I believe the RSPCA and councils should be even more proactive with desexing dogs and cats. A lot of problems could be solved if a large organisation like the RSPCA convinced state and federal governments to ban backyard breeders and puppy farms that only breed puppies for profit. Anyone can buy two dogs, put them in the back yard and start breeding. For what dogs are selling for these, you can see why they would. Only registered breeders should be allowed to sell dogs, and only after they pass the strictest of tests, have frequent checks on the dog's welfare and the conditions they are kept in.

I also think no dog by law should be allowed to be sold to the general public unless it has been desexed. Everyone needs to be held to a high standard to ensure the humane treatment of all dogs.

So if you want to have a friend for life, please don't line the pockets of backyard breeders; go to a dog rescue group. You will help by giving a dog a second chance and helping these wonderful people as well.

THE latest census shows Christianity in decline with a nearly 40 per cent non-religious return. Why an increasing secular society in our modern world?

For one thing, people are more educated and no longer accept church teaching. Many see as outdated and irrelevant. Who needs a god when you have the omniscience of the internet? We also live in an affluent society. Our material needs are supplied so we don't need to depend on a supernatural being. Then there's modern Biblical scholarship that has shown the stories of the Bible to be non-historical and the product of a pre scientific age. When it comes to the war between science and religion, the former always wins. Darwin put the final nail in the coffin. The revelation of paedophilia by some religious leaders has also deterred many. And yet, we humans long for spiritual security in some form. Some turn to other religions, some to Deism and Pantheism. What the census shows is that the church can no longer satisfy that need. Some rethinking is called for.

ONE wonders how the teal independents' supporters and voters of inner Sydney felt when a 22-year-old climate activist parked her car across the Warringah Freeway to block access to the Sydney Harbour tunnel and allegedly used a bike lock to fasten her head to the steering wheel so the vehicle could not be moved.

I believe the teals crave for any climate change publicity they can get, yet in this case we have heard nothing from them. Maybe they were more occupied in demanding extra taxpayer-funded staff. Perhaps they may have been catastrophically concerned about the carbon footprint left by all the cars banked up for kilometres, with their engines belching out carbon dioxide, to make a public statement of condemnation.

PLEASE, can we move on from this 'what-about-China nonsense (Letters 2/7)? One fossil apologist after another recites some ever-changing number of coal generators China is building as an excuse for Australia to do nothing. Then, when an informed correspondent lists the massive moves China is making towards reducing its emissions, he is criticised for not repeating the denialist position. We emit double the emissions per-person of China, and we are among many countries with similar emissions. When we all act we will make a big difference. Just because I walk a small dog does not excuse me from picking up its mess.

WELL done to the Victorian government for promoting the transition away from gas by ending incentives to residential gas products. While this move has been largely driven by rising gas prices and greenhouse gas concerns, the health implications of gas need to be reiterated. The use of gas for heating and indoor cooking carries many health risks; research from the Climate Council last year revealed that cooking with gas was estimated to be responsible for up to 12 per cent of childhood asthma in Australia. If indoor pollution from gas is bad for our children and their growth, imagine what they are doing to our own lungs too. When will NSW follow suit?

READING the comments from Saturday's Herald, certain members of our community are demanding that the current Labor government, which was elected some eight weeks ago, lower power prices. It will take more than eight weeks to clean up the mess that the Liberals have left behind. Most of the debt occurred before the pandemic. A surplus that never materialised and $27 million to keep a family locked away for years.

Then there's the rorts and jobs for the friends. Some appointments to the various boards are dubious, to say the least. At least Sally McManus has clearly noted that she has a job and is not interested in joining the Reserve Bank board. Albo and his team clearly have a huge task ahead of them with mending overseas relationships to create trade opportunities for all Australians. We can only wish them all the best.

MIKE Sargent, ("Climate doubters are out of step" Letters, 4/7), says man-made climate change has been proven by hundreds of organisations and thousands of scientists. But nothing in science can ever truly be proven because science is always subject to revision. As Einstein said, no amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.

As for Mr Sargent's "tiny few deniers", no one knows what percentage of scientists believe that humans are causing catastrophic warming of the planet. Various studies claim 90 per cent or more of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming, but no comprehensive survey of scientists has ever been done. One (2019) survey of climate scientists found scientific consensus to be 100 per cent, evidence for me that consensus is less about the unanimous views of independent thinkers than groupthink enforced by cancel culture. Take the case of leading American climatologist Judith Curry, forced out of academia and blacklisted by a climate advocacy group as a "climate misinformer".

IN reply to Kathryn Bow, ("It pays to know what wages are", Letters, 1/7), I am also curious about the wages of other careers. I resigned from my role as Diploma Early Childhood Educator on Wednesday because I pay my cleaner more than I or my colleagues earn in an hour. She has zero qualifications and speaks very little English, though she does a fabulous job.

WELL done, Knights. A special mention to Edrick Lee and Dom Young, both wingers played brilliantly ('Famous five', Newcastle Herald 2/7).

MY wife, now a retired registered nurse, trained in the public hospital system by learning on the wards. This was before nursing qualifications became a university-based requirement. She and I both recall there being no shortage of nurses during those years. Can and should this become the model to overcome the present shortage? Should the system go back to the future?

WHAT a great job our new prime minister is doing repairing our soured relationship with France. Using racing parlance (for Steve Barnett's benefit); if his early form is any guide, Albo has the potential to go on and become Australia's greatest ever PM.

MY religion is self-interest. As Australia's greatest PM, Paul Keating, once said: always back self-interest. I believe the majority of Australians practise the religion of self-interest, I like to call it I am alright Jack, hence we have the Union Jack on our Australian flag.

I HOPE the DA for Newcastle's tallest building at Dairy Farmers Corner included access for the future extension of the light rail to Broadmeadow and possibly to Mayfield. If not this would be a wasted opportunity for the future transport expansion in our town.

BRAVELY, from the safety of his own home, Alan Harrison, (Short Takes, 2/7), criticises those who left theirs to keep the country going and ready for the recovery. Perhaps Mr Harrison will tell us what he has risked and sacrificed for the same.

DON Fraser, (Short Takes, 2/7), allow me to offer perspective, and to answer your question. Libs in government: Everything's still Labor's fault. Libs in opposition: Labor should've been prepared. Governments that handled COVID better than the LNP were Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Cyprus, Rwanda, Iceland, and the Labor-led New Zealand.

IS Newcastle regional or metropolitan?