Coal industry must adapt to a different picture of reality

The coal industry is not being “punished for its success” (“Coal boss applauds industry pushback”, 18/9).

It is being asked to accept that success in the future will look different. It will be less about profit and “growth” and more about being consistent with humans flourishing in a way that doesn’t destroy our ecosystem.

And that is if we are lucky. If we’re unlucky, the current “everyone for themselves” system will prevail, and we’ll all be punished for the fossil fuel industry’s “success”.

Lesley Walker, Northcote, Vic

AUKUS v power bills

Former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans argues that the $370bn cost of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, a project that will substantially fortify Australia’s defences over the coming decades, is too expensive (“Independence too big a price for AUKUS fantasy”, 17/9).

Yet he doesn’t raise an eyebrow over the impending $1.5 trillion cost of Labor’s renewables-based energy transition, which comes with no positive outcomes whatsoever but rather will blow out energy prices to unprecedented levels of unaffordability, decimate industry, weaken us economically and militarily. and substantially reduce our living standards.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Experience in operating appliances helps very little in assessing the nation’s energy options and costs in the short and long terms.

Like most other necessities, energy has to be supplied at times and at places when and where needed. In this competitive world, it has to be affordable as well.

This implies timing, positioning and affordability as being equally important as the energy itself. They cannot be fobbed off under terms like “firming” because their costs can be far ­greater than energy sources themselves. This is very much true in trying to harness weather-dependent sun and wind to produce reliably available electricity.

Costs for timing and positioning can easily dwarf any advantages of having any “free” energy sources. As always, it’s the devil in the details.

Gordon Thurlow, Mooloolah Valley, Qld

Outdated tax system

Robert Gottliebsen flags gaping holes in a tax system that was ­designed for the 19th century in his article (“My solutions for tax woes”, 18/9).

Our current method of funding good, accountable government has long since passed its shelf life.

The politics of envy, taxing the less-numerous rich to buy votes from the more-numerous poor, is a sure-fire way to kill motivation to become rich.

Taxing via a contrived concept of “taxable profit” has resulted in tens of thousands of pages of complex rules, regulations and loopholes in how to measure the immeasurable “taxable profit”.

A simple, low, non-discriminatory, point-of-sale fee for the use of a reliable, consistent currency would more than adequately fund government and ensure that cross-boundary use of this currency is equitably taxed.

John McRobert, Indooroopilly, Qld

Reality check on war

Peter Jennings is absolutely correct in his summation of the government’s ultra-weak response to the Afghan war situation (“War crimes debacle exposes Defence leadership vacuum”, 16/9).

As Jennings says: “It is a national tragedy that the alleged appalling behaviour of such a tiny group has come to define the service of a generation of military personnel … in our current mood of national flagellation, the government says the entire nation is somehow blameworthy. Marles told parliament ‘this will always be a matter of national shame’.”

Hang on, wasn’t it the government that sent more than 26,000 Australians to Afghanistan to fight to stabilise the country against an Islamist ideology driving global terrorism?

More than a decade on, we are still talking about the Australians who fought for their country. Disgraceful!

Michael Fishpool, Carindale, Qld

Social media addiction

Paul Kelly’s article (“Political war on Big Tech filled with policy hazards”, 18/9), on the problems with social media being faced by all, states that the task of remedying them will not be easy.

Not being on social media platforms, I must live in la-la land, as to me the answer is simple: do not go on it to begin with, or turn it off, if you are on it. Do not give in to peer pressure.

If this cannot be done, then it is clearly an “addiction” that must be addressed. The task may not be easy then, but it can be done.

A campaign should be taken up to just say no to social media and hopefully a return to the good old days will make an appearance with communication again by speech through interactions with people.

Susan McLochlan, Caboolture South, Qld