Sea rise meeting raises concern
I attended the Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Workshop at the Marina Community Center on July 17.
I was struck by the contrast between “best case” and “worst case” scenarios. We must do what we can to avoid a worst case situation in which portions of Old Town become islands.
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we have only twelve years to act (not talk) to avoid a worst case.
Possibly the single best way to avoid a worst case is enacting H.R. 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, introduced in January by a Republican and a Democrat.
The bill would put a price on carbon, refund the money to the people to spend as they please, and cut emissions 40 percent in twelve years and 90 percent by 2050.
And, if climate change actually is a Chinese hoax, we will have only avoided hundreds of thousands of pollution-related premature deaths, stimulated our economy and created over two million new American jobs, increased our security by freeing ourselves from reliance on unstable oil exporting countries and secured a stable, low cost, renewable supply of power to fuel our future economic growth.
Our City Council should join cities across the country and endorse H.R. 763.
For more information, check out the Citizen’s Climate Lobby website.
Tom Hazelleaf
Seal Beach
Reader requests wider view of local news
Having been a resident of Seal Beach since 1994 I have enjoyed reading our weekly local Sun Newspaper. Every Thursday I would look forward to browsing through the pages to catch up with the news and events going on in our small town. However, over the last year or so I have noticed my interest in reading the paper has declined. Something is missing for me.
In the past there seemed to be more in-depth reporting on local issues that directly affected our town. Now it seems many areas are just glossed over.
Yes, the events on town happenings are reported, but in many cases the depth of reporting seems to have faded.
For example: Homelessness is expanding in all areas, including Seal Beach. I would like to see the Sun possibly do a multiple article series on the challenges faced by our police department, city council and other local agencies when dealing with this issue. Also, what is like from the homeless person’s point of view dealing with the city of Seal Beach?
This is just an example of looking at multiple sides of the same story.
Maybe it’s what is going on at city hall, or the First Street project or the pier … fill in what’s important to you. We all have different ideas and viewpoints regarding common issues.
I would like to see the Sun give us a wider view of local news so that we can be better informed, be exposed to and allow for differences of opinion and, hopefully, in the end, come closer together as a community.
Bill Benkovsky
Old Town Seal Beach
Letters to the Editor Policy
The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Sun.
The Sun welcomes Letters to the Editor, which must be in good taste, and of wide general interest.
We will not publish letters we deem inflammatory, contain personal attacks, are political campaigning, or other reasons at our sole discretion.
The Sun reserves the right to accept, edit or reject letters for any reason.
Unless otherwise stated by the author, all letters sent to the Sun are subject to publication.
Letters should be 300 words maximum.
They should be emailed, mailed or delivered in person and must be signed by the author and contain the authors name, address, and telephone number (the latter two are for verification, and not publication).
Email letters to editor@sunnews.org or editor2@sunnews.org.
