One solution would be for France,Australia or New Zealand to offer countries such as Tuvalu territory status. They lose political independence but remain self-governing locally and get to be represented in Paris,Canberra,or Wellington. Their citizens gain access to the larger nation which would support their efforts to manage rising sea levels and relocate people as needed.David Neilson,Araluen (NT)
Mental health needs action
The mother of a victim of the Bondi Junction attack (“Mum’s plea after Bondi Junction tragedy”,May 19) has highlighted the fact that there are an estimated 58,000 people with severe mental health needs in our society. Politicians should be taking action to remedy this shocking situation instead of arguing over the detention of illegal immigrants. But there aren’t any votes in mental health,are there?Ian Adair,Hunters Hill
Climate cost of clothing
With all the focus on energy generation,transportation and heavy industry,it’s easy to forget that clothing is responsible for 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions – higher than steel,cement and aluminium,and four times that of aviation (“”,May 19). It’s also an industry where CO2 emissions can be cut relatively easily if people can be persuaded to change their buying habits. After all,while we absolutely need the building materials mentioned above and have limited alternatives to aviation,do we really need wardrobes full of clothes and to turn those clothes over so rapidly? Surely,the answer is no. We need to buy fewer clothes and make greater use of natural fibres in the ones we do buy. That’s a quick,painless way to get emissions down.Ken Enderby,Concord
Screen time a gold mine
Changing to e-books will be a gold mine for optometrists and ophthalmologists (“”,May 19). Already,those who are spending hours in front of a computer screen are suffering the consequences of dry eyes,requiring daily medication. In all probability,this will now start at an earlier age,with youngsters learning to read on their digital devices.Patricia Warren,Brunswick Heads
JayRose Garcia (L) and Sienna Thea (R) and the fun of reading.Joe Armao
The hardest change
It just goes to show the view that cultural change is the most critical and hardest change to achieve (“”,May 19).Steve Ngeow,Chatswood
Give over,Gina
Ms Rinehart seems nice enough,but her political stripe jars,she has firmly stated opinions,and she’s ridiculously rich (“”,May 19). Hell yes,let’s get stuck in.Rosemary O’Brien,Ashfield
Indigenous insult
“In 1957,he was the first recorded Northern Territory Aboriginal person to gain citizenship”,writes Jacqueline Maley of artist Albert Namatjira (“”,May 19). So,a man whose connections to this land go back 60,000 years or more is acknowledged as an Australian by the British colonisers because he “took on the conventions of Western art”? What is wrong with this picture?John Ure,Mount Hutton
Jacqueline Maley informs us that Albert Namatjira,Vincent Namatjira’s great-grandfather,was the first Northern Territory Aboriginal to be granted citizenship in 1957. I wasn’t aware that Albert Namatjira had migrated from another country,I thought as I read it. Under the mistaken impression that Albert was of the Aranda people of northern Australia,who had lived on this island continent for over 40,000 years,I was shocked. That Indigenous people were not considered citizens of Australia until the 1967 referendum was not taught in history when I went to school,and I wonder if it is now. The arrogance of those who actually did migrate en masse after 1788 to not recognise Indigenous people as citizens until 179 years later is breathtaking. I don’t wonder if Vincent Namatjira’s depiction of prominent Australians reflects this glaring insult.Christine Tiley,Albany Creek (Qld)
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