Time to take action on an ‘inconvenient truth’

HOW dare you, Bruce Spittle (Letters, 31.10.19) and your likeminded believers of the Flat Earth Society who now look for all the exceptions in climate change science.

Yes, the earth has behaved just as you say millions of years ago; yes, the weather has always had its ups and downs and extremes; yes, glaciers have retreated in the past then come back — but not any more.

No, climate change science is not yet 100% proven, so it is easy (and convenient) to look for the contradictions.

But why wait until we are 100% certain of the causal link when there is a tidal wave of evidence that humans are now doing something to our planet that has never been done before?

Why wait when there is an absolutely plausible link with human impact to the warming oceans (proven), rising sea levels (proven), and rising levels of greenhouse gases (proven)?

Why wait until it’s too late, when we can do something now to mitigate the future risk and save the planet for our children?

It’s an inconvenient truth, I guess. Derrick Railton

Dunedin

Hillside

GREAT to see Hillside being recommissioned despite the cynical efforts of the National government’s KiwiRail lackey, Jim Quinn, some years ago in refusing to even let Hillside tender for some 200 wagons despite the fact it had proved more than capable of turning out a quality product.

What New Zealand in fact got from China was a botched delivery that had to be repaired before they turned a wheel.

It would be interesting to know the true cost of the impaired wagon deal.

Would Dunedin list MP Michael Woodhouse be prepared to give an assurance that this time around the rug will not again be yanked from under the Hillside workshops when National returns to government?

L. McConnell

Mosgiel [Michael Woodhouse replies:

‘‘The decision to close Hillside Engineering was one made by KiwiRail. As a stateowned enterprise, it rightly operates free from government interference, in the same way the Government cannot interfere with decisions on what domestic routes Air New Zealand flies or how often NZ Post delivers mail.

‘‘While the investment in reopening Hillside will be welcomed by many, it will be for KiwiRail to explain how it will operate Hillside sustainably without further taxpayer subsidies being required, something they could not do previously.’’]

Catholic education

WHEN I was young, I spent some time as a lay teacher in the Catholic schools. There were very few of us then.

Times were changing. No longer was it regarded as sufficient just to graduate.

Bishop Kavanagh and Fr Close (the wheelchair priest) were forever pushing for staff to learn more and more. Every encouragement was given to get down to the university and expand the knowledge.

It was a privilege to know the sportloving priest and the gentle, highly intelligent bishop who together expanded the standard of education in Otago and Southland.

Anne Parker

Green Island

Car courtesy

VERY few motorists here flash their car lights to send other motorists, or pedestrians, a message.

I have done this for years elsewhere, and I did it here the other day.

I was driving in the outside lane on the oneway street near the railway station. The traffic was slow, and there was a pedestrian in the middle of the road.

I immediately flashed my lights. He knew at once what I meant, and so crossed the road safely.

Jean Platt

Mosgiel