Climate change technology investment falls short

As a hot dry country with fragile soils and responsibility for managing natural wonders such as the Great Barrier Reef we cannot address this existential threat by simply adopting approaches and actions from other countries.

The recently released modelling behind Australia's "plan" to achieve net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 has been criticised for relying on technologies that do not currently exist.

The government does not see this as a major concern given Australia's proud history of successful research, innovation and development.

However, government support for research has been decreasing significantly and is well below the average OECD research to GDP ratio.

It is essential that this trend is reversed as a matter of urgency if we are to optimise our chances of developing the technologies we will need.

This is a key performance indicator for the next federal government.

The research and development priority areas need be determined by experts, through our scientific and engineering academies, without political interference.

At the same time there needs to be informed debate followed by decisions on the related and deeply fraught issue of the future of Australia's fossil fuel use and exports.

It is imperative that we phase these out as soon as practicable.

While many want this in the next few years, this cannot realistically happen for technical and economic reasons at home, and because it will take longer for many developed and developing nations to wean off fossil fuels.

As one whose exercise walks take me through some of Canberra's local parks I can't help but notice the increasing number of white-metal cannisters (similar to those used with the old soda syphons) which litter the grass.

Sometimes there might be 20 or more in the one place. I understand that this is the latest substance of choice for some of our younger generation. The cylinders contain nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and are sold legally for use in making whipped cream.

Those using them illegally to get a "high" whiff the gas. The practice is not limited to weekends or night-time. Grounds staff tell me that it's a common practice during lunchtimes at parks near schools.

The internet informs me that the kids doing this are poisoning themselves; a whole host of medical conditions likely to result.

Whenever I come across a pile of cannisters, I ask myself "how is this possible?". Is the relaxation of Canberra's drug laws responsible?

During the past week an ACT government employee painted a white circle around just four holes in the densely pock-marked Mugga Way between Alexander Street and Melbourne Avenue.

What are the work instructions leading to this small selection when the whole roadway needs re-surfacing? And why no circles around, for example, the deep trenches in the gutter of Flinders Way or the dangerous hole in La Perouse Street a few metres from the Red Hill Primary School crossing?

Residents of the inner south may well reflect on how can this be given four of the five Kurrajong elected members holding ministerial positions.

The state of the roads reflects gross municipal neglect.

Although I have not yet seen the Bill for Religious Freedom it seems to me that the government is seeking to increase divisions within the Australian community

According to Minister Tudge, one of the purposes of the religious freedom legislation is to enable Catholic schools to appoint only Catholic teachers and for Muslim schools to appoint only Muslim teachers, and so on.

If this religious purity is so important that these institutions need supporting legislation, and are not prepared to appoint qualified teachers who are not of their faith, then maybe they should also be prepared to forego the funding which is provided by all Australian taxpayers.

Roderick Holesgrove (Letters, November 19) criticises the "right-wing" media for some of the attitudes of the protestors in Melbourne protesting against Victorian Labor Premier Dan Andrews' draconian COVID-19 laws.

He, like many others of his ilk, fails to mention the climate protestors, many of them children, who held up signs with slogans such as "F--- ScoMo" earlier in the year.

It is interesting to see the mainly left wing media's lack of coverage of the last federal election where violence was directed at conservative politicians by anonymous far left activists.

Does Mr Holesgrove hold the left wing press responsible for creating these gutless thugs and for their lack of criticism of these left wing extremists?

Dr Hiller (Letters, November 20) quoted the comments of British high commissioner to Canberra Vicki Treadell following COP26 in Glasgow, using them to attack the Morrison government's stance on coal.

The quote was somewhat selective as she didn't note that Her Excellency refused to criticise Australia and said each country had to choose its own path forward.

Perhaps that's because even as Her Excellency was making those comments, her government in London was progressing approval for the new Cambo oil field in the North Sea to move to production. The responsible Minister (Alister Jack) is quoted as saying that "it would be foolish to think we can just run away from oil and gas".

So even as there are calls for Australia to cease coal mining and exports, the hosts of COP26 are planning their own expansion of fossil fuel production. We should follow their lead.

Anne O'Hara suggests we can help agriculture by banning fracking for coal seam gas (CSG) and phasing out coal mining (Letters, November 22). The ideas are fundamentally right, but not so the practicalities.

Fracking (fracturing) the rocks that contain coal seam (natural) gas risks releasing large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. It also risks polluting the groundwater commonly used by farmers with the toxic chemicals in fracking fluid.

However, banning fracking would be sudden death for the natural gas industry, which, with support from the Morrison government, would strongly resist such a move.

Phasing out coal mining is highly problematic. A large proportion of Australian coal mining produces the metallurgical (or coking) coal used in steel making. This coal will inevitably be replaced by hydrogen, but that change is about a decade away.

Fracking should be phased out, and coking coal mining phased out slowly.

A partial solution to social resistance to vaccine mandates in Australia is offered by a greater choice of suitable vaccines for COVID-19.

Readers may be interested to know of an Australian vaccine, namely COVAX-19 developed by Professor of Medicine Nikolai Petrovsky at Flinders University in SA.

It is a very safe and effective traditional protein-based vaccine that has recently received approval for use in Iran. This is based on outstanding results showing protection against the delta variant in a phase three clinical trial in 16,876 subjects in Iran.

Importantly, in these large clinical trials, no vaccine-related deaths or cases of venous thrombosis or myocarditis were observed, problems seen with the currently used viral vector and mRNA vaccines.

At the time of writing a GoFundMe campaign had reached $591,881, passing the target amount to fund a TGA evaluation for use of this vaccine in Australia.

It continues to take donations for phase four surveillance once the vaccine is approved in Australia.

A good few Australians are clearly only too keen to support this vaccine via donations and also to personally receive it once it is approved for use in Australia.

It was said of Winston Churchill that he saw the need for "military theatre". "He perceived that there must be action, even if not always useful; there must be successes, even if overstated or ... imagined; there must be glory, even if undeserved"."

Scott Morrison is very adept at "political theatre" but, while Churchill delivered much more, it would seem "theatre" is all Scott Morrison has to offer.

Prince Charles called COP26 at Glasgow the "last chance saloon". Scott Morrison and his fossil fuel flunkies did their level best to make it "Heartbreak Hotel". We need to cut carbon emissions now, along with the spin, fatuous slogans, empty "planphlets" and the politicians who mistake them for action.

The PM has joined his Treasurer in stoking discontent in Victoria. Let's quantify Victoria's lock-down performance. COVID-19 has infected one in 60 Victorians. In Florida the infection rate stands at one in six. I think our federal leaders are enjoying the chaos they have inflamed.

Re: the recent ugly protests in Victoria. For a moment there I was expecting Scott Morrison to say "... go home, we love you, you're very special ...".

I noted from a TV news program last week that the Prime Minister, when asked about the "freedom protests" held in Melbourne recently, made the point that he had "denunciated" the protests. What happened to "denounced"? Perhaps it is a marketing term.

The word is denounce, Scott, not "denunciate". You've removed enough sisters as it is.

I came across an old movie the other day starring Scott Morrison. It was called Pebble Without a Cause.

Is God (whoever or whatever she, he or it may be) just for those who have nothing substantial to believe in?

When was the last time anybody heard of the gap between the rich and poor narrowing?

Paul Wayper (Letters, November 11) was spot on about Scott "three word slogan" Morrison. There most certainly is the need for that new slogan "Must-go Morrison" proposed by Paul. Australia deserves better leadership both home and away.

I don't understand Mr Barr's refusal to countenance hosting "lesser", but affordable, Rugby World Cup matches. During the Sydney Olympics thousands of Australians bought tickets to sports they hadn't had the slightest interest in before or since because they wanted to be part of the games. During the Rugby in 2003 Canberra had well attended minor pool matches and a great carnival atmosphere.

Mr Morrison has said Australia will open its borders to skilled migrants. All I have seen is migrants with few university degrees working as taxi drivers or trolley boys. We should allow skilled migrants to come only if they have a confirmed suitable job offer.