SO PFAS chemicals are in all of us, ('Why PFAS is everyone's problem', Herald, 15/9). I would say maybe not as much as the good people of Williamtown and surrounds, who unknowingly grew up in the vicinity of an Australian government facility that exposed them over a number of years.
They grew veggies they thought were safe to eat. They fed them to their children and grandchildren along with eggs they thought were good for them, thinking homegrown is always good. Yes, we all grew up in an industrial city built on coal and BHP. We are all ignorant of what we have breathed in and consumed over all those years.
So who is to blame? Hard to say, I guess. But a lot of this is stuff we are still learning about. So how can we point the finger at anyone when most of us have prospered from our home which is Newcastle over the past 50 or 60 years.
We take the good with the bad. That's life, I guess. If your life is stricken with cancer or any other health issues, the easy answer is modern living. You can only hope that the powers that be will call out the rule breakers such as Truegain at Rutherford and, of course, the Australian government in regards to PFAS because who knows what effect this has on everyone's future. We all build up contaminants from the world we live in. We can only hope that we can live a long productive life.
Tony Morley, Waratah
La Nina could offer a tree change
ACCORDING to the Bureau of Meteorology, we are in for another wet summer due to the third La Nina in a row. It's bad news for many people in flood-prone regions, but it does provide an opportunity for cities to restore their tree cover without the high failure rate that occurs in dry times.
There are many areas that are just grass covered that could become mini forests and go some way in offsetting the high rate of tree removal.
According to Global Forest Watch, Newcastle has lost 485 hectares of tree cover since 2001; that's about equivalent to 7000 tonnes of carbon every year, and Lake Macquarie is almost as bad with 11,000 trees lost every year just from development.
Having a wet summer also provides an opportunity to restore wetlands and build new ones. These are not only good for the environment, but they can act as fire breaks and provide a source of water when bushfires arrive.
One ideal location for a wetland would be adjacent to the Fernleigh Track near Cowlishaw Street, where it would become an added attraction while reducing the cost of mowing land that is collects water run-off.
Don Owers, Dudley
We can't ignore the urgency
SCIENCE dictates that we need to collectively slash our greenhouse gas emissions to stave off climate-exacerbated extreme weather events. However, governments and businesses are not acting fast enough, and the consequences are already being seen in the increasingly extreme weather around the world such as the recent flooding in Pakistan, the heatwave across Europe this summer, prolonged drought in China, megadrought in the US and near-famine conditions in parts of Africa.
Australia is not immune to weather disasters; we are going through a third consecutive La Nina event, predisposing eastern Australia to more rain and further potential flooding.
The COP27 UN climate talks are coming up in Egypt this November. All governments, in particular rich countries such as Australia, need to prepare for COP27 with action plans that reflect the urgency of the climate crisis. The longer we delay ending our reliance on fossil fuels, the worse the climate disasters we will experience.
Ching Ang, Magill
'Pour' form reflected in the data
SOME punters suggest alcohol in comparison to methamphetamines (ice), plays only a minor role in violence occurring in Newcastle's night time economy (NTE) (Letters 12/9).
Similar examples of attempted blame shifting were adopted prior to the introduction of the Newcastle conditions by an independent tribunal in 2008. Whilst ice is a contributing factor, a range of reliable Australian scientific research establishes that alcohol remains the most dominant contribution to aggression. Studies into illicit drug use and male barroom aggression (MBA) found that high intensity drinking (HID) had the "strongest association with both physical MBA perpetration and victimisation" (2022). Impulsivity and narcissism were also contributing factors.
The easily accessible 2021 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report identified for all clients treated for drug related issues, the most common (one third) arose from alcohol followed by ice and heroin.
Ambulance Victoria data found "between 2015 and 2020, the highest rates of alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances were related to alcohol intoxication".
Alcohol violence is only a relatively small component of recognised costly alcohol harms in our hospital medical records. Related chronic diseases and disorders including some cancers, FASD, unintended injuries such as trips, falls, drownings, alcohol poisoning etc, are significant.
Research conducted in Newcastle's NTE by Newcastle and Deakin universities suggested the most effective control in reducing weekend night non-domestic violence were small reductions in late closing times. BOCSAR (2022) identifies extending hours is shown to have negative effects over time regarding public safety. I believe this is another inconvenient truth for the alcohol lobby and the Latham committee, which is likely to soon recommend the scrapping of the modest Newcastle alcohol harm controls based on partial, questionable and limited data shortened by COVID lockdowns.
Dr Tony Brown, Newcastle
East end belongs to us all
OH Denise Lindus Trummel, ('Race's place is not our face', Letters 14/9), you cannot be serious? You protest for years against the Newcastle 500 while living in Mayfield, only to then move to the east end and protest some more about Supercars.
Sadly, this is typical of the attitude of many people who live in the east end, where they enjoy a multitude of ratepayer-funded facilities such as Foreshore Park, several public car parks, Fort Scratchley, King Edward Park and Newcastle Ocean Baths. But heaven forbid the council do anything that encourages non-east enders into the area.
First they opposed Supercars. Then it was fixing up Newcastle Ocean Baths. Then it was South Newcastle Beach and its tired old skate ramps. Just last week on Facebook, the Newcastle East End resident group was complaining about Van Gogh Alive being set up in Foreshore Park, which the Herald reported is selling like hot cakes. Apparently it's going to bring too many people to the east end and they will make too much noise for some. Well I'm sure the businesses in the area won't complain about all the extra customers they are going to be serving.
Please, east end residents, don't confuse owning your house with owning the east end. The city belongs to all of us who pay our council rates.
Scott Neylan, Stockton
SHORT TAKES
I BELIEVE Michael Parris' story (''Scabs, dogs and grubs'', Newcastle Herald 15/9) shows why we need the Australia Building and Construction Commission (ABCC). Without it, who will hold these people to account? If the government believes we need a federal ICAC then I want them to explain why the construction industry doesn't need a watchdog, or is it a case of the federal Labor Party needing the donations of the CFMMEU?
Andrew Hirst, Beresfield
IT is good that the NRLW was not around when my grandma was active as she was a bigoted Irish lady who hated the British and the Queen and went to her grave never ever calling the Queen as anything but "that woman" as many of her relatives had died in the great famine caused by the British taking their potatoes to feed the British leaving some million Irish to starve. Our First Nations people have suffered similar abuse by the British colonialists and that a descendant of those who suffered these abuse should express her feelings on the issue now has those in authority over her employment, the NRL, penalising her. I believe this should be strongly condemned not only by her fellow players, but the whole fair community.
Frank Ward OAM, Shoal Bay
REGARDING Kim Harding's letter, ('Critics of Knight's words are equally 'woke'', Letters, 16/9). If you don't know what Knights NRLW player Caitlin Moran said in relation to the death of the Queen, you should look it up. Absolutely disgusting and reprehensible, in my opinion, and I believe Moran should have got way more than a week's ban.
Brian Wark, Hamilton
JOHN Tierney ('Hard graft needed before weapons dropped', Opinion 16/9), your excellent words mean the framework for workplace relations should always be set by conciliation, the basis of the always needed trust. You should head the work for this, and the Business Council of Australia, take a bow for mature conduct.
Graeme Tychsen, Toronto
MAC Maguire, patience is a virtue. Mr Howard was patient when being kicked about his approval rating before becoming prime minister. Mr Dutton will get his turn after Bill Shorten and Tanya take over from Mr Albanese's electricity bills, interest rate rises, inflation, rising homelessness, rising unemployment and China's war drums. Just a few things that will affect 'Mr Makeover's' popularity.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
WHILE Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been in Britain for the Queen's funeral, did he visit Australian citizen Julian Assange and lobby for his release from unjust imprisonment? Just wondering.
