Playing on our ‘pet peeves’

Simon Bridges is playing a clever game with National’s “bonfire of regulations” without being too specific about exactly what he means.

Everyone will have a pet peeve about some regulation or other and will no doubt think that is what is on Mr Bridges’ wish list. As your editorial noted, a lot of the so-called regulations and I dare say the consequences of them, were nothing more than urban legends. All of which no doubt gained a life, care of those repositories of deep thought and considered opinion, talkback radio.

John Capener, Kawerau.

Public health

Professor Stuart McCutcheon’s argument against a travel ban from China ( NZ Herald, March 11) omits the fact that countries with enforced travel bans such as Russia, Australia and Singapore have lower confirmed cases than the countries in Europe who chose to follow WHO guidance.

Restricting entry from foreign nationals from countries with a high number of infected patients is common sense and not discriminatory.

Public health should be our top priority, not the coffers of our tertiary education institutions. Gary Chan, Hauraki.

Expertise

It is ironic you published an opinion piece by Stuart McCutcheon, Pro-vice Chancellor of Auckland University, on travel bans relating to Covid-19 in light of the article you published on March 9 in which you report Auckland University’s stance that its academics should offer public commentary only in their areas of expertise. McCutcheon has a BAgrSc and his doctoral thesis was on the resistance of newborn lambs to cold-stress. Geese and ganders?

Sarah Frost, Onehunga.

Lockstep move

Prof McCutcheon ( NZ Herald, March 11) wonders why we have our unjustified travel bans. The answer might be where he says “New Zealand extensions of the ban have been in lockstep with decisions by Australia”.

Australia is our biggest services trade partner, 21 per cent of our services exports are to Australia. If we don’t do as Australia does in relation to travel bans, we’ll be seen by them as a back door for the virus entry into Australia and they will then close that door.

Bernard Jennings, Wellington.

Panic buying

Mike Schmidt’s sane letter on mob behaviour ends with the question, “How many toilet rolls did you buy when last shopping?” I bought 15.

Ten of these are for the Auckland City Mission, which urgently needs them for its many clients. The mission also needs toothpaste, toothbrushes and tinned food.

Let’s think of those who are in need, not only of ourselves. And perhaps shoppers who appear to be stocking up on toilet paper are really buying for the mission?

Anne Priestley, Remuera.

Safe zones

I am disgusted at the lack of MPs in Parliament who failed to turn up and vote (either way) on the safe zones around abortion clinics.

My view on abortion is irrelevant, the journey for women taking such a huge decision should not be undertaken in a hostile environment. Harassers, you discredit womenhood by inflicting hate on your fellow citizens.

Shame on you, elected women for letting us down, and shame on all absent MPs for failing at your elected duty to be present when your opinion counts in all voting matters.

Why do we vote for you when you can’t be bothered to turn up for an evening vote on many a wide variety of issues? Maybe we should stop evening votes and require you to spend more time in Wellington, paying attention to your elected duties.

Lynne Lagan, Takapuna.

Crude oil

It is being widely reported in the Western press the current crude oil price drop of around 30 per cent is because Putin has entered into a price war with Saudi Arabia. That is not correct. Putin refused to drop Russian oil production levels unless the US, which has in recent years increased its oil production through fracking, also dropped its production levels. However, the US has no intention of dropping its oil production levels so Putin took action to cause the selling price of all oil, including US oil, to drop and thus cause the US oil producers to suffer in the same way as the other major oil-producing countries.

David Mairs, Glendowie.

Electric avenue

I strongly disagree with Bjorn Lomborg’s conclusions ( NZ Herald, March 9). New Zealand has about an 80 per cent renewable electricity supply which minimises the carbon footprint of electric vehicles over their lifetime.

He is correct for countries where electricity is generated by fossil fuels, but NZ and many other countries are more fortunate. In addition, there is a huge saving in ongoing repairs which has a carbon footprint saving when compared to conventional vehicles.

Also, pollution is zero from electric vehicles, the reason China is replacing petrol vehicles with electric vehicles.

Living in NZ, the advantages of electric vehicles are significant. We own two cars, one being a Tesla, which is used as our main vehicle because it is significantly superior than our late-model Mercedes. Electric cars are the way to go in NZ.

Doug Pattinson, Takapuna.

Go electric

With regard to the discussion about electric vehicles: I would rather sit in traffic congestion of EVs than petrol and diesel fumes. Have people not heard of PM 2.5 and 10? Nasty pollutants.

A rapid introduction of electric (mini) buses on congested routes and running continuously for free might help.

Peter Thomas, Hamilton.

School trips

Global climate change is a fact and action is needed. But before students and their student leaders stroll out of the gate and onto the streets, they should look closer to home.

One well-known Auckland college boasts about a regular Japanese cultural exchange of 30 to 40 students and advises on its website: “In addition we have a growing number of international travel opportunities with recent visits including France, Greece and Italy. There are also opportunities for international visits within the sports and cultural programmes.”

Surely these trips should be reducing as a result of “affirmative climate change action” being taken by schools and their students?

A glimpse of most secondary school websites will see this type of “education”, particularly in more affluent schools. I understand the uptake from students is strong. Student leaders must take a stand against this highly carbon-producing behaviour from their own schools.

I am not anti-travel, I am anti-hypocrisy. I look forward to seeing the protest banners and chants against school “exchanges” and “visits” overseas from student protesters because of the high carbon footprint they produce.

John Stackhouse, Christchurch

Quamobrem

We have now read in this column many letters and the article from Yolanda Huo with excellent reasons why Latin should be retained as an excellent learning tool for students.

It has been stated 96 per cent of teachers are against Latin being dropped from all levels of the NCEA.

Why therefore for goodness sake does the Government want this proposal to scrap Latin to go ahead? Does anyone at all know the motive?

Carl Rosel, Freemans Bay.

Vegans trumped

Veganism is becoming popular, but it’s worth looking at the statistics.

Rainforest is being cleared at a rate equivalent to the area of a million soccer fields every year or nearly 2000ha every day, day after day, and it’s not stopping any time soon.

The trees are being cut down to clear the land so crops can be planted to feed cattle, so we can kill the cattle and eat the meat. Beef consumption worldwide is rising, not falling. Beef production in 2019 increased to a record high, up about 1.1 per cent over 2018.

Those sensible, socially conscious people who try to persuade us to go vegan are, I’m sorry to say, on a losing wicket.

Susan Grimsdell, Auckland Central.