US climate envoy disingenuous on future emissions reductions

Kerry was disingenuous; he was trying to divert attention from the US's unconscionable conduct on greenhouse gas emissions. While many major economies should stretch, the US has by far the greatest obligation to do so.

Three nations dominate in the output of carbon dioxide emissions: China, US, and India. These nations, with about 40 per cent of the world's population, together produce over half its greenhouse emissions (China 30 per cent, the US 15 per cent and India seven per cent).

The US's per capita emissions are twice those of China, and eight times those of India. The US should reduce its per capita emissions to well below those of China.

A sensible solution would be for the US to reduce its pollution by two thirds by imposing massive taxes on US polluters, and to use those taxes to provide renewable energy to India and other poor nations. The US's extremely high standard of living would fall dramatically, but so it should: that standard exists largely because the US has been monstrously polluting the atmosphere without paying to do so.

There are some other villains. Of the top 30 polluters only Canada, Australia and Saudi Arabia have per capita emissions comparable to those of the US. Those countries should also dramatically reduce emissions.

Don't wait for Summernats. Come to Kingston now. Bring the family.

Watch the high powered big brand cars as they fly through the 40km/h speed zones using the speed humps as launch pads.

Be deafened by the huge motor bikes as they roar around.

Fight your way along the Kingston foreshore through dog poo and cyclists who ignore the "cyclists dismount" signs.

All the thrills and spills for free.

What a delight for families this long weekend with the great weather and an easing of restrictions.

Lockdown in 2021 has been especially tough on families, with added concern around an increase in COVID-19 cases in children. So it was a welcome relief that we could get out and start enjoying ACT's nature reserves once again.

As we begin adjusting to these new freedoms, it is timely to remember that there are families in the world who continue to live with other highly infectious viruses such as polio which mainly affects children.

Let us all keep working towards the same freedoms, and making the complete eradication of polio a critical priority in global health.

Mark Kenny deplores McDonald's passing responsibility for its packaging onto the public ("McDonald's in Australia: 50 years of fast food and slow litter", canberratimes.com.au, September 30).

This isn't new. Waste creation and disposal has long been an issue. In my earlier Sydney days, councils encouraged public tidiness by providing numerous garbage bins in public places, and by emptying and disposing of their contents.

In time, with neoliberal thinking dictating cost-cutting across governments, the bins were removed. The rationale was that we as individuals should take our rubbish home and put it into our house bins.

Predictably, that refusal to recognise the frailties of human nature resulted in streets and public places littered with food and drink packaging. Evidence of this is today clearly visible in our cities.

The other side of this issue is to reduce waste volumes by reforming the packaging industry.

There was a time in Sydney when a purchased bottle of Millers Beer, when consumed, could be returned multiple times for refilling.

There is a move today for coffee addicts to permanently own their mugs rather than leave behind a piece of used cardboard each time they consume.

This principle of reusable containers is not new; some places having had container deposit schemes for many years.

But enter Coles, Woolies, et al, who offer plastic pre-wrapped food, which when opened is totally useless for reuse, becoming simply a huge plastic disposal problem.

Governments, if they wished, could mandate the use of reusable containers together with an option to purchase fresh food using your own reusable containers.

Their failure to do so may be evidence of the power of the packaging industry.

My partner was admitted to the Canberra Hospital on Thursday, September 23 for an urgent medical procedure on Friday and discharged that afternoon.

On Saturday we were advised we needed to isolate and be tested for COVID-19 as two men in the same ward had returned positive results.

My partner has been visited daily by the Community Nursing Service to tend to his wound. Since then, there have been two nurses attending our place because we are in isolation, this is to ensure COVID-19 compliance for the benefit of all of us.

I cannot begin to thank ACT Health and our territory government for the calibre of his medical attention. We are fortunate to live in a jurisdiction with a first-class service.

Gladys Berejiklian's resignation has prompted a veritable blizzard of asinine, egregiously self-serving claptrap from conservative politicians predictably seeking to discredit the NSW ICAC (and prevent it from doing its essential work) as well as to undermine the concept of a worthwhile federal counterpart.

Presumably, this is because they are of the pro-corruption faction.

I've said this before and I'll repeat the same words now which are often used to bludgeon voters into meekly accepting draconian national security legislation: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

Draw your own conclusions about why politicians want to avoid scrutiny.

The Canberra Times reported Chief Minister Barr calling for "hundreds of millions" in federal funds to avoid a looming crisis in the ACT's hospitals (October 3, p5).

Has it occurred to him that by cancelling further waste on the tram he could save billions, meaning we would have all the money needed for a world-class health system in Canberra?

And, after fixing the hospitals, that saving would still leave enough left over to have more battery-powered buses than would be needed in the foreseeable future.

Also, rather than service a narrow corridor along a fixed rail system, electric buses in a range of sizes could be diverted anywhere at any time as commuter demand emerges.

Unfortunately the real reason for ACT trams has nothing to do with transport efficiency or economics. It is the price the Greens demand to keep Labor in government.

It's probably for the best that Ian Morison has ceased practising law (Letters, October 5). All his examples of lack of "clarity and certainty" in the Paris Agreement seem to be nothing of the sort: they are just matters in which he disagrees with philosophy, such as exemptions for developing countries and a lack of exemptions for cold countries.

It would have far less "clarity and certainty" if, as he proposes, it linked the emissions reductions to variables such as the sunspot cycle and climate observations that change from year to year.

Let's buy fewer submarines, and continue the COVID-19 support payments until we're back to normal. Let's buy fewer submarines, and invest in the public health systems. Let's buy fewer submarines and fully fund aged care.

Let's buy fewer submarines and lower the Medicare levy and update all the Medicare rebates. Let's buy fewer submarines and properly fund the PBS. Let's buy fewer submarines and pay front-line health workers a reasonable wage.

Let's buy fewer submarines and fully fund the NDIS. Let's buy fewer submarines and properly fund public education. Let's buy fewer submarines and properly fund transition to net zero carbon emissions.

Or, let's buy no submarines at all and try measured diplomacy instead. Now there's a worthwhile legacy to leave our children and grandchildren.

Congratulations to Melbourne on claiming the title of the world's most locked down city. Well done, tough and resilient Melbournians. If it wasn't for the weather I would move there.

Would Australia be as embarrassed as France apparently is if France, the UK and the USA had got together to preserve their nuclear club under its obvious nickname? Or would we just deserve it?

Scott Morrison might be the Australian Prime Minister, but on the world stage he is a minnow. That unknown man from Down Under, lacking ideas to add to the big picture and not to be taken seriously. Whether or not he goes to the Glasgow climate conference, Australia will be remembered as that "coal hole" between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

When Canberra was thrown back into pandemic chaos I was shocked to learn how many essential workers, from nurses to hospital cleaners, live across the border due to ridiculously high rents.

They've since been faced with bizarre hurdles to get to and from work. We're a fantastically progressive city on social issues. On material issues it's every Canberran for themselves.

What a surprise to hear John Howard piping up to publicly back Dominic Perrottet for NSW premier. As we all know from the iCare scandals, public maladministration, financial debacles and jobs for political mates would be safe under his leadership. It's amazing how predictably birds of the radical right flock together.

Morrison's cabinet appointment promotions speak volumes about his moral compass. ("Key PM allies promoted in ministerial reshuffle", October 2, p16).

M. Flint ("Buses make more sense", Letters, October 3) appears to think our public transport is for efficient transport. Everyone knows the absolute priority is to give Shane Rattenbury his tram, whatever the inconvenience or cost.

I thought the feds had finally seen the light, but then I re-read the headline ("New intelligence minister ...", October 5, p7). No, not "intelligent" - but that would be in short supply anyway.

The rich clearly are not good citizens. That's despite their occasional claims to the contrary which, in themselves, are a bit rich.

I am puzzled. An article in The Canberra Times said Mr Perrottet had "... put his hand in the ring". Is he a leper or is it a mixed metaphor? My spellcheck wants to change "Perrottet" to "trotter". I hope pork barrelling isn't involved.