A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Opinion
My latest contribution stemmed from a direct question to me after my “Climate change No.1 issue” letter of September 8, expressing the importance of voting only for GDC candidates with strong climate change commitment in next month's election. Gordon Webb asked what I meant by climate change commitment, and I
pushed the theme of “The die had already been cast” (September 13 letter).
Strangely, within hours of publication two hopeful candidates came at me online, neither of them committing to climate action if elected.
Number 1 respondent Peter Jones sees no fault in our present high energy-dependent lifestyles. Previously he was one of three unsuccessful candidates at the last election to say “no” to my question of supporting climate commitment and calling a climate emergency if elected. Here he confirms no change of heart.
Number 2 respondent Dennis Pennefather asks how the future will look in 10 years if we “dive straight into ‘carbon neutral' ”, and “just who we will have ‘saved' the planet for”.
I add to my previous reply, it's already a bit late to save the planet at any pace, the way we're heading, simply because we are going the wrong way. I have just produced two examples of 60 years of warnings ignored, and there are lots more. The way and methods humanity has chosen takes us further away from, not closer, to a survivable planet. If confused, please reread my two recent letters referred to above.
