Barnaby Joyce should admit that he has no clue about climate change

Sydney Morning Herald

27-07-2025

It is crystal clear from Nick O'Malley's article (' His war on net zero's already sunk ', July 26) that Barnaby Joyce knows nothing about climate change, or the dangers its effects have for all of us, so it is hard to understand how the electors of New England put up with his inane prognostications. While he has sometimes been amusing as the comic relief in parliament, he refuses to abide by the best science we have on the future of our planet and the dangers that our changing climate will wreak on his constituents. Joyce's best days were long ago and the voters deserve better than having the village clown as their representative. Peter Nash, Fairlight
Why doesn't Barnaby Joyce just admit he doesn't believe in climate change? The reason is obvious: saying so is no longer viable politically. The science has been settled for decades, but now observed reality has also caught up and the public is aware of this. So Barnaby has to couch his opinion in tangential form, suggesting net zero is impossible or too expensive or futile, given inaction in the rest of the world. His problem is that fewer and fewer people are listening, making his words sound ever more desperate, ever more disingenuous. Will no one rid us of this turbulent beast? Ken Enderby, Concord
Barnaby Joyce appears to be suffering from relevance deprivation. Rejected more than once as leader of the Nationals, the creator of a string of stunts and meltdowns, he seeks the limelight and goes to extraordinary lengths to find it. At times Joyce's 'facts' seem less believable than the rubbish we hear from Donald Trump. Nick O'Malley's expert-driven article disproved many of Joyce's claims about net zero and the efficacy of renewable energy. The National Party travelling circus rolls on, its leadership a poisoned chalice in Australian politics; but still they seek it. Geoff Nilon, Mascot
By introducing his private member's bill next week, to repeal all net zero by 2050 laws, Barnaby Joyce will flush out his followers. Being those opposing rational environmental, social and economic progress, indeed even the ultimate survival of humans and most flora and fauna. They need to be identified. Their epitaphs need to inform future generations of who caused the damage to their lives and world. Howard Charles, Annandale
I suggest everyone in positions of public influence, such as politicians, have a moral responsibility to fact-check their opinions with relevant experts on matters that concern the public good where pertinent evidence is available. As such, because decisions about the reality, extent and effect of climate change affect the survival of the planet's ecosystems and its inhabitants, these decisions inherently have a moral dimension. Nick O'Malley's demolition of Barnaby Joyce's case for his proposed private member's bill to discard Australia's goal of net zero by 2050 makes it clear that Joyce has not done his homework. In a similar vein, I argue that Senator Matthew Canavan, who is conducting on the Nationals' behalf an internal review of the net zero policy, the same person who has publicly given his support to Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement on climate, has a moral responsibility to show that he is consulting relevant recognised experts. Paul Casey, Callala Bay
Here is something Barnaby Joyce can learn about one of his three issues about wind turbines. The Netherlands has historically used windmills for water management and various industrial processes and continues to embrace wind energy, with extensive wind farms both onshore and offshore. Wind turbines are a common sight, contributing significantly to the country's electricity production. It is a tiny country compared to Australia, and they don't seem to have any issue with windmills. So, it is ludicrous to think that wind turbines are eyesores, etc. After some time, no one will even notice those windmills. That American John Davies is so right when he says, 'Much like inland Australia, we have a lot of wind, sun and land'. Joyce has made a career as a politician and has never been into vision or policies for the country. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill
Children overlooked
As Opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Michaelia Cash's response to Anthony Albanese's stance on the current Gaza crisis is inhumane (' PM lashes Israel over aid, killing of civilians ', July 26). Just because the Opposition's policy is supporting Israel, there is no reason to overlook starving human beings, especially children, who have every reason to have an opportunity to live a decent life. Peng Ee, Castle Cove
Michaelia Cash is 'disappointed' with the prime minister's statement on Gaza. Nowhere near as disappointed as we feel night after night seeing images of dead or starving children. Nothing could possibly excuse such cruelty. I'm beyond caring which bully boy is right. I just want the slaughter of innocents to stop. Michaelia's disappointment is irrelevant. Lynne Poleson, Kingsford
Missing the point
Well spotted, George Fishman (Letters, July 25), obviously your point is that the picture of the starving child is fake news, and people starving and being killed in the moonscape that is Gaza is just Hamas propaganda, no matter how many independent journalists, photographers or aid workers report back. Interesting that with the horrific image of a starving child you decide to question, what is it exactly, that she's not the mother? Maybe it's a Hamas set-up for the journos? The point you seem to be missing is that the child is starving. Alex Nikulin, Forestville
I was both astonished and disheartened to read the claim by George Fishman that the mother of the emaciated child featured on the front page of the Herald appears to be very healthy and well-fed. This would be extremely unlikely in the catastrophic situation being endured by all people in Gaza. Cheryl Wilson, Crows Nest
Thanks to all the letter writers who, like me, are appalled at the inhumane suffering occurring in Gaza because of aid not being distributed properly and the starvation it has caused. I get distressed every time a medical facility is bombed, the children that live will have PTSD forever. The IDF can pinpoint where a particular person is in a home yet when they claim Hamas people are in the hospitals and schools they bomb, they weren't. We have to be allowed to call it genocide, most of us are anti-Netanyahu not anti-Israel. I was alarmed that one man wrote of the picture of the starving child that his supposed mother looked well-fed. How could he tell as the woman is wearing a shapeless tent-like gown? If he looked harder, he could see her knuckles are quite bony. Carole Baxter, Woodgate Beach (Qld)
Thank you to the 15 letter writers who expressed shock and outrage at the starvation of innocent children in Gaza. And thank you, Herald, for publishing these, along with the sole letter of denial from George Fishman. A letter which speaks volumes – and left me speechless. Rob Wills, West End (Qld)
Mr Fishman: 'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.' Edward Loong, Milsons Point
Free uni for all
Your correspondent (Letters, July 26) begins her letter by saying 'no one expects free university education'. Sorry, but you are wrong. I know many people, like myself, who do expect tertiary education to be free. Getting a university education should not only be for those who can afford it or have to go into debt to obtain it. Con Vaitsas, Makronisos, Greece
Ignore wall – build flood buffers
No doubt the awareness of horrendous historical flooding in the Hawkesbury/Nepean basin will again stir ill-advised calls to raise the Warragamba Dam wall (' The megaflood catastrophe that is hidden in Sydney's 'bathtub' ' , July 26).
To reduce the possibility of such a catastrophe befalling existing vulnerable development, substantial flood buffers in both the Warragamba Dam and upper Nepean dams are required. Flood mitigation can be further augmented by strategic capacity reduction based on rainfall forecasts for their catchments. To compensate for the reduced storage capacity, Sydney's water supply would be supplemented by additional desalination plants, providing the added advantage of assisting to drought-proof the city. Above all, the scale of any future disaster can be minimised through strict control of development once the extent and probability of historical flooding has been established. Roger Epps, Armidale
It is great to see new science and oral and written history applied to understand the floods that have occurred in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valleys. Even First Fleet officer Watkin Tench found flood debris high in the trees along the Nepean River in 1788.
On our behalf, government should consider an overflow for the 'bathtub', mining across the sandstone ridges that cause the river to take such a tortuous path to Lower Portland and Colo River Junction. The flow of the river in normal circumstances would be little affected. Peter Egan, Fairview Park (SA)
Although not in the same flood boat as those in the Hawkesbury-Nepean area, many other areas in NSW live in flood-prone areas. Why has our NSW government continued to allow new developments on coastal NSW floodplains (such as my area, the Clarence Valley) by allowing hundreds of thousands of truckloads of fill to be 'imported' to create man-made islands? To borrow a line from Pete Seeger's Where Have All the Flowers Gone, 'Oh, when will you ever learn'. Col Shephard, Yamba
Decades of mismanaged population growth and planning have left western Sydney at risk of drowning in a 'bathtub'. But even banning immigration from overseas and reducing environmental pollution won't reduce flood risks. People in small towns invariably move to big cities, searching for more diverse and secure job opportunities. But while governments once planned for such growth, they stepped back, purportedly to reduce public spending, and they just let people come before upgrading local infrastructure – often too late. Long-term locals know that Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment rivers need to flood as it's part of their natural character. But vested interests seemingly push authorities to ignore risk and allow houses on land where they shouldn't be built. Authorities must take time to properly assess land and declare it off-limits to any development. Just building anywhere quickly exposes more people to huge floods and taxpayers to ever-growing costs of rebuilding. Warren Grzic, Hornsby
US beef an unknown
Australia made monumental mistakes in the past by allowing the importation of rabbits, foxes and blackberries (' Government 'won't give up' on tariff relief by US ', July 26). It seemed a good idea at the time. These pests cannot be eradicated. They are still decimating our landscape and wildlife, and are costing our farmers a fortune. Why risk importing US meat when we do not need it and with it might come mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease and hideous screw worms? We produce in Australia all the beef we need for domestic consumption and to export. Why import US meat for any reason, including Trump's crazy tariffs? The tariffs might be gone during or after his term as president, but the pests will be a lot harder to eliminate. Elizabeth Vickers, Maroubra
There is a simple solution to the problem of US beef imports into Australia. Do not purchase. Let it rot on the supermarket shelves. If everyone refuses to buy US product, it will soon be withdrawn from sale. Do as the Canadians have done: refuse to buy all US products. Graham McWhirter, Shell Cove
If US beef is allowed into Australia, I doubt Australian retailers would want to carry it anyway. If they do, I hope it's prominently marked so buyers can avoid it. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill
One can but hope that Australian food importers will take a lead from Canadian importers and wholesalers and simply not place any orders for US beef. If Australia simply refuses to countenance inferior US beef, Trump may reconsider the efficacy of his absurd and ineffective tariff policy. Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach
Australia is in no danger of having its biodiversity compromised with the decision to allow US beef imports. Who in their right mind would choose an inferior product when we produce the best and safest beef in the world? So Albo has given Trump his little 'victory' to protect our cattle farmers and export income – good move, PM. Anthony Malivanek, Bray Park
Smoke and mirrors
The manipulative selection requirements imposed by some high schools on students wishing to study HSC advanced English (' Anger and frustration at schools' hard line on HSC English Advanced ', July 26) are devised to make the schools look better than they are. Restricting students who are good but not exceptional will increase the percentage of students in high achievement bands in both standard and advanced HSC English. If something can be measured, it will be – and the statistics from those measurements used to bamboozle us. Ian Falconer, Turramurra
E-rider dangers
It is unlikely that this is the first letter complaining about the poor behaviour of some e-bike and e-scooter riders. In my area they regularly drive on the footpath, go against the traffic flow on the roads and generally ignore the traffic rules. I strongly urge the authorities to pursue these people and enforce some type of penalty. Graham Russell, Clovelly