MARTA can help reduce carbon footprint
With the elections fast upon us, I urge readers to vote yes for a small increase in sales tax to give MARTA the support it deserves. I ride MARTA frequently, but even if one chooses not to ride MARTA, we will all benefit from improved air quality and less traffic congestion. Many people must rely on MARTA to get to work, doctor appointments, etc. For them, MARTA is most important. But all of the Atlanta area benefits when citizens are able to get to employment. Many of us who prefer to take MARTA find it so much easier and less expensive than driving and parking. We must reduce carbon pollution as quickly as possible — for our personal health and the health of the planet. We need legislation for a carbon fee with dividend, but we can reduce our carbon footprint right now by using MARTA.
KATHERINE MITCHELL, ATLANTA
Donald Trump can’t have it both ways
Donald Trump brags on camera about his exploits against women and many of these women have now come forward to tell their “Trump” story. What does the Republican candidate have to say? “I didn’t do it. How can you believe those people?” is his response. In the next breath, he sticks to his story that the Central Park Five are guilty of rape regardless of the evidence showing their innocence. He says, “But they confessed on the interrogation tapes!” He doesn’t take into consideration that those confessions were coerced, that there was never any evidence to convict and that the real rapist was later caught. So, in the case of five young men falsely accused, Trump says, “Look at the tape!” yet in his own video where he admits wrongful actions, he shouts, “The tape is not me!” You can’t have it both ways, Donald, and neither can those who defend you.
MICHAEL BUCHANAN, ALPHARETTA
Climate scientists losing their credibility
The global warming crowd likes to try to discredit skeptics like myself by calling us “climate change deniers.” They are not being honest with that characterization, however, because we are not denying that the climate is changing. The climate has always been changing for millions of years. The thing we are skeptical about is that the feeble efforts of mankind have the ability to stop it from changing.
Forty years ago, we were told that we were headed for a new ice age. When that didn’t happen, they changed their prediction to radical warming of the planet. Over time, that was not supported by the data, so they changed their warning to the ambiguous “climate change.” None of their predictions have come true, and the global warming alarmists are rapidly losing their credibility. The recent desperate attempts to criminalize skeptics have made many more people question the global warming scam.
BILL WHITLOW, AUBURN
Grandchildren will suffer for climate change
Jay Bookman points out how climate change concerns have been ignored in this year’s campaigns (“The Crisis,” Opinion, Oct. 23). He is correct that the issue is the most important one for our children and grandchildren. Granted, there are many potential, important issues to be discussed but few are of such importance to our grandchildren as that of climate change. It is very unfortunate that many politicians focus on short-term needs rather than the potential future catastrophe. More unfortunate is the huge procrastination penalty with the climate issue. The longer we wait to do something, the exponentially greater the cost will be. We can’t just “turn off ” climate change. Although I will not, the additional greenhouse gasses we put into the atmosphere will be around for hundreds of years. So, sorry grandchildren, some of us tried to do something, but most of us just didn’t care about you.
DAVID GREENLAND, SANDY SPRINGS