Oposition leader Sussan Ley may well wish to keep her leadership and the coalition intact (“Ley’s net zero deal to keep Coalition and her leadership alive”, September 10), but she is fighting an uphill battle. The Coalition – I don’t even need to mention the most rabid climate change denialists in its ranks – is treating anthropogenic global warming as an economic threat rather than a catastrophic threat to the entire planet and its ecosystems, which includes mass extinctions, potentially including humans. It apparently can’t link global warming to the increase and severity of storm events, including floods, droughts and bushfires. With the attendant losses of livestock and crops, farmers are well aware of the dangers of global warming. The Coalition has lost its city voters, how long before they lose the support of rural voters? A policy rethink is required before the members find themselves the only ones out in the cold. Barrington Salter, Elanora (Qld)

Sussan Ley is fighting on many fronts as she tries to come up with a workable green energy policy. She’s up against regional activists trying to spike the Albanese government’s plans for solar, wind and power transmission. You’d think that with the obvious effect of climate change on rural weather conditions they’d be the first to support these projects. Meanwhile, the Nationals’ Matt Canavan is against everything while Dan Tehan can’t keep his hand off micro reactors. The end can’t be far away. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill

It would seem Coalition MPs haven’t understood why their energy policy was rejected at the last election. Two reasons (at least) were the cost and the time frame involved. The cost of the nuclear policy was exorbitant, and it was clear that the Australian public would foot the bill (although the Coalition tried to hide that fact by claiming the reactors would be government-owned). Of all the alternatives, nuclear was clearly the most expensive. Why should “micro” reactors be any different? In the same breath the Coalition claimed that the cost of renewables was understated because of the additional expense of new transmission. Now, part of their new energy policy is to move gas into other states. Those pipelines won’t be cheap. What is their price tag? As for the time frame, micro reactors are a new technology, even newer than small modular reactors. They will take years to develop. But climate change is a problem for which we need a solution now. It is hoped that the new energy policy will garner the support of young conservatives within the Coalition. If it does, then it will just show how gullible the Coalition remains. David Rush, Lawson

Sussan Ley appears likely to be forced to resurrect the Coalition’s nuclear policy, despite it having significantly contributed to their failure at the last election. At least the prospect of establishing a nuclear industry in Australia, even if in a decade or two, gives a semblance of support for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Should the Coalition be re-elected, a halt on government support for renewables necessitating a continued reliance on costly, polluting coal-fired power stations is to be expected while the Coalition initiates research, planning, construction and the commissioning of the nuclear plants. Hopefully, by the time this prospect reaches the agenda of a future Coalition government, renewable energy generation will be sufficiently advanced and cost-effective to relegate the nuclear option to history. Roger Epps, Armidale

Israel’s ill intent

It surely must be obvious to the world by now that following its unlawful invasion of Palestinian territory a generation ago, Israel has never wanted peace and never will (“Israel blows up peace negotiations and makes a mess with its vital ally”, smh.com.au, September 10). Aided by the US, Israel has become a military state with one of the world’s largest arsenals of weapons. Benjamin Netanyahu, like Vladimir Putin, is simply a mad, out-of-control barbarian. If he justifies the bombing in Qatar, he could presumably justify bombing anywhere including Australia. The free world must stop allowing this. Julius Timmerman, Lawson