True believers, be they Muslims, Jews, Christians or others, adhere to the law "Thou shalt not kill". It is the power-hungry with a political agenda who are the perpetrators of war under the pretext of religion.
Elsa Cant, Merewether
Recalling NESCA power rebate
City of Newcastle's new planning controls ("Gas bans for new houses", Herald 20/12) reminded me that, in the 1950s, Newcastle had its own electricity supply company NESCA, and if you had an all electric home you received a rebate on your bill. From memory, it was 5 per cent. Those were the days.
Fred Saunders, Waratah West
Far from off the hook
Further to "Narrow, flawed: Hornery scathing of letters investigation" (Herald, 23/12), the City of Newcastle CEO, Jeremy Bath, is fooling no one but himself if he believes this investigation has cleared him of unacceptable behaviour. Surely, at the very least, he had a duty to report the repeated inaccuracies in his mate's letters to this page.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
Kooragang danger concern
I am very concerned that the Orica ammonia plant has still not been removed from Kooragang Island, the "strategically located entrance to the Hunter Valley" (source: Orica's Operations Home Page), to a less dangerous site. A site that will not cause the city of Newcastle to be obliterated if conditions similar to those of the Beirut blast of August 4, 2020, are met.
