He still hasn't told us, and the chances are he never will. His hope - increasingly desperate - is that rain - or at least just enough of it in the right places - will convince his gullible constituents that things are back to normal, that it's business as usual.

Of course, there are a lot of other questions we might be asking: "When do we talk about all the other aspects of environmental degradation?"; "When do we talk about immigration policy or social justice?"; "When do we talk about the responsibility of governments to the welfare of their people?"; "When do we talk about ethics and integrity in politics?".

Certainly, for people of limited foresight or intelligence, 'business as usual' may seem like the logical choice; but for the rest of us, there's the niggling apprehension that the world has changed for the worse, that governments and institutions are failing us and that we - as individuals, as a nation, as a species - ought to be doing something about it.

And there's the rub. The channels for socially-permissible protest, for demanding action and accountability from our political and economic leaders, seem to have been (and are still being) drastically eroded.

The media - even social media, on which so many naively have pinned their hopes as a vehicle for change - are becoming increasingly regulated and controlled; remote corporations and departments make a mockery of service and accountability; the electoral process only offers narrow choices between self-serving parties; surveillance intrudes increasingly into our personal lives, and law enforcement agencies become an instrument for protecting powerful vested interests.

So what can we do? Sure, we can "talk about it" among ourselves; but talk is only the beginning, and yes, it's relatively cheap. Action, though, is more problematic, and fraught with greater risks.

We can learn a lot, I believe, from the dynamics of global social movements such as 'Me Too!', the Sanders' campaign in the United States and other popular protest actions now burgeoning in Europe, South America and elsewhere.

The common ingredients of these are that (a) they develop outside and often in spite of, the mainstream political system, (b) their development is usually decentralised, and (c) their leadership, where it exists, is often situational and retrospective.

So why don't we get started, right here in Bellingen, right now? The catch-cry could be as simple as the obvious implied response to Morrison's statement - "Now!". The emblem of such a movement could be as simple as that single word, hand-painted on a poster or T-shirt - "Now!". Regardless of their particular focus, which they could continue to pursue, the advocates of broad-based social change could marshal, when circumstances indicate, under a single banner no ensconced leadership, no formal structure, no finances or memberships, no obligation but to stand together for a more ethical and humanistic world.

Just a thought ...

Rob Simpson, Urunga

It's 1958, I'm 11 years old. My Dad's tabloid carries speculation from a scientist, he calls it the "Greenhouse Effect". He says that putting coal mines and oil wells into the atmosphere will undo us. High temperatures, wildfires, melting ice caps, rising sea levels - the rest. It reads like a disaster blockbuster and I'm scared, will this be my future? I didn't know what to call this dread. Much later, 60 years, I realise it's a pre-Thunberg moment. I rationalised my fear. Adults would sort this out. Adults were smart. Adults were going to keep us safe, that's why they invented the atomic bomb. 1958 was my big year for academic achievement, 10 out of 10 for naivete.

By the mid 80s, global warming was being confirmed and validated. Adults, right wing deniers from the Liberal and National parties, mainly men with no science credentials, ridiculed the idea with "common sense". In 2020 the same phrase is trotted out, the cover-all, how can scientists challenge the unchallengeable, "common sense". We have leaders who use this phrase to cover their ignorance. Listen, you'll hear it this week as they ridicule proofs. The science is clear, political vanity, being wrong for so long stops mitigation - stuff the planet.

Scientist Albert Einstein defined common sense. "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by the age of 18". It's a description that fits Scotty from Marketing, and the Liberals but particularly the National Party.

Warren Tindall, Bellingen

I would like to comment on both of the letters published on February 12. Re the letter from Carol Halford, Repton, I agree with her comments on the beautiful and natural environment in Mylestom, and I am sure the pathway will make it a safer place and more enjoyable to many. Especially those people who call Mylestom home and reside here. Which I see Carol does not.

Firstly, obviously Carol feels a ramp into the Mylestom Store and Post Office, also a ramp into the Community Hall and a pathway to the park toilets is all that is required by our elderly and disabled residents and visitors. NO! NO! We want more for them, we want them to be part of our community, we want them to be able to walk or be assisted along our beautiful waterfront path, be able to go to the shop for coffee or food, pick up their mail or the paper. We want them to be able to mix and talk with others and be safe. I am sure that there will be many wheelchairs, prams, scooters, children and dogs on leashes choosing the safety of our path rather than our dangerous narrow road. There will be tables, seats and areas for picnics and family get together where they can meet and breath in the idyllic view. As for the comment to residents and visitors that if they want a path then they should go to Urunga, it does not warrant a reply. Very unkind. As for Carol's response to Cr Jenny Fenton's thoughtful comment on caring for an aging community, I found it sadly and unkindly translated.

Lastly as mentioned by Lizzy Wilkins and Carol Halford: You are right, a lot of what I would personally call bullying occurred with a door to door campaign where many were wrongly informed that we were getting an extremely wide pathway which would mean that all our riverfront trees would be removed. When most of those people found out the truth they became very supportive. We are not a divided community at all, we all have a right to the truth. Lastly this is FACT, we have to have access to safe parking, access to mobility for disabled people in our community. We need to have access to our pool and our beach for disabled, which includes elderly. This is the LAW in NSW so let us push on regardless.

Lynne Mason, Mylestom

As we move further into climate changed, I find it interesting that the last generation in general needs to justify their consumer based beliefs in the face of overwhelming scientific research. Yes bumpkin, I'm talking about your sheds full of rainforest slabs. If you are unable to absorb the evidence perhaps you need to stop annoying the educated. As a species we perhaps should redirect our consumer greed based society into a sustainable future. Rainforests make rain. Perhaps we should grow more rainforest rather than burn the last remnants.

Brian Osmond, Bellingen

Brian is correct I have over many years accumulated a large number of timber species which have generally been sold for the production of furniture. Within this collection are some rainforest species but not quite as described, sheds full of rainforest slabs. I've never taken a tree from a rainforest, totally illegal now for many years. Any rainforest species in stock have been obtained from on farm (paddock trees) and only trees in a poor state of health, storm damaged, blown down and sometimes threatening someone's residence. The magnificent number of large cedar trees on my farm is testimony to the above.