Weight of evidence
Several writers of letters the R-B have claimed that the evidence that climate change is occurring and that it is caused by human activities is bogus. They also complained that the administrators of some school districts have unjustly banned textbooks suggesting that the evidence that global climate change is occurring and is probably caused by human activities is unproven.
These opinions should be considered in the light of a number of reports published by an organization called The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), which has more than 100,000 members from numerous countries. Many of the worlds climatologists are members of this organization. Of particular significance to this issue is a recently published report entitled “How Do We Know that Humans Are the Major Cause of Global Warming?”
(See: http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/human-contribution-to-gw-faq.html#.V37GdugrIdU). In addition, 33 scientific societies sent a joint letter to our congress urging them to stop denying the evidence that climate change is occurring and that it is a very serious problem (see http://govnews.us/id/16335279899).
Members of the UCS have also published reports showing how the various branches of the fossil fuel industry have distorted the evidence about global climate change, and they have spent large sums of money to broadcast that misinformation and to pay some of our politicians and their chosen “scientists” to support their lies (see http://www.ucsusa.org/search/site/Fossil%2520fuel%2520lies%2520about%2520climate%2520change#.V4Agt-grIdV) .
Are we being unfair to criticize those who complain about exclusion of their beliefs from public school textbooks regarding the evidence for human caused climate change? Likewise, were we unfair to excluding the beliefs from such books of those who believed that our world is flat, and that the the sun revolves around the earth?
Charles Nicoll, Lucerne
The wrong target
Recent gun laws passed are based on the emotions of the public.
According to the FBI statistics (2014 latest published) of the 1745 homicides in calif’ 805 were by hand guns 29 by rifle 48 by shot gun 342 by firearms type unknown 238 by knifes or cutting instrument 191 other instrument (blunt force) 92 hands. The FBI also speculates that 80 percent of these are gang related.
Within the above statistics are included suicides,accidence, people shot while committing a crime, (private gun owners 0 and 116 killed by police. Nowhere do you see assault weapons. How many gang members do you think are buying their ammo from Walmart or their local sporting goods store?
Under the new laws, one of the most popular rifles used by farmers,and small game hunters is now illegal. Why? Because it has a detachable magazine operated by a button. Calif. has some of the most strict gun laws in the nation but when compared to states having some of the most lenient laws — Utah 49 homicides 25 by handgun, 2 by rifle 1 shot gun; Arizona, 304 homicides 133 by handgun 11 by rifle 11 by shot gun; Kentucky 165 homicides, 82 by handgun, 10 by rifle 6 by shot gun.
It is apparent the jackasses in Sacramento cannot read or will not, do not know the difference between an automatic weapon or a semi automatic do not know that muzzle brakes or fiber stocks do not make an assault weapon nor does a detachable magazine. The only law passed by anybody is universal background checks.
We do not need a separate law for no fly as this would show up on universal check.
Butch Murphey, Lakeport
