LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Oilsands impact less than coal mines Re: NAFTA’s environmental arm demands explanation on oilsands, Aug. 19
The environmental arm of NAFTA is demanding Canada explain what it is doing to stop oilsands tailings ponds from leaking into Alberta waterways. That’s interesting since the Athabasca River naturally cuts through prime surface-mineable oilsands deposits visible on its banks.
That’s also interesting because mountaintop removal by explosives, which has occurred on at least 500 Appalachian Mountains, has clogged streams and waterways with toxic heavy metals, such as selenium and manganese. One 2010 review published in Science found elevated mortality rates, as well as increased incidence of lung cancer and kidney disease, in counties near mountaintop mining while a 2011 study of central Appalachia found a higher rate of birth defects in the area.
A study in 2009 showed that nearly 1,875 square miles to date had been surfacemined in Appalachia for coal.
In contrast, the surfacemineable area of Alberta’s oilsands is 3.4 per cent of the entire oilsands area, or 1,854 square miles. To 2013, only 895 square kilometres, or 345 square miles, of the oilsands area had been disturbed for surface mining. Mike Priaro, Calgary
Beware forecaster’s next prediction
In 2016, Prof. Allan J Lichtman, who has correctly forecasted 30 years of presidential outcomes, predicted that Donald J. Trump would defeat the heavily favoured Democrat, Hillary Clinton, to win the presidential election.
Trump noted the professor’s prediction and sent him a personal note saying, “Professor—Congrats—good call.”
But Trump overlooked the professor’s next big prediction that after winning the presidency, he would be impeached. J. R. Kenny, Calgary
Trump has a record of humanity Re: What will U.S. do about Trump? Aug. 21
Letter writer Gene Tillman claims that Donald Trump has no empathy, or attitude of goodwill towards fellow humans, but instead asserts that narcissism, self-aggrandizement, and bigotry have been with him “for many years.”
In 1986, Trump received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. The award honours its recipients for exemplary dedication to community service.
A November 1991, a New York Daily News reporter interviewed a reluctant Trump after he risked his own safety to stop a mugger with a baseball bat.
Jesse Jackson honoured Trump in 1999 for his extensive work with the RainbowPUSH coalition.
In 2013, Trump sent $10,000 to bus driver Darnell Barton after seeing a news story about how he saved a woman from jumping off a bridge.
These are but a few of many examples.
Trump is far from being a saint, but, in this age of information, parroting false narratives such as Mr. Tillman’s is no excuse. Kenton G. McAlister, Calgary
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