Letters: Scientists urge action on climate change, and more
Scientists Urge Action on Climate Change
Recently, the American Fisheries Society released a historic document in which 111 aquatic scientific societies from around the world called for decisive action to combat climate change (https://climate.fisheries.org/world-climate-statement/). These societies, representing more than 80,000 scientists, produced this unprecedented plea to world leaders with a staggering amount of evidence showing the consequences of climate change.
Scientists agree that increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for more extreme weather events such as droughts and flooding, which have harmed water supplies and water quality. Climate changes have been linked to recent wildfires that have destroyed aquatic habitats. The negative effects of climate change on marine systems are alarming. Oceans cover 68% of the globe and 40% of the world’s population live within about 60 miles of the coast. As ocean temperatures rise, rates of ice cap melting have increased, sea levels are rising, and coastal infrastructure is increasingly threatened. Oceans are becoming more acidic and dissolved oxygen is declining. More than 90% of coral reefs will be lost in 30 years, if trends continue at the current rate. Harvest of important food fishes has been declining precipitously.
When this many scientists present such compelling evidence for the effect of climate change on our planet, we need to pay attention. And, we need to demand that our political leaders take immediate action to reduce fossil fuel emissions and increase carbon storage.
Our planet depends on it.
The writer is past president of the American Fisheries Society.
Free and Fair Elections
Reading news stories about voter fraud and voter suppression, we must recognize that these problems both represent election fraud. Whether the attempt is to vote inappropriately or to keep legitimate voters from registering, voting and having their ballots count, each is defrauding the system of free and fair elections that is critical to American democracy.
There is a significant difference in the prevalence with which each occurs. Research has consistently found that voter fraud is so scarce as to be a non-issue in the U.S. electoral process. Voter suppression has an extensive and well-documented history. Voter fraud, which is not a problem, is often used as pretext for voter suppression, which is a problem.
The Atlantic recently published a well-sourced article about efforts at voter suppression occurring around the 2020 election. These include not just things like purging and intimidating voters, making it harder to vote, but also more subtle things like discarding ballots for minor technical errors of the type most of us make in daily living.
The article specifically refers to elected leaders in Pennsylvania in its discussion of voter suppression. It is important that this paper and each of us as citizens hold our elected officials accountable for ensuring an election in which voting is facilitated, not blocked, and that all voters’ voices are heard through their ballots. It is also critical that we carefully read and follow all instructions in completing ballots and ask for help if needed.
Show our kids the best
We are moms, sisters, grandmas and daughters. If ever we should raise our voices on behalf of children, now is the time! We need to move beyond politics and work to keep ourselves and the children in our lives safe.
Foremost, safe from COVID-19. Infectious disease experts here and across the world all agree that lots of hand washing, wearing a mask and avoiding large groups will help contain the spread of the virus. Or just ask your family doctor or pediatrician. Such an easy thing to do!
Safe, also, from the frightening increase in the number of adults who have become angry, loud, disrespectful, often using abusive language and threatening behaviors to express their political views. Children shouldn’t have neighbors or friend’s families or even their own families torn apart by squabbling adults. Most parents do their best to teach by example — show our kids the best of us, not the worst.
Women’s smarts, common sense, caring have rarely been needed more than now. We can make a safer space for all the kids we know and love with just a few good choices.
Keep America safe and strong
With the breakdown of the American nuclear family comes the collapse of American society. We are now on the eve of destruction. America, founded on Judeo Christian principles, has lost its way. We have booted God out of every institution, including marriage. Sadly, one parent homes are the norm.
Homemakers are disparaged. Public schools raise our children. Someone whose values are most likely different than yours is raising your children. American morals and values have significantly declined. R-rated material on TV/movies and in music has skyrocketed. Pornography is everywhere. Abortion exists. We have no free press. Our government is a swamp. The silence of Christ’s invisible Church leaves many suffering. Crime is out of control. Scruples are obsolete. Sadly, respect for law and order, and life, in general, is gone. The weapon of racism is being used to condone violence. Anarchists and paid thugs swarm are streets without consequences. The destruction of our American homes, history and way of life is at stake.
If we continue to turn a blind eye, if we continue to wallow in white guilt, if we continue to promote corrupt politicians and the lie of systemic racism and continue to allow fascism to rear its ugly head, the destruction of America will be complete. Fight the good fight of faith. Respect all human life. We come in all beautiful colors. Unite and keep America safe and strong. Let them hear your family loving, law and order voices, by voting, in person, in November.
Send Trump packing
On full view at the debate, Donald Trump displayed a panoply of pathological indicators. Interruptive, disrespectful, and brutish, Trump was only about himself. He showed no shame with being a compulsive liar. His default inclination was to project his own cheating —heart capacity onto others. He displayed poor impulse control, volatile irritability, and amorality — as if he is above any laws. Trump has been described as narcissistic, sociopathic and profoundly regressive.
Yet, we need more than jargon to fully capture such a disturbing person.
His behavior suggests the man more properly belongs in an institution. He certainly deserves no more support to remain in the White House, where he can only wreak more havoc and destruction on our democracy and country’s future. This prospect frightens me for all our children. Let’s send him packing.
And as a Catholic myself, I’m appalled there are some Catholics or evangelical Christians having the misguided notion their faith requires them to vote for this amoral hypocrite, because of the primacy of his so-called “pro-life” agenda. This, the same man who opts for nuclear weapons, imprisons immigrant children, disavows responsible actions for COVID deaths and climate change destruction of the earth’s vital resources, and cynically exposes his minions to deadly health risks so he can have his adulatory circus.
This man is not pro-life. Pope Francis as well as many religious leaders around the country remind us there can’t be a single-issue moral hegemony warranting a vote for this president.