News - Editorial - Letters

Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

Oct. 26 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We’re over our head in the carbon hole

Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. If we let the amount of carbon top 350 parts per million, we can’t have a planet similar to the one on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted. (www.350.org)

The bad news is we’re already past that number — we’re at 387 ppm, which is why the Arctic is melting, why drought is spreading across the planet, why people are already dying from diseases like dengue fever and malaria occurring in places where they’ve never been seen before.

We’re over our head in the carbon hole and it’s time to stop digging. The first item to accomplish in saving our planet is to cap emissions at current levels. We will never reduce the CO2 in the atmosphere if we continue to increase the amount of carbon we put into it. Unfortunately all of South Mississippi’s federal representatives are against capping the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere.

Capping only helps slow the carbon increase, it doesn’t reverse or stop it. To do that we will have to reduce the amount of carbon we put into the atmosphere. None of the proposals being honestly considered in Congress will do that. We know the most important number on earth: 350. We must bring our CO2 levels below 350 ppm or mankind will become an evolutionary dead end.

RENICK TAYLOR

Biloxi renicktaylor@yahoo.com

Justice? Or a political witch hunt?

I’m a retired police officer out of California. After reading the articles on former Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr, I’m still amazed at the ineptness of our criminal justice system.

How many man-hours and how many thousands of dollars were spent developing the criminal case against Brent and Laura Warr, only to allow a plea bargain of a single count of FEMA fraud? One out of 40 criminal counts pursued, and U.S. Attorney Stan Harris says, “This case is an example that no one is above the law.”

I disagree. This is just another example of a justice system that counts success as never taking a case to court unless the court time can be used for positive political purposes.

One for 40 sounds like the Warrs won and the government lost. Did you ever really have a case, Mr. Harris?

MICHAEL HALLORAN

Gulfport

Guilty of DUI? Driving Under Invocation?

An organization to which I send donations has sent me a nice placard to be displayed on my car. It says, “God Bless America.”

I drive my car on public, taxpayer-funded streets and highways. There are organizations that have successfully been responsible, along with our nation’s courts, for removal of prayer from many public venues.

Can I get into trouble if “God Bless America” is displayed on my car?

TOM ADAMS

Pass Christian

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