Your choice

Trees needed

The wayward weather patterns of late are of considerable concern and it seems to be getting worse. The strategy to reduce the impact of climate change does not seem to get to grips with this.

As I see it politicians and scientists are only tinkering with this situation. The reduction in carbon emissions can certainly be of benefit but it does not deal with the core issue. It is like a doctor treating a patient but not curing it. More constructive decisions need to be made and we should look at one of the major contributing causes; ‘‘Deforestation’’.

Let us go back to when the first Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Many thousands of hectares of bush were cleared to make way for agriculture and settlements. This not only happened in New Zealand but in many countries and it is still going on. According to Nasa we lose in excess of 77000 square kilometers of rain-forest per annum. (That is more than the size of Tasmania). This has to stop. An international fund needs to be set up to pay people not to clear any more rain forests.

There are also many thousands of hectares of marginal land in many places on earth not sustainable for food production but suitable to plant trees. People should be paid from this international fund to plant trees indigenous to their area and reestablish rainforests. This will have many short term and long term benefits especially in poorer countries creating employment and providing habitats for many of the endangered species of lifeforms as well.

It can also encourage tourism which has many economic benefits. This will re-establish the ‘‘carbon sponge’’, which has been decimated for many years. Future generations will thank us for it. Tony Groot New Plymouth Voters in the general election have the choice between two main parties which are roughly neck and neck in recent opinion polls. They may choose the rejuvenated ’’let’s do this’’ Labour Party or the ‘‘delivering’’ (but to whom?) National Party. The other parties are far from irrelevant, but are mostly already aligned with one of the main parties. Therefore voters for all parties are effectively deciding to vote for real change in government, or to vote for more of the same.

National’s recent promises to deal with child poverty, the housing crisis, etc all ring hollow. They have sat on their hands for nine years and have achieved very little to help people on low incomes. Child poverty cannot be much reduced without a significant redistribution of incomes from the wealthy to the poor. This will likely be achieved by a combination of lifting low incomes, taxation reform and welfare payments. Giving thousands of dollars of tax cuts to the wealthy, as proposed by National, is not a sensible plan for our future. I trust that most New Zealanders will make the right choice by voting Labour on September 23. Colin Bell New Plymouth

All in a name

On the eastern slopes of Mt Taranaki, the Enchanted Track is situated, starting not far from the Stratford Plateau. Starting in subalpine vegetation it travels quickly down to large bush forest.

It’s named the Enchanted Track because of the spectacular picturesque vegetation and great views. As it travels downhill the schubs and trees are coated in a wide range of greens and blues mosses and lichens simulating what a goblin forest would be like with some strains of mosses over a metre long.

For many years, during the track’s existence this was where any parents took children on weekend tramps.

Since the Department of Conservation took control of the Egmont National Park from Lands and Survey in 1987, this track has seriously fallen into disrepair. On many sections the wooden steps have broken way leaving very slippery slopes or very large drops. Sadly not very enchanting at all.

During 2002-03 I spent many a long hour clearing vegetation back from both sides of this track from the Stratford Plateau to the Stratford Mountain House.

This work has been done in vain as now the track is overgrown again and in several places bush lawyer hangs over the track ready to injurer the unaware traveller with its prickly foliage.

Not a good look for ‘‘Taranakilike no other’’. A serious health and safety risk I would have thought. Come on DOC! Ian McAlpine Stratford