CEO can make museum center of climate action

I liked reading Amanda Rosa’s July 31 story, “This ‘science nerd’ turned astronomer named CEO of Frost Museum of Science.” However, I’m curious if Rosa specifically asked about climate science and, if so, what was the response?

Many of us are disheartened that climate literacy and promoting individual and collective urgency and agency are not top of mind (or not articulated as such) for Frost Museum of Science CEO Douglas Roberts.

Making science fun is important. Roberts has a big job and an important role to play in galvanizing bold climate action based on scientific data that screams crisis more and more every day.

Caroline Lewis,

founder and senior advisor,

The CLEO Institute, Miami

Greenfield an instrument of change

The July 30 Miami Herald obituary, “Concert pianist Ruth Greenfield, 99, championed civil rights with music,” gave just a snapshot of this truly remarkable and modest woman. A documentary made about 12 years ago, ✔“Instruments of Change,” does not reveal that well into her 90s, Greenfield hosted numerous soirees at her home to benefit people and causes dear to her heart.

Several times a year, an invitation would arrive asking us to join her for an afternoon of abundant entertainment and delicious food and refreshments. A straw basket would be on the shelf adjacent to the front door, suggesting contributions, because she wanted to help a young protegee have extra pocket money as he was beginning his college experience; or help a former student, blind and in his late 70s, who had fallen on hard times; or help political candidates, the ACLU, and many others.

What made these many informal gatherings extra special was Greenfield’s warm and engaging manner. Of special note is that during the pandemic, her interest in helping others did not stop.

She opened her spacious backyard and, one rainy evening, her living room, for a young man trying to get a theatrical group off the ground. We watched this group perform via Zoom and we were encouraged to send a contribution to his newly formed company.

Greenfield’s personal, hand-written thank you notes always arrived just days after each gathering. She derived pleasure in connecting people. She was quick to make an introduction if she believed that one could in some way benefit another. She was a truly gifted concert pianist, a truly gifted human being and our dear friend. Our most sincere condolences to her family and many friends.

Barbara and Jerry Bader,

Miami

Still here

Rebecca San Juan’s Aug. 1 story, “So long, paradise. Longtimers and natives depart for homes outside Miami-Dade County,” was another excellent article in the Herald. As always, very thorough and informative. I wish everyone who is leaving the county well. Everyone has the right to be happy and pursue their goals.

This is my 53rd year as a proud resident of Miami. I’ve loved each and every day. There’s nothing that would ever make me leave.

Peter R. Evans,

Miami

History in the raw

“We share the history of slavery not to evoke guilt, as no humans in the modern era are directly responsible for slavery. Instead, our goal is to educate people to ensure that the same horrors are never repeated.” The tour guide at ✔Cape Coast Castle entrusted these words to my volunteer-teaching group in Ghana, Africa.

That Florida’s Department of Education would try to whitewash the history of slavery and obscure the atrocities with misguidance is extremely unsettling. I have walked through the pitch-black dungeons where hundreds of enslaved Africans were chained together in extremely unsanitary conditions. I am disgusted by Florida’s new curriculum.

Students must be exposed to the inhumane history of slavery, especially in a state with a large Black population where slavery was once carried out. By acknowledging the painful realities of the past, we can collectively work to ensure a future where such outrages never occur again. Without proper education on more intense historical events, they will undoubtedly reoccur, locking us in an immeasurable cycle of discrimination and violence.

Hudson Kaplan,

Miami

Beat the heat

Summer 2023 has brought record-breaking levels of heat. Scientists warn this trend will continue throughout the rest of the year. On July 5, the average global temperature reached a new high at 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Jennifer Francis, a senior scientist at Woodwell Climate Research Center, said this is the highest average global temperature in “at least 100,000 years.”

South Florida is certainly feeling the heat, as Broward and Miami-Dade Counties issued several “Excessive Heat” alerts throughout July. Most scientists agree these sky-high temperatures are a direct result of climate change. Our country needs a climate solution, and it must be bipartisan.

I encourage Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, whose district is especially vulnerable to climate change, to take initiative to support bipartisan climate policies. A carbon fee and dividend is a good example of a climate solution that will efficiently cut emissions while also bolstering our economy. The faster Congress agrees on a climate solution, the closer we’ll be to keeping our communities safe and healthy.

Aviah Fajerstein,

Aventura

Case evaluation

In the July 23 story, “Teachers enraged by Florida’s new Black history standards,” Miami Herald reporter C. I. Smalls quotes Marvin Dunn, “for a Black child to sit in a Florida classroom and hear that their ancestors benefited from enslavement...they are going to be hurt, they are going to be angry, they are going to tell their parents that this is being taught in the school.”

Yet in HB-7 (Florida’s “Stop Woke” bill), “It shall constitute discrimination...to compel such a student or employee to believe any of the following concepts, i.e., that they would feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress because of actions, in which the person played no part, committed in the past.”

Further, SB1834 (Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill) requires public schools to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children,” and authorizes a parent to bring an action against a school district that violates the law.

I’m not a lawyer, but it appears that every Black public school student in Florida has the opportunity to bring legal action against school districts who whitewash the history of slavery, and otherwise fill the curriculum with white-friendly stories designed to hide the truth.

Thomas Carsey,

Palmetto Bay

All in agreement

Given the political climate in Congress, one would be tempted to believe our lawmakers are unable to agree on anything, but that’s not true. Twenty years ago, former President George W. Bush created the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with strong bipartisan support. Since then, it has saved millions of lives and allowed millions of babies to be born HIV-free.

This is a stunning success by any measure, but if PEPFAR is not reauthorized, too many lives will be at risk. Every human has immeasurable value, and every child in the world deserves a chance to live and thrive. Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Maria Salazar should support reauthorizing this life-saving program.

Renee Lewis,

executive director,

Project Medishare,

Cooper City

In small type

After signing a contract for service with T-Mobile and receiving a new phone for free, I am now stuck paying $91 a month for 24 months. When I complained about it, I was told to come into a T-Mobile store.

I am elderly, handicapped, homebound, fighting cancer, and my immune system is compromised. The moral of the story is that if an offer seems too good to be true, read the fine print.

Luba Nieman,

Bay Harbor Islands