Letters to the editor Monday September 30 2019

Our neighbours have lived there between 40 -70 years and our area has never flooded. We don't disagree with climate change, but we do question council's data. Sea levels and flooding should be two separate issues. Why does our insurance company rate us low-risk while the council deems the hazard to be high?

David Telfer, Belmont South

SAFE SEATS GET NO FIXES

ONCE again the good folk of Newcastle and Stockton are reaping the benefits of having elected wall to wall Labor politicians to represent the area in all levels of government. This may give the true believers a nice warm and fuzzy feeling, but the reality is that while this situation continues very little attention will be paid to problems such as Stockton beach.

This is certainly unfair, but politicians will look after themselves. If there are no votes in it, there will be plenty of talk but not much action. Ms McKay will pay a visit and has been seen in the media with her acolytes to vehemently condemn the government for a lack of action, but any action on her part will be totally ineffective. You do not have the purse strings in opposition.

If this was or were to become an area of political instability, an area of swinging seats, I believe a whole lot more would happen. Even the most devoted Labor voters or socialists should realise this, surely?

If, as we are being told, this Stockton problem has been developing for many years, can anyone recall what remedial action was put in place during the recent decade and a half of state Labor government beginning with the premiership of Bob Carr?

Raymond Stewart, Charlestown

ARGUMENTS ARE CHILDISH

IN reply to D Andrews (Letters, 25/9), some of us do engage with children's climate arguments. Well, with childish climate arguments, to be more precise.

After Greta Thunberg's well prepared speech at the UN, some points can be noted. There was no evidence, data or science of any kind presented. I believe there is no climate emergency, climate crisis or climate extinction apparent. No people are dying from climate change.

No credible scientist has claimed mass extinction is upon us, or that human life will end by 2030, 2100 or whenever from climate change. No scientist has claimed that Ms Thunberg or any other child cannot complete their education due to climate change, nor is there any scientist claiming that children shouldn't go on to have children of their own because of possible climate change.

You may say that Ms Thunberg has every right to say whatever she likes on climate, but does she have a right to scare other children without hard evidence? It is illegal to shout "FIRE, FIRE" in a crowded theatre when there is no evidence of fire.

There, I have engaged with the child's climate argument.

Peter Devey, Merewether

GRETA'S IS A FAMILIAR ARC

JOHN Davies's criticism of Greta Thunberg (Letters, 25/9), cites the Children's Crusade as a salutary lesson in young people being lured into a false cause and suffering as a result. Nice story. Pity it's not true.

Most historians these days suggest the crusade was not children at all, but rather bands of poor adults wandering the countryside in search of food and work.

In any event, if Mr Davies is searching for a religious analogy that might accurately represent Ms Thunberg then I suggest he look no further than Joan of Arc. Called to her cause by a commitment to the righteousness of that cause, Joan led her countrymen to victory after victory until she was betrayed by her own people jealous of her success.

Ms Thunberg is a modern day Joan of Arc. She can see the problem that we as a world face. She can see that the adults in her world refuse to face up to their responsibilities to deal with those problems and, like Joan, she decides to step up and take on the leadership role that has been abrogated by the adults around her. Rather than denigrating Ms Thunberg we should be celebrating and honouring a young person of courage, commitment and insight. These qualities are so lacking in world leadership today.

Mr Davies identifies "greedy forces that are attacking our democracy". They are the mining companies and the governments that are supported by them. They are the deniers who refuse to accept the majority of scientists have arrived at an evidence-based conclusion. Step forward, Ms Thunberg and the millions of young Joan of Arcs around the world who have over the past several years put we adults to shame with your commitment and passion to do what you know is the right thing. If this boring old fart has any say in the matter, I will do my best to ensure that our modern Joan of Arcs survive, prosper and succeed.

Barney Langford, Whitebridge

NO MORE BLOWING SMOKE

HOW surprising that the attorney-general has warned Canberrans the federal police won't ignore cannabis possession despite the law changes. ('Feds won't ignore cannabis in ACT', Herald 27/9). Mr Porter and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton want to waste taxpayer's money by sending the AFP to search through underwear drawers in the interest of a failed policy. So, it isn't just press freedom they are out to suppress. One wonders who is next on their list?

Peter Ronne, Woodberry

IT'S A TOWERING PROBLEM

WHAT a disgraceful state government, treating the people who cannot occupy their units with contempt ('Tower owners slam minister', Herald 26/9). How many billions has been collected in stamp duty?

A building doesn't have to be cracking and in danger of collapse to render it unliveable. Mould and water ingress will do the job just as effectively. It is the land titles office that issues the certificate of title that shows ownership of the unit. It's obvious to me that in these situations some people will become bankrupt. In my opinion the design-construct model used by some developers should be outlawed. Premier, in my view this is larceny on a grand scale and politicians should take a united stand as both major parties have failed the community. This debacle isn't applicable only to the Opal and Mascot Towers; they're the tip of the iceberg.

Aidan Ellis, Charlestown

SHARE YOUR OPINION

Email letters@newcastleherald.com.au or send a text message to 0427 154 176 (include name and suburb). Letters should be fewer than 200 words. Short Takes should be fewer than 50 words. Correspondence may be edited and reproduced in any form.

WHAT a great speech by Greta Thunberg ('You are failing us: Thunberg to UN', Newcastle Herald 25/9), and it is already being compared to some of the iconic speeches that have passed the test of time. She's spot on when she says governments and big business are only concerned with profit upon profit year after year at the Earth's expense. The old saying of making hay while the sun shines will become an oxymoron soon if we don't change our way of thinking.

Neil Meyers, Warners Bay

I REALLY felt for that poor young girl, Greta Thunberg. Talk about exploitation.

David Davies, Blackalls Park

I WATCHED teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg address world leaders at the UN. I don't know if she needs an anger management course or an Oscar. Probably both.

Phill Payne, Gateshead

JUST wondering if credit has been given where credit is due. John Davies (Letters, 25/9) reminded us of the 1212 Children's Crusade. Or should credit for reminding go to Piers Akerman, who wrote about it in last Sunday's Sunday Telegraph (22/9)?

Colin Fordham, Lambton

TODAY I was walking along the foreshore in Newcastle when a cyclist rode past, nearly running into me. I sang out to him to ring his bell as a warning and he did a u turn ringing his bell as he came back towards me. We exchanged words and off he went. Why is it so hard for cyclists to ring their bell when passing pedestrians to warn them?

Helen Hunstone, Cardiff South

TONY Brown (Letters, 25/9): so we have areas of Newcastle where useless junkies can shoot up right in public view any time of the day or night, and yet we can't have responsible and respected businesses trading beyond a certain time of night? In my opinion your comment is flawed and lacks factual evidence. The only form of unfounded attack is coming from the likes of you.

Brad Hill, Singleton​

CONGRATULATIONS to Matt Lantry on his win ('Wild wests', Newcastle Herald 23/9). Wests may have lost Coach Lantry and a few senior players for next year, but they never lose their big cheque book.

Brett Scott, Cessnock

MAYBE the precious, hypocritical, anxious climate change kids ('Signs of the times', Herald 21/9) that have been brainwashed should read the story of Chicken Little. Just a thought.

Matt Ophir, Charlestown

OF course the fossilised remains of climate change acceptors would burn as a pollutant, Brad Hill (Short Takes, 25/9). That's what all fossil fuels do when you burn them - pollute.

Michael Hinchey, New Lambton

THE school girl protester interviewed on Channel 10 declared that all the polar bears in Antarctica are dying, that is a fact. Says it all about climate science and our teachers. Perhaps it was climate change that killed off the Darwin snow leopards or the Woy Woy unicorn.

Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay