Australia is among the highest per capita carbon polluters in the world and therefore has a responsibility to join other developed nations in addressing the issue. What if every nation in the world adopted the attitude that their single contribution would not make a difference?

We also have a responsibility to the region. Our neighbours in the Pacific are facing the threat of their lives, homes and livelihoods being permanently destroyed by rising sea levels. It would be sheer arrogance for Australia to ignore their plight by ruling out meaningful action on climate change. Regardless of whether you accept climate science or not, it makes sound economic sense for Australia to make the transition to renewable energy and adopt other solutions within the waste, transport and agricultural sectors that will contribute to net zero by 2050. Strong climate policy will provide certainty for business and investment and provide Australia with leverage to engage larger nations in addressing the problem.

Penny Milson, Tamworth

Natural flood plains form where floods spread silt and mud in river valleys. Being flat, fertile, picturesque and usually supplied with surface and underground water, they attract farms, orchards and gardens. These are inevitably followed by roads, houses and businesses.

Despite the all the planners with their rules, the pressure of people plus a bit of corruption has always resulted in population clustering on fertile flood plains and deltas beside scenic rivers. There is no point trying to stop or reverse this tide of history but those who choose to build on flood plains must bear the costs of the occasional flood. Community groups will always help those stricken by floods but taxpayers and insurers should not be forced to subsidise the insurance and damage costs for those who choose to live in risky places - their choice, their risk, their cost. Naturally insurance for flood-prone property will be expensive or not available - a clear message for those with ears to hear.

More cautious people build on the hills and leave the flood plains for floods, farms, trees, market gardens and grass. Rational town planning would require sellers and developers to provide accurate flood maps to buyers, and councils should paint flood levels on power poles.

There are few risk-free home sites. Those who build in thick bush or neglect cool season burn-offs will inevitably suffer from bushfires; those who build on flood plains will be flooded; those who locate near fault zones will be shaken by earthquakes; those who build near the sea risk cyclones, giant waves and tsunamis; and those who farm the rich volcanic soil near "dormant" volcanoes risk burial under ash and lava.

The old railway engineers soon learned to build above most flood levels wherever possible. So a useful rule is: don't build essential infrastructure below the railway lines.

If you choose to locate on a flood plain, be prepared to pay higher insurance costs. And if you build your house there, build it on stilts, rather than wasting billions on futile efforts to change global climate, governments should spend those billions on flood-proofing their railways, bridges, roads and electricity supply. And they should build more dams and weirs to conserve water and moderate floods.

Viv Forbes, Washpool Qld

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Last week there was a letter implying that belief in God and accepting the science of Climate Change were two fundamentally opposing ideas. Nothing could be further from the both scientific truth and the truth of faith.

A knowledge of scripture shows us this. In Ezekiel 34:18, the word of the Lord is transcribed as follows: "Is it too slight a thing for you that you should feed in the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pastures? Or that you should drink of the clear waters, that you must foul the rest with your feet?".

Here God tells us not to sully the bounty of Earth for others just because we have had our fill, just as we should not disregard our current actions and allow future generations to suffer the consequences of our greed in consuming fossil fuels and heating the Earth. In Deuteronomy, God commands his people not to strike down fruit bearing trees, even in time of war, for the land is sacred, innocent, and the fruit of the trees is necessary for life.

This verse, Deut. 20:19, is a warning against wanton destruction that will only cause yourself more harm; and so we today should not pollute or cause harm to the land that sustains us. This includes our farm and grazing land that is seeing much damage due to Climate Change. It is clear that God wants us to be responsible and kind stewards of his creation.

Alice Milson, Tamworth