Museum debate like a ‘Yes, Minister’ episode
The more I read about the proposed Bendigo Museum, the more it is sounding like an episode of “Yes, Minister”. You can almost hear Sir Humphrey saying “Oh but Minister, have you carried out the appropriate studies yet?"
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While it would be foolish to select a site without determining the type and size of museum you desire, determining the storage needs for a yet to be determined museum also appears to defy logic.
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There may be an opportunity to use either the old law courts or the Mines Institute on McCrae Street. Both would appear to be logical choices in terms of location, close to the CBD and other major cultural institutions, and historical significance, however, determining the suitability of either building is an important prerequisite. A decision isn't required tomorrow but unless leadership is shown, a one off opportunity may be lost.
Bendigo has built two world class cultural institutions in recent history. The Golden Dragon Museum and the Ulumbarra Theatre. Both went from vision to reality within 10 years. Surely it is not beyond the capability of Bendigo to seize another opportunity for another great cultural institution?
James Proctor, Strathdale
Climate change models are largely ‘conservative’
Chris McCormack’s recent letters are highly alarmist and short on fact. The tactic of spreading doubt and misinformation to try to confuse the population is the same one used by the tobacco industry, and adopted by the fossil fuel industry – wilfully deny the science, and eke out the remaining profit before people catch on.
Climate models are complex mathematical representations, they are proven, and they are generally conservative, not alarmist. This science is widely accepted around the world; there are some 200 scientific organisations globally (such as the Australian Academy of Science) that hold the position that climate change has been caused by human activity. The link between greenhouse gases and global warming has been recognised for over 100 years.
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Yes, climate has changed before, and scientists know why – solar variabilty, volcanic activity, changes in the composition of the atmosphere – and the current dominant factor in the change we are now experiencing happens to be human activity. All of these changes are well understood and accounted for by scientists in their modelling. It is also change at a rapid pace; when abrupt changes like these have happened in the past, they have driven mass extinctions like the ones seen at the end of the Permian and Triassic periods.
Renewables are increasingly cheaper than fossil fuels and are coming down in price all of the time. The renewable industry is subsidised – not as highly as the mining industry though, at around $18 billion over the last six years. When you add in tax concessions, it brings the amount of government support for the mining industry even higher. Let's abolish all of the subsidies and let the market decide.
Getting on board with the renewable energy revolution is allowing technological innovation to provide us with the solutions for a stable climate and economy. At our current rate, we are already on track to reach 50 per cent renewables by 2025, regardless of government action – or inaction.
Melissa Abel, North Bendigo
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