YOUR AD HERE »

Letters

Dear Editor,

Rob Hartop has his information on climate science all cattywumpus.

1. Regarding the 19,000 “scientists” who signed the petition he references: the only criterion for signing was a bachelor’s degree. The sponsor used fake formatting to pretend the petition had originated from the National Academy of Sciences.



The NAS said the petition “does not reflect the conclusions of expert reports of the Academy.” For more details on this fraud, visit http://www.ucsusa.org/global_environment/global_warming/page.cfm?pageID=498.

2. The political strategy behind promoting action on climate change should not cloud our understanding of the science, unless we want to dig up Bush administration strategist Frank Lunz, who wrote: “The scientific debate is closing (against us) but not yet closed. There is still a window of opportunity to challenge the science,” in a now well-known memo. We can’t blame Stephen Schneider for trying to fight fire with fire.



3. Hot summers are all well and good, but the 10 hottest years on record did occur in the last 15 years.

If you want to find “scientific” research showing that the earth is flat, that the Holocaust didn’t happen, or that space aliens invaded your living room and drank your PBR, there’s ample material online.

Instead, let’s be sensible, listen to the world’s science leaders and take some no-regrets actions that will help make businesses and citizens more profitable and healthier, and climate more stable. For details on what one local business is already doing, visit http://www.aspensnowmass.com/environment/ and click on the climate link.

Cheers,

Auden Schendler

Basalt

Dear Editor,

Yes, 18,000 “scientists” signed a petition debunking global warming. Some are respected scientists with knowledge about the issue, but many were dentists, nutritionists and others with no expertise in climatology.

Some believe the petition was also marketed deceptively by including an article against global warming and formatted to resemble an article in the respected National Academy of Sciences (NAS) journal.

As a result, NAS issued a statement that the petition “does not reflect the conclusions of expert reports of the Academy.”

Another petition signed by approximately 1,600 scientists warned that there is a real potential danger in global warming due to greenhouse gases created by humans. This petition included 110 Nobel laureates, including 104 of the 178 living Nobel Prize winners in the sciences and 60 U.S. National Medal of Science winners.

Perhaps these scientists have a political agenda. But keep in mind that the petition against global warming was primarily developed by the George C. Marshall Institute, whose chair is affiliated with the Global Climate Coalition, an industry group calling itself the “voice for business in the global warming debate.”

David Petechuk

Rifle

Dear Editor,

A few comments on Mr. Hartop’s latest letter concerning global warming.

1. The URL I gave concerning Mr. Gore’s recent speech is not his Web site.

2. Quotes from 1989 do not reflect data gathered in the last 14 years.

3. Mr. Hartop brands the report of warming in the last 15 year of this century as propaganda. I would like to see Mr. Hartop offer a source of data that uses the longer time frame.

However, if Mr. Hartop insists on using summer temperatures, here is an interesting site: http://www.taiga.net/coop/indics/treecli.html. It uses analysis of tree rings, as plant growth and temperature are related.

Their conclusion: “This long-term perspective on summer temperatures indicates a warming trend over the past 150 years.” Check the site for a temperature chart and analysis of data.

4. Mr. Hartop’s contention that only a minority of scientists believe that global warming is caused by human activities is incorrect. The American Geophysical Union, the largest scientific organization of earth scientists, issued a new position statement on Dec. 16, concluding that “Scientific evidence strongly indicates that natural influences cannot explain the rapid increase in global near-surface temperatures observed during the second half of the 20th century.” The URL for the complete text of this report is at: http://www.agu.org/sci_soc/policy/climate_change_position.html.

I have provided alternate and current information, with sources, which challenge Mr. Hartop’s “facts.” Decide for yourself.

Jerry Fields

Rifle

Dear Editor,

I did not watch the Super Bowl game. I don’t have any interest in football. And now I am all the more happy that I didn’t watch! What bothers me about this whole episode goes beyond what Janet Jackson and her singing partner did.

If this is a family time, a family show, why was a song allowed that had a line in it, “I’ll get you naked by the end of this song”? Is that considered to be OK? If a decent song had been chosen with appropriate words that any family would not be embarrassed to hear, this incident most likely wouldn’t have happened at all.

The producers should be just as aghast at the words of the song as they are at the incident that the words encouraged. And had they been, the rest would never have happened!

Greg Barlow

New Castle

Dear Editor,

I am so sad to hear of the tension and division among the staff at Carbondale Elementary School.

A teacher survey conducted just last year by Advocates for Carbondale Education, with input and approval from the District Office, found a strong sense of teamwork and camaraderie among CES staff: 22 of the 29 respondents said that they felt supported by other teachers; when asked to identify the most positive aspects of their jobs 23 referred to their co-workers.

Someone needs to investigate whether the allegations regarding Principal DeLay are true:

Did she really never respond to a letter from 26 teachers in September asking for improved communication?

Has there really been no forum for all teachers to discuss significant school issues together?

Let’s find out what’s really going on so that teachers can get back to focusing on what they do best.

Debbie Bruell

Carbonda


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.