Harvey response shows working together works
The images coming out of Texas last week will stay with us for many years. While some in the media wanted to politicize the effects of Hurricane Harvey by blaming Texans and political parties, let’s hope that memory will fade.
The thing that many of us will remember was the efforts of citizens in the private sector. In an age of acrimonious debate and identity politics, we saw neighbor voluntarily helping neighbor. It wasn’t important what gender, race, religion or political affiliation the victims were. There were individuals — along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other government employees — working together to help people.
Texas volunteers taught us a lesson last week. We shouldn’t sit back and expect first-responders and the government to do all the heavy lifting. The citizens of Texas and surrounding states showed the world how our country can help our brothers and sisters in an emergency working with the government. MIKE SULEY Scott The U.S. was pulled from the Paris climate accord by Mr. Trump. And now Mr. Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stand with open palms asking for assistance.
No! Not one penny until the U.S. is recommitted to the Paris accord, the GOP gets on board with this catastrophic problem, and the move away from fossil fuels is accelerated. GENE WATSON
Moon
Regarding the Aug. 30 letter of Hilary Schenker of Highland Park (“Look at Texas: Humans Are Suffering From Climate Change”): The rain hadn’t even stopped in Texas and she had already declared, as “those of us who know,” that the hurricane was the result of climate change. I immediately looked for the great climate research lab that surely must exist in Highland Park or its environs but surprisingly couldnt find it.
I have been able to find several very real and respected climate research organizations, NASA and NOAA, and read their historical findings. The worst flood ever recorded in the U.S. in terms of water discharge was the Great Flood of 1844 of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The Johnstown Flood of 1889 was catastrophic and killed 2,209 people. The Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 reached category 4 levels and speeds of 150-plus mph and devastated Florida and spread into Mississippi and Alabama. The Yellow River Flood of 1887 in China killed 900,000 people.
There were also great droughts in world history, such as a sub-Saharan drought lasting thousands of years beginning in 135,000 B.C. The Dust Bowl in our country lasted eight years, 1931-1939. Obviously not all of these events were caused by carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, especially
We welcome your opinion
those in 135,000 B.C.
The devastation in Texas may be the result of man-made climate change, or it may just be a naturally occurring weather event. I certainly don’t know and have no scientific basis for making a determination either way. I don’t know how Ms. Schenker has already determined this with such absolute certainty. GARY PAULL Lincoln Place
I’ve seen some unfunny comics in my time, but it would be hard to beat “The Wizard of Id” panel on Aug. 29 in which a pothole was filled with corpses. That’s more barbaric than anything that “Hagar the Horrible” has ever come up with, and he’s come up with some amazing atrocities. ED WINTERMANTEL
Mount Washington