Seeking an unbiased view
More than ever our county misses an unbiased, all-San Diego County daily newspaper.
We haven’t had one for years, but North County had one daily and, luckily, still has one weekly, The Coast News. The rest of the area has two weekly freebies with features worth reading: The San Diego Reader and the San Diego City Beat. For some hard-hitting reporting on the Manchester-Grand Del Mar Hotel vs. San Diego saga, I laud the San Diego Reader heartily. In their article “Got a Permit for That, Manchester?” (May 2, 2013) a bold reporter, told of how Doug Manchester has been at odds with San Diego for 10 years.
Playing nice with Manchester apparently did not persuade the multimillionaire and co-owner of the U-T, to play by the rules and obtain required permits for a myriad of changes on the Grand Del Mar property. A new heliport was built without a permit, and the landings were illegal also.
Major grading without a permit has also been charged by the city. These infractions and continued “Manchester” violations finally caused the city attorney of San Diego to seek redress for the “alleged” illegal actions through court. Our county, which should also carry the banner “America’s Finest,” will continue to bereft of any alternative editorial viewpoints in the U-T, as long as its is owned by Manchester and Lynch. This is what gives conservative businessmen, who tout and see only the GOP view, a bad name.
G. Lance Johannsen,
Carlsbad
97% of scientists agree about climate change
A review of 12,000 papers on climate change, in the May 15 issue of “Environmental Research Letters” found that 97 percent of scientists attribute climate change to human activities. Although we’re unlikely to reverse climate change, we can mitigate its effects by reducing our driving, energy use, and meat consumption.
Yes, meat consumption. A 2006 U.N. report estimated that meat consumption accounts for 18 percent of man-made greenhouse gases. A 2009 article in the respected World Watch magazine suggested that it may be closer to 50 percent.
Carbon dioxide, the principal greenhouse gas, is generated by burning forests to create animal pastures and by combustion of fossil fuels to confine, feed, transport, and slaughter animals. The much more damaging methane and nitrous oxide are discharged from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal waste cesspools, respectively.
Each of us has the power to reduce the devastating effects of climate change every time we eat. Our local supermarket offers a rich variety of soy-based lunchmeats, hotdogs, veggie burgers and soy and nut-based dairy products, as well as an ample selection of vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts. Product lists, easy recipes, and transition tips are at livevegan.org.
Sincerely,
Edward Cole,
Encinitas
