CLIMATE CHANGE

KEV McKay of Harristown and Andrew Bolt of Melbourne should travel a bit more before claiming “human activity has very little impact on earth’s cycles” (TC, 12/1).

I don’t know how many times I have had to tell the story of my appreciation of climate change.

In 1994/5, our family was privileged to represent Toowoomba by working in our Japanese sister city Takatsuki – located between Osaka and Tokyo. For our first three months, we were living in conditions not unlike Mt Lofty’s fabled fog – but this was 24/7, for weeks on end.

We were just able to see across the but certainly not across the city. It was not until a major cold change blew in from the west that the massive mountain range behind the city was revealed. Only then did we realise that we had been living in smog created by the massive industrial complex of Japan, Korea and China – not fog created by Mother Nature.

Thankfully in the 25 years or so since we lived in Takatsuki, Japan, Korea and now China have taken massive steps to reduce their emissions. They have stopped incinerating their daily rubbish. They have moved to alternative energy sources including, most recently, electric cars. This has been expensive for these industrial countries but their lived experiences have shown the benefit of clearer air and healthier communities.

Japan, Korea and China could easily have declined to take climate action as it has been against their shortterm economic interests. Instead, these countries have acted to improve climate for themselves and future generations.

Australians, have always enjoyed clean air. More recently, we have been suffering hotter, drier and more extreme climates. Australians should be thankful for, not sceptical of, these Asian initiatives.

CHRIS MEIBUSCH, Toowoomba