Re: Argument makes no sense (Dennis Horne, Times, June 28).
Mr Horne seems to have lost the plot. He starts with “[Ryan’s] position makes no sense”. But he doesn’t know my position, so cannot possibly know if it makes sense or not.
He pleads, “No more nonsense about Richard Feynmann”. While insulting Feynmann (and thinking people everywhere) by suggesting, “He never passed comment” is evidence of an opinion.
He advises “[Feynmann] did not write a paper”, when nobody said he did. Meanwhile, my “position” is irrelevant. And demanding that I explain it, a distraction.
I’d rather get back to addressing things that matter. Like the effectiveness of climate police and its effect on New Zealand citizens.
For example: New Zealand citizens generate less than 0.2 per cent of the world’s CO2.
Of that less than 0.2 per cent, when our entire ecosystem is considered, New Zealand “captures” more than 100 per cent. Our total carbon emissions are already “net-negative”.
At the same time, New Zealand is powerless to change the output of China and India against whom our emissions get lost in the statistical noise. But our politicians want us to do more.
Some argue that reducing emissions is doing the right thing, but is it? Is it right or sensible if it leaves us poorer but doesn’t measurably change anything, or protect us from others’ emissions?
Is there really nothing better we can do?
I have seen no climate policy coming from local or national government that achieves anything more than giving smug politicians an excuse to say, “look how good we are!”, while making life harder for the average Kiwi.
I have seen no climate policy that could possibly have a measurable impact on climate change or our preparedness for the prophesied climate emergency.
Perhaps when Mr Horne is over his weird obsession with trying to disprove a point I didn’t make, he can explain how raising petrol taxes for working-class New Zealanders is going to make a difference to the global climate.
Ryan Price
Half Moon Bay
