Accept climate data
The discussion about climate change and the need to limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has now taken on religious tones, with the two sides talking about believers and deniers. The believers say the facts have been proved and can support a forecast for the entire century. The deniers say that presented facts are not sufficiently verified and cannot be used for such a long projection. A simple, peer-reviewed test can resolve the dilemma. Enough data have been collected to be able to show global conditions in 1975.
Combined with levels and trends for carbon dioxide at that time and the computer models used for the 2100 predictions, a picture can be forecast for 40 years later — 2015. Actual data from 2015 can then be compared with the projected data. If the 40-year forecast given by the computer models is close to the actual conditions in 2015, then it would be easy for everybody to accept that the forecast for the end of the century will also be close. That could end the debate.
Ulf Gustafsson, San Francisco
Broader threat
In response to “Hot spells deliver raisins, not wine” (Sept. 9) : While it’s disappointing that fewer bottles of quality Napa Cabernet Sauvignon will be produced this year, the broader threat climate change poses to agriculture is seriously concerning. The plant strains that modern humans have domesticated aren’t accustomed to this much variation in temperature, and the heat records we set each year don’t allow them time to adapt.
Global warming will have catastrophic impacts on global food production if we don’t do enough to curb carbon emissions. This is one reason why we should adopt a carbon fee and rebate program. If we charge the true cost of carbon through to emitters, there’s a chance we’ll be able to enjoy Napa wine far into the future — and not just raisins.
Sienna Shankel, San Francisco
Conflicted by Vietnam War
Regarding “Jerry’s tale then, and America’s story now” (Insight, Sept. 10): I have conflicting feelings after reading Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik’s article about her husband and his efforts to avoid military service during the Vietnam War. While many young men of draft age were opposed to fighting in that unjust and unwinnable conflict, they often did not have the ability to maneuver through jobs or university programs that enabled them to receive deferments.
It did take courage for Jerry Garchik to stand before a draft board and directly refuse induction into the military, and he was fortunate to have his court case dismissed. But many others who did serve in the Vietnam War — whether voluntarily or by compulsion — sacrificed their lives or returned with physical and psychological wounds. Their stories need to be told, too.
Hiram Fletcher, San Francisco
No accountability
Regarding “What about that ‘whataboutism’ ”( John Diaz, Sept. 10): Whenever President Trump responds to criticism by pointing to the faults of others — what John Diaz refers to as “whataboutism” — what he is really saying is: “I never have to be accountable for my words or actions.” Trump has now been in office for almost eight months, but routinely mentions “Crooked” Hillary Clinton’s emails as if the 2016 campaign was still occurring. And Trump’s constant carping about what former President Barack Obama did in 2009 or 2015 won’t mask the tragic truth about how much havoc he has wreaked from the Oval Office in 2017. Words once used by former President Harry S. Truman will surely never be uttered by this 45th president: “The buck stops here.”
Julian Grant, Pacifica
Work across the aisle
Regarding “Is climate change what's wreaking weather havoc?” (Sept. 8): Thank you to Kurtis Alexander for his superb summary of the connection between climate change and the recent extreme weather events that have hit the U.S. He lays out the increasing scientific certainty of this link: The recent heat waves and hurricanes should be a wake-up call that the effects of climate change are already here, and the time is now for national policies to seriously address it.
The political issue should not be whether to take action on climate change, but how. I hope that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is looking for ways to encourage her party to work across the aisle on this issue, such as by supporting membership in the Climate Solutions Caucus and considering a revenue-neutral carbon fee as a significant way to reduce U.S. emissions.
Laura Rosen, San Francisco
Crime wave is ‘fake news’
Concerning “Crime wave: False alarm?” (Editorial, Sept. 11): The Trump administration’s exaggeration of national crime statistics is reminiscent of this president’s comment (during the 2016 election campaign) that black communities were “living in hell.” But how else will Attorney General Jeff Sessions and President Trump be able to justify militarizing local law enforcement with advanced weaponry or turning a blind eye to racial profiling if a “crime wave” doesn’t actually exist? As the chief executive is often fond of saying, this item is “fake news.”
Wanda MacPherson, San Francisco