Letters for Sept. 11, 2023

Let both sides be fairly heard

In his letter to the editor of Aug. 29, Dan Distelhorst states, “It’s what you believe to be true, that isn’t actually factual, that is the problem.” He then states, “77% believe climate change is neither primarily man-made, nor a major threat. Settled science says both.”

While it is fine that Distelhorst is of the opinion that the science is settled, it would do folks well to gather scientific input from across a wider spectrum of scientists rather than just from the alarmist end of the spectrum who shout the loudest and are given more than their fair share of representation in the media. Take the time to read the technical works by folks such as Dr. Judith Curry, Dr. Roy Spencer and Gregory Wrightstone, who do deep dives into data. Is there some component of warming attributable to man-made sources? Yes. If alarmists shouting down folks who are skeptical classify them as being deniers based data analysis, they in turn the shouting alarmists could be classified as data deniers.

As noted by Dr. Spencer, mainstream medical thinking at one point was that peptic ulcers were caused by either spicy food or stress. Two “rogue” Australian researchers bucked the thinking and stuck by their work that the ulcers were caused by bacteria. The result was that antibiotics are widely used to treat peptic ulcers.

Keep in mind a basic tenet of English law: “Let both sides be fairly heard.”

Bernard Leber

Spokane

Sounds like the Wizard

Trump reminds me of an amalgam of P.T. Barnum and the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard made a great deal of noise to convince those around him that he had special powers and knowledge, but when the curtain was pulled back it was revealed that he was nothing but a little man, a charlatan consumed by his own fears of failure.

Mike Moore

Liberty Lake