Climate Change, C Oaten to ODT Opinion page

Calvin Oaten

Thu, 4 Jul 2019

It was with some inclination of decisive disbelief that I read the Mayor Dave Cull’s article in the July issue of the FYI circular.
It was all about the safety of our children, grandchildren and should I mention our great grandchildren’s future in Dunedin.
Relative to the effects of Climate Change in this city of ours. In fact he even mentions all the Planet in this respect. And it
certainly affects Dunedin's future as well, from the ever increasing number of heavy rain events?  What increasing number
 of heavy rain events? There has been a substantial reduction of these type of events over the recent years. Even allowing
for the fact that in 2075 there was the fact that only one of two pumps were functioning during the rainfall experienced .Plus
that there was a blockage of the intake filters due it seems to a lack of maintenance by staff, exaggerated by the fact that all
of the street manhole collections had not been cleaned by the contractors Fulton & Hogan during the season. As a matter of
fact I don’t believe I remember any action being taken over this companies lax approach to its responsibilities on this score.
Still, small enough effect in the end isn’t it?

Then there is the indisputable fact that if one looks at the position then one can see that there has been innumerable Climate
events going back through the years that would leave the latest for dead that have happened. In 1946 I remember the Lindsays
creek flooding itself out of its bed onto the road and down N E Valley via the main Rd. to re enter the stream bed at Mechanic St. Never
mind the houses down the end of the streets of Pentland, Selwyn, Carr and others on the same wave length. Then there was
another event of similar nature in or about 1943 plus the big Snowfall of 1939 where 12inches fell in the Octagon.Then there was
a big rain event in or about 1931 that flooded South Dunedin. Never mind about the others of early Twenties or the big snows of
the late eighteenth century. I remember reading of the fact that around 1860sh there was the fact that Lake Waihola froze over to
 the point that oxen wagons were diverted over the ice for over six weeks during the Winter . It is these events that bring to mind
that there can be no Climate Change of significance during these times despite the rumours being perpetuated by our Mayor and
councillors by the latest fantasy being promoted on a World scale by theUN’s IPCC for its Political purposes. Taken in severealy by
the Politicians, councillors and now by the school kids as we’re seeing. All powerful stuff, particularly when given the green card by
the Universities as well.


If this is to be Dunedin’s future then God help us that’s all I can say.

Calvin Oaten
The Gardens