Without Action, We Could End Up Like That Frog In A Pot

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday November 16, 2004

So climate change is real and it's serious ("Living in an oven - dire alert for NSW", Herald, November 15). Are we going to do anything about it? Will the Government pause for one minute longer before approving the next mega-freeway project, which just entrenches energy-intensive car use and urban sprawl? Of course not.

Will this knowledge slow down for one second the juggernaut of cheapjack, environmentally disastrous, air-conditioned mansions which are rolling over every new urban subdivision? Not on your nelly.

You know the story of the frog which, when put into hot water, jumps out; but if the water is warmed up slowly, it swims around without concern until it expires. That's us. You would like to think that human intelligence can do better.

Geoff Dawson,

Narrabundah, November 15.

It's good to see Bob Carr is meeting international experts to talk about climate change. Hopefully a lot of pressure will be placed on Mr Carr to not go ahead with his Government's proposed coal-fired power station at Ulan. If built, the plant could emit more than 6.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly - the equivalent of about 1.6 million cars.

If Mr Carr really is concerned about the likelihood of more severe storms, droughts, floods and fires in NSW, he won't approve another coal-fired power station. Instead he will be making renewable power generation the priority.

Cate Faehrmann,

Nature Conservation Council of NSW,

Sydney, November 15.

The solution to global warming is nuclear power. Renewable energy is a nice dream, but will at best make a small dent in greenhouse gas emissions. Neither the general populace nor industry show sufficient willingness to adopt the low-energy lifestyle demanded by a renewable approach.

There are three demons associated with nuclear power. Safety, radioactive waste and terrorism. All three may be feasibly addressed using available technology. By the time renewable energy meets consumer expectations it may be too late to halt devastating climate change.

Carl Sparre,

Eastwood, November 16.

© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald

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