Who to believe on climate change?
According to a New York Times article in the AJC on Jan. 20, “2015 is the hottest year on record.” This should not be news to anyone. It’s been predicted for months that this would be the case, trumping 2014 as the hottest year on record.
The question is: can we believe 97 percent of active climate scientists who compile and report this information? Why wouldn’t we believe the peer-reviewed research of scientists from organizations such as NASA and NOAA? Who is behind the incessant debunking of this scientific community? I’ll tell you who — the conservative think tanks, politicians and pundits.
In spite of this obfuscation, technology and innovation are moving us in the direction of combating global warming. Placing a fee on carbon and returning the dividend to every household would further reduce our reliance on carbon-producing fossil fuels — the heart of the problem.
NIKKI VANDERGRINTEN, CHAMBLEE
‘Angry’ voters in both parties
One of the most interesting aspects of this year’s presidential race, is the emergence of the “angry” voters who are supporters of either Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders. The source of their anger is surprisingly similar. It includes dissatisfaction with all Washington politicians, but particularly the current administration, Wall Street and big business. The political pundits refute any suggestion that these two, angry groups could ever combine behind one candidate, to form a new potentially game-changing voting group. The reality is that both “angry” groups are engaged in this year’s presidential race to find a champion for their causes — and not because they have a strong affiliation to either establishment party. They feel they have been left behind by the economic recovery and the outsourcing of their traditional jobs, such as manufacturing.
The fact is, as seems possible, a scenario that Trump wins the Republican nomination and Clinton is his likely opponent in the presidential election. The “angry” groups, including the former Sanders supporters, could well line up behind Trump as their champion against the Establishment, to give the election an entirely new dynamic.
IAN SHAW, CUMMING
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