Ancient Rome found a way to harness water and so can we

History shows that politcal will and engineering can overcome the natural barriers to providing a society’s water needs.

Mike Young may have an important position in the Centre for Global Food and Resources but his opinion piece would have been ignored 2000 years ago by the Romans as they sought to harness water for their society’s needs (“Pipe dreams won’t supply our water needs”, 22/2).

For too long we have had governments, experts, lobby groups and environmentalists squabbling over water with virtually nothing happening other than each group blaming the other.

In today’s world the Roman slaves have been replaced by energy, so the solution to Australia’s lack of water in the right places has to be huge amounts of cheap energy and that energy can only be nuclear.

A massive nuclear energy plant in geologically stable northern Australia is essential and could be partially funded by accepting nuclear waste for storage as Bob Hawke suggested more than five years ago. A nuclear/medical/science facility with investment from around the globe could also help pay for pumping water that would normally flow north to our southern inland towns.

Tony Pearce, Wynnum, Qld

Electricity costs hurting

Australia’s biggest electricity and gas retailer has stated that there is no guarantee of a drop in power prices (“Origin chief: no guarantee of power price fall”, 22/2) and part of the price determinations is the cost of green scheme subsidies.

While our governments, state and federal, are virtue-signalling about global warming and saving our planet for future generations, they are completely forgetting the plight of the current generation of less-privileged citizens who can’t afford heating or cooling, and small business owners stung by rising power costs.

Recently when I walked into my favourite takeaway food shop, run by a lady in her 60s, I found her in tears. She held up her electricity bill and it was horrendous — like mine.

When will the plight of small business operators and low-income citizens penetrate the consciousness of our politicians?

Babette Francis, Toorak, Vic.

Least bad choice needed

Your editorial statement that “the question of how much the public is prepared to pay for action on climate change should be opened up” might well decide the May election (“Numbers too big to ignore in sensible energy debate”, 22/2). But that question assumes that a shift from coal to renewables will help change the climate, and major coal burning countries like China and India obviously don’t agree: their annual coal consumption is increasing and CO2 emissions are rising each year. Nothing we do will change that.

Neither the very costly Coalition energy policy, nor the far worse one from Labor, will make any difference to the climate. There is no good way to vote on climate change action: choosing the least bad option is all there is.

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT

WA Libs will decide

It may be considered in the public interest to discuss potential candidates for the seat of Curtin, but it may also be construed as an elitist promotion of favoured candidates (“Porter denies plans to take Bishop’s seat”, 22/2).

The retiring member’s recommendations may not be well received and that support base is likely compromised. A likely candidate for Curtin would do well to have sound economic credentials. Christian Porter has a formal economic education, while Ian Goodenough has an MBA with a finance focus. A call to balance is critical for the party at this crossroad and Curtin could be a good place to demonstrate that it is back on track and committed to strong economic outcomes by selecting a candidate who can reflect that competence.

Mary Jardine Clarke, Spearwood, WA