Whanganui letters: We must start thinking of self-sufficiency

Think laterally, think upside down .... create a new civilisation. And remember that climate change is still the greatest threat to life on earth. Photo / file

We must start thinking of self-sufficiency

Re; the recycling story (Chronicle, November 16); As with many other activities, we must start thinking of self-sufficiency. Even with a successful (Covid-19) vaccine, it will take months if not years for the world to return to anything like "normal".
I have seen the empty shops, four at a time both sides of the main street, in Hawera.
And in Whanganui on the side streets, and some in Victoria Avenue. In New Zealand's main cities, people are shopping in the suburbs or online. It is not only the businesses closing, but the landlords with no rent. Put the homeless in the shops? Bring back glass milk bottles. And the milkman with an electric van. Or even a horse again, at least the horse knew where to stop.
Think laterally, think upside down... create a new civilisation. And remember that climate change is still the greatest threat to life on earth.
SARA DICKON
Foundation member of Sustainable Whanganui

Polluted fish

We are polluting our oceans with plastic, other rubbish, plus the big city's sewage, to such an extent the plastic and nylon fibers are invading the bodies of the fish we eat.
Plankton in our oceans play a very large part in producing our oxygen stocks. Satellite images show a huge increase in oxygen bubbling too the surface when there has be a flood and the silt/nutrients feed the bacteria in the plankton.
Sewage free of rubbish probably does more good than harm to the oceans, it feeds the plankton and plenty of plankton means plenty of fish.
Scientists believe the increase of whales on the west coast of America is growing the plankton which is leading to the increase of fish stocks there.
The farming community are taking a lot of stick for allowing silt/nutrients into our water ways and are regularly fined for letting a bucketful escape, yet our cities pour tonnes of sewage and plastic into the waterways and it is accepted.
I suppose that's the power of the people. The cities are the big guns and to make out they are doing something attack the little guy.
London has collection ponds in their storm water systems to catch the rubbish so it does not pollute. When are our cities going to accept that they are the polluters and spend some money, doing something about it, they will probably say it's too big, the Government will have to fund it.
GARTH SCOWN
Whanganui

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