• Exploring climate change • Lighthouse trash reflects on government • Tree Tunnel road is dangerous Exploring climate change Regarding the article called “Climate debate needs experts, not alarmists” by Tom Harris: I am surprised that The Garden Island would promote a group
• Exploring climate change • Lighthouse trash reflects on government • Tree Tunnel road is dangerous
Exploring climate change
Regarding the article called “Climate debate needs experts, not alarmists” by Tom Harris:
I am surprised that The Garden Island would promote a group (the Climate Science Coalition) that is an oil-industry-funded PR firm spreading dubious information about climate change or lack thereof. The headline is amusing, since it is Harris who is the alarmist, raising false assertions about settled science with a classic straw-man technique.
The International Climate Science Coalition is led by Tom Harris, a former Canadian energy company public relations consultant, who is trying to grab media attention with a new report written by the who’s who of the climate denier conspiracy bunch. The report, “Climate Change Reconsidered II: Physical Science,” is part of a series published by a Chicago-based front group for the oil and tobacco industries called the Heartland Institute.
Many studies, as well as books, have explored climate change, including “Merchants of Doubt” by Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, and “Climate Cover-Up” by James Hoggan and Richard Littlemore. Those books show that huge sums of corporate money have been spent on campaigns to spread confusion about issues ranging from the dangers of smoking to threats to the ozone layer to climate change. This all has to do with protecting corporate profits.
If we can sift through the half-truths about climate change using factual information, we can challenge those who misrepresent science and spread misinformation. It will also make breathing easier.
Carol Ann Davis
Koloa
Lighthouse trash reflects on government
Is it any wonder the public is cynical about government? Abandoned vehicles and trash litter the area near the lighthouse. It is reported that people have been residing in them at times. What has become of the issue? Whose job is it to clean things up? Straight out of an old sitcom: “It’s not my job!”
In the world in which I prefer to live, these many agencies — U.S. Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and Kauai County — would be competing for the opportunity to better things.
Someone could step up and say, “We’ll do it!” Then one or several others can join in with, “We’ll help!” The expense will not be great, especially spread out like this, but a small corner of the paradise of Kauai that we all seem determined to turn into nothing special would be restored, beautified. Objections will be raised like, “Liability! Expense! Stepping on toes! Abrogating responsibility. Precedent!”
None of this sounds very aloha, does it?
Frank J Marone
Kapaa
Tree Tunnel road is dangerous
Since the subject of dangerous night driving has been coming up, I’d like to add Tree Tunnel road to the discussion. Center and side reflectors are really needed on that entire road. It doesn’t even have a center line in places, or the stripe has somehow become detached and isn’t straight anymore. Seriously, how does that happen?
It’s amazing more people don’t die on that road, especially the curvy part.
David Bickham
Koloa
