Simon Wilson has noted the absence of politicians at the Climate Change and Business Conference (NZ Herald, November 27). I am a first-term City Vision local board member attending both days.
I used a chunk of professional development budget, well worth it to reinforce determination and optimism on climate action.
I had questions picked for panellists, including on ethics in business decision-making and on different attitudes between family and corporate farmers. I got ideas on how to promote sustainable business practices more widely in our area too.
I wish more Auckland Council politicians had been there too.
Julia Maskill, elected member, Albert Eden Local Board.
Erebus inquiries
Richard Waugh (NZ Herald, November 27) identifies the gap between the easier corporate-blame and the more brutal crew-blame. On one side, the airline's tweaking of the flight path's southern way-point (always understood to be the tip of 12,000ft Mt Erebus, and computer-guided a safe 4000ft higher than that) along with other "management failures"; and on the other side, the crew's disastrous, unapproved disconnection of the auto-pilot and determination to fly visually, as had previous pioneering flights, to the delight of passengers.
New Zealand's then Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, Ron Chippindale, working with a team of experts at the crash site and in laboratories, blamed pilot error as the principal cause. Royal Commission leader Judge Peter Mahon later rejected this opinion, opting instead to blame the airline for organisational and communication failures.
Mahon's opinion still stands only because royal commissions cannot, constitutionally, be challenged in this country. However, it was effectively overturned and Chippindale's conclusion reinstated by the highest courts in London, Washington and Wellington.
Chris Lonsdale, New Plymouth.
Carbon unchecked
Climate alarmists have been waiting with bated breath for the post-Covid atmospheric carbon dioxide measurement. Their argument was that the shutdowns would show a reduction, thus proving that humans are the main cause of increases.
Regrettably, the World Meteorological Organisation, on November 23, 2020, stated that there was no discernable change in the trajectory of carbon dioxide increase for 2020.
Back to the drawing board for those in authority who were planning to use similar lockdowns as a measure against climate change.
G.N. Kendall, Rothesay Bay.
House wins
Listening to the current hype around house prices, one could be forgiven for thinking that only a handful of people own houses in New Zealand and most of them are speculators, preying on the poor and disadvantaged. But the reality is different.
House price rises benefit house owners. Sixty-four per cent of Kiwis are house owner-occupiers and 64 per cent is a majority in any democracy I'm aware of.
Ergo, house price rises represent the greatest good for the greatest number and should therefore be applauded.
John Denton, Eskdale.
Banal and ugly
I wonder what images J. Drake (NZ Herald, November 20) was looking at to be able to describe the proposed Erebus memorial as "attractive and well-designed" and conclude that "it will look brilliant".
I rarely publicly play the "former art museum director" card but, after a half-century career of art scrutiny, I find that the architect-designed object, at least as depicted in the Ministry for Culture and Heritage documentation, appears to have negligible artistic merit, is banal, ugly and mechanistic and totally out of scale with its setting. Its only "brilliance" will be the reflection from the stainless steel from which it is in part constructed.
In addition, the ministry has already spent a huge amount on this project and we have yet to see a maquette of the thing, let alone a model. How is this possible?
Christopher Johnstone, Grey Lynn.
That's reform
A Labour Government spokesperson says they're proud of their work resolving child poverty. In the last three years they've introduced the families' package, winter energy payment and marginally increased benefits.
With nearly 400,000 workers across 32 departments and more than 2700 agencies, that effort over three years is lazy and nothing to crow about.
In 1938, [Arnold] Nordmeyer and [Gervan] McMillan introduced the world's first entire social welfare system, designed it and passed the legislation in less than one year. Now that's transformational. And they did this when there were only 16,000 Government workers for a population of 1.6 mllion.
Bernard Jennings, Wellington.
Off the shelf
Being reliant on a supermarket delivery service, I am becoming really irritated and annoyed with the lack of care given to packing the food, ensuring best-before and sell-by dates are taken notice of and the actual quality of fresh produce supplied.
While grateful to having groceries delivered, especially during Covid lockdown, food is becoming more expensive and being wasted because of the poor quality supplied or out-of-date is very grating.
We are told to heed best-before dates and sell-by dates. Just because a delivery service is used, it does not mean it is okay for packers to chuck in any old piece of broccoli or continue to keep supplying very short or expired dated items.
With only two "big" supermarkets and one with a ridiculously high delivery fee, options are limiting.
Sharon Jameson, Cambridge.
Pier pressure
Thank you for publishing the photo of the Palace Pier in Brighton (NZ Herald, November 27).
It brought back many happy memories but sad to see it looking so dejected.
As children, it was a great thrill to go to the many interesting kiosks there and at Christmas our dad used to take us to all the pantomimes on show in Brighton, including those on the two piers. On a visit back "home "in 1991, my sister and I were sad to see the skeleton of the old West Pier.
During the war, the centres of both piers were blown up, presumably to prevent the Germans from invading.
During some of those years we lived on Marine Parade almost opposite the Palace Pier, and I remember seeing a dogfight out to sea and one going down. I never knew if it were ours or the German one.
Another time we had all our windows broken by bomb blast but they were swiftly replaced.
I wish those piers could be rebuilt, but at least we have photographs.
P.M. Anderson, Hamilton East.
Battle wary
To claim "Trump is the first US President for 40 years who has not started a war" (NZ Herald, November 27), is incorrect.
Obama inherited the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War and various aspects of the War on Terror, all of which began during the Bush administration. Obama also presided over the gradual draw-down of US soldiers in Iraq, culminating in the near-total withdrawal in December 2011.
However, Obama did commit troops to a war already underway in Syria, to counter the influence of the Russians who sided with the Assad regime. Obama did not start this war.
Graeme Williams, Taupō.
Short & sweet
On Wilson
Simon Wilson is simply the best writer in your paper for many years. Garry Bond, Hastings.
On Erebus
It's not too late to take a new vote on the memorial siting issue, which would satisfy all parties. Terry Cammell, Silverdale.
On sport
Never mind the cricket. How great it was to hear our anthem sung by a choir, as it should be? I loved it. John Bow, Whitianga
On Dalton
Does Grant Dalton remind you of Napoleon Bonaparte, Lord Nelson, Captain Bligh or Fletcher Christian - or a combination of all four? Bruce Tubb, Belmont.
On saving
It's little wonder New Zealand investors find property an attractive proposition. Interest rates on deposits are miniscule. To make it worse, any return is taxed. That's hardly an incentive to save. Maxine Samson, Whakatāne.
It isn't rocket science, increase the interest rates on savings again and maybe "mums and dads" will stop buying houses to rent. Janet Bailey, Henderson.
On relations
Australia bullies New Zealand, China bullies Australia. So what goes around comes around. Graham Fleetwood, Botany Downs.
