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Letters
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- Written by: Ed Calkins
After returning from some travels, I was enlightened by reading through many issues of our local newspaper and our online news.
I was informed that the drought we are experiencing and the devastating fires are all caused by or in the least worsened by global warming (aka climate change).
And, I read other articles, almost in the form of thank you notes, pointing out how great it is that our state, led by none other than the famous Moonbeam of years past, leads the nation and world in funds spent and programs to combat and someday turn around global warming (aka climate change).
We can only thank God that we were lucky enough to have Al Gore to identify and quantify global warming (aka climate change) for us.
While he did get lots of duly deserved credit in the form of cash from his carbon-credit investments made possible by global warming (aka climate change), he surely deserves more.
Just think if it wasn’t for Al we wouldn’t understand why the rain stopped and the fires started. Maybe more importantly we would also not have the Internet.
Another government funded (i.e., taxpayer funded) study conducted by California’s great universities linked the current drought primarily to lack of rainfall. Had we only known?
Now the real cause of global warming (aka climate change) is hotly debated (no pun intended). Many scientists foolishly say that the real cause of global warming and global cooling is the Sun and other natural causes far outside of man’s influence. This has been going on for billions of years and will continue.
In fact all scientists agree that someday the earth will become too cold (or hot) for human existence and life as we know it will no longer exist. The planet will continue to exist and life will return. As it has done before. Probably not on our watch however.
These scientists (the non-believers) point out that natural occurring volcano eruptions, sun spot activity, and ongoing vegetation fires on earth (as examples) far exceed the influence of man’s use of carbon fuels. However they do support limiting the burning of carbon fuels in many areas to clean our air but point out that we cannot influence the planets climate. Even if we wanted to.
Another group of scientists (including any that want government grants from liberal administrations) support the notion that global warming (aka climate change) is human induced. It is caused by us messing with the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by burning carbon fuels. Especially those humans (you know who you are) that excessively overindulge by transporting their large families around in sport-utility-vehicles.
Such families would better serve mankind by using two Priuses to go camping or to take the kids to school. We read a lot about these human causes of global warming (aka climate change) because these scientists that are the believers get their papers published by the media that believes whatever these liberal administrations tell them to believe. This is also known as a free press.
Meanwhile back at the ranch (or the asylum depending on your point of view) the governor prides himself in showing the USA and China and India and everyone else who will notice that he is spending more of his money and has more programs to fight global warming (aka climate change) than anyone else on the planet.
He is not a dumb guy, he knows that even if there was just a little truth in this scam of all scams, global warming (aka climate change), it would take a worldwide effort to turn the tide. And even then it would take at least 300 years to make a noticeable change.
Those in the USA, in China and in India laugh at Gov. Brown for spending all of his pesos (wait California hasn’t changed the currency yet) on programs he knows will do nothing. But Brown gets the last laugh as he is spending our money not his and he knows that the ineffectiveness of his actions are too complex to be proven right or wrong. He just wants the credit for leading the world to stop global warming (aka climate change) even if it is a fool’s errand.
To round out his resume, he wants to use whatever tax revenue is left after the all-out war on global warming (aka climate change) to drill tunnels under the delta and to speed the illegal immigrants north from the border to San Francisco (the greatest of sanctuary cities) in bullet trains.
He is truly a visionary who is inspired by these great goals rather than the mundane tasks like fixing our roads and storing more water for us to drink.
However he is preparing to collect more gas taxes to fix the roads just to prove he is not a one-trick pony and only focused on global warming (aka climate control). We already pay more gas tax than anyone else in the country, but he is a great leader and wants us to lengthen our lead. And, the existing gas tax is helping to fund programs to stop global warming (aka climate change).
Anyway reading these news accounts and letters has been a real education. I think now I will go back to the piles of paper and megabytes of online articles and learn even more truths.
Ed Calkins lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Rebecca Curry
With multiple fires raging across Lake County and Northern California, it’s clear that climate change isn’t a distant threat. Climate change is here now.
Fortunately, California is already showing that we can take serious steps to fight climate change while improving public health and the economy.
In 2006, the legislature set a goal to reduce statewide greenhouse gas pollution to 1990 levels by 2020. Just under 10 years later, we are more than halfway toward meeting that goal.
In the process, California has attracted billions of dollars in private investment in clean energy businesses, which now employ over 400,000 people.
We are also on track to cut billions in health costs. And our state’s GDP has steadily increased as emissions have fallen.
This year, our state representatives will vote on even more ambitious emission reduction targets and investments in the clean energy economy.
Two bills, already passed in the State Senate, would continue California’s leadership in fighting climate change.
SB 32 sets a greenhouse gas reduction target of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050; SB 350 sets goals of reaching a 50% reduction in petroleum use from motor vehicles; generating 50 percent of our electricity from renewable power sources; and doubling energy efficiency in existing buildings, all by 2030.
Let’s take these fires as the wakeup call they are and act boldly on climate change.
You can help by calling Lake County's Assemblymember Bill Dodd at 707-576-0400 and asking him to vote “yes” on SB 32 and SB 350.
Rebecca Curry lives in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Matt Perry
As we focus our attention on the Rocky fire recovery, our hearts are with those who suffered devastating losses during the last two weeks.
Lake County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the County of Lake are 100-percent committed to providing leadership and assistance to meet our shared goal of a safe and rapid recovery for our residents and our environment.
Recovery is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional effort, with many layers.
There are many people focusing their attention on the development of a thorough, comprehensive debris removal plan that is safe for the residents and safe for our environment.
Developing this plan is consistent with the Board of Supervisors' actions taken at the special meeting held on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
To access funding sources, the plan will need to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. It is currently scheduled to be heard at the Tuesday, Aug. 18, Board of Supervisors' meeting.
We will continue to release information as it becomes available. In the meantime, you can find updated information on our social media pages at Lake County OES Facebook and Lake County OES Twitter.
The virtual Local Assistance Center, with information on agencies that can provide help, is at www.LakeCountyLAC.com . The Lake County libraries have computers with Internet access and an easy link to the Web site. Or you can call 1-800-325-9604 and talk with a call-in specialist.
I’m proud to say that Lake County residents are resilient and I’m confident we will all pull together to help our residents and neighbors in need.
We, at the county and Lake County OES, pledge our assistance through this recovery process.
Matt Perry is the administrative officer and director of the Office of Emergency Services for Lake County, Calif.
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- Written by: Tom Koski
“Mr. Baird! Mr. Baird! Come quick! A WILDFIRE has broke out in the hills! What are we gonna do?”
“No worries, Citizen! Round up the Greenshirts and pass out the shovels and before you can say 'We don't need you, Sacramento' we'll have that bad boy put out!”
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Baird. Bless you!”
NEXT WEEK: Higher Education comes to Jefferson
Tom Koski lives in Upper Lake, Calif.