... And Another Thing
The Age
Tuesday March 22, 2011
NUCLEAR and financial meltdown in Japan. Is there a plan B? Myra Fisher, Brighton East Nuclear powerNUCLEAR might be green but it's not environmentally friendly. Apologists stress the green aspects of nuclear power without addressing major input and output problems: a guaranteed supply of water and safe disposal of waste. I will consider the nuclear option when these issues are tackled, but I'm not holding my breath.John McCulloch, CheltenhamWOULD we be having a debate about hydro-electricity if an earthquake destroyed a dam and the ensuing flood drowned 10,000 people (Letters, 21/3)? No but the dam has multiple uses of water storage as well as generation of electricity. Besides, the long-term results of water damage are nowhere near as catastrophic as long-term radiation contamination.Alan Inchley, FrankstonLibyaMEMO to oppressed North Korean and Zimbabwean citizens: start digging for oil if you want to be saved like the Libyans.Ed Veber, Malvern EastTHE desire of people to live in a democracy is fine in theory but when, as in Libya, they try to achieve it and cause large rises in petrol prices, that's going too far.Tony O'Brien, South MelbourneTHE UN should send psychiatrists to Libya, not missiles.Rosemary Cresswell, Clifton HillI HOPE the Libyans understand the international intervention and so-called Western "liberation" a bit better than the Iraqis did.Meg McPherson, BrightonElsewhereAFTER Amanda Vanstone's experience in Rome as a student "if you don't need help, you should not get it" (Comment, 21/3) surely she will not be requiring her parliamentary "gold card".Anne Flanagan, Box Hill NorthHOW quickly did Vanstone pay back her uni debt, I wonder? Oh, I remember. She got her two bachelors degrees in the 1970s, when they were free.Kevin McAvaney, HightonCOMING major events in Melbourne Mark Webber racing to a tax-subsidised chequered flag; Joe the ambulance driver racing to find a hospital not on bypass. Good luck to both.Roger Green, Ferntree GullyPERHAPS the cattle grazing in the Alpine National Park should have "research" tattooed on their flanks, in large letters. Then everyone who is wondering what they are doing there would recognise that they are part of a bona-fide scientific survey.Denise Smith, IvanhoeTHE only reason that Ricky Ponting continues to bat at No. 3, despite a string of poor or mediocre performances, seems to be that the captain decides the batting order. Surely it is time that he dropped himself to No. 4 or 5.Les Rewell, MelbourneYES, Allan Stewart (Letters, 21/3), we are still a monarchy in 2011. I'd rather have celebrity royalty than those vacuous movie and sportspeople. A life dedicated to community service is much better value.Hans Paas, Castlemaine
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