Optimism is common in humans, the one species definitely known to be aware of their limited individual lifespans; optimism is probably favoured by evolution and is frequent in elites such as politicians and chief executives.

There are important exceptions: Winston Churchill, almost alone among his peers, foresaw World War II.

Bertrand Russell, following World War II, worried that nuclear weapons heralded civilisation's demise.

In 1983 Carl Sagan and colleagues warned that a modest nuclear war could trigger "nuclear winter", leading to the end of our species. Credible and contemporary concerns about human survival exist within academia, including at Oxford and Cambridge, but not in any organised form in Australia.

The message from a proposed Centre for Human Survival is startling; mainstream media may at first not take it seriously. However, from a location at the ANU this message would be difficult to dismiss as fantastic or lightweight, and could help nudge civilisation towards a lucky escape.

It is worth trying.

Adjunct Professor Colin Butler, Health Research Institute University of Canberra

It is tragic that the revised NSW HSC English reading list does not include that classic and still contemporary text The Australian Ugliness by Robin Boyd.

In the last century this dangerous book gave me permission to speak out in class about the concept of visual amenity, a comprehension still well beyond the capacity of most Australians.

It allowed me to describe cities where power transmission lines and telephone infrastructure are all underground. Where controls are placed on advertising signage and shopkeepers understand that less is more; where one sign that can actually be seen is worth more than an uncontrolled riot of competitive eyesores. Places where a thousand no-standing signs on poles are replaced by a couple of kerbside red or yellow lines.

Images of densely populated European cities that still convey a sense of spaciousness, preserve their architectural heritage and treasure their urban green woodlands.

I often feel I can hear Robin Boyd turning in his grave upon reading the CT letters page content on Canberra's never-ending planning disaster.

We are desperate for texts that expand our children's consciousness to consider their built environment and natural world.

Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic

T. J. Marks (Letters, 4 April) ignores gains from the deal between the Nick Xenophon Team and the Turnbull government.

Most important is the solar thermal power station to be built at Port Augusta.

This flagship solar thermal plant is a no-brainer. It was promised before the last general election by Labor, Liberals and the Greens. If the recent deal gets it over the finish line, it will be a significant first for this important technology in Australia.

Electricity generation accounts for two-fifths of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions. Solar thermal and wind provided the backbone of the blueprint for an improved national electricity grid, published by Beyond Zero Emissions, University of Melbourne in 2010.

Solar thermal captures and stores solar energy as heat, converting it to electricity on demand. Like hydro and battery storage, it stabilises the grid like a coal-fired power station, but without the emissions.

The major task for Australia is to get serious about reducing emissions. Tinkering with company tax rates is like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.

David Teather, Reid

Tony Wright ("A rudderless nation lives on pipe dreams" Forum, April 1, p2), an experienced and usually astute political commentator, wrongly attributes flaws and inadequacies in our federal politicians to perceived flaws in the Australian political system.

He says, "... plenty of Australians today have given up on the hope that the nation's political system can meet their basic expectations."

It would be better to say that, increasingly, many of us seriously question the ability of the government, as well as Labor and other members of Parliament to live up to their responsibilities. That is, to develop, debate intelligently and implement policies to prepare the country for a more complex and difficult future.

The political system, broadly defined, includes constitutional provisions, such as the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, as well as voting procedures, free (but responsible) speech and so on. This may be unruly and imperfect, but it is robust and long-lived.

Right now it is not being tested to anything like its capabilities.

Looking at the political mayhem in the United States, we can be glad that the framers of our constitution leaned more to the Westminster model than to the congressional one. What we have must be put to better use.

David Townsend, Curtin

I invite Alan Shroot to consider the effect of changing just one word in one part of his letter of Wednesday, April 5 ("Clamorous critics of Israel should try the undemocratic neighbours").

"... it is really just the right of the Jewish [insert 'Palestinian'] people to their own state in their homeland, a right held and exercised by many other peoples."

Peter Dark, Queanbeyan, NSW

Weston Creek residents are opposing public housing proposals.

Having lived in Canberra for some 73 years, I am becoming increasingly disappointed and disheartened at the intolerance being shown by many in the community. Front page headlines in the Canberra Times ("Mawson residents vent over public housing", April 6, p.1) almost made me weep.

I keep thinking what a beautiful city this was, both in community spirit and environmentally, when it fitted neatly into the valley bounded by Mt Ainslie, Black Mountain and Red Hill.

Don't those who live in Mawson, Chapman and other "southern" suburbs realise what their homes were built on – parkland and open space.

This city was developed with "public housing" – the private sector didn't want to know about it in its early days – and many (now well-off) residents got their start in home ownership by being allocated a humble "guvvie" — which they could then purchase.

So what would these "venting residents" have potential public housing tenants do? Be homeless? Live in cars? Pitch tents in the park? Exactly what?

Yes, there are inconsiderate and irresponsible people living in public housing, but there are many more who are considerate and responsible members of our Canberra community.

Give them a chance. There are obviously just as many home-owning people who don't want to participate in building a community.

H. Merritt, Downer

I for one am prepared to challenge in a court of law, the crass commercial sale of the very important matching Anzac Park East and West buildings and the land they stand on ("Landmark sites to be sold", April 5, p1).

They're located prominently inside the National Triangle on Constitution Avenue, symmetrically placed about and very close to Anzac Parade, itself on the Land Axis of Canberra (Mt. Bimberi to Mt. Ainslie, passing through Parliament House and the War Memorial), in the world-acclaimed Central National Area of the national capital of Australia.

Virtually nowhere in the world would such buildings and sites be allowed to be summarily sold off to property developers.

Doubly worse, money is the only consideration and private residential is a permitted and clearly preferred use.

The National Capital Authority (NCA) will try to control the design of any replacement buildings, but for sure, lucre will prevail, virtually guaranteeing an embarrassingly prosaic and likely shoddy outcome.

At the very least, development on the twin sites must remain as exemplary public buildings and spaces, with a properly constituted and fully briefed design competition held for any redevelopment, attracting the greatest architects in the world.

The NCA should be the design and construction authority, not the Department of Finance or its agent.

Jack Kershaw, Kambah

Apparently the Burley Griffins drew the Parliamentary Triangle to be symbolic of our federation and democracy. How forward thinking.

The sale of East and West Blocks matches perfectly with its 21st century manifestation. The princes on the hill, neighbours with influential financiers and developers and business on the next rung.

The Old Parliament left to moulder with the original inhabitants and a base of the people and knowledge and arts next to the water.

At least they don't drown with climate change (the lake will dry out before it floods) but they know the loss of wealth, of dignity, of influence.

And in perfect symmetry, the princes never rejoin the people. They just go down a rung to work for the wealthy Blockers.

See, all righteous and inevitable like a medieval aristocracy.

Eric Pozza, Red Hill

Belconnen's Woolies and Coles have devised a fitness routine for their shoppers once they have finished their purchases.

They have placed locks on their trolleys which can only be accessed by the insertion of a gold coin into the appropriate orifice.

Once the groceries have been loaded into the family car, the exercise regime begins.

We all want to retrieve our gold coin.

This exercise requires us to find a similar trolley which has been hooked up to similar trolleys. Now human nature being as it is, a measure of bastardry is in the mind of some shoppers. They will attach a small trolley to a larger one so that no further larger one can be attached for the purpose of retrieving your coin.

There are many combinations and permutations re these acts of bastardry which causes a shopper to trek from bay to bay looking for a trolley with whom he can mate his own.

Sometimes the quest becomes impossible and we are required to walk all the way back to the store where we find rows of big and small trolleys which will accept our own. Our coin is retrieved!

By this time we are thoroughly knackered but happy in the knowledge that the big end of town has our fitness as well as our wallet in mind.

John Quinn, Spence

So, a company in poor old Spain has taken it upon itself to get Australia's trains out of last century ("Two-hour train ride between Canberra and Sydney on the cards", April 6, p2).

Amazing how a country with over 20per cent unemployment and almost at war against the second most powerful English speaking country in the world can harbour companies that go around the world building fast train lines in populous and, some of them, wealthy nations, often offering to do the job for a song.

Why don't we get them to build the fast train between Brisbane and Melbourne?

Are they building the light rail in Canberra? If not, why not?

John Rodriguez, Florey

Bravo to Phil Brown for his eloquent reminder that we're talking about people here. ("Why do Canberrans care more about refugees than public-housing tenants?", April 6, p.7)

If Brown ever runs for office, his dignity, honour, and respect have sure earned my vote.

Judy Bamberger, O'Connor

ATTACK A POLL BOOST?

The Trump administration has seized on allegations the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad carried out a gas attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in the rebel-controlled province of Idlib to push for a further escalation of military conflict in the Middle East. How obvious is this at a time when Trump needs a boost to his leadership?

Rhys Stanley, Hall, NSW

DETECTORS LACKING

Why in this age of technology can't intelligence agencies detect a nerve gas attack? They can't be trying too hard, or are told not to. Where are Claire Danes and Matt Damon when you really need them – moved on to the next piece of fiction?

Gary Frances, Bexley, NSW

THE LADY SADDENS

How disappointing that Aung San Suu Kyi should deny in a BBC interview the ethnic cleansing of Myanmar's Muslim minority. "I think ethnic cleansing is too strong an expression to use for what is happening," Suu Kyi said.

Felicity Chivas, Scullin

BIGOTS BE DAMNED

Jan Gulliver (Letters, April 6) says we should restrict freedom of expression because of the nastiness that infects social media. We now silence ourselves because we have no stomach to resist a handful of bigots? The cure is worse than the ill.

H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW

AWASH IN GRAVY

There would be a lot of Bob Days in one degree or another in Canberra who should, but won't, be kicked off the gravy train. The rules only apply to those who aren't in the club.

D. J. Fraser, Currumbin, Qld

A SORRY SITUATION

ActewAGL CEO Michael Costello's apology (Letters, April 6) was welcome. The Minister for Inhumane Services, Alan Tudge, should now apologise to the low-income earners his department has fraudulently demanded repayments from.

Susan MacDougall, Scullin

ACTION NOT BLUSTER

Shouting at Bill Shorten doesn't cut it. What the nation is looking for is leadership. Malcolm, now is a good time to reflect and change direction before the next sitting of Parliament. Just saying.

Jeff Bradley, Isaacs

TRACK TO MATURITY

Recent anti-tram letter writers (Letters, April 3) assume my support is for personal convenience. I am, in that respect, disinterested. I welcome it because it is a new and significant landmark, and advances the stature of Canberra as a mature city.

Jack Palmer, Watson

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