Letters to the Editor

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

19 Dec, 2022

 

A Christmas basting

My wife’s ex-husband cannot be accused of not being generous. One Christmas he bought the family the traditional turkey. It was part of a deal – we cook his turkey and in exchange he would provide us with one also.

The cooking took place a few days before Christmas Eve, and the birds were put overnight on the bench to cool. In the morning my wife yelled in discussed concern: a cat had eaten a hole in the breast of the bigger turkey. Panic ensued, but an idea was at hand. I took my scalpel and made a circular incision around the hole, then with great care cut an exact copy piece from the smaller turkey, and using some thick fat from the bird I glued the new piece into place. A wee while later, we basted it and put it on a tray for delivery.

In the meantime we waited with bated breath for a report about the Christmas party. Then a few days afterward we received a big thank you, and some wine, and we were told the turkey tasted delicious. Everyone, including the cat, had a great Christmas dinner.

 

Bevan Lawrence

Mangawhai

 

 

 

Climate change bias

I am writing with reference to the weekly articles by The Climate Chap. While his commitment to the environment appears to be sincere, his articles present a biased and unsubstantiated perspective that is not balanced by any sort of counterpoint. His articles consistently advocate changes in behaviour that would decrease quality of life without having any discernible benefit to the environment. I will focus on two prominent themes that frequently recur in his articles: we should stop traveling by air and stop eating beef.

It is first important to understand that all predictions of what lies ahead regarding the climate are based on analytical models. Analytical models are used in a variety of fields when the factor of interest cannot be directly measured. Analytical models are necessary to predict future weather, since it has yet to occur. Some models are based on false or no data for the purpose of self-aggrandisement and/or profit, such as Al Gore’s prediction that the polar ice caps would be entirely melted by 2013. Other predictive models are based on available data and well-established principles of modelling.

Proper modelling requires ongoing modifications as new data become available. In the case of models evaluating the impact of air travel on global warming, such data is now available. The Covid lockdowns had a major impact on air travel – there was close to a 90 percent reduction in air travel world-wide in 2019 and 2020. Nonetheless, global warming continued unabated over those years. According to NASA 2020 was tied for the hottest year on record, despite a virtual elimination of air traffic. Clearly, reduced air traffic had no impact on the rate of increase in global warming. Nonetheless, climate activists such as The Climate Chap continue to advocate reduced air travel. This position ignores actual data published by NASA and every other agency that measures global temperature. Importantly, advocating for decreased air travel fails to consider the social and economic impact of reduced air traffic.

The notion that reducing beef consumption will slow global warming is similarly inconsistent with actual data. Since 1980 there has been a steady increase in global temperature, while according to large national databases, beef consumption has decreased significantly over the same time interval. Reduced beef consumption has not slowed global warming. More importantly, the recommendation that dietary intake of animal-based protein should be reduced ignores the importance of protein quality as promulgated by the World Health Organization Food and Agriculture Organization. Dietary protein provides certain amino acids (termed the essential amino acids) that must be regularly consumed for good health and longevity. Consequently, dietary protein quality as defined by expert organisations is predicated on the amount and profile of essential amino acids per gram of protein. Animal proteins are generally much greater sources of essential amino acids than plant-based proteins.

Reliance on plant-based proteins to meet daily requirements of essential amino acids requires consumption of a wide variety of complementary plant proteins. While this is currently possible for the relatively small number of vegetarians and vegans in developed countries, the vast majority of people get most of their essential amino acids from animal-based dietary proteins. From a practical standpoint, if all meat-eaters turned to diets featuring plant-based proteins, the demand for plant-based protein food sources would far outstrip availability. With current technology and agricultural systems, it would be virtually impossible to sufficiently increase production of plant-based proteins. Increasing availability of plant-based proteins would require large amounts of water, land, utilisation of farm equipment, and fertiliser. In addition, plant-based proteins often require a great deal of processing before consumption. In contrast- cows turn something with no nutritional value to humans (grass) into hundreds of kilograms of high-quality protein (meat) that requires little to no further processing. It should additionally be considered that decimating the cattle industry would have a horrible economic impact and tangibly decrease the quality of people’s lives who enjoy eating beef.

Air traffic and cows are but two of many topics covered in articles written by The Climate Chap. I have focused on these simply as glaring examples of bias and poorly informed journalism. In this day and age it is certainly germane to have conversations about various aspects of the impact of changes in the temperature of the earth and the best way to address these changes. However, a conversation requires two voices, and at present the Focus is presenting only one, extremely biased, perspective.

 

Robert Wolfe, PhD

Mangawhai Heads

 

 

Conservation versus Progress

The island with white wig of cloud

Sits in judgment on the land

On 'Sand Thieves' sneaking in by night

Stealing truckloads of our sand!

“It's needed for the building trade

Gives people jobs

New homes are made!”

The terns, in silent witness, stand

To guard their nests built in the sand.

CONSERVATION VERSUS PROGRESS!

 

Mankind's problems further south

The jury gathers in the Dome.

All the birds and bugs and fishes

That can call this bushland 'home'

Have no notion that the city,

With its night lights twinkling pretty,

Wastes ten thousand tonnes each year

Which they have to dump somewhere.

So they want to make a tip

In the Dome with its handy dip.

CONSERVATION VERSUS PROGRESS!

 

When it comes to air pollution

Mankind truly can excel

With all its cars and trucks and buses,

Factories (cigarettes as well!)

In the 'air pollution' battle

They save the trucks

And blame the cattle

Who quietly chew the cud

Standing ankle-deep in mud.

CONSERVATION VERSUS PROGRESS!

 

Liz Lawrence

Mangawhai

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