Environmental value of aviation industry ‘questionable’

After COVID shook airlines across the world, a Daily letter writer has agreed with calls to replace “dirty-air plane transport” with sustainable train networks.

Jetstar flight JQ794 touches down at Sunshine Coast Airport from Melbourne. Photo: Lachie Millard

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The aviation industry is being subject to fuel emissions affecting climate change with obvious ramifications for the tourism industry, placing it under questionable social value.

Many sectors of the community seem to unduly rely on tourist flows for lifestyle impacts.

Both the new runways at the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane were planned prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which has shook airlines all around the world.

Climate change and viral turbulence are now a real factors of life for aviation.

I would contend that these new runways are another misplaced money getting activity by authorities who do not understand that their concept of “progress” is stereotypically fixated and not based on realistic and sustainable concepts of modern post-industrial society.

Most experts now agree that the aviation industry cannot achieve “net-zero emissions” based on pre-COVID standards. And remember, flight MH370 is still lost.

Environmentally and thus greenhouse aware young people in Sweden are bailing out of air travel and using trains.

The call worldwide is now to develop sustainable train networks in Australia to replace dirty-air plane transport.

Air travel was always a “quick fix” money spinner.

OK, so we have to do some quick rethinking of our travel plans, but we are resilient and pragmatic people who can adapt to the massive changes in lifestyle.

Can our leaders do the same?

MICHAEL HENDERSON, Maroochydore

Nature too powerful to be influenced

One must comment to Kevin Rudd’s letter when he rattles on about “climate change”, and one needs to listen to the science.

He states, “When I was growing up, Australia experienced extremely high monthly maximum temperatures about 2 per cent of the time; they now occur 12 per cent of the time”.

This statement in no way is empirical evidence to “climate change” and confirms that all who have lived in Australia post-WWII know that it is warmer now than it was when we were kids, and, the empirical evidence supports our claim.

I believe that there is common knowledge that Mr Rudd’s political opponent is Malcolm Turnbull.

However, Mr Turnbull it seems is a closet socialist, with the same view as Mr Rudd.

What neither Mr Turnbull nor Mr Rudd grasped from their six decades on Earth is that we are only another animal species and that nature and its cycles are too powerful to be seriously influenced or altered by humanity.

Maybe it’s time for Kevin Rudd to return to the real world.

His decision making along with his comrades in the ALP in state and federal politics in history will be identified as flawed and not in this nation’s best interests.

Also, there will never be zero emissions with the present Paris agreements and he no longer has influence with the Chinese Communist Party, that will never be part of the global family.

There is one technology that will cease Australia’s fossil fuels electricity generation Kevin, Europe has it, as does North America and South Africa.

Google nuclear power and take your head out of the sandpit.

BOB BUICK, Mountain Creek

Support needed for agriculture sector

It’s a shocking fact that the agricultural sector is still overly represented in fatality statistics, with more than one in five work-related deaths occurring in the sector nationally, the highest fatality rate of any Australian industry.

As part of National Farm Safety Week (July 20-25) the Victorian Government recently announced a Farm Safety Council made up of representatives from unions and other government and non-government originations that focus on the health and wellbeing of farmers and their families.

This group will provide advice to government and the agriculture sector on reducing injuries and deaths on farms in Victoria.

As a work safety advocate I commend this move would strongly support a similar program in Queensland to promote safety best practice in our vitally important agriculture sector.

MALA HEFFERNAN, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Maroochydore

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