Maybe McCracken is premature

Mr. McCracken's conclusions are based on a narrow window of science; CO2 levels and snow on the mountain.

What Mr. McCracken is failing to do is to evaluate all the science. Historically in fact, the current 370 ppm CO2 levels we see now have been much greater.

It is theorized that it might be from volcanic activity, or other unknown factors such as massive forest fires, but the fact is those levels have been much higher in the earth's history then they are currently.

The United Nations has formed a climate analysis group comprised of thousands of scientists from all over the planet. They come from all fields of science and are united in a common goal of determining what is really happening.

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute recently published a paper that based on their read of oceanography; we are actually not warming up but cooling down and entering a new ice age.

Astronomers tell us the polar cap melting is result of our solar orbit and the planet's axis wobble aligning to point the north pole more towards the sun while we are in an elliptical orbit thereby giving more warmth to the northern hemisphere which also results in more cold in the southern hemisphere.

To validate these scientific facts, Antarctic ice is actually growing. In fact 55% of the glaciers in the world are growing -- not shrinking.

The new theory on this global warming climate change is that we are not entering a period of dangerous global warming; we are leaving it. This is the end of global warming and the beginning of the next ice age. We are on the turn. But all of it is theory.

I have no idea which theory is right, but I do know that when Chicken Little looked up and rang the alarm based on one small data point of information, it was premature. I respectfully submit to you sir, that a great deal more science is needed before we can say for sure that the sky is falling or the earth is in peril from warming.

Historically, it is undeniable that the earth and mankind have prospered during times when the climate was warm, and man has suffered horribly when it has been cold. If the earth is going into the next ice age, then maybe trapping some warmth here with greenhouse gasses might not be such a bad thing wouldn't you agree?

It is my hope that we will determine the reality based on science in my lifetime, but when we have been here for a short period of only 15,000 years, the two billion years preceding our arrival the earth did OK and it doesn't really care if we are here or not -- it will go on with or without us. We are just passengers and we all need to understand that.

ROBERT S. ENGLISH

Sheldonville, Mass.

Respectfully please

Mr. Bill Dawson, your March 7 letter to the editor titled "Insult to the Patriots" is a bit disingenuous considering your esteemed background as on of the "Greatest Generation," a title bestowed on veterans such as yourself by Tom Brokaw.

Bill, I know you served valiantly in the South Pacific during that Great War -- World War II. I had relatives who also served in the South Pacific and in the European Theater.

I cannot for the life of me understand how a man such as yourself can knock citizens of this country who exercise their right to freedom of speech, which Bill, you and my relatives, along with many more fought to preserve.

Some even paid the ultimate price to preserve that right. Of course, you also have the very same right, probably more so than anyone who was not there -- someone such as me.

You mention a handful of people who are all Democrats as being bleeding-heart corrupt liberals. You include the Hillary do-gooders in with this same group. You claim they are out to give our country away to the highest bidder.

You mention Obama's middle name -- "Hussein" -- as though it was a dirty word.

Hussein, in the Arab world is a popular name, much the same as Smith, Jones, John and even Bill in this country.

You fought for his right to practice his religion as he sees fit, yet you complain when he does because it does not meet with your approval.

You complain that he has been allowed to disrespect our flag. Yes Bill, you also fought to preserve that right for him and the rest of us citizens. No Bill, I do not approve of what he has done but out of respect for what you have done I can understand he does have that right. And yes, Bill, we do still live in the USA thanks to you and men like you.

Bill, you stopped too soon in your diatribe against the corrupt politicians running for president.

You forgot to mention John McCain, a liberal Democrat who calls himself a Republican; a senator who authored the McCain/Feingold Act, which is a direct assault on the First Amendment of the Constitution in violation of his oath of office and a direct slap in the face to individuals like you -- one of the Greatest Generation.

There is a man who was also involved with the Keating Five, and the S&L scandal which cost us taxpayers billions of dollars to fix and is now lying to the citizens by calling himself a Republican.

As I said, you have a right to your opinion. You fought for that right. Do not taint that right by being partial to a man or party that carries as much guilt as the one you are bashing.

I suppose you may think his being a Republican is a pardon for his transgressions. In that case, vote for him to continue the next four years the same as the last seven and a half years under Bush.

Vote for him to continue sending our young to Iraq for the next hundred years. Vote for him to bomb Iran and continue the "war" in the Middle East.

Vote for him to continue spending $2 to $3 billion dollars a week in the Middle East while we here continue to pay higher and higher prices for our supplies.

Vote for him to put our children, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren in harm's way.

CHUCK PATTI

Kudos

As a Pahrump Valley Pool League team captain, I wanted to give our league champion sponsor and banquet host, James, the gratitude and kudos he so well deserves.

Thank you, James.

He never questioned sponsoring any of our teams or any cost involved. He has gone above and beyond the call in supporting us at home and away.

After four years of trying, here is the championship you've been waiting for. It's very well deserved.

Considering Town Hall No. 2 played the entire season undefeated, it's a first ever for the league.

Thanks again, James,

JEFF JESIONOWSKI,

Captain, Town Hall No. 2

Thank you

Saturday, March 8, KNYE 95.1 FM, hosted by Karen Jackson, conducted an Easter Food Drive at the Wal-Mart Super Center.

This was a tremendous success, and thank you to each and every one of you for your donations and time, and Wal-Mart for allowing this to take place.

A special thank you to Karen Jackson and KNYE 95.1 FM and Pat Whittier for all your efforts in encouraging the town to come out and help the less fortunate.

Another special thank you to Johnny Vee for the hours of wonderful Elvis music and keeping everyone entertained and inviting them to donate.

I have been told that many of the Wal-Mart employees came out and made donations and thank you for the your generosity.

Several individuals and businesses made large contributions; Homeland Heroes Inc., Galiano's American Grill, Joe's Hauling LLC, Tarantino's, Sheriff and Mrs. Anthony DeMeo and Mr. and Mrs. Dean Rush, thank you very much for your generosity.

To Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church parishioners, thank you also for your continuous support during the year and special food drives.

May God bless you all and Happy Easter.

ROBERT GAVAN AND JIM RICE

Stay ignorant Mr. Dawson

This letter is in response to the one written by Bill Dawson which appeared in the March 7 edition of the PVT.

This diatribe was so stupendously uninformed and ignorant that I hardly know where to begin. Well, actually I do -- you claim that Barack Obama was allowed to take his oath of office "by placing his hand on the Koran."

Well, no he didn't; Obama has been a devout Christian his entire life, and has never had any association with Muslim faith (not that it would necessarily be a bad thing, would it supporters of freedom of religion?)

Actually, it was Keith Ellison, member of the House of Representatives from the 5th Congressional District of Minnesota and the first Muslim voted into Congress, who placed his hand on the Koran while taking the oath.

It might interest you to know that it was a Koran originally owned by Thomas Jefferson, who famously said, "There should be a revolution every 20 years just to keep the government honest." If he were alive today and said that, he would be sent to Guantanamo Bay to languish in a dungeon for about four years before his paperwork even came before a military tribunal.

Then there was Benjamin Franklin who said, "A man who is willing to trade liberty for security deserves and will soon have neither."

If he said that today, he could at least expect visits from the NSA and FBI, who would demand to know why he was so soft on the terrorists.

That is, if he said it on the phone or in an e-mail, thanks to the telecommunications industry selling out our ability to have private conversations.

So how are Hillary and other Democrats selling out our interests to the highest bidder?

It's been Bush and the Republican Congress (for six of the last seven years, anyway) who have sold our manufacturing base overseas and have granted China most favored trading nation status even though they have an abysmal human-rights record, because without their cheap labor, the global giant Wal-Mart and many other retailers would dry up and blow away.

A year ago, George Bush tried to sell out our Atlantic seaboard port security to a Dubai-based firm (of the United Arab Emirites), a Muslim oil emerite that has diplomatic relations and economic trade with virtually every nation we classify as a 'state sponsor of terror' until the Democratic Congress stopped him.

Then, of course, there's Saudi Arabia.

Fifteen of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi-Arabian, as is Osama bin Laden, and the royal Saudi family has found ways to funnel funds to Islamic terrorists continuously since 1973.

But we can't bother them because the Bush family and the Saudi royals have had financial dealings going back over 40 years.

That's what is known as selling our interests and security to the highest bidder by corrupt politicians.

I'll bet you think the Bush administration is full of tough guys who know how to stand up to the enemy.

But after they kicked out Colin Powell, there was nobody left among the foreign policy decision-makers who ever served on active duty in the military (let alone saw any combat), and any who were of fighting age during Vietnam fought hard for any draft deferment they could get (in Dick Cheney's case, five).

I'm no war hero, but I served four years in the Army as a tank loader and gunner in an armored battalion in the 1st Calvary Division, and none of the chicken hawks who support endless war in Iraq has ever faced any military hardship.

So keep watching Fox "news" and stay ignorant Mr. Dawson; the only mystery remaining is how you could have gotten a letter published in the first place, because there are fifth-graders with Internet access who know more about the world than you do.

BRIAN K. TURNER