Letters for August 23, 2018

Re: “Welcome to California” by Alastair Bland (Feature, August 16):

Contrary to the suggestion by professor Richard Grotjahn, superheated days in Sacramento and the Valley are nothing new. My first experience with Sacramento summer heat began in June and July 1985, when the heat routinely exceeded 100 every day for almost the entire period, or, as Grotjahn said, “days and days and days and days.” I agree that human activity can and likely has caused climate change; I disagree with the sensational statements by those cited as authorities in your article.

Terence Kilpatrick

Sacramento

via sactoletters@newsreview.com

Sound the climate change alarm

Re: “Welcome to California” by Alastair Bland (Feature, August 16):

I seem to recall that, some 15 years ago, scientists and politicians would “caution” over being alarmist over climate change (this was, of course, in the early days when public awareness was growing). They wanted to offer up hope that these problems are not insurmountable and can be overcome, but that being alarmist, people would say, “If it’s hopeless, why do anything at all?!” I used to buy into that line of thinking. Today, as I watch the world melt and burn, and as I raise two young kids, I realize that how we respond to such doom and gloom is much like how my kids respond to that same doom and gloom. It is something along the lines of, “Oh yeah! I’ll show you!” Maybe, as we see the worst scenarios of scientific predictions play out decades sooner than anticipated, we should have been more alarmist and the world could have responded with, “Oh yeah, we’ll show you!” On the other hand humanity has actually been trying to jump out of that pot of boiling water for decades but the captains of capitalism have been slamming the lid down on us every time. So maybe, in the end, it would have been pointless anyway since we never really seemed interested in removing the purveyor’s of the status quo from power.

Jeff Doll

Elk Grove

via newsreview.com

Good walls

Re: “Wide Open Walls Returns” by Steph Rodriguez (News, August 16):

All of the art is spectacular and having it all over the city is truly a blessing. Whether you’re walking, biking or driving you’ll be able to see and enjoy many pieces. I think it’s great that Sacramento has embraced this project year after year! Best way to see most of the downtown works is by bicycle.

Greg Harwell

Elk Grove

via newsreview.com

Bad balls

Re: “Bad medicine ball” by Maxfield Morris (Off Menu, August 16):

I still don’t understand why using another wall is not feasible. Imagine, would you want to dine in a room where someone is pounding a sledgehammer against the other side of the wall? That’s the sound of the medicine balls. I offered [the gym] $50 towards the expense of moving equipment. How much would it cost? Wouldn’t outside walls be stronger than inside walls?

James McRitchie

Elk Grove

via newsreview.com

Correction

In the August 16, 2018, feature story “Welcome to California,” Rep. Steve Scalise is misidentified as being from Los Angeles. He is from Louisiana. A math error in the same story said the Earth could become 8.6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer by 2100 under worst case climate change projections. It would actually be 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit. SN&R regrets the errors.