Affordable climate options
Regarding “Climate Collective Madness” (February 23): Climate change is seen by all but ignored by most. This article emphasizes the detrimental effects on our planet as we all continue to ignore the issue.
It’s not a new problem, it’s getting worse by the day as people ignore ways to reduce it and instead continue to contribute to the problem. The effects on our planet are so dramatic that the National Geographic Society advocates the Anthropocene as we completely transform the Earth’s species, plants, ecosystems and the entire atmosphere.
Although we need to expand renewable energy sources, researchers ignore the costs. Affording these environmentally friendly energy sources is not possible for many. Hybrid and electric vehicles are amazing solutions, but how many can actually afford them?
Because the future is truly in our hands, we must work to offer people affordable alternatives, rather than creating more options that are neither realistic nor attainable for many.
We all don’t love Trump
Not all Americans love Trump. My wife and I find him despicable in every way. And on some level, so did 81,283,499 other voters in 2020. As far as we’re concerned, Jeff Mahoney can continue to state the obvious, with the faint hope that perhaps the lights will go on for the 74,223,975 people in America who have so far refused to acknowledge Trump’s endless array of character flaws.
Happy to live in Canada.
Trump accused of wasting time
There is nobody I would like to see in prison for his serious crimes and misdemeanors than Donald Trump. But arresting him on such a flimsy charge of forging business records is a waste of time. At best, his punishment will be a fine.
On the other hand, his supporters are gifted a martyr – just in time for his election campaign.
Ralph D’Angelo, Hamilton
Illegal felling of trees in the green belt
It’s hard to believe that developers are unaware of the need to obtain a permit to fell trees on this land. Many municipalities have similar requirements. Any penalty imposed will be considered a business expense. The penalty may be less than the cost of following the required process. The city bears the costs for the investigations, the enforcement of the work stop and all other costs. developer wins. lose green space. city loses. Any penalties imposed must be significant enough to injure the pocketbook developer to prevent similar situations.
Bosses first, concern second
Regarding ‘St. Joe Spent $1.9M on CEOs and Presidents (March 25): The eye-catching salaries highlighted in this article remind me that several timely and reliable media reports inform us that Ontario continues to enjoy a staggering 11- times more senior administrators per capita than Germany, a country many times larger than Ontario and with excellent health care. A similar statistic was reported back in a 2016 Huffington Post article and later discussed on the Steve Paikin TVO show following a World Health Organization review of health systems in OECD countries.
Despite these recent reports, I have yet to read or hear from anyone associated with the Ontario health system, whether from the Department of Health or the Health Administration, who refutes this fact.
I therefore assume that, in the absence of any information to the contrary, the most recent reports are indeed correct and account for significant healthcare spending in an area that more successful healthcare systems are far less able to address and could be better used to improve basic frontline services.
Mac wants top spot
As a McMaster retiree, I am concerned by the university’s plan to build fossil-fuel burning power plants and the response (or indeed non-reaction) to the students’ hunger strike in protest.
But there is a silver lining. In 2019, Mac proudly announced that it ranks second in the world for impact on a global scale. Once again, Mac has a global impact: 120 environmental groups from around the world have denounced the project. Mac is clearly behind first place in this year’s ranking.
Pain and heartbreak left behind
Thank you for your coverage of killers who are not criminally responsible. This comes to mind as I was a friend of Gord Lewis. I also see the pain and heartache that families left behind like the Sienna family endure.
Thanks again for trying to make sense of these horrific, avoidable outcomes. Get on with your hard, important work
www.thespec.com
https://www.thespec.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editors/2023/04/08/april-8-affordable-climate-options-greenbelt-tree-cutting-trumps-travails-and-more-letters.html
