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In response to the recent interview of James Lovelock and to columnist Paul Schneidereit’s rhetorical question: “Can environmentalists be pragmatic about climate change?”

This is not the time for practical considerations, i.e. pragmatism, to deter environmentalists from warning us of the impending dangers of climate change.

The 92-year-old scientist Lovelock has a poor record commenting on climate science. In January 2006, he predicted that billions of us would die, and the few breeding pairs of people that survived would be in the Arctic where the climate remained tolerable!

People forget that science is not about being right or wrong. Science is a process. But in the current political climate debate, an icon like James Lovelock can disproportionately alter the political interpretation of science.

Whatever Lovelock’s most recent pronouncements, let’s not discourage environmentalists from reminding us of the worldwide dangers of climate change. Everyone is entitled to his opinions, but not to his facts.

Unfortunately, these latest pronouncements by Lovelock are inconsistent with up-to-date climate data. The latest assessment by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that data collected by satellites, land sensors, and in the air and seas, continue to show that the average global surface temperature is rising.

Paul Ruggles, Halifax

 

I have been thinking about Michael de Adder’s June 25 cartoon, depicting a tome with “Free Trade Agreement” on its cover, alongside a matchbook.

It shows two books, one thick, the other thin. The thick book has “Harper’s trade policy” printed above, the matchbook has “Harper’s foreign policy” printed above it.

The handwritten message inside the open matchbook is: “I (heart) Israel XO.”

I took a Red Tent Women’s Tour of Israel this spring. The Israel I saw was a complex place in which the struggle for social justice is very much alive.

I spoke to Arab Israeli university students peacefully protesting all night outside The Colony Hotel in Haifa (they were drawing attention to Palestinian hunger strikers gravely ill in prison).

We had the opportunity to hear a range of Israelis speak including Gili Re’i, associate director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. The trip opened my eyes to the struggles Israelis (including Arab Israelis and Palestinians) face.

De Adder is surely not wrong in lampooning Harper’s lack of vision. But his matchbook slam at Israel seems unfair. While there, I spoke to Israelis who are struggling much harder for social justice than many of us.

Laura McLauchlan, Sable River

 

It is so difficult to look at the images of the suffering people of Syria. Unfortunately, we detach ourselves psychologically from the horror of lines of shrouded dead bodies. But it is a harsh reality for the people of Syria.

A June 11, 2012 report, by Radhiffa Coomaraswamy, UN special representative for children, described children being used as human shields, and subject to torture and sexual violence. Dr. Coomaraswamy says “the suffering inflicted on children in Syria was unusual even for combat situations. We are really shocked. The killing and torture of children in detention is something extraordinary which we don’t see in other places.”

More than 13,000 people have been killed in Syria since March 2011, 9,183 of whom were civilians. A June 8 report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights puts the death toll at 14,000. A Jan. 18 UNICEF report said that 400 children were killed and 400 children detained during Syria’s uprising. These stats do not reflect the correct number of people killed because so many people were killed without accounting.

The Justice For Syria group rallies every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Victoria Park in Halifax. Come join us to support the people of Syria who have lost so much. View us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/justice.

freedom.syria. Our e-mail address is jfsyria@gmail.com.

Sharon Murphy, Halifax

Dementia strategy needed

Re: the June 20 headline “Senile patients may be making wait times worse.” The Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia applauds The Chronicle Herald for bringing attention to the Wait Time Alliance Report, which focuses on the need for a national dementia strategy to address the system issues that are underpinning these unacceptable wait times.

What we object to is the use of the term “senile” and the implication that people with dementia are to blame for the long wait times.

The term “senile” is rarely used these days to describe people with dementia, as it has come to have a negative connotation, and implies that dementia is an inevitable part of aging. This further contributes to the stigma attached with the disease.

The headline suggests that the cause of the long wait times are to be blamed on people afflicted with a disease over which they have no control. This is not the fault of the person with dementia, and we don’t believe this was the intent of the report.

We are concerned that this may prevent persons with dementia and their families from seeking the help they need to live well with the disease.

 

We support the focus of the article on bringing awareness to our aging population, the increasing prevalence of dementia, and that due to limited alternatives, people are increasingly turning to acute care for the services they need. We strongly endorse the report’s call for a National Dementia Strategy to address the systemic issues with our health care system.

Dementia is not a normal part of aging and it is caused by diseases such as Alzheimer’s, which affect many aspects of a person’s cognitive abilities, including memory. Currently, over 15,000 Nova Scotians have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. This is expected to double by 2038. While this number is staggering, it does not include all of those who also must face this disease on a daily basis, such as caregivers, support workers, friends and family members.

If you have any questions or concerns about Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias, please call our Alzheimer InfoLine at 1-800-611-6345.

Lloyd Brown, executive director, Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia

 

Re: “Critics say Obama has ‘lost Canada.’ ” (June 26). One of the reasons given is that Obama has delayed the Keystone XL pipeline.

I don’t pretend to speak for all Canadians, certainly not Albertans, but I could have kissed Obama when he gave the pipeline a red light. I know others who care about the environment felt the same way. Obama was our last hope and he came through for us after our own prime minister failed.

In fact, Harper has made it abundantly clear that anyone who feels the environment should be considered at all in making economic decisions is some kind of radical extremist. He and his minions have pretty much gutted the Environmental Protection Act. They are pushing oil at all costs and we will be the ones paying those costs.

Now, if only Obama had any say in the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, we might stand a chance of a good sustainable decision.

I’d take Obama over Harper any day. He’s the best president the Americans have had in a very long time.

Michelle Bull, Berwick