Letter writers weigh in on West Bay development, social media and race for DNR chief

Sea level rise will affect West Bay Drive

I hope that planners for the City of Olympia and Thurston County are not climate change deniers. Individuals can disagree on the causes but the reality is affecting thousands of people daily.

The insurance industry is a master of statistics. Insurance premiums are based on probability of risks. Over the previous several years, the frequency and intensity of natural disasters has increased dramatically. Consequently, it should be of no surprise that insurance rates, especially for high risk areas, has increased considerably, and in some locations is no longer available.

So I find it quite disturbing that decision makers for the City of Olympia are even considering allowing development along West Bay Drive or, for that matter, any shoreline. Apart from the usual negative issues related to pouring more concrete and asphalt, the shoreline is unstable and constantly changing due to increasingly intense weather events.

In the case of West Bay shore, I strongly believe that a long-term solution to preserve the integrity of the shoreline, while providing a high quality of life for residents, would be to create a buffer zone populated with native plants – extending from West Bay Drive to the shoreline. There are numerous nonprofits and agencies that could collaborate to manage the West Bay shoreline in an environmental sustainable manner.

Please consider options other than pouring more concrete and asphalt along our beautiful Washington shorelines.

Joseph Digranes, Olympia

Social media is mental fentanyl

Our youth are being besieged by a plague that is destroying their lives. But it’s not the usual suspects of guns, drugs or alcohol, it’s social media. Tik-Tok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, whatever are simply rotting their brains, destroying their self-esteem and disabling their ability to interact with people face-to-face. And as the adults in the room, it’s our job to stop it.

Almost every day some new research reveals unequivocally that the more time teenagers spend on social media the worse off their lives become. Depression, anxiety, poor grades, social awkwardness and such all increase massively in direct proportion to the amount of time kids spend on social media. And as I am sure everyone knows, most teenagers spend many hours a day using such platforms to absorb text, audio and videos. The current average is over 4 hours, which is a lot of brain rot per kid.

Look, we ban teenagers from cigarettes, alcohol, THC, tattoos and pornography because these things have been proven harmful to them. So why wouldn’t we do the same thing with social media? Why wouldn’t we protect them from something that makes our youth, especially middle school girls and young LGBTQ+ people, increase their suicide rates? Are we really that heartless/spineless?

Banning cell phones in schools should just be the beginning. Caring parents should also restrict their child’s access to any social media at home as well. At what age to allow teenagers access to this contagion is a burden all parents must now bear.

Steve Shanewise, Olympia

Upthegrove for State Public Lands Commissioner

I am excited about Dave Upthegrove’s candidacy for Washington State Public Lands Commissioner because he will protect public lands critical to conserving our quality of life and combating climate change. He would promote sustainable practices to protect our state’s forests, tidelands and aquatic lands. He also intends to increase recreational opportunities by creating more campgrounds, trails and other facilities.

Upthegrove is an environmental scientist who understands the implications of policies and their long term impacts on issues such as wildfire management and clear-cutting mature forests. He has experienced the pressures that politicians face from different points of view in his roles as a state legislator and as an elected member of the King County Council. The Sierra Club and Washington Conservation Action have endorsed him.

I urge you to consider a Yes vote for Upthegrove on Aug. 6.

Edie Harding, Olympia