Letters to the editor: Virus an opportunity for humans to change ways

A reader suggests Covid-19 gives humans an opportunity to change our habits. Photo / AP

The pandemic threatening the planet is providing unknown challenges to the wellbeing of all its species, which are now facing an uncertain future compared with what was previously experienced and taken as normal.

It is known that nature has always tried to establish balance and I wonder whether Covid-19 is another example of this happening, but a much more comprehensive and necessary one.

History shows balance and equality has long been denied to so many of earth's species, including ours, mainly instigated by our species' greed for power, control, privilege, without fairness or concern for others - aspects of inherited survival/animal instincts, that blossomed when our potentials as human and social beings were progressively neglected.

This must have been occurring since the Ancient Greeks first recognised us homo sapiens as a human, social species.

Actions taken around the world to combat Covid-19 have altered people's roles, actions and behaviours to those more needed to reclaim and re-establish the critical human and social essentials so long neglected along with an acceptance of a need for change when this virus is conquered.

Is this the long-neglected opportunity for our species to also change the future for all species?

Hugh Hughes
Mount Maunganui

Clarity on city projects

After reading the letter from Mike Baker (April 16), I thought it would be worth clarifying a few points.

Tauranga City Council cannot borrow more because it is at its debt-to-revenue ratio and revenue is set to sharply decrease.

Projects, like any other contract, cannot just simply be stopped. I would imagine there would be significant costs to this.

As a city, we need to be ready to hit the ground running post lockdown and the council has a massive job of getting things moving so people can get or continue to be employed.
(Abridged)

Andrew Sommerville
Tauranga

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