From Valerie Yule
Perry Bebbington asserts that old technology will inevitably be thrown away rather than repaired, but we still need to salvage components to reduce landfill (13 June, p 25).
Houses, furniture, kitchenware, everyday clothes, tools, leisure equipment and books can all be durable, repairable and reusable. My 100-year-old bread knife is better than kitchen knives you can buy today. In fact, most of my possessions are over 50 years old and still of high quality. In addition to maintaining consumables, 70 per cent of our food wastage is preventable.
Stopping our production of excessive waste saves more resources and carbon emissions more certainly and quickly than carbon trading or sequestration. Surely science can adapt our economy to cope with the changes that will be needed.
Mount Waverley, Victoria, Australia
