Population problem is our most pressing issue
Your lead Spotlight article, Beyond the one-child years, a population crisis looms (8 March), is a timely reminder that the global population issue is our most pressing challenge.
We live in a delicately balanced ecosystem where infinite population growth makes a solution impossible. And our outdated financial system, managed by a handful of powerful people, is based on a single guiding principal – growth, which must be changed.
The population in Japan has been declining for years and the financial gurus in the US are forecasting disaster if this trend is not reversed. China’s economy is starting to sneeze, and the rest of the world is catching colds. These are two simple but poignant indicators that the global economic system is very sick and that the remedial process must start now.
When faced with the problem of implementing a radical solution, the best chance of success is to start on a small scale. Any ideas out there?
Eddie van Rijnswoud
Kalamunda, Western Australia
We must not abandon those who fight Isis
The article about Yazidis, Kurdish and Arab women by Bethan McKernan (1 March) was outstanding, both sad and uplifting. The rest of the world owes a great debt of gratitude to the Kurdish, Yazidi, Arab and other fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for liberating the people living under Islamic State repression and destroying its vile regime in Syria.
As the last of the Isis territory falls to the SDF it is important that all governments remember the immense sacrifice endured by the brave Kurdish people and their allies in securing this hard-fought victory.
Some Isis fighters have escaped and gone underground. They remain a threat and any easing of pressure on battling these remnants risks more war and suffering. It is therefore vital to continue to assist the SDF to remain strong in defeating Isis and rebuilding shattered communities.
Steven Katsineris
Hurstbridge, Victoria, Australia
Environmental costs are being neglected
Joining the dots in the Guardian Weekly invariably throws even more light on global issues. West African cocoa producers face relentless economic hardship in what is a lucrative semi-luxury market as a result of short-sighted aid policies and pressure from multi-national chocolate producers (1 March). In palm oil the food industry has found a miracle product and so clears all obstacles in its path (1 March).
In both cases it is the failure to factor in the external costs that causes the harm. Poverty reduction is the stated aim of the UK aid policy and yet in the case of Ivory Coast it seems it is implemented so as to perpetuate poverty and insecurity. In the case of palm oil, its supposed low production costs are in reality imposing huge external costs not only on the biosphere but also through spiralling fat consumption in both India and Malaysia, where obesity is soaring.
Meanwhile, the denizens of Davos reap the benefits and pass the costs on to the community at large.
Neil Blackshaw
Barbizon, France
Mosquitoes do not care about national borders
Your article on the collapse of healthcare in Venezuela (1 March) is a stark reminder that public health is at risk in the absence of the rule of law. The right to health of Venezuelans is violated today, but we should all be concerned about tomorrow. Malaria is thriving again in a country that waved goodbye to the disease back in 1961. The Venezuelan crisis also provides fertile ground for other epidemics of mosquito-borne diseases. Mosquitoes are clearly unimpressed by borders. It seems like political chaos is indeed turning into a continental health crisis.
Roeland Scholtalbers
Brussels, Belgium
Michael Cohen was just stating the obvious
Regarding your story Trump blames summit failure on Cohen testimony (8 March): All Michael Cohen did was tell us what we already know: that Trump is a liar, racist and conman. I’m sure North Korea’s Kim Jong-un wasn’t aghast at the revelations, as he is not exactly an innocent. He makes Trump look small, something the latter would find hard to stomach.
Rhys Winterburn
Perth, Western Australia
