‘Climate emergency’: Minns must stop dragging his heels in transition to renewables

Chris Minns has no call to be complacent about making the switch to renewable energy in NSW (“Eraring in the mix on ‘tricky way’ to net zero”, July 29). Surely if “the pace of renewable energy coming online in NSW has been slow” as he states, it is his job to speed it up.

We are in a climate emergency, fuelled by the extraction and burning of coal and gas. Europe is suffering severe heat waves, and Greece from wildfires so destructive that their prime minister compares the situation to a war setting. Australia is not immune, with predicted severe El Nino weather conditions likely headed our way this summer. Yet Minns wants to spend money on reviving the outmoded Eraring coal-fired power station. On top of that, he has no intention of making a date to switch from gas to electricity in NSW.

He would do well to follow the lead of Victorian Premier Dan Andrews on this issue. The cost to our children’s future and our planet is too great to ignore. Anne O’Hara, Wanniassa (ACT)

Global warming has now been described by António Guterres, secretary general of the United Nations, as “global boiling” (“Shade a key ally in Sydney’s battle plan to beat the heat”, July 29). Your article describes some “heat mitigating” methods as more tree cover for shade and how in “US cities roofs are painted white to lower temperatures by up to 3 degrees”.

First, I propose that local council building codes declare or be legislated by the state government that all roofs on new houses be white. Further, funding be provided for already built houses to have their roofs painted white. Black roofs are ugly, anyway. Mila Yates, Valentine

It’s not news that Sydney has failed in preserving green cover and shade, which help create a hotter world. No need to look at NY or Paris; look at Singapore. No paved space remains unplanted, buildings have green walls and the already green city state intends to plant another million trees by 2027. It seems they “get it”. Michael Berg, Randwick

Guterres got it right when he said the globe is not warming, but boiling. Scientists’ prediction that the globe was warming was correct, but the message was wrong. They emphasised the increase in average global temperatures instead of the new peak temperatures that would occur. An increase in average global temperature to 1.5 or 2.0 degrees makes no impact on the lay citizen. It made no impact on me when I first heard it. But increases to 40 and 50 degrees in temperate zones where they have never before experienced such high temperatures makes a great impact. Elvis Kipman, Killara

Your report bemoans the lack of trees and shade in metropolitan Sydney. Certainly, trees take many years to grow to size and become adequate shades; therefore councils must take interim measures such as erecting shelters on roadsides and planting fast-growing vines such as wisteria to cover them. Such shelters, preferably with seats under them would allow pedestrians to take refuge when the weather gets too hot. They also add floral beauty in spring. Bus shelters could do with such conversion immediately. Kim Woo, Mascot

Many people are celebrating Christmas in July. With the current temperature at 23 C it really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Ruth Magoffin, Cheltenham

Where will the politicians choose to safely fiddle when Australia is burning (“Theatre where ‘Nero fiddled’ found”, July 29)? Penny Rosier, North Epping

Popularity of lotteries could be harnessed to fund Metro West

A thought worth considering, especially when we consider the gambling habits of our state’s population (“In too deep”, July 29). How about Chris Minns considers an infrastructure lottery much like the Opera House lottery we used to have, to fund projects such as the Metro West line. You only have to visit a local news agency any day of the week to note the queues to buy lotto tickets and scratchies. Or is this no longer possible because we sold off our ability as a state to sell lottery tickets? Mary Lawson, Marrickville

Faster journey times between Parramatta and the CBD can be achieved with the proposed digital upgrades to the existing Sydney Trains’ T1 Line, even without track amplification between Granville and Homebush, although that would be desirable to increase capacity (Letters, July 30).

The current fastest express journey time between Parramatta and Central is 25 minutes, or 28 minutes to Town Hall, which has the greatest patronage in the CBD. To get to Town Hall on Metro West will require interchange at Hunter St with a long walk to Wynyard or Martin Place stations. The digital upgrades on the existing line will reduce the journey times even further to match what’s proposed for the metro. Of course this is never mentioned. Prioritising a journey time of 20 minutes on Metro West is unnecessary and all it does is inhibit the inclusion of additional stations.

While I support Metro West as servicing a new rail corridor between Parramatta and the CBD, its justification for relieving congestion on the existing T1 Western Line is overstated. Prior to COVID, the greatest overcrowding was actually west of Parramatta. Metro West will do nothing to address this without a forced interchange at Westmead for additional services from the outer west, to continue through to the CBD. Ray Laverack, Epping

I recall that an earlier major infrastructure project, Sydney’s cross-city tunnel, finished ahead of time and under budget. There were financial incentives, I believe, to the developers in return. Shows that, with proper planning, it is not inevitable that major projects need be long-delayed and over budget. Dale Bailey, Five Dock

I agree that the NSW government would be crazy to cancel the Metro West project, and more stations should be added to provide much-needed off-road access to the CBD, and the opportunity for provision of more housing close to transport hubs.

Work is well under way on two sites in Pyrmont, one of which is destined to accommodate a 110 m residential tower on top of a large commercial podium. The photomontage for the station entrance depicts a huge space worthy of a grand ballroom. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate, and cheaper, for all station entries to be modest in scale involving stairs, escalator and a lift, as one sees in London and Paris? Elizabeth Elenius, Pyrmont

Carnage shows failure of war on drugs

After more than 60 years of failure, the only way to start winning the “war on drugs” is to enact major drug law reform as has been recommended so many times before both here and elsewhere around the world (“Sydney’s love affair with cocaine and the carnage it has created”, July 29). The government should be in control, not organised criminal syndicates. Lawrence Clarke, Mount Ousley

The “carnage” you write about on behalf of the police is not caused by cocaine or the users of cocaine. It is caused by the idiocy of failing to legalise and regulate drugs like cocaine. The “carnage” lies squarely at the feet of the police and other advocates for continued criminalisation. Richard Cobden, Woolloomooloo

Every person who buys cocaine must take responsibility for their role in bringing these murderous gangs to Australia. No consumers, no suppliers. Full stop. Lesley Maguire, Marsfield

Build it, they will come

The Greens must let the housing bill through, or they don’t understand simple economics (“PM, Greens face off over poll threat”, July 29). By creating a $10 billion housing fund the building of social housing is done over time so that suppliers, builders and contractors are available for the work rather than a rush of (perhaps shoddy?) work when such a large workforce is not there. Continuous employment that will build up over time and properly supervised will allow a steady supply of housing initially and then grow into a full social housing policy. I hope the Greens don’t “cut off their nose to spite their face” as they did with climate change under the Rudd government.
Ken Pares, Forster

To date, the Greens have shown a mature pragmatism with regard to climate change targets and caps, negotiating and eventually supporting the mandated government policies. Their current brinkmanship, after achieving significant concessions on affordable housing from the government, threatens to undermine that kudos. To block this policy would be a pyrrhic victory of zealotry and ideology over the greater good. Monty Python’s suicide squad. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Why single out the Greens, PM? This small party only holds four seats out of a total of 151 in the House of Representatives, whereas the Liberals control a whopping 58. Please don’t shoot this very sensible messenger. Peter Mahoney, Oatley

LinkedOut

Lucinda Holdforth is correct in calling out the virtue-signalling and other nonsense which has become endemic on LinkedIn, which has swamped the original purpose of the business networking site (“On LinkedIn, modern virtues disguise uncomfortable truths”, July 29). Like other social media platforms, it has become a victim of its own success.

Everything is about the daily feed, which throws up dubious job suggestions, irrelevant ads, endless humblebrags and self-promotions, and the occasional intelligent posting from someone in your network. The algorithms simply aren’t smart enough to generate a relevant feed because there are now 930 million people using the platform around the world.

When I joined in 2004, I was one of the first quarter-million users, and it was a valuable networking tool, allowing me to connect with like-minded people around the world, as well as build valuable relationships. It was about individuals rather than companies, and it’s the “relationships” piece that is missing now – everything is transactional, and the valuable elements are lost in the hubbub of a marketplace that wants to “engage”, but not actually communicate. Dave Noble, Marks Point

Never smile, crocodiles

Richard Glover claims that schoolteachers were routinely given the advice, “Don’t smile until Easter” (“Is it your birthday? The best professional advice I have received”, July 29). As a former state high school teacher of 25 years I can tell you that this maxim was not seriously given to new teachers as classroom management as it is glib advice. It was known that teachers in Catholic schools led their new classes through Lent (a serious time for Catholics) and, after Easter, upon returning to the term ahead, would smile with the greeting, “Happy Easter, Christ has risen.” To suggest that it is an effective method of maintaining classroom decorum in the first term of teaching is a mockery of teacher training at universities. Paul Grguric, Waterloo

I was advised not to smile until Easter, but in my case no one ever told me which year, and I taught for 38 years. Neil Maclean, Bowral

Moons ago when I was a student nurse the tip I was given by the night duty supervisor was to never say a patient’s condition was stable because that’s what horses live in. Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay

Speak up

Julia Baird nailed it (“When I met Sinead she was like a monk smoking Marlboro Lights”, July 29). Forty years since the Movement for the Ordination of Women in the Anglican church was founded in Sydney, many still believe only men have the divine right to speak. Women are permitted to teach other women and children of matters biblical, but only in “appropriate settings” where they do not exercise authority over men.

Thank God for those women (and men) who, like O’Connor, hear the voices of the spiritually and materially disenfranchised and challenge religious and secular power, often at a cost to themselves. Elaine Lindsay, Mosman

Made in Manhattan

I doubt many people under 60 know of this remarkable Australian, Mark Oliphant, who was instrumental in changing the course of WWII (“Oliphant in the room: blockbuster ignores Australian’s input”, July 29). The breadth of his lifetime achievements is stunning. Yes, he was injudicious, impulsive and outspoken at times, but always with absolute honesty, untainted by politics. His utter common sense, on which I wrote to congratulate and console him when as governor of South Australia he was again being maligned in the press, was what endeared him to many. He wrote me a delightful letter in return. Before seeing Oppenheimer I had sent friends an article on Oliphant with the comment “If there is no mention of him in the film it will be a very one-eyed, US, view of the Manhattan Project”. And so it was. Susan Newman, Mona Vale

Cup shocker

Australia is hosting a World Cup, but you would barely know it (“Women’s World Cup belongs on all of our screens”, July 29). Sure we see some stories about the Matildas, but interest seems to be waning as their chances of success diminish.

From the news on TV and in print, you would hardly know a global tournament is being played at all. In the UK, every game is being shown live on free-to-air, with expert commentary before during and after the game. Australia’s coverage is embarrassing. I suspect the footballing world have noted the disrespect that Australia is showing the world game, and it will be a long time until we are given hosting rights to any future international event. Tony Walbran, Dee Why

Rugby rout

Perhaps Eddie Jones needs to rethink his “mind games” with opposing teams as Saturday’s trouncing by the All Blacks dispels his economic forecast for the New Zealand economy (“Major injuries add to pain of another all black night for ‘gutted’ Wallabies”, smh.com.au, July 29) Margaret McCabe, Bawley Point

What now Rugby Australia, replace Eddie Jones with Dean Boxall? Eric Viana, Ryde

It’s now looking like the Wallabies are just making up the numbers in the Rugby World Cup in France. Peng Ee, Castle Cove

The digital view

Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au
Australia must beat history to claim unlikely Ashes victory
From OldPommyGeezer: ″⁣Honestly, a test match Australia doesn’t deserve to win. England has made all the play while Australia has just been dragging their heels all match hoping for the inevitable English rain: 80 overs in a full days play is not good enough.″⁣

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