Move Logging Into Plantations

The Age

Tuesday January 13, 2009

IN THE wake of evidence exposing the shame of Victoria's emissions woes (The Age, 12/1), tragically, the news is much worse. The Government has also let go of the leash on its forestry agency, VicForests, which does virtually what it likes, logging more than 6000 hectares of native and old-growth forests each year. The annual emissions are staggering - anywhere between 7million and 10million tonnes.

While we urgently need to adopt technologies and consumption habits that reduce greenhouse emissions, especially from petrol and brown coal, we also need to protect native forests as carbon banks. A recent Australian National University report said Victoria's forests stored up to

2000tonnes of carbon per hectare. While logging them is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, protecting them so they can suck in dangerous carbon dioxide can play a major part in Premier John Brumby's effort to get Victoria's emissions trajectory under control. With the state's massive plantation resource maturing in 2010, he has an opportunity to move logging out of large areas of native forest and into plantations.

Gavan McFadzean, The Wilderness Society, Fitzroy

The methane factor

COAL-FIRED power has rightly been identified as a significant contributor to Australia's (and particularly Victoria's) shameful level of greenhouse gas emissions. However, the true impact of a more significant contributor is overlooked. Each year, Australia's livestock produce about 3million tonnes of methane. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane's greenhouse impact is 72times stronger over a 20-year time horizon than carbon dioxide's. Those methane emissions equate to about 216million tonnes of carbon dioxide, about 20 per cent more than from Australia's coal-fired power stations. If people really want to help save the planet, they should consider their consumption of livestock products, particularly beef, dairy, lamb and wool.

Paul Mahony, Beaumaris

A costly game

TWO front-page headlines: "Victoria, the dirty state, shamed by emissions scorecard" and "New broom brings a great big club" (about the cricket). I wonder how many people sat at home under their energy-efficient light bulbs while a game of cricket (that could have been played during the day) took place under 2million watts of flooded light at the MCG.

Stephen Tomisich, Vermont

Time to lead, Premier

JOHN Brumby and his predecessor, Steve Bracks, should be ashamed at the latest report on Victoria's carbon emissions. To exceed the emissions of NSW, which has a larger population, is unforgivable. But should we be surprised? Both have headed a government that: constantly stalls on real public transport improvements; has approved environmentally destructive solutions to our water and energy deficiencies; and allows the expansion of urban boundaries and "McMansions", along with the massive carbon footprint that comes with them. When will we see real leadership on the environment? Certainly not during this Government's term.

Paul Bugeja, Caulfield North

Why art matters

AS A drama and theatre studies teacher for more than 30years, both here and in Britain, I share John O'Toole's concern that arts education remains excluded from the Federal Government's proposed curriculum (Comment & Debate, 12/1). My education took place in the 1950s and '60s, in the olden days before drama teachers were invented and arts education was an extra-curricular activity. Any teacher who could play Greensleeves on the piano was in charge of music, anyone who could differentiate "stage right" from "stage left" was in charge of drama, and art was something that happened on Friday afternoons.

Things have changed. The excellent, stimulating arts programs operating in Victorian schools is the result of years of planning, consulting and research, comparing arts syllabuses from interstate, Britain, New Zealand, Canada and the International Baccalaureate. The value of these programs cannot be over-estimated, although they are difficult to measure quantitatively, unlike teaching numeracy, literacy and science. There is seldom a job description today that does not stipulate "excellent communication skills: ability to work with others". Arts education can deliver these qualities.

Jill Scott, Ashburton

The joy of art

I AM not an artist, although I passed year11 art. My folio work displayed an engagement with a variety of media and styles. Better still was the component of art appreciation. It brought me into contact with the theory of art and an appreciation of artistic development from the earliest known art forms to the then modern day developments. Coupled with my year6 history studies of the Renaissance and Reformation, and their effects on the development of Western art, in particular - yes, grade 6, believe it or not - my working and leisure lives have been informed and strengthened by an appreciation of art. I could not have benefited as much with only the practical approach to art.

Loucille McGinley, East Brighton

System in crisis

CONTINUAL reports of overcrowding on Melbourne's trains might give the impression that our public transport is well-used compared with the amount of infrastructure available. But the report from consultants Booz and Co (The Age, 12/1) blows this myth out of the water.

Melbourne's rail network has more tracks than Sydney's, even though Sydney's trains are used for twice as many journeys. And overall, Melbourne runs fewer services per head of population than other Australian cities, let alone cities around the world.

This cannot be put down to urban sprawl. North Balwyn and Carrum Downs have the same population density. So why does one get a tram every 10minutes, while the other endures bus services that the Government's own consultants find are among the worst in the world? Most Melburnians can't have a life unless they drive everywhere. The latest transport plan does no more for the suburbs than any of the others.

Tony Morton, Public Transport Users Association, Melbourne

Enough about roads!

NOW we have another report that finds: Melbourne's public transport performs worse than some capitals; Eastern European cities invest 137 per cent more, and Western European cities invest 57 per cent more, in their systems per head of population; Melbourne is one of the developed world's most car-dependent cities; and the frequency of its public transport

is poor.

What is the Government going to do? Spend more than $1billion on the West Gate/Monash freeways and more than $1billion on the Western Ring Road, not extend a single tram line, and extend the Epping line only to Mernda in 10years. Oh, and maybe electrify the Melton and Sunbury lines in 15 years. Isn't it time we stopped spending money on roads and started spending on public transport, Mr Brumby?

Steve Stefanopoulos, Armadale

Forgotten people

RE Yochai Glick's comments on poverty in Somalia (Letters, 12/1). Local authorities in Somalia's central Galgadud region have appealed for urgent help (shelter materials, food, water) for at least 80,000 people who fled from fighting in Dusamareb and Guri-Eil. This appeal seems to have gone unregarded, and the displaced people are still in a desperate situation.

Esther Anderson, Surrey Hills

Teaching about sex

THE benefits of the sex education program proposed by the Australian Medical Association (Sunday Age, 11/1) go beyond a reduction in sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies. In an ever more complex world, many young people's sexual experiences are tied in with alcohol, drugs, peer pressure, coercion and violence. Programs such as the one proposed by the AMA have the potential to tackle these issues and equip young people with the skills to negotiate respectful relationships, and build respect for themselves and others.

The State Government and MPs across political parties have shown leadership and courage in changing the law in a number of "contentious" areas over the past year. Let's move beyond sex education sensitivities and support the priority of giving our young people the opportunity to live healthier, happier sexual and reproductive lives.

Petra Begnell, Coburg North

Balanced approach

I AGREE with the AMA about giving sex education to our kids at an early age.

However, I disagree with the educational content of the proposal. Imparting images of decontextualised "anal sex, mutual masturbation and date rape" is not imparting knowledge. It is shocking them, and may result in unintended consequences.

The curriculum should contain factual content (physiological and social implications, problems associated with sexual relationships), as well as a broader philosophical and naturalistic idea about sex - Taoist philosophy of the yin and yang and the qi (life force).

In this way, our children will have a more informed but balanced attitude towards sex.

Dr Rey Tiquia, practitioner, traditional Chinese medicine, Ivanhoe

Death of democracy

I AM not convinced desalination is the best option for solving our water issues. I am really sad that it means ruining one of our most beautiful stretches of beaches. Mostly I am angry and frustrated. The Government has taken out a copyright on arrogance and smugness. Its definition of "consultation" is telling people what it is going to do. And the Liberals seem more intent on undermining each other than bringing the fight up to a Government out of touch with the people.

Many people passionately oppose desalination. Before you dismiss this as NIMBY protests, look at the way the Government has rolled out this project, and the disdain it has for those directly affected.

That is not something that affects only our backyard. It is not enough to believe you are right. You have to listen to other opinions and show why people should trust you to make the right decision.

Eleanor McKay, Cape Woolamai

Loss of our heritage

I WAS relieved to see former tennis player John Alexander spoke out on the destruction taking place - "Game, set and match to the developers, and Australian tennis takes another body blow" (Sunday Age , 11/1).

However, it is not tennis courts I am concerned about, it is the destruction of our heritage. Beautiful, irreplaceable old houses are being torn down at a frightening rate, to be replaced by grotesque, sterile concrete blocks. And no one seems to care, least of all our councils.

Unlike Sydney, which has

the views and the harbour, Melbourne once had charming suburbs with an eclectic array

of houses.

I live in what was once considered one of Melbourne's loveliest streets. Over the past 20years I have witnessed it being destroyed. The charming houses have been replaced by a hodge-podge of unimaginative, ghastly buildings.

What we fail to see in this "progress" is that what little heritage we have is being lost. Melbourne is fast becoming a lifeless place.

Mignonne Rawson, Malvern

Life on the edge

YES, Hannah Francis (Letters, 12/1), we Sydney-siders may not be as cultured and discerning as Melburnians.

Well, thanks to Google, we now know who (Haruki) Murakami is. Melburnians imagine theirs is an obscure European city in an indie film where every smoke ring is redolent with existential meaning.

Sydney-siders are realists living in a thumping metropolis where life is a documentary, not a film set.

We have neither time to pose, nor time for poseurs. Besides, cookies and rooftop cinemas are for the birds.

Hendry Wan, Matraville, NSW

© 2009 The Age

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