I know many truly fine priests and I acknowledge with gratitude their ministry and friendship. Nonetheless I am choosing to "vote with my feet" and no longer regard myself as a Catholic. I now merely bestow upon myself the status of "freelance Christian". Maree Jeffs, Mooroolbark Will the church act to halt the emptying of pews? The Catholic hierarchy in Victoria must be reeling after The Age's investigation of historical paedophile networks of priestly abusers in several areas of the state. The alarming images of George Pell and Gerald Ridsdale walking together into court now fits into the horrifying context that both are products of Corpus Christi seminary, an institution now notorious for its network of sex abuse predators. Recently Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, made the blinkered, Middle Ages-style comment that sexual abuse was a matter of "Satan at work". There seems little hope that the church will effectively deal with this scandalous issue and halt the emptying of pews in our local churches. Phyllis Vespucci, Reservoir

So many good women have been faithful servants I am a Catholic nun and have been in my order for many years, working in the field of education. It was with the greatest dismay that I opened The Age yesterday morning and was confronted with the huge headline, in capital letters, "Seminary sins". It was like yet another physical blow to the head. I wonder if your paper is even conscious of the women in the Catholic tradition who have been faithfully serving the church in so many incredible ways – often completely unrecognised – and who are completely ashamed of the behaviour of these men. I am also writing this letter to represent all women, many of whom have left the church as a result of the abuse. It is very hard to describe to unbelievers a faith that has sustained one's life since the beginning, withstanding the ups and downs of life. I challenge The Age to publish some articles about women who have kept the faith and who still remain loyal to their beliefs. Name and order withheld

Why were so many abusers attracted to the church? It is bewildering how the hierarchy of the Catholic Church never asked itself the simple question: "Why are there so many paedophile priests amongst our ranks?" Unless it did ask that, of course. Neale Meagher, Malvern Sadly, there are paedophiles in many walks of life After coverage of the Catholic paedophiles, do not forget the Anglican priests who had a sexual predilection for children. Then there were predatory scoutmasters who had their heyday and the "adults" who were in charge of children in orphanages or those who "reformed" children in juvenile detention centres. And over the years, there have been revelations about vile conduct by paedophiles from all walks of life. The predators have been more than the Catholic priests.

Des Files, Brunswick Unfair targeting of parishes due to a lack of detail Apropos of your article, "Seminary Sins", which St Peter's parish? A case of tarring all such named parishes with same brush. Maureen Nakonesky, East Keilor THE FORUM

The reality of drought ... We have just returned from a great outback road trip in Queensland. Our aim was to explore national parks for wildlife, but we saw more wildlife on roadsides adjacent to farmland. Surrounded on both sides, kangaroos and wallabies are corralled to the roadways by fences. A bitumen road, with its small verge, green from dew or rain run-off, offers an attractive feast. But there they suffer an inevitable death. Dismembered carcasses were strewn along the roads. We witnessed the adaptability of nature, with the remarkable sight of more than 50 black kites circling over the previous day's carnage. The outback environment, featuring barren farmland, is devoid of wildlife. Road kill is an easy food source. Radio stations report the daily road toll of koalas – as if this might help make a difference to their survival. We expected to witness a drought-ravaged landscape but nothing prepared us for this abysmal sight. Louise Zattelman, Box Hill ... and climate change

The desolation of drought-stricken Victorian farms brought into our living rooms by ABC TV on Monday night was palpable. Farmers say this drought is the worst in living memory. There are two ways of viewing this: look back to even worse droughts, such as the one from 1898 to 1902, and pretend we can carry on regardless; or pay heed to scientists who calculate the increased probability of drought and other disasters for every decimal of a degree increase in global average temperature. The "carry on regardless" school of thought is betting on the scientists having miscalculated. It can be popular until things get so bad that we have to delve into geological records to find worse times in the past. At that point, even the sceptics might consider that the scientists were right. And what of their prediction that things could go wrong just when we finally discover we have left it too late to cut our greenhouse gas emissions? Do not question the kids' right to demand straight answers. John Gare, Kew East Labor's shameful stance So Labor under Anthony Albanese is paying us its 30 pieces of silver. It is set to take back the promise to reduce carbon emissions by 45per cent by 2030. This in light of the increased incidence and ferocity of bushfires, especially in eastern Australia at the current time. Recent devastating floods close to Florida were also thought to be due to increasing climate change. Is Labor also in the business of "whatever it takes" to get elected? Apparently. Shame, Labor, shame.

Jan Marshall, Brighton End the fiddling and act During the two world wars, bipartisan support from the major political parties enabled Australia to protect and defend its population, and to promote greater security in the world. However, the damage and dislocation which resulted from these conflicts will be dwarfed by that from global warming. It is the greatest threat of our lifetime, yet we lack leadership and bipartisanship on this issue. While both major parties backed symbolic action in the Strait of Hormuz to protect global oil interests, a bill to recognise the growing climate crisis did not pass. It is time for politicians to step up to the challenge of protecting national and global security. Instead, they are fiddling while our forests burn. Juliette Borenstein, North Fitzroy No probs, it's all good

Peter Hartcher (Comment, 17/9) makes a brave call for Australia to take action on the production of rare earth minerals, given that governments of all persuasions appear to operate on a "no worries, mate, she'll be right" approach to many matters of importance. In some cases, agreement that there is even a problem to be addressed is lacking. Climate change, what climate change? Marcia Roche, Mill Park High cost of a meal out We knew lamb costs were high – but $130 for a depressingly presented, shared (for two) lamb shoulder at a South Melbourne pub? The menu listed it as "market price" but unfortunately we did not ask what this was, nor was it offered by staff. That price must have included not only the meat and bone but also the fleece. No wonder veganism is on the rise (The Age, 17/9). Rob Gullan, Port Melbourne

Tapes tell the story When John Setka faced court over two offences of breaching court orders and harassing his wife, Emma Walters, to which he agreed to plead guilty, magistrate Belinda Wallington said his behaviour, including breaching intervention orders, had been "nasty" and "misogynistic". Judging from the leaked tape of a meeting of shop stewards last Thursday – "Setka plays down harassment" (The Age, 16/9) – we can add patronising, sly and self-obsessed. He could have set an example for a lot of men but chose to focus on himself and to blame others. I am pleased members of his union continue to share recordings that tell what he is really like. Trish McBride, Richmond The battle heats up

It is getting tense on the Bellarine Peninsula. Some of my dog-walking, ladies group have started wearing their Cats' rain jackets. I must bravely get out my Pies' scarf. Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff AFL's violence a turn-off The Magpies' Jaidyn Stephenson got a 10-match suspension (plus a 12-game suspended sentence) for betting on Collingwood games (Sport, 21/6), and Geelong's Tom Hawkins gets one week for striking a player in the head (Sport, 17/9). Where I live, junior soccer continues to grow while junior AFL does not. Go figure. Gary McGrath, Leongatha

Will we need the subs? It beggars belief that, as taxpayers, we are spending billions of dollars on submarines when drones, probably from Iran, have attacked two Saudi Arabian oil refineries. It seems logical to me that if there is another world war, it will be fought with drones rather than submarines, ships and aircraft. When will our politicians learn and actually do something useful instead of spending our hard-earned money on non-essentials? Sandra Shineton, Cheltenham Our misplaced priorities The interruption of oil supplies in the Middle East calls to mind Australia's situation of having around 28 days of oil reserves.

This is less than a third of our internationally agreed minimum. Managing our economy in any sector is always a matter of priorities. So which is more important: spending money on persecuting so-called illegal immigrants or insuring ourselves from running out of fuel for our vital transport needs? Kyle Matheson, Mont Albert Barmy Army: enough Speaking as a London-born "Pom", I was disgusted at the booing so frequently dished out by the English crowds during the Ashes series. Having settled in Melbourne in 1974, I later became an Australian citizen, supporting the Australian team,of course. The disaster surrounding the "ball tampering" was a hard blow for me to take. Whilst the acts of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were despicable, at least they took their punishment bravely, with due contrition, and have begun to play with good, and in Smith's case, outstanding results.

The constant booing by English spectators made me seriously doubt my pride at being born and raised as an Englishman. It is time the Barmy Amy and its manic supporters let the healing process begin. Len Ellis, Healesville A drop? We're paying more Re "Victoria a winner as power prices fall" (The Age, 17/9). In the last month, our electricity retailer notified us of an estimated increase in cost of about $320 a year, going on current usage. Is this just an example of those in power blatantly lying yet again? Gregory Head, Warburton

Business self-interest rules I am all for CEOs speaking out on issues outside their firm's direct interests (The Age, 16/9). Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott says the group had "tirelessly advocated" for tax reform. To suggest it did this for anything other than self-interest is nonsense. Equally disingenuous is the call by the Minerals Council of Australia (The Age, 16/9) to lift the prohibition on nuclear energy for the benefit of "communities and businesses". Phil Bodel, Ocean Grove A surplus obsession An upside or downside surprise unsettles the stockmarket because a company's predictions cannot be trusted.

The government is likely to announce a surplus (Business, 16/9), contrary to last May's budget projections. Since it cannot predict just a few months ahead, it certainly cannot be trusted to predict years ahead the impact of its third round of tax cuts, with its sole reliance on the effectiveness of the first round. The average tax refund has increased by less than $270, "raising doubts about whether the move will do enough to boost the nation's struggling economy" (The Age, 16/9). This is supported by the Reserve Bank pleading for a government fiscal stimulus to invigorate it. However, Scott Morrison, ignoring the advice of economists of all persuasions, persists with his puerile fixation on a surplus, risking a recession or having NDIS/Newstart recipients and pensioners pay for it. Carlo Ursida, Kensington Our precious haven We walked the Waterways Wetlands near Mordialloc on Sunday. It may not be paradise but it is still a peaceful place where we can enjoy nature in the midst of the south-eastern suburbs. Next month, work is expected to start to drive a freeway through it. So hurry. Visit the wetlands soon so you can tell your grandchildren what they lost forever to pay for a fleeting, foolish, low-value illusion of a traffic "fix".

Ian Morgans, Mordialloc AND ANOTHER THING Politics Don't incinerate the future. John Lowe, Ormond

Albanese is flying the white flag. He's been defeated by the Murdoch media and the coal lobby. Roy Wilson, Drouin How can anyone "have a go" on $40 a day? The calls to raise Newstart are getting louder. An increase is long overdue. Judi Crisp, Queenscliff Scott Morrison, why are you obfuscating? Liu and the Liberals have a case to answer re her activities and affiliations.

Elizabeth Morris, Kennington God has performed another miracle: turned Scott into a commie lover. Normally they're only in the ABC or ALP. Don Gillies, Canterbury Sport Toby Greene keeps getting away with it, so he he keeps doing it.

David Seal, Balwyn North The AFL's new definition of "low impact": does not cause death. Bill Holmes, Kew Toby should be allowed to play – with his hands tied behind his back. John Howell, Heathmont

Australia should have won the Ashes series 4-0. There should be a new captain come next March. Peter Walker, Black Rock The two constants of sport: Sam Stosur lost in the first round and David Warner out for single figures. When does it stop being news? Johnny Hackett, Wonthaggi Furthermore

Now criminals are held in "state-sponsored accommodation" (17/9). Ray Martin, Creswick Tony Wright and Michael Leunig, the heart and soul of The Age. Pamela Knight, Noorat via Terang I thought ex-Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry (17/9) would know how to stay in her own lane.

Nicholas Melaluka, Fairfield I read about these principles of justice and true democracy but I'm blowed if I know where to find them. Cliff Ellen, Rye *Sign up to editor Alex Lavelle's exclusive weekly newsletter at: www.theage.com.au\editornote.