Letters to the editor Monday June 22 2019

Ferrets don't go to protests or footie matches, so let's leave them alone.

Testing on non-human animals is not only unethical, it is scientifically unjustifiable. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that 95 out of every 100 drugs that test safe and effective in animals never make it through human clinical trials.

Tests on animals are no guarantee of human safety, and this was tragically illustrated in the 2006 clinical trial for the immunomodulatory drug Theralizumab, where six human volunteers suffered multiple organ failure after receiving a dose 500 times smaller than that found safe in animal tests.

Thankfully, medicines regulators - including the Therapeutic Goods Administration - are waking up to this and have decided that some COVID-19 vaccines can go directly to human trials without waiting for the results of certain lengthy and deadly animal tests.

Innovative, non-animal research methods, combined with responsibly-conducted tests on human volunteers, are the surest route to effective treatments and vaccines.

Unlike humans, animals can't agree to being experimented on. They are born and die in a laboratory and spend the intervening time in small, bleak cages, denied all freedom and autonomy. In these secret, high security institutions, they may be infected with the virus, then force-fed or injected with drugs before being gassed to death and dissected. Not in our name, not on our time. Stop this cruel, archaic wastage, and go straight to human tests.

THE Church of Rome has come up with a real COVID-19 crisis zinger: they are asking those Catholic priests eligible for the taxpayer-funded JobKeeper payments, to donate some of that payment to the Church. Apparently, the COVID-19 crisis has caused a drop off in church attendances which in turn, has led to a loss of income from offertory plates.

The world is obviously in dire economic straits when one of its richest organisations, the Church of Rome, has to tap the Australian public purse to survive. Putting to one side, if one can, the moral implications of the Church's request (one I believe certain to be fulfilled) the question is whether economically what the Church is requesting will be cost neutral in its application and, likely to receive the tick of approval.

But the better question might be, will it set an expensive precedent for other religious organisations to rely upon? It is with such a scenario in mind I suggest the words (suitably amended) of Amity Island police chief, Martin Brody upon seeing Jaws up close and personal for the first time are appropriate: Scotty you're gonna need a bigger boat.

WHEN protestors go to their rallies for whatever cause during this pandemic, please keep the face masks secure and in place. Wearing your face mask under your chin while screaming out your views is not what is required.

This is not about a token gesture to attend the protest; having a face mask on incorrectly doesn't prevent you spraying your germs around the genuine protestors that are concerned about what's happening around them but can also adhere to the set social distancing rules.

If you watch film clips focused on protestors, some are spraying the crowd with their moistened verbal objections. It's no wonder the health authorities are concerned about a second wave, which would put the subjects of the protests onto the backburner.

Don't drop your guard, or your mask.

CARL Stevenson opines that 'It's time we talked about nuclear energy' (Letters, 13/6). So, what is there to say?

First, mining uranium is more toxic and environmentally degrading than any other type of mining. Second, processing the ore will create sites good for nothing else for the next 1000 or so generations.

Third, building the reactors would be prohibitively expensive and the amount of water needed to cool them would be more usefully expended on agriculture. Also, they will leave a toxic legacy even in the absence of catastrophic accidents.

Fourth, disposing of the spent fuel is something no one, except a few greedy politicians, wants to do in this country even with growing world stockpiles.

And fifth, there is the problem of logistics. Who would ever want this poison being trucked through their neighbourhood?

Somehow batteries, hydrogen, and natural gas are sounding a whole lot better, even if the sun only shines and the wind only blows six hours a day.

Also, our government is fond of telling us how our safety is their primary concern when they are splashing out some classified multiple billions on spies, surveillance, and military hardware but not so concerned with our safety or paying for remediation when one of their departments or some private business poisons our property and makes our lives a misery. So, how can we trust them not to walk away from our shining future when things go wrong?

THIS COVID-19 virus has hit everybody hard now the government wants to up transport fares ('Tram fares to rise by $1 on July 6', Herald 20/6). In my view they neither use common sense or act practically.

I believe they absolutely stuffed up Newcastle with this unnecessary tram to nowhere. Nothing said welcome to Newcastle more than pulling in on the train and seeing Newcastle harbour. Now you see nothing and have to jump between buses to get from the train station to the tram. I pity the elderly and mums with prams and a child or two. We had the perfect bus hub at the old Newcastle train station. It had easy access and nobody had the risk of being hit by a car. Premier Berejiklian, stay in Sydney. Keep your nose out of Newcastle unless you start doing something about the bypass from the M1 to Raymond Terrace that has been in plan since I moved up here in 2008.

MICHAEL Hinchey (Letters 19/6) believes Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen's concerns for the life and wellbeing of our unborn Australians is " offensive and outlandish " That confirms the belief that to sectors of the community some lives matter more than others. All life is precious and everyone should have the opportunity to live a full and fulfilling one.

PERHAPS Newcastle could consider erecting a statue of Captain James Cook to honour this great man. I believe we should all be proud of what the British brought to this country. We need to stand up against thugs of any description who are hell bent on rewriting our history.

DENISE Pollock (Letters 13/6) you say that you and Tony Morley (Letters 12/6) are discussing two separate issues, but I feel they are one in the same when the approvals you speak of perhaps aren't worth the paper they are printed on. Time and time again there seems to be little to no protection for venues when financially damaging complaints can be successfully made against them. You also say that you don't believe that the "Johnny come-latelys" have all the power, so I think I would be right in assuming that you have never worked in the music industry and have never witnessed first hand just how much power they really can wield. Just as nobody should move into a retirement village and try to build nightclubs, nobody should move into a city and try to turn it into a retirement village. Oh, and absolutely no one has stated that they "just want loud live music until the early hours of the morning in every venue", but a bit of that balance that you keep bringing up would be nice.

I FIND it amusing that Darryl Tuckwell blames the NSW Liberal government for unqualified workers installing gas lines in a hospital building, as a counter move to try and reduce the severity and publicity of Labor's branch stacking. Unless things have drastically changed, I was under the opinion that all major constructions, especially government buildings, enforced union membership before walking on site, where it can be assumed most workers vote Labor. So, sorry Darryl, a good point but the wrong culprit. I believe it's the unions who should be held responsible not Labor's nemesis.

FORMER Trump advisor John Bolton appears to confirm the somewhat unusual relationship that exists between Trump and the Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both Trump and Xi inherited from their fathers; Trump in dollars millions, Xi in fame as his father was a hero of the 1930s Communist Party. Both have been married more than once. Both have both been strongly associated with people found guilty of corruption, but neither has had any charges laid against them personally. Both both believe in putting people in cages; Xi with Uyghur Muslims, Trump with refugee children. The families of both presidents have amassed considerable fortunes during their presidencies. In 2012 Bloomberg published details of the wealth accumulated by Xi's close relatives. The wealth gained by Trump's family since he became President is common knowledge. Both Trump and Xi are both inveterate liars; although being politicians, that almost goes without saying.

PUBLIC transport fare increases won't affect me much as it's very rarely we use it anymore. It's useless.