Connie Young - 6-1-2018 - Let’s focus on environmental devastation and climate change and impact on the poor

Let’s focus on environmental devastation and climate change and impact on the poor

June 01, 2018 02:16 PM

During the week of June 4th, a revival of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign will focus on environmental devastation and climate change. Why would poor people care about those things?
One need look no farther than Fresno County for the answer. Some of our poor rural communities still lack access to clean drinking water and remain at risk of pesticide exposure. We all must contend with polluted air and unacceptable rates of childhood asthma.
As for climate change, people with limited health care and other resources are disproportionately affected by rising temperatures. Heat waves can worsen air pollution, which is especially harmful to those with heart and lung illnesses. Unusual changes in rain and snowfall resulting in drought and less snowpack can result in job losses for seasonal workers. For folks without air conditioning or swimming pools, heat waves can be unbearable.
Rev. Dr. King once said, “It would be foolhardy for me to work for integrated schools or integrated lunch counters and not be concerned about the survival of the world in which to be integrated.” Amen, Rev. King….Amen!

Connie Young, Fresno

 http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212372934.html#storylink=cpy

Matt Armstrong - 5-30-2018 - GOP members secretly admit climate change is real

GOP members secretly admit climate change is real

May 30, 2018 05:37 PM

 

Jim Bridenstine, the former Oklahoma congressman turned NASA administrator, has long been a climate change denier, and it appears that he was picked to run NASA in large part because of this. It was surprising then that during a “town hall” style talk to NASA employees he flatly admitted that greenhouse gases cause climate change and that humans are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. This isn’t surprising, as he likely has known the truth all along, but decided to act otherwise while in Congress for the purpose of appealing to donors who prefer to hide the truth. It has long been reported that Republican members of Congress will openly admit to the realities of climate change when out of sight of the press. It is time for politicians to admit that there are workable bipartisan solutions, such as carbon pricing, that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The public needs to hold reality-denying politicians accountable so that they begin to act in a responsible manner, otherwise we will all be the poorer for it.

Matt Armstrong, Fresno

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212232559.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/article212232559.html

 

 

Andrea De Zubiria - May 2018 - California Wild Fires - unpublished

California Wild Fires

Your article about terrifying encounters recorded on bodycams as police evacuated residents from  last years’ wildfires in Northern California, was on my mind all day.    Warmer weather is coming and with it, a high probability of more California fires.   Many of our public servants and our neighbors will be in the line of danger,  and we will all have to deal with the toxic air.   

The massive fires are caused by a variety of factors.  Experts site issues with land management and urban development,  combined with changes in weather patterns that lead to lots of dry combustible fuel .   

 The changes in weather patterns are caused by human activities that produce carbon.  Even NASA says “there is no question that increased levels of greenhouse gases must cause the Earth to warm in response. “   

 One ray of hope:  as of this week, there are 39 Republican and 39 Democratic  members of Congress working together in a Climate Solutions Caucus.  Ideally these leaders will create legislation to put a fee on carbon production.  This will stimulate clean technology innovation and job growth while addressing climate change.    

Why haven’t members of Congress from the Central Valley joined the Climate Solutions Caucus?  

 Andrea De Zubiria