Unacceptable pollution

READER Maxine Fisher queries why there is a petition asking for controls on cruise ship emissions (Letters, April 13). She raises important concerns about air pollution from other sources. Strict emissions standards apply for industry, road vehicles and wood fires. Much stricter standards than what governments place on cruise ships. Cruise ships use bunker fuel, the dirtiest fuel, because it is cheap. It is full of particulates that cause asthma and long-term illnesses of the heart and lungs. A cocktail of heavy metals, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, fine particles, soot, polyaromatic hydrocarbons. The government allows the despicably low standard of 3.5 per cent sulphur emissions from docked cruise ships, which is like building a multistorey car park for 10,000 cars on the waterfront, and having the engines running 24/7. Having cars running all day would be unthinkable next to five-

Billions in aid to Gaza

GREG Barns says Gaza is impoverished but billions are given in aid every year and their situation never improves as their leaders grow rich. A $50 million plane for their leader, weapons and support of Hamas and Hezbollah. They spend little on education except to teach the children to hate Israel and hospitals are understaffed and poorly equipped. A pension for life if your child dies while attacking Israelis. Propaganda films tell lies about what is happening. Hamas organised what was happening on the border recently. Israel is protecting its culture and after the six million dead in World War II can you blame a people for defending their right to exist when surrounded by enemies.

Gems from Peter

SIMPLY inspirational! That’s often been my reaction to Peter Cundall’s gardening show and his manner of delivery. Now, the same reaction relates to his first person piece (TasWeekend, April 14). Often this

Grim dispatches

MAYBE I’ve just missed something in this wildlife culling episode. If I comprehend just a little ( Mercury, April 16) it’s that farmers and graziers have authority to fire away under a Crop Protection Permit, while the Department of Primary Industry, Parks, Water and Environment provides a sanction to kill the young in pouch and at foot, using so-called humane methods of bullet, rock or decapitation. And all these macabre annihilations countenanced under Animal Welfare Guidelines. At the end of a shoot, it turns out (following the joey’s grim dispatch) that entire marsupial families are wiped out. The Collins Dictionary describes welfare as: health, happiness, prosperity and wellbeing in general; somewhat different to what is happening out there in the paddocks! I feel an obligation to pronounce this eradication program a one-sided turkey shoot devoid of compassion or conscience.