There are voices in communities with messages that are never heard and there are many policies that could be made not to hinder but to help serve communities.
As an ordinary person now ageing, I have had many years to work and observe these two vital systems and have seen many wonderful ideas tossed aside for whatever reason.
It is time we forget politics and focus on joint ventures combining ingenuity, innovation and local knowledge to create a strong and beneficial system for every community and its people.
The old saying, “working together works” is more important than ever.
One only has to pick up a newspaper to see the outcomes of refusing to forgive, thinking our ideas are better, professional jealousies, not listening, power struggles and forgetting that sometimes the simplest ideas from simple community people may be the brightest gem.
Many wonderful initiatives in our community are changing lives, as in other communities. Let us all hope the people who make decisions for us are looking, learning and taking up the challenge of “working together works“.
Nona Aston
Look beyond wealth
Let’s create a world of abundance for everyone, where we reconnect with each other and our potential.
Addiction harms us, and while methamphetamine’s damage is obvious, excessive wealth can be equally harmful. Money, unlike meth, can be used in so many positive ways, but it must serve humanitarian efforts rather than rule over them.
Do we want a world where the pursuit of wealth sidelines generosity? Where financial outcomes are legislated rather than fostered by our shared values?
We assume there are enough resources to meet everyone’s basic needs, with some to spare if we share. Yet wealth and poverty remain starkly divided.
Political systems shelter wealth creation and those who benefit from it, sustaining an economic cycle where businesses and votes rely on growth.
To keep the economy afloat, we borrow and inject money – but by unsustainable methods, creating a house of cards.
Meanwhile, our environment is sacrificed for the “roar” of the economy.
If this continues, wealthy families will grow wealthier while poorer families are left behind, with wealth feeding itself. The power of money will continue to overshadow generosity and fairness.
The compass lies within each of us.
As “market north” yields to the “true north” of a generous spirit, we remember that we are a team.
True abundance requires each of us to look beyond wealth and towards a vision of humanity that includes everyone, not just those who can pay.
Jonathan Hansard
CO₂-driven climate change
It’s time to calm the horses on CO₂-driven climate change.
New research published in Communications Earth & Environment indicates no statistically significant warming surge since the 1970s, despite rising atmospheric CO₂ levels.
Researchers used changepoint models – statistical tools that detect shifts in data trends over time – on four global mean surface temperature records from 1850 to 2023.
They found a 53% increase in the warming rate, from 0.019C per year (1970-2012) to 0.029C per year (2013-2023), but this change was not statistically significant.
For it to be a true surge, the warming rate would need to reach 0.039C per year, or more than double the previous rate.
The study suggests that short-term temperature fluctuations may result from data “noise” or natural cycles like El Niño and La Niña, which can obscure or be mistaken for long-term climate shifts. As such, in my view, increasing CO₂ can’t be honestly claimed to be proven as a factor driving a dangerous increase in temperatures.
Iain Boyle
*(The study referenced in this letter was published in Communications Earth & Environment on October 14, 2024, under the title “A recent surge in global warming is not detectable yet”.)
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