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Advocate fan enjoys articles, letters
Your magazine is so informative, nicely presented, good quality stock, enjoyable to read. “Business Upfront” in your magazine led me to Lori Mitchell, acupuncturist, on page seven and I booked her immediately. Keep up the good work — the letters to the editor were especially interesting. Carol Orr, Lindsay
Our lives are richer for volunteer efforts
How nice to see the photo of my friend Valmay Barkey on the front page of the March edition of The Lindsay Advocate, celebrating the efforts of many of the women volunteers in our community. I have had the privilege of serving with Valmay as well as several of the other women referenced in your article and can readily attest to the level of care and commitment of these fine citizens. Kawartha Lakes is blessed with so many organizations dedicated to preserving our heritage, culture, and way of life — and even essential services related to health care, education, housing, and feeding the hungry. Our lives, and those within our community, are truly richer for these efforts and it is important that they not be taken for granted. As your article references, “Volunteering gives Valmay Barkey profound satisfaction.” Indeed, we should be profoundly grateful for the shining example set by all these volunteers. And this fine article serves as an excellent and timely reminder! Mark Doble, Lindsay
We don’t need Highway 413
Using the pandemic for political cover, the Ford government is fast-tracking a new Highway 413, cutting through 55 km of prime farmlands, conservation land, waterways and protected areas. The corresponding urban sprawl will destroy some of Ontario’s most productive farmland. There has been no formal agricultural impacts assessment of the proposed highway and the government wants to avoid a full environmental assessment, opting for a streamlined (faster, less thorough) version. Based on an expert panel report which concluded that the highway
was “not the best way to address the region’s changing transportation needs,” the $6 billion project was cancelled in 2018. Why should residents of Kawartha Lakes care? 1. Food security. As domestic food production is decreased by destroying farmland, we become more dependent upon expensive imported food. 2. The highway cost will be borne by taxpayers. 3. If protections can be waived to expedite projects elsewhere, the same shortcuts could bring irreversible environmental, economic and social effects to Kawartha Lakes as well. 4. Agriculture, food processing, tourism and recreational industries are being put at risk, endangering jobs and billions in economic activity. 5. Increased traffic will produce more greenhouse gases putting climate goals at risk. Development in Ontario must benefit the majority of Ontarians and enhance quality of life. A government that claims to be “for the people” probably isn’t. Actions speak more loudly than words. Elizabeth Turner, Concerned Citizens of Haliburton County
Climate change: Difference between denial and skepticism
Let’s begin by enlightening Barry Snider (letter to the editor, Advocate March edition) to the fact that there is a difference between denialism and skepticism. We all know that the climate is changing and can accept the probability that CO2 emissions play a part in the process. But the question remains, to what extent? Snider asserts, “the forcing that far outweighs all others ... is our carbon emissions” (not to be confused with CO2 emissions). But how can we be so certain? From all the forcings Snider enumerates, let’s just take one example: clouds. Dr. Chris Fairall, lead investigator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s ATOMIC project quips about cloud science, “Cloud science is not rocket science ... It’s much, much harder than that.” A new study published in Science Advances states, “Cloud feedbacks and cloudaerosol interactions are the most likely contributors to the high values and increased range of sensitivity in (climate modelling results) CMIP6.” Given that 70 per cent of the globe is covered by clouds at any given time, it’s no surprise they play an integral role in regulating the climate. The challenge is to figure out which types of cloud will increase, and which
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