We only need to consider the vastly greater harm, injury and deaths in our homes, communities, families and on roads that alcohol causes. Photo / file
We only need to consider the vastly greater harm, injury and deaths in our homes, communities, families and on roads that alcohol causes. Photo / file
Reining in alcohol industry
John Milnes (March 10) highlights the significant disparity between Harete Hipango's heavy-handed approach to the prospect of legalised cannabis and the kid-glove orientation of National, and indeed Labour, also in the lack of effective measures to rein in excessive alcohol consumption in our communities.
It seemsto be, for most political parties, more palatable to take the rather draconian stances with such things as smoking and cannabis, whose users don't have the political clout and where manufacturers don't have the same financial vested interests for governments that the alcohol lobby does.
The close ties between governments and big business are once again hampering efforts to make our communities better for all because no government has shown the courage to do what is clearly the right thing here.
The bold and courageous move by Jacinda Ardern in addressing the firearms issue needs to be repeated in a similar way in enacting effective measures such as banning alcohol advertising and limiting outlets.
For obvious justification for this, we only need to consider the vastly greater harm, injury and deaths in our homes, communities, families and on roads that alcohol causes compared to any loss of life or harm in our country caused by any terrorist activity.
Will there ever be a government displaying the sort of honesty, courage and integrity to address not only this issue, but many issues, including the survival of our planet? We are waiting ... but time is running out. PAUL BABER Aramoho
Venus brightens
Interesting happenings in the eastern, pre-dawn morning sky this coming week.
For most of the last month the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn have been about the same distance apart, and almost in the same position relative to the constellation of Scorpius, but this next week the order changes.
At 5am on March 15, the waning crescent moon will be close to the head of Scorpius, the only constellation that looks like its name. Not far from the moon, a bright orange star, Antares, the heart of the scorpion.
Interesting happenings in the eastern, pre-dawn morning sky this coming week. Photo / file
Following the trail of stars, it takes little imagination to visualise the body and tail of a scorpion.
Further east the red planet Mars, and close by the largest and brightest planet, Jupiter. Saturn is further east, and if you have an elevated sight it may be possible to see Mercury, close to the horizon.
By March 19, Mars and Jupiter will be very close to each other, with the moon next to Saturn.
Mars and Jupiter will have changed order by March 22.
The moon should still be visible as a fine crescent, low in the sky, close to the planet Mercury.
For the next couple of months, Venus, the only planet visible in the evening sky, will become even brighter as it swings closer to us in its journey around the sun.
I like following the movement of the planets. The story of how Tycho Brahe, before telescopes, made large accurate instruments that he used to map the stars and planets, and following his death Kepler, using Tycho's data, was able to prove that the planet Mars went around the sun in an elliptical orbit, fascinates me.
