Australians can rejoice in Danish royal moment

Enough bowing and scraping

It is a country with four seasons. In the spring there will be a republican movement, and in the summer there will be acceptance of another so-called royal family far away. Denmark is associated with the tanned nation through its fashionable nightspots.

Royal? Your Majesty? Your Highness? These address words should not be used in Australia, nor should they be bowed or curtsied. We’re all familiar with Charles, the “King of Australia”, but why do we use such words?

The Prime Minister needs to inform the soon-to-be visiting Prime Minister Charles that these address formats are not used in Australia. There is no shortage of simparars who like to hunker down and ask for gongs, but Australia needs to stop doing that. Be proud.

As for the so-called King and Queen of Denmark, they and their toy soldiers look like characters from an old Peter Sellers and Jean Seberg movie. the rat that barked.

John Dobinson, Hurston, Queensland

Howard’s accomplishments are not limited to Iraq.

James Curran’s scathing clinical assessment of former Prime Minister John Howard’s “foolish and dutiful” decision to follow former US President George W. Bush into Iraq is full of courage and insight for him and the people he supports. It is a kind of journalism. Australian Financial Review They should be congratulated (“History’s judgment on Iraq still awaits John Howard”). Indeed, no magazine in this country has the courage and foresight to publish such critical analysis of a still-voiced public figure who remains staunchly defended and respected within his own political party. I can’t think of anything else.

Among the more notable and gruesome events in Australia’s post-federation history, Howard’s Iraq folly is perhaps the best of Harold Holt’s 1966 Vietnam War cries of “always with LBJ” and Robert Menzies. ‘s eulogy for the Queen: “I watched her pass by.” Elizabeth.

Mr. Howard continues to unapologetically insist that he made the right decision to follow the United States and Britain into war, even though it was based on fundamentally flawed premises. Apparently the ‘captain’s call’ is comparable to Tony Abbott’s knighthood of the reportedly beleaguered Prince Philip, albeit with slightly more serious consequences.

This is, of course, the same Howard who said in his opening speech at the 1997 Reconciliation Convention: A record of imperialism… Such an approach would be rejected by the overwhelming majority of Australians, who, while necessarily acknowledging the stains of our past history, are proud of what Australia has achieved. ”

As it turned out, Howard’s opinion that portraying Australia’s indigenous history since 1788 in a negative light would be “rejected by the overwhelming majority of Australians” proved to be largely correct.

A quarter of a century later, it is clear that we are far from coming to terms with the post-colonial treatment of Indigenous Australians.

Ralph McHenry, Brighton East, Vic

The role of gas in the NSW energy mix

NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharp is right to argue that the state stands to benefit from investment in renewable energy such as wind, solar and community battery storage (“NSW is on the defensive when it comes to gas”). (No, says the minister.)

According to a recent GenCost report, electricity from renewable sources is cheaper than electricity from fossil fuels and will continue to be so in the future. Disaster mitigation costs must also be considered. This amounts to billions.

Gas production and use helps fuel the very disasters we are paying for. But Mr Sharp says he is “agnostic” about the role of Santos’ Narrabri gas project.

To encourage the uptake of renewable energy technologies, the New South Wales Government needs to be more transparent about the role gas plays. Let’s hope that the use of gas as an “energy-enhancing fuel” is not used as an excuse to support or approve fossil fuel projects.

Ann O’Hara, Waniassa, ACT

Politicians take note: The future will run out of gas

In the last financial year, gas accounted for 5.6% of the national energy market’s electricity generation. This year, that number will decrease. Three years ago, former Australian chief scientist Penny Sackett published a paper titled: Gas is not a safe climate transition fuel.That ship has sailed. Two years ago, the Clean Energy Council announced that “batteries are a far better choice (than gas) for peaking services on almost every measure: cost, emissions, flexibility, and risk.” .

Indeed, it’s time for our politicians to stop pretending that we’re going to need gasoline for a while.

Leslie Walker, Northcote, Vic

Tindo Solar’s brilliant feats must be emulated

For decades, UNSW has led the world in solar power research and development. As evidence of this strength, four Australian researchers led by Professor Martin Green have been awarded the 2023 Queen Elizabeth Engineering Prize for their development of innovative PERC solar cells, which have brought down the cost of solar power generation. Given Australia’s pioneering role and expertise in this industry, it is unreasonable that only one local company, Tindo Solar, manufactures solar panels. Tindo should expand and other companies should be supported to follow suit (‘Tindo Solar competes with China’).

Our trend towards rooftop solar power and now, increasingly, electric cars (“EV sales are taking off, but electric cars are still the mainstream”) means Australians will be making significant decarbonization efforts. It suggests that they are actively participating in the journey of transformation. The more ‘Australian made’ options there are on the market, the better.

Amy Hiller, Cue, Vic

If Britain can’t handle submarines, what should we do?

The folly of the decision to embark on a nuclear submarine strategy becomes more apparent as the months pass. Britain is mothballing recently refurbished warships at great expense because it does not have enough crews to operate them, according to a recent report.

Another report quotes Admiral Ben Key as saying that all Astute-class and Trafalgar-class Hunter-Killer nuclear submarines were held in port in September last year due to a lack of skilled maintainers and submarine crews. said.

This is a country with a population of over 60 million people. Will Australia rely on mercenaries to operate its AUKUS nuclear submarines?

Bill Ethel, Geelong West, Vic