In compiling information for this book, many people have been interviewed and their contribution has been invaluable. Memory can be unreliable when dealing with dates and other precise information, so we have relied heavily on the Newcastle Herald. During the last century the Herald highlighted many issues relating to the pollution of land, air and water in this region. By doing so the newspaper has assisted environmentalists and concerned residents raise public awareness on a wide variety of issues. The Herald is urged to continue to publicise environmental issues and concerns.
Our local environment is in better shape than in previous decades. Our air and water is much cleaner now than it was 50 or even 20 years ago. Much of our garbage is now being recycled instead of going into landfill. A recent survey of Hunter residents showed "…vast improvements in community perceptions about our environment". This report appeared under the headline 'Environment is in the clear'.
The people of this region will however continue to face environmental challenges. The issues relating to Global Warming / The Greenhouse effect remain a major concern. Levels of CO2 have increased dramatically in the last century mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels. CO2 allows the sun's energy in but traps radiant energy from the earth, causing atmospheric temperature to rise. This, in turn, effects our weather, one effect being an increase in storm intensity and frequency. Such storms have been experienced in 2001 in Singleton, Port Stephens and Sydney areas.
This is a global problem, but we can help reduce the emission of CO2 at a local level. As individuals we can:
- Reduce car usage
- Recycle and compost instead of burning waste
- Use solar or wind generated electricity
- Plant trees and shrubs to help filter CO2 out of the atmosphere
- Lobby politicians to have Australia sign the Kyoto Agreement on reducing Greenhouse gases.
The NSW Coastal Conference, held in Newcastle during November 2001, raised various issues of concern. With population levels expected to increase rapidly along the coastal fringe of NSW, it is inevitable that new suburbs, roads and other infrastructure will be needed. The challenge is to see that this happens in an environmentally sensitive manner and so avoids the problems faced by cities such as Sydney or Melbourne.
Inevitably this will involve compromise. As Doug Lithgow said "[i]t's not that you want to stop development, but environmental issues must be taken into account. The conservation movement has to come to terms with development but developers also need to come to terms with the conservation movement".
Looking back on the period of white settlement in Australia, Ray Ericksen in 1973 said "[w]e have gone at it reluctantly and stupidly, obsessed with the idea that land has no value until it has been cleared fired, fenced, and dressed with chemicals". He could have said the same about our rivers, lakes and oceans. Yet, in the period since that statement was made, there has been a growing awareness among most Australians that we must treat our environment with respect.
A few years ago Bob Brown and Peter Singer observed that "[a]s our population presses up against the Earth's biological limits, we consume more resources and pour out more wastes. Unless we rapidly become more responsible in the way we are treating our land, atmosphere and oceans, all living things will pay a heavy price for generations to come".
This book records some of the history of Novocastrians who were ahead of their time. Their courage, commitment and perseverance have provided the inspiration for the writing of this book.
Ross Edmonds
Project Supervisor
Wesley Uniting Employment
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