Atomic weapons, Letters 17 December 2011

The Bay of Plenty Times welcomes letters and comments from readers. Here you can read the letters we have published in your newspaper today.

Get both sides to disarm

Why all this fuss about Iran allegedly getting an atomic bomb?

Israel has atomic weapons, including missiles.

Instead of forcing Iran why not just get Israel to surrender theirs and all would be well.

The Americans are mad keen to have a go in Iran, using the same trumped up charges about atomic weapons.

We already got into a mad war against Iraq on these baseless charges, in fact every reason the US gave, 20 in all, turned out to be a lie. What we are doing up there I know not, but sooner out the better.

Why Israel and not Iran? Well, it is a well-known fact that these countries are much better able to absorb the death of their families, and, beside, Israel is mostly white isn't it?

Charles Purcell, Tauranga

Waste of power

About 200 nations have just ended meeting in Durban to try to formulate policies to prevent man-induced atmospheric changes from reaching catastrophic levels.

Vastly increased use of energy through industrialisation over the last 150 years - chiefly via the use of fossil fuels - is largely to blame. Even NZ with its hydro, geo-thermal and wind-powered generation still relies on coal-fired Huntly for a portion of its electrical energy generation.

With some island nations already in danger of inundation from rising sea-levels due to global warming, isn't it time any unnecessary, extravagant use of energy was curtailed?

Surely, the present publicity and inducement offered to participants in the "Christmas Lights 2011 Trail", must be entirely contrary to what we should be doing in regard to energy consumption - if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided.

Eddie Orsulich, Otumoetai

Stop moaning

B Pearson - as far as I can tell all people who enrolled to vote were given a list of polling booths and addresses.

Since most were on the main roads, I do not understand why it is the Bay of Plenty Times' fault that there were no maps. How about looking in the front of the White Pages?

To N McKay - why should the tax of alcohol be raised? The money only goes to the Government and not to the places where it would be of use.

Plus why should the rest of us have to pay a small fortune to have a glass of wine each night for a few that have problems?

To the people who moaned about having to cross the road because of dirty smoke: boo hoo.

While it is legal, you do not have the right to dictate whether people should be smoking in their cars or homes, plus the law is passed so people do have to smoke outside pubs.

To the cyber bullying - why is it always the schools that have to fix the problems?

Surely this cyber bullying goes on outside of school time too, so are you going to blame the schools over Christmas.

(Abridged)

Kay ThomasTauriko

Out on a limb

What an absurd statement Councillor Murray Guy makes, with regard to the proposed removal of the cypress tree outside the Sharp Tudhope Building in Devonport Rd (News, Dec 14).

Any contribution to the community, in whatever shape or form, by any individual, or business, should be just that. A gift.

For Mr Guy to say "This tree has got to go, the contribution made by Sharp Tudhope over the years is more than any old cypress tree by a thousand fold", makes for sad reading indeed.

Mr Guy, your comments are pathetic and not worthy of another place at the next local election.Viv SowerbyGreertonPlenty of newsThere was plenty to write about this year when sending Christmas greetings overseas. The terrible earthquakes in Christchurch, the Pike River Mine disaster, the kiwifruit industry disease and the container ship grounding which leaked oil.

Luckily the people here are very resilient and it was good to have hosted the Rugby World Cup in Auckland which gave the country the boost it needed.

There was another article of interest reported earlier in the year and that was the sighting of a UFO over the Maungatapu/Welcome Bay area. Star-gazing the Southern Cross and Matariki constellations during recent months alerted me to the appearance of a new star - one that moved. By the time I had a witness, it had vanished. Ignoring the sideways glances of a tele-watching, curtains-pulled neighbourhood I continued to search.

Like the first sighters, I believed in what I had seen. Whether over the rainbow or under the radar one day there will be a flying object in our sky, identifiable and welcome because we have wanted it to happen for a long time - wish I could have been here.

A very happy but less stressful new year.

Win Poole, Maungatapu