Many unanswered questions about nuclear power here

My father was the resident engineer on the very first nuclear power plant construction in the UK. I spent time working as a young engineer on the Hunterston nuclear power station in Scotland. I have some idea what is involved.

While I have not been opposed to the development and use of nuclear power, there are a lot of unanswered questions in Australia in the 21st century.

How long would it take to get the legislative process, the community consultation and the agreements about sites and disposal of waste in place? I'm guessing at least five years, probably a lot more.

Then there is cost. Even for the as-yet unproven small reactors, there will be billions of dollars involved. Which Australian power company would be willing to make that investment? Or will it have to be funded by taxpayers? Power would never be as cheap as renewables.

The days of "baseload power" are almost over because of the dominance of cheap wind and solar, and battery backup. Any nuclear output would have to follow the load. This means more intermittent use (and higher costs).

With no nuclear industry in Australia, aside from the small medical isotope reactor at Lucas Heights, we have no underpinning of scientific, engineering, or technical expertise available for construction.

And the time-frame? Up to 20 years depending on what problems are encountered.

Worthy, bullet-proof citizens may feel comfortable running the gauntlet to take up Dutton's suggested offered "incentives" to cohabit with the Russian roulette of irradiation hazards, i.e. potential malignancy and birth defects ("Incentives for neighbours near reactors", March 13).

Some may view "incentives" as an opportunity to do a Harry Potter like "glow-in-the-dark".

I read of the passing of Father Francis Carroll with deep emotion. He gave dignity, respect, and time to everybody he met.

He exhibited the best of integrity, wisdom, humanity and faithfulness here in Canberra and everywhere in the archdiocese to which we belong. I have never met anybody who wasn't comforted and uplifted by his company. This remains perhaps his finest achievement. His passion for the Sydney Swans was perhaps his only flaw.

May his memory be blessed.

February 2024 was globally the hottest month on record after the previous globally hottest month, January 2024, which followed the globally hottest year on record of 2023.

There seems to be zero prospect of holding the average temperature increase this century to below 1.5 degrees. Even two degrees is beginning to slip out of reach.

Maintenance of these global temperature increases over time could be catastrophic for the world. So what is humanity going to do about out it?

Evoenergy, the ACT utility selling electric and gas energy in the territory, has commissioned a survey of customers to understand gas usage and how that may change in the future. The survey is conducted by an independent company.

One question asks if my property is mortgaged. Another question asks if I own other property and if that is rented out.

These questions are superfluous given Evoenergy has years of consumption records and knows gas has a limited future. Consumption rates will vary little between owners and tenants.

Questions about property ownership, borrowing and any rental property are out of line. These are irrelevant to Evoenergy's sale of energy.

A responsible government would have surely informed Evoenergy that gas must be phased out. That gives a non-negotiable future for all gas.

I urge all Evoenergy customers to refuse to complete this survey in its current form.

Saint Patrick's Day on Sunday (March 17) may enable families to ponder the highly influential evangelist to the Irish.

His work to convert Ireland to Christianity eventually yielded additional fruit as Irish believers re-evangelised Europe. They brought the light of faith and learning back to the continent and therefore re-laid foundations that eventually formed the heart of Australian culture.

Our own distinctive accent is traceable to Irish settlers, and with the exception of non-European migrants it would be hard to find many Australians who do not hold Irish ancestry.

All who respect the Australian flag connect to the Christian cross of St Patrick that is integral to its design. "Tanks be to God".

The Green Shed has done such a good job taking all things to resell and repurpose, including electrical items which no other charity takes. Canberra owes the Green Shed a huge thanks for the good it has done in the community and for the community. I just don't understand how it could have lost this contract. So sad.

I wish to complain about the decision to transfer management of service provided by the Green Shed to St Vincent De Paul.

St Vincent De Paul has a number of charity outlets in Canberra. The Green Shed is popular, successful and unique. This is a result of the hard work and initiative of the current managers.

To see a result such as this displays a lack of progressive thinking on the part of the ACT government. Canberra is best served when a range of people and businesses with diverse and social inclusive thinking provide services and community support.

Owners of SUVs might think about our cousins in Paris and London where they will be paying significantly for parking such cars. By the end of this year, the daily charge for six hours of parking a large SUV in Paris will be $A372 (triple a "normal car").

Melbourne is also investigating the issue for its city parking of large vehicles.

Maybe Canberra will be selling you a permit to use for a designated, possibly distant, area. Or maybe you will choose to keep your expensive-to-run, expensive-to-park second vehicle for longer trips and save money and time around town with a smaller, easy to park, more fuel efficient first vehicle.

A manual drive car is value for money and keeps us alert to our driving.

Crispin Hull ("Spare us from thought bubbles", March 12) forgets that the 2000 first home buyer's grant was a part of the "A New Tax System package", to compensate prospective first home buyers for the once-off impact of the GST on their savings (which they had accrued from lower, pre-ANTS net incomes, income taxes having been reduced to offset the impact of the GST).

The problem was that state governments continued the grants rather than phasing them out, so they morphed into assistance for first home buyers, with the problems he describes.

In saying the Howard-Costello government "halved the capital gains tax", he also forgets that CGT had applied to the real, not nominal capital gain.

Many armchair warrior letters bemoan the effects of Israeli bombing of Gaza.

In Vietnam our enemy was in the paddy field one minute, the next a loaded AK47 in his hands.

In Gaza, Hamas uses human shields. Hamas, sponsored by Qatar, will not rest until Israel no longer exists. That said, Israel's behaviour towards Gazans has in part brought this conflict on themselves.

How to achieve destruction of Hamas under those circumstances and minimise the killing of innocents?

In searching for answers, I discovered the IDF have told Gazans before time to leave in advance of military operations hunting Hamas.

Thankfully America and others are attempting to provide for Gazans provided Hamas doesn't steal the supplies.

Moan all you like about the destruction and killing of Palestinians. Hamas, and many in the West, would see Israel no longer exist. It is the only beacon of democracy in the area.

Where do your sympathies lie?

Surely Israel has a right to destroy those who would destroy them.