Environmentalism a secular cause
To the editor:
In his ludicrous Sunday Viewpoints commentary, "The Church of Green," Jonah Goldberg attempts to qualify environmentalists as religious zealots. I am familiar with scientific protocol, and when the great majority of the world scientific community agrees that global warming is being aided by our production of CO2, we should take heed. There is no guilt or moral bullying in this statement, just the scientific truth. A fear should be aroused, but that is a consequence of the truth.
Here on Earth, we are dealing with a finite amount of resources, and we must try to ration the remaining resources for the good of all living things.
The question on paper vs. plastic bags at food markets excludes the sensible solution: reusable canvas or cloth bags.
I don't know of any environmentalist who subscribes to our government's ethanol farce. We know that this process uses one gallon of petroleum to produce one gallon of ethanol, takes away food from the marketplace, etc., and that the bill was passed to subsidize agribusiness.
Mr. Goldberg's most ridiculous statement, that our country is "ecologically healthy," shows his lack of knowledge regarding our ecological health. Does he know of the mountaintop removal for coal mining in the Appalachians, the increase of cancer and asthma surrounding refineries and chemical plants, the influx of polluting heavy metals into our rivers and streams, the hundreds of Superfund sites that have not been addressed?
The environmental movement is based on scientific knowledge, what we visually see and measure around the world, and logic. It is secular, not religious zeal.
Bob Giaquinta
LAS VEGAS
THE WRITER IS TREASURER OF THE NEVADA GREEN PARTY AND A CANDIDATE FOR NEVADA'S 3RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
One with nature
To the editor:
With energy and food prices skyrocketing largely due to the concerns of environmental groups, consider the following as a solution:
The U.S. government owns approximately 87 percent of the state of Nevada, covering various terrains. What if we can convince the powers that be to give 50 percent of that terrain to all the wacky environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity? Then they can all go live there, in pristine wilderness areas, and have no association with modern man.
They can build huts from mud and live in caves, freezing in winter and eating raw foods; wood-burning would not be permitted because of its carbon footprint and contribution to global warming. They can walk everywhere. They can sue each other for various environmental infractions and live happily knowing they are impeding progress. Then the rest of humanity can continue on living and using the resources for which they were intended.
Oh well, what a pleasant dream.
Robert Pribila
LAS VEGAS
Berkley Junket
To the editor:
I read with total disgust your Monday article on Rep. Shelley Berkley and her congressional delegation diverting to a side trip to Venice and Naples ("Berkley defends Europe trip"). Rep. Berkley's feeble attempt to justify this boondoggle is to learn how the city of Venice is sinking and how it is affected by "global warming."
Rep. Berkley further takes offense to this trip being classified as a junket, but that's what it is, pure and simple. Rep. Berkley represents Southern Nevada, and to my knowledge, Las Vegas is not sinking, so how in the world can this legislator apply her crash course on global warming and a sinking European city to the serious problems that the taxpayers here in Las Vegas are faced with?
In case Rep. Berkley isn't aware of our plight, we the taxpayers are faced with rising taxes, fuel and food prices with declining wages and jobs -- and these are only part of our problems. When the taxpayers are forced to cut back due to the above, and when our servicemen are being killed and maimed in the Middle East, Rep. Berkley chooses a Memorial Day weekend to live the good life at our expense.
It would be more productive if Rep. Berkley and her husband would visit our servicemen, who are putting their lives on the line on a daily basis, instead of attending an opera in Venice.
GERET N. KRITZER
LAS VEGAS
Get out of Iraq
To the editor:
How appalling that Congress is not listening to the overwhelming majority of Americans, who want the indefensible, illegal occupation of Iraq to end now.
This historically arrogant, strategic blunder has done nothing but inflame hatred for America throughout the entire world, and has propelled oil prices to stratospheric levels by destabilizing the entire region.
Joe Vento
LAS VEGAS
