Wear empathy, compassion as badge of honour

I RECENTLY listened to the video of Jacinda Ardern’s heartfelt message to Grace Millane’s family, and if I was a resident of New Zealand, my heart would have swelled with pride for the compassion extended by your PM.

My husband and I have visited our son in New Zealand often over the past few years and have found New Zealand people to be friendly and warm to visitors, and your environment to be safe. In a world where there is strife, uncertainty and aggression, it is to the credit of your PM that she showed tremendous empathy to the Millane family in their grief on behalf of all New Zealanders.

To residents of New Zealand, I can only say, wear empathy and compassion as a badge of honour. While not everyone voted for Jacinda Ardern and her party, put politics aside, and acknowledge that your Prime Minister is a beacon of light to many Western leaders.

Janet Taylor Toronto, Canada

Climate change

REGARDING the graphic you published, which states ‘‘almost half of our GHG emissions come from agriculture’’.

It’s surprising to hear this nonfactual assertion that methane in ruminant eructation constitutes cumulative emissions, when it’s well established the methane arises from the digestion of recently eaten grass as part of an everyday cycle.

Ruminant methane is not oneway traffic — it has moved in a cycle for millions of years. After a short time in the atmosphere the methane breaks down, carbon dioxide is released to contribute to more grass growth, the grass is consumed and digested and around it goes again.

The NZ Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre apparently thinks this methane accumulates in the atmosphere, yet how can it think so when its own graphic clearly describes a ‘‘methane cycle’’?

Claiming farmers in this way add to global warming seems intended to deceive us.

Richard Treadgold Climate Conversation Group