You would have to be a little tippy to deny that the climate is changing.

Whether it is natural planetary evolution or humans are the dominant cause of the rising global temperature change, scientist can confirm the facts.  If you look at a few of the pointers it is pretty clear something is going on.

Hurricane Harvey was the biggest rain event ever to hit the continental United States and wreaked havoc in Texas at a cost likely to exceed all previous storms on record. Hurricane Irma, was the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever observed. Additionally, two weeks of flooding have devastated communities across India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Globally, 2014 would have been the hottest year on record if 2015 hadn’t surpassed it. And 2015 would have been the hottest, if it hadn’t been for 2016. I would venture to guess that 2017 will rate high on the list of all time hottest years on record.

The Antarctic recently saw the largest iceberg — nearly the size of Delaware — break off from the continental ice shelf. And the Arctic Ocean is on the verge of becoming ice free.

Closer to home mountain communities are recording unusually warm temps well into November and inconsistent patterns of moisture throughout the season.

Despite all the overwhelming evidence, we have a president, who tweeted that “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.”

And his sidekick, Scott Pruitt, who heads the Environmental Protection Administration, has made a mockery of climate science in a trifecta:

By denying that carbon dioxide is “a primary contributor” to global warming
By removing academic scientists from the EPA Science Advisory Board
By removing webpages that provide access to climate change information and data on the EPA website.

We do not expect our political leaders to be experts on everything, but we do expect them to have knowledgeable advisors who can help them understand things they don’t know or haven’t studied. If they only have poor advisors, or if they don’t pay attention to the good ones, we get what we seem to have on climate change, which in truth is not so hard to understand, at least at a cursory level.

Climate change should be about science not politics. It could be the next extinction level event!

Winter Park

 

Civility starts with the children

I grew up near the border of Northern Ireland in the 1970s — a time of horrific violence fueled by religious bigotry and partisan politics.

The endless years of terrorism perpetrated by both sides was, I believe, in part supported by a policy of segregated education. Catholic and Protestant students attended different schools and were actively encouraged to avoid all social interaction.

The Good Friday Agreement recognized that unless children were socially integrated there could never be an end to the vicious cycle of ignorance, fear and hatred.

This Christmas, regardless of political or religious affiliation, let’s focus on our children and on those simple yet profound hopes and desires we carry for all of them — that they all grow up secure and healthy to become successful, productive and proud American adults.

btw….We enjoy the WPTimes.

Ft Coilins

 

Follow the golden rule

So 71 percent of Americans feel that lack of civility is the “new normal”? It is only when the “I, Me, Mine” philosophy so rampant today is dialed down, reshaped or discarded that we can reapproach our society in a civil, polite and more gentle use of interaction.

If we would all endeavor to practice a golden rule guideline whereby we treat others, whenever possible, the way we ourselves seek to be treated, change could/would occur.

Obviously, in our fast-paced, increasingly complicated, often socially confusing world, this is a genuine challenge. Perhaps a monumental effort by those same 71 percent mentioned last week can and will be building blocks of an American culture where civility becomes the new “new normal”!   I, for one, will certainly join the charge!

Granby

 

Don’t start unnecessary fights

In a preppy military high school we had classes in debate where students were assigned topics they disagreed with, and tasked with defending them.

Curious: See Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” Cassius to Brutus over love versus duty, or rent the Monty Python spoof “Life of Brian,” where belief in causes and faith are questioned.

Politicians and some  in media, fuel divisiveness. This may change in time, but it is unlikely people suddenly change.

Secularism trumps inclusiveness every day. The best solution I discovered in a pool hall bar long ago stated: If you don’t start (manure) with this crowd there won’t be none.

Pick your fights wisely.

Fraser

 

Absolutely wonderful.

Best thoughts and most enjoyable reading in years.

You put it front and center that we are all people.

Hopefully we have reached a tipping point and return to where being more civil is expected and is the norm.

For several years I scan about eight newspapers every morning.

“Say What You Want”

“American Civility”

“Connect more than lights this season”

Best reading and most heart warming thoughts I have read in years.

It gives me great hope that the tide is about to turn.

The December 8, 2017 issue of WINTERPARKTIMES.COM is a pleasant surprise.

Anonymous