Letters to the Editor
Wonhyo
Published Letters: 47 Editor's Choice: 8
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From discussion to action (and no, this article is not a spoof!)
[Read the article: Let's dump "Earth Day"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Joseph Romm leapfrogs over most of the current academic discussions of climate change. He takes us by the hand and leads us to the consequences, perhaps with the hope of leading us from discussion to action.
Discussion of a carbon cap-and-trade system is conspicuously missing from Romm's article. I suspect this is a very deliberate omission. When we frame the discussion in the economic terms of a cap-and-trade system, we avoid facing the reality of the sacrifices we'll have to make. Instead, we get stuck discussing how to make a cap-and-trade system fair, where to set the total amount of carbon credits, and how to distribute them.
This discussion about the system prolongs inaction.
Romm skips the abstract (and easily abused) economics of cap-and-trade. Instead, he presents the realities of farmland becoming dust bowls, coastal habitat becoming flooded, glacial water sources drying up... in the United States... where we (and his displaced brother) live. Through this discussion we are led to the reality of our present situation: triage.
Fellow Salon readers, are you ready to accept the reality that Joseph Romm presents? What are you willing to do... no, what are you going to do about it (besides buying some carbon credits)?
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Parental discussion will have greater impact than the incident itself
[Read the article: So how about those Miley Cyrus photos?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Teenage girls who look up to Hannah Montana will have to come to terms with sexuality, sexism, feminism, and all the other controversies related to womanhood, someday. Who better than Miley Cyrus to bring up these discussions?
Perhaps this was not the best way to bring up these subjects, but I suspect the parents that are most outraged are the ones who are least likely to present these important discussions on their own.
The way parents discuss the Miley Cyrus controversy with their daughters will have a greater effect on their development (for better or for worse) than the controversy itself.
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If Obama is right, why not raise the gas tax?
[Read the article: Obama is wrong about the gas tax]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Obama's position on the gas tax sounds like the ECON 101 voice of reason: the inelasticity of supply will prop up the total cost of gasoline. Any tax cuts will go to the oil/gas producers as additional profit, without dropping the price to consumers. This conclusion suggests that the total price is also inelastic. The only variable is the portion of the total price going to taxes.
If Obama's conclusion is correct, why not raise the gas tax?
If the total price of gas price really is inelastic, the oil/gas producers would absorb a tax increase, adding to federal highway funds without hurting the consumer. Given their record profits, the oil companies can certainly afford to absorb a tax increase more than the consumer can.
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Filling in the missing religious perspective
[Read the article: My husband doesn't want to have sex with me]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]All of the advice from other commenters seem useful, some more, some less. But I feel a little uncomfortable about the lack of one specific type of perspective: religious. I swear I'm not a religious fanatic. I'm a very practical and scientific-minded person. I appreciate all of the other comments that have been made. I probably would NOT follow strictly religious advice myself. Yet, I feel there is a certain void with the lack of any religious perspective in the numerous reader comments. (Was non-religiousness a condition of Salon.com membership?) With those disclaimers, I will attempt to fill that void with the thoughts I imagine the faithful matron of my church (which I attend very unfaithfully) might offer....
Forgive the asexual husband and love him as God would love him. Give thanks for your blessings (including a husband and child). Have faith in God's plan and pray.
Yes, this advice is totally impractical and useless without that elusive thing we call "faith" (which I don't claim to have myself). However, the LW seems unwilling to wash her hands of this situation, indicating she does have some faith in "til death do us part". Getting into a marriage is a leap of faith, and staying in one is a marathon of faith.
As impractical as it may be, staying faithful to the marriage honors the covenant of marriage and is called for by the morals of many religious traditions.
There. I said it. Now, carry on. (But do check to see if the meds are at fault, and consider other ways to fulfill your needs, while honoring your own values and beliefs.)
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The difference between wild and artificial fishing
[Read the article: Genetic modification kills sex drive in trout]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]When I go fly fishing for wild trout, I try to understand their habitat, their food, and ultimately, the ecology of the river. Through this experience, I learn firsthand how weak trout get when the water temperature rises a few degrees. I learn how dependent they are on the vegetation growing at the edge of the river. I witness firsthand the different coloration and behavior of wild and farm-raised trout. I can even detect the presence or absence of trout by the smell of the water.
Wild trout fishing gives me a deep appreciation for both the robustness and fragility of the natural world, along with the influence of human activity. I wouldn't get this appreciation and understanding if my fishing experience consisted of effortlessly catching genetically modified fish that mindlessly bite any hook covered in a substance created in a chemistry lab.
Please, if you're interested in a fishing experience that is disconnected from the natural world, catch your fish in a video game.
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@Etrigone,IaintBacchus - Some respect for catch-and-release, please
[Read the article: Genetic modification kills sex drive in trout]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's easy to criticize catch-and-release fishermen for doing nothing more than "harassing" the fish. Strictly and narrowly speaking, catch-and-release fishing is unnecessary. Not all fishermen fish responsibly. However, many fishermen become avid stewards of the environment.
As a fisherman, I gain firsthand knowledge and experience in the ecology of the river. This leads to an appreciation for the robustness and fragility of nature, along with the human influence.
If I could share and spread this appreciation without disturbing the fish, I would. However, my verbal advocacy for the environment is far less effective than sharing the experience of fishing with another human.
Fishing (especially wild fishing) is one of the most direct and effective ways to get people involved in environmentalism. Catch-and-release allows me to pursue this activity in a sustainable manner.