Letters

Feeling the Heat
"Thank you for publishing your report on global warming. I hope someone reads it to George W. Bush."

Your coverage of global warming and the White House's opposition to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to cut carbon dioxide emissions was heartening [SPECIAL REPORT, April 9]. George W. Bush's decision is just the latest and perhaps the most serious in a string of setbacks on environmental issues that have come out of Washington. Bush and his colleagues should realize that without clean air and the right temperature to support life at all levels, a healthy economy won't be possible. Truly, our economic health depends on environmental health.

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A strong case can be made that global warming is science fiction masquerading as fact. The Kyoto treaty would bind the U.S. to reduce "greenhouse gases" 7% below their 1990 levels by 2012. If the U.S. followed that provision, it could result in considerable price hikes for gasoline and a huge increase in electricity bills for most Americans. Global warming is a theory based, at this point, on speculative science, imprecise computer models and a lot of doom-and-gloom rhetoric. Despite what Chicken Little politicians claim, the scientific case is tenuous, at best.

Bush and his "old economy" corporate elite have only one thing to say to the world about global warming: "Let them eat CO2."

Scientists' lack of wisdom and certainty concerning global warming and our planet's future are exemplified by this ironic quote from your report: "Global warming could, paradoxically, throw the planet into another Ice Age." These doom-and-gloomers confuse even themselves. Perhaps these alarmists should ponder the idea that global climatic fluctuations are out of our control and that the God who has created the earth will also nourish it and sustain it.

Although it may seem as if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, President Bush's reneging on his campaign promise to curb CO2 emissions is far more significant than his father's campaign flip-flop over no new taxes. Taxation of our citizens is, over time, an insignificant event, but this President's reversal presents long-term and life-threatening consequences that are being ignored under the pretext of U.S. economic viability. While his father's about-face was regarded as a political blunder, this President Bush's decision may facilitate a global environmental disaster.

Anyone who believes that global warming is a threat has never spent a winter freezing in New England.

The U.S. was never a party to the Kyoto treaty, so we cannot pull out of it. As you pointed out, four years ago, the Senate voted 95 to 0 not to participate. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is certainly correct in saying no one should be surprised that the U.S. won't be abiding by Kyoto.

We need to realize that we don't have to sit around and wait to see what the President will or won't do about global warming. We are all responsible for what happens to our environment. The time to act is now! Making a few changes won't kill us, but ignoring what's happening to our planet certainly will.

Global warming is nonsense! nature emits about 95% of greenhouse gases, while humans are responsible for only 5%. Add a volcanic eruption here and there, and nature probably accounts for as much as 99%. Most of the temperature increases in the past century occurred when America was still mostly a rural economy. With the rise of our industrial might, temperatures haven't risen at all!

Michael D. Lemonick replies: Mr. Peterson is quite right in saying that nature is responsible for most of the greenhouse gases on Earth. But even the small percentage that is man-made, which is growing every year, has been enough to start nudging temperatures upward.

I find it hard to believe that scientists can accurately predict what kind of weather we will have in 100 years. Last month we in the New York metropolitan area heard alarming predictions of 2 ft. of snow in Manhattan, but we ended up getting just a few inches. If looking only a couple of days into the future can produce a weather-forecast goof like that, how can anyone accurately predict what the effects of global warming will be 100 years from now?

We did our best to come up with an all-inclusive list of 20 things you can do to reduce carbon dioxide output, but several of you came up with novel ideas we had overlooked. A Montana resident suggested ending NASCAR competitions, which consume thousands of gallons of fuel per race. A Maryland man proposed shunning large houses in favor of smaller, more energy-efficient homes—an idea a San Jacinto, Calif., homeowner put a slightly different spin on. "Many of us have small lawns that we mow with gas or electric machines," he wrote. "Why not switch to manual or push lawn mowers?" And our hearts were warmed by a Durango, Colo., woman's idea: "You didn't mention drying laundry on clotheslines. Remember getting into bed that first night after washday when sheets smelled fresh? That smell is right up there with that of baking bread."

Holding the World Hostage
Bush's decision on CO2 emissions could have a catalyzing effect and cause other countries to take needed steps [SPECIAL REPORT, April 9], but what better place to start instituting change than in the U.S.? American citizens are in a unique position to create a groundswell telling the President that he must be accountable to the people and that he and those who propelled him to power cannot hold the entire world hostage to his economic vision.

O Lord, why didn't you give Bush enough brains to understand that it is in the best interests of the people of the U.S. to put a limit on the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere? We in Europe also don't want to hurt our economy by putting a cap on greenhouse-gas emissions. We are educated enough, however, to understand that we have to do this now to avoid serious environmental and economic disasters in the future.

There is a lack of common sense in the global-warming debate. To reverse the warming trend, we don't just have to return to pre-1990 levels of greenhouse-gas emissions; we have to go back even further. The Kyoto Protocol was obsolete when it was drawn up. Without action, the rate of global warming will not be linear but exponential—the rate at which the planet is warming is increasing. We must control global population and cut back drastically on fossil-fuel use. From a global-warming perspective, the only light at the end of the tunnel is that we will eventually run out of fossil fuel.

Needed: A New Vision
John F. Kennedy made it America's objective to put a man on the moon within a decade. Why not a new objective—to make the U.S. energy-independent within a decade, fully complying with the Kyoto Protocol in the process? President Bush has got to have vision! Developing new energy technology with fewer harmful emissions could be the ticket to getting the U.S. economy back on its feet.

Speed Demons
Your article on addiction to methamphetamines in Asia was informative [WORLD, April 2]. However, writer Karl Taro Greenfeld seems to share the illusion of those helplessly addicted to speed, that success lies in materialism. He fails to see the contradiction when he mentions that the path to recovery is spiritual. The very fact that strict disciplinary measures do not act as a deterrent to drug use confirms the view that the remedy lies elsewhere. It is perhaps because of the prevalent misconception of success that frustrated people seek transient solace in dangerous chemicals like methamphetamine.

Greenfeld's story on Asians' addiction to speed or "mad medicine" is the hardest-hitting TIME article I've ever read. As the saying goes, it takes one to know one, and Greenfeld, having been a meth user himself at one time, kept his report free of the moralizing undertones that often seep into similar well-intentioned pieces. The descriptions of methamphetamine use were so lucid, reading them was like experiencing it firsthand. Greenfeld should get a big pat on the back for addressing the issue as a health, social and economic problem independent of politics and class.

Roots of the Conflict
Matt Rees, in his piece about Israel's new battle plan [WORLD, April 9], stated that Yasser Arafat is "at best in only partial control" of the aggression against Israel. In the same breath, Rees also pointed out that Hamas and Islamic Jihad had sent five bombers into Israel. Arafat is totally in control over revolving-door policies that release militant Palestinians back onto the streets, and he should be held fully accountable for their attacks.

Arafat does not have the sole responsibility for the situation in Israel. People forget that Israel is an occupying force in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The intifadeh, or popular uprising, is the people's way of fighting their aggressor and regaining their freedom. The whole struggle in the Middle East could be solved simply by Israel's pulling out of the territories it occupies. To condemn the Palestinians for their struggle for freedom is similar to criticizing the Americans for their struggle for freedom.

Welcome Back to School
Your article about professionals who switch careers and join the school system, "Rookie Teacher, Age 50" [EDUCATION, April 9], discussed a very important topic. At age 56, after 30 years as a construction engineer with the City of Los Angeles, I retired and started teaching fifth grade in Santa Ana. Teaching elementary school is the most difficult, intellectually challenging and rewarding thing I have ever done.

I loved reading about my new colleague James Fogel, the 50-year-old judge turned teacher. After teaching history, civics and government for 15 years, I'd like to quit and go fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a judge. Yet the judicial system heavily favors applicants with a law degree. I'd be required to spend a year or more obtaining degrees in law! Why isn't the shortage of judges being addressed with fast-track programs for entry into that profession?

Unsung Heroines
I read with interest the review of new books about the civil rights movement and the struggle to end segregation [BOOKS, April 9]. While your critic noted that one book, Deep in Our Hearts: Nine White Women in the Freedom Movement by Constance Curry, was among the best on the subject, he didn't discuss it further. I was disappointed not to read more about this book, but thanks for highlighting these important contributions to American history.

Deep in Our Hearts, an oral history of young women in the '60s civil rights movement, was published in October by the University of Georgia Press, whose phone number is 800-266-5842.

Damming the Rivers of Cash
Charles Krauthammer simply misses the mark in his commentary opposing campaign-finance reform [VIEWPOINT, April 9]. He defends the American political tradition that says all kinds of voices and interests must be allowed to clash in order to produce a diverse balance. But the main purpose of campaign-finance reform is to restore some balance between the political access available to constituents (through letters and phone calls) and the much more influential access available to those with huge amounts of money. Krauthammer seems to feel that swollen rivers of cash are inevitable in politics. But reform takes a first step toward making ideas, not money, the currency of politics.

Krauthammer stated that "there are few more important or more cherished ways for those outside the political system to express themselves than by contributing to a political party that reflects their views." Poor li'l ole naive me. I always thought that the most important and most cherished way to express myself politically was to vote for the people who reflect my views. If the special interests were stripped of their power, it would surely be enough for my wishes to be heard and acted upon.

Rally for Reform
Money equals influence. why not have campaign reform that limits how much a candidate can spend [NATION, April 9]? No level playing field here! And why not limit the time for campaigning to the six weeks right before an election? This would cut costs and save us all from tiresome, repetitious political speeches!

Here's my idea for reform: take some of our tax dollars and form a pool. Divide it by the number of people running for national office. No other financing would be allowed. Each individual would start out with the same amount, and as the number of candidates decreased, the amount left over would be redistributed. And, by golly, the person who really deserved to win would do so on his merits and his platform.

Being Fit Isn't Enough
I would like to make some comments about a letter of mine that you published [LETTERS, March 5] and about your Feb. 5 cover story on how to get healthier. That article referred to a study of which I was the lead author. I never stated in that study that obese and fit men had about the same risk of all-cause deaths as men who were fit and of normal weight. In fact, this study reported that men who were physically fit and overweight (including obese men) had about a 10% increased risk of death from all causes. A 10% higher risk of all-cause death is not insignificant and could account for about 100,000 deaths a year in the U.S. Also, overweight men, even those who are physically fit, still have about a 50% increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

Oscar's Sideshow
The Academy Awards are meant to recognize achievement in film [PEOPLE, April 9]. With an ample number of talented and attractive people in the movie industry to choose from, why include pictures of attendees like Monica Lewinsky and Denise Rich? They're old news—leave them to the tabloids!

TV's Larry King is very good at what he does; it has made him a millionaire. But that tongue kiss he gave his wife in the photo you ran was totally uncalled for. There's a time and place for everything; Larry, please show some class!

Louise in a Hurry
Novelist Louise Erdrich has made creative use of her Ojibwa heritage in books that feature tales of Native Americans [BOOKS, April 9]. Her storytelling skill gets high marks today, but earlier in her career, we were less than enthusiastic about her novel Tracks [Sept. 12, 1988]:

"Love Medicine (1984) and The Beet Queen (1986) introduced Louise Erdrich as a writer with a bold talent and exotic demographics. Both novels drew deeply from her background in North Dakota...Erdrich's use of history, legend and experience was sophisticated...[She] is not the sort of woolly regionalist who captivates critics with untamed energy and an earthy style. She seems to have a plan for her career; she obviously has a blueprint for her imagination...Characters from the previous novels appear as youngsters in the new one...Despite its confident lyricism and clear passions, Tracks bears the marks of the academic writers' workshop. The device of alternating the voices of the two narrators is schematic and of limited tonal interest...Erdrich seems too eager to buy the grandiose literary line that the writer is a mythmaker rather than a storyteller. Crammed into a short, intense novel, her characters are too busy hauling symbolic freight to reveal their humanity."

First-Quarter Scores
The figures are in for the volume of mail we got in the first quarter of this year. School shootings took first place in our tally of your responses, but other cover stories also topped our mail charts:
—Columbine Effect (March 19) 718
—AIDS in Africa (Feb. 12) 526
—Shrinking Ex-President (Feb. 26) 340
—John Ashcroft (Jan. 22) 308

Prince of Prepuberty
Paul Reubens acts like a grownup

"Pee-wee Herman is the prince of prepuberty. For almost a decade, Actor-Writer Paul Reubens, 35, has presented himself as Pee-wee, a gawky, geeky child. The spectacle is both corny and hip, retrograde and avant-garde...With his 1985 film Pee-wee's Big Adventure and his Saturday-morning TV show, Reubens has gained a huge peanut gallery. Even for those who found the Pee-wee persona grating, there was ingenuity in the movie's pop-art surrealism ...[The new film] Big Top Pee-wee is more of the smart same. Young MacPee-wee has a farm that is a sort of summer camp—high camp—for animals. In the barn, the sheep and cow sleep in beds. For breakfast the horse flaps pancakes...Because there are no other humans on the farm...Pee-wee is his own role model, his only playmate, and the film is an isolated boy's fantasy of comradeship. It's pretty funny too."

Crackdown on Raves
Should the Federal Government use an antidrug law aimed at crack houses to clamp down on the use of illegal drugs at raves [SOCIETY, April 9]? If the feds have their way, nightclub owners might be prosecuted whether or not they were selling drugs if party animals are caught with stuff in the house. Our story on the new legal tactic drew many snorts of derision. "The government will have about as much success in curtailing the use of ecstasy at raves as it did with alcohol in speakeasies during Prohibition," wrote Phin MacDonald of Medford, Mass. "They are only encouraging the scene to move back underground." Alicia Downard of Dallas thought it was "typical drug-war absurdity to equate ecstasy with crack. When was the last time you read about a drug-addicted mother who spent her welfare check on ecstasy?" But Cheri Lucas of San Francisco thinks there is a problem with the use of ecstasy, and she regretted that the focus on drugs in clubs drew attention away from "the talented, responsible people who created the rave movement. Skilled artists and producers provided the music; promoters created great parties; performers and dancers kept the energy alive on the dance floor. It was the people, not ecstasy, who first made raves so intriguing and popular."