Environmental concerns and cultures

Dear Sir, In response to Peter Walker (PIM June), I still maintain that the intent of Walker’s January letter was to belittle Islanders like me whose values clash with his. Walker does not need my permission to express his views as he very well knows. He is entitled to his opinions as I am entitled to mine. He said he has lived in Vanuatu for nine years and feels accepted by the people of that country.

That is wonderful. But does his nine years in Vanuatu makes him an expert on the rest of the Pacific Islands’ environmen tal concerns and cultures? If the ni-Vanuatu are appreciative of what he has done and still doing in their country then all the best to him.

However, he should not tell the rest of us Islanders how and why we should take care of our natural environment. As I have stated in my previous letters, we have been living in the Pacific for hundreds of years.

The accumulated knowledge and skills that have been passed on down to the present