Thought for today
Ian Hatton Nelson, August 14 Ruth Suckling Nelson, August 14 Peter Olorenshaw Nelson, August 14 Matt Lawrey Nelson City Councillor Nelson, August 16
Climate awareness
Just in case people haven’t sent Stuff bouquets, I would like to send this one.
You are possibly the premier institution in New Zealand to influence thinking and awareness. Each of us sends out ripples by what we say and do. What you say and do makes waves. It is impossible to measure the impact of your advocacy for reining in greenhouse gas emissions, but it is substantial.
Thank you for taking an unequivocal stand. Thank you for your articles. Thank you for publishing daily CO2 readings. Thank you for utilising your influential position to good effect. Peter Owen
Appleby, August 11
Time for change
Climate scientist James Renwick, many school children and Greenpeace are calling for urgent government action to prevent a climate catastrophe.
Does the Emissions Trading Scheme and setting targets constitute urgent action? No! This is a global problem, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change targets of halving emissions by 2030 and zero emissions by 2050 are global targets. Because developed countries, including New Zealand, have contributed most to the excess CO2 in the atmosphere, they should be decarbonising even faster.
Julie Anne Genter is right. To achieve these goals against sectoral interests, all governments would need to take control of their economies as in wartime, and direct the production of all forms of renewable energy – solar, wind, hydro and geothermal – to meet the demand of the industry, transport and domestic sectors as they decarbonise. A short timeline should be set to stop the importation of petrol and diesel vehicles. As the recent Earth Day report showed, to have a sustainable world, much consumption in developed countries would also need to be curtailed.
If people are not prepared to make the sacrifices, and the government doesn’t support them to adjust to a different lifestyle, the fears of many teenagers that their future is very bleak will come true.
Racism and M¯aori
Like Andy Espersen (Letters, August 5), we should all hate racism. Every one of us is descended from immigrants, and our population now comprises 213 different races. None of us has any more rights than others. Sadly, some people of Ma¯ ori descent believe that their race should be recognised as superior. They are making demands and being given extra rights.
The other 212 races enjoy their language, their culture, their religion etc and are all happy to live together as New Zealanders or Kiwis. They appreciate the advantages they have.
Things take months to change, so let’s look ahead to next Waitangi Day and see if we can change to New Zealand Day and encourage us all to celebrate our freedom and our history.
Southern Link
Simon Bridges says the Southern Link stacks up (Nelson Mail, August 14), yet every study that has been done says the opposite.
In 2004, the Environment Court found that the link wouldn’t be more efficient, wouldn’t improve safety, and wouldn’t improve social severance on existing routes. The 2008 North Nelson to Brightwater Study recommended a clearways option, and the 2011 Arterial Study found that should capacity need to be increased, the Southern Link was not the best option.
Nelsust acknowledges the frustrating holdups for commuters who still don’t have options as easy as car commuting, and for trade vehicle drivers held up by car commuters. However, increasing road capacity on feeder roads like the Southern Link is a proven failure – more road capacity just induces more traffic. As Barack Obama’s transport adviser said, increasing road capacity to solve congestion is like loosening your belt to solve obesity.
Congestion evaporates during school holidays. We need to make it like school holidays all year by making it safe, pleasant and convenient for kids to get to school under their own steam, just as everyone used to.
Central city living
Thank you for publishing Hannah Bartlett’s excellent story on Wellington’s innovative project converting empty offices into affordable apartments (Nelson Mail, August 14).
The Te Kainga strategy is set to deliver hundreds of apartments to Wellington’s central city, which will be rented for below the market rate. The increase in residents will bring greater life to the city, make businesses more viable, and make the place safer.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the strategy is that it’s cost-neutral to ratepayers. It’s the property owners who pay for the conversions and, in return, council gives them the security of a 15-year lease. Speaking with Wellington Mayor Justin Lester this week, he described Te Kainga as a ‘‘nobrainer’’. Given changes in retail, the oversupply of empty offices, the need for investment in our CBD, the need for more activity in town and the housing crisis, it strikes me that such a project is a no-brainer for Nelson as well.
Not only that but, given Nelson’s size and the virtual lack of innercity living, the successful implementation of such a strategy here would actually make more of a difference to our city than to the capital. We should give it a go.