Cathy Wilcox putting Donald Trump in his placeCredit: Cathy Wilcox
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Tim Winton’s article ″We need to find a new story to live in″ (30/10) encapsulates so many truths. We have reached a defining time in world history where humanity must make serious choices, either to continue on our current destructive path or have the courage to shift the paradigm, especially in the rich countries of the world. We have created the greatest ecological footprints. It is important as individuals that we strive to live within the sustainable boundaries that the Earth has to offer. We must go beyond false narratives of perpetual growth and embrace the rights of the Earth.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
The Earth’s resources are finite
Thanks to Tim Winton for his writing and advocacy for the environment. For those stuck in panic and grief, there is some comfort to hear issues well articulated, even if the solutions seem distant. It seems even the average Australian, who tries to do the right thing, with minimal car use, solar panels, home-grown food etc is not living sustainably. Various estimates suggest we need up to 10 Earths to live for even a modest version of our current lifestyle. Economically speaking, we are funding our lives by consuming the natural capital of the Earth, rather than living off its regenerative capacity.
It seems that this consumption and growth are fundamental to current economic models of capitalism and globalisation. As many others have said, and it is becoming clearer, those who are, and will pay the price for our behaviour are the politically and economically weak, other species and future generations.
Ann Birrell, St Kilda West
Fighting the despair of promised action
Tim Winton’s piece should be compulsory reading for every politician in the country. Winton is absolutely right when he describes hope as ″something we make together as a bulwark against despair″. Among other things, he picks up on the despair many experience at the glacial speed of promised action on climate change and species extinction which is justified by unelected ″PR hacks and lobbyists″.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Bring on the revolution in thought
Tim Winton’s article is a very insightful analysis of how we are being governed to everyone’s ultimate detriment. May his message grow and achieve revolutionary change in decisions made not for vested interests but for the benefit of all.
Christine Baker, Rosanna
We need a new story and new storytellers
Thank you Tim Winton for calling for a new story on the need for climate change action and the role of billionaires and lobbyist groups with vested interests in maintaining their own powers and ignoring the impact on the quality of water, air we breathe, the soils we grow our food in, the seas and the impact of weather on creating unsafe living environments. We need a new story and new storytellers, as he calls for, urgently. Actions matter more than words and platitudes that tell the same old story by the industrial power brokers and ideological think tanks will only mean more destruction of the environment and suffering.
Ray Cleary, Camberwell
A heartfelt call to arms
Thanks to Tim Winton for a heartfelt, challenging and necessary call to arms. With voices like his leading the way, there’s hope that we may yet translate a worthwhile narrative into meaningful action. Let’s start with depoliticising our discussions so that we focus co-operatively on the real issues without the distraction of endless confrontation. Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor
THE FORUM
Ministerial ethics
Your correspondents (Letters, 29/10) seeking to defend the prime minister’s multiple upgrades courtesy of Qantas by saying the Coalition should focus on the ″real″ issues miss the point. Yes the Coalition needs to release costing details of its nuclear policy (as does Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen on his ambitious transition plan). But the core ministerial conduct issue Albanese has sought to deflect and avoid answering is whether as transport minister he directly sought thousands of dollars worth of personal benefits via free upgrades. If such were sought and granted while minister is this not an important issue when we demand politicians observe appropriate ethical standards?
William Vickers, Melbourne
Rise of the teals
The carping from Peter Dutton on Anthony Albanese’s Qantas upgrades has led to retorts about previous Liberal use of public money for constituency business. This sort of thing is why the teal independents struck a chord with so many voters on perceived political corruption.
John Hughes, Mentone
Stop taking gifts
Why the shock about the flight upgrades received by the prime minister? Australian politicians and their parties have long been taking gifts and money from airlines, miners, developers, gambling companies, tobacco companies, anyone who would profit from the transaction. At the airline upgrade end of the spectrum the politician is compromised, at the other end it is corruption. Compare this to a rule that if I have a coffee meeting with a public servant, I can’t pay for their coffee. It’s time to end keeping a register of gifts and stop taking them.
Peter Allan, Brunswick West
Joys of teaching
Thanks Amra Pajalic (Comment, 30/10), for writing so beautifully about the joy of teaching. The job has its miseries, sure, but this article illuminates the spark, the laughter, the wonderful energy generated by teenagers. That’s the beauty of it. That’s what keeps you going.
Patrice McCarthy, Bendigo
We can work together
I never expected to witness the world coming together and spending billions on research and free healthcare like it did in the fight against COVID. All nations pulling together as one in the race to save humankind from sickness and death in the face of that perilous threat. I have never felt such global unity before, and despite the fear and anxiety, it felt good because we were all in this together, in the same fight.
We should expect and treat climate change no differently. We are all in the same fight and only with collaboration and co-operation will we have any chance of maybe making life for our future generations somewhat resemble the good, green years we’ve been lucky enough to live through. I look out my lounge room window and ″I see trees of green, red roses too, I see them bloom for me and for you, and I think to myself, what a wonderful world″. All together then.
Marie Millett, New Lambton
Heights, NSW
Lowering the bar
A ″comedian″ at Donald Trump’s New York rally made highly offensive comments about the island of Puerto Rico. J.D. Vance dragged out the line about people being far too sensitive these days about a ″joke″. A ″joke″ has to be funny, and that comment was just highly racist and offensive. It shows how low the standards of American politics have reached. I doubt it could go any lower.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
Muddled definitions
Donald Trump has called Kamala Harris a fascist and a communist. How is it in any way possible to be both? If Americans vote this man into office, they will get what they deserve. Unfortunately, so will the rest of the world.
Mick Hussey, Beaconsfield
Embrace the train
While travelling by a very fast train from central Chicago to the airport we literally came within a metre of many homes. The people of Chicago are very proud of their sky rail trains that noisily rattle through the city centre. They see it as quaint and a point of difference to other cities around the world. Maybe we should start to embrace our trains rather than view them as a nuisance and evil necessity.
Paul Chivers, Box Hill North
Abuse from a parent
Thanks to Julia Baird for the article ″Monsters or monstered″ (Comment, 24/10) as it stimulated the following thoughts about the controversial Menendez brothers’ case. Some say that our parents are our visible God. Children grow up trusting their parents and believing, without a doubt, what they say. So when Jose Menendez told his sons that he would kill them if they told anyone about his sexual abuse, he locked the brothers in a bubble of secrecy. This bubble became increasingly claustrophobic. When it became unbearable, the only way out was to destroy the creator of it. To disregard the sexual and verbal abuse of the Menendez brothers, as was the case in their second trial, was a deplorable act in itself.
Ian Cameron, Chelsea
Good for the soul
Many older people have dismissed the idea that Halloween can be something worthwhile. But now that it’s understood to be an old Celtic tradition, let’s hope they can get some joy from it. Seeing the littlies dressing up and having fun is good for the soul, and the front yard displays can be amazing.
John Groom, Bentleigh
Mega mistakes
Your correspondent (Letters, 28/10) rightly notes the glaring absence of anything climate-related in the state government’s new housing policies. So here are a few tips for the premier:
No more black- or dark-coloured roofs or walls. No more homes without eaves. No more McMansions. No more concrete yards. A minimum (say 40 per cent) area of the block to be garden space. Those who insist on deviating from these rules can pay a hefty levy in lieu.
Conversely, there should be a financial incentive for builders and buyers who opt for small homes.
There is something grossly wrong with our society when mega-homes are still regarded by many as a sign of success. They are in fact the public display of a huge, irresponsible carbon footprint.
Joan Reilly,
Surrey Hills
Testing times
The article ″Ties are cut like an umbilical cord: What I wish I’d known before my year 12 exams″ (28/10) suggests a commonsense approach to young people’s final struggle to emerge into the real world. Daniel Cash sympathises with this period of rollercoaster rides and shares personal examples. His comments to try and strike a balance should be compulsive reading for all parents.
Judging by the many comments below the article online, many readers have been given cause to reflect on their own ATARs and how much or little that influenced their careers.
It is a big ask to request an overhaul of the ATAR system, but could perhaps students in years 10, 11 and 12 be tasked with designing a better and fairer replacement system which would give them back their joy of learning?
Judith Hudson, Elwood
Defend the trees
The article ″Young trees destroyed″ (30/10), should remind us that the term ″vandalism″ is inadequate when what has sometimes been termed ″arboreal violence″ occurs.
The unlawful cutting down of young trees and shrubs this week is a profound affront to civic values and heinous in character.
One is reminded of the notorious attack by two men last year on the famous 200-year-old ″Sycamore Gap Tree″ at Hadrian’s Wall in Great Britain.
The community outrage felt by Britons was palpable; and should be voiced here in relation to the Melbourne incidents, too. Trees need defenders.
As the Bedford Borough Council in middle England, responsible for about 35,000 trees, puts it so well in a recent report: ″Trees matter because of their quantifiable and esoteric benefits.
″They provide a living link between the past, present and future.″
From their absorption of greenhouse gases to promoting social cohesion and health benefits, park trees are part of the fabric of communities. Substantive application of the strong existing criminal and financial penalties targeting ″tree criminals″, with mandated re-education programs, will hopefully ensue in relation to the Glen Eira outrage. That the latter area was designated this year as a ″Tree City of the World″ should concentrate our minds.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Stop the killing
Over the past three years in Australia licences were issued for 4.5 million native birds and animals to be legally killed (″Licences put flocks, mobs in the gun″, 30/10). But it’s difficult for authorities to collect data on the final outcome, because this toll masks the licensed (and probably unlicensed) extent of the killing of wildlife on private land. 1080 poison is also deployed to kill – a poison banned in other countries. Non-lethal methods to protect crops and livestock, such as donkeys, alpacas, dogs and llamas are used by some landholders, who prefer co-existence to slaughter.
Sadly, most shoot and poison wildlife as landholders have since early settlement, with nary a thought about their intrinsic value to our society and ecosystems. And our governments legalise this carnage.
It must end.
Jan Kendall, Mt Martha
Read the sign
For the seventh consecutive year I’m about to put a sign up in my front yard which reads:
Reject Halloween
Imported American Rubbish
Poisoning Australian Culture
Greg Keogh,
Cheltenham
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
US election
One group in the US will be smiling no matter the result – the advertising industry. Imagine the benefits if all those billions were instead spent on the drivers of the discord in the US – for example, public housing, childcare, healthcare and education.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton
It will be fitting if insults by a comedian determine the outcome of the US elections.
Joan Segrave, Healesville
If America is a democracy, God help us all.
Ann Young, Chirnside Park
There were no racist jokes at the Trump-Vance rally. Don’t you recognise Trump/Republican foreign policy when you hear it?
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Upgrades
Grow up people. Everyone asks for upgrades. Let the man get on with his job of running the country.
Wendy Baker, Lilydale
Suggestion: no declarations. No upgrades, no freebies, no backhanders, no gravy train. You are well paid. Pay your way. Simple.
Jane Gray, Albert Park
Anthony Albanese must be doing something right if the worst thing his detractors can find to hassle him about are buying a house and receiving flight upgrades. These events are commonplace to politicians of all stripes.
Jan Downing, Hawthorn East
Furthermore
Re ″The Morrison government acted quickly to shut the border″ (30/10). If only they’d acted quickly to order vaccines.
Belinda Burke, Hawthorn
The pandemic report is scathing. The daily death tolls, the curfews, the closed borders. But the thing that stays most in my mind were the spiteful fights over toilet rolls.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
Finally
Are cars angrier, more aggressive in their ″face″ design these days? Are we going backwards in road respect and therefore safety?
Morgan Bowe, Dingley Village