It is now almost universally accepted, including by organisations such as NASA, the US Defence Department, the world's major banks and insurance companies, energy companies, and even oil companies that the global climate is warming and that the primary cause of that warming is human-produced CO2.

Energy from coal-fired sources is only cheaper than that from renewable sources if it is from existing, relatively efficient plants and the renewable energy is from out-of-date facilities.

Up-to-date renewable energy is now significantly cheaper than that from many coal-fired plants, and certainly considerably cheaper than that from new coal-fired power stations.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

John McKerral accuses letter writers of talking carbon when they mean CO2 – adding that C occurs in solid form at room temperature. Yes, but it forms CO2 when heated and the atmosphere and oceans are heating.

Julia Gillard had the solution when she introduced the Carbon Tax. Tax: that anathema word to voters. However, it did work. By making the polluters pay directly, not the public.

John McKerral lets the cat out of the bag when he writes, "Coal-fired energy is much much cheaper." But cost is not the objective, it's the reduction of carbon (CO2) by means of clean energy.

At the moment the government is using taxpayers' money to subsidise the coal industry and other polluters, not to pollute.

But they cannot produce energy without burning coal and polluting, thus producing climate change – resulting in record high and low temperatures, hurricanes, rising sea levels, storms, bushfires, floods and droughts, endangering lives and livelihoods. At what price?

Can a price be put on such fundamental things?

Forget about the grandchildren, it is happening NOW!

Glenys Hammer, Narrabundah

I'm predicting John McKerral (Letters, October 8) will be the one caterwauling while clinging to his balcony, when a CO2-induced tsunami hits the Bay.

Matt Ford, Crookwell

Murray Upton's (Letters, October8) call for a "master plan" for the whole of Canberra feels like yet another attempt at thwarting a specific plan he and like-minded individuals oppose.

By calling for yet another review and even more consultation, these groups seek infinite deferral of theplan, until it is either withdrawn oramended down to nothingness.

Even if the master plan approved the West Basin development, would these groups cease their relentless opposition?

I imagine not.

It's certainly worth noting that the last time a "single, professionally produced, overarching master plan" for Canberra was developed in 1967, it tore the Griffin concept to pieces and replaced it with a car-dominated model of sprawling suburbs divided by freeways and empty town centres.

Be careful what you wish for.

Ryan Hemsley, Wright

ABC journalist Sophie McNeill has been accused of "advocacy journalism" for her coverage of the Middle East conflict ("Danby backed by Jewish groups over ads", Sunday Times, October 8, p8), apparently for mentioning some facts inconvenient to the state of Israel.

All journalism is advocacy to some extent; none more so than in reporting on the plight of the Palestinians. The question is, does the journalist advocate for the powerful and the status quo, which can be unjust and illegal, as in the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, or does she advocate for the oppressed and downtrodden, as in the right of Palestinians to live on their own land.

To put things in perspective, McNeill's contribution to rebalancing the forces of advocacy is rather modest. If only she was as fearless as her role model John Pilger.

David Bastin, Nicholls

Explaining his work on developing a body-heat generator to power personal electronic devices, Professor Jun Chen said, "As adults we are losing 50 to 100 volts per day" ("Future of fitness to charge up tech", October 8, p11).

The professor was speaking of volume or quantity. Voltage, in contrast, is the potential difference, the electromotive force, or basically the pressure under which the electric current is transmitted. In the context, volt was definitely the wrong unit to use. The inaccuracy of the report is aggravating and paints the professor as patronising, possibly unjustly.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

As I skimmed through The Sunday Times I locked in on the item regarding George Brandis' suggestion ("Believe MPs: Brandis", October 8, p8). We can be forgiven for believing initially that the idea was generated by The Chaser crowd. But on more careful reading I realised that the man is serious. Short answer, George: No!

The credibility of this government and its members has been destroyed by such things as abuse of entitlements, arguments about gas shortages, support for Adani's coal mine against all rational advice, and myriad other reasons.

The courts should definitely NOT believe the politicians appearing before them, ever.

W.Book, Hackett

It seems that even (presumably) educated naval officers may be beguiled by suave salesmanship of giant arms manufacturers, like Lockheed Martin, into believing their propaganda as to the claimed prowess of their latest weapons of mass destruction, or, in this instance, interception ("Australia fixes on missile strategy", Sunday Times, October 8, p10).

While "Spy-ID" radar panels may claim to see into tomorrow, they are susceptible to cyber challenge, conceivably disarming their capabilities.

It might be reasonable to ask why, if the Aegis is so powerful, was it sold to Australia? Test "success" of the Aegis is a furphy, after all if it were unable to connect a programmed decoy, military brass would be suitably red-faced.

However with most of Australia owned by foreign interests and multiple visa categories, why border security?

Albert M. White, Queanbeyan

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