Our people crisis

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Company knows the risks

nothing, we must all collectively do what we can and, as Ollie puts it, we must live in active hope. The alternative would be much worse.

Karen Lowe, Christchurch

Crucial science settled

Bas Walker’s criticism of Anne Salmond is nonsense (Letters, Jan 21). He claims she is unqualified to criticise climate deniers, but neither claims nor demonstrates qualifications of his own. Her sin, apparently, is claiming that ‘‘the science is settled’’ when ‘‘science is never settled’’.

Walker is mixing fact and fiction. It is a fact that putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere warms the atmosphere, known for well over a century and never credibly challenged.

Obviously, the effects of carbon emissions are not fully understood. The science is not settled, except for the obviously crucial bit.

Kerry Wood, Wellington

There is no housing crisis. Properties in New Zealand, of which there used to be a very sufficient number, haven’t suddenly all burned down, been exported or demolished.

What was a perfectly adequate housing supply is no longer so because the problem in New Zealand is a people crisis.

Over the past 20 years we have imported in excess of 490,000 people. Unless immigrants plan to live in yurts, garages or on park benches, they need accommodation and the competition is driving up the value of property such that ‘‘homes’’ hardly bigger than sheds now cost over half a million dollars.

We import so many people because it ‘‘stimulates’’ the local economy. Big business just loves this – all this extra work, no advertising needed, no competition, no effort. Banks too: half a trillion dollars lent out on which interest has to be paid, and massive profits accrue. How cosy, how nice, how enriching.

In many overseas countries the crash of 2008 brought a sudden, but muchneeded, sense of reality. Roll on the crash of the next year or two, so we might see some reality in our own neck of the woods.

John Monro, Martinborough

Flights in fog

Once again you report Wellington Airport was closed due to fog. At the same time Ka¯ piti Coast Airport was in brilliant sunshine and fully operational.

Why is that Air New Zealand did not divert Q300 aircraft here instead of just ignoring the needs of the travelling public. Perhaps the new CEO might be more customer focused.

Stuart Froude, Paraparaumu