Letters: Fears and frustrations of responding to climate change

The hopes, fears and frustrations of responding to climate change have been highlighted this week, a reader says. Photo/File.

Climate change

I was pleased to see Rachel Stewart's article on climate change in the paper (Opinion, October 17), highlighting the lack of response to the IPCC report. She rings the changes on the hopes, fears and frustrations of responding to climate change.

This is just another of those "last opportunity" calls that have been issued for decades now.

However, that does not detract from the fact that droughts and storms are increasing, ice is disappearing, and the sea level is rising, and predictions getting increasingly horrific.

There is all sorts of good news that technologies and policies are developing, but real questions about whether it is fast enough.

Stewart's solution of giving it away, and focusing on enjoying what you have of life sounds very attractive, just as long as you can ignore the worries about the future that your young ones will be facing.

Gray Southon
Tauranga

Degrees do matter

I also was an early 1970's beginning primary teacher with only a Trained Teachers Certificate.

However, I did have a couple of university units from Massey and worked for my Higher Diploma of Teaching.

I would have put more effort into gaining a full degree but advice at the time was that "teachers don't need a degree". It was advice that I should have ignored.

Ten years later I was near the top of the salary scale, and when pay parity came along, the teachers' colleges offered various courses to add another year of training to make the four-year degree requirement. So I did.

No salary cap for me to whinge about. The extra study I undertook opened my eyes and ears to vastly new and developing curriculum and technology requirements with a primary focus on subject knowledge. It was not the same old, same old everything as Eileen Gilmour writes (Letters, October 17).

Later on, to future proof my job, I decided to pursue my master's degree. There was no big salary jump, but my increased job satisfaction helped me to stay in the profession and successfully compete for the jobs I wanted both in New Zealand and overseas.

Those "golden age" teachers who reckon nothing changes in the profession have to stop deluding themselves. A higher teaching degree can make an enormous difference.

A G Stewart
Pyes Pā.

Barkes Corner
In April, when the mall opens at The Crossing, there will be a significant increase in the amount of traffic through Barkes Corner, and I'm sure the majority will want to get there safely.

The NZTA needs to look ahead. It is a fact that with the present system there will always be accidents and the traffic is confrontational as it is.

All the more reason to have a completely normal traffic light system in place as Tony Wahren (Letters, October 16) and Rosemary Rodger (Facebook comments, October, 15) have written. Some of the system is already in place after all.

A.Palmer
Tauranga

Bellingcat Investigative Group

Your newspaper ran an article (September 28) about one of the Skripal poisoning suspects.

The article leans heavily on information provided by the supposedly independent investigative group, Bellingcat, a group the western press seems to have a love affair with.

But do your homework on Bellingcat. Founded by Englishman Eliot Higgens who appears vehemently anti-Russian, the group now boasts a handful of fulltime paid staff and a host of volunteers.

This plus the office they work from, all costs a lot of money. No problem. A number of sympathetic western organisations support them. Among others, they have received funding from Google and the OSF, a grant making organisation founded by George Soros.

Bellingcat has reported on and disseminated misinformation on the downing of MH17, the supposed use of chemical weapons in Syria and the recent Skripal poisoning saga but to name a few events. Bellingcat appears to be no more than a tool of Western interests.

Ian Lucas
Welcome Bay