Most of us consistently under-appreciate our amazing and beautiful oceans that capture a third of our emitted carbon dioxide.
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Sadly, humanity's fishing practices, plastic pollution, oil and gas extraction processes, and ongoing greenhouse gas emissions are continually pushing the boundaries of the oceans' capacity to sustain us.
It is therefore positive that Tanya Plibersek is attending the UN Ocean Conference where ocean health is being prioritised ("Making waves on marine resources", Illawarra Mercury, June 27).
Australia should most definitely be increasing our marine protected areas from a low 17 per cent to well above the recommended 30 per cent.
To avoid hypocrisy, the federal government should also rescind support for the Scarborough Gas project, thereby saving 1.37billion more tonnes of carbon pollution.
It is time to make choices that protect and regenerate both the oceans and land environments that we need to thrive and survive.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Labor Party loyalty
Marianne Saliba, who is now standing against another Labor candidate in the re-run of the Shellharbour A Ward election, says she has worked for the Labor Party for 32 years (Mercury, June 28, 2022). You would think that, with this time served, Marianne might remember Henry Lawson's words, ... "But I've been Union thirty years, And I'm too old to rat".
Peter Van der Roo, Wollongong
The value of coal
Many thanks to David Goss for the welcome back and a big hello to my fans. I have been soaking up the sun, sand and surf of the South Pole. Nothing like humour. In relation to Mr Goss's letter, "Australia's new chapter in climate progress" (June 27) with respect, needs a reality check.
You can ignore the coal industry exported $110bn worth of product overseas last year, employs 270,000 people directly and over a million indirectly, but this does not change the facts. In 2020-21 the combination of coal, gas and oil earned Australia $425bn. In addition the Queensland Labor government is forecast to reap $8bn in royalties from coal which will cover the cost of running their state hospitals. Yet, the Palaszczuk government wants the coal industry shut down which makes no sense.
If Mr Goss can't see that the attempt to replace coal with renewables has exceeded its natural limits and more renewables will simply make things worse, then he is wearing ideological blinkers. And he doesn't have to believe me - a look at Europe, especially Germany, Italy, Switzerland and England, will tell him all he needs to know. They are turning back to coal to keep the lights on while they plan the long-term future. So should we.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
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