Firstly, much of Australia and the world is in severe long term drought and suffering record heatwaves - conditions that science has predicted would become more common as the climate warms.

Secondly,the hotter the atmosphere the more water can be carried by storms and weather events, so the rainfall will become heavier when it does occur.

No one area or event can be 100 per cent linked to climate change.

What we can be 100 per cent certain of is that the climate is warming and the weather conditions that have been predicted by science for well over 20 years are just starting to become obvious to the general public.  

We have two choices, start to listen to science and deal with climate change or deny the science and wait for conditions to become unimaginably worse (as science predicts they will).

Doug Steley, Heyfield

Adrian Delvin (Illawarra Mercury, January 15, 2016) raises the hypothesis that because the Sydney water supply dams are full or near full then we do not have a climate change problem.  

However he seems to neglect that parts of Australia and other parts of the world are in drought and have been so for years.

There is a very solid scientific consensus indicating that there is a disturbing warming of the climatic system.

This warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events.  

These extreme weather events have contributed to the plentiful supply of water for Sydney.  

Maybe Mr Delvin needs to look at why there are such differences occurring even in one continent rather than conclude that because the Sydney water storage has an abundance that the rest of Australia and the world do not have a problem.

Ben Morris, Wollongong

An Oxfam report reveals that 62 people own more wealth that the world's poorer half.

The increase has accelerated in the past five years when 388 owned more wealth than the poorer half.

The report shows that this is caused by a broken economic model underpinned by deregulation, privatisation and financial secrecy.

These factors that enriched the few are still being employed. Privatisation is an example.

It transfers assets owned by the people into the pockets of the rich few.

Another example that the reports highlights is the need for a living wage instead of a minimum wage and an end to the gender gap.

It is the influence of powerful vested interests that has caused the problem and they “have to be kept in check".

And the "tax burden to be shifted away from labour and consumption". Policies that are immoral and economically regressive.

The report has been released as the world's business elite converge on Davos for the World Economic Forum.

The recent Paris world leaders addressed climate change, “the greatest moral issue of our times”.

World poverty is another moral issue that needs attention.

Reg Wilding, Wollongong

Maybe Sarah Palin is looking at a second chance at a VP nomination.

If she is successful Tony Abbott might have a future  as well.

William Bielefeldt, Kembla Grange