Thus making a lie of the politicians and other's characterisation of the protesters as 'ferals and the unemployed', used to justify ignoring the inconvenient message that unless we fix the problem in the next few years, we all face the far greater social disruption of a 3.5 degree increase in global temperatures, resulting in massive crop failures, ecological collapse and the probable disintegration of society.

Don't take my word for this. Listen to Sir David Attenborough, BHP's chief economist Spencer Dale and CEO Andrew McKenzie, the CSIRO, NASA, and every accredited scientific institute in the world. Unfortunately, civil disobedience seems to be the only way to bring attention to this existential threat.

Steve Saunders, West Launceston.

IF Extinction Rebellion had done their homework on realised oil gas and coal reserves they would be aware that these reserves would be depleted long before the planet becomes uninhabitable.

So on the run up, which will be long before the reserves are actually depleted, then post the depletion all will be renewables.

So while you can appreciate some climate protesters passion, I wonder if at the end of the day that maybe all they are doing is pedaling doom and gloom and therefore creating unnecessary anxiety into especially the young people population.

No country could afford to adopt 100 per cent renewables in a short period of time by doing away with large scale global commodities and no government will risk personal status all for the sake of the environment.

Ian Fitch, George Town.

IF I am driving and become aware of an ambulance or fire engine behind me, I shall assume there is an emergency and pull over. This may cause me some slight inconvenience, but I am not going to get out of my car, flag the ambos or fireys down and engage them in a discussion about the seriousness of the matter to which they are responding. A clear majority is already of the opinion that more needs to be done about the global emergency which is climate change. It's no longer a question of convincing people, but of disrupting the system which enables our political leaders to disregard the wishes of that majority. Tim Thorne, Launceston.

ONE issue of concern regarding the excitement over the proposed second power cable to Victoria is the impact on established industries.

Temco is experiencing difficulties and Bell Bay Aluminium and Nyrstar could be under threat if the power price became unattractive.

It is possible that the profit on the sale of power to Victoria will be so attractive that pressure will be brought to bear on industries to pay unreasonable prices or shut down.

The multiplier effect on unemployment would be about equivalent to the new jobs touted to be created once another cable is approved.

In addition, the stability provided by large base load consumers would be lost.

Is this what we want for Tasmania?

A Frellek, Trevallyn.

HAVING heard numerous arguments for and against the Westbury prison, from being good for business with the influx of people building and staff, to how inmates with special needs might pose a risk, I have a question of my own.

Why is there a need for two prisons in a place like Tasmania?

Why is it there is such a high conviction rate?

Why are so many sentenced to prison necessitating a second prison?

If there is so much crime, so many criminals, then the question must be asked what alternatives there can be to rehabilitate rather than punish. Some may have lost sight of this.

Davis Seecamp, Trevallyn.

APPARENTLY the permanent removal of 10000 cubic metres of silt from the Yacht Basin is not enough to sway the opinions of our decision makers (The Examiner, October 9).

For scouring effect, they prefer to compare the natural flow of the South Esk with the largest flood since 1929.

Science works on facts, not opinion or belief.

Here are some published peer reviewed facts: permanent removal of 10,000 cubic metres from the Yacht Basin causes additional permanent removal of silt downstream; asymmetrical tides are not the cause of the present degraded state of the estuary; dredging causes more problems than it solves; the more the dredging the faster the silt will return; silt banks act to pump silt downstream; the accumulation of silt in the upper estuary is caused by Trevallyn Dam, tidal levees and infill at Home Point, each having caused a reduction of either fresh-water or tidal flows; the silt is a symptom with decreased flows being the root cause; no problem was ever solved by addressing the symptoms while ignoring the root cause.

Ian Kidd PhD, Estuarine Scientist, West Launceston.

CONSIDERING that the homeless are in crisis in Tasmania, I can't understand why the state government does not convert the old Pontville site into emergency accommodation units for the needy.

All they would have to do is reinstate the plumbing .

Sue Scanlon, Kings Meadows.