Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/327270
GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIALBOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@red bluffdailynews.com Phone: 530-527- 2151ext. 112 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 545 Diamond Ave., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Areyoutiredoftheextendeddebateover climate change? I certainly am, particularly when so many foolishly argue it doesn't ex- ist, isn't our fault, or can't be ameliorated. Iamwarywhen folks take the position that climate change is some kind of lib- eral conspiracy to hug trees and impede jobs and modern liv- ing. If you are of such ilk please consider the consequences if you are wrong, read an objective book on the subject or change the channel to something other than Fox News to face what is arguably today's most significant challenge. While there are a small number of scientists paid by polluters who suggest hu- man activity plays no role in global climate change, the greenhouse effect chemis- try and physics is incontro- vertible, and the statistical evidence of increased atmo- spheric carbon dioxide since the industrial revolution is incontrovertible. It doesn't re- quire a leap of faith or college education to connect these dots: 1) planets with higher atmospheric carbon concen- trations capture more so- lar energy and are much hot- ter than earth, and 2) in- creased combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, and petroleum increases atmospheric carbon concen- trations — ergo human use of fossil fuels increases global warming. Yes it is true that volca- noes and methane from rot- ting plants and flatulent cattle also contribute to atmospheric carbon, but at a fraction of that coming from power plant smokestacks and vehicle tail- pipes these days. It is also true that cutting coal use in the United States, only to export more coal to be combusted elsewhere will not reduce global warming, but what it will do is demonstrate to the world that an industrialized country can flourish without adversely affecting our planet. I'm hoping you ask "How can this be true?" We can reverse the carbon trends by using fuels more efficiently, recycling, reus- ing, and repurposing prod- ucts, and developing renew- able energy sources such as wind, hydro, and solar power systems to supplant fossil fuel use. These practices re- quire changes in technol- ogy, changes in behavior, and changes in our infrastruc- ture that come at some incon- venience and added costs at first but once implemented will actually diminish costs as costs for fuel, materials, la- bor, and health care diminsh. I know all this sounds too good to be true, particularly for climate change deniers, but it is not. First I woud like to make the distinction between weather and climate change as astrophysicist Neil De- Grasse Tyson recently did on the Fox TV program "Cos- mos: A Spacetime Odys- sey" ( go to www.hulu.com/ watch/643055#i0,p8,d0 to stream this onto your smart phone or home computer). Weather is the day to day variation of our atmosphere, where climate is the long term trend of change. We can predict weather only a few days or weeks ahead by studying air pressure varia- tion, the movement of clouds, and regional temperature patterns; only by smooth- ing out these changes are the trends in long-term climate change revealed. The causes for these changes can then be explored by examining con- current data on carbon con- centrations (from 800,000 year old ice core samples), fossil fuel consumption data, and information on volca- nic eruptions. The sci- ence is sound so it is not ironic that the EPA released its coal power plant clean air require- ments the same week this program was aired to literally and figuratively clear the air on the topic. In- deed coal fired power costs will increase as they should to discourage the combustion of this global warming fuel, its airborne mercury and par- ticulate pollution and conse- quential adverse health im- pacts, as well reduce ecosys- tem destruction, coal slag production and loss of life and health from mining acci- dents and black lung disease. I believe we should go a step further and prohibit coal exports so as to improve American security, competi- tiveness and demonstrate our commitment to helping solve this problem. Since its cre- ation the world has looked to the United States for so- lutions to our most vexing difficulties and our invest- ments in education and tech- nology have delivered with amazing success. With effort akin to putting a man on the moon we can ensure our long term survival on the earth, but only if we take actions now despite the naysayers that would have you believe climate change isn't a prob- lem. Please don't let them, or your own indifference or la- ziness, keep you from recog- nizing our responsibilities to our planet so as to go outside and smell the roses while you still can. RichardMazzucchiisare- tired research engineer spe- cializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He has travelled extensively and now makes his home in Los Molinos, where he is striv- ing to manifest a sustainable and spiritual lifestyle and op- erate a barbecue equipment and supply business. He can be reached at living-green@ att.net. Richard Mazzucchi Smell the roses while you still can Cartoonist's take The Tea Party Patri- ots will have newly-re- elected District Attor- ney Greg Cohen at to- night's meeting, 6 p.m. at the Westside Grange on Walnut, west of Baker. Greg's appear- ances are refreshing be- cause he tells it like it is, without the reticence and guarded language so common from bureaucrats and politi- cians. He will take questions; he is honest, frank and real- istic. Controversy over Bowe Berg- dahl's release swirled over Pres- ident Obama's rejection of re- sponsible advice against the swap—from those in the exec- utive, congressional and mili- tary branches—in pursuit of a stubborn, headlong agenda to release prisoners from Guanta- namo (Gitmo) detention. That agenda was confirmed by no less than mainstream liberal reporter Chuck Todd, who said, "This has all been about emp- tying Gitmo." He quoted a State Dept. of- ficial, Marie Harf saying "We had to get something for these guys because we were eventu- ally going to have to release them anyway." Really? That is, of course, due solely to Obama's executive order, arbitrarily is- sued for crass ideological rea- sons with zero respect for the danger to American citizens and our military posed by these hard-core terrorists. To be sure, detainees deemed far less of a threat were sent to their coun- tries under President Bush, but over a third of those returned to take up arms or bombs against America and west-lean- ing governments. The 5 Taliban leaders Obama released can be counted on to engage in vio- lent jihadist activities leaving American blood on Obama's hands. That Obama illegally ig- nored the 2013 law he signed is indisputable; his signing statement never refuted or ne- gated the central requirement that Congress be given 30 days notice before releasing detain- ees. He never claimed such no- tification "would violate con- stitutional separation of pow- ers principles." The reason is that that law replaced a prior law that did, in fact, mandate Con- gress's approval for such releases. (For more detail of Obama's ille- gality, read "The Berg- dahl Deal—As Unlawful As It Was Misguided" by Paul Mirengoff, Pow- erlineblog.com, June 4) Obama didn't want to tip his plans until he had his shame- less "rally 'round the flag" nar- rative (Todd's words) complete with Bergdahl's parents in the Rose Garden (bet he didn't see the "Pashtun" language, pro- Muslim sentiments and call for releasing Gitmo prisoners coming—unless Obama shared the sentiments). Todd: "[T]he shiny metal object here has been Bergdahl when the en- tire motivation is … emptying Gitmo." Understand that I don't judge Bergdahl's actions—that falls to his military superi- ors. I don't second-guess send- ing troops to search for him in that, regardless of circum- stances surrounding his "deser- tion" (per fellow soldiers), they had no choice but to mount a rescue/recovery effort. How- ever, given Obama's ludicrous timetable for American mili- tary departure from Afghani- stan, prisoners would typically be exchanged after hostilities cease. Imagine if Roosevelt or Truman sent top Nazis back to lead German troops during WWII, with a fig-leaf stay in the Netherlands. Simply unbe- lievable! Is anyone surprised that "The media is turning on President Obama" (Michael Goodwin, New York Daily News)? "With multiple crises spiraling out of control … sto- ries about the Obama presi- dency are taking on the air of postmortems. What went wrong, who's to blame, what next? … The Times, other lib- eral news organizations and leading Democrats, in and out of office, must come to grips with their own failures, as well. "Obama had a free hand to make a mess because they gave it to him. They cheered him on, supporting him with un- precedented gobs of money and near-unanimous votes. They said 'aye' to any cockama- mie concept he came up with, echoed his demonization of critics and helped steamroll un- popular and unworkable ideas into reality." Kings have their courts; Obama has had his lackeys. Unfortunately, constitutional "checks and balances" re- quire "the everyday behavior of Americans to make the sys- tem work. That system broke down under Obama, and the blame starts with the me- dia. By giving the president the benefit of the doubt at ev- ery turn, by making excuses to explain away fiascos, by ig- noring corruption, by buying the White House line that his critics were motivated by pure politics or racism, (the media) played the role of bartender to a man on a bender … The ev- idence is everywhere that his ideas are flawed, that his view of economics, diplomacy, the military, history, science and religion are warped by his own narcissism. He doesn't even talk a good game any- more." A Democrat/Republican poll by Fox News, reported in the Washington Post shows that "Americans Agree: Obama is An Incompetent Who Has Made America Weaker." He's viewed as less competent, ac- cording to the results, than ei- ther the Clinton or the Bush administrations. Finally, another biparti- san poll, by Anderson Rob- bins (D) and Shaw & Com- pany (R) found that 1) Re- publicans are viewed more favorably than Democrats, 2) If the truth about Obamacare had been known in 2009, the law never would have passed, and 3) 61 percent, including many Democrats, say Presi- dent Obama lies either "most of the time" or "some of the time." The Powerline title says it all: "It's Official: Obama is a Liar" (4/18). Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@ yahoo.com. Don Polson Bergdahl-for-Taliban swap and other illegal, hidden agendas Yes it is true that volcanoes and methane from rotting plants and flatulent cattle also contribute to atmospheric carbon, but at a fraction of that coming from power plant smokestacks and vehicle tailpipes these days. It is also true that cutting coal use in the United States, only to export more coal to be combusted elsewhere will not reduce global warming, but what it will do is demonstrate to the world that an industrialized country can flourish without adversely affecting our planet. I'm hoping you ask "How can this be true?" Sounding off A look at what readers are saying in comments on our website and on social media. Hope she is ok! She was my bus driver when I was a kid. Alena Burlison: Comment on a report of a car hitting a school bus in Gerber Friday Close all casinos permanently! Casey John Parks: On attempt by ousted members to shut down Rolling Hills Casino Richard Mazzucchi Don Polson OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, June 10, 2014 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6