Letters: Peace coalition vigil, Cascades Road, Sen. Braun, secondhand smoke

Peace coalition to hold vigil Aug. 6

As he directed the first nuclear bomb test, J. Robert Oppenheimer mused about becoming “the destroyer of worlds.” Even a “small” nuclear exchange, involving 2% of the world’s nuclear warheads, would bring about a “nuclear winter” causing mass starvation around the world. As Christopher Nolan, director of the movie "Oppenheimer," says, “... the truth is, nuclear weapons are an extraordinarily dangerous thing to have lying around the house.”

Yet Congress is poised to spend $756 billion over the next 10 years to upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal. This includes funding a new nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N), which the Department of Defense considers unnecessary and cost-prohibitive and which looks like a regular cruise missile, increasing the risk that enemies will mistakenly respond with nuclear weapons.

Would you like to help prevent Congress from spending $756 billion per year for weapons that risk destroying human life on Earth? The Bloomington Peace Action Coalition will hold a vigil on Hiroshima Day, Sunday, Aug. 6, at 7 p.m. on the Courthouse Square.

Come learn about Back from the Brink, a grassroots coalition advocating for common sense nuclear weapons policies. Join us to build an effective movement for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Margaret Squires, Bloomington

Sharing concerns if Lower Cascades Road is closed

My concerns if Lower Cascades Road is closed:

1. It could be a matter of life and death for me! I do not say this to be overly dramatic, I am sincere. I live northeast and Lower Cascades Drive is a critical alternate road to be used in emergencies. With recent storms and current road closures, the citizens need all roads open!

2. With driving access, I am able to use the park with family and friends. I use the facilities weekly with my grandchildren and great-grandchildren and we love it, but if the road is closed, I will physically not be able to access the park.

Our coverage: What you need to know about the proposal to close road in Lower Cascades Park

3. As a citizen of Monroe County, I am not permitted to vote in the city elections. So, in essence, I have taxation without representation for city proposals that affect the whole county. Nevertheless, with or without legal justification, from a human rights perspective, the park should provide equal access to ALL citizens, not just the small percentage who are able to bicycle or walk to enjoy this great historic park.

I plead with you all to support and consider my plea to keep Lower Cascades Drive open!

Janet Nichols, Bloomington

Upset with Sen. Braun's vote

Shame on Sen. Mike Braun for voting to disarm Ukraine. It must be a sad and pathetic mental condition that, after witnessing a year of Russian military murder, terrorism, rape, mass graves, torture, common pillage, kidnappings, child relocation camps, forced labor, and POW executions, some ostensibly humans are still spewing out Putin’s talking points.

It must take a kind of moral vacuity mixed with a coward’s selfishness to blithely condemn some strangers in Ukraine to Russian rape, murder, and servitude, just so they can be less afraid of nuclear blackmail for a few minutes, arguing that surrender to the invader also benefits a lower tax bill.

How did Muscovy get to be the largest land mass except through war, pillage, colonization, imperial conquest, combined with treaty violations, complacency, and appeasement?

This war has produced a whole parade of dimwits who claim to have the right to surrender on behalf of someone else. That arrogance is disgusting. These sad, grotesque apologists’ best hide in their offices because real courage, real men and women are going to decide this war on the battlefield.

Ukraine will win this war and the world will be a better place for it.

Jerry Linton, Bloomington

Protect yourself and family from secondhand smoke

Even if you and the rest of your family do not smoke, it is best to always be cautious of the different environments your child is exposed to secondhand smoke. Do your child’s friends’ parents smoke inside the house? Do they play sports in an area that isn’t smoke free?

Venues that you assume are smoke free, such as a public park, may still allow designated smoking areas. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to get frequent coughs, colds and ear infections. They are also more likely to have allergies or contract asthma.

Here are some simple ways to protect your child from secondhand smoke:

• Ask family and friends not to smoke in your home or car;

• Make sure your child doesn’t visit homes or other places where you know smoking occurs;

• Check with your child’s school to see if they have a tobacco-free grounds policy, which also includes after school games and other events.

Are you interested in seeing Monroe County go completely smoke-free? Get connected with Quit Now Indiana by visiting quitnowindiana.com. Find out more about Indiana’s vision for a healthier, happier and thriving community.

Gabrielle Genth, Bloomington

Fires in Canada harbinger of coming changes?

The recent fires in Canada may be a harbinger of an acceleration in the pace of climate change. According to the New York Times, over 25 million acres have already burned. That’s slightly greater than the size of Indiana, and represents roughly 10 billion trees.

Forests are crucial in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Russia has lost a massive number of trees this summer as well. Will we see a large spike in atmospheric carbon dioxide this year?

July global surface temperatures of Earth will likely reach 63 degrees Fahrenheit for July, the highest ever recorded. It is likely to average 60 degrees for the year. The 20th-century average was 57.0 degrees.

In the past 400 million years, whenever the average temperature reached 68 degrees for many years, there was no ice on Earth. Given how rapidly the Earth is warming, and our meager attempts to halt it, 68 degrees seems possible. So far, we seem to be on a path leading to a sea level rise that will place virtually every coastal city under water.

Norman Holy, Bloomington

Friends group is good step in keeping Lake Monroe safe

I have been lucky enough to spend my summers swimming in Lake Monroe and crossing the many streams that feed the lake while hiking in the area. We take for granted that not only does the lake offer us countless opportunities for leisure and recreation, but it also sustains us. Sadly, we also take for granted how harmful our activities can be to the watershed, and our water supply.

I know that the water that flows out of my tap comes from Lake Monroe. That is why I am proud to have read a recent article in The Herald-Times about how an organization is spreading the word about the work that needs to be done to protect our water.

The Friends of Lake Monroe has introduced a cost-share program supporting impactful projects that reduce erosion and pollution that affect the lake’s quality. We know from recent reports (like Environment America’s “Safe for Swimming” report), that we haven't implemented all solutions, like nature-based infrastructure, to improve water quality.

Local and regional governments need to step up and take further actions to invest in green infrastructure, improve sewage systems, prevent runoff and manure pollution, and expand testing efforts to keep us, and our lake safe.

Kamebry Wagner, Columbus, Indiana

Bicycle lane issues in Bloomington need better attention

Putting bike paths on busy Bloomington streets needs critical attention beyond mayor and city council.

Gucci “progressives” who don’t take into account working class perspectives, nor did the recent otherwise helpful HT article reviewing the closing Cascades road issue. Behind Cascades is one of the few remaining working class neighborhoods in Bloomington — many need Cascades road to drive to work. Other routes are few, longer and completely blocked on IU game days.

Regarding the expensive notion of adding bike lanes to congested streets — College, Walnut, High — is there any reputable survey determining how many Bloomingtonians would use them? Or how much buying necessary property would cost?

Working class folk generally don’t bike — because they more often live outside of Bloomington due to housing unaffordability, must haul around heavy things like mowers or construction materials, can’t afford a good bike, and/or hold physically exhausting jobs, etc.

Bike lanes next to heavy car/bus traffic are dangerous! A former bike rider, I avoided hazards by using side streets — there are already partial bike trails paralleling High and College, and along Cascades Road. Affordable housing is more urgent!

Claire Robertson, Bloomington

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Letters: Peace vigil, Cascade road issue, Canada wildfires