Brilliant Chaos: Letters, 17 February

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Research refutes homeopathy sceptics

It is sad that Dr Michael Edmonds (Letters, February 7) and his colleagues at the NZ Sceptics society appear to operate a policy of denial and misinformation when it comes to scientific research supporting homeopathy. Edmonds states there are no valid scientific papers to support homeopathy. This statement is false and misleading.

Many scientific studies have been published in the world's leading medical journals that have shown homeopathy to be more effective than placebo. This research can be is on the British Faculty of Homeopathy website: www.facultyofhomeopathy.org/research. This is the registering body for medical doctors practising homeopathy in Britain.

A recent 300 page Swiss Federal Report (Swiss Health Technology Assessment) concluded after exhaustive research that homeopathy was "effective", "cost-effective" and "safe".

Edmonds also states that there is no evidence of electromagnetic activity in homeopathic dilutions. Published research from a Nobel prizewinning scientist (co-discoverer of HIV) contradicts this assertion. Prof Luc Montagnier's experiments detected electromagnetic signals produced by biological samples at dilutions comparable to homeopathic medicines. Montagnier's research lends weight to the premise that electromagnetic activity is the key factor in homeopathy's mechanism of action.

Clive Stuart, Tauranga

Unco-ordinated

I have just opened my rates demand from Western BOP Council to find that my bill from them is still based on my old valuation amount. The rates period is July 1, 2011 to the June 30, 2012. We all had a new rating valuation on July 1, 2011. However the council did not have the new valuations at the time of sending out the demands so we have now been paying on old valuation prices. In a time when money is stretched to the bare minimum, surely the council (which issued the rating valuations) could have had the figures co-ordinated in time for the new rates demands.

L Somerfield, Tauranga

Brilliant Chaos

What a delight it was when we decided to take our kids for a walk downtown on Friday night to stumble across Campground Chaos Circus.

We had no idea what it was about and held no high expectations but were simply stunned by the brilliant combination of acrobatic skill, great homegrown music and good old Kiwi humour.

The show was well- choreographed and well- performed and delighted both us and our young children. We even went back the next night taking friends with us who were equally impressed, one even stating that it was far better than any shows she had seen in Las Vegas or anywhere else around the world.

With such a show you would think it would be charged at anything up to $50 a ticket, but no. These wonderful performers have taken it old school and run their show busking style simply asking for any donation you can afford or that you think they deserve.

So come on Tauranga, let's get out and support the show, enjoy the lovely waterfront venue and give them a wonderful crowd and full buckets. Here's hoping some rousing support might see them include Tauranga on a regular bill and we might see them back again next summer.

Jennifer Murray, Brookfield