Climate praise
Nimby blues
IN the wake of Adam Brooks’ victory ( Mercury, September 21), it’s obviously time to amend Jeremy Rockliff’s colourful “grow” and “no grow” salmon-farming map of Tasmania. A new colour, “not-inmy-backyard blue”, needs to be added. It would define “No Go” zones — areas where dumped seals might threaten the survival of that very special species: struggling sitting Liberal members. I AM a student at the University of Tasmania and member of Fossil Free UTAS. I fully agree with Pete Donkersley (Letters, September 23). Global warming has been deemed the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. As the sole university in the state, one of the biggest employers in the state and a world-renowned academic institution, UTAS’s decisive climate action by committing to going certified carbon neutral is a powerful message that carbon emissions need to halted locally and globally.
Too easy
MANY young people and adults are the product of an education system in which, when they ran in the Grade 3 Race, came last but still got a ribbon stating, I ran in the Grade 3 Race. They didn’t have to deal with getting a place and they didn’t have to deal with hurt feelings or disappointment. Just as today many school sports teams don’t have scores — no winners or losers. No hurt feelings. Of course these kids grow up into bigger kids and still expect to be gratified, excused, and sheltered from responsibility. Their outraged sense of entitlement is appalling. No wonder we are in the mess we are in. No wonder there are angry, frustrated people, violent around others because they disagree with them, or closing down meetings because they don’t like what other people are saying.
True freedom and equality come from accepting there are limitations to our desires and deeds. We, individually and collectively, are not the centre of the universe. You learn that through disappointment and not getting your way on everything. It’s called real life. Not snowflake paradise.
Clarification
A REPORT on the kunanyi/Mt Wellington cable car on July 24 contained the headline “Cable car on the up”, which was based on ReachTel polling results. While it was not the Mercury’s intention, we concede this could be read that support for the cable car was increasing when, in fact, there had been a drop in support from a poll taken three years earlier. The polling still shows overall majority support for the development and a significant undecided vote.