Who's looking after the future?

The government have a strange way of protecting the people or country, we have approximately five years to buy a hybrid car and install a solar hot water system on our roof. Just how are the people that are struggling to pay their mortgage going to get the extra money, not forgetting the obscene increases on water, gas and power.

We're asked to cut our usage of gas and power because industry are having a hard time, I find that hypocritical when it comes to our utilities the public pay top dollar yet big industry pay a pittance. Why is government subsidising industry in gas, power and water so they will invest and pollute our country?

Large emitters who export much of their products and send profits off shore, such as Alcoa aluminium smelters, will be almost totally exempted from the ETS from the outset.These emissions-intensive trade-exposed companies will be given free trade carbon permits to cover 90% of their emissions. How is that cutting the carbon output?

WWF Greg Bourne said "handing Alcoa 90% of permits to pollute for free, sent a shocking message" on the importance of reducing carbon emissions. In all 20% of the scheme's permits will be free, rising to 30% once agriculture is included. For those not emitting quite as much will be given free permits to cover 60% of their pollution.

The cement and lime producers and integrated steel and silicon smelters as well as Alcoa's aluminium smelters , are the very industries that should enforce carbon credits not carrying on about pulling their investments. They should be investing in the future .

The Overdue State.

Again the West Australian public witness just how well our Government Departments are working. No wonder they call us the Wait Awhile state


The crucial report into the management of Perth's biggest source of drinking water is more than two years over due. Which isn't really surprising. Have the water corporation exceeded the safe limits imposed on the Gnangara Mound?


The Department of Water and the Department of Environment and Conservation - DEC have once again failed to protect our environment and natural resources. Compliance with ministerial conditions from 2003-04 to 2005-06 is likely to repeat major concerns, about over reliance on the already stressed aquifer, not forgetting the breaches of ministerial conditions imposed to protect the Mound.


The report should contain long-overdue essential water planning information which is needed before summer. Previous audits by the EPA have warned that allocations from the mound needed to be reviewed urgently. The government are seriously letting the people down, why has no action been taken to reduce allocations and planning or on failures to comply with ministerial conditions?

For an environmental Minister to make such a flippant remark re: the report "It would not contain information which will make a difference to the state of the mound'' If he was doing his job and seeing to it that ministerial compliance were adhered to, instead of just accepting that ho-hum it will just reinforce the fact that conditions are again being exceeded. It's time for this Governemnt to to start doing its job and protect the mound and look to other areas for water.



How can this government be representing the people of this state when they neglect to listen?

How many government departments actually do what they are employed to do?


We rely on them in so many areas environment, health, education, water, power, gas, housing (releasing land), infrastructure etc. and what we mostly get is failure after failure.

It Was Once a Jewel

The loss of wild life in Cockburn Sound has been obvious for some time, who ever carried out the environmental study before the desalination plant was built, would or should have been aware of the effects and impact to The Sound.

The Dolphins have been disappearing for over two years as well as the different species of fish, the sea grasses had been diminishing long before yet we are still to hear from Cockburn Sound Management Council about existing or increased problems that are responsible.

The minister for fisheries has blamed recreational fishing for the decrease in fish and crab populations, his solution was to ban crabbing and restrict demorsal catches. It is our belief the real reason for the demise is the destruction of the sea grass meadows and spawning grounds which were the nurseries for these specific species also pollutants from industry would have had a devastating effect.

The Sound was once referred to as the Jewel in the crown, in Rockingham our beaches were pristine and the water most times was crystal clear, in certain areas you could see the sea grasses with fish of all sizes darting about even crabs.

With the habitat and sea grasses disappearing, due to the desalination plant and industry discharge, as well as the dredging of shell sands by Cockburn Cement we believe these could be the major reasons why the wild life is disappearing . With Mr Kale saying "he hasn't seen a dolphin in the area for two years" why isn't Cockburn Sound Management Council or DEC coming out with an explanation? I just hope they don't blame it on global warming, that is one excuse that won't be believed.

With the dolphins now staying out to sea and steering clear of the area, the question has to be asked if all is well within the waters of The Sound, why are the dolphins steering clear? How safe is the water for the public, pets or horses to be swimming in?

For sometime complaints have been made about jet-skies and boats going to close and hitting dolphins, but this again comes down to the department doing more than installing signs. Seeing as the government of the day saw fit to install multiple industries in The Sound, all governments should make certain that CSMC, are given adequate funding to properly take care of what is precious to many instead of begrudging every dollar needed to do their job properly.

The state government makes large annual profits from the strip it's about time they put back into the area instead of just take, particularly towards protecting The Sound for future generations. Is industrialisation to be the demise of The Sound?

Health

There just aren't appropriate words to describe our so called health system, in the *Boom* state. Very little time goes by without hearing more horror stories. Just what is the health minister Mr McGinty doing if anything, to rectify these on going problems?

Thursday with a letter from his GP stating that Mr Webster an 80 year old veteran needed urgent attention , SCGH obliged by having him wait over 17 hours for a bed. Mr Webster has since received an apology, but the heath department and government need to take a long hard look at themselves because this isn't a one off incident. The staff can only do so much, how long has Mr McGinty been promising more doctors and nurses?

It was reported that more than 22 patients a day including urgent cases such as those with suspected heart attacks or pneumonia, have been leaving the emergency departments of Perth's five big hospitals without being treated.

Figures have shown in the past 12 months 8,134 patients attended the ED's but were not seen by a doctor. These figures were obtained by the West Australian through the FOI, based on the
12 months till the end of April '08.

Last Thursday a young man who through a workplace accident, had to wait with severed parts of his fingers on ice for 28 hours in the emergency department at RPH. Just what chance does he have, of his fingers being viable to be re-attached. When finally getting a ward bed and prepared for surgery, it was delayed. Followed by being transferred to The Mount hospital for surgery at approximately midday yesterday (Saturday), the trauma this young 19 year old has suffered is horrific. It's time someone was held accountable Mr Carpenter this has been going on for far too long.

It's not bigger and better that the people require with hospitals, all we want is a system that works, with updated equipment and staff. The PET scanner that has retired, Mr Ripper should have done his budget and been aware that it was going to be up for replacement. People with cancer can't afford to be flying east for cancer scans, they have enough bills just trying to exist. I would like to see how Mr Ripper does the state budget, if this is an example were in deep trouble what else has he forgotten?

UPDATE: The young man that had finger tips severed in a work place accident appeared on the news tonight to tell his side of the story. The people of WA should be even more disgusted in our health system if that's possible. He was transferred from Pinjarra hospital to RPH, after his extended wait he was taken to theatre 3 times only to be returned to his room. Someone had already decided they would not attempt to re attach his finger tips.

When he was finally transferred to the Mount hospital, it was because his employer decided to pay for a private hospital to treat his employee. This is a disgusting state of affairs, just when will this government attempt to fix the health system, NO more excuses. Where are the peoples' taxes going or the $150 million that came from the federal government.? No problems you say Mr McGinty, what would you call the recent events? Just when do you become accountably to patients of this state?

Green or Brown

Well I suppose it should come as no surprise that President Bush has made it clear the US Government are postponing any regulatory action on greenhouse gas emissions, believed to be responsible for global warming. To cite "the complexity and magnitude" of the issue, is nothing but an excuse in my opinion. How long have the world known about global warming, just what will it take before they act upon the information?

http://www.abc.net.au The decision last year from the US Supreme Court ruled that the US EPA must devise ways to regulate green-house gas emissions from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act. The delay, observers indicate, means that any substantive regulatory actions will be almost certainly left to the next administration.

In a political blow to Mr Bush, the Supreme Court ruled in April 2007 that the EPA must consider greenhouse gases as pollutants and deal with them.

As for the fossil fuel industry and it's carbon intensive allies, lobbying the Rudd government to minimise or eliminate any impact on their sales and profits from an emissions trading scheme just what part don't they understand about our planet being in trouble. The election promise labor made should be adhered to, we will have 20% of our energy coming from renewable sources by 2020, there should be no stalling of green energy as some would have it.

http://www.lowcarbonfuture.org.au/ Industries such as aluminum and steel export their product and argue the extra costs of an Australian emissions trading scheme will make them less competitive in their international market, if other firms don't incur similar costs. They want free permits or compensation. What it boils down to is they want high profit margins but don't wish to bear the responsibility and share the costs for their part in global warming.

Bets at Aussies expense.

Recently at a state conference Mr Carpenter said the extensive uranium deposits would stay in the ground in WA, he did the right thing by continuing what Dr Gallop put in place some years ago. I found the actions of the Canadian and Japanese mining companies to be one of arrogance.

The Canadian and Japanese mining giants placing bets on a change of government Perth now , shows how sure they are, of what will eventuate if a liberal government is elected. They care nothing for this state, their only interest is the money they will make. They will rape this land of what ever they can get, in return we end up with another hole in the ground and a radio-active waste dump.

Mr Rudd has more questions to answer here, why are foreign countries been given controlling rights for vast uranium deposits in the Pilbra region of this state? Western Australia and Queensland are the only two states with with the strongest opposition to uranium mining and aren't prepared to enter the nuclear waste cycle. Mr Rudd also hasn't explained how foreigners can enter our country and buy land, yet we are not able to purchase land in their country!

For those that are interested in forming their own opinion go onto ANAWA (A Hard Rain), expose the myths of the nuclear cycle from uranium mining to nuclear power to waste and weapons.

How Does One Get Sleep ??

To those as promised,remember noise is a complicated matter; When experiencing the continual problems in regard to NOISE, it's up to the DEC officers to attend and monitor, they are the one's being paid to do so. It's time to start getting them out of their warm beds, I'm sure they'll be happy to oblige.

Noise is defined in the Noise Act to include vibration of any frequency, whether transmitted through air or any other physical medium. Noise is Pollution - direct or indirect that cause alterations to the Environment. *Noise-Sensitive premises, eg residences.

The assigned levels have been carefully designed to ensure that noise levels vary depending on the time of day, being lower at at night when people are more sensitive to noise. (And Would Appreciate some Sleep) The problem we have , it seems the DEC neglected to inform industry about being compliant.

The Compliance is, "noise emitted from any premises when received at other premises must not cause, or significantly contribute to a level of noise which exceeds the assigned level". Regulations state that the noise charter must be "free" of annoying characteristics, namely- Tonality; Whining; Droning; Modulation; Impulsiveness,eg banging and thumping.

This should apply to the running of the conveyor belts and associated belt warning signals

( alarm) at CBH, or any other company using this type of equipment impeding on communities quality of life. We not only have concerns for communities health but also workers.

www.buzzle.com

Effects of Noise Pollution; it has already been stated that continuous exposure to noise pollution leads to hearing impairment but it has various other effects as well.

* It can result into increased BLOOD PRESSURE
* INCREASED STRESS * STOMACH ULCERS *VERTIGO *HEADACHES * ANNOYANCE
* SLEEP DISTURBANCES *SPEECH PROBLEMS * AGGRESSION *ANXIETY
* WITHDRAWAL *DYSGRAPHIA, which means writing and learning impairment.
* FATIGUE

Industrial Noise adversely affects the workers and they can suffer from various health problems. High volume leads to increased adrenaline levels, which leads to the constriction of blood vessels if individuals are tense or anxious. Statistically there has been a considerable increase in the number of workers dying from cardiac arrests, Cerebral attacks are on the increase considerably due to industrial noise pollution in different areas.