DEAR News Of The Area,

THE culture wars!

What’s the meaning, what are the effects?

Its basis is the denial of evidence in pursuit of a goal.

Mix denial with politics and the results can be tragic, long term.

The National Party owns the assault on science.

Here’s an example.

Coffs Harbour’s Hospital was built on wetlands, its vulnerability to flooding vigorously denied by the Nationals.

The Base has flooded because hydrology, a science, was up against the culture wars.

The course at construction was set: deny the evidence and tap into prejudice.

“Don’t listen to greenies.”

The future is marked by sea level rises.

It gives me no pleasure to write this, Coffs Hospital is a billion dollar walk away proposition courtesy of the National Party’s culture wars.

Another matter.

Scientific opinion is clear, we are on the verge of mass extinctions of species.

In our area that means the biodiversity of our tall forests.

To make my viewpoint clear, I’ve worked in the timber industry, managed large areas of regeneration and have a license to log – with extreme care (my provision).

Make no mistake.

The National Party’s culture wars are in denial of the tragedy unfolding in our forests.

Your grandchildren will not see koalas.

Happening now!

Despite all the evidence, the National Party is intent on gas drilling the richest soils in Australia west of here on the Liverpool Plains.

Contamination of soil and water, damaged agricultural activity, long term climate change?

All this is met with spin.

No catastrophe is beyond denial in the culture wars.

The above matters run a theme, the denial of evidence backed by science.

Few descriptions of ignorance are brazen enough to cover it.

I’ll settle for “boofhead politics”.

Regards.
Warren TINDALL,
Bellingen.