Faceless comments
THE article (The Examiner, September 27) on the Kings Meadows traffic problems leaves me in amazement. Yet again we have faceless and nameless spokespersons from this new Department of State Growth pontificating upon and issuing public statements on matters which should correctly be attended to by either State Ministers or that Department Secretary.
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Conveniently there is further delay on any actual action and there is no mention of any traffic engineering reports, of which the council should hold many.
One of the five state government members responsible for overseeing this department including a plethora of faceless and nameless individuals, (Infrastructure Minister, Rene Hidding), who has been handling and solving the traffic gridlock chaos in Hobart now for some time.
This minister is also aware that this state department has staff who can foresee the future, without any reference to actual facts. How can there now be any further delay?
So there would seem to be no problem in correcting the Kings Meadows traffic matters without delay following so many attempts by council staff, which has only produced a total shambles along with total disregard by licensed drivers to the Tasmanian road rules as overtaking illegally on the left is so very prevalent continually by those in haste.
F. Deane, Evandale.
Misleading Facts
IT SEEMS A.Carter of Mowbray (The Examiner, September 26) has been drinking too much renewable energy Kool Aid, and has made completely factually incorrect statements about other countries renewable energy generation capacity .
The claim that Sweden is “close to 100 per cent renewable” energy, and likewise “Uruguay is at 95 per cent renewable energy” is simply not true.
A quick search of Wiki shows that Sweden derives 35 per cent of its energy from nuclear reactors, with 49.8 per cent is sourced from “renewables” of which the overwhelming majority of this comes from the only reliable baseload form of clean energy, which is Hydro.
Uruguay derives 65 per cent of its energy also from hydro, with the balance being a mixture of other sources – the main point here is that both of these countries, like Tasmania, have the topography which lends itself to significant hydro generation.
What A. Carter is no doubt doing, is assuming that the “nameplate” capacity of the associated wind farms in these countries are running at full potential – they rarely, if ever do, a typical wind turbine runs at about 30 per cent of its generation capacity, which regularly falls to as low as 2 per cent whenever there are regular high pressure systems and little/no winds.
Todd Hills, Mowbray.
Divorce rates
HAS anyone else noticed the background against which the Marriage Equality debate has been set? It’s high divorce rates.
It would be fair to say that marriage is no longer as highly esteemed or understood as it once was. In all of the countries where same sex marriage has been introduced high divorce rates (averaging 30 per cent to 50 per cent) have preceded it. How ironic that the marriage equality ideology is leading, perhaps vulnerable people to be part of yet another melancholy statistic. Divorce impacts our society – in terms of poverty, violence, addiction - and it flows on through the children. No wonder so many people don’t believe in marriage anymore.
The LGBT community has genuine concerns, but I question whether marriage equality is the way to go. Can complex, emotional issues be solved simply through legal constructs?
There are thousands more hurting people in our communities that are going unheard.
Perhaps our political leaders could create another dynamic marriage equality movement. Marriage Education perhaps?
Martin Spohn, West Launceston.
Marriages ignored
ACCORDING to F. O'Sullivan (The Examiner, October 1) “marriage is and always will be the union between a man and woman”.
Which could only be true if you ignore the marriages in Canada, USA, France, Germany, South Africa, UK, New Zealand, etc.
The sky won't fall in recognising the already existing marriages of same sex couples.
If anything, life will be a bit fairer and equal for more Tasmanians.
Andrew Badcock, Tasmanians United for Marriage Equality.
Believe what you will
THE arguments for and against the same-sex marriage debate are subject to what is called "confirmation bias" (National Geographic, March, 2015).
This is where scientific, religious and other groups have the tendency to actively look for and see only the evidence that confirms what they already believe in, whether accurate or not.
Let's have a rational debate on this issue based on proven facts without the hysteria and lies.
R.Parker, Summerhill.
Radio advertising
SO NOW on LAFM I am hearing ads spruiking Thanksgiving.
Is this another American tradition that retailers are trying to glean more of our hard earned dollars for?
What next, a public holiday and fireworks for July 4?
If resident Americans wish to celebrate, I'm sure they remember the date, just as an ex-pat Aussie would remember Australia Day and Anzac Day.
Can't really blame the radio station but at least be a little selective with your choices.
Graeme Jacobson, Waverley.
Trump and disasters
WHO wrote Trump's statement on the Las Vegas tragedy?
Certainly not him as there were more than 140 characters in it and bigger words than he uses.
In stark contrast has been the garbage uttered in the hurricane affected disaster zone, puerile and stupid.