Letters: Climate change, dangerous Seventh Street, school legislation, responsible GOP
No one, including Legislature, taking climate change seriously
Scientists have just predicted that global heating will exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius within five years. Yet, our Legislature continues to discourage wind and solar. The plan for reducing carbon emissions is to declare that natural gas is not a fossil fuel. New natural gas power plants are planned; the usual life of such plants is 40 years, so their shutdown would be expected around 2060 — well past the national goal of carbon-free power generation by 2050. But then, the Legislature pays no attention to national environmental goals.
Most climate scientists predict a 3 to 5 degree Celsius rise in temperature by 2100. Even if we stopped burning fossil fuels today, the carbon dioxide content in the air would increase for decades. Oceans provide the greatest annual amount of CO2 of any natural source. Other sources of natural CO2 include animal and plant respiration, decomposition of organic matter, forest fires, and emissions from volcanic eruptions.
The globe loses 10 billion trees every year, so there’s a lot of stumps and roots to biodegrade. The warming temperatures will make it possible for the pine beetle to destroy much of the boreal forests in Canada. Much of the permafrost will melt, releasing methane, which is 80 times worse than CO2 for global warming.
It’s likely that ice will be gone for much of the year at the North Pole, and the ice-sheet on Greenland will largely melt. 3.5 million years ago, the climate was virtually identical with what we experience today, but the level of the oceans was 60 feet higher. Ice melt and carbon dioxide level were in equilibrium. Today, there is no equilibrium because we add carbon dioxide too fast for the melt to keep up. But, given time, the oceans will rise. I guess by 2300, ocean levels could be 50 feet higher. We have never taken climate change seriously!
Norm Holy, Bloomington
Seventh Street is dangerous
Seventh Street is narrow and dangerous ... the city made a big mistake.
Throughout the years, the city of Bloomington government has made many good decisions, but there is a decision made to remodel Seventh Street that is a big, big mistake. The street is way too narrow and is a hazard for ambulances and buses and people.
I don’t know who finally made the decision to narrow Seventh Street, but that decision was the worst one seen here in Bloomington. Unfortunately, I am told that the cost of the modification was approaching $2 million. That was $2 million wasted. How many people will be injured or killed on that narrow street?
When I drive down Seventh Street (and I avoid it as much as I can) ... it always occurs to me that the old configuration of Seventh Street was just fine. Whoever made the decision to modify Seventh Street should be fired! It is bad for the city ... it is bad for the cars and buses, ambulances and other vehicles. There was nothing wrong with the previous design of Seventh Street ... that is before the city went crazy with changes.
Ken Nunn, Bloomington
Objects to state's education budget and book ban
For transparency, I am an Indiana public school teacher. I am writing for public record to object to the recent state education budget and book banning.
Allowing the education budget to be allocated for vouchers for religious schools of any kind is a violation of the separation of church and state (First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution). Although the controversial vouchers have existed for awhile, using a large percentage of the budget to fund them is counter to the intent for public schools to be fully funded by local, state and federal monies. Parents objecting to public schools can legally choose another option, but government is not responsible for payment if the choice is a religious school.
Equally troubling is the book banning bill. Gov. Eric Holcomb’s statement about insuring “age appropriate” material is a smokescreen. The issue is Indiana legislators have joined the bandwagon promoting fear, hate and judgment centered around minorities, children of color, and those with varying sexual identities. This hatred extends to books that might nourish or help such children. To add insult to injury, a librarian can be charged with a felony for shelving a banned book — hardly a commensurate outcome.
If this trend continues, good teachers will continue to leave. Perhaps that is the end goal — to diminish the quality of public schools by reducing their resources. Resources (vouchers) are being funneled to private schools who can select students and exclude others — leaving them to languish in the “poor” public schools. In teacher speak, this is NOT an acceptable educational outcome.
Martha Moore, Bloomington
Responsible Republicans need to take control
We have endured over a decade of Republican excess. Secure in their gerrymandered legislative districts, Republicans have engineered majorities allowing them to disregard the will of their constituents.
They have opted to ignore governance to focus on cultural issues, disregarding the fact that majorities of their constituents favor gun control, abortion rights and LGBTQ rights. Republicans have assured that courts will not interfere with their agenda by appointing political hacks to judicial positions. Individual judges and justices may not be hacks but the circumstances of their confirmations, manipulated by Republican leadership, have reduced many of them to the level of hacks.
Refusing to moderate their agenda in light of election losses, Republicans have become more egregious as evidenced by their unanimous support of Rep. George Santos. In spite of Republican enactment of voter suppression laws restricting the voting rights of those most affected by the party’s regressive measures, it is imperative that responsible Republicans regain control of their party.
I’m not advocating that Republicans vote for Democrats. I’m asking them to support candidates who will to stand up against the extreme-Right militants who have usurped control of their party by threatening to “primary” those who dare to oppose their indicted leader.
Charles Aiken, Bloomington
Pedestrians focused on phones are dangerous problem
It should be no surprise for anyone who lives in the community that there is an increase in pedestrian accidents. (See IDS story and others ...) Apparently, this is a trend in the rest of the country.
Why do I say that "it should be no surprise?" Because people are walking downtown with earbuds, and often they are completely focused on their phones. I don't know the solution, perhaps an ordinance banning this behavior, but I don't see how it could be enforced.
A big press conference with EMTs, police, mayor, sheriff, and blast it on the front page might help stop or at least reduce the risk behavior. Driving at night downtown is a real hazard. Why? You never know when someone will bound across the street, with earbuds on, completely oblivious to the traffic. I hope this letter raises awareness.
Roy Graham, Bloomington
End threat from tuberculosis
People think of tuberculosis as a thing of the past, but it's just behind COVID in how many people it kills each year. TB deaths had been falling for years, but the pandemic diverted resources from TB programs, and deaths have risen again — to 1.6 million in 2021, with an additional 9 million sickened and often unable to support their families.
Our Hoosier senator, Todd Young, has co-introduced a bill to make sure our global TB programs reach the most vulnerable populations to diagnose, treat, and prevent TB and that Congress is informed of progress. Indiana Sen. Mike Braun has co-sponsored the bill, the End TB Now Act (S. 288/HR1776).
It's time for our Indiana House members to co-sponsor and push this bill across the finish line. TB is an ancient disease. It spreads through the air. TB anywhere threatens all of us. It is time to end this threat once and for all.
Stephen Arnold, Bloomington
Hoosier legislators need to protect state's wetlands
On Thursday, March 25, the Supreme Court ruled against anglers, paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. In Sackett v. EPA the highest court drastically curbed protection of our waters, putting at risk vital wildlife habitat, drinking water and those wetlands that help mitigate devastating floods that put humans and wildlife at risk.
The loss of wetlands that will come from this ruling will endanger those wetlands that are vital in the mitigation of destructive floods that have become ever more frequent throughout Indiana. As we continue to develop flood plains, straighten waterways and drain fens, bogs and marshes, we not only decrease the safety of our drinking water, but destroy vital habitat for wildlife as well.
Indiana is no stranger to wetland loss. Our state was once home to our country’s largest, and most vibrant wetland, the Grand Kankakee Marsh. This often-forgotten jewel was larger than even the Everglades, and home to wildlife diversity that is nearly impossible to imagine in our state today.
While the Grand Kankakee may never be returned to its former glory, we must demand that those wetlands that remain today do not meet a similar fate. The Supreme Court’s ruling has returned protection of Hoosier wetlands to our legislators. It is our job to make sure all our elected officials understand the importance of our natural heritage to their constituents. The Indiana Wildlife Federation calls on all Hoosiers to stand up for water and demand that our elected officials help safeguard this vital resource for future generations.
Dan Boritt, executive director of the Indiana Wildlife Federation, Indiana's oldest environmental organization, Indianapolis
Carmichael Cemetery officers grateful for donations
The officers of Carmichael Cemetery are grateful to all who so generously donated toward the upkeep of the cemetery. If you could not visit the cemetery, you can send your donation to treasurer: Debra Martindale, 12346 E. Carter Road, Bloomfield, IN 47424. We extend a special thanks to the Solsberry American Legion for honoring our deceased veterans.
Also, to Bryan, Tim, Case, and Judson Davis, Tracy Fields, Debra and Danny Martindale, and Bill and Reba Butler for placing flags on veteran graves. Thanks to Mick Jackson and Leon Price for a great job mowing. We appreciate our trustees Bryan Davis, Danny Martindale and Tracy Fields who look after the cemetery and its needs continually. Thanks to Danny and Debbie Martindale, Bill and Reba Butler, Brad Mann, Mike Mosier, Tracy Fields, Bryan and Tim Davis our greeters over the weekend.
To make mowing easier, all shepherd’s hooks, decorations and flowers not attached to gravestones must be removed before June 17.
Reba Butler, president, Bedford
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Letters: Climate change, Seventh Street, education, responsible GOP
