Adam Triggs ("Why do we restrict immigration?", January 13, p18) concludes that the real reason Australia restricts immigration is not economic, but "political, social and cultural in nature", and any more than a level of immigration acceptable to the majority invites "political backlash".
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Mr Triggs overlooks another reason for restricting immigration: the capacity of Australia to support a greater population with its very limited resources of land with arable, food-producing soil, and its long-term outlook for supplies of potable water.
Population growth, which inevitably gravitates towards our largest cities, removes large areas of arable land from food production; and global warming will likely bring more rain to the eastern seaboard, but make much of the inland even more arid and less productive than it is today.
We cannot afford immigration at a greater rate than the maintenance of a skilled workforce.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie (PhD), Deakin
Weather hot, wet and wild
The past seven years have been the hottest on record "by a clear margin" ("In 2021, the world's fifth-hottest year, Australia was drenched instead", canberratimes.com.au, January 12).
As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, it is clear that humanity is not heeding scientific advice and urgently addressing climate change.
The World Health Organisation calls the "unfolding crisis" of climate change "the single biggest health threat facing humanity".
We have all acted in accordance with scientific advice to address the health threat of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At what point are we going to respect the warnings and advice of our esteemed climate scientists to address climate change?
If we care about our health and future wellbeing, we must recognise that we are living amid a social, health and environmental crisis that will escalate unless we all work together to do something about it.
Time is running out.
Dr Amy Hiller, Kew
The word is out
I'm disturbed to read that those who assaulted the Museum of Democracy (Old Parliament House) now seem to be trying to force their way into Parliament House ("Protesters arrested, new fire charges laid", January 14, p2). What blabbermouth let slip that Parliament had relocated to Capital Hill?
Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW
A word on Weet-Bix
Those of your readers who regularly come close to choking on their Weet-Bix should be proud to know that Weet-Bix was invented by Australian, Bennison Osborne.
It has been marketed in Australia since 1926.
If your readers were in Canada, the UK, or US, they would have to choke on Weetabix instead. Osborne created both Weet-Bix and Weetabix. They're both low in sugar, low in fat, and high in fibre, so they're actually one of the healthiest foods to start the day with.
Today Weet-Bix is produced by the Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company (wholly owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church), while Weetabix is produced by American-owned Weetabix Limited.
C Williams, Forrest
Test results delayed
Last Monday my wife was tested for COVID-19 at an ACT testing site. Even though ACT Health is advising we should get her results within 48 hours, four days later we were still waiting. I have been tested four times and got the results in about six hours
It's now Friday and if we don't get a result today we will have to stay in Isolation until Monday. What a farce. If she did have COVID-19 she would be due to be released from isolation late on Monday in any case.
As "seniors" we are both triple-vaccinated.
Meanwhile, over the same week, we have had Novak Djokovic in Australia unvaccinated and apparently having lied on his immigration forms (despite have been here often enough to know how to fill out the paperwork correctly).
Why are my wife and myself bothering to obey the government's instructions while Djokovic has been able to thumb his nose at them?
