Any bushfire inquiry should include the role of climate change

I endorse Scott Morrison’s acknowledgment that a royal commission into bushfires should include the role of climate change. Even more importantly, he should transfer his notional acceptance of the reality of climate change into practical action.

The science is clear; climate change significantly contributes to increases in the frequency, intensity and destructiveness of bushfires. Morrison’s sincerity will be revealed by his appointments to the commission and its terms of reference.

But with his support for coal and his essentially reactive approach, he’s way behind the eight ball.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham, Vic

Media conflagration

From Cut & Paste (10/1) it appears that in attempting to find the middle ground on bushfire causation and mitigation, Joe Hildebrand has started a media conflagration of his own. No amount of sympathy for those managing heroically on the frontline, which we all share, will mitigate his arson and fuel-load heresy. Apparently for his critics, “expertise” is only valid if it points to climate change as the overriding cause of the bushfire outbreak. And of course the pantomime villain — the fossil fuel industry led by Scott Morrison is in a conspiracy of its own and therefore directly responsible for ensuring that Australia regularly catches fire.

I suppose the other commonly accepted fuel igniter, lightning strikes, are a climate change phenomenon also or are they too summoned up by nefarious forces at work deep within carbon polluting businesses?

Ashley Georgeson, Adelaide, SA

Universities in decay

Among the obligations of a nation’s universities is to be the keeper of a nation’s intellectual soul. Without that security, the nation’s intellect atrophies and submissively accepts power in all its forms along with corruption that is power’s inevitable companion. Then the nation’s bastions of life (Letters, 10/1), liberty, freedom and learning, decay to the nation’s detriment.

Peter Ridd and Gerd Schroder-Turk (“Uni acts on outspoken professor to silence them all”, 9/1) are active in opposing that decay in Australian universities. Both deserve the thanks of all Australians and need unqualified support in the fight both are conducting to resist the creep of unwarranted authoritarianism within the avenues of academia and the concomitant intrusion upon academic freedom.

Ian Dunlop, Hawks Nest, NSW

Hatred on court

Will Swanton’s comment on Tennis Australia’s plans to celebrate Margaret Court’s unequalled record and of planning by the LGBTI community to denigrate her because of her literal Bible interpretation, should cause tennis lovers deep concern (8/1). The local gay community reportedly is marshalling its resources to create disruption and hostility towards our worthy champion. Why do they hate Christianity so much?

Alan Chipp, Hawthorn East, Vic

Subdued Tehran

Although not too much should be read into Tehran’s apparent concern to avoid a full-scale military response by Washington (“Iran pulls back from the brink of Middle East chaos”, 10/1), there are signs the targeted assassination of Qassem Soleimani has sent shockwaves through the regime.

His elimination shows the technological superiority of the world’s leading superpower. It not only explains the subdued nature of Tehran’s response, but points to a new era where warfare will be waged from space.

Thus the US, and its two great rivals, Russia and China, are destined to figure far more prominently in the emerging strategic calculus of global stability than a fledgling Iran.

Vincent Zankin, Rivett, ACT