Climate needs attention

AS a Saturday reader of the Cairns Post, I was interested to see that you headed your editorial “Climate change protest is a joke”.

I can assure you that for millions of people around the world, the fact of climate change is far from being a joke. You may ridicule those students and others who will be taking part in Friday’s protest and call them “dole bludgers” and “greenies”. You make the assumption that people will take “sickies” and fail to realise that a number of employers around the country are encouraging their workers to take the time to voice their opinion about an emergency situation.

You go on to say that, “most kids will be at school being educated about the real world”. I wonder what you regard as the “real world”? I would see it as one that encompasses all sorts of experiences and opportunities. A “real” world would be open to examination on all sorts of issues within the public domain, including an interactive and experiential education not just contained to the classroom.

Certainly in Saturday’s paper, Jack Lawrie did give some coverage to next Friday’s action, but just reporting ‘opinions’ from locals, is not really helping your readers come to a reasoned understanding of the challenging aspects of climate change through scientific evaluations and research.

The issues around climate change will not go away, and we would hope that the Cairns Post will be more socially responsible in their treatment of this global concern. Rev Neil Forgie, Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, Cairns