Letters: Eating disorders, emissions reduction, Shireen Abu Akleh, tidal power, and the price of fish

Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has been briefed by health officials with concerns over a rise in young people requiring eating disorder support. Photo / Mark Mitchell, File

Opinion

Thirty years on
In the early 1990s, a wonderful couple, Moira and Ken Miles, among others, lobbied the mental health team at what was then North Health, seeking support for parents of those with anorexia. Their own beautiful daughter, a talented artist, had died after succumbing to anorexia.
At the time, the Miles' pleas fell on deaf ears as the prevailing view was that anorexia was not a serious mental illness.
Since then it would appear we have come a long way in our thinking (NZ Herald, May 16). Or have we? Watch this space.
Glennys Adams, Oneroa.

Zero driving
It's clear the best way to reduce transport emissions is to get people out of their cars. EVs create emissions in their manufacture and use. They are just slightly better than a new petrol vehicle.
Money would be better spent on public transport, cycleways and pedestrian-friendly town planning.
Every NZ town should have a paper ring road now, beyond which no residential property is allowed. This would preserve our best agricultural land and keep homes within the magic 30-minute walk from town, work and school. And reduce our need to own our own cars. We could all better use the savings on maintenance, registration, insurance, parking, fines, GST and petrol.
Ask yourself, "why don't my kids walk to school?"
Ian Swney, Morrinsville.

Price range
With the cheapest electric car being about $48,000, even with the Government's $10,000 assistance grant, that still leaves a purchaser needing to find nearly $40,000.
How could a family on a low income, with say three children to support, and probably an older car with little resale value, afford to pay that amount to upgrade?
Robert J Jones, Ōmokoroa.

Grassroots solution
Greenpeace has dismissed the Government's climate change plan as an unambitious "Omissions Ridiculous Plan" (NZ Herald, May 17) because it fails to reduce agricultural emissions by cutting livestock numbers.
However, while our dairy sector does make up 23.5 per cent of our emissions, Aotearoa is home to less than 0.65 per cent of the world's cattle. Reducing supply from one producer in a global market would only incentivise increased production elsewhere.
Improved methane-reducing technologies by contrast - such as new grasses and feed additives - could dramatically reduce methane emissions worldwide. That is, of course, the only way to prevent extreme climate change.
For once it seems that the Government, and not environmental activists, are following the catch cry to "think globally and act locally".
Stephen Bayldon, Mt Roskill.

Limit supply
The Emissions Reduction Plan has failed to consider rationing fuel as a strategy.
Since all recent reports point to a looming catastrophe from global heating then we should be treating this as a crisis and, as the UN Secretary-General says, "... there is no time for delay or excuses".
I see rationing as an effective and immediate Government action.
By subsidising the recent hike in prices, the Government benefits from the huge guzzlers proliferating on our roads, and keeps up emissions.
While tradies and distributors could be exempt, other vehicle use will have to be considered and trips planned, smaller vehicles will go further, public transport will get customers, congestion and emissions will reduce. What's not to like?
Grant Lilly, Waiheke Island.

Power vacuum
The grand plan to electrify everything seems to be absent a plan to generate more of the stuff to meet the increasing demand.
Is there a plan for another Clutha River dam? A nuclear power station? To close Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and distribute the Manapouri power for consumers? Ship in more coal from Indonesia and keep Huntly burning 24/7? Wait for the market to whip up some wind turbines and solar stations?
It is pointless to spend billions of dollars on emissions reduction schemes favouring electricity unless a few billion are also allocated to creating more electricity.
Although that sort of logical plan would be much too obvious. Better to spend a few more million on consultant fees.
Ken Milne, Parnell.

Of major import
Despite the ambitious plan of our Government to reduce carbon emissions in New Zealand there still remains a major factor that the majority of people overlook when seeking these reductions. I challenge every New Zealander to check out their possessions and make a list of all those items that are not produced in China, India or other overseas countries which are frequently criticised for their high carbon emissions.
The term used is "carbon emission export".
If the carbon emissions associated with all our imported products were added to our existing carbon emission numbers, it would soon become very evident that the new plan will prove to be inadequate.
Nobody, including myself, would want to see New Zealand stop importing this wide range of products; not overlooking the impact this would have on our export market.
The obvious solution by whatever means possible requires reduced consumption of imports and greater dependence on our locally produced products, which may even require us to consider manufacturing more of our consumables in New Zealand.
We did it in the past, perhaps we could do it in the future.
Dick Ayres, Auckland Central.

Tipping scales
Countdown is currently selling fresh New Zealand salmon in random weight packs for $47/kg. Alongside these packs are 240g portion control units of salmon selling for $11, the equivalent of $45.83/kg - yet, this stuff is imported from Norway.
Is Countdown price-gouging or is Norway "dumping" excess fish?
If it's the latter then I'm appalled as all fish stocks around the world should be nurtured to ensure sustainability for future generations and not plundered to extinction.
How can that cost of Norwegian salmon be justified? What about the impact on the climate of the CO2 emissions involved in the provision by Countdown of this salmon from the sea of Norway to the plate in New Zealand? That is unjustifiable.
Vicky Williamson, Bucklands Beach.

Journalist death
Shireen Abu Akleh, the Palestinian journalist, not only was killed while reporting on a military raid in Jenin (Palestine) by Israeli forces but her mourners carrying her coffin were brutally attacked.
No condemnation from our leader. The silence is deafening.This is double standards writ large.
Janfrie Wakim, Epsom.

Tide's out
Good luck Gary Hollis ("High time" NZ Herald, May 17). The authorities have been fully informed about the incredible power resource of the Kaipara Harbour. They know full well it exhibits the greatest tidal volume and the greatest tidal velocity of any estuary in the world (and furthermore, it is operational 24/7).
Solar/wind/lithium-ion battery, pumped-hydro and other interests know this too.
The authorities have also been fully informed about hydrogen gas generation using an amalgam of recoverable gallium and waste aluminium in water that is 10 times more efficient and greener than producing hydrogen via electrolysis of water (and furthermore, the chemistry requires no energy input. Nor does it require inflammable compressed gas distribution and storage).
Solar/wind/lithium-ion battery, pumped-hydro and other interests know this too.
Rex Smith, Mt Roskill.

Ebbing interest
In response to Gary Hollis (NZ Herald, May 17), I have been actively involved in engineering conventional tidal power schemes in India and in Australia.
In both cases, the tidal range was about 8m but, in spite of that, we could not produce an economic project even though the Australian one would have been subsidised by the government.
The tidal range in New Zealand is in the region of 3m so it doesn't have a chance.
An alternative technology generates electricity from the tidal current. It has been extensively explored overseas and no economic solutions have been found.
A major problem is that generation drops markedly during a neap tide.
Bryan Leyland, Pt Chevalier.

Party poopers
The problem with the nature of party politics is that people, once aligned, however loosely, to any group, tend to refute and oppose whatever any other party offers or says because of its source, rather than listening to and thinking about what is entailed.
The good of society as a whole should be our aim.
We have lost our way.
Bev Hicks, Warkworth.

Short & sweet

On Ukraine
How about everyone shows solidarity with the Ukrainian people by spelling the southern port the Ukrainian way, Odesa. Mike Wells, Kawerau.

On emissions
Reduce road trucking and bring back rail. Surely this will help emissions in NZ. Maxine Hudson. Hobsonville Pt.

In the climate budget is the plan to lease electric vehicles to the lower paid. Renting your house from the state and now leasing your car from the government, are we setting foot on the ladder to the Great Reset where we will "own nothing, but you will be happier"? Roger Bale, Pukekawa.

On sense
A " ministry of common sense" would work as long as no politicians were appointed. Fenton Cooper, Eastern Bays.

On protest
It will be interesting to learn the total costs of the Parliament protest, rather than just the police costs. If this protest had been "nipped in the bud" costs would have been a lot less. Susan Schultz, Red Beach.

On dancing
Dancing With the Stars: "The last will be first, and the first last" (Matthew 20:16). Lois McGough, Ōrewa.

The Premium Debate

Thomas Coughlan: Jabberwocky in Budget 2022

Please, just don't print any more money. Katrina H.

That stopped nearly nine months back when the Reserve Bank stopped buying government bonds. It was never money printing. Hector B.

Don't be facetious. They printed money and signed up many generations to pay for stupid Labour Party spending. Mark W.

Grant Robertson's Budget won't mean an iota if he doesn't fix the crippling cost of living escalation, out of control crime in rising ram-raids, inflationary pressures, and the fear that many young families have with impending interest rate hikes. Rent costs more, fuel costs more and results in less food on the table for a huge number of New Zealanders. We'll see more money being printed as it's the easiest thing for Labour to do. The result is a worsening of the current problems. Heaven help us all. Wayne J W.

I bet the Government won't pull a swifty like National and its "deficit switch" when moving from Crown Health Enterprises to District Health Boards. It is interesting to read the Mother of All Budgets after all these years. You will find it in Volume 517 of the New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, 30 July 1991 at 3253, also online in Historic Hansard. This is when Ruth Richardson proposed taxing tertiary education institutions with a capital charge. It never happened, Labour scrapped the idea in 1999 without it being implemented, but we tax our DHBs which is one reason they run deficits. These will be magicked away somehow under the health reforms, as suggested by Craig Renney - maybe, after all, another deficit switch is in the offing. Michael G.