Letters: Selfless approach needed to save planet

Drastic changes are needed to save the planet, a reader says. Photo/George Novak

Bryan Gould's excellent article (Opinion, May 20) describes the consequences of planet-damaging activities that the general populace has been uncomfortably conditioned to accept or perhaps feel helpless about.

Things inevitably will change, particularly as Earth may be reaching the catastrophic tipping point when irreversible effects become exponential. Attitudes must all change; it cannot be business as usual for much longer.

Survivability for all species is the essential norm of the planet and continued destabilisation by the profit-driven mentality and other human unsustainable pillaging activities hastens our demise. Submerged lands, desertification, deforestation, food imbalances, pollution, destabilised atmosphere and weather will affect all. Governments, big business and corporates pursuing profits could be stricken with valueless equities.

Maybe a limited number might head off to Mars with their profits. While it is difficult for ordinary citizens to act globally, taking action locally (eg, Tauranga's transport fiasco is just a start for me) and is long overdue.

Needed is a unified selfless approach for the long-term public good. I hope people movements and wise leadership may empower drastically needed changes to minimise the future crisis for Earth's inhabitants. (Abridged)

Jos Nagels
Tauranga

No better off

There is no doubt that we should be addressing the council's debt issue (News, May 24), and it is good to see there is a review of the proposed project spend.

But for councillor Max Mason to say that ratepayers are benefiting from the economic boom and rising property prices suggests he is out of touch, in my view.

If you own a house and have no intention of selling, a rise in property values just means paying higher rates for no extra services and worse traffic issues and your wages are staying the same.

If you rent, it just means you rent is going up constantly, and your wages are staying the same.

The theme here is that the region is growing, property prices are up, but your average resident is not earning any more money, and may not be having an improved quality of life because of it all.

Janet Chambers

Matua

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