Martin Stevenson's Column
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Examiner columnist Martin Stevenson’s patronising remarks about the upcoming Homeward Bound Antarctic voyage have left many scientists speechless.
Leaving aside his belief in Antarctic polar bears, the author’s most embarrassing gaffe is his ignorance of the challenges facing women in science.
Consider that more than half of Australia’s science PhD graduates and early career researchers are women, but just 17 per cent of senior scientific leadership roles are held by women.
Women are paid less, promoted less frequently and win fewer grants than men with similar qualifications – and these are just some of the reasons so many women choose drop out of science early in their career.
We applaud the aims of the Homeward Bound voyage, with its strong focus on developing women's leadership skills for the science workplace and for influencing decision making.
Science and innovation are Australia’s future, and for us to have a truly vibrant future, we need all the best brains we have in science leadership – men and women.
— DR KATHERINE WOODTHORPE, Chair, Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre
Tamar
CHAIR, NRM North Management Committee James Walch, responding to water quality concerns expressed by the Tamar Yacht Commodore, confirms the 2015 Tamar Estuary Report Card does show a lower rating for the Tamar Yacht Basin explaining “…this is largely due to two dry years with much reduced flows, which concentrate the effect of any pollutants in the upper Tamar.” (The Examiner, September 24).
Mr Walch also says if NRM North were to do the next report card after two wet years the results are likely to be very different.
Surely the NRM North Chair is aware that, in addition to the 2015 Tamar Estuary Report Card similar report Cards for 2010, 2011, 2012 also showed similar deplorable water quality results for the Tamar’s upper reaches, as did the “State of The Tamar Estuary Report in 2008 which stated water quality:
“exceeded reformational primary contact guidelines on a significant number of occasions (20-45 per cent) in the middle and upper estuary).”
The Tamar River’s upper reaches are very, very sick and have been, as proved by numerous scientific reports, for many, many years deserving more attention than mere hankering for a couple of wet years to resolve the dilemma.
Launceston’s, and surrounding municipalities, totally inadequate and archaic sewerage infrastructure must be upgraded as a project of extreme urgency; in the meantime Cataract Gorge water flows must be significantly, and permanently, increased to flush away the threat to public health which exists in the Tamar upper reaches!
— JIM COLLIER, Legana
Thanks
THANK you to the kind and honest lady who found the withdrawn money at Westpac ATM in Meadow Mews and took it to the Westpac Kings Meadows branch.
Also a thank you to the Westpac staff who found me and returned the money to my account.
You have all restored my faith and proven there are still good people in the world.
— S. BLYTH, Kings Meadows.
Penalty Rates
WITH the attack on penalty rates in full swing, the media is swamped with industry lobbyists decrying how vital it is that their supporters be able to work staff at any hours they choose for a low, fixed rate.
There is of course a reason why penalty rates were put in place, which is rarely mentioned in these debates.
I work for a large retail organisation, and can work from the dark hours of the morning to after nine o’clock at night, plus every second weekend. Over the fortnight, I am lucky to get two days to spend with my partner.
I cannot coach junior sport, as I’d miss most games and some training sessions. I used to ride my motorcycle at Baskerville, but have not been able to do so for 18 months because of work clashes.
I receive a modest penalty rate on Sunday.
This is just my story, but all my peers have similar ones of missed opportunities to spend time with their children, loved ones, and taking part in community activities. You know, holding society and family together, not just being tools of commerce.
— PETER LLOYD, Reedy Marsh
Technology
TECHNOLOGY has been by the main part been used to increase production, lower costs and enhance the standard of living. What appears not to have been recognised is that economic efficiency is not open ended. Like any other means of efficiency, it has it limitations.
We have now reached a point where we have, in some instances, superfluous technology that is now damaging the economy.
I refer to the self serve check outs that have been installed in certain supermarkets and hardware stores, you would know the businesses that have these. The human contact at the checkout has been displaced and the cost of this apparent saving is now being born by everyone.
Less revenue via wages paid helps incrementally undermine other businesses and also services provided by government, for example, hospitals, education et cetera due to the loss of tax income to government. This then equates to loss of services or additional expense being added to provide these.
Next time you leave one of these businesses give a thought to the damage being done if you choose to use a self serve check out. Aside from this the human service element has gone.
Metaphorically speaking ,the cold chill of a long winter is approaching if this sort of thing is not curtailed.
— NEIL WHITE, Riverside
Human Tissue
CLAIRE van Ryn (The Examiner, September 28) raises the issue of how human tissue and cadavers should be managed.
Ms van Ryn seems to operate very much with an emotional-impulse style of decision-making and not so much a logical approach, hence her reliance on the imagery of cute lambs and defenceless foetuses.
Centuries ago there was a religiously inspired ban on the use of human cadavers for medical research. Grave robbing and other nefarious activities abounded. Doctors had to rely on dissection of pigs for study of anatomy. Progress was slowed.
Clearly deciding how foetal cadaver tissue is to be managed is a very complex issue.
In the US, with its love of unbridled capitalism, I am not surprised that a free market approach has started up, what else would you expect?
But in our country I would hope we could manage the distribution of such materials for research purposes, with sensitivity and respect.
— M. FYFE, Riverside
Salaries
WITH the unprecedented move by the Tasmanian Industrial Commission in calling on the public to have a say before reviewing the salary and allowances for members of the Tasmanian Parliament, should create some interesting comment.
Let’s not forget in June this year the Legislative Council voted themselves a 2 per cent pay rise, but quickly left any future pay rises to the Industrial Commission, yet continue to have the power to overrule if the recommended pay rises were out of line with community expectations.
On the surface that sounds ok, but let’s see what happens if the commission recommends an 8 per cent increase (like last June) in 2016 or for that matter a possible community recommended cut in allowances such as the current entertainment, taxi, motor vehicle, telecommunications, resettlement, and additional salary for those holding office plus other entitlements.
Go on have your say, the advertisement appeared in The Examiner on September 26.
— ROBERT LEE, Summerhill