Letters: Matthew Hooton, drought, self-isolation, dishwashers, swimming and the media

Matthew Hooton's column on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's options provoked some debate. File photo / Mark Mitchell

No return to rampant consumerism

Matthew Hooton is still mourning the demise of "you-cough-I-sneeze" globalisation (NZ Herald, April 3). But he fails to acknowledge the climate crisis as inextricable from the economic and culture shocks we are all facing. This pandemic is just the warning jolt before the tidal wave. Yet it gives us a window of opportunity in which to make a lifesaving paradigm shift to economic and social higher ground.
Instead, Hooton frames the crisis as an opportunity for the over-50s to lie down on the ice floe to be swept away for the benefit of the under-50s. No recognition from him that the rampant consumerism that has trashed the planet is enabled by the poverty wages of workers of all ages.
He gives this underprivileged majority only a cursory mention: "As always, the worst victims from the depression would be those from low-income backgrounds." As if workers' penury is inevitable and their right to a meaningful share in the wealth they create is merely magical thinking. He also suggests that "Māori and Pacific people will be worst affected". Well, yes, but only if they are denied a seat at the table when the post-crisis plans are made.
Central to any successful economic reset will be an admission of the philosophical principles of sustainability that underpin indigeneity and a belated appreciation of the value of "women's" work ­– including that of our prime minister.
Janet Charman, Avondale.

Conditional support

Just my luck to ever be shipwrecked on a desert island with Matt Hooton (NZ Herald, April 3) and his fellow experts in inter-generational ethics.
It used to be that when the lifeboat ran low on provisions, your shipmates and you would draw lots to determine who gets eaten first.
How times have changed.
From his column, Hooton and his friends would do things differently, putting those aged in their 90s, or older, on the menu first, followed by those in their 80s, 70s and so forth.
Jacinda Ardern is unquestionably motivated to do the ethical thing during the pandemic, he concedes.
"Protecting the elderly is undoubtedly an important virtue. But it is not the only ethical issue she must weigh up."
His reasoning is wonderfully pragmatic but as a 63-year-old, I only support it up to a point.
Paul Charman, Takapuna.

Water, everywhere

Auckland Watercare must be rubbing its hands together as it sees domestic usage and higher revenues increase while everyone is in lockdown.
The declining water levels in our dams is actually due to the drought and the fact that no planned expansion for years has happened to our dams to compensate for the increase in the Auckland population.
Now it has the cheek to tell us to watch our usage of water as the domestic demand has increased whilst we stay safe at home from Covid-19.
The amount of water that our industries, shopping centres and office blocks use now must almost be nil and this must make a difference to the levels.
Lesley Baillie, Murrays Bay.

Grass is greener

While contractors have stopped mowing lawns during the Covid-19 lockdown, grass hasn't got the message to stop growing.
Surely, where a contractor works alone, brings a mower on a trailer to a site for a contact-less-with-other-people mowing job, it could be deemed an essential service to keep grass levels manageable so rodents cannot bed down in it?
Unless someone can show a direct link to the spread of the virus through lawn mowing, it is in the interests of public sanitation to prevent rats and rabbits from invading our urban green spaces.
Please could the Government have a re-think and include keeping grass short as an essential service?
Coralie van Camp, Remuera.

Use-by dates

It will be interesting to see what notice will be taken of the "use-by date" on products, during the Covid-19 emergency.
This brilliant marketing coup has resulted in huge profits for food companies and the most profligate waste of food in the Western world.
Jackie McCabe, Kaitaia.

On one hand

It is legal, and therefore deemed essential by the Government, for a householder in New Zealand to be able to purchase a new item of whiteware such as a dishwasher during the Covid-19 lockdown. But is deemed non-essential by the Government, and therefore illegal, for the householder to be able to employ a plumber to install the dishwasher, so that it can be used.
The left hand would appear not to know what the right hand is doing.
Clayton Christie, Torbay.

Swimming ban

It seems illogical, draconian, but mostly ridiculous, that the police would be patrolling pond-like inner-city beaches and telling people not to swim! The swimming restriction is presumably because of the possibility of needing to rescue the swimmers, rather than the risks of Covid-19 spread, which would be minimal and no more than that of going out for a walk.
The risk of injury, or needing rescuing, while swimming at a shallow, calm inner-city beach is negligible and statistically markedly less than from using power tools at home or in the garden. Will the Government also be unilaterally prohibiting power tool use in the near future, as their newfound powers dawn on them?
We all accept staying mostly at home, keeping our distance from others, not congregating on beaches, or elsewhere, not driving a great distance to the beach and not swimming in surf or rough water. However for many older people, especially those with restricted mobility, swimming is one of the few forms of exercise available.
Monitor and manage the stuff that matters. I am well aware of the issues and safe, solo, shallow swimming is not one of them.
Andrew Gordon, Kohimarama.

Efforts praised

For every New Zealander, there are approximately 1600 people in the rest of the world. As of Sunday, we had one Covid-19 death, which on the above basis means that there should be about 1600 worldwide. There were in fact 59,000. That statistic speaks volumes for the efforts of all of us but especially the health providers, who - let's admit it - are not overfunded and are working in such difficult conditions. Amongst other factors, decades of campaigning against smoking is also clearly paying off in the fight against a lung-infecting virus. The big death numbers are mostly in heavy smoking countries.

Tony Sullivan, St Heliers.

Revolting habit

I am an early riser and enjoy sitting on my deck with a freshly brewed coffee.
In the last few weeks, many people have been out running before dawn breaks, the lights along the road making this an easy passage for running.
What I have observed is runners hoiking and spitting on the footpath, road and also the grass verges. This is by no means an odd number, this is often and mostly middle-aged European males.
This action revolts me and makes me very angry, given we are in lockdown.
A few hours later I see families out walking with their prams, children, dogs, and parents moving over to keep a two-metre distance out of respect for others and walking over some jerk's spit.
What a joke when our so-called educated adults get to spit in the street.
Erin Hogan, St Heliers.

Lifeline to sanity

Simon Wilson (NZ Herald, April 3) says it all regarding the loss of our iconic magazines, our "cultural and community treasures".
These have been oases of sanity, stability and quality in a teeming, and often shallow, electronic world of false news, look-at-me self-publicity, spiteful tweeting, and the proliferation of mischievous ideas.
At least I still have the pleasure of finding my weekday and Weekend Herald in the mailbox. Keep up the good work; it is needed more than ever now, a lifeline.
And thanks to the splendid people who deliver it at dawn, never missing a beat.
Anne Martin, Helensville.

Bearing truth

Thank you for being staunch enough to keep on publishing. Please don't stop keeping us in touch with the world and its people.
Thanks for not following the path of the shiny-covered magazines. You will have more readers than ever when you are the only believable written source.
I have always been loyal to the Herald - and the Listener - and newsprint can carry truth as well as shiny paper, so I guess you will have to carry the burden.
You will have a choice of great writers.
Diane Percy, Sandringham.

Short & sweet

On lockdown

The stalled economy could well do with a sensible and fair-minded return to operation for smaller businesses during the lockdown. Philip Parker, Pt Chevalier.

On isolation

Top of the pops this week: From a Distance by Bette Midler. P Salvador, Hobsonville.

On opinions

May I congratulate the PM and her Government for the great job they are doing so far in the Covid-19 crisis. I know they're doing a good job because Mike Hosking says they aren't. Richard Irwin, Te Atatu South.

On Listener

Could Sir Robert Jones be persuaded to buy the Listener? He could pen the editorials.
Peter Thomas, Hamilton.

On National

The National Party's leader's adulation of Scott Morrison points to the very strong probability that he would have taken his lead from Australia's actions if National had gained power. Thankfully, that has not occurred. Jack Linklater, Hamilton.

On 2020

Year 2020 AC - Anno Covid-19. The year of Covid-19 and the beginning of a new era.
Beth O'Loughlin, Parnell.

On footpaths

One welcome benefit of the lockdown is the disappearance of e-scooters. No scooters - lying across footpaths, scaring pedestrians and causing ACC claims. If only it could last.
Janie Weir, Newmarket.