Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard declares that COP conferences are no longer relevant as the world is on a steady, irreversible but slow trajectory towards decarbonisation (Business, “Why the biggest green conference is a scam”, 26/11).
What this article fails to address is that the ‘slowness’ of the world’s transition to carbon-free energy will likely cause major tipping points in the world’s climate crisis to be reached, and that these will be irreversible, no matter what we do in the future. These tipping points include the collapse of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, potential die back of the Amazon rainforest and weakening of the Atlantic meridional ocean circulation.
There are another five significant tipping points that will also have a dramatic effect on global climate. Unfortunately, a slow and steady approach towards decarbonisation may not save us from reaching these significant tipping points and changing our climate forever.
COP may not be perfect, but we should use these meetings as a regular wake-up call for the consequences of inaction or too slow action in decarbonising our world.
Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West
Remove our obsession with growing wealth
Ross Gittins’ article ″Playing Role In Saving Planet Could Make Us Rich″ (25/11) demonstrates perfectly why the world is facing the existential challenges of worsening inequality and environmental devastation. Saving the planet is seen in largely economic terms.
Several years ago a Box Hill University of the Third Age group, in attempting to describe a better future, concluded that our greatest life task is to discover our own true identity, to discover all we can about ourselves, and in the process develop a global consciousness towards all other people and the natural world. Not to accumulate wealth.
Around the same time, the Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place and the surrounding reconciliation groups organised a forum which examined Indigenous cultural ideas such as ‘We must look after each other’, ‘Just take what you need’ and ‘Caring for Country’ as guiding principles for organising our future economy and society.
Not to be focused on self-gratification through consumption.
It is ideas such as these that should be driving how we tackle our future on this planet. Remove our obsession with growing wealth.
Howard Tankey, Box Hill North
Boiling point is the new normal
When I sit down to watch the nightly news, I sometimes ponder when did all this become ‘normal’.
I mean the murder and abuse of women. Teens stealing cars, driving insanely and ploughing into pedestrians. The scams, the unethical behaviour of bureaucrats and politicians. The comic book shenanigans of the US political system. Peter Dutton’s blueprint for a Soviet-style nuclear industry. Housing being totally out of reach for the average person.
Thinking back to my youth, or even 20 years ago, it all sounds like madness. But like the frog in the pot of boiling water, we just accept all this as the ‘new normal’.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
However, much money is spent on climate disasters or mitigation, it is never enough.
Wealthy countries should start by making deals with other countries for immigration of their people. It’s time to tell the world.
Jane Spier, Seaford
THE FORUM
Company Rinehart keeps
It’s intriguing that the obscenely wealthy Gina Rinehart, would praise the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, and describe him as “”another brave, outstanding leader”. (CBD, 26/11).
This view is telling. Argentina has a poverty rate of more than 50 per cent as a result of Milei’s austerity cuts. Many Argentinians work three jobs. Some have had their wages cut in half and still work the same hours. Social security safety nets for the poor have been slashed.
The fact that Rinehart has the ear of many Australian politicians on both sides of the aisle should not go unnoticed. It’s about time our politicians acted in the best interests of their constituents and refused to accept donations, gifts, flights, advice etc. from those who are so removed from the daily grind.
David Legat, South Morang
Taxing unrealised gains
I see the federal treasurer is demanding the Greens support in the Senate for Labor’s bill on higher taxes for members of super funds that hold balances in excess of $3 million.
This bill is dressed up as a tax on the rich and thereby there is a danger this bill will get enough crossbench support to slide through.
The fundamental issue hiding in this bill is the proposed tax on unrealised gains. This is a new concept being introduced to our tax system that will over time have far-reaching consequences for taxpayers.
The bill would require taxpayers to find the cash to pay any assessment on assets in the fund that rose in value during the year. On the other hand, in a year when the value of an asset fell any tax credit would not be paid in cash
and could only be carried forward against future tax obligations. This will play havoc with people who may hold illiquid assets in their fund, particularly in volatile markets where you bear all the pain in a rising market and are unsure when any credits due in a falling market would be realised in cash. ]It looks like we older superannuants will need to pick the right time of the economic cycle to die.
The real sleeper in this flawed policy is that once taxing unrealised gains is embedded in legislation, future governments will not be able to resist the temptation to similarly tax any assets held by taxpayers. Would the beach house and the investment property be fair game?
Garry Ringwood, Kew
Gambling ad delays
The measure of good government is to look after the well-being of its citizens. The Albanese government’s stalling regarding a proposed policy of limiting, if not banning, gambling advertising is shameful. Who are they looking after with this delay?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
Thanks for nothing
The final year’s edition of ABC’s Q & A (25/11) brought little comfort for those concerned with the ongoing issue presented by the housing crisis.
According to ex- Liberal politician George Brandis, the solution lies in improving ‘productivity’. Thanks for that George. No need to mention that property affordability as a function of average income took off wildly in the two decades plus that followed the introduction of the Howard government’s discount on capital gains tax.
A Labor politician guest then told the audience that Labor wouldn’t consider tax reform as they had taken it to two previous elections.
Nah, we’ll tinker around the edges and leave good policy leadership alone for now….I’d rather keep my job.
Lorenzo Balbinot, Kensington
Age no barrier to vote
I join the letter writers disagreeing with “Over-65s should step back on voting”, (23/11). Indeed, I’ll go further and state that it is insulting to assume that we oldies cannot empathise with the challenges facing younger people.
Many retirees work actively in community organisations, using their time and skills, honed over decades of professional work, to contribute, albeit in a small way, to meeting the challenges in our society. Charity shops, several climate-change groups, Neighbourhood Watch, a plethora of local council projects: all rely on those with grey (or no) hair. We will continue to add value to our own lives by working with and for others. And that includes voting for politicians we believe might be serious about working for the good of all Australians.
Carmel McNaught, Balwyn North
Truth-telling truths
The allegations that anaesthetists and surgeons on the Mornington Peninsula engaged in fraud was bad, but far worse is the removal of Professor Joanna Sutherland for speaking about it (“Doctor who spoke out about fraud loses role” 23/11).
We could have thought there were a few bad apples, but the action taken against Sutherland suggests something far more widespread and sinister is going on in that medical community.
Her removal follows her comments that if the allegations of fraud are true that the conduct is outrageous, unethical and unacceptable. Those comments seem self-evident and uncontroversial.
If, as it appears, the College of Anaesthetists is claiming it has taken action because she spoke outside her remit, it looks like they are seeking excuses to punish a truth-teller, intimidate others who might want to speak out, and protect their status quo.
Tamara Kayser, Glen Iris
State bills
Government discusses selling Epping market for about $480 million. That will cover the interest payments on the state debt for about a month. And next month?
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills
Tunnel vents
It is unbelievable that the EPA is not requiring pollution filters on the West Gate Tunnel vents. (23/11).
The EPA is there to protect the public from environmental hazards, not to comply with minimum standards.
There is much research on the effects of chemical and particulate pollution from vehicle emissions.
Does retired planning minister Richard Wynne who initially rejected the filter live anywhere near a vent?
The transport minister’s spokesperson (the issue possibly not important enough for the minister), cites cost as a reason. What about the human costs to health and well-being?
Margarete Lee, Blackburn
No need for best buddy
Letter correspondents continue to fulminate about the outcome of American presidential elections (eg, the debate between “Trump doesn’t appeal”, 26/11 and “Trump appeal”, 24/11).
How arrogant of us to pass judgment on American electoral choices. Instead, we should be asking whether we need a best buddy. It took us too long to realise Great Britain never had our interests at the forefront of its attention. Neither does America nor anyone else, for that matter. But there may be an upside for us. It seems unlikely Trump will drag America or us into wars wherein neither they nor we, in particular, have any business.
Graham Devries, Camberwell
Facebook lament
Social media started out as a great place to get in touch with like-minded people to start groups such as craft groups, or to share knowledge, such as gardening groups.
More recently, I wonder how to navigate all the dross on social media to get to the material that is the reason I joined in the first place.
As well, the number of scams increases daily. I’ve already blocked over a dozen people today, and it’s not even lunchtime.
Reporting scams to Facebook has never worked. It seems to have an algorithm to determine what is a scam, rather than investigating the actual posts.
A common scam is shops having closing down sales. However, when you go to the shops’ official websites, there are no signs of closing down sales.
I’ve seen pics of the same stuff for sale by different sellers at least 20 times on Facebook marketplace. These sellers ask for a deposit, but one will never see the goods. There’s no way I’d ever buy anything via Facebook because of these scams.
I’d love to be able to go back to just seeing posts from family, friends, and relevant groups.
Eileen Ray, Ascot Vale
Football partners
The AFLW awards night and the large number of same-sex couples demonstrates how far we have come as a society and I applaud that. However, we have a long way to go before it is commonplace to see AFL footballers attend the Brownlow awards with their male partner
Mike Mack, Kew
Cricket’s malaise
Cricket Australia needs only to look back to March 2018 to see the imminent collapse for Australian Cricket. Its weak-willed actions in the face of the ball tampering scandal rubbed legions of fans the wrong way who’d held previous tough, but fair competitors of the game in awe.
Now in 2024, the players have also seemingly switched off and lost interest. Can the last person out turn off the lights?
Andy Worland, Ballarat
Paying for sport scholars
There are two options for stopping non-government schools creaming off the “talent”, whether academic or sporting, from government schools (“Our meritocratic game’s shrinking talent pool”, 26/11).
The first is to stop the public funding of any students on such scholarships, effectively passing the entire burden to the school’s fee-paying parents. The second. is to stop the public funding of such schools entirely. Non-government schools that did not indulge in such practices should continue to be funded, as they are throughout the OECD, and scholarships for genuinely disadvantaged students should remain.
Chris Curtis, Hurstbridge
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
Wordplay
The Macquarie Dictionary word of the year is most unlikely to achieve widespread use. Enshittification will die almost before it is born.
John Walsh, Watsonia
The juxtaposition in The Age (26/11) of the stories on the Macquarie Dictionary 2024 Word of the Year and Bayside Council’s enshittification of our popular local Christmas lights show – how very appropriate!
David Elias, Sandringham
The Age has set the challenge to use the word of the year in a sentence: The coalition’s enshittification of tactics to oppose legislation is having a detrimental effect on the well-being of the Australian population.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
I am over writers saying they will ‘try and do (something)‘, where they are really ‘trying to do (something)‘. Long live the infinitive verb form!
Graeme Rose, Wangaratta
As Gina and her fossil fuel cronies pushback against the world’s slow, but inexorable shift away from coal, oil and gas methinks they are sounding ‘shrill baby shrill’.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton
‘Drill baby, drill’ will be what dentists will have to do for those poor American children deprived of fluoride protection.
Ralph Frank, Malvern East
It’s rumoured that Elon Musk wants to buy the White House but only as a weekender.
Warwick Spinaze, Rosebud
Trump is a good reason for Australia to remain a constitutional monarchy.
Peter Stewart, Sea Lake
Furthermore
After recent correspondence regarding options for a more gender-neutral term than “human”, it occurs to me that, in the end, we humans will all be humus.
Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor
Regarding various “hum” proposals to replace use of ″human″, my reaction is “ho-hum”.
Susan Caughey, Glen Iris
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