Letters to the editor for Sunday, June 11, 2017

Regarding kitten found riddled with BBs

It is with a very heavy heart that I compose this letter. My theme is not about politics or terrorists but something far more sinister, the degradation of societal mores. For those of you who do not get the Nevada Appeal or failed to notice the article in the paper regarding the tiny kitten now dubbed “BeBe,” the incident of which I write involves the lowest of low that exists in our society.

Some demented, sadistic individual out of sheer pleasure decided it would be great “sport” to take their pellet gun/rifle and shoot a tiny less-than-three-month-old kitten, not once, not twice, not even three times but rather seven times.

Fortunately some kind soul in Dayton found this kitten and called Catmandu in Carson. They came to the rescue and with the help of a vet, seven 5 mm pellets were removed. A foster home was found for this tiny helpless kitten and she is now on the mend. The kitten did lose part of her ear, and we pray for a complete recovery.

What has our society become when we can condone such inhumane behavior?

As I write this I am physically and mentally crying. Why? Why? There is no answer for this type of behavior.

My wife and I visited Catmandu to see what we could do to help. I am prepared to offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the guilty party.

With profound sadness,

Joel Flamenbaum

Carson City

Global warming caused by more than carbon dioxide

Climate change is real. Scientific evidence supports many climate changes. A general overview starts with the age of dinosaurs.

We know about the cold period known as the Ice Age that ended around 9000 BC. A warm period known as the Medieval Warm Period went from about 700 to 1000 AD. This facilitated the Norseman settlements of Iceland and Greenland (during this period, Iceland was about 25 percent forested compared to about 1 percent today). Then we have the Little Ice Age from about 1500 to about 1700 AD. Now we have a warming period.

The fact that there have been cooler and warmer periods is established fact. The difference today is that the determination of what causes climate change is an economic decision based on how much money people can make (research grants, carbon credits, etc.).

Ultimately, the sun governs the earth’s weather. In the 1600s astronomers in Europe and Asia recorded fewer sunspots. Reports from China, Korea, and Japan recorded no observed sunspots between 1639 to 1700 AD (the Little Ice Age time frame).

Sunspots indicate solar activity, and thus the sun’s warming power. Today’s theory that carbon dioxide is the reason for climate change is not supported by history (how many cars and factories existed during the Medieval Warm Period?).

Yes, carbon dioxide plays a role, but the sun governs Earth’s weather. Most of this information comes from the book “The Earth and Its Peoples,” sixth edition by Bulliet, Crossley, Headrick, Hirsch, Johnson, and Northrup.

Doyle Hanks

Carson City

Drink responsibly this Fourth of July

This Fourth of July, Americans everywhere will toast to our nation’s 241st birthday. Fireworks will light the night sky as friends, families and communities gather to celebrate our independence.

While summer holidays are a great chance to enjoy a cold beer in the summer sun, always remember to celebrate responsibly. This Independence Day weekend, let’s give America the best birthday gift we can by always planning ahead for a safe ride home and helping keep our roads safe for all.

Over the past 35 years, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners have invested more than $1 billion in the United States to promote alcohol responsibility and help prevent drunk driving.

During the holiday weekend, and every weekend, remember that drunk driving is 100 percent preventable when we all do our part. Get a ride. Call a cab. Take a train. Whatever you do, care enough to get home safely. Have a fun and safe holiday!

Jason Brown

Carson City