Thursday's letters: Force businesses to lower greenhouse emissions

Join fight for solution to climate change

It is scary to watch the news about the disastrous weather all over the world. Many people may ask themselves, “What can we do about this?”

I believe we have to create laws with consequences before businesses and industries will actually lower their greenhouse emissions, which trap increasing heat around our planet and cause climate change.

Worldwide, 250,000 people are part of a grassroots, volunteer, bipartisan organization called Citizens Climate Lobby, which has hundreds of U.S. chapters.

More: How to send a letter to the editor

These are just a couple of areas where CCL works:

• Training members to talk to other people with respect, which results in cooperation.

• Training members to understand climate issues and solutions.

• Interacting with many communities interested in sustainable living.

CCL is building support in Congress for a bipartisan solution to climate change. Twice a year, CCL members go to Washington to lobby elected officials to pass bills lowering carbon/methane emissions.

I have been a member of CCL for more than a year, and I have proof that we are producing results.

I ask you to go online and become a member of Citizens Climate Lobby!

Marion Larsen, Sarasota

Pause makeover of NCF to build trust

If accurate, the July 24 guest column by Robert Allen Jr. about the ongoing changes at New College of Florida made several important and informative points (“New College’s vocal critics are losing the argument over change”).

Allen’s case for greater balance, as he put it, is persuasive up to a point. It’s difficult to dispute the need for balance in public institutions; however, one should not conflate that objective with the means used to achieve it.

While I might disagree with the underlying philosophy of Allen, New College Interim President Richard Corcoran or Gov. Ron DeSantis, that is less important than the dogmatic, authoritarian and even mean-spirited way in which the changes have been implemented.

Opinion: New College likely to fail after governor is gone

Perhaps space limitations in his column precluded Allen from acknowledging this point – or perhaps it was his concern that acknowledging the ham-handed and unilateral way these changes are being made would weaken the valid points he made.

It’s time for this makeover of New College to hit “pause” in an attempt to rebuild a modicum of trust and balance –and produce a change process that is able to accomplish goals that most people can support.

Until then, these changes will be seen for what they have so far been: an extremist and hateful coup at an institution that, while imperfect, has had many assets that are being diminished by the ineptitude and exclusionary method of implementation.

John Wesley White, Sarasota

Sarasota icons: past and present

Recently the Herald-Tribune gave readers a view of icons of old and new Sarasota.

The July 23 edition contained the obituaries of Dr. Tom O’Malley and attorney Bill Getzen. Those of us who have been here for more than five decades witnessed their unique and honorable contributions to the community.

On July 24, readers learned of another unique contribution to the community with the induction of F. Scott Westheimer as president of The Florida Bar.

More: Sarasota lawyer first to be elected as Florida Bar president

This is no small accomplishment and carries with it a huge responsibility.

Having had the privilege of being part of the Sarasota bar for soon-to-be 50 years – and having observed Scott and his firm’s professional approach to the law and dedication to justice for all – it is refreshing to have Scott as a leader and symbol of Sarasota in these troubling and divisive times.

Bill Partridge, Esq., Sarasota

No one cares how DeSantis does in Iowa

On July 23, the Herald-Tribune devoted an entire page to Gov. Ron DeSantis' Iowa campaign (“DeSantis’ super PAC set to expand in Iowa”). Who really cares how he fares in Iowa?

You’d have to look hard to find a state less indicative of the U.S. population as a whole. The fact that DeSantis' “super” PAC has raised $100 million is obscene when we think about all the good things that this sum could do in people’s lives instead of being wasted on a political campaign.

Where has our common sense gone?

A good bit of this money has come from DeSantis’ rich friends and not from the common folk in Florida or elsewhere, most of whom understand that the only “freedom” he offers is the freedom to agree with his totalitarian policies. The whole system needs a reboot.

A bright spot in this entire system of waste and dystopia is that the Republicans stand for nothing, so they’ll fall for anything, which is their undoing. (Without “woke,” they’d be at a loss for words.)

The good guys in government are trying to make life better for all, and more and more people are speaking with their votes.

Joyce Edleman, Venice

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Citizens must unite to make a difference in fighting climate change