Letters to the Editor: August 25 – 31, 2016
Climate Letter Filled With Pseudoscience, Semantics
Editor,
To me, the News-Press is a place for hard hitting news about my community, especially for elementary school politics, little league scores, and locating the best frozen yogurt toppings. Then came the August 18-24 issue’s Letter to the Editor from Tom Harris of the International Climate Science Coalition on global warming and energy policy. Satire worthy of theOnion.com! Thank you for the much-needed humor. Working on these issues ourselves, it can get depressing. But if you’re interested in climate change – and like Mr. Harris, you can’t be bothered by all that pesky science – just call the Republican mayor of Coral Gables. He’ll tell you how his streets are already flooding from sea level rise driven by global warming.
Or better yet look at the U.S. data, trends and impacts for yourself at the National Climate Assessment. What you’ll learn is that the planet is not just changing, it’s already changed. But denialists aside, we fear that some of us have come to a state of complacency that views global climate change as an apocalyptic event of the distant future while holding out hope for a silver bullet solution. Unfortunately, such a solution is unlikely. The National Academy of Science’s report shows that the most promising geoengineering solutions to warming are stop-gap measures at best with other serious impacts to the health of the earth.
Humanity’s response to global climate change requires planning to deal with today’s impacts and tough steps to blunt the worsening problems to be faced in the world of our children. How we generate our power is the number one challenge for curtailing carbon emissions and warming, and the comments of Harris and his organization serve only to obfuscate the issue with pseudoscience and semantics.
Steps forward to clean, renewable power are to be applauded.
Tom Wagner and Erika Myers
Falls Church
Shame on Council For Denying Fellows Family Right to Sell
Editor,
Shame on you, Falls Church City Council!
Two weeks ago, the Falls Church City Council voted to reclassify a private property and, in essence, deny the Fellows family the right to sell it at market value. Really?? You’re going to use eminent domain to take away a private property?
This is the same city council that has voted for numerous development projects and approved the subdividing of lots for multiple homes – and rightfully so, given our strategic location inside the beltway. Why now the change? This property is easily large enough to support the development.
The vote last week showed a lack of leadership, courage, and integrity, and will likely cost the city dearly in legal fees. The Fellows family has lived on this land for more than 100 years. Let them subdivide to a low density footprint – which is in keeping with the rest of the neighborhood. It’s the right thing to do.
Jennifer King
Falls Church
Another Successful Summer Concerts Series in F.C.
Editor,
It was a pleasure to host the annual free Summer Concerts in Cherry Hill Park series again this year. This was the Village Preservation and Improvement Society’s 24th year of concerts featuring local bands with a Falls Church connection. We had healthy crowds, and even packed the community center for the rained out bluegrass performance.
These concerts could not possibly go on without a host of volunteers. Many thanks to City of Falls Church Recreation and Parks staff, especially Chris Madison for coordinating City efforts and William Kargbo for set up and take down of park equipment. From the VPIS side, thanks to Mike Volpe, Bonnie Murphy, Melissa Teates and Keith Thurston for running the booth, and to Devin Divecha, Nathan Cooper and Jon Hundley for running the sound system. I look forward to seeing everyone in Cherry Hill Park again next summer!
Gordon Theisz
Falls Church
Parent With Inclusiveness & Love for All
Editor,
I’m preparing to send my daughter off to her first day of fifth grade. So should the parents of the 20 kids killed at Sandy Hook. Since then I have had moments, daily, where the fear and anger consume me. This year I’m trying to set the trepidation aside when I send my kids off to school. We owe it to those 20 children to remember them with love, not just sadness. To carry them with us in the moments we cherish with our own children.
In this era of gun violence, we are so quick to jump on our political soap boxes whenever another tragedy occurs. Especially in such a divisive election year.
I think we are forgetting about the common ground we all share. We have and will suffer the loss of what these children’s lives could have been. I will hold vigil for them in my heart and mind. I will parent my children with inclusiveness and love for all. And I will think of them on graduation day in June of 2024 walking across the stage and be forever grateful of how their lives have touched mine.
Lindsay Potts
Falls Church
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