• Read scientific research in climate debate • More on EVs • Why in the world are they spraying? • Civil rights and the labor law Read scientific research in climate debate An individual named John Burns did a grave
• Read scientific research in climate debate • More on EVs • Why in the world are they spraying? • Civil rights and the labor law
Read scientific research in climate debate
An individual named John Burns did a grave disservice to your readers by engaging in defamatory personal attacks and making false statements about me and other climate scientists in a recent letter published in your paper.
Mr. Burns touts the fake scandal of “climategate,” without noting that nine different independent investigations found that there was no evidence of misconduct on the part of any of the scientists involved. Indeed, the only wrongdoing was the criminal theft of emails, and the twisting of scientists words by professional climate change deniers to manufacture a distraction in time to forestall efforts in Copenhagen back in 2009 to deal with the problem of human-caused climate change
Mr. Burns claims that the “hockey stick” — work of my own published more than a decade ago showing that recent warming is unusual over at least the past 1,000 years — has been shown to be “bogus.” That is simply a lie, a regurgitation of dishonest smears that have been manufactured by fossil fuel industry-funded climate change deniers, and those who do their bidding by lying to the public about the science. Indeed, it is such false attacks that led me to write my recent book “The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars” about my experiences at the center of this ongoing smear campaign.
The highest scientific body in the nation, the National Academy of Sciences affirmed my research findings in an exhaustive independent review published in June 2006 (see e.g. “Science Panel Backs Study on Warming Climate,” New York Times, June 22, 2006, among many others). Dozens of independent groups of scientists have independently reproduced and confirmed our findings, and more recent work by several groups shows that recent warmth is unusual over an even longer timeframe.
Readers interested in the truth behind the science, rather than the falsehoods and smears perpetuated by dishonest individuals like Mr. Burns, should consult scientist-run websites like www.realclimate.org and www.skepticalscience.com, and scientifically-based books on the topic like my “Dire Predictions: Understanding Global Warming.”
Michael E. Mann
Boalsburg, Pa.
More on EVs
Congratulations to TGI for providing information on electric cars in its recent articles and letters. I offer additional information that may be helpful in arriving at this determination.
Annual maintenance costs are greatly reduced for EVs. Owners of fleets of electric trucks report that maintenance costs are about 10 percent that of running a comparable diesel fleet. (For Staples fleet of 41 trucks, the cost per truck was $250 vs. $2,700 per year). Estimates for e-cars maintenance costs are at least 50 percent less.
Having an EV will save you money, even if you charge your vehicle from the grid. But to make this investment eminently more affordable, you should generate your own power using solar to charge your car.
There are some practical problems with this approach. Most individuals drive to work during the day when solar energy is most abundant and charging the car at home during peak sunshine hours is impossible. Home-generated solar energy can be stored in a home battery to make energy available to charge your EV at night. You can sell your day-generated solar power to the grid and buy electricity back from the grid at night to charge your EV.
Both approaches cost money, and it may be simpler for most consumers to initially use more expensive grid electricity to charge their cars and then gradually transition to a home-generated energy plan.
Electric pickup trucks are on the drawing board. Ford and Toyota have announced formation of a joint working group to develop the power trains for these trucks.
With improvements in technology and a fall in vehicle price, we will continue to see the increased presence of EVs.
This is particular true for Kaua‘i, where gasoline and KIUC prices are exorbitantly high and serve to drive consumers toward the option of providing their own low-cost, home-generated solar electricity for their newly purchased EVs.
Douglas Wilmore
Kilauea
Why in the world are they spraying?
On Labor Day, an article appeared that asked that question. Many of my questions about the spraying have been answered in the new movie “Why in the World are They Spraying” on YouTube. It’s a must see movie by everyone on Kaua‘i since the spraying has intensified in the last week.
If you live on the Westside and have been feeling the ill effects of the spraying like dry throat, burning eyes, allergies, asthma, you are not alone.
The continued spraying will influence our lives forever. The question is, how can we stop it?
Paul Lucas
Lawa‘i
Civil rights and the labor law
Last year we settled with two county employees for some $800,000, plus paying court, county personnel and outside legal expenses. On behalf of we the public who pays for this dog and donkey show, the county attorney (CA) defended human resource (HR) policies with a “legally indefensible defense.” Oaths of office and signed labor contracts prohibit our elected leaders are from allowing violations of labor law.
Violations of civil rights and labor law by officials are either “indefensible” gross negligence punishing the public who elected the incompetent offenders, or criminal violations based on intent or patterns of behavior with compensation paid personally by the offender(s) and other possible personal consequences up to, and including, impeachment and jail. Every employee currently engaged in violating labor law is protected to a degree from negative consequences lest the mayor and CA be prosecuted for egregious on-going violations. Every personal injury attorney knows the county position is indefensible. Every employee is a potential large settlement.
Attorneys know public testimony reveals that the ad hoc HR committee appointed by the mayor, and our new $100,000/year HR department head, have no experience in planning, designing, integrating or implementing an enterprise-wide legal HR system.
None of them have any education, experience or training to do so. There is no written strategic plan detailing our current HR failings, or how and when we will change our systems.
This ensures our defense remains an “indefensible defense”.
Recent prosecuting attorney’s office (OPA) labor settlements were settled under the mayor’s “indefensible defense” strategy. We will never know the truth. The mayor’s settlements demonstrate what the future holds for the tax payers if we continue to operate this county with an illegal HR system. When will OPA address ongoing administration HR civil rights violations?
Lonnie Sykos
Kapa‘a
