Denman cable ferry鈥檚 plastic problem
Re: 鈥淩obot to probe plastic pollution from Denman Island cable ferry,鈥� Aug. 8.
Serious concerns with the outer plastic cable coating wear for Denman ferry have been brought up to sa国际传媒聽Ferries since at least 2015.
At a Denman-Hornby Ferry Advisory Committee meeting on Oct. 21, 2015, a sa国际传媒 Ferries official responded to concerns about the failing plastic coatings by stating, 鈥渆ven if the plastic cover does fail [mid span], that does not indicate cable failure,鈥� and goes on to say, 鈥渢he [plastic] cable cover is not required for the operation of the system.鈥�
Out of concern for this wear, former sa国际传媒聽Ferries chief engineer and sa国际传媒 Ferry and Marine Workers鈥� Union Ship鈥檚 Officers鈥櫬燙omponent president Eduardo Munoz brought up concerns to sa国际传媒 Ferries and聽Transport sa国际传媒, including pictures that聽show plastic abrasion as early as 2015.
The concern of plastic abrasion of wire rope is also raised in a 1996 Transportation Safety Board report m96m0152 which states, 鈥溾�� that the [plastic infused] cable failed because localized wear and corrosion of the exterior strands of the cable had reached such an extent that the remaining strands failed in overstress.鈥�
Moreover, entry-level marine engineers know that cable ferries鈥� movement over the cables causes friction which in turn causes wear, and, in this case, wear on plastic coated cables in the ocean means plastic in the ocean.
I am not entirely sure a robot is required to solve this mystery 鈥� although we are sure there is cleanup needed.
Dan Kimmerly
Ships鈥� Officers鈥� Component president
sa国际传媒 Ferry and Marine Workers鈥� Union
鈥楩irst Nations鈥� versus 鈥楩irst Arrivals鈥�
Re: 鈥淭hey were here first, so acknowledge that,鈥� letter, Aug. 9.
The term 鈥淔irst Nations鈥� does no credit to the first settlers of sa国际传媒 when comparing them with the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, Maya, Greeks, etc. The original 鈥淔irst Nations鈥� would soon have perished in local warfare, starvation and disease.
The expression 鈥淔irst Nations鈥� is quite unlikely but very Canadian. These nice people should be accurately known in sa国际传媒 as the 鈥淔irst Arrivals.鈥� That puts us聽all together in the country we love and foster.
Michael A. Ross
|Saanich
Mass shootings and America鈥檚 inability to act
So 鈥� yet more mass shootings in the United States! On TV you see the shocked faces of officials trying to provide the details.
One can be heard to say in incredulous tones, 鈥淲hy is this happening? This is聽America! This shouldn鈥檛 happen in America!鈥�
America is the only country in the world where these events occur on a regular basis. And if Americans were honest with themselves, they would know exactly why these things continue to happen. It is time to amend the Second Amendment back to what it was intended for when the Constitution was written.
How many guns does anyone need? Do they really need assault rifles? Can the branches of the U.S. government not even get past universal background checks?
And don鈥檛 excuse Donald Trump from responsibility, despite his statement of standing with all Americans against these cowardly acts. Racism has always been a part of the fabric of America, but Trump has given it his approval with his 鈥渟end them back鈥� and 鈥渙ur country is full鈥� comments. Now it is open season for mass shootings.
Right now it is a lottery: El Paso, Texas, then Dayton, Ohio. Which city will be hit tomorrow or the day after? Which school, mall, church or public office will be next? Spin the wheel and see.
Marty Adams
Saanichton
Computers are fed聽by聽humans
Re: 鈥淗umans are behind those 鈥榗omputer errors,鈥櫬犫�� column, Aug. 2.
Thanks to Geoff Johnson for pointing out the important difference between human errors and computer errors.
For too many people 鈥� children and adults 鈥� the modern computer has come to be seen as the ultimate source of intelligence.
Knowledge is not the same as intelligence. Computers can only process, sort and regurgitate data fed to them by human beings. They cannot make decisions on their own because they are dependent on us.
Perhaps some people cannot follow this reasoning because they rely too much on computers to do their thinking.
Sylvia W. Preto
Sidney
Make more efficient use of acute-care beds
Re: 鈥淚sland Health takes aim at mushrooming deficit,鈥� Aug. 11.
It is encouraging to see Island Health intends to make some significant changes to address the deficit and as well to address those issues that need to be changed.
One of the most high priority changes is the need to reduce the 29 per cent occupancy of acute care beds by patients who no longer require acute care but cannot be released because they can no longer care for themselves. Most of these beds are occupied by seniors who are placed on waiting lists for transfer to a care facility and in the meantime stay in hospital, sometimes for several months, because of the shortage of long-term care facilities.
We know that the number of seniors is increasing in Victoria and other parts of sa国际传媒 so the development of more of these facilities will go a long way to resolving the shortage of acute-care beds.
In addition, recruiting and hiring more nurses is a no brainer. Nurses are the backbone of the acute-care hospital, often providing services above and beyond the call of duty.
Nothing feels better than waking up after surgery to find a nurse bending over you taking care of your needs and offering reassuring words of comfort.
My thanks to all who are addressing these issues and I look forward to seeing the proposed changes implemented as quickly as possible.
Dorothy Mullen
Victoria
Constant denial and nuclear war risks
The annual pleas of Hiroshima sufferers are in the indistinct background again. Younger people, used to successes of nuclear deterrence over the decades, barely consider the possibility of, or the planetary devastation risked by the use of nuclear weapons.
Some twisted logic legitimizes that there can be a winner of a nuclear confrontation. National governments are hardly becoming more stable, and previously signed international agreements on weapons and delivery systems fall by the wayside.
No politicians in competition for high office in upcoming federal elections either here in sa国际传媒 or the U.S. even bring the topic up. How is this possible?
sa国际传媒 could go some distance by becoming a signatory to the 2017 United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, but alas, how many of us have heard any kind of discussion about this appropriate and timely consideration. To date, 70 countries and 23 states have signed. Sadly, this topic isn鈥檛 even on the prime minister鈥檚 radar.
鈥淟ike lemmings to the sea.鈥�
Neil Finnie
Saanich
Clean-fuel standard鈥檚 actual cost
Re: 鈥淪cheer drives home a weak point,鈥� letter, Aug. 4.
Andrew Scheer, the federal Conservative leader, said that some Canadians cannot afford an extra $100 per month that the proposed federal clean-fuel standard would impose.
When a letter writer calculated the costs聽to Canadians of an extra 11 cents per聽litre for the proposed federal clean-fuel standards, and said that you would need to drive 9,000 kilometres per month to hit that聽$100 increased fuel cost amount, did he聽take into account that the clean-fuel surcharge on gasoline would, in turn,聽raise聽the costs of everything we consume?
All goods and services would rise in cost because of the new clean-fuel standard.
I suspect that the costs to Canadians would be well over the $100 estimate that Andrew Scheer mentioned.
Bill Wilson
Saanichton
Why cost of ICBC car聽insurance is so high
Re: 鈥淰ictoria jaywalker who witnessed crash gets $98,000 award for 鈥榥ervous shock,鈥櫬犫�� Aug. 9.
Wow, $98,000 for 鈥渘ervous shock.鈥� The next accident in a scramble crosswalk might result in dozens of lawsuits for hurt feelings.
The blame for ICBC rates lies squarely with lawyers and judges.
Arthur Duhame
Campbell River
Send us your letters
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