Parnell Palme McGuinness explores the concept of the decline in “woke” (“2024 is the year that woke broke”, December 22). Why do I find this disturbing? Woke seems to have been a pejorative term for having a social conscience. Detractors of woke attract all sorts of over-the-top caveats to it. Donald Trump finally gave people permission to be openly uncaring of various groups of people. With the alleged abandonment of woke, will we all be more openly hostile to these people? Is this behind the rise of antisemitism? Which group will we hate next? Stay tuned. Jan Marshall, Collaroy
Having been a strident critic of all things “woke-ish” across the past decade, McGuinness cannot contain her joy and enthusiasm at her self-nominated demise of woke. According to McGuinness, the game is over for those who have supported social justice issues for minority, diverse or disadvantaged people. You have lost the contest and with it goes the hopes and dreams of those disadvantaged minorities in our community. What a Pyrrhic victory, as our society is much the poorer for our minority groups once again being cast adrift. I find the gloating quite distasteful. Warren Marks, Richmond (Tas)
Independent climate action
I don’t understand what US climate change policy under Trump would have to do with our own emissions reduction time frame or targets (“Emissions target hit by Trump concerns”, December 22). If Trump follows through with his threats to reduce climate action, then wouldn’t that mean other countries should step up their efforts to compensate for an irresponsible US on climate action? In the face of hundreds of climate scientists saying we should drastically cut the burning of fossil fuels, Trump wants to ramp up this burning. Let’s ignore him and every other country, and just get on with their own efforts to reduce pollution. Dennis O’Hara, Wanniassa (ACT)
President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to reduce climate action. Credit: Bloomberg
Using Donald Trump as an excuse for delaying Australia’s 2035 emissions target until after the election is convenient nonsense. An emissions target is just that, a target, and it is based upon what a country needs to do to reach net zero by 2050. It is also based on science. While Trump may make the target harder to achieve, the target itself should be independent. The best that can be said is “late is better than never”, unlike the Coalition, who would scrap the interim targets altogether. Ray Peck, Hawthorn (Vic)
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Energy Minister Chris Bowen should be able to make up their own minds. I really don’t understand why Australia can’t do its bit for the climate and environment without waiting for the Climate Change Authority or America. They should be leaders, not followers. Jenny Greenwood, Hunters Hill
Time’s up for zoos
I believe zoos have no place in modern society (“Residents fear zoo gondolas too much to bear”, December 22). The old line that “it helps subsidise the cost of preserving species” is spurious. There are better ways to do this without keeping these beautiful creatures in small enclosures to be gawked at by tourists. I used to go to the zoo, and even took my kids to the zoo. But as human beings we are forever evolving and should be questioning and reflecting on things and behaviours that we once thought were acceptable but don’t pass the pub test now. Turn Taronga Zoo into a park, and forget about the cable car. Lisa Del Vecchio, South Coogee
No excuse for murder
I detect a whiff of empathy from a correspondent (Sun Herald letters, December 22) for alleged murderer Luigi Mangione, plus well-placed anger at health insurance companies, which reject 32 per cent of claims. The letter writer’s claims that Mangione “was not aiming at the grab-bag of issues Trump latched onto” is, unfortunately, dead accurate. Rather, Mangione allegedly aimed straight at the back of a health insurance company’s CEO, who’d previously had a name, Brian Thompson, a personality, a family, and a life. Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield
Good education needn’t break the bank
St Clare’s College, a Catholic systemic school, and a number of comprehensive public schools have academically outperformed many expensive private schools (“Low-fee Sydney schools that beat their expensive HSC rivals”, December 22). The schools did it without a library resembling a Scottish baronial castle, $170 million worth of building upgrades, or a heated gymnasium and 50-metre indoor swimming pool. A quality education can be achieved without exorbitant excesses. John Cotterill, Kingsford
Degree of civility
No need to introduce new rules to contain the practice of “lecture bashing”, where students at the University of Sydney, with lecturer permission, have been granted five minutes to make political statements to a captive audience (“The radical proposal that could end Sydney Uni’s proud history of rebellion”, December 22). Lecturers could allow the same five minutes at the conclusion of the lecture in which students can make their own decision regarding participation, by voting with their feet. Freedom of speech maintained – as well as freedom of choice. Trevor Wootten, Petersham
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