Ian Blair Hamilton, Myocum
Your last issue showed the bravery that it takes to run ANY print media today in the face of the seeming impossibility of prying anyone’s eyes away from their computer.
You have chosen excellence as your standard rather than simple local event reporting (which you also do well!). Excellence in features, excellence in guest content, excellent regular columns, and excellence in photography.
But last issue, as I discern, was a sign of more courage – courage beyond the mere economics of any free newspaper.
Taking a stand unequivocally to use your publication to actively educate and stimulate us on climate change is brave. It’s brave because you rely on advertising to survive: and not all of your advertisers think the same way about climate change. I know that you know that, and so your decision to be in the vanguard rather than the reporter of climate action is in my opinion, awesome.
The news items you posted in the last issue in your new Climate Change feature are enough for anyone to wonder what they can do, or for them to feel deep and aching pain for this planet. And yet the earth has seen many apparently hopeless situations turned around when the critical mass of like minds exert their power through singular action.
It seems to me that generally speaking most us are burdened with analysis paralysis which (conveniently) means that because we can’t work it out, we retreat into the latest downloaded movie, or another session of Fortnight.
You haven’t done that. You have stepped up and placed everything on the bet that standing up, speaking out, publicising and repetitively reminding us to do something, anything except sit on our butts. But this, but that. Fake news. Antifa.
Our world view and world abundance are poised on the edge of their death throes. When the effects begin, people will rise up to protect what they see as their rights, which in truth are simply privileges. I’m not talking about people like Extinction Rebellion. I’m talking about the climate deniers.
When that happens the effect of that uprising anger will, I hope, be softened for us all by people and organisations like The Echo.
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. 
