Already rewarded

The Labour Government of 2000 was spot on with the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods, normally dished out to the rich and famous. Inexplicably, and foolishly these honours were reinstated by Key’s National Government 2009. People can draw their own conclusions on this and the current New Year honours list.

Kiwis should not embrace an anachronism representing the ancient medieval British royal honours system merely to aggrandise those who have already been rewarded for their business careers, sports and other pastimes — there is no need for unjustified embellishment.

Even recent media editorials have seriously questioned who, if any, should get honours, concluding that those who perform selfless acts, volunteers, and people whose main motivation is to help others deserve recognition. Unfortunately this is rarely the case, with politicians, bureaucrats, business leaders,

professionals and sportspeople.

Also looks to be a gender bias appearing.

If we really must have rewards for public service, simply dish out the relatively nondescript meaningless homegrown NZ honours like ONZ, etc (often undeserved), and everyone should be reasonably happy.

I readily accept that many Kiwis generously volunteer their time and services gratis for very good causes, and it is of course very appropriate that this unselfish altruism be recognised in some way.

ROB PATERSON

Matapihi

to their younger citizens. Is it any wonder that these childless professional academics/ politicians haven’t got a clue how to govern?

And the Muslim expansion marches on. LEO LEITCH

Wellington

Atlantic coast of South and Central America, could be hit by as many as six crises at a time.

They also report that global warming is posing such wideranging risks to humanity, involving so many types of phenomena, that by the end of this century some parts of the world could face as many as six climate-related crises at the same time. The exhaustive report found traceable evidence for 467 pathways by which human health, water, food, economy, infrastructure and security have been recently impacted by climate hazards such as warming, heatwaves, precipitation, drought, floods, fires, storms, sea-level rise and changes in natural land cover and ocean chemistry.

By 2100, the world’s population will be exposed concurrently to the equivalent of the largest magnitude in one of these hazards even if emissions are aggressively reduced, or three if they are not, with some tropical coastal areas facing up to six simultaneous hazards.

These findings highlight the fact that greenhouse gas emissions pose a broad threat to humanity by intensifying multiple hazards to which humanity is vulnerable.

So whose idiocy is it?

Maintaining an element of decorum constrains me from expanding on the issue of idiocy but if Rob Paterson insists on making idiotic statements on global warming I’ll be severely challenged to relent. ROSS FORBES

Kerikeri