To me, the most telling point in former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon's opinion piece "Australia must do its part and lift emissions-reduction commitments" (August 19, p24) is the lack of decisive climate change action from the federal government. Mr Ban notes the "insufficient" Paris agreement emissions target of a 26 to 28 per cent reduction on 2005 levels by 2030, and "the absence of a national zero-emissions target".
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The latter point refers to the Morrison government's deliberately vague aspiration to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions, "preferably" by 2050, despite all states and territories having made that commitment.
This is despite the alarming findings of the August 9 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which urges immediate, concerted and decisive action on emissions reduction.
The Morrison government must lift its game before November's Glasgow climate summit, lest Australia be pilloried as a global climate pariah.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Compassion deficit
What part of the words compassion and humanity does the Morrison government not understand about the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan?
Morrison's predecessors knew. Malcom Fraser with the fall of Saigon and Bob Hawke with the Tiananmen Square massacre. All the current prime minister does is put on his grave face and announce that Australia won't be able to help all the Afghans who worked for and with the Australians.
Meanwhile those Afghan refugees who are in Australia on a temporary protection visa can just sit it out while this inept government carries on about due bureaucratic processes.
Where are the humanitarian visas? They need to come into effect immediately. Rather than leading Morrison is displaying his usual reactive behaviour and attempting to retrospectively manage a situation that has escalated way beyond mere rhetoric.
It's an absolute disgrace and an abject failure of government.
Lexie Brans, Holt
Don't be nasty
Dianne Deane (Letters, August 18), you are giving people a very clear choice. And the thing missing in many letters to the editor is kindness.
Criticise policies by all mean, but please show some kindness to people in authority who are doing the best that they can. Attack the policy, not the person.
Unkind readers, how would you like to be in charge?
Do you have better ideas?
Brush of Wanniassa, Hudson of Mt Martha, McElligott of Nicholls, et al, if you think you're smarter than everyone else, I expect to see your names on the ballot papers at the next elections.
Lyn Armstrong, Scullin
Get behind Kim
Great news: Canberra constitutional expert Kim Rubenstein to run as an independent senate candidate.
To all of the letter writers to the CT who are frustrated by the poor representation of Zed you now have a chance to ensure he no longer represents the ACT. Go to www.kim4canberra.com.au and join to ensure the demise of Zed.
Brien Armstrong, Dunlop
Be the change
Anne O'Hara is right to point to the emissions savings we can all make in our households (Letters, August 17).
For homeowners in the transition period before electrification, solar panels, or a heat pump, a simple step is to offset the house and car. An online search reveals how and the cost is low.
But making lifestyle changes can be more effective and costs nothing. Birth control is easily number one. After that comes living without a car, taking fewer flights, buying green energy, and eating less red meat.
Because Australians have the second-largest per capita carbon footprint, we have the potential to make a significant contribution.
Because fossil fuel companies are the biggest emitters we should all put pressure on our local MPs to speed up the decarbonisation of our economy. Writing to your MP or newspaper has a bigger effect than you may think.
