Will bins be recycled?
Auckland Council says that only about 35% of households are using their food-scrap bins. There must be a higher usage in other areas, as less than 10% of households use the bins in our street.
It would appear that the scheme is a big failure, and councils around the country are beginning to reconsider.
The big question is, as I see it, will the food bins end up in the recycling bins or the general rubbish bins when they are dumped?
Bob Wichman, Botany.
Hunger and the homeless
Roger Laybourn’s letter Life on the street (May 12) brought back memories of my first time seeing begging on the street.
I was in London in 2000 and outside the entrance to Knightsbridge Station, across from Harrods, a young man was lying down holding a sign that said, ‘Homeless, please help’. It upset me, but in a conversation with the English friend I was with, I was told to get used to it, they’re everywhere.
Back in New Zealand, “begging” was becoming a common sight. At times, on Queen St, I stopped and asked if they were hungry. Their answer was always yes, so I bought them something nourishing.
A conversation I had with one young man has stayed in my mind. He said he’d just been released from prison and was desperate to haul himself out of the situation he was now in. Listening to him talk, and he spoke so well, maybe I was naive but I believed him. Yes, he was hungry and when I asked what he’d like to drink he answered, “Coffee with milk and two sugars, please.” Far more manners than many teenagers.
Hopefully, those who help street people came across him, and he was able to access the help he needed to lead a better life.
Lorraine Kidd, Warkworth.
Punishment for boy racers
It is very disturbing to read in your article on boy racers (May 12) that, according to the Government, when it came to vehicle forfeiture or destruction, " there will be some limited exceptions ... or if it would be manifestly unjust or cause extreme or undue hardship to do so".
It would appear that some offenders are going to be given the “green light” to commit offences and not face the consequences. These are the very people who should think twice about doing wheelies.
Anne Parsons, Pakuranga.
The value of work
There are some basic misunderstandings about the difference between pay equity and equal pay.
Doctors do and should receive the same salary regardless of gender.
However, the real question is should a nurse in a hospital be paid the same as a nurse in a medical centre. Gender does not come into this question. Rather, it is do they have equal tasks and responsibilities? If they do, they deserve the same salary. If not, then the salary can be different.
Likewise, is the nurse in a hospital more or less valuable to society than a policeman.
Your answer should then dictate how much the Government should pay these people.
The law change, although it seems to largely affect women, is not gender-specific and is not about equal pay based on gender, but about equality of pay based on the value of different occupations to society.
Mike Walker, Fordell.
Trump’s unexpected impact
In an ironic twist of fate, President Trump, a man who dismissed climate change as a hoax, may have unwittingly contributed to saving the planet.
Through the introduction of tariffs, Trump may have actually catalysed a slowdown in American over-consumption and labour exploitation.
Factories idled, supply chains faltered, and the carbon footprint shrank.
Contrast this with the tireless efforts of climate activists, who rally public support, lobby for policy changes, and promote sustainable lifestyles with minimal impact. Their actions are deliberate, principled, and rooted in science.
Trump’s impact, on the other hand, was collateral – accidental environmentalism through chaos.
It’s a strange comparison, but perhaps it’s a reminder that even the most unlikely figures can shape climate outcomes, though not always for the right reasons.
Jennifer Schierhout, Auckland.
