Response to Gagnon column
Matt Gagnon speaks for climate change skeptics in his Sept. 6 column. His argument points more to the fact that he and his fellow skeptics are basing their knowledge on climate outliers’ articles from nearly a half century ago than the way things are now. Things have changed. Even in the 1970s, articles ran 6 to 1 for global warming over cooling. Since then, we have nearly doubled global population, added millions of vehicles on the road and waters, and live much more consumptive lifestyles around the world.
It’s time for Gagnon to update his argument and to make sweeping changes — unless he has a time machine that can take him back to the 1970s.
Kim Crabill
Eastport
Reach out to LUPC
The Land Use Planning Commission continues deliberation of New England Clean Energy Connect corridor at the Oct. 9 commission meeting in Greenville. For the exact time, the agenda for the meeting will be posted on the commission’s calendar and meetings page.
“The Land Use Planning Commission (Commission) will continue to conduct a deliberative session for a possible vote and decision regarding the Site Law Certification in the matter of Central Maine Power’s proposed New England Clean Energy Connect project,” said a commission email update ahead of its previous meeting in September. My assumption is that next week’s discussion will be similar.
I encourage people to reach out to the commission however they can.
Wendy Chambers
Jackman
Support Fuller for Belfast Council
I am writing because I feel strongly about Ridgely Fuller’s bid for Belfast City Council.
I’ve been riding with her while she’s been out knocking on doors around town, meeting folks and listening. This gal, who has who has spent her life working in community social services, shares with me her impressions as she takes notes once back in the car. She is hearing important messages from folks who feel their issues are not always being heard.
Ridgely loves Belfast — the mix of people, the friendliness, the level of volunteerism and the arts and culture here. What makes her stand out is her deep, caring commitment and desire to represent all voices on the City Council, her willingness to collaborate and her determination to find real solutions for people whose concerns are not being addressed.
In order to do this, Ridgely has put forth a platform based on building collaboration between people and town government that is meaningful and productive. For example, she sees the need to address the unaffordability — for many — of food, housing and reliable internet. She sees the need to address the imbalance of high taxes and real, everyday services.
Ridgely’s life-long work in social justice and environmental causes means that finding solutions to income inequality and the climate crisis are high on her list. To her, that means expanding the local economy to include and benefit all the people who live here — out of town as well as downtown. It means Belfast transitioning to energy independence by 2030 in a way that addresses economic as well as environmental concerns.
I urge all to vote for Ridgely for City Council (Ward 3) for an inclusive and environmentally sustainable Belfast.
Alison Gilchrist
Belfast
A polarizing headline
I strongly object to the wording of Saturday’s page one headline in the BDN “Dems issue subpoenas in Trump inquiry.” The subpoenas were not issued by the Democratic Party. They were issued by various committees of the House of Representatives. A much better headline would have been “Congress issues subpoenas in Trump inquiry,” or even “House of Representatives issues subpoenas in Trump inquiry.”
Congress is exercising its constitutional prerogative to investigate the executive branch, as part of the checks and balances so wisely built into our Constitution. The subpoenas were the result of congressional action, not an act of the Democratic Party.
It may be that motions to issue subpoenas were passed by a party-line vote, and it would be important to state this if true. But the headline as written presents this as pure party politics, when in fact it is our government acting as it was designed to do by the Founding Fathers. The headline adds weight to the cry of “partisan witch hunt” instead of using the neutral and non-polarizing headlines suggested above.
Curtis Meadow
Newport