After a decent recovery period, I imagine many of those fortunate enough to have attended the TT dinner at Strathlyn would since have reflected on the night – and taken from it memories and information that will last way beyond the enjoyment of great food, wine, venue, and good fellowship.
An abiding memory for me will be the great delight I felt when Dr Alison Bleaney was announced as TT’s “Tasmanian of the Year”.
What an inspired choice!
It would not be possible to overestimate the importance of the work she is involved in relating to water and air quality – elements so vital to our health and well-being and yet treated with such scant respect by politicians, bureaucrats (public health officials particularly) and with no respect at all by polluting businesses who apparently see no problem with pumping deadly toxins into our air and water ways, contaminating the soil and produce we eat.
By bringing a scientific and knowledge-based approach to water and air quality research, and publishing her sometimes alarming findings both in, and outside the normal media outlets, Dr Bleaney is exposing the health dangers already resident in our environment – and only likely to worsen if aerial spraying of insecticides and pesticides for example, is allowed to continue unabated.
As with many others no doubt, I was enticed to move to Tasmania by seductive propaganda pieces such as “clean and green ”. However, after some years in the State, alerted by the surprisingly high incidence of health problems besetting those around us (which seemed so incongruent with clean, green), I wrote the following letter to our local newspaper in 2008, expressing my concerns:
Quote: Paradox in Paradise
The image of our Island State we like to project interstate and abroad is one of pristine forests, pure water, clean air and small businesses producing superior quality foodstuffs and other speciality products: a “clean and green” paradise offering a safe, healthy and enviable lifestyle. It is this image that has attracted so many “sea changers” to move here in recent times.
But is the imagery overblown, or even fallacious? Consider the following:
We have the highest rates of Multiple Schlerosis in Australia; and relatively high rates (and increasing) of a range of cancers as well as Asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Our iconic Tas Devil population is being decimated by a malignant disease that baffles scientists.
The platypus and giant black lobster populations that have long existed in our waterways are similarly being afflicted (causes unknown).
All quite coincidental perhaps – or is it possible these afflictions are symptomatic of a problem in paradise? It would be interesting to hear the views of our scientists and medical experts.
The facts are what they are. Some public debate might just be good for our health.
AJ.
Unquote.
The fact these health issues have manifested themselves so markedly in recent times suggests to me that something sinister is at work in the environment – particularly as marine, animal and human species are apparently all being afflicted!
Hopefully, the work that Dr Bleaney and supporters are doing will start to unearth the “causal factors”, and in so doing, galvanise public opinion and get remedial action underway. And that is why her work is so vital: by establishing causal links to existing, chronic health problems in our community, corrective action can be taken in the interests of future generations of Tasmanians. Could there be anything more important?
Dr Bleaney’s professional credibility is such that her work (and findings) cannot be ignored by politicians, public-health and environment officials; or by those seen to be causing environmental “problems” despite disclaimers that all their actions are in accordance with agreed codes of practice, and are lawful.
However, if all the evidence points to those actions causing a build-up of deadly toxins in our waterways, for example, then they can no longer be permitted to continue as surely the long term health of our environment, marine and animal life, and people, are far more important than the exploitation of a finite resource in the interests of short-term gain for the privileged few.
In my view, Dr Bleaney was not only an inspired choice as TT’s “Tasmanian of the Year”, she should automatically qualify for any higher awards the state and nation have to offer those who make outstanding contributions to health and well-being in society by being prepared to utilise their knowledge, skill, energy and time for the greater public good.
Anthony John
PS. There are other great memories of the night (particularly from Peter Hay’s oration) but that is for another time. AJ
