Samantha Wortelhock, Mullumbimby
In response to Ian Cohen’s opinion piece last week: I have always voted Greens. That Byron Shire has a Green council is something I treasure. I read, in Ian’s article, matters that I wholeheartedly agree with. He knows his stuff, is committed and, like him, I was around when Anudhi Wentworth and Co did everything in their power to stop the scourge of environmental decline. The Echo was our community mouthpiece.
Times have changed but the environment must always come first. What saddens me is that I detect a systemic attack. Like an autoimmune disease this opinion piece and the vehicle (The Echo) are attacking the Mother. We can all call out decisions that could be more green. The gift in this piece is that we do need to self-examine.
However, the entities that are compromising, rather than encouraging or educating, need to do the same. The Echo rarely gives space to the positive things our Greens council is doing. We are moving towards 10 per cent renewable with Council’s 5MW solar farm plus Australia’s first bioenergy facility that is greatly increasing native fish habitat. There’s a long list and I hope The Echo let us in on the news.
I used to crave the arrival of my Echo but today it doesn’t hold my attention in quite the same way. I wonder how the founders would feel seeing the paper turn against a hard-working Greens council, so hard won.
The journos used to use humour as a weapon and now it’s judgment. I can’t not speak up for good people who intend to do and be the best that they can. It’s not perfect but what is the alternative?
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
