Letters: Green energy action needed now; Standing up to hate

Green energy action needed now

Earth’s atmosphere regulates the sun’s life giving ... or deadly ... radiation.

The ozone layer shields us from excess ultraviolet light.

Earth’s magnetic fields shield us from high energy particles.

And our ancient atmosphere’s balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide has allowed life to flourish and human civilization to develop.

Every breath we take is part of Earth’s ancient atmosphere. We exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide in balance with Earth’s atmosphere. Plants perform the opposite exchange, breathing in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, using the sun to grow organic compounds that trap the sun’s energy in carbon bonds, giving us food and the very air we breath in a process that has been going on for billions of years.

When humans began to extract the sun’s energy from plant-based carbon sources we also started to release the carbon dioxide accumulated by plants for many millions of years. Ever since then our climate has been heating up from rising carbon dioxide levels, an inescapable truth of chemistry, physics, solar radiation, and human actions.

We are not far from extreme and unlivable heat, crop failure, starvation, disease, collapse of civilization, rivers running dry, unpredictable drought, deadly floods, coastal city submersion, extinction of Earth’s creatures, and horrible wars if we fail to act and change our ways.

We can continue our fossil fuel use causing thousands of years of suffering or do something now to create a green energy system ... with jobs, jobs, jobs ... that benefit us all and preserve our wonderful, benign climate.

Standing up to hate

This letter is in response to the latest racist incidents in our area — the racist posters and damage at a local church. I am concerned that these insidious acts will continue if we all don’t stand up against them. This is not what we want this community to be about. Unfortunately, it may exist here more than we want to believe. Social media and some news outlets have drilled racist laden wild conspiracy theories into the mainstream more than ever. There are people that now believe these outrageous lies that would have never even thought of believing them had it not been for the 24/7 false information push to make them sound legit. My hope and encouragement is that we all stand up to this attempt to divide us through threats and harassment and put our energy into uniting us locally and nationally. I have to believe that most people want this, and do not want to hate and destroy. I know there are many who are working toward this goal and I firmly applaud them all. It takes strength to stand up to divisiveness. Recently deceased Larry King once said, “I remind myself every morning, nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I am going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

Holding officials accountable

My husband and I look forward to traveling the country again this year, after vaccinations and the return of tourist sites and attractions. We had planned to visit many areas within our home state of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, due to the actions of Jan. 6, we have determined we will adjust our plans and avoid spending money in areas that support officials such as U.S. Rep. Fred Keller. We have already contacted his largest business donor (Bingaman and Son) and requested their assistance in holding Mr. Keller accountable.

We do not have any leverage over Mr. Keller, but the residents of central Pennsylvania have power. If they chose to tell Mr. Keller that his actions were unacceptable, we believe he would at minimum apologize, and at best resign from the U.S. House of Representatives.

We know many may not agree with our choices for public policies, such as support for state and local government, a vigorous approach to climate change, a reckoning of our racial distrust, etc. But several Republicans, such as Senator Romney, disagree with policies yet had the courage to tell the truth. The election was free, fair, and more people voted for President Biden than the other candidate.