Letters: Refinery closure, carbon farming, Russia, Covid death, and rubbish

Marsden Pt Oil Refinery will become a fuel import-only terminal from April this year. Photo / John Stone, File

Opinion

Fuelling fears
NZ Refining is about to shut down our only production facility for fossil fuels and is turning Marsden Point into a storage terminal for imported fuels. This decision is purely made on commercial grounds by the shareholding oil companies. It will bring about also the demise of the only two domestic oil tankers serving our coastal trade. As of this month, we will entirely become dependent on petroleum products being shipped from refineries in Korea, Japan or Singapore. Without a continuous maritime supply chain of foreign tanker vessels, the country would come to standstill within two weeks.
Up until last week, such a bleak scenario could have been called alarmist and farfetched. But our paradigms have shifted when the Russian leader put the threat of a global nuclear war on the table, should he feel cornered by his perceived enemies.
It is the role of the Government to safeguard against the most existential threats by ensuring that indispensable infrastructure remains onshore. What is our Government's stance and action on this matter of life and death?
Robert Weber, Devonport.

Urgent rethink
I agree with your correspondent Nigel Bufton (NZ Herald, March 4) about the lack of discussion regarding the closure of Marsden Point Oil Refinery.
The current invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and the impact it is having on oil supplies and prices globally bring into question the continued validity of MBIE's original advice to the Government, "that closure of the refinery would not put our oil supplies in danger".
The Government must require MBIE to urgently review its original advice against the now developing global situation. Until that review is completed the Government must call for a stop to the decommissioning of the refinery function at Marsden Point.
Peter Kelly, Glendene.

Emissions scheme
Two letters (NZ Herald, March 3) refer to the latest report from the IPCC and the failure of current mitigation measures to be effective in reducing global emissions.
Fundamental to such failure are politically driven initiatives that render most efforts impotent.
The emissions trading scheme is a prime example of this folly. The major polluters of the world can continue their operations by offsetting their output with the purchase of carbon credits. This often involves the acquisition of land elsewhere for the planting of trees. We have already experienced corrupt outcomes from this in New Zealand with productive farmland being lost to "carbon farming".
The analogy has already been aired that the ETS makes as much sense as someone dropping litter in Kaitāia in the hope that someone will pick up the equivalent amount of litter in Timaru.
George Williams, Whangamatā.

No harbour
If the Government wishes to get serious in displaying our nation's distaste at Russia's invasion of Ukraine, then it should ban all Russian-flagged ships from New Zealand ports. This needs to include fishing vessels as well as cargo ships. While this may be seen as purely a symbolic gesture, if other nations follow suit then it could eventually paralyse Russian shipping.
A previous Labour Government arbitrarily banned nuclear-powered and armed vessels from New Zealand waters. With this precedent in mind, there is accordingly no reason whatsoever why the current Labour Government cannot ban Russian-flagged ships from our ports.
Murray Dear, Hamilton.

Success factors
The March issue of the scientific journal Scientific American is devoted to the progress of managing the Covid pandemic over the past two years. The journal specifically notes the outstanding success story of two nations in coming to grips with this pandemic, namely New Zealand and Taiwan. This success is attributed to two factors. Firstly caring governments, and secondly, the development and enaction of sound health policies. We should all be grateful for this approach, notwithstanding the difficulties in everyday life that have occurred. Our exceptionally low Covid death rate merits celebration. It is worth noting that these two leading countries have female leaders.
Ivan Erceg, Hobsonville.

Bare cheek
Who is it discarding masks into the sea, waterways, gutters, bush, etc?
I don't think it's we oldies who are accused of having ruined the planet for the next generation.
Back in the day, it would have been more than our life was worth to drop litter.
Glennys Adams, Oneroa.

Waste line
Thanks to Jon Addison (NZ Herald, March 4) for highlighting the proposed higher rates for waste management in the Franklin, Waitakere, and North Shore areas.
When the former North Shore Council introduced "pay as you throw" collection in 1990, the amount of waste to landfill dropped by 42 per cent within months.
In recent years, nearly 50 per cent of the population has turned to buying the cheaper bags from a private company.
Seemingly, Auckland Council is dealing with its opposition by eliminating it.
Jan O'Connor, Hauraki.

Good policing
Having been scathing of the police failure to prevent protesters from walking across the Auckland Harbour Bridge last weekend, I am compelled to redress the balance by saying how impressed I was at the police action to finally bring the protest to an end in Wellington. It showed excellent planning, and it was very well executed by professional and restrained officers, some of whom would probably have been raw recruits. I congratulate them on a job very well done.
Peter Brooks, Mairangi Bay.

Not laughing
It appears Christopher Luxon does have a sense of humour. He says everybody who works hard can buy a house.
Has he forgotten the thousands of good decent workers who lived in cars/garages and tents while their bosses fought "tooth and nail" to pay rock bottom wages, as those same bosses went out and bought themselves seven houses?
The PM of Ukraine was a comedian; Luxon doesn't even come close. Paula Wagstaff, Pt Wells.

Tax origins
Perhaps because Christopher Luxon is new to the political scene, he may not be aware how the fuel tax came about. As Auckland Council needed money for transport improvements, there were three choices - rates rise, congestion charges, or a fuel tax. With rates already high and congestion charges requiring infrastructure to implement the choice was for a fuel tax. It required legislation to be legal - it was not a case of a government decision. A fuel tax gives some incentive to drive less, car-pool or use public transport so that the roads are less congested for those who must drive. If it is repealed council is most likely to implement a rates rise as the city centre is in enough strife without a congestion charge. The average person will be no better off. The congestion problem will remain.
If he really wished to help those on lower incomes he would make the first 10 -15 per cent of income tax-free and raise the top level to compensate. The well-off are unlikely to vote against National while he may get some other votes he is clearly looking for.
P. Belsham, Mt Albert.

False negatives
I didn't expect Australian PM Scott Morrison to be the one to verify the point of my letter (NZ Herald, March 3) – that RATs are seriously inaccurate. On that same day, the Herald reported Morrison had Covid-19, in spite of a negative RAT result two days before – a "false negative" in fact. (Which is the problem with RATs – 47 per cent of all negative results are "false".)
So he must have been "infected, but undetected" for at least 48 hours after his RAT. How many close contacts did he have in that time?
Heightened symptoms then led him to get a proper PCR test, which came back positive.
So, 47 per cent "false", in numbers of people, means that, for every 1,000,000 (1 million) who test negative with a RAT, for 470,000 of these this will actually be a "false negative" - i.e they will actually be positive.
That's an awful lot of people walking around "infected, but undetected".
Clyde Scott, Birkenhead.

Short & sweet

On Russia
It would be very interesting to know whether any New Zealand firms are still doing business with anyone clearly operating under Putin's dictatorship. Stan Jones, Hamilton.

On protesters
Blimey! And we thought the unruly English tourists were a nasty bunch. Renton Brown, Pukekohe.

To control a protest, better to "draw your line in the sand" early on. It's very difficult after the tide has come in, and you're are up to your knees in water. A J Hill, Glendowie.

On Luxon
At last a choice between Labour's economics of envy and logical policy. Steve Dransfield, Karori.

National Party is offering tax cuts. What's next? Get tough on crime? C C McDowall, Rotorua.

I heard that he once ran an airline. That figures. The policies are like airline food - bland, reheated, and uninspiring. Nicer for those in first class, though. Ken Taylor, Māngere.

The Premium Debate

Israel tries to mediate over Ukraine

"Israel cannot afford to anger President Vladimir Putin." If that had been the case, Israeli air force planes would not have purposely hidden in the radar shadow of an Ilyushin 20 (IL-20) surveillance plane, ultimately leading to its accidental shooting down by Syrian air defence forces in 2018. That incident left a very bitter taste in the mouth of Russia's relationship with Israel. Geoff B.

I don't think Mr Bennett is going to achieve much. Nato, with the UN's backing, needs to give Russia a warning. They will enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine if the Russians don't allow humanitarian corridors. Time for US and Europe to stand up to Putin. Wallace M.

That would spread the war to Western Europe as Russian missiles would hit the Nato air bases in Western Europe and other infrastructure. Putin has definitely said that would happen, so Nato isn't going there. Hector B.

Interesting enough, Israel's intervention may provide Putin with an avenue where he isn't directly losing face with US/Nato. It could be his only means of reprieve. Rory B.

Israel's efforts to mediate are very welcome. This bloody invasion is becoming more of a war between Russia and the US/Nato (who are sending arms to Ukraine and trying to crash Russia's economy). We don't know Putin's state of mind. But he is unlikely to accept the destruction of Russia's economy without exacting a toll on the US and Nato. Slowing Russia's oil and gas exports is one way - damaging both European economies and killing Biden at the polls. Let's not mention the nukes. Anything Israel and France can do to shorten this stupid war deserves our support. Apelu R.