Climate change panic proving profitable
• Congratulations to the Holy Trinity Parish for their successful carnival/festival last weekend! Exemplary weather for most of the four-day run brought out the crowds, and a grateful Father Dan Sweet was gracious in his acknowledgement of Saturday’s rain which, though it only cancelled the matinee, appeared to also affect the evening crowds as well. Still, many fine memories were made and fun had. It is a huge undertaking. I hope the members of the parish know just how grateful the rest of the community is that they do this each year.
• I had an interesting situation happen to me yesterday. My staff made me aware of a handwritten note from a candidate for the state Senate representing District 24, Carol Friske, stating she had withdrawn from the race. The reason for the note was in response to an “equal-time” invitation extended to Ms. Friske to appear on our radio station. She expressed her gratitude but stated her withdrawal as the reason for her refusal to appear.
Keep in mind, once a person has qualified to be on a ballot and their place on a ballot is certified, they will appear on the ballot, even if they withdraw. This is the law. I use the extreme example, which really has happened in the past, that if a person whose name has been put on a ballot for election dies before election day, their name still appears on that ballot on election day. So, this change-of- heart by the candidate, while understood and respected, will not alter what voters in Senate District 24 see when they enter the voting booth.
Woonsocket City Councilor Melissa Murray is also a candidate for the Senate District 24 seat, and I learned that she and I have a similar opinion regarding the elective process. When we spoke on the phone yesterday she told me she has an enormous respect for anyone who offers themselves up for public office. The personal cost of the criticism, the debate, and the many hours of campaigning to get their message to the voters is often under estimated. She understood how someone could want to serve, but become overwhelmed.
I completely agree. I respect Carol’s desire to serve and her decision to drop out of the race.
• I received a nice handwritten card from Congressman David Cicciline, thanking me for my shout-out to him three weeks ago in these pages regarding the FCC’s decision to adjudicate the merger applications of Sinclair broadcasting. We disagree a lot, the congressman and I, but when he does something nice, I want to mention that, too.
• Boy, they just won’t leave it alone. When it comes to climate change, there’s money to be made by making people afraid of it, and those with little care for the consequences of their words have zeroed-in this time on babies. The latest edition of the magazine PLOS Medicine has come out with a story claiming babies are more affected by climate change (a.k.a. “Global Warming”) than adults are. Because of their smaller surface-to-body ratio, the magazine claims, excessive heat and dehydration are an issue for little ones.
Let me tell you why this article pushes my button. In my opinion, when you take common sense and weave it into a story in such a way as it implies the information is a “revelation,” it’s dishonest.
Parents for all time have watched over their babies, preventing too much sun exposure and plenty of air and water or milk for hydration. Except for those few who shouldn’t be parents in the first place, that is, and that group is not likely to be reading that magazine.
Let me just repeat my position for clarity. Climate change is real and ongoing. So-called “Global Warming” has been going on since the Ice Age and continues today. Some people think the warming has been accelerated by the acts of mankind. Whether it has been or not is immaterial, except to those who wish to make money for themselves peddling fear and guilt.
That’s what I think. What do you think? Comments to: dave@onworldwide.com or postal mail to Dave Richards, WOON Radio, 985 Park Ave., Woonsocket, RI 02895-6332. Thanks for reading.