Whanganui letters: Airport could take lead on climate emergency action

A reader suggests Whanganui Airport could close to aircraft and reduce its carbon footprint to zero. Photo / File

At last there is some action to our declared climate emergency, but not local. Hawke's Bay airport has developed initiatives to be carbon neutral by 2030 (Chronicle, May 4).

However they have retained hybrid vehicles and don't allow for emergencies such as fire engines and or ambulances. But their most relevant omission is the emissions released by aircraft. Globally aircraft emit a total of about 900 million metric tons of CO2 per year with 85 per cent being passenger aviation and 15 per cent in freight.

Whanganui Airport could take the lead by closing the airport to aircraft and thus reducing its carbon footprint to a genuine zero.

ROB THOMSON
Parapara

What's changed?

I suggest that Minister Little should hang a sign on the wall of his office where everyone can read it, especially himself.

The words will read:

"We trained very hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form into teams, we would get reorganised. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganising and a wonderful method it for creating the illusion of progress, while producing confusion, inefficiency and demoralisation." - Petronis Arbiter 210 BC, referencing life in the Roman Army.

Nothing much really changes!

DAVID BENNETT ONZM
Whanganui

Cease "racial bias"

I realise that the chances of any communication which has a less than favourable comment about tangata whenua in the Whanganui Chronicle is about the same as a snowflake landing on a hot barbecue and not melting.

However, when that newspaper publishes contentious reports or stories that appear to benefit a small portion of the national population to the detriment of a much larger portion of the "team of five million" one has to question why differing opinions are not permitted.

In today's Chronicle (May 3) we have a decision by the local DHB chief executive that Māori over 50 will take precedence over many others in getting "the jab" (News, Māori over 50 eyed for jab). Thank you very much Russell, I am more than 20 years older with an underlying chronic health problem but unfortunately I am non-Māori. (Ed's note: The article reported the DHB was "looking at reconsidering the vaccination age for Māori".)

In the same issue of the Chron, we have Judith Collins pilloried for suggesting that there is a "two systems" racial plan on the way. This is a fact that is undeniable, with several specific Māori organisations being proposed outside of the treatment of non-Māori ...

Perhaps it is time that those with the power to suppress comments questioning the privilege afforded to Māori issues and ideas take a long hard look at their responsibilities to their non-Māori readers and cease the racial bias that is currently being shown. [Abridged]

D PARTNER
Eastown

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