Madam, - Carmel Courtney (September 15th) surmises that "like politicians, the voters are a bunch of greedy cretins who will be unconcerned with the damage to the environment and the legacy that will be passed on to future generations". That looks pretty accurate to me, judging by our behaviour.
For example, we continued to buy plastic bags indiscriminately, even though we could have re-used them, until a tax forced us to behave ourselves.
Thousands of us concrete or pave over our lawns to help turn Ireland into a giant car-park. Even if grass on a verge, we park illegally on it.
Most of us continue to use single-occupant vehicles for commuting, while high-occupancy and cycling remain largely untried.
In defence of greedy cretins, however, where would the tiger economy be without them? If it weren't for our gullibility and cupidity, could business as we know it, let alone the marketing hype that sustains it, survive in Ireland? - Yours, etc.,
MIKE NORRIS,
Cabinteely Green,
Dublin 18.