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editorial Hopefully more than a day Few people are probably unaware that April 22 is Earth Day. It’s difficult to decide whether it’s sad or not that the celebration is no longer perceived a frou-frou celebration of granola munching treehuggers. On the one hand, we’re encouraged the environmental movement is no longer marginalized, and by the fact that consumers, businesses and government are all beginning to realize sustainable practices and economic growth are not mutually exclusive. On the other hand, we’re disappointed to note solid scientific evidence of global climate change is still not accepted by many of our leaders and society continues its myopic pursuit of short-term interests at the cost of long-term strength, stability and sustainability. As readers may have noticed, the sReporter has had a heavy emphasis on environmental stories over the past year. These stories need to be told. They are our stories. Whatever decisions we make as a society, how we interact with our world today will shape the world we inhabit in the future, as well as the one we give our descendents. Even those stories not directly related to so-called “green” subjects often have a connection to climate change, ecology, pollution, animal rights or other environmental topics. Whether it is a story about an artist motivated to capture the changing scenery surrounding her or an article about the best way to deal with sand piling up on local beaches we would be remiss not to acknowledge the climate surrounding us. Likewise, communities seem to be starting to realize environmental issues are intertwined with just about every issue they face. Concerns about mining trucks and the expansion of gravel operations throughout the Ojai Valley have become a quality of life issue impacting the region’s tourist economy as well as its residents, but the same debate has also raised the issue of increased carbon
dioxide emissions that might result from trucks forced to travel from further away to deliver construction supplies and the possibility that what impacts we exclude from Ventura County we might be placing on other, less prosperous communities. Rising energy prices and higher fuel costs have drained our wallets, but they have also helped us reconsider how and where we travel. This may be a boon to Ventura County as Los Angeles area residents shorten the reach of their vacations and decide to relax here, but unless we invest in making it easier for people to get to our region without cars and to avoid using them while here, we will inherit the poor air quality of the L.A. basin. As our community grows, we have the opportunity to avoid the same problems that have plagued Los Angeles, Orange County and other areas that experienced rapid growth in the past half century, but if we pursue only the quick buck now we will likely shortchange ourselves in the future. As this weekend’s Ultimate Boarder contest in Ventura shows, for example, our natural offerings can be a major draw. Any surfer will tell you they always have been, just as any hiker or outdoor enthusiast will say the same about the Los Padres National Forest. Meanwhile, at its anniversary celebration Sunday the Ventura Hillsides Conservancy once again drew attention to the nascent Ventura River Parkway project, which would both restore the river to its natural state and cultivate the long-neglected waterway that was a cultural and community draw. Ultimately, though, we cannot just participate in a flurry of cleanups and tree plantings and believe we’ve done something to save the Earth. We must — all of us, this publication and its staff included — fundamentally shift our behavior and our expectations if we desire a future we will want to celebrate. &
letters Correction of historic proportions Your article on historic homes (see “Historically Speaking,” Feature, 4/3/08) has some huge mistakes in it. In particular, your reference to the Peirano House needs some correction. The Peirano house was vacant for many years until my husband and I purchased it in the late ‘70s. It was restored by my husband, Mr. Jan Harmonson, in 1980. No detail was left undone. We have many photos of the restoration. He was in fact the first person to restore a house in the Downtown area, and was involved in many more after that. The newly renovated Peirano House became offices for Harmonson Tax and Financial Services. Years after that we sold it to Mr. Parrish, who was not responsible for any renovation. You should check out the historic plaque that sits in the frontyard of the Peirano House. I’m not sure where you got your facts for this story. It’s a shame you were not able to talk to someone like my husband, who was born and raised in Ventura and knows an incredible amount of history of Ventura.
Patti Harmonson, Ojai
Open letter to Pelosi In the light of the Bush administration’s repeated abrogations of power, such as “signing statements,” “extraordinary rendition” and most egregiously and dangerously, the item known as “Directive 51,” I urge you to reconsider your statement that “impeachment is off the table.” All of these have been brazen — and successful — attempts to enhance the absolute power of the executive branch and deny the important function for which Congress was specifically designed. Without our system of checks and balances, democracy in America is a façade and nothing more. I strongly urge you to support the efforts of legislators and bills such as HR333, which call for Executive branch accountability. The lives of our sons and daughters, and America’s integrity in the global community are at stake. Don’t fail at your watch: Put Impeachment back on the table.
Adrienne Prince, Camarillo
Cool your diet It’s not about changing light bulbs anymore. When Al Gore’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s dramatic documentaries alerted us to the devastating impacts of global warming, many people went through the ritual of switching from incandescent light bulbs to the com-
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— April 17, 2008
pact fluorescent variety. Unfortunately, in the case of global warming, good intentions and switching light bulbs are not good enough. The most powerful individual lifestyle solution was suggested in a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The report found that meat production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. That’s more than automobiles! Carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is emitted by burning forests to create animal pastures and by combustion of fossil fuels to operate farm machinery, trucks, refrigeration equipment, factory farms, and slaughterhouses. The much more damaging methane and nitrous oxide are released from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal waste cesspools. Moreover, animal agriculture contributes more pollutants to our waterways than all other human activities combined. Principal sources are animal wastes, soil particles, minerals, crop debris, fertilizers, and pesticides from feed croplands. It is also the driving force in world-wide deforestation and wildlife habitat destruction. The annual observance of Earth Day April 22 provides an excellent opportunity for every one of us to help save our planet by dropping animal products from our diet. More details are available at www.CoolYourDiet.org.
Charles McGregor, Ventura
Nation’s founders detested democracy? Norman Rodewald’s letter (see “Reality check time,” Letters, 4/3/08) is a perfect example of what I referred to in a previous letter (see “Questionable lessons,” 3/27/08): a complete ignorance of the intentions and backgrounds of the founders and liberty! He, like so many modern-day “liberals,” fails to realize (or realizes and is intentionally misrepresenting) that a so-called “liberal” circa 2008 has next-to-nothing in common with the great liberty-minded thinkers who established the Constitution. The word “liberal” was used back then to describe the political philosophy of one who believed in freedom from government coercion, de-centralized governance, a belief in individualism and freedom from the State. Pretty much the exact opposite of so-called “liberals” today, who seem to believe that nothing (except gay marriage and abortion) should be outside the purview of government (whichever level of government that can best impose their will on everyone else). In fact, the word “liberal” was hijacked by people with a statist/collectivist agenda in the early-mid 20th century. Allow me to quote: “The American people will