Letters to the Editor - 15th May 2008

May 15 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Better to be safe than sorry

ACCORDING to the press this week, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are now at their highest for 650,000 years – at least 100ppm higher than before the Industrial Revolution.

Many scientists reckon that the “point of no return” is likely to be 400ppm, above which there is likely to be a dangerous increase in extreme weather such as floods and droughts, and that we are only a few years away from hitting these levels.

In spite of this, there will probably still be people who simply refuse to believe that climate change is real.

Some people really need to wake up and realise we can't carry on the way we are doing – it isn't just politicians who need to stop burying their heads in the sand; plenty of ordinary people need to stop being so blind, too.

Unfortunately, even if you can persuade some people that climate change is real, persuading them to take action is bordering on impossible.

They think that making sacrifices to reduce emissions is a good idea until you suggest that they personally do it.

It's no good moaning that the USA and China aren't doing anything either – at the end of the day, we have to set an example.

No doubt, some people will dismiss this as media hype or whatever.

Well, a lot of things may be media hype, but this is one where we simply can't afford to take that chance.

Even if the warnings about climate change are too pessimistic, there's no disputing the fact that we do not have unlimited resources of fossil fuels – hence, it's better to be safe than sorry.

If the scientists are wrong about climate change, then by reducing emissions we will at least have improved air quality and prolonged the availability of fossil fuels.

If they're right, we may have just prevented a major disaster – is that not a win-win situation?

Philip Ion, Greasby

No apologies

I CAN assure D White (Letters, Daily Post, May 13) that I shall continue to write letters to the paper to air my opinions and I have no intention of leaving Liverpool.

Concerning the town of Kirkby, I was not attacking the town but pointing out that, by turning away investments, the town will never be able to grow out of Liverpool’s shadow.

As for Liverpool politics, I make no apology for my previous remarks.

The council chamber, judging from reports in the Daily Post, does absolutely no favours for Liverpool.

We have failed on one project after another.

Admittedly, there is the odd success but constant fighting and squabbling between the parties results in more failures.

I hate to say it but Manchester shows how we should proceed. Co-operation rather than constant confrontation is the way to suc- cess. The current state of Liver-pool politics lets the city down.

KH Shepherd, L18

Learning time

I SEE colleges are concerned that rising fees are causing adults to shy away from attending courses. I would suggest the problem is more fundamental than that. Time.

There are many things I would love to be able to do in the evening, but have little or no chance of fitting it in.

Many companies feel free to change working patterns willy- nilly, making it difficult for staff to engage in regular activities, and if you add to the time public transport takes to get you home and organising all the activities children inevitably want to do after school, particularly if both parents are working, it is nigh on impossible for us to fit anything in. and, frankly, if there is a spare slot, it is a rare opportunity to sit down for a moment’s peace or to catch up on a book.

I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking any extra learning in my life won’t happen until I am retired.

We could have the brightest and best-educated wrinklies and coffin dodgers in the world, but will anyone want to listen to our wisdom? No, thought not.

M Stewart, Wavertree (via e-mail)

Clearing litter

I SEE someone else hates litter in Liverpool (Letters, Daily Post, May 13). I always smile, and cringe remembering Bill Bryson’s travel books; all he said about Liverpool was it was great because it always had a litter festival on!

Written some years ago, it rings true today.

I arrive each day through the side entrance to Central Station, the scene barely changes and consists of trodden-in gum, glass, litter shoved in the air vents of the adjacent building and, more often than not, blood and snot from the recent weekend’s fights. Welcome.

I sometimes think I should advise the homeless person who sells magazines each day there to have a binbag and litter picker and keep his “patch” clean, that way the public might see him doing something constructive and support him though purchases.

Will it happen? Not in my lifetime and not in Liverpool. I can’t wait to say goodbye to the place.

AB, via email

Clean beaches

IT IS lovely to get some nice weather and take the children to the beach, but I was immensely saddened by how many people don’t feel any responsibility to keep their environment clean.

After Sunday, Formby beach was a sea of plastic bags, bottles, crisp bags and even the odd nappy.

Talk about the “me” generation.

So many people are not giving a single thought to who might be coming after them, who, or whether anyone might pick it up or what shore it might be washed up on.

Considering the reports in the press about people being prosecuted for chucking away an apple core, none of the litter droppers seemed troubled by the presence of the police tooling about on beach buggies.

The irony is that, whenever these people head back to the beach, the last spot they want to occupy would be one liberally scattered with other people’s detritus.

S Kelly, Crosby

Hope it works

I HOPE I’m not being too cynical – but is Warren Bradley serious about his suggestion, reported in Wednesday’s Daily Post, for the reintroduction of 1950s-style milk bars as a measure for disenchanted young people? Although I have grave doubts about whether this generation of teenagers would be attracted to milk and soft drinks’ bars in old pubs, I hope it works.

Post-war youth culture really began in milk and frothy-coffee bars in the 1950s. As Cllr Bradley says, most of them had jukeboxes.

Their real appeal, though, was that they were places where teenagers could go and enjoy themselves, free from adult interference.

It has to be admitted that times have changed so much that this country is barely recognisable from the one of 50 years ago.

But teenagers still like their own music. Strangely enough, there are from time to time reports of a skiffle revival, because it is so easy to play. Despite my reservations, I wish Bradley good luck with this idea.

Robert Tuner, Widnes

Changing times

SO WARREN BRADLEY wants to go “back to basics” and bring back 1950s-style milk bars in derelict pubs (Daily Post, May 14).

I know Cllr Bradley is desperately clinging to power and trying to regain support within his own party, but, while I applaud his thinking, this idea seems a bit naive.

The 1950s were a much simpler time, and today is a unfortunately vastly different.

I honestly cannot see my children and their friends congregating in them and drinking milkshakes like their 1950s predecessors did.

In this day and age, there are just too many other distractions for them.

I can see the logic behind the idea, and think we have to make better use of the derelict pubs in the city, but this simply won’t work.

C Jones, Allerton

Sad state of society

I WAS absolutely appalled to read that homeowners will soon be able to buy “Asbo packs” to learn whether the house they are considering buying might be in an anti-social hotspot (Daily Post, Page three, May 14).

While it is very inventive of this company Asbodata to come up with this idea, how sad is it that we now live in a society where people are so scared of their neighbours that they are prepared to get a survey done on them?

Your letter writer yesterday was absolutely correct when they said the Clockwork Orange days are upon us.

MNW, Wavertree

Embryo research

THE report in the Daily Post, May 13, stated that Crosby MP Claire Curtis-Thomas is leading the charge against controversial legislation to widen the scope of embryo research.

Ms Curtis-Thomas is most highly qualified in engineering, and has also gained a Ph.D in business.

If she has doubts about genetic engineering, then we should all be concerned.

Now is the time for a serious public debate about the morality of embryo research and not for forcing through legislation at the behest of people who have a vested interest in it.

AJ Leek, L23

Fine examples

THE mother of the recently murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen nobly said that she felt no anger as that was the prevalent emotion of her son’s killers.

I wonder if Mrs Mizen’s response made any other readers recall Gee Walker, who likewise felt sorry for the parents of the youths who killed her son.

In the same year, Abigail Witchell lost much of her mobility following a thug’s attack and publicly expressed wholehearted forgiveness.

These three women are devout Christians, fine examples of their faith’s power in an increasingly secular society.

J Exley, Aigburth