The link is broken?
Re: the June 12 article “Climate anxiety means fewer babies.”
“The Link between population and climate is broken” writes Jade S. Sasser in her Op-Ed. The world population is at about 7.8 billion and growing; the birth rate may fluctuate a bit, but the impact of this fluctuation is minimal given the damage already done to the environment and atmosphere of the planet. The population base is huge and our integral ties to the production of greenhouse gases so addictive and profound, that to say the link is broken is patently absurd. It shows me the author does not understand climate change, population dynamics, biology of the earth or chemistry of the atmosphere planet-wide.
It is important to understand fluctuating birth rates in the short term as is attempted here, but let us keep the long term, overall trends in mind and not excuse ourselves prematurely. Personally, this piece struck me as an essentially academic polemic, argued from a very narrow point of view.
People are also reading…
K.E.S. Donahue
Foothills
Getting everyone to agree
Re: the June 12 article “Climate anxiety means fewer babies.”
Finally, we’ve been told, we can feel more upbeat knowing that the time has come to “stop blaming overpopulation for environmental woes” and redirect our focus on the actual problem; overindulgent consumerism. This puzzling attempt to shift blame from overpopulation toward the consequences of overpopulation leads, naturally, to the impotent solution that if everyone would just do the right thing we could fix everything.
Oh, and did you know that young people are having less sex? Apparently, the average young mind now responsibly engages in a thoroughly cogent analysis of the impact of population on a warming planet before indulging rash impulses. So, don’t despair. When faced with the gloomy conclusion reached by serious analysts that the carrying capacity of the Earth has already been exceeded, cheer up, knowing that young people are finally coming to their senses and that all we need to do now is get all the people of the world to agree to do the right thing. Problem solved.
Robert Gavlak
Midtown
Monster won’t go away
Donald Trump is so frustrated and jealous of Joe Biden’s successful handling of COVID-19. His response is to renew his attacks on Dr. Fauci, and his minions are following his lead. How ridiculous that the guy who was touting ingesting or injecting chemicals, and pushing a drug known to be ineffective against the virus, is continuing to denigrate one of the world’s foremost virus experts.
His sycophant supporters like Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky are joining in. Sen. Johnson recently tried to give new life to the hydroxychloroquine falsehood. Recall, early on Trump publicly expressed his jealousy (in a joking way, but he was obviously not joking) that Dr. Fauci was more popular than Trump, when Fauci was part of Trump’s virus team.
Shortly after that, Dr. Fauci was muzzled and all but disappeared. Now he must have a security detail to protect him and his family. What a sad, disgusting commentary on Trump and his followers.
Deborah Klumpp
Oro Valley
With rights come responsibilities
This is an open letter to all the anti-vax people out there. I am old enough to remember when we eliminated polio because everyone got treated. Now due to your thoughts and actions, the fear of small-pox and measles returning is real. Over 600,000 deaths must not mean anything to you.
I am a decorated Vietnam Vet who went over on my mother’s 54th birthday. I joined Vietnam Vets Against the War on my discharge. I am Arizona public schooled, including a BSBA from NAU.
I think I understand personal rights but believe that with rights come responsibilities. For all you Christians, when you look in the mirror, think of what Jesus preached. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” I hope at least one of you may change you thoughts.
Kurt Ohlrich
Oro Valley
Water tankers for wildfires
Attention local, state and federal politicians and whoever allocates funds to fight wildfires: We need more air tankers to fight wildfires!
So, you need to make funds available to buy and pilot more water tankers. Duh!
Every year we are seeing huge and many devastating wildfires. Our state (and others) are burning up.
Surely there is some government waste somewhere that can be shuffled over to this important issue.
Karen McKee
West side
Purpose for NATO
NATO was founded after WWII to deter Soviet expansion, use a strong US and Canadian presence on the continent to deter the revival of nationalist militarism in Europe, and encourage European political integration.
Currently, the US remains the primary military deterrent because the European countries have minimal militaries. The European Union has done a good job of integrating European countries and economies. In 2020, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy “each” have larger economies than Russia. Germany currently gets most of its natural gas from Russia and is currently negotiating a natural gas pipeline, called Nord Stream 2 to run from Russia, under the Baltic Sea to Germany.
So why do we continue to support Europe financially and militarily? Why are we in NATO now? What is the new purpose for NATO other than to bleed more resources from the US?
Cal Rooker
Northwest side
Questions
Was the filibuster racist in 2020 when the Democrats used it over 300 times? Sen. Chuck Schumer “weaponized the filibuster” to block all Republican legislation.
Is the USA a democracy? I’m getting tired of reading that. The United States Constitution presents us with a republic. As Ben Franklin supposedly said when asked what form of government we have: “A republic. If you can keep it.”
How were Senators chosen in the un-amended constitution? Originally the constitution had Senators appointed by state legislators. This was not changed until 1913, just a little over a hundred years ago. If this was still the case, Arizona would most likely have two Republican Senators.
So political hackery seems to be at work with all those people who were for it before, magically, Jan. 20, 2021, they were against it. But at least it gives me my morning sigh.
Mary Hughes
Green Valley
