AUSTRALIANS always have prided themselves as working together as mates willing to share between themselves, the ANZAC spirit, but looking at the empty shelves at Coles at The Junction today it seemed to me that something selfish has definitely crept into the society.
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While diarrhoea has not been included as a symptom of COVID-19 virus, there was not a single roll of toilet paper. The plain flour shelves and rice were largely denuded as well, as was the paper hand towel section.
A few days before stocks seemed under control, but within a few days it was like a swarm of locusts had descended on the place. For all those selfish hoarders, just ask yourself how you would feel if you desperately needed toilet paper for sick family and there was none. So, it seems Australia is now the land of look after yourself and bugger the other bloke.
John Davies, Newcastle East
WIPE OUT THE NEED TO RUSH
WE will fill up our houses with toilet paper and food, and there will be no room to live. We will have to go out to book into a hotel and catch the coronavirus.
No, seriously, the idea that we should slightly increase out stocks of essentials is a good one. Unfortunately there are many people in our community who live from day to day. They can barely afford to eat, let alone stock up on toilet paper.
The imminent financial crisis accelerated by coronavirus has forced our institutions to seek ways to stimulate the economy. The first thing they should do is increase the Newstart allowance. This will immediately feed money back into the economy and deliver it across a broad range of businesses. It will contribute to the mental health of a large section our society reeling from the other natural disasters of the last six months.
Peter Lipscomb, Maryville
GIVE NUCLEAR A FAIR HEARING
EMOTION and bar room talk, rather than scientific fact, have no place in the urgent process of protecting our country, our planet, from global warming. I believe small nuclear plants, providing base load power, offer a safer and more environmentally friendly option than coal or gas. (Upper Hunter a 'good fit' for nuclear reactor, Herald, 5/3).
Australia has plentiful uranium deposits and is better placed to process and dispose of nuclear waste than practically any other country. Teamed up with abundant cheap solar, wind and hydro power, and possibly storage, nuclear would significantly bring down energy bills, eliminate huge carbon dioxide emissions through burning and transporting coal and gas and start to show the world that Australia is serious about doing its bit, as it must.
Three quarters of French power is supplied by nuclear plants and French consumers pay less for electricity than us.
Jeff Fothergill, The Junction
A REACTOR HAS NO ROLE HERE
MOVES by conservative state politicians to remove longstanding and prudent protections against radioactive risk ('Bombshell', Herald 5/3) should sound alarm bells across NSW. A pro-nuclear upper house inquiry initiated by One Nation MLC Mark Latham has recommended opening the door to nuclear power and uranium mining in NSW. Neither approach makes economic or environmental sense, and neither is supported by Labor or the Greens.
Australia is blessed with outstanding renewable resources. We do not need to explore dangerous nuclear energy options. Nuclear energy is expensive, risky and slow to implement. Around the world countries are transitioning to renewables, the fastest growing energy sector in the world.
Uranium mining in NSW would risk the health of the environment and regional communities for scant promise of return. Australia's embattled uranium sector has been hard hit by the commodity price collapse that followed the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis, which was fuelled by Australian uranium. We need real proven energy solutions, not risky radioactive pipe dreams. Nuclear power has no role in Australia's energy future and is a dangerous distraction from real progress on our pressing climate challenges. There is little to be gained and a lot to lose from this political posturing.
Dave Sweeney, Australian Conservation Foundation
THE OUTCOMES WILL DIFFER
IF Sarah Taylor (Letters 4/3) believes that federal action against climate change and coronavirus will be equally effective on the outcome for Australians, I believe she is being wilfully ignorant enough to make a politician blush. Completely stopping Australia's greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow would make no perceptible difference to our climate in future years. If the world makes a serious effort on climate change, we should do our fair share, but it simply is not.
Sean Farnham, Kurri Kurri
MAKE MOTIVE BEST SPEND
STAN Keifer, as usual, makes abundant sense (Letters, 24/2 and Short Takes 4/3). Governments should be alive to the probabilities of the future and allocate investment dollars accordingly. Electric cars are but one example. Unfortunately, the Coalition seems to think that anything associated with renewable energy must be part of a socialist conspiracy against capitalism. Exceedingly odd, when one of the hallmarks of capitalism is to sniff the wind, get ahead of the pack, and make a buck.
Michael Hinchey, New Lambton
HOLIDAY FURORE OVERBLOWN
AFTER wading through Sarah Taylor's diatribe against the Australian government (Letters, 4/3)) I was suddenly reminded to acknowledge the likes of Scott Hillard, Don Fraser and Brad Hill for providing a sense of balance to this page from time to time and putting a few whingers in their place with a touch of humour. Apparently Scott Morrison's biggest crime was having the audacity to take his wife and children for a holiday, and I doubt that he will ever be forgiven for it. Even though bushfires are the responsibility of our individual states, perhaps next time he and his family could form a bucket brigade in the vicinity of a fire instead of having the nerve to take a little time off.
David Stuart, Merewether
ACTING NOW IS A START
THANK you Geoff Black (Letters, 3/2) for highlighting the forward-looking Labor Party has started thinking about getting the maximum benefit from coal while preparing for a time when the world no longer wants it.
They may not have all the answers, but if you don't act you end up nowhere. Better than the Liberal alternative sleepwalking our coal communities and country off an economic cliff.
Colin Fordham, Lambton
LETTER OF THE WEEK
THE pen goes to Geoff Black, of Caves Beach, for his letter on the transition for the coal industry in reducing emissions.
SHARE YOUR OPINION
Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.
SHORT TAKES
WITH all the hype about the Coronavirus in circulation, I was hoping to purchase a carton of beer with a similar name for a dollar or less. Unfortunately the bottle shop owners have washed their hands of my wish.
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
IN reply to Mac Maguire (Short Takes, 28/2), thank you for the sexist ageist criticism of a few climate facts I presented (Letters, 25/2). I will believe the "reality of catastrophic climate change" when you provide the unambiguous evidence to support such a claim. Until then, I and others will continue to ask testing questions about any alarmist claims.
Peter Devey, Merewether
JOHN Arnold (Short Takes, 5/3). Your letter might make some sense if people were denying the existence of Coronavirus. They ain't. A more accurate comparison would be climate change alarmists and those bulk buying toilet paper ('Toilet paper mania wipes shelves clean', Topics 5/3).
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
WITH toilet rolls disappearing ('Toilet paper mania wipes shelves clean', Topics 5/3) I wonder whether it will come to pass that if one is invited to dinner it's a case of don't bring a bottle, but bring your own toilet roll. Such is life.
Daphne Hughes, Kahibah
IT seems like the Sydney light rail is lacking passengers, just like I believe the one here in Newcastle is as well ('Light rail on track after first year', Herald 17/2). I regularly walk along the light rail route and each tram that passes seems to have hardly any people on board. After huge expense and disruption to businesses, some of which closed in the Newcastle CBD, in my opinion the light rail here seems to be a bit of a flop.
Jim Gardiner, New Lambton
ANYONE fancy going in halves in a new press button dry bidet rental business ('Bidets popular amid loo paper panic', Herald 6/3)?
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
I JUST came across this Today's Text (Topics, 5/3): "If you declare ..."Jesus is Lord" and believe ... God raised him from the dead, you will be saved". Well, hallelujah! Now put back the toilet paper back on the shelves. Thank God for common sense.
Steve Paras, Pelican
COULD it be at all possible that the Coronavirus and the hoo haa that goes with it is just another means for the mega rich to become absolutely filthy rich off the back of a scaremongering campaign to incite panic around the world? I'll think about it some more over a couple of Carlton Drys. Cheers!
Brad Hill, Singleton
THE character depicted in Broelman's View (Opinion, 5/3) may think the run on toilet paper is beneath him; however, it's probably more a case of people just going through the motions .
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook
TOILET rolls. Really? Someone tell these loonies the virus is respiratory - not the other end!