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Illustration: Ron Tandberg
CLIMATE CHANGE
Australia must step up to the challenge and act
The threat of nuclear weapons during the Cold War may have receded from our minds but is now replaced by anxiety about the catastrophic implications of climate change. The threat of rising sea levels is imminent and serious debate is, therefore, needed. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is attending the climate summit in Paris, should repudiate his predecessor's dubious statement that "coal is the future".
Pope Francis endorses the majority view of man-made global warming and says: "There is very solid scientific consensus that the world is witnessing a disturbing warming of the climate system which is a result of greenhouse gases emitted by human activity." He further states that "reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most".
The experience from other nations has proved that protecting the environment and stimulating economic growth can go hand in hand by investing in sustainable, alternative energies and using wind, solar and other systems. The urgent need to mitigate global warming is mankind's biggest challenge. Australians must be active players in the future.
Thang Manh Nguyen, Newport
The world faces a critical turning point
As world leaders gather to negotiate an ambitious agreement on climate change, the beautiful image of the climate guardian angels standing, wings and arms outstretched, before the Eiffel Tower (The Age, 28/11) evokes the mixed and turbulent emotions that many of us feel. Hope for a more just and sustainable world. Fear for a future of greater destruction and misery. These next two weeks will mark a turning point, one way or another. Let us pray that the angels now descending on Paris are the better angels of our nature.
Guy Abrahams, Richmond
Let leaders experience real global warming
Rather than hosting climate change summits in nice, cool European cities such as Paris and Copenhagen, why not do so in places which are more affected by global warming? Adelaide in January (no airconditioning, of course), or perhaps standing lip deep in the water off Kiribati, would concentrate the minds of the world's leaders.
Michael Yung, Gilberton, SA
Time to tackle ambitious climate action
Christopher Pyne thinks Labor's climate change policy is "mad". I think it is mad that some people describe coal as "clean" even though it contributes to climate change no matter where it is from or how it is burned. I think it is mad that when the Abbott government found the Renewable Energy Target was working exactly as designed, it decided to rewrite it anyway, deliberately harming a growing renewables industry in a sluggish economy.
I also think it is mad that rising electricity prices are being used as a scare tactic against climate action, even though the proven real cause of current and future rises are the result of rampant, unnecessary investment in poles and wires.
The Turnbull government wants to create an agile and innovative economy. Ambitious climate action will provide that. It encourages Australian investment in renewable and energy efficiency technologies which could be manufactured locally, as well as providing opportunities for nation building infrastructure projects. The only mad option would be to continue as we are doing.
Harrison Levvey, Kew
How far should we go...
Eugenics ("Heart of darkness: Melbourne University's racist professors", 30/11) was once integral to Enlightenment rationalism. Its supporters included icons of progressivism such as Marie Stopes, H.G.Wells, Sidney Webb and John Maynard Keynes. Perhaps the university should also consider removing any mention of Karl Marx from its history, politics, economics, sociology and cultural studies courses because of his racism.
Bill James, Frankston
...with past racism?
University of Melbourne staff and students propose the re-naming of buildings currently carrying the names of allegedly-racist past professors. However the English Department is still to teach the writings of the authors who used such terms as "The Moor of Venice" and "The Jew of Malta" and wrote that anti-Semitic play about Shylock.
Carl Keeney, Sunshine North
Money, the bottom line
The federal government's changes to how mental health care is delivered are indeed welcome although somewhat belated (Editorial, 30/11). But there is no new funding to enable the changes to be implemented.
Community organisations called primary health care networks are charged with implementing the changes. However, these are less than two years old and already have a huge agenda integrating other medical services on an unchanged budget.
No national benchmarking is suggested by the government to guide the implementation and no extra funds are provided to collect the data on how well the changes work. While the new direction will form a basis for future improvements, one might view this unfunded announcement as a way of getting mental health off the agenda for next year's election.
Tim Woodruff, vice-president, Doctors Reform Society, Richmond
Protect the innocents
It is heartbreaking to see images of distressed dogs at the Lost Dogs Home ("It's concrete pens and barking dogs", 28/11), and all in the name of "best practice". Too many beautiful animals have been treated as inconveniences and robbed of their potential to be the prized pets of new owners.
Staff are understandably depressed by the daily cruelty towards these dogs but fortunately whistleblower Nicole Beasley has had the courage to speak up, even at the risk of losing her job. Animal welfare organisations must now do their part by insisting on decent standards of care in animal shelters and preventing further treatment of dogs as guinea pigs in behavioural modification programs which depend on drugs.
Helen Scheller, Benalla
Irresponsible owners
We adopted Daisy from the Lost Dogs Home last year. She has given us a lot of joy; we have given her a good place to live. I was impressed by our dealings with staff at the time of adoption and in subsequent visits. They were professional and friendly, though very busy. Above all else, they seemed keen that their dogs got a chance at a better life.
In North Melbourne, and in similar pounds and shelters I have visited, it is heartbreaking to see and hear so many abandoned dogs. I suspect the Lost Dogs Home is in a no-win situation, trying to cope with a daunting number of confused and scared animals. I suspect the real issue here is the appalling irresponsibility of people who take on pets and then treat them as disposable. The problem is not the dogs, it is their owners.
When there are so many dogs and cats in pounds and shelters wanting only to find homes, I cannot understand why anyone goes anywhere else for a pet.
Alan Attwood, North Brighton
Dangerous precedent
The Victorian opposition has proposed that murderers who refuse to reveal where they have hidden the bodies of their victims would not get parole (The Age, 30/1). The necessary consequence of this is that nobody who continues to maintain their innocence will get parole, and that anybody who actually is innocent and thus has no information to share will inevitably get the absolute maximum time in prison. Is this really what we want?
Chris Borthwick, West Melbourne
Please, woman up
Here's a fun solution to the spreading use of sexist, crude language, Kathleen Murray (Letters, 28/11). Try saying "woman up" instead of "man up" or even "grow some tits" rather than "grow some balls'. People may react with laughter and sometimes shock, but it clearly makes them reconsider their gender bias.
Alison Cook, Mont Albert
Gender rights
You are absolutely right, Michelle Goldsmith (Letters, 30/11): no child should be coerced into choosing a particular gender identity through the gender-based segregation of clothing or toys. Equally, no child should be deprived of access to these "gendered" items due to the ideological beliefs of a few.
Justin Shaw, Ringwood East
Elevating our roads
As one of the only three north-south arterials across the city, Punt Road deserves more considered solutions to the relief of its appalling, long-standing gridlock than those proposed so far. At least six of the world's densest cities have avoided gridlock with the introduction of elevated roads. There are no insuperable engineering difficulties in the way of building one from the Eastern Freeway to Carlisle Street, St Kilda. Some over-shadowing of houses along the route is better than demolishing them. Banning parking on both sides at ground level would provide space for large pylons in the centre of Punt Road and on each side of the tram tracks in St Kilda Road South.
Peter Lyell, Brighton
Time to chip in
Wayne Bell "risks jeopardising thousands of dollars in sales" when he boards peak-hour V/Line trains to Ballan because he is unreachable due to mobile black spots (The Age, 30/11). He is the first businessman I have known to respond immediately to emails. I hope he and others will contribute to the $18million it will cost taxpayers to make it possible to do so on regional trains.
Jeff Larson, Mount Eliza
Put the public first
Adding marine "parking rights" to the sale of our port may be attractive to the rent seekers, often foreign, who are lining up for the chance of owning a monopoly business in a stable country (28/11). However, us mug punters who use our airport know that private control means profit gouging at every chance and "the public interest" is no longer part of the equation. Instead of asset sales, what about a government "rail crossings loan" at an interest rate a bit above the pittance paid by most of our banks?
Neil Hauxwell, Moe
Go, the Kiwis
Being a dinky di Aussie of 85years, I find, for the first time in my life, I am barracking for the Kiwis. Why? Because of our cricketers and their outmoded and juvenile practice of sledging. It should have died decades ago. It reminds me of our former prime minister and his pathetic attempts to drag us back to the 1950s. Imagine golf, and the players abusing one another on the greens, or tennis players abusing one another as they change ends. Come on, Australia. Grow up.
John Moore, Templestowe
Shame, the Aussies
Yet another cricketing innovation from our Australian team. The long, slow walk back to the pavilion is now replaced by the long, slow walk back from the pavilion as gamesmanship wins out over sportsmanship. Not a fan of it really.
Mark Brooks, Benalla
Economic matters
Ross Gittins ("Slower growth might not be such a bad thing", BusinessDay, 28/11) quotes Nigel Ray, a deputy secretary of Treasury, that in the financial year 2014-15, the economy recorded its third straight year of below-trend growth, which "means Australia is now in a prolonged period of below-par growth, the likes of which we have rarely seen outside of a recession".
But in those three years, Australia's official unemployment rate increased by about 1per cent. Is this not evidence of a textbook-style, cyclical recession? Or is it due to structural change resulting from a poorly managed mining boom that severely squeezed the manufacturing sector? Either way, it would provide a major reason for our below-par performance of the last three years.
Robert Braby, Eltham
Oops, that third leg
I was interested to see from your photo ("We're working on sunshine", 30/11) that Melbourne city councillor Arron Wood is setting out for the Paris climate change summit wearing his "third leg". Is he proposing impromptu performances for his fellow delegates of Jake the Peg?
Harriet Farnaby, Geelong West
AND ANOTHER THING
Well done, New Zealand. No sledging and Australia almost learned how to behave. My interest in Test cricket might return.
Michael Hipkins, Richmond
GST
Was Paul Keating referring to Jay Weatherill, who supports a higher GST, when he said, "Never get between a premier and a bucket of money"?
Les Anderson, Woodend
Jay, are you sure you're in the right political party?
Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld
To a billionaire the GST is inconsequential. To a pensioner, it's a big impost. I'd prefer a carbon tax to the GST as it helps the environment.
Alan Cotterell, Benalla
Politics
Can the energy and commitment of the climate change rallies persuade Turnbull to deviate from Abbott's coal-loving ways?
Wendy Knight, Little River
Greg Hunt fiddles the emissions targets as our country burns.
Anne Hartley, Balwyn North
So some polling booths will close. Does that mean the Electoral Commission is moving to the 21st century and giving us online voting?
Neville Wright, Kilcunda
Can we please have Michael West's articles on corporate tax avoidance on the front page.
Russell Cocks, Williamstown
Language
Russell Jackson (30/11), don't join the "sheep club". Hang on to "different from" because it is correct.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
I wince every time I hear "as best as I can" instead of "as well as I can".
Eldert De Graaf, Wheelers Hill
Is an "upcoming" event "down going" when it's in progress?
Rosemarie Jones, Anglesea
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