It is that the human capacity for looking on the bright side prevents individuals from taking action and delays the acceptance of the idea that the time for action has arrived.

Whole sectors of the community continue to cling to the hope that climate change may not impact on their corner of the world. That the impacts may not be quite so bad as feared. That it may not be their family who is forced to migrate or flee a wildfire.

It is of course a vain hope.

Whether or not we see decisive action in Paris, the real impetus for change will come when educated and informed citizens of western nations are roused from their optimism and join the call for immediate investment in clean energy.

James Hockey

Clunes

It will be nice to see Christmas behind us.

All the charities will have stopped invading my mail box, and email will be once again limited to my old friends, Target and Rivers. My TV will no longer ask me to send $15 to protect eight year old virgins from marriage, save one-legged tigers from extinction or to send water to children starving from malnutrition in Africa.

The Paris meeting will probably be a failure so the polluting nations will be able to accuse one another of destroying the planet while agreeing to another meeting in another rich country in ten years time, while they watch the poor nations sink below the sea.

Goodbye Tuvalu, farewell Kiribati, we loved you dearly!

Peter Appleton

Brown Hill

It seems the Catholic Church still has not learned much regarding sexual abuse. I quote The Courier, 1/12/15, reporting on the approaching Royal Commission, "Victims of child sexual abuse also look set to be grilled by lawyers for Cardinal Pell in a bid to quash claims of wrongdoing, including attempted bribery."

I am astonished that these people will be cross examined by one of Australia's top QCs, Alan Myers, in an attempt to get Cardinal Pell off the hook.  If he is so innocent as to claim that he knew nothing of the abuse going on under his nose, then why does he need such strong defence? I am sure Alan Myers does not get paid squillions of dollars to lose. It seems the Catholic Church has more money than compassion for its victims.

My heart goes out to these people - may they win respect in the end. Please try to remember that they are not on trial. They are the victims.

Lorraine Collishaw 

Newington

Last week, while in a city carpark, I fell and dislocated my shoulder, I immediately received kind and caring assistance from 3 beautiful ladies from Ballarat. Lisa is one of the names I remember.

I just want to thank them from the bottom of my heart – I am recovering well and Louise is now my driver parking brake off!) - A huge thanks from her too..

Christian Siegel

Croydon Hills