FROM THE EDITOR

It has been a topsy-turvy fortnight with the government pulling the plug on future oil exploration. While we can all appreciate that reliance on fossil fuels is shortsighted, what Labour and more particularly the Greens seem to ignore is that oil and petroleum are used for so much more than vehicle fuel and heating. There are more than 6000 products that use the byproducts and many of these are essential to our everyday lives. Things like medical capsules, computers, toothbrushes and so on. What bothers me is that 10 years or even 20 years is not enough time for scientists to come up with workable alternatives to these myriad necessities.

On page three we have a story about Tai Chi. This activity has been steadily growing in popularity in the Western world for years and New Plymouth is no exception. It is the sort of exercise anybody can do and is good for balance.

We have several sports-related stories this week including what will be a regular sports column. Feel free to disagree with the columnist. I do regularly.