Cats harm wildlife

As reported in The Gazette (30/12), the Baw Baw Shire and volunteers have created a suitable habitat for the Southern Brown Bandicoots at the Longwarry recreation reserve and nearby area, through to Martins Rd.

Free roaming feral and domestic cats are a threat to the bandicoots and other species of wildlife at this location.

My suggestion is Baw Baw Shire should organise to trap the cats at the recreation reserve. Longwarry residents who care for wildlife should buy an approved cat trap to use at their residence. I have trapped cats for the past 15 years.

The issue is cat ownership accountability. I currently trap the cat in my approved trap, I transport the cat to the Baw Baw municipal pound at Longwarry North and a staff member transfers the cat to an onsite enclosure. I sign a form to say I trapped the cat at my residence and my cat trap is returned to me.

During the process, the cat is not harmed.

Doug Roberts, Warragul

Read the facts

The latest issue of “Climate the Facts” put out by the Institute of Public Affairs reports the following on page 82.

It would take another 10 years after the first IPCC report before scientists realised that it was temperature that rose first, not CO2.

Between 1999 and 2003 it was discovered (quietly) that temperature was driving CO2 levels, and not the other way around.

Cause and effect were back to front and therefore were barely spoken of again.

In the end, it was just basic chemistry; the oceans contain 50 times the amount of CO2 as all the air in the sky. As the oceans warmed, they

degassed and released CO2. Whatever drives temperatire, by default, indirectly drives CO2.

D.J. Auchterlonie, Trafalgar

Respecting the debate

In his letter, ‘Confused’ (Gazette 5/1), Peter Gribben rightly observes “that if you wish to win people over, ... insulting others with a different point of view is not the best tactic.”

On the same page, John Duck’s letter, ‘Shut up and listen for a change’, is a prime example of insult in place of reason. His letter doubtless intended to silence the views of Roger Marks but implicates a much larger group – “elderly white straight conservative males.”

As one of the alleged offenders, I question whether we fail to listen to “the lonely voice of youth” any more than other classes of adults. Equally to the point, one can ask what age, colour, sexuality, disposition and gender have to do with it anyway.

Had Mr Duck contented himself with pointing out the fallacies in Mr Marks’ letter, ‘Freedom of speech’ (Gaz 30/12), all might have been well.

As it is, I respectfully suggest that Johnny Cash’s voice from the past, and the insights of Mr Duck’s daughter today, are no less anecdotal, and no more convincing, than Roger’s claimed support.

John Hart, Warragul