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4A Daily News – Monday, July 4, 2011 Opinion Climate change is putting our food at risk D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Extreme floods, droughts, tor- nados and fires seem to be every- where. And among their many devastating impacts, is their threat to vital food crops. Floods and droughts last year were responsi- ble for massive crop failures across Russia, and Australia. This year, it's France, Germany and crops across the U.S. that are being wiped out. Climate change is literally contributing to the destabilization of our food system. So it's shocking that 238 members of the House of Represen- tatives last month were more con- cerned with casting a vote to deny that cli- mate change is affecting our planet than to implement a new, common-sense policy to help pre- pare for global warming, and plan for ways to prevent disastrous dis- ruptions in our food supply. Since getting elected last year, the Republican majority in the House has been consistently anti-science and anti-reality as evidenced by their notorious vote on April 6th against a resolution that simply said climate change was occur- ring, was caused largely by human activity, and posed a threat to our health. Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point Meanwhile, although the U.S. has been fairly insulated, growing demand for staple grains, along with significant crop failures from extreme weather, have caused major price spikes and grain shortages global- ly over the past few years. Agricultural experts are feeling a rising unease about the future of the world's food supply, as farmers from Texas to Ten- nessee to North Dakota lose crops to paradoxically simultaneous historic drought and floods. Local- ly, recent unusual torna- dos, high winds, and sus- tained unseasonable peri- ods of cold and rain have destroyed trees and dam- age crops. It only makes sense for the Department of Agri- culture to pursue policies that protect our nation's ability to grow food. Their proposed three page policy document broadly states that the "USDA will devel- op, prioritize, implement, and evaluate actions to minimize cli- mate risks and exploit new oppor- tunities that climate change may bring." What makes no sense, is deny- ing the pattern of extreme weather happening before our eyes, and being so determined in this denial to prevent the Department of Agriculture from so much as plan- ning for future extreme weather that is unfolding as scientists have said it would, posing a clear and present danger to our food supply. As North Dakota's Souris River reached the highest flood level in history over the weekend - - breaking an 1881 record -- just weeks after the Mississippi river's historic flooding, and as Arizona fights to contain enormous wild- fires, Texas contends with a drought worse than the Dust Bowl, and Missouri reels from recent tornadoes, we can no longer tolerate political posturing when it comes to votes on our food security. There is no question that increasing energy use efficiency and developing renewable power sources will limit fossil fuel com- bustion, lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and reduce their heat trapping effects on our cli- mate. Realistic national energy plans should account for these sci- entific facts and responsible public policy should provide free-market incentives for industry and con- sumers to make more climate con- scious decisions. So called "cap and trade" pro- grams are free market mecha- nisms that help industries transi- tion to more climate conscious practices by allowing industries that reduce emissions to profit by selling carbon-credits to those that do not. By placing dollar values on clean air, water, and healthy environments we make them mar- ketable commodities and provide a means to balance environmental protection with other production costs. This marketplace evolution will protect our environment, pro- mote efficiency, and secure our food, energy, and national security without onerous regulations. So please join me and the sci- entific community to beseech con- gressional Republicans to acknowledge the reality of climate change that is presently shifting weather patterns, putting our food security at risk, and wrecking havoc on our ecosystems. Repre- sentative Herger’s address appears on this page, please use it to send him a copy of this column or a personal letter to let him know that climate change is putting our food at risk. Have a safe and happy 4th and remember that tomorrow is D-day for the PATH Homeless Shelter proposal. Red Bluff City council meets at 7pm in the Community Center to finalize a vacant parcel rezone on Breckenridge Street for this beneficial and well planned facility. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Exceptional origin and accomplishments Commentary Independence Day, celebrated on July 4th, has from its inception called our collective attention to our Declaration of Independence. Our understanding of, and devo- tion to, the exceptional (defined: rare, extraordinary, unusual, uncommon, singular, even gifted) nature of our nation’s birth, found- ing principles, documents and enshrined values — all of that hinges on certain indisputable real- ities and beliefs. And yet, together with our co-founding document, the U.S. Constitution, disputes pro- liferate. Masses of Americans, includ- ing the Tea Party movement, have renewed their interest in and devo- tion to that which set America apart from all nations that came before, and to this day makes America superior to others. Among the thousands of words in those two founding documents, that which most defines America’s "exceptionalism," as now known, is summarized thus: We are "endowed by (our) Creator with certain unalienable rights" and "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" are among, not the total of, those rights. Instituted government is constrained by what we, the people, allow. Those "Blessings" come from the only "Bless-or" they knew of at our founding, God. Moreover, to our Founders, the "Pursuit of Hap- piness" meant the inherent rights of ownership: of property and the fruits of one’s labor. Some reflex- ively criticize that the Constitution allowed slavery; discussions and disputes among the Framers prove that they chose to include the slave- allowing states rather than form two countries. They also specifical- ly had the abolishment of slavery in mind through the amendment process. Contrary to critics’ con- demnation of the slaves being counted as three-fifths of a person, the Framers saw that rule as an incentive for those states to free slaves, which would increase a state’s congressional representa- tion. Counting slaves fully would have provided no such motivation to free them. Country artist Aaron Tippin sings for many of us in his tribute, "Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly." "Well if you ask me where I come from, Here’s what I tell everyone: I was born by God’s dear grace, In an extraordinary place … It’s a big ‘ol land with countless dreams, Happiness ain’t out of reach, Hard work pays off the way it should, I’ve seen enough to know we’ve got it good, Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly. "There’s a lady that stands in a harbor, For what we believe. And there’s a bell that still echoes the price that it cost to be free … I pledge allegiance to this flag, And if that bothers you, well that’s too bad … No, it ain’t the only place on earth, But it’s the only place that I prefer, To love my wife and raise my kids, The same way that my daddy did, Where the stars and stripes and the eagle fly." And yet, it’s troubling that many among our left-leaning citi- zens react in negative ways to the patriotic sentiments of American exceptionalism. Peter Beinart called it a "lunatic notion," when he mocked Republican Marco Rubio’s claim that "America is the single greatest nation in all of human history." Isn’t China, Beinart argued, expanding opportunities for its citi- zens? Pardon me, but a totalitarian state giving its subjects expanded opportu- nities to work for pennies a day doesn’t impress many people outside the China- and-big-government-ador- ing fringe (Tom Friedman et al). Writer Michael Kinsley penned an essay, "U.S. is not greatest country ever" full of mockery of simple- ton America-lovers. Two Harvard professors admon- ished liberals to avoid exposing their children to July 4th celebrations, lest they grow up Republican. As for our President Obama, he Don Polson The way I see it famously dismissed American exceptionalism as being of no more consequence than the British or Greeks sentimentalizing their countries. When the mom in the Pixar animated movie, "The Incredibles," said to her son, "Everyone’s special," he sardon- ically replied, "Which is another way of saying no one is." Liberal writers on this page have taken a similar tack, one of which decried "the perils of excep- tionalism," which flaws he went on to itemize and summarize as "warts on our face." I guess the fact that slavery has only historically been eliminated by and from the English-speaking parts of the world, will never relieve some of their congenital cynicism toward an America responsible for liberat- ing hundreds of millions from the yokes of communism, nazism and Islamic fascism. They likewise use the fact that, with less than 5 percent of the world’s population, America produces a quarter of the world’s goods and services – a remarkable achievement. To the cynical liberal, how- ever, that just pro- vides fodder for con- demning our inordi- nate use of the world’s resources. There has never been any nation even remotely similar to America. Most revo- lutions seek to destroy the existing class order to mandate an equality of result. In "Don’t tread on me" and "Give me liberty or give me death," our Founders "were con- vinced that constitutionally pro- tected freedom would allow the individual to create wealth apart from government. Such enlight- ened self-interest would then enrich society at large far more effectively than could an all-pow- erful state." (Victor Davis Hanson) Correction: Last week I light- heartedly wrote about Dennis Gar- ton’s supposed "phone-paux" at a breakfast meeting in Redding. It was not, in fact, Mr. Garton, but rather another man sitting nearby. Dennis has graciously accepted my apology. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.